IBMOT Chapter 56

Chapter 56

 

“Mr. Dylan, may I speak with you for a moment?”

“Of course, please come in.”

After putting the children to bed, Erina visited Dylan’s office. He had just finished his backlog of paperwork and greeted her with a bright smile.

Once inside, Erina placed the prepared jewel herbs on Dylan’s desk.

“This needs to be delivered to Her Highness. She told me I could visit anytime, but I wasn’t sure how to arrange a meeting. Could you deliver it for me?”

“Ah, the jewel herb. I actually wanted to discuss that matter with you as well, this works out perfectly.”

Dylan gestured toward the sofa, and Erina sat down, waiting for him to continue.

“First, I received an immediate response from the princess’s side. She wants to meet tomorrow afternoon. They’ve already used the jewel herb to create the antidote as you suggested, but she specifically requested that you come so she can personally express her gratitude.”

“Oh, I see. It’s really not that big of a deal…” Erina chuckled awkwardly.

“From the princess’s perspective, you’re her savior. She insists on showing her appreciation. And…”

“Yes?”

And? There was more? Erina tilted her head in curiosity.

“It’s about the children.”

“The children? What about them?”

“I saw them playing in the forest today. They seem to love running around.”

“Oh! Yes, they do!”

Erina eagerly nodded. It was only natural. The children had boundless curiosity and energy. Even with outdoor activities every few days, their enthusiasm never seemed to wane.

“So, I was thinking…it might be a good idea to send them on a camping trip for a few days.”

“Camping…?”

“Yes, I believe they would enjoy playing freely in a new environment. What do you think?”

“That sounds great, but… not right away, right? A camping trip requires a lot of preparation.”

The unexpected suggestion made Erina’s mind spin. She was already anxious about tomorrow’s visit to the princess, and now there was talk of a camping trip on top of that!

She was busy sorting out her priorities when Dylan, observing her expression, spoke carefully.

“Of course, while the children are away camping, you should take the time to rest.”

“Me…?”

“Yes. Surely, you weren’t planning to go with them?”

“Wasn’t I…?”

Realizing she had gotten ahead of herself, Erina’s face turned bright red. With just a few words from Dylan, she had managed to make herself look like an overenthusiastic employee trying to tag along on her employer’s vacation.

Dylan, noticing her flustered reaction, quickly waved his hands.

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way! I just figured you’ve never really had a proper break. I thought sending the kids on a trip would give you some well-deserved rest!”

“Ah… I see. So, it was for my sake?”

“Exactly. No other reason at all.”

At that, Erina’s expression softened a little. Still, she couldn’t deny the tiny hint of disappointment lingering in her heart.

“I plan to send Hael and Mitzu with them. Those two should be able to take good care of the kids.”

“Hael and… Mitzu?”

That doesn’t sound right. How did he come to that conclusion?

Erina’s face reflected genuine doubt. While Hael might be manageable, Mitzu and the children never got along.

Whenever they met, they were at each other’s throats, bickering like quadruplets. Expecting Mitzu to take care of the children was a stretch at best.

Erina debated how to break the reality of the situation to Dylan.

“Um, Mr. Dylan?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

One of Dylan’s eyebrows arched slightly.

“And why is that?”

“Well… You’ll understand if you ask Mitzu and the children tomorrow.”

Since they weren’t present to defend themselves, Erina refrained from making direct statements. Dylan, seeing that nothing was set in stone yet, assured her that he would take the children’s opinions into account.

As Erina was about to leave his office, she turned back to ask,

“By the way, will you accompany me to the palace tomorrow?”

Just like before, Dylan responded with a bright smile and a nod.

For him, the opportunity to enter the palace without suspicion wasn’t a bad deal at all.

“I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”

“Yes, have sweet dreams.”

“You too, Erina.”

After the brief farewell, Erina closed the door and headed toward the children’s bedroom.

Watching her figure grow smaller as she walked away, Dylan let out a quiet sigh. The thought of Erina’s disappointment because of what he had said made his heart drop once again.

Thud.

Feeling such a fluttering sensation at his age was strange, almost amusing. Dylan smirked, pressing a hand to his chest.

But the moment his fingers touched his heart, the pounding stopped as if it had never happened. His expression quickly faded into one of boredom.

 

***

 

The next morning, the children held onto Erina’s hands as they made their way to the kitchen.

Since they would be meeting the princess that afternoon, their usual snack time had to be skipped. Instead, they decided to make strawberry pudding and enjoy it together with Her Highness.

The triplets were especially determined to help Erina prepare the pudding themselves.

“How much do you think the princess likes strawberries?”

“As much as the sky?”

“No, as much as the ocean!”

“No way! Poi loves strawberries the most…!”

As they chattered while removing the strawberry stems, Erina smiled softly at their conversation.

The children turned their eyes toward Erina, who was measuring out milk and egg yolks. They looked as serious as assistants to a renowned chef.

Seeing their focused expressions, Erina also became more serious. She always put care into making food for the children, but knowing that today’s pudding might end up on the princess’s table made her nervous. Even pouring a single cup of milk felt like a delicate task.

“What’s this? Making cheesecake first thing in the morning?”

Mitzu strolled into the kitchen, looking half-asleep. The children immediately scrunched their faces in disgust.

“Ew!”

Mitzu mimicked them with an exaggerated “Ew!” in return.

Watching the four of them greet each other with such loud energy first thing in the morning, Erina was once again reminded of how flawed Dylan’s judgment was.

Sending Mitzu, Hael, and the children on a camping trip together? That wouldn’t be a camping trip—it would be boot camp from hell.

“We’re making strawberry pudding to eat with the princess this afternoon! There’s none for you, Mitzu!”

“What?! Why not?!”

“Because you said you don’t like strawberry pudding!”

“When did I ever say that?! I just said I wanted cheesecake! Wait, Erina, you’re not actually leaving me out, are you?!”

Mitzu looked ready to stuff a whole handful of strawberries into his mouth in protest. Erina discreetly pulled the basket of strawberries closer to her as she tried to calm him down.

“Of course not. I always make extra for you and Hael. Don’t worry, I’ll make it delicious for you too.”

“Hmph, now that’s more like it.”

Seemingly satisfied with her answer, Mitzu tapped his toes against the floor in excitement before walking off without another word.

Erina blinked at his sudden change in mood, while the triplets puffed out their cheeks in frustration.

“Mitzu always gets snacks from Erina, but all he does is yell. He’s so mean!”

“Yeah! Even ants know how to be grateful, but Mitzu is worse than an ant!”

“I don’t want to play tag with Mitzu anymore. He’s a bad dragon.”

The children’s complaints kept piling up.

At this rate, their relationship with Mitzu would only get worse.

Just as Erina hurried to smooth things over and refocus them on finishing the strawberry pudding, a loud voice rang through the kitchen.

“Erina!!! Catch this!!”

Mitzu strode back in, arms full of something shiny.