I have a little sister.
She was so tiny that, the first time I saw her, I felt like I might collapse from the sheer shock of it. She was fragile, too—the kind of small that made me worry she’d be shredded by a mermaid’s claws if she ever wandered into the deep.
No, wait. She didn’t look like she could fight a turtle, let alone a mermaid.
“Kyaaa!”
“Hey, watch your step!”
*Thump.*
On top of that, she had zero sense of balance. She’d already taken a tumble about five times just from chasing butterflies.
“Huuuugh, I can’t, I can’t float!”
“Grab hold, sis. Hold on and kick your legs—*pang pang*!”
“It’s not workiiiing… Huwaaang!”
She played well enough in the water, but whenever we tried to teach her to swim, she couldn’t stay afloat. She’d sink like a stone. It had happened at least ten times now.
At least she could stay on the surface, but the moment she was actually afloat, she didn’t know what to do next.
“Oppya, sleepin’?”
“I’m not sleeping.”
“Then play wif me.”
And whenever I tried to take a nap under a tree, she’d hunt me down. It was exhausting. Four times a day, at least. If I didn’t give in and play, she’d remain glued to my side, refusing to give up until I finally yielded.
This little sister was different from Elzen in so many ways.
Maybe it’s because she’s a girl?
“You’re such a Chubby. If you get lost, someone will snatch you up in a heartbeat. Don’t let go of my hand, and don’t wander off just because something looks fun. You got it?”
“Un!”
“She only says ‘yes’ well. Just ‘yes’.”
Time passed, and the day finally arrived.
The Pelun Spring Festival had dawned. It was the largest celebration held at the Pashayen Estate.
* * *
At first, it was genuinely fun.
“A doll claw machine!”
“Oh, it’s shaped like a jellyfish. To manufacture this so quickly… as expected of Brother Raywood.”
We were wandering the grounds when we stumbled upon a magic claw machine. A massive crowd had already gathered. Inside, jellyfish made of glass—tinged a light pink that matched my hair—were filled with prizes. There were starfish, turtles, fish, sharks, rockfish, dolphins, and more.
The other kids were giving it their all, trying to drop the toys into the chute, but it wasn’t easy.
Well, it had to be their first time seeing such a device!
“Ah, I dropped it again!”
“Move aside. It’s my turn!”
“Aaaack!”
…Hm, but is this really okay? You insert a coin for a single chance, and a claw descends from the ceiling. The children’s eyes were gleaming with focus, but they kept failing.
*It’s frustrating to watch.*
That’s not where you aim! No, not there—a bit more to the right!
“Chu will do it.”
A few minutes later, I couldn’t stand it anymore. Everyone deserved at least one doll in their arms! I couldn’t just sit idly by while they looked like they were on the verge of tears.
“You’re… Young Master Micard?!”
“Wait a second. My little sister says she can do it. Our youngest daughter came up with the idea herself. Leave it to her.”
As Brother Micard stood behind me, the kids slowly stepped back. Following that, their parents swarmed in, and suddenly, a large circle formed around the machine.
*Whew, I have to do this right.*
I calmed my heart.
Just like I remembered… like this *shoop*, and like that *ssok*!
“Whoaaaa!”
Every time I moved the claw, my tongue sticking out in concentration, a doll tumbled into the bin.
“Here, this is yours.”
“R-really?”
“Un. Chu already has one.”
The attachment doll the Admiral gave me—the pink seal. That was all I needed.
“Here, you take this one.”
I gave away every single doll I picked up. The funniest-looking one was a seaweed-shaped plushie, but I was glad there was a kid who actually wanted it.
“Ahem.”
“Hm?”
Just like that, half the dolls had vanished from the machine. Brother Micard, who had been leaning against the frame in silence, cleared his throat.
“Ahem, hem!”
“Hm…? Oppya, is your throat huwrt…?”
“Hem, hem. Well, there are still dolls left. Still.”
I mean, there were, right?
I tilted my head, confused by his behavior, when orange, glittering letters appeared in the air. It was Eupheros.
[My, my. Little participant! Is there perhaps something you’ve forgotten? ๑◕‿‿◕๑]
Something I forgot?
[The Spirit King of Luck ‘■■■■■■’ whispers shyly.]
[Micard seems to want a doll, too.]
*Gasp*, Brother? A doll? As grown up as he is?!
When I widened my eyes in surprise, the Spirit King of Emotion followed up with an explanation.
[Your cute little sister picked them out, after all. He’s probably jealous because everyone else got one but him!]
“……!”
My goodness, I was so dense.
[The Water Spirit King ‘■■■■’ points to a doll.]
[That pufferfish doll over there would be good. He will cherish it if you give it to him. Micard is that kind of child.]
Even my grown-up brother wants a doll. Having learned this, my thoughts turned to Brother Elzen back home. Though he is a bit of a brat, I also thought of Angela.
“Then… three.”
Luckily, I had plenty of coins. The butler had given me a pouch before we left!
“Three? Why are you picking three?”
“One for you, one for Brother Elzen, and one for Angela.”
“What? Angela? Why give it to her? She’s not even part of our family!”
Brother Micard jumped. Actually, I didn’t really want to give it to her either…
“Then should I give it to Lina?”
“Yeah, give it to Lina instead. Angela would just rip the doll apart the moment she got it.”
“That’s too mean.”
Then I’ll give it to Lina. I moved the claw diligently and retrieved a crab, a piece of seaweed, and a pufferfish doll. Suddenly, I thought of the Admiral.
“Crab…”
“Oh, I want this one. The pufferfish doll is cute.”
“Will the Admiral like it, too? A doll.”
“What? Dad?”
I nodded seriously. Brother Micard, who had the pufferfish doll resting on his head and was clutching the crab and seaweed dolls under his arms, scrunched the bridge of his nose.
“I don’t know, I don’t think he’d like it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. So just give them to me, Elzen, and Lina.”
“Un!”
It’s my brother’s word, so it must be right. I smiled broadly and then ran off, *toto-dok*.
Glittering letters appeared, but I didn’t read them.
[The Spirit King of Emotion ‘■■■’ expresses anticipation for what is to come.]
[He’s going to sulk, Diegon.]
[The Water Spirit King ‘■■■■’ looks away.]
[It’s a problem that I can be certain he will…]
“You’re gonna fall! Slow down!”
“Un!”
But there’s something strange. I was clearly running and Brother Micard was walking, so how come our pace was the same? No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t run ahead of him.
“Oh, it’s cotton candy. Chubby, do you want some cotton candy?”
*Koong!*
“I went from ‘Chubby’ to ‘Pudgy’!”