Leonard's confidence meant nothing if Lehende didn't believe him.
Lehende stared at Leonard with open suspicion, as if he were some slick-tongued punk trying to sweet-talk his daughter.
He had poured an enormous amount of effort into those magical plants. Saying he raised them like daughters wasn't an exaggeration in the slightest.
Seeing the conflict on Lehende's face, Leonard raised an eyebrow.
"You're not thinking of going back on your word, are you? Your daughter agreed to this herself."
"That's right, Daddy! You can't go back on your word, or Gabrielle will become a bad girl who doesn't keep her promises."
Gabrielle sat on the sofa, her legs swinging back and forth, her eyes drifting toward the entrance of the living room from time to time.
She was still wondering where that pretty young lady had gone. She hadn't even had the chance to introduce herself yet.
"No, this isn't going back on my word," Lehende said firmly. "This is professional ethics as a Herbology expert. I can't stand by and watch those precious plants die. That would be a loss to the entire wizarding world. Even if it costs me my reputation, so be it."
He spoke with absolute certainty. With an attitude like that, even if those rare magical plants truly died from failing to adapt, he would still come out with a good name.
"How about this? Aside from those endangered magical plants, I have quite a few other rare specimens. They're just as interesting. Why not settle for those instead?"
Seeing the situation drifting further and further toward a dead end, Leonard shook his head.
"Mr. Delacour, I understand your concerns."
He spoke unhurriedly.
"Then let's make a wager."
"A wager?" Lehende asked, intrigued. "What kind of wager?"
"Mr. Delacour, the reason you don't want to hand over those endangered rare plants is because you're worried I won't be able to care for them properly, and that a change in environment will kill them. Am I right?"
Leonard smiled.
"So our bet will revolve around exactly that."
Lehende raised an eyebrow, interest clearly piqued.
"And how do you propose we do that?"
"Is there a plant in your greenhouse that has never resolved its acclimatization issues, the kind that grows slowly or is even close to dying?" Leonard asked.
"Yes," Lehende nodded.
Even a professional Herbology expert couldn't guarantee they had the answer to every plant. Some species were simply prone to problems when transplanted due to environmental differences.
Temperature shifts, humidity, soil acidity, even the mineral content of the water could all cause a plant to struggle.
Before his Transmigration, Leonard had even seen ordinary plants shipped from the south to the north put on IV drips because they couldn't adapt.
And those were just regular plants. Some magical plants had survival requirements so extreme it was almost absurd. True lone wolves. In their native habitat, nothing else could grow alongside them.
Transplanting something like that into a greenhouse, even giving it an entire room to itself, was a headache.
And Lehende just so happened to have such a plant.
"We'll bet on that," Leonard said with a grin. "Whether I can cure its acclimatization problem. If I fail, I won't take a single knut of the payment I'm owed."
"And if you succeed?" Lehende asked.
"If I succeed, then in addition to those endangered magical plants, you'll also owe me a favor."
"What kind of favor?"
"The wager hasn't even begun yet. Why the rush?" Leonard replied calmly. "Don't worry. It won't go against your principles, and it won't involve you or your family. Just something of moderate importance."
He looked at Lehende.
"That sounds fair enough, doesn't it?"
"No," Lehende shook his head. "It's not fair enough."
Leonard raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"It's unfair to you. After all, this wager only exists because I tried to go back on my word."
Lehende smiled.
"If you lose, I'll let you choose any other plant from my greenhouse. Anything except the endangered magical plants."
"Straightforward," Leonard said with a laugh. "Now I can see why you said that if Cappadocia made a move against you in France, you'd spare them. With your character, I imagine you have plenty of friends you can trust."
"People are simply willing to be my friends," Lehende replied with a smile, extending his hand. "And I don't mind making friends with someone younger, either."
The boy in front of him might be young, but his strength, insight, and intelligence were not to be underestimated.
Making this friendship would bring only benefits. In time, Leonard would surely become a force that couldn't be ignored.
Some might call that calculating, but Lehende found this kind of friendship easier.
Both sides were drawn to each other's abilities and resources. Mutual support, clear and simple. Far better than people who called you "big brother" to your face and stabbed you in the back later.
Leonard understood immediately. He reached out and shook Lehende's hand.
"Then it's settled. We're friends."
"Just 'friends' doesn't quite capture how I feel," Lehende said cheerfully. "I'm a few years older than you. From now on, call me Brother."
Leonard: ???
A few years older? Take a good look, will you? Your eldest daughter is older than me!
"Even if we're friends, there's no need to go that far…" Leonard said, feeling awkward. "There's a whole generation between us."
"It doesn't matter. I don't mind," Lehende said easily.
"But your daughter is already grown! Your eldest is older than I am!"
"No problem. Have her call you Uncle. I don't mind."
He waved his hand decisively.
Fleur: ???
Fleur had been sitting off to the side, lost in her thoughts. When she suddenly heard her father mention her, she snapped back to attention, only to catch that explosive remark.
Who was going to call him Uncle?!
"Dad, what exactly are you talking about?" Fleur was so exasperated she almost laughed. "You want me to call someone younger than me Uncle?"
"I don't see what's wrong with that. It makes the relationship closer," Lehende said with complete seriousness, though in his heart he was already calculating.
This generational gap… might not be such a bad thing.
His daughter was proud and had always been surrounded by admirers. Now a young man had appeared who didn't fawn over her, yet possessed both ability and striking looks. It wasn't impossible for feelings to arise.
Although there were no signs of that yet, as a father, Lehende believed it was his duty to snuff out even the faintest spark.
A difference in generation was a good solution. It wouldn't be a real barrier, but it would always sit there between them, sharp and impossible to ignore, cutting off any chance of ambiguity.
That way, he wouldn't have to worry about his precious daughter being whisked away by some foreign lad.