For Charlotte-ojousama, it was her first experience harvesting vegetables.
「…I shall do this.」
In an oddly tense atmosphere, Charlotte meticulously stretched her limbs.
「Are you planning to start a battle now?」
「Well, perhaps this is a battle of sorts.」
I replied to Hanon who was furrowing her brows.
As a noble, Charlotte had only seen vegetables after they were prepared. But now, she was about to harvest for the first time—a task that required a bit of strength, I suppose.
「Shall we begin by harvesting these Flame Tomatoes over here?」
「E-eh.」
Charlotte hesitantly reached for the bright red Flame Tomatoes in the farm, holding the small harvesting knife I had given her.
「A-ano.」
「Yes?」
「Is it truly safe? It won’t explode the moment I touch it, will it?」
Such prejudice against vegetables is quite amazing.
「It’s perfectly safe. There are no traps like that.」
「Very well. I trust you.」
A bit melodramatic, isn’t it?
As I thought this, the three of us—myself, Hanon, and Claudia-san—watched Charlotte’s first harvest experience.
「! I-I got one!」
Her first harvest went smoothly, and Charlotte was overjoyed.
「Not bad at all. Put it in that basket over there.」
「Understood!」
She cradled the Flame Tomato in both hands, handling it with the care one would give to precious gems.
「Now, let’s keep going!」
「Indeed.」
「Shall I lend a hand as well?」
Hanon and I couldn’t let Charlotte outdo us, so we also picked up our harvesting knives and joined in the Flame Tomato harvest.
At that moment, Claudia-san’s expression caught my eye.
It was as if she had witnessed something unbelievable—a face filled with astonishment.
「What’s the matter, Claudia-san?」
「W-well… Seeing Charlotte-ojousama enjoy herself so much is a rare sight. It’s been a while so……I ended up being…..」
Apparently, she rarely gets as excited as she was earlier.
…But that makes sense.
As Kiara’s rival at the academy, Claudia-san was constantly under pressure to excel. Whether in magic or physical combat, she couldn’t afford to fall behind. The weight of expectations followed her at all times.
However, the current Charlotte appeared liberated from such burdens.
Sweating from labor, mud on her cheeks, experiencing a refreshing fatigue she had never known before—this work would undoubtedly have a positive impact on her.
Seeing her smile alongside Hanon while harvesting vegetables, I became convinced of this.
-0-
After harvesting the vegetables and returning to the treehouse, the meal prep was already complete.
Martina suggested we take a bath before cooking, so everyone, including Charlotte and Claudia-san, headed to the bathroom.
The treehouse bath was generously sized, accommodating the extra company without issue. We brought in plenty of Bubble Gerbera leaves we grew ourselves, which served as both shampoo and body soap, adding to the excitement.
As I sipped freshly brewed coffee from a cup, I listened to the voices of the girls leaking from the bathroom.
「Well… I can’t just barge in.」
With a somewhat inexplicable excuse, I continued to wait for everyone to emerge from the bath.
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