Episode 43
Since she had to witness his magic every week, it wasn’t as if she could suppress her curiosity whenever it arose.
“This is just something I’ve been curious about.”
“Yes, what would you like to know?”
“Mr. Dylan, is your health okay even though you keep using magic like this?”
“…What?”
Dylan asked again, as though he had misheard her.
“People get sick or experience muscle aches if they overexert themselves physically. But you’ve changed my hair color, made flowers bloom here, created perfume, and even cast magic on my house! I was just worried that you might get too tired from doing all that…”
At Erina’s innocent concern, Dylan burst into laughter.
His hearty laugh filled the space, and Erina couldn’t help but smile along with him.
She didn’t understand why he was laughing, but seeing him laugh reassured her that he wasn’t as unwell as she feared.
Dylan laughed for quite some time before finally catching his breath. Clearing his throat, he looked at Erina, whose laughter had already faded.
“Ahem.”
“So… I don’t need to worry about you, right?”
Erina asked with a hint of hope.
Dylan nodded and quickly elaborated.
“For me, using mana is as natural as breathing is for you. Just as you don’t consciously think about the air around you to breathe, I can use mana without any difficulty.”
“Oh, I see. Then it wasn’t something I needed to worry about.”
Erina turned her head to pretend to observe the greenhouse flowers, embarrassed that someone as ignorant about magic as herself had been worrying over him.
Dylan, observing her behavior, stepped closer and stood beside her.
“My primary magic involves using light. As long as there’s even a tiny bit of light, I can achieve what I want without much effort. For example, making flowers bloom in the greenhouse today was simply a matter of adjusting enough light for them to bloom. It’s a very simple task for me and not at all exhausting.”
Dylan pointed to the moon that gently illuminated the greenhouse.
There was no place in the world untouched by light. Even in the darkest nights, the moon and stars shone if one looked closely.
Because of this, Dylan’s magic was practically boundless, and his mana was virtually limitless.
“Of course, mana varies greatly from person to person, so not everyone who can use magic can wield it as easily as I do.”
Dylan subtly emphasized that he was the only one capable of using magic so freely and effortlessly, hinting at his exceptional abilities.
While he didn’t outright flaunt it, his desire to show off wasn’t much different from his mischievous triplet niblings.
Noticing the unexpected similarity between Dylan and the triplets, Erina smiled softly.
“Mr. Dylan, you really do seem like the kids’ uncle.”
“…What?”
Why are the kids being brought up in this atmosphere?
Dylan frowned at the sudden mention of his niblings.
Oblivious to his reaction, Erina continued cheerfully, excited by the topic.
“The kids also get really excited and proud when they do something well, like reading books, collecting plants, or finishing all their meals without being picky. It feels just like that now.”
“Me… excitedly showing off… like my niblings…”
Dylan stammered, completely caught off guard, as if he had been struck in an unexpected place.
Sensing something unusual in his tone, Erina turned her head toward him.
“Was I wrong? I just thought you were very proud of your magic…”
Her expression screamed, ‘Oops, I messed up!’ as she looked at Dylan apologetically.
As soon as their eyes met, Dylan smoothed his frown and curved his lips into a faint smile.
The thought of his unparalleled magical abilities being compared to his niblings’ picky eating habits was almost unbearable. But he couldn’t say a word of complaint to Erina.
What if she got upset and decided to leave for her homeland?
It wasn’t because he didn’t want her to dislike him.
Definitely not.
“Well, yes, we are blood relatives, after all. I suppose the kids do share some traits with me. I just discovered something new.”
Dylan said, masking his annoyance with a strained smile.
He hated being compared to his niblings. But since Erina said it, it must be true. There was no point in arguing with her.
Still, a hint of disappointment lingered in his voice.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Erina quickly changed the subject to offer a different compliment.
From the moment she met him, she had noticed this about Dylan—he was incredibly beautiful.
His niblings were likely so radiant and lovely because they took after their uncle.
“Oh, um… they also resemble you in how beautiful they are!”
“Beau…tiful…?”
“Yes! You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen!”
Erina nodded enthusiastically, smiling brightly.
His silvery hair shone more brightly than satin or velvet, his eyes were clearer than the sky on a sunny day, and his nose and lips were just as flawless.
There wasn’t a single ounce of insincerity in her compliment.
Which was why Dylan was utterly flustered.
He had never imagined anyone would call him beautiful.
Since birth, people had called him dashing, reliable, capable, and god-like, but hearing beautiful directly for the first time left him stunned.
What exactly did Erina think of him?
Without realizing she had just delivered a second blow, Erina selected a few flowers from the greenhouse.
“Can I take some of these flowers?”
“Of course.”
“I think they’ll look lovely in the kids’ room. They’ve been really interested in plants lately!”
“…The kids, huh…”
Once again, Dylan found himself overshadowed by the triplets.
“And thank you so much for the perfume. I’ll save it for a very special occasion.”
“Don’t feel the need to save it. I can always make more for you. In fact, I’d appreciate it if you used it at a grand event like a banquet.”
“Oh, absolutely! I’ll make sure to wear it that day!”
Erina shook the small crystal bottle, the blue liquid inside shimmering and clinking against the glass.
A soft, clear sound resonated between them.
***
On the following day, an outdoor activity which had been delayed due to rain, was planned.
The children observed the newly bloomed flowers in the garden with Erina and drew pictures using colored pencils.
While each child drew uniquely styled artwork and bustled around Erina, two voices suddenly interrupted them.
“Human woman!”
“Woman!”
Mitzu, with his red hair, and Hael, with her black hair, were dashing toward the garden at full speed.
Was it really necessary to yell like that while running?
Erina sighed softly as she watched the energetic dragons and slowly stood up.
The children, seeing her rise, also stood up with their colored pencils still tightly clutched, as Mitzu and Hael’s expressions looked anything but ordinary as they got closer.
“Mitzu, Hael! Are you trying to do something bad to Erina?!”
Brave Lia blocked their path, standing protectively in front of Erina. Behind her, Resen and Poi quickly formed a small wall.
Seeing the children’s defense, Mitzu and Hael scoffed, easily bypassing them to approach Erina.
The kids, startled by how easily their ‘wall’ had been breached, hurriedly shuffled their short legs to reclaim their positions by Erina’s side.
“Go away! We’re not studying with Mitzu and Hael!”
“What? Hey! I’m not here to study with you either!”
“Either!”
“Then leave!”
“I was going to anyway! I’m just here to deliver this!”
Mitzu was just as sullen as Lia.
Whenever these little kids were around, his voice would rise unknowingly in response to their noisy whining.
