The little sound of sparks flying was heard in both of their ears. At the same time, the ceramic stove was quickly smoldering.
“Hmm?”
“Huh?”
<Huh?>
Asha blinked and looked alternately at her ceramic stove and Alexei.
“A… Alyosha? How did you do?”
Until now, Alexei had never used Fafnir’s power directly; it had only been expressed as a heat that wouldn’t go out in the dead of winter.
“Was there a spark left?”
That was a reasonable doubt, but.
<A…A… Ale…xei?>
There was a little bit of a tiny flame in the stove. A little bit. From it came the really small voice of Fafnir. It wasn’t his usual dignified whimper, but a thin, nervous voice that sounded as if it could be extinguished at any moment.
Asha also looked at Alexei with bated breath. Alexei’s blue eyes blinked slowly.
“Did someone just say my name…”
<Alexeiiiiiiiiiiii!>
“Wo, wow!”
Flames danced around in the hearth as Asha stepped back in surprise. Alexei’s eyes widened.
“…Fafnir?”
<Wah! Alexeiiiii!>
“Could it be… Is this one…?”
<Wah! Waah!>
“Ugh…”
Asha’s ceramic stove became surprisingly hot, and soon the ceramic stove broke with a bang, and a bright red lizard the size of an adult’s forearm popped out of it.
“A lizard…”
<No, it’s a dragon. A baby dragon. It’s his first time out today, so please don’t be too harsh…>
For once, Phoebe stopped Asha in her tracks. Asha quickly shut up. Upon closer inspection, the chubby lizard’s back was covered with tiny wings. The lizard emerged from the hearth, smashing the stove, and launched itself at Alexei.
<Alexei!>
“Faf… Fafnir.”
Alexei scrambled to his feet, wrapping one arm around the teary-eyed little dragon by the collar, before pulling Asha to her feet and bringing her to his side, and ordering his servants to clean up the suddenly broken hearth. The servants were puzzled by the suddenly smoky air on the terrace, but they did as he asked.
Returning to the room, leaving only Asha behind, Alexei dismissed the servants and awkwardly stroked the little dragon in his arms, as one might soothe a crying infant.
The baby dragon cried for a long time, expressing its unspoken apology for not having warmed the palace before, its desire to communicate, and its resentment toward Phoebe for teasing it.
“It seems that spirits are all quite emotional.”
Phoebe coughed at Asha’s muttering. Alexei blinked, a little surprised.
“Fafnir… You’re quite the sensitive character.”
<Wah, Alexei, hmm, sniffle, hic.>
Alexei wiped Fafnir’s tears with a handkerchief.
‘But how were they able to speak to each other so suddenly? I’m sure…’
‘There must be a strong desire to use the power.’
Asha alternately looked at Alexei and Fafnir, who was whimpering. Alexei seemed distracted by the constant crying of the spirit, which had communicated with him for the first time.
<…He had a strong desire, and that’s why he lit the fire in your small hearth.>
Phoebe answered quietly in a voice that seemed overwhelming. Asha blinked.
‘So that was Alyosha using his power, and he had to have the desire to make it happen before he could use his power and talk to Fafnir…’
Asha stopped thinking and looked at Alexei.
Alexei soothed the young dragon, his face a mess with tears, with a bemused look, but smiled when his eyes met with Asha.
<Your hands were cold.>
‘They were… they were, but that was…’
The fire in the hearth had gone out, and his sister’s hands were cold, but that was too small a thing.
<It was the strongest desire he’d ever had.>
Asha briefly shut her eyes and then opened them again. She felt a strange stinging sensation in her eyes.
The thought of wanting to warm his little sister’s hand as quickly as possible – just that thought – was strong enough to make the spirit communicate.
Enduring the slight ache in her throat, Asha murmured.
“If I had known this would happen, I should have just jumped into the lake…”
Before Asha’s words could even finish, Alexei looked at her.
“No.”
<No!>
<You can’t!>
<That’s ridiculous!>
“Sha, Shamal, when did you come?”
<When Fafnir is crying and blowing like that, how can I not come? Peach, if you keep talking nonsense, this old oak tree will finally fall over.>
The translucent wind, shifting through various forms, implored Asha earnestly before turning to look at Alexei.
<The little oak tree has had a hard time taking care of Fafnir who couldn’t even be heard.>
Listening to the kind voice, Alexei finally smiled with an understanding expression.
“That wind, huh?”
<The wind?>
Alexei spoke up, his hair lightly floating in the breeze, the smell of the fire in the fireplace wafting through the air.
“The wind that kept hovering over me the day I was forced to sign with Fafnir…”
All the air paused, then slowly subsided. Shamal hesitated for a moment, then spoke quietly.
<That was… that was the best the old oak could do…>
He, too, had suffered great loss and had to face what was to come, so he had sent the one thing he trusted most to his grandson, who could not even cry. To be there for him, even if he couldn’t see it, to hold him as much as he could not hold himself.
Alexei smiled wryly.
“I have always known that Grandfather did his best.”
━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━
<Is this a barn? An animal farm?>
“Don’t start with your remarks, Phoebe…”
Asha said wearily, and Phoebe fluttered her wings in annoyance and stopped speaking. It was understandable, considering that since morning, a small red-feathered bird had flown in and was energetically playing with the cat, Shunivalen. Whether to call it playing or waging war was hard to tell…
“Fafnir! Fafnir, calm down. Why do you keep picking on Shunivalen?”
