Three times, and hold it for three seconds.
The Carrot Class teacher’s words echoed in my ears. Just then, the Water Spirit King spoke up suddenly.
[Tell him that if he apologizes with genuine sincerity right now, you will restore his Bijou spot.]
I took a deep breath and stared straight at Ricardo.
“Apologize for pushing these kids, too. Then I can fix your Bijou spot.”
“What? Who do you think you are? How are you going to do that? Because of you, my life is already ruined!”
“There’s a way. So say, ‘I’m sorry.’”
I wondered if he simply didn’t know how to apologize, which would explain why he was beating around the bush and blaming me, so I calmly taught him. He might not have known any better, given his lack of education.
Ricardo let out a short, “Ha!” and twitched his eyebrows. He stepped a few paces closer and whispered in my ear.
“Hey, do you really think you’ll be protected forever?”
“…….”
“Just wait and see. If it weren’t for Micard, I could kill you instantly.”
Because I read a lot of fairy tales, I knew the word “wicked.” The villains in those stories would glare with their eyes, exactly like he was doing now!
*Spirit Kings, I don’t have to hold it in anymore, right?*
“Watch your back at night. No matter how old you get, one day I will definitely kill you… Ugh!”
*Thump!*
Here it comes—the crab headbutt!
I decided not to listen to Ricardo anymore. With my legs planted firmly, I slammed my head right into his chin.
“You little runt…!”
Ricardo clutched his chin and stumbled back, glaring at me with teary eyes. Without hesitation, I rushed over and gave him a piece of my mind!
“Say, ‘I’m sorry’!”
“Kuh-ack!”
Crab punch?
Wait. As soon as I swung my fist, Ricardo flew through the air and crashed into something.
*Crash!*
A stack of wooden crates collapsed, one striking him square on the head. Even to me, that looked like it hurt.
“Is this… my hidden power?!”
Actually, am I super strong?
“Good job, my Chubby. You’re really strong.”
I looked behind me to see Micard Older Brother, hands in his pockets, whistling. I didn’t know what happened, but for now, I was strong. And very much so!
Gaining confidence, I ran over again and trampled on him.
“Ah, shit, stop, stop!”
Crab kick!
“Sorry! I’m sorry! Are you happy now!”
Crab bit…!
“Stop. You’ll chip your teeth.”
Someone lifted me up from behind. Naturally, it was Micard Older Brother.
“Let’s stop there. You punished him well. You can let it go now.”
“Grrr!”
“Well, I heard and saw him throw away his last chance with his own hands.”
Micard patted my back. After huffing and puffing for a while, I realized a beat late that Ricardo had actually said the words.
“The Dunloos family had better not claim to be victims in this matter from now on. As you know, I don’t have much patience.”
“Kugh. But… but I am a victim! My Bijou! The future that was promised to me! I was even disowned… *sob*.”
“To think you’d threaten my sister’s life. It’s scary to even exist in your presence. Since when did the Dunloos get to stand up to the Pashayen?”
Holding his sister, who was as flushed as a roasted chestnut from all the excitement, Micard unleashed his energy.
Young Awakened ones who hadn’t bloomed their Bijou were fragile. Eighty percent of the time, their deaths were the work of rival families, and the remaining twenty percent occurred within the estate due to envy, jealousy, or internal politics. Therefore, even threatening a young Awakened was a serious crime.
Micard used that fact to crush Ricardo, finely adjusting his energy so that only Ricardo could feel the suffocating pressure.
“A guy like you shouldn’t be given power. If I catch you treating the estate residents poorly one more time…”
“Hi, hiik! Haa-ack!”
“Look at that, he’s running away before I even finish speaking.”
*Tsk.*
Clicking his tongue, Micard slung his sister over his shoulder and started walking.
*The Dunloos will vanish soon.*
He could bet his wrist that this incident had already been reported to Grandfather in full detail. Besides, the Dunloos had been walking the path to ruin for several generations. Still, as a meritorious family that had served the Pashayen since the founding, he had left them be—but Ricardo had finally provided the excuse.
What happened after this was no longer his concern. Culling was, in the end, necessary. He was merely curious about how the Dunloos would be treated by the estate residents once they were no longer nobles. Judging by their behavior today, they wouldn’t be treated like people at all.
*That, too, is none of my business.*
“Oppya, let me go! Put me down! I want to walk on my own feet!”
He headed toward the parfait shop with his little sister, who was chattering away about something.
*I realized it from the moment she started bargaining with Grandfather,* he thought, looking at the tiny thing with such a temper. It looked like he’d have to buy her about three parfaits to appease Shupetty.
* * *
“When will my Bijou bloom?”
“Who knows. Around the average age?”
“I wish it would bloom quickly. Then I could protect everyone.”
A little while later, at , the most famous parfait shop in Pelun.
Normally, this place had a line so long you couldn’t even get in, but the two of them entered faster than anyone else. That wasn’t because they were Pashayen; since Galizad, the Head of House, strictly forbade exploiting estate residents by flaunting the family name, everyone had to wait their turn.
However! The kid who had been pushed by Ricardo earlier and skinned his knee was the son of this shop owner.
“Oh my, would you like more? You’re such a lovely little baby who eats so well. Hohoho!”
“Un! I want to try the choco, too.”
“I’ll serve it right away! One more chocolate banana parfait!”
The shop owner, John, had stepped outside to play with the claw machine at his son’s urging and had clearly witnessed the scene.
*So young, yet such spirit. Someone like that should become a Pashayen, indeed.*
She had hidden her son behind her back and then—the headbutt! The punch!
“Pfft. Oh, my stomach.”
That was when everyone saw it. Micard, standing behind the young lady, was grinning. They didn’t know exactly what he had done, but he must have helped secretly. It was cute that she didn’t notice, and it was satisfying to see the Dunloos family, who constantly harassed the streets, finally knocked down a peg.
“Oh, what the heck! Have a melon parfait on the house!”
John’s hands moved busily.
* * *
How many bowls of parfait had I finished?
Feeling full, I neatly wiped the chocolate powder off my lips. Micard Older Brother was looking at the pile of empty bowls with a weary expression, having given up after the second.
I had eaten five.
That was when it happened. Floating, drifting—something flew by on the breeze.
*Soap bubbles?*
But they weren’t ordinary shapes.
“Wow, what’s this? The bubbles are shaped like whales!”
“Ah, during the Pelun festival, they make bubbles like these every year for the children. One of our branch family members has that kind of ability.”
“Owa. Can I pop them?”
“Yeah. These ones are safe. They become dangerous during battle, though.”
*Pop!*
As soon as I touched one with my fingertip, it burst and disappeared. It was so fun that I went around popping them everywhere, saying, *Pop-pop-pop-pop!* Lots of other kids were doing it, too.
“Heh.”
“Is it fun?”
“Un!”
After waiting a moment, I saw an incredibly huge whale bubble flying from far away. At the sight of a bubble the size of a real whale, the little kids sitting at every table stood up and cheered.
“Wow!”
And I screamed for a slightly different reason.
*Ah, that’s right! I can buy that now!*