Frontier Magic Pharmacist

Chapter 40: Each with their own agendas

A servant brought in a party led by armed knights. They were dressed in clothes that were several grades lower than their usual dignified attire, but they still had an unmistakable power. It was His Majesty the King.

I was amazed that the people around me did not recognize him.

Next to him was Her Royal Highness the Queen, and Miss Daniela and Chloe. They were dressed in the same modest attire as the last time they visited our home, and Her Royal Highness was wearing clothes similar to mother’s. This makes them look a bit like high-ranking nobles. Way to go.

Even father, who must have had an audience with His Majesty the King many times, looked nervous  as he greeted the guests. And it was the same for Marquis Mullan.

Because it was such a state, we, the children, were also very nervous. We greeted each other awkwardly.

It was the first time for me to see His Majesty the King in person, but he has the aura of someone who stands on top. He seemed to be restraining himself as much as possible.

As soon as the greetings were over, Chloe came over to us. Her goal, of course, was probably a stuffed animal.

“Julius!”

“I have prepared what I promised you, Chloe-sama.”

“Oh, my, you’re so stiff. You can call me as usual.”

No, even if Chloe is fine, I don’t think it’s a good idea to call her out here. While I was wondering what to do, I made eye contact with His Majesty the King.

“This is not a public occasion. You can continue to socialize with us as you have in the past.”

“Ha!　As you wish.”

I bowed my head. If it’s an order from His Majesty the King, it can’t be helped. The other people who heard this should also follow suit. If I was too modest, I might be considered an insolent person who does not obey the king’s order.

“Chloe, here’s the stuffed cat I promised you. I made it the same as Lady Daniela’s so you wouldn’t fight.”

I handed two stuffed animals to Chloe. Chloe hugged them and looked at both of them with wanting eyes. She seemed to really like cats. Perhaps she liked it.

“Can you give me both of them?”

“No, please give one to Daniela-sama.”

I’m going to get in trouble. You don’t think the two sisters would get into a fight, do you? As I was feeling uneasy, Miss Daniela came over to me. For some reason, Her Royal Highness also followed along. No way.……

“Well, that’s a really adorable stuffed animal. Daniela was right. I’m starting to want one too.”

She looked enviously at the stuffed animal that Chloe was holding as she said so. This is the pattern that Her Royal Highness wants one too.

Even when Chloe handed the stuffed animal to Miss Daniela, she just stared at it.

“Hey mother, it’s your bad habit to have an eye for cute things. If you look at me with such covetous eyes, I’ll feel guilty somehow.”

Miss Daniela said so in dismay. Both Chloe and miss Daniela were holding the stuffed animal tightly. So Her Royal Highness likes cute things, huh? This is the first time I’ve heard this information.

“Oh, dear, a little bit of it is fine. It’s not something that will diminish. I heard that Julius-chan made this stuffed animal, is it true?”

“Eh, yes, it’s true. It was made by an amateur, so I can’t sell it…”

“No, it’s not true. The stuffed animals made by Julius are the best. I want a bunny now!”

Hey, wait a minute, Chloe. What are you trying to order a new stuffed animal? Look, the queen looks like she wants one, too. This is not good.

I looked to my father for help.

“─ Then I think it is time for me to show you the racetrack. I will show you the best horses that are being raised in our Heine Margrave territory.”

“Oh, I’m looking forward to it. You will show us around, won’t you?”

“of course.”

Nice, father. Now we’ve managed to save the day. If I manage to cover it up, I would be able to make it go away.

That’s what I thought, but the pressure from the girls was stronger than I expected. For some reason, not only my sister Rosalia, but also Chloe and Caro were following me around. Alex brother, of course, was accompanied by miss Daniela and Miss Hilda. My brother Cain, who is a bit of a recluse, looks a bit lonely.

If I could take his place, I would.

“He’s got a great shine, doesn’t he? That horse is not only fast, but also has a very high endurance. The brown horse over there is very strong. It is suitable for pulling a carriage.”

Father is selling the horses in our territory to His Majesty the King. If His Majesty the King likes the horse and buys it, it will be a foil for the horses in the Margrave Heine territory . If that happens, more and more people from other territories will come to buy horses.

Meanwhile, the time for the first race of the day was approaching. People were lined up at the ticket booth. Some of them look like servants. Perhaps the nobles have sent them to buy tickets.

“Hey, can we buy betting tickets too?”

“Unfortunately, we can’t until we come of age.”

“Why not?”

“To avoid getting involved in crime.”

Chloe seemed to be satisfied with my answer for the time being. I checked the condition of the horses in the first race while “appraising” them. It seemed that the horse in the fourth slot was in good shape.

It seems that His Majesty the King and his family also buy tickets for horses. Do they like to gamble?　I hope they see it as just a form of entertainment.

The race has started. Horses ran past right in front of my eyes. No matter how many times I see it, the power of the race always thrilled me. It would be a great feeling to be able to ride a horse. I was not allowed to ride a horse because I was still a child. I was envious when I saw my brother Cain practicing horseback riding.

“It’s so powerful. It was so fast.”

“It’s amazing, isn’t it? You don’t usually see horses sprinting like this. Everyone who sees it for the first time are always amazed.”

Caro’s eyes were black and white, and she looked so cute. Her initial frightened look had completely disappeared.