“……?”

I straightened my leaning body and blankly looked at Sek. Your life is on the line? What does that mean?

Is it an incurable disease? Is the silver plate tree Sek’s only cure?

Or was he given a mission like, ‘If you fail to successfully cultivate the silver plate tree, you will die’?

I asked in a voice that sounded pathetically trembling even to my own ears.

“Sek…… do you have a terminal illness?”

Sek gave a faint smile. A silent affirmation.

No way. Really?

Our first meeting with the researchers was terrible, but now I had grown quite fond of them.

And now I won’t be able to see Sek anymore, whose sluggish behavior always makes me want to give him a good beating.

Somehow I felt like crying, so I sniffled. A quiet stillness descended upon the room.

The one who broke that uncomfortable silence was none other than—

“Puhahahaha!”

Sek’s hearty laughter.

‘……? What the.’

Sek, who was smiling sadly just a moment ago, was now rolling around on the bed clutching his stomach. Has he gone crazy from sadness? Or…….

……was it actually a lie that he’s terminally ill and he was just teasing me?

The moment I realized the truth, not only Sek but also Prom began laughing while slapping the bed. Even Titira had her back turned, her shoulders trembling slightly.

I jumped up from my chair so violently that it was pushed back and fell over, and shouted.

“I was really worried! How can you joke about something like this?!”

“Puhehp, puhahaha! Miss Shuria is truly kind-hearted~.”

“Why are you still laughing! Come here! I’ll make you terminally ill myself!”

If I hadn’t remembered that this was a hospital room, I would have prettily decorated Sek’s head with the sewing pins in my pocket.

As it was, I settled for stuffing damp towels evenly into the mouths of the three researchers who had teased me.

The ill-mannered three researchers grumbled as they spat out the towels.

“Kind-hearted my foot. She’s the third most violent human I’ve seen in my life.”

“Sorry, Miss Shuria. But I’m touched that you were so sad for me~.”

“I’m sorry, I apologize for laughing……”

I snorted and straightened out the bedding so the researchers could lie down properly.

Peace returned to the hospital room after the commotion.

Sek, who was buried under a thick blanket with only his face peeking out, called me.

“By the way, Miss Shuria~. It’s not a lie that my life depends on the silver plate tree.”

“The same joke isn’t funny.”

“This time it’s really not a joke~. My 3rd quarter research performance hinges on whether I can make the silver plate tree bloom or fail.”

“Hmm, I guess you could say your life really does depend on that.”

Prom sympathized. I picked up the fallen chair and sat down.

“The quarterly research results are reported to His Majesty, right?”

“That’s right~. All four of us had poor results in the first half of this year, so he’s not pleased. Phew, he already disliked us these days, so we have to produce some kind of result.”

“I want to fall asleep forever……”

Kiri, who I thought was sleeping, chimed in with a meek voice. I guess the pressure is really big.

“Is the silver plate tree amazing enough to raise your performance all at once?”

“You can make a very effective antipyretic with the silver plate tree’s flowers~. But since it’s a plant that grows in Beltraum, it’s not easy to obtain.”

“So that guy brought a silver plate sapling and is researching how to cultivate it outside of Beltraum.”

“Oh……”

These people, they really are researchers.

Every day they hole up in their rooms, and even when they do come out, they stuff snacks in their mouths while whining, or just get scolded by Aspeiran, so I was a bit doubtful.

My evaluation of the researchers rose slightly in my heart. I asked with interest in their research.

“So how’s it going? Any progress?”

“No, the tree grew well to maturity, but strangely the flowers just won’t bloom~. I wonder what the problem is.”

Sek pursed his lips. I tapped on his bed to comfort him.

“It’ll work out.”

“Thank you, Miss Shuria~. So please take good care of our little silver. Okay?”

“Little silver? What’s that?”

“It’s my nickname for the silver plate tree.”

“……Oh.”

Little silver, how tacky.

This Sek…… seems to have a really poor naming sense.

After hearing Sek’s research purpose, Shuria’s sense of responsibility leveled up, and the next day she arrived at the greenhouse a bit earlier than usual.

The huge greenhouse was still filled with many eye-catching plants of unique appearances. But Shuria walked straight towards the silver plate tree.

It was thanks to not forgetting the fact that there are many dangerous plants here. Unlike other regressor characters in novels, Shuria was proud of herself for not causing accidents out of idle curiosity.

Passing a few flowers about the same height as her and a few trees that only came up to her knees, she finally arrived in front of the now quite familiar silver plate tree.

Shuria circled around the tree while stroking her chin.

“I thought this from the first time I saw it, but it really does look unusual.”

The tree had concave silver plate-shaped leaves, befitting its name ‘silver plate tree’.

Also, the trunk of the tree looked like several thick wires twisted together, giving the overall impression of a steel tree sculpture rather than a living tree.

“……It’s really alive, right?”

