SHC24_C24_Sensei GET!!
24. Sensei, I Got One!
Considering I had fainted recently, I spent the rest of that day quietly embroidering from bed. The next day, I went out for a walk with Regulus while singing together.
The princess wasn’t in the back garden, so we headed over to Genzou’s vegetable patch instead.
The bright red of the sun-kissed tomatoes, the crisp green of the cucumbers, and the eggplants so deep purple they were nearly black—all painted a stunning picture of summer's bounty in one corner of the garden.
Amidst these vibrant veggies, the framboise (raspberries) added their own charm, their crimson fruits standing proudly despite their dainty appearance.
Everything looked so delicious!
Humming a cheerful tune, I sat on the bench by the field and swapped my shoes for farming clogs. Regulus did the same, mimicking me.
Since we'd be lifting a few heavy things, I had us do the basic version of radio calisthenics from my past life—at least what I could remember. It’s important to warm up before any physical labor, even gardening.
(I also do these before sword, archery, or horseback practice, just as a light stretch, even if I don’t remember it all correctly.)
Holding Regulus’s little hand, I toddled over to where Genzou was harvesting vegetables.
“Good morning.”
“G’morning!”
“Well, well! Good to see you both, young masters.”
With a bald head and a thick white beard, Genzou looked kind of like Santa Claus. I’d heard he was nearly seventy, but his years of gardening and farm work had left him muscular and fit.
He was a gentle old man, but he didn’t tolerate sloppiness. I got scolded quite a bit at first—though never unfairly. Usually it was because I’d used a tool improperly and almost hurt myself.
Now, he plucked a cucumber and handed one to both Regulus and me.
“Time to start winding down the summer crops.”
“Right… Once autumn comes, we’ll have to plant something else. Then maybe we can harvest through winter and spring…”
“I figured you’d say that, so I’ve got some napa cabbage seedlings ready.”
Napa cabbage?! A winter essential!
He’d also apparently prepared potatoes and leeks, raising the seedlings at home. What a guy.
“So once the seedlings are ready, we’ll have to retire the summer crops, huh?”
“Aye. And we’ll need to prep the soil in advance. Planting comes in the middle of the ninth month.”
“Got it—mid-ninth month!”
This world follows the same calendar as my old one: 24 hours in a day, 365 days in a year, with 12 months. They just call them "first month," "second month," and so on. The year starts on the first day of the first month and ends on the thirty-first of the twelfth. The second month gets a 29th day every four years.
It’s early in the eighth month now—about a month left. I’ll enjoy the summer veggies and framboise until then.
I packed our cucumbers (mine and Regulus’s) into my waist pouch.
Then, at Genzou’s signal, we started harvesting. I reached for a perfectly ripe tomato—shiny and taut. Regulus exclaimed “Wow!” and carefully picked a cucumber, its spiny skin pricking his fingers, which he seemed to find amusing.
I didn’t feel comfortable handing scissors to a three-year-old, so I let him pick what he could by hand.
“Niini, I want tomato!”
“Just a sec, okay?”
I was allowed to use pruning scissors, so I snipped just above the stem and handed the bright red fruit to Regulus.
His face lit up with a huge, beaming smile.
So. Darn. Cute.
His golden hair sparkled in the sunlight—like a radiant little chick. Meanwhile, my belly… still jiggly.
I pinched the squish around my stomach. It had gotten better since my reincarnation, but I still had a long way to go before I looked like a typical five-year-old. Time to recommit to that diet.
Reinvigorated, I dove back into the harvest. Regulus handed cucumbers and eggplants to Genzou, one after another.
After a few rounds, the baskets we’d sorted by veggie type were full. The framboise alone filled a soup bowl, even after leaving some for the birds.
I rinsed one and popped it into Regulus’s mouth. He covered his cheeks and cried,
“Shuhp-sweet!”
“You mean ‘sweet and sour,’ right? That’s what we call ‘tangy.’”
His giggle rang out like a bell as I ruffled his fluffy golden hair.
“You two really get along,” Genzou said in his deep, kind voice.
I turned toward him. His crinkled eyes were soft, yet distant, as if he were looking far beyond us.
“Did something happen?”
“Not exactly… I’ve got a grandson, you see.”
“Oh? Is he still little?”
“One year older than you and one year younger than Master Regulus.”
He paused, lips tight, then resumed.
“He’s been lashing out at his younger brother a lot lately… Perhaps a kind of regression, maybe. Their parents are overwhelmed.”
I nodded. I could imagine it—parents getting too wrapped up in the younger sibling and the older one feeling neglected, acting out. It’s no one’s fault, really.
“The parents don’t know what to do. He gets in trouble a lot for it… poor thing.”
“Sounds like he needs a safe outlet. Would it help if he came and helped you in the garden? Maybe he and Regulus could become playmates.”
“You’d really allow that? Thank you kindly.”
He bowed deeply. Clearly, he loved his grandson very much and hated to see him scolded.
I bundled up some framboise, cucumber, tomato, and eggplant for him to take home. That’s when Genzou added something interesting.
“Funny thing—the same veggies grown at my home and here, same seeds, same fertilizer, but the ones here grow better. Taste better too.”
“Really? Maybe it’s the soil?”
“I thought so too, so I’ve started using this garden’s soil for the cabbage seedlings. Sorry for doing it without asking…”
“Oh, no problem at all. Please take care of them.”
We exchanged bows again.
With the harvest finished, it was time to bring the veggies to the kitchen.
Genzou took the eggplants and tomatoes, I grabbed the cucumbers, and Regulus got the framboise bowl.
While we were organizing that, Regulus picked up a stick and started swinging it around.
“Stick swinging, huh…”
“Stick swinging, sir?”
“Yeah. Apparently, Regulus has a knack for swordplay. I’ve been wondering how to help him develop it.”
I might show him what I know, but I’ve already hit my limit—soon I’ll have to ask Mr. Romanov for help.
I gave a sheepish smile, and Genzou rubbed his chin thoughtfully before nodding firmly.
“Young master. Before I was taken in by the late lord of this estate, I used to be an adventurer.”
“Wait—what?!”
“Yes, even now I practice sword swings every morning.”
“So that’s why you’re so fit…”
“Old habits and daily training, I suppose.”
“That’s amazing…”
“Not at all. But with that said, would you allow me to instruct Master Regulus in swordsmanship? I may only be ranked upper-lower, but I was once quite well-known.”
Eunie: Thanks for reading~!!
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