Chapter 7

I will post the 7th chapter.

This is the last scheduled post for today.

Amidst the various kinds of flowers mingling together, the gardener's skill harmonizes them as if it were art.

Feeling this, I walk here with a beautiful woman.

The envy of men around the world, they would look at us with envious eyes.

She takes my hand, and we proceed together in this paradise of flowers.

If I could convey just one, just one of my thoughts...

Why is that woman you, Celine?

To conclude, I was missed.

And not just a little, but intensely.

"Ain! Hey, let's hold hands, okay?"

"Y-Yes, thank you."

"Hehe, you two are so cute."

Being missed so intensely, how did it come to this...

*

"Who would have thought I'd be guided by Miss Celine, my son is truly blessed."

"Please don't be so formal, Lady Olivia. To bring someone as beautiful and renowned in society as you... I'm worried that our garden might pale in comparison. It's an honor to guide you, and I am the one who is truly blessed."

What is this guy, a fan of my mother?

Hmm, what a good guy, Miss Celine!

To understand my mother's greatness to this extent...

Alright, I'll give you the right to walk beside my mother! Be grateful and savor that happiness!

"...Rumors are truly unpredictable, aren't they?"

When Celine murmured this, I was wondering about rumors, but my mother reacted.

"...About Ain?"

"Yes, that's right. It's hard not to hear... Though I'm sure it's not something you want to hear, Lady Olivia."

"What are you two talking about?"

"It's nothing, really. Just that you, as Lady Olivia's son, aren't someone to be ashamed of, so don't worry about it."

"Y-Yes... I see, that's a relief."

That's good to hear.

If I were to disgrace my mother, I should have considered suicide.

*

"(...It's completely the opposite of what I heard. He was said to be rude, ugly, and incapable of consideration, but... what kind of boy did I think he would be?)"

Celine had heard many things about Ain, the eldest son of the famous General Logas, who was considered a failure, or even possibly the result of Lady Olivia's infidelity.

Celine thought about her impressions of Ain.

The truth was entirely the opposite of the rumors.

"(Rude? I think he's head and shoulders above the noble children here today.

Ugly? With Lady Olivia's beautiful brown hair and a kind expression like hers, he's a wonderful person.

Unable to consider others? I've never seen such wonderful consideration in society.)"

Before Lady Olivia could be embarrassed, Ain bowed his head, and he found something as beautiful as his mother, inviting her to see it together. Such a killer line... it would be hard to find someone who could say it.

"(Maybe I'm a bit biased because I love Lady Olivia so much?)"

Even without any bias, Celine felt that Ain was a good boy. She knew of many plots by second wives or concubines, but even so, she couldn't stop feeling bad.

"Truly... beautiful."

Ain, with his clear eyes, admired the flowers in the garden.

Celine saw Ain genuinely admiring the flowers and being moved by them.

"(With such beautiful eyes, if this were a lie, I'd lose faith in people.)"

"Yes, they are beautiful."

"Until I came here, I thought the flowers were made to glow by magic..."

"No, as you can see, these roses glow on their own."

Blue Fire Roses.

As the name suggests, they shimmer and glow like blue flames.

They are very difficult to grow, requiring perfect conditions of water, soil, and climate to even begin growing.

Once a bud forms, a vast amount of high-quality fertilizer is needed for the flower to bloom.

Once it blooms, it gradually absorbs magic from its surroundings, causing the flower to glow blue.

"But be careful, okay? Once these flowers bloom, they become highly toxic."

"Huh?"

"That's impressive. The poison from one flower is strong enough to kill 500 people!"

*

Upon hearing about the poison from Celine, Ain thought,

Why would you plant something so dangerous here?

"Surely you're thinking, 'Why plant something so dangerous?'"

"...I can't deny that."

"Does Lady Olivia know why it's safe?"

"Of course. Ain, the Grand Duke's garden is only accessible to a handful of people. Those who can enter know the danger, and we explain it thoroughly to first-time visitors. The poison only comes out if you touch or pick the flower."

"I... see."

The Grand Duke truly cherishes his garden. It's his only hobby, and this place is like a sacred ground for him.

"Also, it's usually covered in glass, but today it's special. We've removed it to make it easier for people to see."

"So that's why we can get so close today."

"Exactly. There's still a lot more to see. Enjoy yourself, okay?"

Seeing Celine's enthusiasm, Ain and Olivia followed her.

They both felt this would be a pleasant time.

*

After about an hour of touring the vast garden, they took a break in a salon space in the middle.

Celine ordered tea and light snacks, which was much appreciated.

"So, did you enjoy it?"

"Yes, thank you for the valuable experience."

"It's fine. I was honored to have a leisurely conversation with Lady Olivia."

"Oh, I'm glad to hear that."

...My mother seemed to have relaxed a lot, which is good.

I even think it would have been better not to attend such a formal debut party.

Meeting a beautiful girl like Miss Celine, this is truly a win.

"By the way, Ain, do you know the origin of the Blue Fire Rose's name?"

"No, I haven't heard. Is it because they shimmer and glow like blue flames?"

"Hehe... no. Remember when I said they're poisonous?"

"Yes, I remember. Is there something special about the poison?"

"The poison... it causes a burning pain. A pain that feels like your whole body is being burned before you finally die."

That's scary.

The Blue Fire Rose is too dangerous...

"That... sounds like a dramatic name now."

