Chapter 40
Erina briefly felt annoyed as she recalled Mitzu’s disgruntled expression every time their eyes met.
However, her mood quickly softened as she watched Dylan and the triplets happily devouring pie.
“Tomorrow, I’m planning to take the children for a walk and some observational learning on the hill behind the house. If you’re free, would you like to join us?”
Erina asked, pouring Dylan another cup of tea.
Dylan’s eyes sparkled with interest, as though he might agree immediately. Yet, unexpectedly, he declined.
“I’m afraid I won’t have time tomorrow due to work. Such a pity.”
“Oh, I see. You’ve seemed busier than usual lately.”
“Yes, my workload has increased significantly. Plus, we’ll soon be hosting a banquet for our family.”
A banquet?
Erina’s face lit up with curiosity.
It was a term she had only encountered in novels, often those recommended by Luan.
The fact that real banquets existed felt more astonishing to her than sitting in front of four dragons.
“Miss Erina, you seem quite intrigued by the idea of a banquet. Your face is brimming with curiosity.”
“Huh? Oh, yes! It’s just so fascinating to me.”
“Is that so? Although I wouldn’t say they’re particularly enjoyable events… Ah! Perhaps you should attend one yourself.”
“Me?”
Erina jumped in surprise, waving her hands frantically. Attending a banquet seemed far too daunting for her.
As she fretted over how to decline, Resen tugged on her skirt and asked,
“Erina, what’s a banquet?”
“Hm? A banquet is an event where people wear pretty clothes, eat delicious food, dance, and have fun.”
She omitted the more complicated adult aspects of such gatherings, opting for a simple explanation the children could understand.
Dylan, however, smirked at her overly simplified description, which didn’t align at all with the actual purpose of the upcoming banquet.
“Wow! Does that mean Erina will make lots of food for us?!”
“Erina, Mama! Are you going to wear pretty clothes like mine?”
“Erina! Can I bring the butterflies and ants I caught to dance with us?”
The children excitedly shared their imaginations about what a banquet might be like.
Erina, never having attended one herself, was at a loss as to how to respond. Fortunately, Dylan came to her rescue once again.
“Erina won’t be cooking that day. She’ll just enjoy the food with you all. Poi, wearing the same clothes as Erina is a great idea. And Lia, if you bring butterflies and ants to the banquet, you’ll be thrown out immediately.”
Dylan’s clear and concise responses left the children momentarily speechless.
Resen and Lia’s excitement waned as they realized there would be no special food from Erina or insects at the banquet.
However, Poi was delighted by the prospect of wearing matching outfits with Erina, his short legs bouncing with excitement.
“Erina, I like pretty clothes!”
“Uh, right… Poi, we’ll make sure you wear something nice.”
“No! Not Poi! I want Erina to wear pretty clothes!”
Poi, shaking his head so vigorously that his chubby cheeks wobbled, started pleading to wear matching outfits with Erina.
Hearing this, Resen and Lia joined in.
“Erina, you’re not only going to match with Poi, right?!”
“Lia will wear the same outfit as Erina, even if there aren’t any butterflies!”
With blueberry juice smeared all around their mouths, the children clung to Erina’s skirt, demanding an answer.
At the same time, they shot pleading glances at Dylan, urging him to persuade her.
Dylan chuckled at the clever tactics of the mischievous children.
He then shrugged his shoulders and decided to support their cause.
“Now that I think about it, I haven’t explained the reason behind this banquet, have I?”
“No, you haven’t.”
“It’s a celebration to mark the safe return of the children.”
Erina looked down at the kids clinging to her skirt, her expression filled with surprise.
“After all, they are the children of the most influential man in the Sylvian Empire—my late brother.”
“Oh, yes, of course!”
“And more than 80% of the reason the children were able to return safely is thanks to you, Miss Erina. So, I believe you have more than enough reason to attend the banquet.”
Erina could only respond with an awkward smile as Dylan’s eloquent words flowed effortlessly.
Seizing the opportunity, the children eagerly chimed in to agree with him.
“That’s right! If it weren’t for Erina, we would’ve been in big trouble!”
“Erina saved us!”
“Erina Mama is our savior!”
Savior?
Erina wondered if Poi even understood the meaning of the word.
Watching the children’s earnest and adorable gestures, Erina couldn’t help but nod.
After all, if the banquet was for the children, they were bound to attend. And as their caregiver, she would naturally need to be present as well.
“Alright, I’ll attend the banquet with the children.”
“An excellent decision. By the way, we should arrange for your outfits in the next few days. Once news of the banquet spreads, everyone will rush to get theirs tailored, so it’s best to book early.”
“Yes, it’ll take time to prepare the children’s clothes.”
“Exactly, and adding your outfit, Miss Erina, will take some extra time too.”
Wait, what?
Erina avoided Dylan’s gaze, wondering why he was so insistent on including her outfit.
She had only intended to attend as the children’s guardian, not as someone enjoying the event.
“Erina, what color do you like?”
“Wouldn’t gold, like your shiny hair, suit you?”
“Erina sparkles!!”
Before she knew it, the children had pulled her to her feet and were circling her, chatting nonstop as if they were the ones designing her clothes.
Their enthusiastic antics were so serious and lively that Erina couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Alright, alright. Let’s all wear something nice together.”
“Yay!!”
At last, Erina had agreed, and the triplets flung their arms wide, jumping up and down in pure joy.
Smiling, Erina caught each of them one by one to clean their blueberry-stained faces.
“Are you full now?”
“Yes!”
“Then let’s go practice some numbers. Wash your hands and meet me in the study.”
“Yes, let’s go, let’s go!”
The children washed their hands at the sink near the dining room and then bounded off toward the study one by one.
After making sure even Poi had safely entered the study, Erina turned to tidy up the dishes.
But when she looked back, she saw that Dylan had already cleaned the dishes and neatly arranged them on the table.
“Oh my, did you tidy up, Dylan?”
“This hardly qualifies as tidying up.”
Dylan, the kindest dragon in the world, wore a slightly bashful expression.
Erina shook her head as she began placing the dishes into the cabinet.
“No, no, this is such a big help to me! If only I’d been born in the Sylvian Empire, I could’ve learned even simple magic.”
“Hm, that’s true. In the land where you grew up, people with mana are rare, aren’t they?”
“Not just rare—almost nonexistent. I didn’t know anyone with mana back home.”
“Ah, I see…”
A short sigh escaped Dylan.
Life without mana—how inconvenient that must be. Was that other continent still lagging in development?
‘To think she can’t even levitate a cup…’
Watching Erina struggle with tasks that magic could have made effortless, Dylan silently clicked his tongue.
He helped her place the remaining dishes in the cabinet, but a strange discomfort lingered in his chest.
Erina was the one who had to work harder without magic, yet it was Dylan who felt inexplicably unsettled.
