Episode 27
***
At the Same Time – The Harrison Estate
The dragons waited patiently under Dylan’s bed for his return.
When Dylan disappeared silently from his study, seemingly lost in thought, the children had a hunch.
“He must’ve gone to fetch Erina!”, they thought.
That’s why the dragons were gathered quietly under Dylan’s bed.
“Kya-koko!”
“Boo-boo! Bya!”
“Mama?”
They chattered among themselves, engaging in deep discussions about what to do once Erina arrived.
As they continued their lively conversation, thinking about Erina nonstop, the air around them quivered, and Dylan’s presence was suddenly felt.
The dragons scrambled out from under the bed to welcome Erina, who they assumed had come with him.
But no matter how hard they looked, there wasn’t a trace of Erina’s hair by Dylan’s side.
Confused, the three dragons tilted their heads to the right, their suspicious gazes silently accusing him: “Did you come back alone again?”
Noticing their behavior, Dylan smirked, raising one side of his lip in defiance.
Though tempted to keep Erina away just to spite his arrogant nephews, Dylan reminded himself that he was the more rational one in this scenario.
He sighed heavily, pushing aside his mischievous thoughts.
“I proposed the idea to Erina. She’ll give her answer in three days, so behave until then.”
“Kya-ki?”
“Right, she didn’t say she’d come.”
“Poo!!”
“You’re saying that’s my fault? Unbelievable.”
“Mama….”
“Crying won’t help.”
The children seemed to have a lot to say about Erina, chattering incessantly.
Dylan responded a few times, but when the conversation dragged on, he shot them an annoyed glare before heading back to his study.
The three dragons hurriedly followed him, their short legs moving as fast as possible to keep up.
Since they couldn’t fly yet, they had to rely on sheer effort to trail their uncle.
“Didn’t I tell you not to run around stirring up dust with your wing flaps? Stay put,” Dylan grumbled, half ignoring them.
But the scolding didn’t faze the dragons one bit; Dylan carried Erina’s scent, and every step he took reminded them of her.
The warm smell of blankets, the sweet scent of jam, and the sharp hint of dried herbs—all fragrances tied to memories with her.
They decided to bask in the scent until Erina came to the Harrison estate herself.
“Kyuu, kya-kya!”
“Byo-o, boo-boo?”
“Mama, mom-mom.”
“Do whatever you want,” Dylan muttered, surrendering.
Deep down, he held onto the hope that once Erina arrived, these clumsy reptiles would calm down.
He didn’t even entertain the possibility that she might not come.
***
Erina was in Dilemma.
‘I was wondering if you might come to the Sylvian Empire for a while to teach and take care of the children,’Dylan had said.
“Take care of the children…”
Dylan claimed it would be temporary, but his words hinted that it might last until the children matured—at least a few years, possibly over a decade.
Though Erina felt grateful that Dylan had sought her out for this role, she hesitated.
The Sylvian Empire was vastly different from her homeland, and she doubted whether she could truly help the children grow.
“Sigh.”
Her sighs had become frequent over the past two days.
“Erina? Is the food not good?”
“Huh? Oh, no, it’s fine!”
“Really? You’ve been looking off this whole time.”
Luan, dipping bread into a tomato stew, tilted her head.
Erina apologized and took a bite of her meat pie.
The savory juices were perfect, but the taste barely registered. Her mind was too preoccupied.
“Erina, something’s bothering you, isn’t it?”
“Uh, what?”
“You’re acting completely different. Seriously, cutting up your meat pie? Where’s the Erina who once downed three plates of omelets even with a stomachache because you said eating would help?”
Luan puffed out her cheeks with a mix of concern and indignation.
Erina shrugged sheepishly, realizing she couldn’t fool her.
“Actually, I’ve been offered a new job,” she admitted.
“A job? What kind?”
“Well, to put it simply, it’s like being a nanny. A while ago, I happened to watch over some kids, and now they’re asking if I’d do it full-time. The kids are adorable, but I’m not sure if I’m up for it.”
“A nanny, huh? That sounds like a great opportunity!”
Luan said, her excitement palpable.
“Didn’t you used to help out with the local kids sometimes? Why the hesitation?”
Erina shared her concerns but kept the biggest secret—that the children and their employer were dragons.
“Is it far? Like Fukuran? Tybon?”
Erina shook her head.
“No, it’s the Sylvian Empire.”
“What? The Sylvian Empire? The one across the sea?”
Erina nodded heavily.
Luan’s eyes sparkled.
“That’s amazing! You should definitely go!”
“But isn’t it too far?”
“No way! It’s the opportunity of a lifetime!”
Luan’s enthusiasm began to chip away at Erina’s doubts.
Maybe this wasn’t just a daunting challenge—it could be a life-changing adventure.
Erina found herself nodding.
“Maybe… it is a good opportunity.”
Luan’s excitement bubbled over as she set her spoon down, her shoulders bouncing with joy.
“When did you even meet kids from the Sylvian Empire? Wait, no, that’s not important! The Sylvian Empire! It’s a place that takes over a month to reach! How incredible is that? People like us, living in the countryside, couldn’t even dream of visiting such a place! It’s one of the richest empires in the world! You’d definitely earn a lot more money there than you do selling mushrooms here!”
“You think so?”
Erina asked hesitantly.
“Of course! There’s no question about it!”
With that, Luan clasped Erina’s hands tightly.
“Erina, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If I were you, I would’ve said yes immediately! Oh no, what if someone else takes the job while you’re hesitating?”
“A great opportunity…”
“Yes, absolutely! And you wouldn’t have to live all alone in the forest anymore!”
The mention of not being lonely struck a chord in Erina’s heart.
Luan was right. In the empire, she would have three children whose warmth and energy would fill her days.1This brought tears to my eyes (-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩___-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩)
Caught in the moment, Erina nodded unconsciously.
“Y-yeah, it does sound good.”
“Not just ‘good,’ Erina! It’s amazing!”
Luan’s eyes sparkled as she began rattling off stories she’d heard about the Sylvian Empire—the luxurious trinkets made there, the fascinating ways people used magic in their everyday lives.
Her enthusiasm was infectious, and Erina found herself laughing despite her earlier hesitation.
“Erina, promise me you’ll write to me if you go! Tell me all about how fun and exciting it is!”
“Alright, alright. Listening to you, it really does sound like going to the empire would be amazing.”
“Exactly! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, Erina. Who knows? You might even meet someone special there!”
“What?”
“I mean, the book I’ve been reading is about a woman falling in love with someone from the Sylvian Empire!”
Luan laughed awkwardly, realizing how fanciful she sounded.
Erina raised an eyebrow but couldn’t help laughing along with her.
If she looked at it from Luan’s perspective, it really did seem like a golden opportunity.
At the very least, she wouldn’t feel so alone anymore. The children needed her, and she realized she couldn’t bear to turn away from them.
More than that, she wasn’t sure she could continue enduring the suffocating solitude of her little home in the forest.
This might truly be her chance to start anew, surrounded by warmth and life.
And so, Erina found herself thinking that going to the Sylvian Empire might indeed be the best decision she could make.
