01.
Meeting

It’s been about seven years since I was born as Isaac Baumgartner.
From when I was born, I have memories of my past life.
But, it did not increase my mental age, I only reached a stage where I recognized they were from my past life as I became more aware of it.
Realizing it didn’t change anything about my livelihood, I didn’t tell anyone.
However, on that day, I came for the start of my gardener apprenticeship at the house of Duke Ernest.
After this, I entered the middle of duke’s house, making my introductory appearance to the duke as my father brought me along.
The duke seems busy, as a little time before leaving, he’ll greet us at the wide entrance of something like an entrance hall. Is that kind of glancing look okay?, I think, but it seems like there is a security rule where people who will regularly visiting must have an audience with the duke.
If that’s the case, I must immediately not forget that.
There’s no way you can memorize all of the faces of this spacious estate.

「Oya, you have a very cute son.」

Me, cute? Ah, I’m small? Well, I’m seven years old.
I understood with one glance that the lord with thick blonde hair descending from the stairs was the duke.
Not slowly, but more “relaxed” with his walk, he produced an atmosphere of nobility.
This could be called elegant movement.
Then, even if you carry a rose on your back, it’s a beautiful form that doesn’t make you uncomfortable. [T/N: I tried to look to see if this was some kind of metaphorical speech but I couldn’t find anything.]

「Good morning to you, Gerald-sama.
Thank you very much for the time today.
He is my son, but he is here to be my apprentice, so please say hello.」

When the duke stopped his eyesight on me and took one step towards us, my father bowed his head and introduced me.
Or rather, is this how my untalkative father could talk? Moreover, this is the first time I heard him use formal language.
I’m dumbstruck and stare at my father.
My father looked at me with a sideways gaze as he faced the duke as if scolding me.
Ah, yes.
A prompt greeting is good, right.
I hurry and then straighten out my back, then turn to face the duke, bowing.

「I am Isaac Baumgartner.
I look forward to working with you.」

「I am Gerald.
Please treat me well.」

He naturally puts his hand out.

Eh.
A handshake?
I don’t understand, is this alright with the social status??

Given that when I fleetingly look at my father, he’s not especially glaring, I timidly decide it’s okay and grasp the presented hand.

「Surprisingly young.
How old are you?」

「I am seven years old.」

Because gardening work needs endurance, to some extent it’s natural to become an apprentice from when the body is the age of being to do work.
Even ten years old is premature, it seems.
The duke seems to think of it as natural.

「He’s clever, isn’t he? Dennis, I’m looking forward to his future.」

「He’s just an impertinent brat……」

In contrast to the smiling duke, my father has a grimace on.

「He’s two years older than my daughter, right? At the peak of wanting to play, it seems.」

「No, I want to be able to protect the duke’s garden as soon as possible.」

My mouth said it based on the prince’s standards, but my eyes are making it clear I want to quickly become like my father.
My father who manages the garden almost by himself is incredible.
The gardener colleagues also are acknowledging it, and from them the apprentice applications are endless.
Maa, because he’s also strict to me or to other people, the guys who give up are also endless……
Resigned to strictness, I quickly begged my father to make me an apprentice.
It took about a year until he reluctantly grumbled and made me an apprentice.
Looking at the matured me who admired his father, the duke with dazzling strength narrowed his eyes.

「That’s good, isn’t it? I also want a son, you know.」

He said that with an incredibly and dazzling smile.
From my direction, I want to narrow my eyes.
Or rather, I want to shut them.
Father as it is has a quiet and simple expression.
I want to separate our hands which have been slowly continuing to shake.
This, maybe he likes doing this, isn’t that right?
The reason is that in something like a company interview, first impressions are important.
Because if your ability to show respect is weak, your employer will be displeased.

「Father!」

An exceedingly loud voice descended.
While finally separating our hands, the duke turned in the direction of the voice.
From the staircase visible on the opposite side of the duke, a girl wearing a bright red dress trots down the stairs.
It’s like a young bird coming across its parent bird, huh?
Ah, her face is a bit red.
Is she angry? Her whole body is red, it seems.
The only thing that is kind to the eyes is that thin golden hair which might be inherited from her father.
Or was that hair color inherited from her mother?

「Oh, did you come to see me off, my little angel?」

Spreading both of his hands, the duke reacts to his vigorously charging daughter.
This is the first time I’ve seen someone say those words with a straight face.
The nobility is amazing.

The daughter stopped a short distance away and sternly looked up at her father.

「Father, please listen to me! It’s terrible!」

「Oya, what’s wrong this morning?」

It seems the girl blowing her top only wants to say what she has in mind, and she started to scream through what the duke said.
And yet the heart of the duke is quite big. [T/N: This one is kind of clunky but I think he means to say he’s got a good heart.]

「The maid is terrible! She gave me this terrible hair style, and furthermore, many times the brush hung onto it and then it was painful!」

The hair on both sides is lightly twisted, then at the back a cameo hair clasp is fastened.
Maybe it’s fluffy, soft hair, but above the fastened portion it doesn’t expand like it was combed carefully, it seems.
It’s because children’s hair is thin, hm.
I think with the A-line, it’s a good silhouette.
I don’t often understand such things as noble elegance. [T/N: ‘A-Line’ is a fashion term if you want to look into it.]

「I see, it’s because your dear hair is dainty.
It was painful, it seems.」

In order to sympathize with her, he stroked her face.
However, only being sympathized by her father with the same hair is not enough to satisfy her, it seems.

「That rude maid, please fire her!」

I think she caught her busy father before leaving for work because she wanted to say this.
From the time of the long and drawn out handshake with me, slightly to the right and behind them, the butler (temporary) who had been putting out an aura was weakening.
Probably, because he was not making any facial expressions.
The maid who had been chasing after her and arrived turned more pale than the butler and froze up.
She had done the daughter’s hair, it seems.
Or rather,

「You, your personality is unbelievably ugly.」

Before the duke reacted, my thoughts spille