I’m Not Even an Otome Game Mob Character - Chapter 1

It’s been about seven years since I was born as Isaac Baumgartner.

Ever since I was born, I’ve had memories of my previous life. But it’s not as if my mental age was increased. I just noticed it as I grew old enough to understand. It didn’t change anything about my daily life, and I’ve never told anyone about it.

So on that day, the first time I came to the house of the Ernst Family was as a simple gardening apprentice.

I was going to trespass into the Duke’s land and show my face to the host, Duke Ernst. So my Father came with me.

It seemed that the Duke was busy, so before leaving we were only to take a little time to exchange greetings at a wide entrance that must’ve been the entry hall. Isn’t it fine to just glance at each other? Is what I thought, but it seemed that everyone who enters and leaves the mansion must always have an audience with the Duke for security purposes.

He’d probably forget me right away.

It’s not as if he can memorize the faces of all the employees in such a large residence.

“Oya, that’s an awfully cute child.”

Is he calling me cute? Ah, he means I’m a pipsqueak. Well, I’m seven years old.

Deep blond hair swayed as a man descended an arch-shaped staircase. I understood with a glance that he was the Duke.

His words and steps weren’t slow but relaxed and fit to a tee, producing something like a nobleman’s composure. Is this what they call elegant?

And he was so handsome that it wouldn’t feel wrong if roses started appearing behind him.

“Good morning, Gerald-sama. We are truly sorry for taking your time on this day. My son is unworthy, but he will be showing his face from here on as an apprentice. We send our best regards.”

When the Duke who had been staring arrived about one step in front of me, my Father lowered his head and introduced me.

Better yet, my quiet Father could talk like this? And it’s my first time hearing him using honorific speak.

I ended up staring at my dad in amazement.

As my Father was facing the Duke, he glanced at me sideways as if to scold me. Ah, yes. Greet him already, you mean.

Flustered, I straightened my back, turned to the Duke and bowed.

“I’m Isaac Baumgartner. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s Gerald. Pleasure.”

With that, he naturally extended his hand.

Eh. A handshake?

I don’t really get it, but is that alright with our social statuses??

When I glanced at my Father he wasn’t really glaring at me, so I judged that it was okay and nervously held the hand that was extended to me.

“You’re quite young. How old are you?”

“I’m seven years old.”

Gardening is physical work, so it’s natural to become an apprentice once your body is somewhat old enough. Even ten years old would probably be too early. The Duke’s surprise is also a matter of course.

“Seems like an intelligent child. Dennis, I look forward to it.”

“He is simply cheeky…”

My Father replied to the smiling Duke with a grimace.

“Two years older than my daughter huh. He probably still wants to play.”

“No, I want to be able to protect milord’s garden even if it’s just one day earlier.”
(TN: Translated Duke as milord here since he’s talking to him)

I said it was for the Duke, but he understands the implication that I want to be like my Father as soon as possible shown in my eyes. My Father, who manages the Duke’s huge garden by himself, is amazing. He’s acknowledged by other gardeners and gets an endless stream of apprentice applicants. Well, whether for me or for other people it’s harsh, so there’s also an endless stream of people who give up…

Resolving myself for the difficulty, I begged my Father to take me in as his apprentice sooner. He grumbled for about a year and reluctantly made me his apprentice.

Seeing me overflowing with adoration for my Father, the Duke dazzlingly narrowed his eyes.

“How nice, now I want a son.”

He told me with a really shiny smile. Now I want to narrow my eyes. Actually, I’d prefer to close them.

My dad still had a bitter expression. I was thinking that I wanted him to stop putting on airs soon.

This probably means that he likes me right?

This is like a job interview, so the first impression is important. I’m not good at honorific language, so it’s a relief that my employer doesn’t dislike me.

“Father!”

An exceedingly loud voice came down on us. At the same time, our hands finally separated, and the Duke turned towards that voice.

On the staircase the Duke was facing, a tiny girl dressed in bright red trotted down. She was kind of like a chick that had found her parent.

Ah, her face is also a bit red. Is she angry? All of her is red. She probably inherited her the fluffiness of her pale blond hair from her Father, and it was easy on the eyes. Maybe she inherited the color from her Mother.

“Yaa, did you come to see me off? My little angel.”

The Duke spread out both of his hands to accept his daughter as if she was charging at him. It’s my first time seeing someone who can say a line like that sober. Nobility is amazing.

The daughter stopped just in front of him and looked up to her Father.

“Father, please listen! It’s awful!”

“Oya, what on earth happened in the morning?”

As if the blood rushing to her head made her forget everything except for what she wanted to say, she ignored what the Duke said and started to prattle on and on. The Duke who listens despite that must have a big heart.

“The Maid is awful. She gave me such a crude hairstyle, and the brush kept getting caught in my hair, and it hurt!”

The hair on both sides of her face was lightly twisted, and on the back it was held in place by a jewelry hair clasp. Her soft hair had probably been brushed carefully so as to prevent the part above the hair clasp from swelling. A child’s hair is thin after all-.

I think her silhouette is fine with her A-line. Though I don’t understand the refinement of nobility.

“I see, Dia’s hair is delicate. It must have been painful.”

