Chapter 60

The first prince had turned ten, and today he was walking through the palace garden.

"This is called a snow crystal flower..."

From the start, he was a calm child, and when he spoke, he was better than my own apprentice, but today he seemed different. The first prince was speaking in a lively, childlike voice.

"Oh, big brother, a butterfly!"

"There's a butterfly on your head!"

When a butterfly landed on the second prince's dark blue hair, the twin princes called out happily. However, the second prince, who seemed to dislike insects, froze with a frown on his young face.

We gardeners are in a position similar to servants and cannot speak directly to them. The time my apprentice did so and got away with it was only because the first prince was so gentle.

Now, I can only stop my work and watch from the ladder. I just happened to see them when I climbed up to trim the trees. No, it's not that I climbed up just because I heard their voices, it's not.

"Oh, hahaha. Terry is still not used to bugs, you see."

The first prince laughed out loud... I've known him for a few years, but this was the first time I've seen him do so.

Gently waving his hand, the first prince shooed away the butterfly. The twin princes looked disappointed.

"Insects have very short lifespans. That butterfly might not even live a month. I think it's okay to let it rest a little."

"Short, lifespan?"

"Can't we catch it?"

The first prince kindly taught the young twin princes.

Really, I wish the nobles who manage the garden could see this. How can they spread rumors that the first prince bullies his younger brother without shame? Let alone talk about assassination.

"What do you mean, 'not used to it yet,' big brother?"

The second prince, who seemed stiffer compared to the others, asked.

"Oh, you were only three then, so you probably don't remember. The last time we met, you cried when a bug flew out of a flower."

"......I've never heard that before."

The second prince's expression hardened. He must have heard the rumors about the first prince bullying him and making him cry.

"But, now that you mention it, I do remember touching a flower..."

The second prince made a gesture with his hands, and the first prince explained that he saw a glowing flower. It was bright, so he covered it to make it darker.

"Glowing flower?"

"I want to see it!"

When the twin princes begged, the first prince smiled and shook his head.

"It's not the season for flowers now."

"What do you mean, 'not the season for flowers'?"

"What do you mean, big brother?"

I know because I'm a gardener, but indeed, the flowers are gone. There are only leaves left, and the plants have been replaced with new ones.

"Hmm... Oh, I think there are moving flowers blooming right now. Do you want to see them?"

The twin princes were delighted and immediately became interested in the first prince's suggestion. Indeed, during this season, the moving flowers are still blooming after being transplanted. These flowers have the habit of closing when touched to ensure pollination by trapping insects seeking nectar. Children would surely be delighted.

"Plants are living things too. They bloom flowers and spread leaves because they need to."

Holding the hands of the younger twins who were eager to run, the first prince spoke gently.

"Those too?"

"These too?"

"Yes."

While responding to his brothers, the first prince continued his explanation. The second prince, who followed behind, spoke hesitantly.

"Big brother, you know a lot about plants, don't you?"

For us gardeners, it's basic knowledge, but for a child, it's quite detailed. However, I don't recall us teaching the first prince specifically about this.

The first prince turned to the second prince and smiled childishly.

"Actually, I studied a lot to be able to talk more about the garden when I met Terry again. The imperial library has a catalog of the plants grown in the garden. If you're interested, you should take a look. It has colored illustrations, so it's easy to understand."

I couldn't help but climb down the ladder and rub my cloudy eyes.

"What's wrong, master? Can I climb up and see the princes too?"

My apprentice, who was holding the ladder, begged, so I reluctantly took over his job. When I looked around, I saw other gardeners climbing down as well. Some were sniffing, and others were nodding repeatedly, their reactions too obvious.

Well, I can't really talk, can I?

"The first prince is acting like a big brother."

My apprentice, who had a full smile, came down immediately. It seemed the princes had moved out of sight. Still, he could see them holding hands and talking while keeping an eye on them.

"Also, why is the second prince following behind? Is he still suspicious about assassination?"

"I don't think it felt that way, though."

He was responding, and the first prince treated him no differently than the twins.

"Besides, the ones who are suspicious are the ones behind them."

My apprentice frowned at my comment, and the other gardeners nodded in agreement.

Behind the friendly brothers, there were serious-looking adults following. One was the familiar guard of the first prince, and others in the same uniform were guards for the princes. There were also attendants and maids carrying drinks and towels for the princes.

"None of them stepped forward in front of the sea people's guard, but they had bad looks on their faces."

"They were suspicious of the first prince. That's why they were flustered when he shooed away the butterfly on the second prince's head and when the twin princes held hands."

"Really? Even though they're brothers, they don't even let them do that? The nobles don't make sense. It's better for children to get along, right?"

My apprentice is straightforward. I have to scold him sometimes, but he's honest and good-natured. Still, he also initially shouted that the first prince would do something, just like I did.

"You'll understand eventually. The first prince doesn't do mean things or plan assassinations. The ones who doubt him are the ones with clouded eyes."

"......Will they realize it? The manager still says the first prince is a bad person. Even when we talk about the fourth prince, he doesn't listen to us."

The manager my apprentice is talking about is the one who resigned years ago, blaming the first prince. But it's just a baseless assumption.

The incident started when the twin princes got lost when the adults weren't looking, and everyone had to search for them. The first prince found them in an empty pavilion and brought them back. That's when the sickly fourth prince collapsed. It was the same with the second prince. He found the lost child and was with him when the bug scared him and made him cry, and the adults with clouded eyes appeared.

"If you compare the movements of those who couldn't find them with the places the first prince usually goes, you can imagine he found them on his way to us."

My apprentice seems to have a grudge against the manager. I need to tell him to keep it from showing. He's not a bad worker, but he needs to control his mouth.

Anyway, I fully agree with my apprentice this time.

"It's about the nobles. We can't say anything to them. But when asked, we should have the words to correct the mistakes. There's no need to hesitate to set the record straight."

When the fourth prince's assassination attempt was rumored, several high-ranking nobles demanded to hear our side of the story. So we told them the first prince was innocent.

Suddenly, we were told not to spread unverified information from above. We understood there were ulterior motives, but we had no power to resist.

But, we can't force our hearts to be kind to children. If we can prevent another foolish incident in the garden, it's part of our duty. It's fulfilling to be able to see such princes.

(1000 Bookmarks Commemoration)