Chapter 28
“Young Lady.”
Mehen looked down at her, who was clinging to him.
He’d been through this a few times, he was getting used to it.
“Young Lady?”
He’d been perplexed and worried, wondering what was wrong with her clinging to his leg or shoulder, burying her face and staying still for a while, but now he knew roughly when Arellin did this.
‘It’s because she’s drained of energy.’
He had just heard a report that the crown prince had begged badly today.
“My lady, are you all right?”
Wordlessly, Arellin buried her face in Mehen’s leg.
It was surprising and disconcerting to see her behave like this, but it didn’t hurt to get to know a new side of Arellin that he hadn’t known before.
“Mum.”
“…”
It was awkward, of course.
Mehen paused.
“Mum.”
“…”
“Mum?”
Arellin urged, as if urging an answer, and Mehen opened his mouth to speak, hiding his embarrassment.
“Yes.”
Arellin smiled at the shaky answer. It was a short, sweet smile.
She could sense a hint of condescension in the way he called her mum, even though she knew he was embarrassed, but it was hard not to find it cute.
‘Should I be grateful that she refrains from doing so when there are outsiders?’
Arellin, who had healed a bit from the sour expression on her face, looked up.
“I listened to you and behaved well, so grant me a wish.”
“Shouldn’t I, the recipient of so many praise stickers, be the one to grant you a wish?”
“So, a wish.”
Arellin frowned.
“You’re not going to grant it?”
Mehen smirked.
“No.”
When he came out like this, he sounded so ‘childlike’.
“Tell me what you want.”
Mehen touched Arellin’s chubby cheek. She liked the feel of his hand on her plump cheek.
“Anything is fine, so please feel free, and tell me what you wish.”
He said, ready to accept any ‘wish’, any amount of ‘wish’.
Arellin, who was holding onto his collar with a stubborn hand, lowered her head and said.
“…Read me a fairy tale.”
Mehen was at a loss for words.
“When I sleep.”
Arellin raised her head cautiously.
“No?”
“…”
He should answer, but his voice wouldn’t come out. Mehen hadn’t expected such a request, and for a moment he broke down.
‘I thought you were going to wish for something bigger.’
A wish is a request.
Like, “I want to buy this,” or “Let me have this,” or “Let’s go somewhere,” or something like that.
And all he got was this simple wish.
“Yeah. Whatever…”
He barely scrapes out a sound, and her face lights up.
“Wow.”
The nervous child smiled, and Mehen’s heart felt heavy, like seeing a flower in full bloom.
“I thought it would be hard, since you’re busy.”
“I have time to read you a story …”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Then will you read to me every day?”
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“Every day, though it might be hard.”
The disappointment in her eyes.
“I’ll try, though.”
Arellin liked that answer and laughed.
“Yes!”
As he scooped her up in his arms and headed for the bedroom, Mehen felt heavy with the trust the child was placing in him.
‘I’m not done yet.’
He thought he was starting to get his bearings as a parent, but apparently not.
A bitter laugh escapes him.
Arellin’s smiling at this, Mehen reflected.
“It’s time for you to go to bed, so I’ll read it to you right away.”
“Mehen, you just came in. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Don’t you have to work again?”
“I have time to read to you.”
“Wow.”
She hadn’t been expecting it at all, but her rose-stone eyes sparkled like jewels.
Mehen asked about Arellin’s life these days.
He’d been getting written and verbal reports, and he’d seen her from time to time, but it was different to hear from her.
“How are things going with His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“No.”
“…”
Mehen’s brow narrows at the unexpected answer.
“Can you please advise against him coming to mansion?”
Mehen ruffled Arellin’s hair, wondering what she meant by this request, but decided to just ask.
“Do you dislike the crown prince?”
“I don’t dislike him.”
“Then.”
“I’m uncomfortable.”
“…”
She doesn’t dislike him, but she’s uncomfortable?
Before he could ponder the implications, Arellin spoke.
“He’s nice.”
“…”
“That’s why I feel bad.”
They reached the room. Arellin jumped out of Mehen’s arms as he paused, and spoke sharply.
“I don’t want to hurt him, and I don’t want to get hurt.”
“…I see.”
An answer that sounded both very childlike and very unchildlike.
When Mehen didn’t know what to say, Arellin spoke up.
“I’m not going to live long anyway, and getting to know me will only make things harder for the crown prince.”
“Don’t say that. No one knows what the future holds.”
“Do we?”
Arellin laughed.
The kind that says you don’t know anything.
“Read me a story.”
Mehen retrieves the storybook he had planned and heads to bed. Mehen sighed heavily as he saw Arellin waiting for him.
***
Collection meeting.
The crown prince’s little friends, the future of the empire handpicked by Empress Ageni, were scattered here and there, playing to their hearts’ content.
The centerpiece of the gathering was Pession.
“Your Highness, today-!”
Aaron was next, always by Pession’s side, and the children clustered around them.
“Hehe, you’re too far away.”
“I wanted to talk to him too.”
Some of the children succeeded in getting closer to Pession, others failed, and when they did, they huddled together.
“It can’t be helped. Let’s play.”
“Okay.”
Girls with books, boys with books.
And so, in this group of collectors, there were those who were unusually out of place.
“Hmphhh.”
The Lesser Demons of Sperom.
The twins, Ciel and Noel.
“Hoooo.”
“Heh.”
The twins, who would normally be the ones to liven up the place, were shriveled up like wilted spinach.
“Look, there they are, the twins.”
“Why are they so quiet?”
Is it because they’re the twins who are always running around red-faced and tearing up the place?
Everyone’s eyes widened in astonishment at the rare sight of them calmly staying in one place.
“It’s so rare to see lesser demons so quiet.”
“That’s right. What is it with the twin Confuciuses?”
“They keep me quiet and comfortable… and very content.”
The side effect of the increased satisfaction of the servants, who were always on high alert for any mishap the twins Ciel and Noel might cause, was a brief respite.
After a while, they soon began to develop a new fear.
“Is this the calm before the storm…?”
“What kind of an accident is this?”
“I hope they’re just going to hit us with something.”
Whether or not the servants were uneasy, the twins, Ciel and Noel, were lost in their own thoughts.
“I’m bored.”
“This is boring.”
If there was ever a human being bored to death, it was the twins.
Why were they so bored?
“Ciel, what do you think?”
“Noel, do you think that’s it?”
“Ciel, I think so.”
“Noel, I think so, too.”
They exchange meaningful glances.
After some thought, Ciel, Noel concludes.
“It’s because we don’t have any allerilin!”
“It’s because we don’t have an allerilin!”
Indeed.
It was all due to the lack of Arelin.
“That was fun!”
“That was exciting!”
“I loved the taste of your teasing!”
“Aaron!”
The twins sulked, then realized.
This is it!
This is why they haven’t had any fun lately!
Being taken away from Arellin in the middle of biting, tearing, savoring and enjoying her!
“Ah.”
How heartbroken they were to have their favorite toy taken away from them in the middle of their fun.
“Noel, I’ve got a scoop: he’s been meeting with Arellirin behind our backs.”
“What?! This is treachery!”
“It is!”
The lesser demon twins’ eyes sparked.
“We should take revenge, right?”
“We should, we should!”
“Let’s chase after His Highness!”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
Quickly, quickly.
The Lesser Demon Twins giggled and began to formulate a devious plan.
Me and my homies all love Mehen 😭