At Asha’s shout, a red, chick-sized bird fluttered into the air. It was Fafnir who had come in the form of a bird. Alexei had asked him to look after Asha while he was busy with work.
<Picking on? I’m just scolding. This wicked creature needs to be punished.>
“Why?”
<Because this guy hurt you and Karnov and made my kid worry day and night!>
“Well… that’s true, but it’s not his fault, so…”
Sensing that Asha was taking his side, Shunivalen abandoned his somewhat passive demeanor and began to swing his front paws proudly.
Asha sighed and picked up Shunivalen from behind. Shunivalen, who was moving his front feet vigorously, quickly became calm.
<Until you came back, my little one was so terrifying. How can you side with that beast?>
“Alyosha… Was he scary?”
The red chick shuddered.
<He was really… scary…>
“Still, it wasn’t to the extent of having a conversation with you.”
Fafnir flew up at Asha’s words.
<Of course. My little one would never be ‘fiery’ in anger.>
<See? I’m right.>
Phoebe responded confidently as if she knew it well. It was Phoebe who commented on Alexei’s personality even during Asha’s tea time with Alexei yesterday.
“Yes, yes, let’s say that. By the way, Fafnir, you’re a bird too? Do people think I like keeping birds?”
<You don’t like it? Then in the form of a dragon…>
“No! I like it! It’s good, great, so just keep it.”
Asha quickly shook her hand as she felt dizzy for a moment. If Fafnir went around as a dragon, there would be a huge uproar, and if Kairos went around in the form of a child, there was no telling what the rumors would be.
“Karnov and Kairos look alike, so there might be rumors about Karnov’s illegitimate son…”
Unaware of Asha’s feelings, the little Fafnir flew around excitedly. Phoebe snorted in amusement, then tangled with Shunivalen and rolled on the floor.
“Uh! Cyril, it’s been a while.”
“I greet Your Highness the Princess. I saw guests in the garden, are you going there?”
During the day, Cyril, whose main task was to patrol within the palace, greeted her with a friendly smile.
“Yes. My friends came to say hello.”
“They’ve been worried about you.”
Cyril’s voice was wistful.
“Even His Highness the Crown Prince was very… worried.”
“And what did you do about that worry?”
“Haha.”
Cyril gave an awkward laugh to anyone. Lise, who was with Asha behind her, coughed neatly. At the sound, Cyril looked slightly and said.
“Everyone now understands that Your Highness must not be injured. It seems that there were those who were not fully aware of this before.”
“Were there people trying to make jokes?”
“Of course not. Who would dare? It’s just that it has become more clearly understood.”
“Oh…”
Asha wondered how it became ‘obvious’, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask the now seemingly older Cyril any further.
“I’ll escort you to the garden.”
“Um, Cyril, are you okay? Aren’t you tired?”
“Not at all. Just seeing Your Highness safe seems to rejuvenate both my body and mind.”
“Was it that bad?”
Cyril smiled dimly and nodded. But even in the garden, Asha had to face a second wave.
“How can you be a deputy commander and not protect the princess properly? How is this possible?”
“Dimitri, I’m all better now…”
“It’s not about you being better! It’s that it happened! No, why does this cat keep… Ugh, don’t lick me, it’s ticklish!”
“Meow.”
“Shunivalen, come here. Karnov, say something too.”
“It’s better to say what you want, as it prevents illness.”
“That’s right. One should do what they want.”
“Like turning my estate upside down, Lady Natalya?”
“Asha said she went to inquire about issues that arose in your territory. Asha, your mother was also very worried.”
Despite the commotion, the maids efficiently brought out the pastries made by Asha and poured tea. Asha, with a faint smile, gently stroked the cat that had jumped into her arms.
“Peep peep!”
“Meow.”
“Peep!”
“Peep…”
Welcoming three guests and three birds – a black bird, a yellow bird, and a red bird – along with a cat was making her feel overwhelmed.
‘I’ll have to live with the two birds and the cat for the rest of my life.’
They’re not even temporary guests.
“I realize again that I really need to take good care of my body.”
“Oh, you fool! Did you just now figure that out? Even the crown prince said that if anything happens to you in the future, he’ll have to kill everyone!”
“He didn’t say he’d kill anyone; he just mentioned that if something happens to Asha, it would be a big deal.”
“That’s basically the same thing. Didn’t all the nobles come rushing to ask about you?”
“Ah… That procession hasn’t ended yet.”
“See?”
Asha looked alternately at Dimitri, who was busy shooting Karnov a look, and Karnov, who was looking indifferent, like hearing a dog barking somewhere, before deciding to change the subject.
“By the way, Lyuda hasn’t returned to the capital yet?”
Natalya, who was picking up the tart with her hand at Asha’s question, frowned and lowered her hand again.
“Yes. I sent a letter asking if anything was wrong, but all she said was that nothing happened…”
<Hmm? How long will it take for that brat to come back?>
Phoebe, who was struggling with Shunivalen with all her might, was panting after barely raising her small head.
“Have they said when Lyuda will return?”
“No. She said she would come back once everything is finished, but we don’t know when that will be. Lyuda was also very worried about Asha…”
Upon hearing this, Phoebe, who had been panting heavily, rolled to the side.
<If she doesn’t return even after a month, I’ll have to go get that brat.>
