Isaac sank onto the floor, letting out a small sigh.
"Patrick, I'm... tired already..."
Around him, Patrick—his cream-colored puppy—ambled restlessly, nudging him as if to say, Let's keep playing!
They had spent the morning tugging at ropes and racing across the room.
Though Isaac had enjoyed every moment, Patrick's boundless energy had outlasted him.
Isaac reflected quietly on his own limitations.
(I shouldn't just read books all the time; I need to move my body too.)
He patted Patrick gently, a soft smile on his face.
Even in his fatigue, the joy of the puppy's playful antics warmed him.
This was the kind of simple, earnest happiness that made being alive feel remarkable.
Having mostly played with girls before, Isaac realized that his past games—storytelling and playing with dolls—hadn't moved his body much.
Thanks to Patrick, he noticed the need to exercise and strengthen himself.
That alone made the puppy's arrival worthwhile.
"I'm going to the Flower Bed for a bit. Can you watch Patrick while I'm gone?"
"Of course! I'll be happy to," Lisa replied.
Isaac entrusted Patrick to Lisa and headed toward the Flower Bed.
The Flower Bed was tucked in the corner of the garden.
Isaac had persuaded Randolph to have it made, and he had bought the flower seeds with his own allowance.
He wasn't particularly interested in flowers themselves; his goal was strategic.
By using the flowers, he could gradually win over those around him.
To gain allies, he first had to meet people.
But approaching them without reason would make them suspicious of his motives.
Isaac intended to use the pretext of gifting flowers he'd grown himself to meet and speak with others openly.
It might be a childish plan, yet it was better than doing nothing.
"Master, are you going to pull the weeds yourself again today?"
Carl, the gardener, called out as he saw Isaac approaching.
Although the physically demanding work of preparing the Flower Bed had been left to Carl, Isaac insisted on doing tasks like weeding and watering himself.
"Yeah. I want to try doing the things I can by myself."
It was a lie.
In truth, he would have preferred to leave everything to Carl.
But these were flowers Isaac had nurtured from the start, and their value lay in the fact that he had grown them.
Pretending his laziness didn't exist, he patiently carried out the work.
"By the way, when will these bloom?"
"Around April, sir. It takes about six months."
"Is that so..."
(Longer than I thought, but that's fine.)
He had just turned four.
There was no need to rush.
He planned to plant flowers according to the seasons, ensuring blooms in his Flower Bed year-round.
"I hope they bloom soon."
(Little by little, I can start laying the groundwork.)
"Yes, but watching them grow can be enjoyable too," Carl added.
It wasn't unusual for noble houses to tend to flowers.
The Wellrod family itself had a Rose Garden created by a past head of the household.
Starting young was rare, but cultivating simple flowers wasn't wrong; it also taught patience and perseverance.
Isaac wasn't the only one looking forward to the blooms.
Carl was too, though for him, it wasn't the flowers themselves that were the real excitement.
He looked forward to seeing how Isaac would react when the fruits of their efforts finally blossomed.
Notes:
• Ran - She is a gentle orphan, appeared as Mobu's close friend, surviving the demon attack in their secret hideout.