066
Tonight.
I wanted to call out before the night passed.
But it felt like an opportunity that was rightfully mine had been taken away.
Even though the title ‘Dad’ wasn’t something only I could use.
I couldn’t even talk about Aunt Cecilia.
Would they even listen if I told them?
Somehow, now doesn’t seem like the right time.
They must be overwhelmed, so I should stay quiet.
Quietly.
Qui…etly.
“Hic….”
“Hey, hey. Why are you crying again? Don’t cry, okay?”
“Huh, hngh, huwaaah!”
Waaahh!!
No matter how much I tried to hold it in, the feelings of disappointment burst out.
Like cream squeezed out of a crushed macaron, my tears spilled everywhere, completely beyond my control.
“B-bwaah, huuuh, waaah!”
“Oh dear, now you’re wailing. Fine, just cry it out. Let it all out.”
Huaaaahhh!!
Brother Mikard, who had been flustered, gently patted my back.
It’s strange.
Usually, when someone comforts you like this, the tears should stop.
But instead, I only feel more heartbroken.
“What’s this? Brother, did you make the youngest cry?”
“No, I didn’t!”
Through my blurred vision, I caught a glimpse of pink hair.
It was Brother Elzen.
“Shupetty.”
Calling my name, Brother Elzen sat down beside me with a thud. Then, he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from my eyes.
“I don’t think she’s Luarel.”
“….…!”
“There’s no way she’d return at such a convenient time. Father wouldn’t believe she’s Luarel either.”
Isn’t she Sister Luarel?
“But she looks so much like her….”
“She doesn’t resemble Father at all.”
“No, not that… I mean the portrait….”
As he wiped my eyes and I blew my nose, all the strength drained from my body.
I couldn’t sit up straight anymore, so I slowly lay down.
Brother Mikard quickly placed his knee under my head as a pillow.
“A portrait? No one can recognize the face drawn in that portrait anyway. We don’t know whether Luarel looked more like Mother or Father.”
Brother Elzen spoke firmly as he gently rubbed my cheek.
I remained still, tilting my head in confusion.
“But I do.”
“What?”
“Sister Luarel has chubby cheeks. Her eyes are closed… and she has a round face.”
That’s what the portrait looked like to me.
Even though I couldn’t see Lady Aurora’s face, I could tell what Sister Luarel looked like.
“You can see her face?”
“Yeah. Only Sister Luarel’s.”
“We… we can’t see anything. All we know is that Luarel had pink hair.”
Huh? Then why can I see it?
Just then—
“Maybe you were just looking in a mirror?”
Rustle, rustle.
The reeds parted on their own, opening a clear path.
And naturally, the one who appeared was Naiad.
Next to him, looking a bit awkward while holding a cotton candy, was Ilyad.
“The way you just described her… that’s just your face.”
“Huh?”
“Round. There’s no one else in the world as round as you.”
Naiad drew a circle with his index finger.
I stared blankly at it, and before I knew it, Ilyad suddenly held out the pink cotton candy to me.
“Here. Your favorite. I figured you’d be like this, so I asked the kitchen to make it for you.”
“…..…!”
Even though I was still sniffling, the moment I saw the cotton candy, I immediately stopped crying.
My eyes widened, my mouth gaped open, and I couldn’t help but smile!
“Cotton candy!”
“You like it, right?”
“Yeah!”
But… this is sweet, too.
If I eat it, will I get scolded again?
I glanced cautiously at the Spirit Kings.
But then, reassuring, sparkling words floated in the air—
[The Water Spirit King ‘■■■■’ supports you, saying, ‘My little one, eat that and stay strong.’]
[The Emotion Spirit King ‘■■■’ says, ‘Chew up 500 cotton candies and charge up your fighting spirit!’]
Cotton candy… and fighting spirit?
That doesn’t match at all, does it?
“Brothers, do you want some too?”
“No, you have it all.”
Since no one else wanted any, I got to enjoy a whole one by myself—
“Pii-yap!”
“Ah, I forgot about Podong. Podong, do you want to try some?”
“Pii!”
