“You should wear this too, Mister.”
“Excuse me?”
“You look like you want it, so Chu will share.”
The little thing wiggled out of the apron he’d been wearing, then thrust it toward a frozen Carmine. His demeanor was that of a martyr making an incredibly grand sacrifice.
“N-no. I do not envy you at all.”
“But you were watching it the whole time….”
“It’s not… no… it’s not that it’s ‘not’… it is. Ugh.”
Carmine, who had been desperately trying to refuse, finally relented when he met the child’s gaze and accepted the apron. Naturally, the child-sized item looked absurd on Carmine’s frame.
Diegon, watching the strawberry-patterned apron settle like a bib, curled his lips in a soft, mocking smile.
“People must lead a kind life to avoid being punished.”
“Hm?”
“Because there is such a thing as divine retribution.”
*Serves you right.*
He kept the sentiment hidden and lifted the cookie cutter with satisfaction. It was a pleasant ending, all without having to draw his sword.
* * *
A tea time personally hosted by the Head of House Pashayen.
It was said that this seat, which only invited three children, was something every young Pashayen longed for.
“Whoa!”
Guided by the butler, I entered the private garden owned by Grandfather—the Head of House—for the first time, my mouth hanging open.
“Whoa, whoa!”
From the entrance, all I could manage were exclamations. This wasn’t just a garden.
“There’s a sea spread out over my head!”
“Ho ho, is it that fascinating?”
“Yes!”
The older brothers hadn’t arrived yet, so it was just Grandfather and me. I skipped ahead, exploring the glass-walled interior where coral grew in magnificent, sprawling clusters.
So, this place was ‘indoors.’ I had opened a door in a hallway to find stairs, and at the bottom, a massive door embossed with a mermaid led to this marvel.
It was a water passage. Water to my right, to my left, and arching over my head. Was I under the sea?
“This is the basement of Pashayen. It is connected to the open ocean.”
“Aha.”
“The foundation would naturally weaken from the seepage, but magic engineering solved that. That is why the ground does not shake and the mansion remains stable, even with this water-filled passage.”
I let Grandfather’s lecture drift in one ear and out the other. Honestly, I couldn’t help it. A shark had just glided over my head!
“Little one. Do you want to see it closer?”
“Yes!”
“Let’s see. Let’s check how much heavier you’ve gotten.”
Grandfather, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, scooped me up. Now closer to the glass ceiling, I pressed my palms against the cool surface and peered intently.
“Over there, what’s that sparkling thing?”
“Those are luminous stones. They are the reason this interior is so bright.”
“Whoaaaa…….”
Red, yellow, and striped fish darted by in schools. It was fascinating to see small fish and giant sharks swimming together, the predators ignoring the tiny ones entirely.
“Grandfather, are the sharks full?”
“Are you talking about those?”
“They don’t go ‘chomp!’ at the fish.”
They even looked like they were playing. Filled with curiosity, I pressed my face against the glass until my nose flattened, and Grandfather offered an explanation.
It was a somewhat clumsy one.
“Those sharks have their own food. They are creatures that get full just by eating shadows. Ho ho ho.”
*Shadows aren’t food, though.*
Anyway, it was too fascinating to argue, so I just kept watching.
“Now, let’s go have something delicious. If we are lucky, we might even see a mermaid.”
“A mermaid!”
“They visit occasionally; they say the coral here is particularly tasty.”
*So mermaids eat coral.*
I clung tightly to Grandfather’s neck as he carried me toward a round table with four chairs tucked further down the hall. Behind it, through the glass, red coral stretched out in a magnificent display.
“Mermaid!”
“Oh, you are lucky.”
I had seen what a mermaid looked like in a fairy tale book called *The Mermaid Who Became Sea Foam*. The upper body was like ours, but the lower body belonged to a fish. On both sides of their heads, instead of ears, they had beautiful, shimmering gills.
“So pretty!”
I slipped down from Grandfather’s arms and ran straight to the glass. The mermaid was plucking coral and placing it into a basket; she saw me, smiled, and waved.
“The scales are red.”
“That is the Red Pearl tribe. Mermaids distinguish their tribes by the color of their tail scales.”
I’m learning a lot today.
The white-haired mermaid waved once more and disappeared, her speed too fast for my eyes to track.
“Huh, wasn’t that Kaliote just now?”
“I believe it was. Seeing as she came all this way to harvest, it must be her.”
That was when it happened.
I spun around at the sound of a voice behind me. My older brothers. The brothers I had been waiting for so long were finally here.
“What is that chubby thing?”
I know who that is. The one with short navy hair and playful magenta eyes is Micard.
“How cute. Hello? Nice to meet you.”
The one with navy hair softly covering his forehead—smiling kindly, though his eyes remained cold—is Raywood.
I decided right away that I liked Micard Oppa better.
“I am Raywood. The Vice President’s name is… Shuperti, was it?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Impressive. You’re only four, yet your ability usage is excellent. I’m curious what skill you used to become Vice President; could you tell me later?”
Only the Spirit Kings knew I’d put cheer-butter on the bread. I had kept my mouth shut and never told a soul. Even if I tried to explain, only a squeak would come out anyway.
I poked my index finger out and tapped it solemnly.
“No. It’s a secret.”
“A secret? Too bad. I was quite curious.”
After finishing my greeting with Raywood, I turned to Micard.
“Hey, Chubby. This is Micard. Your first older brother. That guy over there is your cousin. Don’t get us confused. Elzen and I are your brothers.”
*I’m not a dummy. Even if I am a bit chubby.*
Nodding my head, I held out the box I had brought. Inside were whale-shaped cookies I’d baked with the Admiral.
“This is a present.”
“Oh? Food.”
“I baked it with the Admiral.”
Soon, the cookies were centered on the table, and we all sat together. The butler poured drinks into glasses that looked much more expensive than the ones I usually used, so I held mine with extra care.
“So, Chubby. How do you feel being here?”
“I wanna go in!”
“What? Where? In there?”
“Yeah!”
Answering Micard with a bright smile, I tilted my head back. A giant turtle was now passing over me.
*I wish I could swim with them.*
But I can’t breathe in water, so I can’t, right?
“We’ll have to go swimming next time.”
As Raywood spoke kindly, Micard frowned.
“She’s not Pashayen blood. It’s dangerous.”
“You can just keep a close eye on her. Besides, adopted children all learn to swim as a necessity once they turn seven.”
“She looks like she’s about to burst; she’ll probably just sink straight to the bottom.”
“Then we can just pull her out. If we wrap her in cotton wool because it’s dangerous, how is she supposed to grow?”
I sipped my peach juice while listening to my brothers debate. Though it was a ‘tea time,’ I was only given juice.
“Ho ho, Raywood is right. Adopted children are not beings to be coddled. They are beings meant to fight. Of course, it would be a different story if Shuperti were an Attuner.”
“Well… since Grandfather says so, too. I’ll take her out next time and teach her to swim.”
“Yes, do that.”
*Huh? I just stayed quiet, but now I’m going to learn how to swim……?*
I wiggled my feet in excitement.
“Turtle! With the turtle—”
“Together!”
“Fine. This older brother of yours will call a turtle for you.”
“Hehehe.”
I saw earlier that he seems to be on speaking terms with a mermaid, so wouldn’t he have at least one turtle he knows, too?
“Ah, since we’re talking about going somewhere, it suddenly occurred to me.”
“Hm?”
“Grandfather, the Pelun Spring Festival is coming up soon. Can I take Toshi along when I go?”