Chapter 55
The triplets, having dressed themselves, stomped their feet after putting on their sturdy leather boots.
“Erina, hurry, hurry! At this rate, the moon will be out!”
“Alright, just wait a moment! I’ll grab the basket and the things we need!”
“Okay, but come quickly!”
After managing to get the impatient children to sit on the sofa, Erina hurried off to change.
She put on a comfortable dress, pulled on her boots, and packed a basket for gathering herbs along with a botanical guide.
Since the children didn’t know what jewel herb looked like, she figured it would be a good opportunity to teach them about plants as well.
“Alright, kids. Let’s take a look at what the jewel herb looks like before we head out!”
“Yes!”
The triplets answered in unison.
Erina showed them a picture of the jewel herb, which had cute orange buds with tiny black speckles on the petals.
The children listened with intense concentration. Unlike their usual playful enthusiasm for collecting things, they were particularly focused today—perhaps because they were searching for something on behalf of someone else.
Resen, in particular, stared at the book as if he might devour the page itself.
Erina finished her explanation and clapped her hands together.
“Alright, let’s go! Be careful not to get hurt!”
“Yes! Let’s go!!”
“Let’s go!”
“L-Let’s go!”
The children, clapping along with Erina, grabbed their small baskets and ran ahead energetically.
As she watched to make sure they didn’t trip, Dylan suddenly appeared beside her.
“Miss Erina, it’ll be getting dark soon. Will you be alright?”
“Ah! D-Dylan! You startled me!”
She had been so focused on the children that his voice had caught her off guard.
“I brought small lanterns for the kids, just in case.”
“I see. Still, just in case, I’ll come along.”
Dylan shrugged, now dressed comfortably. The only thing that stood out was the cravat pin Erina had given him. The ornate jewel replaced his top button, glistening in the light.
It was a bit mismatched with his otherwise simple shirt, but his handsome face made it work.
Erina, trying not to let her gaze linger on his shirt, quickly changed the topic.
“Aren’t you busy with the banquet today? If you have paperwork or other tasks to take care of—”
“It’s fine. There’s no rush. Hmm… Since I’m coming along, I should be useful somehow… Oh! Would this help?”
A small glowing orb formed at Dylan’s fingertips.
Though smaller in size than the lanterns Erina had brought, its light was several times brighter.
The glow was so intense that Erina had to blink rapidly.
It was bright enough that even if the sun had completely set and the forest was pitch dark, they would still be able to see.
Unable to endure the brightness, Erina shut her eyes tightly and nodded.
“This is more than enough! It’s so bright that even mosquitoes and other bugs probably won’t come near!”
Half-blinded, she gave him two enthusiastic thumbs up.
Dylan, watching her tiny thumbs, hummed a little tune.
“So… could you put that out now?”
“Ah, right.”
Hearing Erina’s honest thoughts, Dylan quickly deflated.
***
Resen, Lia, and Poi bounced excitedly, clutching jewel herbs in both hands.
They hurried to Erina to have their finds inspected.
“Wow, kids! Perfect! You found them so well! Look, they match the picture in the book exactly!”
“Yeah! Perfect!”
The children echoed her words proudly.
All they had done was glance at a picture once, yet they had found the right plant so easily!
Erina was so proud that she hugged them and covered their cheeks in kisses.
The children giggled like rolling pearls, their laughter ringing through the air.
They wanted to hug her back but couldn’t because their hands were full of jewel herbs.
“Ahem. I also found some jewel herbs…”
Dylan tried to join in, shaking his handful of jewel herbs for attention.
But the children cleverly blocked Erina’s view, making sure she didn’t see him.
His niblings’ mischievous interference made Dylan frown.
Just as he was about to force his way into the group—
“Master Dylan!!”
“Master!!”
Mitzu and Hael suddenly dropped down from the sky.
Everyone except Dylan froze in place, still locked in their embrace, startled by the sudden arrival of the two dragons.
Was it really okay for them to land like that?
Erina worried about Mitzu and Hael possibly getting injured, but the two seemed perfectly fine, without a scratch and completely at ease.
“What’s going on, Mitzu? I told you to keep an eye on the banquet until the very end.”
“Ah, I already checked that all the invited humans have left, sir! The remaining staff can handle the rest.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, sir! But more importantly, Master Dylan, I came to tell you something.”
Mitzu narrowed his eyes and leaned in to whisper to Dylan. He acted as if he was carrying a tremendous secret, but Dylan only looked indifferent.
Meanwhile, Hael pointed to herself, trying to make it clear that she—not Mitsu—had discovered the information. Every time she moved her fingers, tiny sparks flickered around her.
“Hael, if those sparks hit a tree, you’ll start a fire.”
“…!”
Dylan’s quiet scolding made Hael shrink back and sulk. She slumped into a corner, crouching behind a tree.
Erina and the children, sensing the mood, quickly tried to cheer her up.
“B-but your sparks are really pretty! Right, kids?”
“Yeah! They look like fireworks! Right?”
“Yeah! Hael, can you make them different colors?”
Hael had been flinching at their chatter, but when Lia asked her about lightning colors, she created a small red spark as if responding to the request.
Still worried about getting scolded by Dylan, she kept the lightning as small as a pinky finger.
The children clapped in delight, calling her lightning beautiful.
Just as Hael, feeling encouraged, opened her mouth to say something—
“STOP!!!”
Mitzu, who had been standing a few steps away watching them, suddenly shouted.
If Hael started talking now, the warm and cheerful atmosphere would surely be ruined.
Hael pouted.
“Alright, alright. Hael’s lightning is pretty, okay? Now come here. You came to talk to Master Dylan, remember? No more sulking.”
“Y-yeah. Hael, you should go talk to him,” Erina added, helping her up.
Reluctantly, Hael got to her feet.
Once the three adult dragons had gathered to talk, Erina turned her attention to processing the jewel herbs with the children. Since the antidote required the roots and petals, they carefully separated them from the stems and leaves.
Despite their young age, the children worked with surprising precision, neatly sorting the plants.
At about the same time, Dylan’s discussion seemed to wrap up as well.
By then, the forest had grown dark. Erina gathered the children and looked around.
“The moon is out now. Should we head back?”
“Yes! But Erina, what if we trip in the dark?!”
“I can only see my shoes because of the ones you gave me!”
“Erina-mama, it’s scary. Hold my hand!”
One after another, the children reached out their hands to her.
Erina took their hands and looked toward Dylan.
As if he had been waiting for her gaze, Dylan effortlessly conjured small glowing orbs on each of his fingers, releasing them into the air.
In an instant, their surroundings became as bright as midday.
Erina gaped in awe.
The children also stared, wide-eyed, at Dylan’s fingers.
“Now you won’t trip, right? Let go of Erina’s hand and walk on your own.”
Just like that, Dylan completely wiped out all the goodwill he had built up.
The children’s round eyes narrowed into sharp triangles, and they huffed in irritation.
Choosing to completely ignore him, the triplets led Erina forward, heading straight for the mansion.
Erina chuckled at their adorable sulking and followed them.