"Hehe. Isn't it? They say beauty comes with a thorn, and that's well put."

"Ah, Miss Celine? But there's another one, right?"

"Indeed, Lady Olivia."

"Another one?"

What, there's another origin of the name that will shock me?

Both of you have such beautiful faces, but you're starting to scare me...

"Star Crystal."

"Is that... related to the Blue Fire Rose?"

"Yes, Ain. What do you think it is?"

"Hmm... a special artificial flower made from Blue Fire Roses, maybe?"

But I don't think it would evolve into something called Star Crystal.

From the name, it sounds like a very high-end item.

"Close, but not quite."

"Hehe, the correct answer, Ain... if you detoxify the flower from the root up, the flower part turns into a gem."

"Really? The flower turns into a gem?"

"The poison of the Blue Fire Rose crystallizes substances. When the poison is rapidly removed, it feels threatened and starts to crystallize near where the seeds would form. It's a way to protect itself. Eventually, the part above the calyx solidifies, and that's the Star Crystal."

The poison crystallizes?

I've heard that snake venom can turn blood into jelly... so that's possible.

But poison...?

"What kind of crystal is it?"

"It glows blue now, right? It will glow like this, but with particles sparkling like stars!"

"That's why it's called Star Crystal. I'd like to show you, Ain, but..."

"It's difficult, Lady Olivia..."

"Isn't it just about removing the poison?"

There are plenty of magic spells to remove poison, right? It's just about detoxifying, isn't it?

"I understand why you think that, Ain, but... if it's not done quickly, the flower will wither. That's why it's difficult with magic... I've heard there are people who can do it, but Father says they live very far away."

"Otherwise, you can use money to force it."

Money talks, I guess. In any world, you can force things with money.

But the way she said it was bitter... does it cost a lot?

"Mother, how much does it cost?"

"About three years' worth of the Roundheart territory's annual income."

"Wh-What!?"

"To remove the poison, you use medicine!... An extremely high-end antidote is poured over the flower to remove the poison."

"What a crazy method..."

High-end antidote... yeah.

As a man, I feel it's a waste to use it to make a gem.

...Detoxify? I feel like I'm forgetting something.

Oh, right, I can break down toxins. I'm at EX level, so I feel confident. Even God said so.

At EX level, no matter what kind of poison or bacteria, it's all over, God said.

"From the root... detoxify."

"Ain, what are you doing?"

"Ain, don't get too close, it's dangerous."

I want to believe that I can do something, even if it's just making a gem. At least the two of you will be happy.

"Ain!?"

"Ain, don't touch it!"

Sorry for pulling it out suddenly.

But... ah, I see, this is what toxins feel like... the moment I touched the Blue Fire Rose, I felt a connection with it.

But it wasn't scary or disgusting, I accepted it as it was... and neutralized and broke it down.

The poison is indeed dangerous and scary... but I can accept it, right?

I've been raised to be such a good boy that I can even be kind to poison.

"Yes, Miss Celine. Thank you for the tour today. I'm sorry for pulling one out, but if this can be a token of my gratitude, I couldn't be happier."

"S-Star Crystal!? How... how did you do that, Ain!?"

"Yes, Ain... your power. You can use it for things like this."

"It seems so, Mother. Don't you think it's a wonderful ability?"

"Hehe. Yes, it is... to have such a wonderful child, I am truly blessed."

To be honest, I was a bit scared before I started.

But when I touched it... I had a feeling it would be okay.

Because, you know, the flowers seemed to welcome me.

"Ah, Miss Celine? Can I have another one? I'd like to give one to Mother too."

"...Yes, of course."

While Celine was still in a daze, I pulled out another one and generated a Star Crystal.

Yeah, the second one feels smoother, I got the hang of it.

"Here, Mother. This is from me. Will you accept it?"

"Oh, what a wonderful proposal! I've never seen such a romantic one."

"If you accept it... I guess my proposal was successful. I'm glad."

"Hehe. Thank you, Ain."

"Hey, Ain! How did you make the Star Crystal!?"

"Oh, I'm back to normal."

"Of course she'd be in a daze! There are only two of these in the country!"

I see, two in the country! I did well.

"You probably think there are only two, but you're wrong!"

Celine, with her pretty light blue hair, raised her voice. Calm down, Miss.

"Both are in the royal family... one is worn by the queen, and the other is on the royal dagger."

"Oh, I see."

"That's not the point... how did you make it!?"

"It's my ability. Have you heard of my toxin breakdown?"

"Of course... the eldest son of the Roundheart family having a toxin breakdown skill is a common rumor."

Yeah, it must have leaked from somewhere.

Of course, it's a juicy gossip topic.

"My toxin breakdown isn't just regular; it's toxin breakdown EX... it basically breaks down all toxins and bacteria completely."

"I've never heard of such a thing..."

Still, Celine's face is getting redder. Is she tired from all the excitement? She should calm down.

"...Really, you'll give this to me?"

"Yes, it's for you. Will you accept it?"

"...Yes, I will accept it with gratitude."

"Oh, Ain, proposing twice in one go... you've grown into such a generous young man, I'm so proud."

Wait, Mother... proposing, you mean the joke earlier?

What do you mean?

"Mother, what do you mean?"

"Giving a Star Crystal to a woman is a proposal. A woman who receives a Star Crystal will surely build a happy family with that man."

"...I didn't know that."

"Of course not. But... Miss Celine knew and accepted it."

What...?

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