The Duke patted her head as if to console her. But the daughter didn’t seem to be satisfied with just the Father, who had the same blond hair, sympathizing with her.

“Please fire such a rude maid!”

Her Father was probably held up from going to work because she wanted to say this. The Butler-san(temporary) who had been flanking us from behind and to our right since the Duke shook hands with me for a long time, seemed sad that even more time was going to be spent. Though I can only say probably since it doesn’t show on his face.

A pale-faced maid that had probably been following the daughter from behind was stiffening in front of Butler-san.

Was she preparing her hair?

Actually,

“You have a really ugly personality.”

My thoughts leaked before the Duke could react.

Everyone in the place stiffened.

Especially the Duke’s daughter. She probably hadn’t been called anything like ugly before. Her eyes were opened wide.

Goh!!

The petrification was dissipated by my Father’s unforgiving knuckles.

“Ii…!?”

My words were lost from the excessive pain. I held the struck part with both of my hands and squatted down.

“Apologize.”

I was directly and mercilessly scolded. My Father’s intimidation told me to do it now. Even though I can’t speak from the pain right now.

Also, I don’t want to. I did nothing wrong. After all, this person is making unreasonable complaints.

Being hired for a Duke’s household should be appropriately difficult. Just cut her off here? Even if they find a replacement for her, she doesn’t understand the time and effort it would take to fire her, find someone new and verify their character and background.

I looked at her with teary eyes without saying anything yet. Seeing the dissatisfaction in them, she seemed to have understood that I was talking to her. Her cheeks were painted red and her eyebrows raised.

“Just, now, what did you say to me…!?”

“If your personality is ugly even when you’re this small, your face will get ugly too when you get big.”

“Huh…!? Who do you think I am!!”

Ah, this line is often said by minor villains.

“The Duke’s daughter.”

“That’s right! Do you think that commoners the likes of yourself can say such things to a member of the Ernst Family!?”

Has she been receiving special education as a noblewoman? She speaks well for someone younger than me. I praised this trembling girl for a strange reason.

“So your Father is a great man?”

“Of course he is!”

“Are you great?”

“That’s right.”

“Are you, great?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying!!”

“Why?”

“Eh?”

“I also understand that the Duke is great. He’s my employer and he seems busy with work, that’s enough to show his responsibility. But why are you great?”

“I, I am the Ernst Family’s…”

“Is someone who has to ask for help from their Father just to fire a maid really great?”

“…”

Her words lose force the more she listens to me. In the end she glares at me without having anything to reply with.

I stare at her eyes and wait for her reaction. She raised her right hand.

Pechinnn.

My left cheek was slapped, but it’s not painful. She’s likely not used to violence, so she wouldn’t have trained her muscles that much.

When I returned my gaze that had turned away from being slapped, she jumped back expecting me to slap back.

“Using violence means you admit defeat.”

“!!”

We weren’t really in a match, but not being able to answer my question here was equal to admitting that she was not great.

She probably understood that but when I reminded her, her face reddened and she turned heel to escape.

After talking the pipsqueak down, I noticed that my Father’s knuckles weren’t coming back. I thought that was strange and looked up to see him posed to do so, but the Duke had stopped him by raising a hand. After watching our quarrel until the end, the Duke showed a bitter smile.

“Thank you, Isaac.”

“No… your… I’m sorry for speaking as I liked to the young lady.”

“It’s rather helpful. I’ve been warning her whenever the opportunity arose, but she didn’t seem afraid of being scolded by me.”

The Duke shrugged his shoulders disheartened. Yes, I can imagine it easily. He spoils his daughter.

“But asking her repeatedly works well. I might be able to do it too.”

The Duke laughed saying that he’ll reference it. I hadn’t really raised my voice. I was just asking her questions. The young lady simply drove herself to a corner. When my little sister was annoying in the previous life, I would settle it like this.

“Gerald-sama, we must depart soon.”

Butler-san hurried him, seeming to have grown tired of waiting. The Duke radiantly replied.

“Yeah, sorry. Then I’ll be going… That’s right, Isaac. One thing.”

“Yes?”

The Duke stepped forward to depart, but he suddenly turned around.

“My Dia is as precious as an angel. Of course, that includes her personality.”

He drove in the nail with a wink.

“Ah, yes…”

For a doting Father it seemed that rashness was part of her charm. For now I apologized saying that I’d correct myself.

After the Duke could no longer be seen, I heard a long sigh from beside me as if to exhale anger.

When I nervously and fearfully looked up to my Father, he looked down on me with pressure in his eyes.

“Sorry.”

It didn’t seem like he was gonna give me his knuckles again since the Duke had stopped him, but his silent pressure was scary so I apologized on reflex.

But the pressure didn’t stop yet. I thought and added some words.

“Dia-sama? I’ll, apologize to her, next time.”

His gaze finally left me, and I was relieved.

But will there be a ?next time? for a gardening apprentice?

TN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. There are people saying that Toasty has been doing the translations for this, and I know, it’s just that I want to do it too since I really liked the manga and I have enough time to TL it more often. I’ve tried contacting him but I haven’t received a reply, at least not in my email. Maybe he’s busy. It’d be nice if he’d contact me back.

Please comment if you see any typos or grammatical errors. Though I can’t make any promises I’ll try to read them.

-dotanba