"Sigh..."

After I arrived at the garden, I decided to walk around the garden for a bit.

"They should be here by now... I wonder if her personality was still the same according to the novel when she was still a child. If she was, the plan could really work."

As I recalled the scenes I remember about her, I sighed deeply.

According to what I've read about her, Alicia wasn't really a cold narcissist back when she was just a child. Rather, she was your typical gloomy and aloof-type of person. But because of a certain event where she got kidnapped and awakened her crest early, the changes of her personality began. This made her receive praises from adults, and soon she got addicted to this kind of attention.

Though, after spending quite some time with the main character, she will eventually get a character development and mellowed down, becoming a sweet, lovable tsundere.

She instantly became many of the reader's favorite.

"Young master."

"...Huh?"

Breaking free from my thoughts, I turned around.

Scanning the scene, I spotted the butler and my mother, both carrying two individuals. One was a petite little girl, and by her side stood a woman appearing to be in her mid-thirties.

As I approached them, I couldn't help but steal a quick glance at their features.

The woman possessed platinum-white hair that cascaded down her back like a river of silk. Her ocean-blue eyes glistened like a crystal-clear sea, perfectly complementing her sharp and exquisite features.

The little girl shared her mother's hair color, but her eyes were a vivid crimson, as beautiful and lovely as red water lilies. Her lips bore the same shade as her eyes, radiating a cute and innocent charm. Her skin was as fair as her mother's.

Admittedly, she was cute, but not in any inappropriate way, as I had no interest in that sort of thing. Whether she was sixteen, in her twenties, or even twelve, anyone who gazed upon her couldn't help but admire her beauty.

Anyways, enough of that... my plan is to make her my friend and to make her trust me, not to admire her or make her as my lover.

Stepping confidently in front of them, I straightened my posture and executed a slight bow in their direction, a gesture of respect.

"Hello, my name is Athan von Lohengramm. May I know your name, my lady?" I introduced myself with a graceful extension of my left hand and a placement of my right hand over my heart.

Having met a princess in my previous life, I was well-versed in courtly manners. In fact, I was rather confident in my ability to court women.

To my delight, the beautiful woman responded with a light chuckle. "Impressive manners," she remarked.

Internally sighing in relief, I shifted my attention to the little girl, Alicia, who seemed more absorbed in admiring the garden's view than in my greeting.

"The young master was the one who took charge of transforming this place," the butler explained. "This room was still quite bare until about a month ago when he developed an interest in gardening. He put in a lot of effort to create the beautiful garden you see now."

It had been approximately a month since my fascination with gardening began, sparked by a book I had finished reading about plants. Due to my small stature, I relied heavily on the assistance of the maids and butler to bring this garden to life.

This tranquil space also served as my refuge whenever my mother's actions began to test my patience.

Alicia briefly glanced at me before returning her full attention to the captivating scenery surrounding us.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of wounded pride at Alicia's lack of response. However, I quickly masked my emotions with a bitter smile, swiftly recovering from the 'emotional damage' her indifference had inflicted.

In this moment, I found myself regretting my decision not to socialize with ordinary people, limiting my interactions to those in my research team. Why did I have to be friends with her?

But then I remembered the main reason for befriending her. If any unforeseen circumstances were to involve me in the future, having her as a powerful ally could protect me from the main character or any other adversaries that might come my way. Although she might not be strong enough to defeat the protagonist – in fact, the chances of her defeating Arthur were practically zero – she could potentially convince him not to harm me or to let me escape.

A sardonic chuckle escaped my lips, drawing a scoff from my mother. However, it quickly vanished when I shot her a glare.

"Ehem," my mother cleared her throat and spoke, redirecting the conversation. "Now then, Miss Valentine, why don't we leave these two here?"

With that, my mother, the butler, and Miss Valentine departed, leaving Alicia and me alone in the garden.

...

..

.

Ah... Erm, what now?

The atmosphere was undeniably awkward as we both sat on a bench near each other, with Alicia still engrossed in the captivating view.

About ten minutes had passed since they left us alone, and neither of us had ventured to initiate a conversation. Because of this, I couldn't help but curse myself internally.

This was the first time I found myself alone with a girl in this life, and it seemed that I was the one expected to kickstart the conversation. In my previous world, it was usually the girls who took the initiative to spark a conversation, not me.

I sighed in frustration. This was turning into quite a predicament.

Glancing in her direction, I noticed her forming a charming smile, only to revert to her usual expression. I had to admit, she was incredibly cute... Not in a weird way, of course.

"Umm, Alic-" I began, but before I could call out to her, Alicia rose from her seat and plucked a purple flower.

