Chapter 30
Dylan personally guided Erina through the mansion, introducing her to every corner.
Typically, his presence was confined to his office or bedroom, so seeing him appear all over the estate today sent the Harrison household staff into a state of shock.
Some, particularly the head butler who oversaw the household staff, were completely flustered by Dylan’s unusual display of kindness.
“Master, I can take care of showing the guest around. You must have important matters to attend to. Perhaps it would be better if I handled this task?”
“It’s fine. I’m sure you’re busy as well, so don’t concern yourself.”
“Y-Yes, sir.”
Dylan smiled at the butler as he dismissed him, leaving the man even more bewildered.
In all his years serving Dylan, he had never seen such a smile.
Still, Dylan turned his attention back to Erina, as though the butler had ceased to exist.
“Miss Erina, is there anywhere else you’d like to see?”
“Oh, no, thank you. I’ll explore the rest slowly with the children. Thank you so much.”
“Understood. This way then—your and the children’s rooms are on the second floor.”
After a brief tour of the mansion, the last destination was the place Erina and the children would be using.
Erina widened her eyes as she saw the second floor, which was as spacious as the first.
Typically, the second floor of most mansions was reserved for guest rooms or storage spaces, but the second floor of the Harrison estate featured a balcony, reception rooms, a library, and even a small greenhouse.
It was as lavish as the grand first floor.
“The rooms on the right side of the central hall are for you and the children. Please use them as you like. Of course, the tea room and library on the left are also open for your use anytime.”
“Y-Yes, thank you.”
“Shall we take a look at the children’s rooms first?”
Dylan gestured toward doors labeled with the children’s names—Resen, Lia, and Poi.
Erina chuckled softly at the sight of their names written on the doors.
Dylan opened Resen’s room first.
Erina, who had been smiling moments earlier, couldn’t help but frown as she stepped inside.
The bed was far too large for a child, and the table was too tall for them to use comfortably. The room was decorated with fragile crystal ornaments, and the wide windows lacked any safety locks.
Dylan, unable to see Erina’s expression from behind, was still caught up in his role as a doting uncle.
“I’ve furnished the children’s rooms with the finest furniture in the empire. And to make it convenient, I’ve installed connecting doors between the rooms.”
He opened a door next to the bookshelf, revealing what appeared to be Lia’s room—nearly identical to Resen’s.
Erina let out a deep sigh and silently counted to five, trying to suppress the frustration welling up inside her.
In hindsight, Dylan’s choices made sense.
He wasn’t the children’s parent, so it was understandable that he wouldn’t know what they truly needed.
Despite his best efforts to provide the finest, his choices were based on an adult’s perspective rather than a child’s.
Erina composed herself and began to speak carefully, making sure not to hurt Dylan’s feelings.
“Mr. Dylan, the children’s rooms are absolutely beautiful and filled with amazing things, but…”
“…But?”
Dylan immediately sensed that her next words wouldn’t be favorable, and unfortunately, his intuition was correct.
“Well, I think there are a few things that might not be safe or convenient for the children to use. Of course, they’ll grow quickly, but still… for now, I feel that some adjustments might be better. What do you think?”
“Ah…”
Dylan paused, caught off guard.
After a brief silence, his ears turned red as he recalled boasting about the ‘finest preparations.’
“I didn’t consider that. My apologies.”
“No, no, it’s okay! I know you did your best for the children.”
“Still, I feel embarrassed in front of you.”
Dylan covered his face with his large hands, clearly mortified.
His genuine reaction made Erina burst out laughing despite herself.
“Mr. Dylan, seeing you like this really makes you seem like the children’s uncle!”
“Pardon?”
“I mean, now I understand why the children are so adorable. They must take after you.”
“…Pardon?”
Dylan’s startled expression made Erina falter, wondering if she had said something wrong.
“You were so cute just now, Mr. Dylan. Oh, was that an inappropriate thing to say…?”
To an adult man, her words might have sounded more like teasing than a compliment.
Feeling flustered, Erina quickly closed her mouth.
But Dylan smiled warmly and shook his head.
“No, I’ve just never heard that kind of compliment before. It surprised me.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I’ll work harder so I can hear more compliments like that.”
“W-Work harder?”
This time, it was Erina’s turn to blush.
She ran her hand through her hair, trying to shake off the embarrassment. Her recently dyed brown hair still felt unfamiliar to her.
“Ah, Miss Erina, would you like to visit Haruben Street with the children tomorrow?”
“Sorry? Haruben Street…?”
“It’s the busiest street in the capital. We can purchase new furniture to decorate the children’s rooms and anything else you might need for your stay.”
At Dylan’s suggestion, Erina nodded.
It seemed he wanted to get new furniture for his niece and nephews, and it would be best for her to choose safe, practical items herself.
Once again, she was struck by Dylan’s considerable wealth.
Back in the forest, the house they’d been living in was something her grandmother had used since her youth. The most Erina could manage was covering sharp corners with cloth. Buying anything new had never even been an option.
Reflecting on it now, she was certain bringing the children to the empire had been the right decision.
With that thought, Erina and Dylan returned to his office.
It was nearly time for the children to wake from their nap.
***
The next morning, Erina found herself embroiled in a chaotic battle with the children.
Getting them to eat breakfast after they woke up ravenous was easy enough. But trouble began when it was time for their bath.
The children started bickering over which scent they wanted to use, and the argument quickly escalated into them flooding the bathroom.
It wasn’t until Erina scolded them that they finally quieted down.
By then, a whole basket of herbs and petals had been soaked beyond use.
Sighing heavily, Erina stared at the damp remnants.
“Erina, sorry…”
“Are you mad at us?”
“Ma-ma, Erina!”
The children, having transformed into their human forms that morning, clung to her and tried to win her over with their cuteness.
At their antics, her anger melted away like snow on a sunny day.
“You know you can’t fight like that again, right?”
“Yes!”
Resen, Lia, and Poi replied in unison.
Smiling, Erina used a towel to dry their wet hair as she asked, “Are you feeling okay? Not too tired?”
“We’re fine! We ate a lot!”
“Yeah, yeah! We can stay human all day now!”
“Poi is good at transforming!”
The children, bare-skinned and bouncing around, seemed eager to prove they had no trouble staying in their human forms.
Their chubby cheeks jiggled up and down with every jump, and Erina couldn’t help but laugh.
She reached out and tickled their soft, round bellies with her fingers.
“Kyaaa!”
The sound of laughter filled the powder room connected to the bathroom.
“Come on, kids. Let’s dry your hair and get going.”
“Ah!”
The cheerful moment was interrupted by a low voice.
Erina let out a startled scream, and the children froze mid-laugh, tilting their heads up to look.
Dylan stood there, generating a breeze with his hands as he stared at the children.
His icy gaze then shifted to Erina, and though his expression was neutral, Erina felt as if he was silently reprimanding her for not being ready yet.
Her fears were quickly proven unnecessary as after meeting her eyes, Dylan’s lips curled into a faint smile.
“Miss Erina, the carriage is ready. Shall we speed things up just a little?”
“Y-Yes, of course!”
“I’ll help as well.”
Dylan began picking up the reluctant children one by one, drying their hair with sharp gusts of wind.
“Ahhh!”
The children shrieked in protest, their complaints loud and dramatic.
Yet, from the side, the scene looked like nothing more than playful teasing between an uncle and his niece and nephews.
Erina watched the exchange with a warm smile.