Shuria muttered worriedly and scratched the back of her head.

Anyway, that’s enough musing for now. It was noon, time to do the tasks she was entrusted with. Shuria picked up the observation log placed on the table.

“Let’s see……”

The first thing to check was the amount of water the tree had absorbed in a day.

Next to the tree was a large water tank, and all she had to do was check how much the water level had decreased and write it down in the notebook.

After recording the water level, Shuria pressed the button on the bottom of the water tank. The water filled back up to the top.

“Where is the water drawn from?”

Tilting her head, she quickly moved on to the next task. This one was even simpler.

Shuria took out a glass orb the size of her fist from a small drawer attached to the table. Then she placed it on the ground about 1 meter away from the tree.

A beam of light extended from the orb and scanned the tree once. After a moment, a translucent window with the tree’s current status appeared above the orb.

Shuria copied them all down in the notebook. With this, her duties in the greenhouse for today were complete. She put the orb and observation log back in their places.

Now that the cleanup was done, all that was left was to go back, but……

Shuria looked up blankly at the tree in front of her. Somehow she couldn’t bring herself to leave.

“Why won’t the flowers bloom?”

Shuria recalled the story she had heard in the kitchen before. The children of the Roakins get a lot of fevers, and many die from it.

According to Sek, the antipyretic made from the silver plate tree’s flowers is very effective.

Then, if they succeed in cultivating the silver plate tree and mass produce the antipyretic made from its flowers, wouldn’t the number of children who tragically lose their lives decrease at least a little?

A desperate hope welled up inside her. Shuria spoke to the tree with sincerity.

“I really hope you can bloom flowers. You have to grow well and stay strong. Shake off anything that hinders you from blooming.”

The silver plate-shaped leaves sparkled. As if answering “I understand”.

Shuria laughed lightly and turned around. Now it was about time to go keep her promise with Rumel.

As Shuria exited, only the immobile things remained in the greenhouse. Only the occasional rustling of leaves echoed in the quiet space.

Then, something wriggled and poked its head out from near the roots of the silver plate tree.

Abroa Palace, the venue for all royal events in Beloit Castle.

The main hall, which opens its doors only for important banquets, was lit up for the first time in a long while.

“Everyone should know how crucial this banquet is! Not even the slightest disarray can be tolerated, keep that in mind without fail!”

Under the command of the Minister of the Interior, all the personnel mobilized to prepare for the banquet moved busily. Shouts were exchanged here and there.

“I think there’s a stain on this curtain? Who was in charge of it? Replace it with a spare right now!”

“Only the twelfth chandelier has a weak light! Go get some magic stones. We need to recharge it.”

“I told you the tablecloths should be white! What are you doing bringing cream-colored ones?”

On one side, fists were shaken while shouting, on the other side, heads were bowed while crying.

And amidst that, there was a young girl wandering in fluster – the new maid, Cream.

‘I, I’m the only useless one.’

Cream lowered her head, sniffling. She tried to hover around her seniors to help somehow, but was only scolded for getting in the way.

In the end, Cream was cooped up in a corner, rubbing decorations with a dry cloth. They were already spotless, so there wasn’t much point in cleaning them.

‘Please, someone put me to work…’

Cream prayed desperately in her heart. At that moment, as if by a miracle, someone called her name.

“Cream? Cream, where are you?”

“I, I’m here!”

Cream ran out in a hurry, holding the dry cloth. The head maid who spotted her waved her hand happily.

“There you are! Could you run a quick errand for me?”

“Leave anything to me, Head Maid!”

“You’re lively today. Then, go to the Chronen Palace kitchen and find out exactly how the banquet menu has changed. We need to rearrange the table positions.”

“Yes!”

Cream left the banquet hall with a brightly blooming face. Since Chronen Palace was quite a distance away, it would be best to take an automated carriage to go and return quickly.

Thinking so, Cream briskly headed to the nearest automated carriage depot.

Just then, a rustling sound came from one of the bushes decorating the roadside.

“……?”

It couldn’t be the wind, as only one particular bush was shaking. As if something was hiding in it.

“Is a puppy stuck in the branches……? Or a rabbit?”

Cream was well aware that as the weather got warmer, the range of activity of small animals had expanded.

If it was really caught in the branches and unable to get out, she should help.

Cream cautiously approached the bush and bravely parted the leaves.

And what she found inside was—

“……!”

An oddly shaped creature she had never seen before in her life.

“Ah, ah……”

Feeling a chill run down her spine, Cream took a step back. What on earth is that? A mole?

Whatever it was, she absolutely could not handle that creature alone. Run away. Run far, far away and call people!

Cream hurriedly turned on her heels. But then, something bumped into her extended foot with a thud.

Cream’s gaze slowly lowered. A pointy snout pricking her ankle.

“Kyaaaaah!!”

A piercing scream tore through the air and echoed.