It seemed she was genuinely ignoring me...

I remained frozen in place until she finally spoke.

"What a beautiful flower... What's it called?"

Shaking off my initial surprise, I replied, "That one is called a Crystal Lily," pointing towards it. "And on your left, you have the Flame Evergarden."

Bending slightly, she attempted to reach for the flower I had indicated. Just before her fingers touched it, I intervened, urging caution.

"Don't touch the petals; you might get burned. If you want to pick it, you should touch the bottom, like this."

I carefully approached the flower, demonstrating how to pick it without disturbing the fiery aura above it.

"Also, remember that if you want the flames to stay, you'll need to be careful when you pick it up."

After my explanation, I successfully collected the Flame Evergarden without incident. Soon after, I glanced back at Alicia, who had also managed to pick both of the flowers I had mentioned.

Wait...

Before I knew it, I had already started a conversation.

I couldn't help but feel proud of myself.

"Thanks for the advice."

"Eh, huh?" I stammered, caught off guard.

Returning my attention to Alicia, I replied, "Ahh... yeah, you're welcome..."

Just then, my mother and Alicia's mother returned to the garden.

"Ohoho~ Have you made your move yet?" My mother asked with a playful smile.

"Annoying," I muttered, exhaling deeply. I shot a quick glance at Alicia before returning my attention to my mother.

Alicia was still busy searching for other flowers in the area. I wanted to urge her to pay attention to the conversation, but I kept those words to myself.

Forced to smile, I responded to my mother, "I'm not making a move on anyone until I'm eighteen."

My mother pouted and replied, "You and your obsession with being eighteen. Didn't we agree that you would choose a fiancée when you turn fourteen?"

Frowning, I pinched my brow before retorting, "How old am I today?"

She sighed, realizing her mistake. "Three... Oh, right..."

Seeing that she finally got what I meant, I continued, "Because you didn't keep your promise, the deal is off. I won't let you find me a fiancée until I'm eighteen."

"No!" She protested.

Certainly! Here's a revised version of the passage:

My mother continued to shake her head disapprovingly, gazing at me with puppy eyes.

Her persistent attempts to win me over were beginning to annoy me, so I turned my head and chose to ignore her pleas. I had long since learned to predict her actions and intentions based on her personality, which allowed me to manipulate the situation to my advantage. However, I was aware that if she ever became as serious as she did in the novel when Athan died, it would be challenging to anticipate or control her actions.

"Hehe..." I chuckled, my attention drawn to the source of the sound, only to realize that both Miss Valentine and Alicia were still present.

"Ah, my apologies," I said.

"No need to worry about it. But, Miss Celestia, I thought you said your son had already given his approval," Miss Valentine remarked.

Celestia averted her eyes, offering no response.

"Well, if your son isn't comfortable with it, why don't we postpone the marriage discussion until both of them are ready? Is that acceptable to you, Athan, Alicia?" Miss Valentine asked, looking at both of us.

"Yes," we both answered in unison.

Glancing back at my flustered mother, my smile turned into a smirk. Promises, after all, were meant to be broken.

"Miss Celestia, would it be possible for us to stay here until tomorrow so that we can pack our things?" I asked.

Before she could respond, the butler intervened, delivering unexpected news.

"There's a problem with that," he said.

"What do you mean?" My mother inquired.

"The main road is currently closed due to the sudden appearance of a monster in the forest. Adventurers and guards have been dispatched to investigate and clear the area. It will take approximately four days for the road to reopen fully."

Miss Valentine seemed momentarily shocked by this revelation. "So, the monster problem has also reached this area, huh?"

"Huh? Does your territory face a similar issueWhichCertainly! Here's a revised version of the passage:

Valentine nodded and replied, "Yes, the abnormal increase in the monster population has been a cause for concern in my lands. That's why I dispatched some of my troops to investigate it."

Her statement piqued my interest, prompting me to pay closer attention to her story.

"I've also noticed that the mana behaves erratically during these incidents, so I've hired mages to assist in the investigation."

So, they had already taken action.

The organization I had in mind was the one responsible for Arthur's parents' deaths. I knew their plans, but I kept this knowledge to myself. Revealing it would only make it harder to predict the future.

"Enough of those matters; no one can predict the future, so it's best not to dwell on it and let things unfold as they may," Miss Valentine suggested, steering the conversation away from the topic.

"So, what—" I began to say.

Yes... No one can predict the future...

Relying solely on my knowledge of the future wouldn't solve everything. Some events would play out differently than in the novel. I could only hope to overcome the obstacles that lay ahead in this story.

Until...

THEY ARRIVES...