Even though my fingers got all sticky, I kept eating the cotton candy, sharing it nicely with Podong.
While I was doing that, Ilyad suddenly pressed his arm against my head, squishing me down.
“Hey, we already knew you weren’t Luarel.”
“Yeah. You’re Shupetty. Our cousin.”
That’s right. I’m Shupetty.
Shupetty Pashayen.
The name I love.
“Even if Luarel has returned, you’re still my little sister. You know that, right? Even if that really is the real Luarel, both of you are equally my siblings.”
This time, it was Brother Mikard who said that, sounding a bit smug.
Then, it was Brother Elzen’s turn.
“I don’t think she’s Luarel. And even if the real Luarel does return someday, you will still be our family. Father is your father, too.”
“…..…!”
Maybe… that was what I had wanted to hear all along.
Words spoken in a soft but firm voice.
“The Admiral is Brother Mikard’s dad. He’s also Brother Elzen’s dad. And he’s Sister Luarel’s dad too.”
But he’s also my dad.
“I may not be his real daughter, but I’m still a Pashayen.”
“That’s right. You’re a Pashayen. And you’re our family.”
“Mm!”
Hearing them say it over and over again finally put me at ease.
Was I… feeling anxious?
About what?
Was I afraid I’d lose my place?
But my brothers were right.
I’m also the Admiral’s daughter.
If anything, having an older sister means our family is growing. That’s a good thing!
That’s how I should think about it… right?
[The Water Spirit King ‘■■■■’ is foaming at the mouth again.]
[The Emotion Spirit King ‘■■■’ is wailing.]
[‘How can someone be this sweet…?’]
Was it the cotton candy, or their encouragement?
Either way, I recovered quickly, feeling full of energy again.
“Too bad. If you had said you didn’t want to go home, I was going to hold your hand and take you with me.”
Then, at that moment—
From a deep shadowed area, bubbles began to rise, and an elegant voice drifted out.
At the same time, Sister Diorose suddenly emerged!
“Ah! Geez! Do all you Velarions have no manners? Why do you always appear out of nowhere?!”
“Oh my, so aggressive. If you keep shouting like that, you’ll scare my little bunny.”
“Who’s your bunny?! She’s our youngest!”
Brother Mikard was fuming…
Obviously, he and Sister Diorose knew each other.
Watching them bicker, they seemed incredibly close.
“Are you two friends?”
I tilted my head and asked—
“No way!”
“Absolutely not.”
They both denied it in unison, looking utterly disgusted.
“The reason I’m here is to give you an answer to the question you asked earlier.”
“……..!”
“I only have about a minute. I have to leave after that.”
Come to think of it, the Velarion family had already left earlier.
“Sister, you didn’t go far?”
“The shadow path hasn’t completely disappeared yet. But if we move much farther, we won’t be able to return.”
“So, you’re still traveling? Did you come here from inside the carriage?”
“Smart one.”
A faint smile appeared in her red eyes.
“I pretended to be changing clothes.”
“Ah.”
“Anyway… earlier, you asked why the shadows were rippling, right?”
Everyone looked puzzled at her words.
So, I explained the situation.
“I don’t know exactly when the head of the family started planning this or what their full intentions are. The Velarion way is to never reveal everything. I also don’t know why Cecilia Pashayen is being ‘controlled’ like this.”
“Controlled?”
“Earlier, you asked if shadows could ripple. If they looked suspicious, it’s likely because someone fed them shadow worms.”
…What’s that?
I was so curious, but I couldn’t ask because Brother Elzen’s face had turned terrifyingly serious.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Who knows? I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, so I can’t be certain. But Cecilia Pashayen didn’t attend the banquet today, did she?”
“Well, she rarely shows up anyway… If she’s being controlled, that would make sense.”
Wait… shouldn’t we tell the Admiral about this immediately?
Then again, my brothers all know now, so they’ll probably handle it.
At that moment, Brother Mikard, who had been silent, spoke in a low voice.
“Forget that. What about Luarel?”
“Luarel?”
“Don’t play dumb. That thing… it’s a homunculus, isn’t it?”
