029
“Mister, wear this too.”
“Pardon?”
“You look like you want to, so Chuu will let you have it.”
The small child started untying her apron and then proudly offered it to the stunned Carmen as if making a grand concession.
“I-I don’t need it at all.”
“But you keep looking at it…”
“No, I wasn’t… Actually, yes. Fine.”
Desperately trying to refuse, Carmen finally surrendered under the admiral’s sharp gaze and accepted the apron.
Of course, the small apron couldn’t possibly fit Carmen’s adult frame, turning it into more of a *bib.
Diegon, observing this, let out a soft smile.
“A person who acts with a good heart won’t be punished.”
“Hmm?”
“There are some people like that.”
Diegon smirked as he pressed another cookie cutter into the dough.
It was a satisfying result without the need to draw a sword.
***
A Special Tea Time Invitation, an invitation to tea time hosted by the head of the Pashayen family.
Only three children were invited. This was a coveted opportunity for all young members of the Pashayen family.
“Wow!”
Following the butler’s guidance, I arrived at Grandfather’s private garden for the first time, my jaw dropping in awe.
“Wow, wow!”
From the entrance onward, all I could say were exclamations of wonder.
This wasn’t an ordinary garden.
“There’s an ocean above my head!”
“Haha, do you find it that fascinating?”
“Yes!”
The older brothers hadn’t arrived yet; it was just my grandfather and me here.
I hopped around, marveling at the towering coral growing inside the glass walls.
So, this place was ‘indoors.’
Upon entering a certain door, I had climbed down a set of stairs, and behind another door engraved with a mermaid relief, this magical space had appeared.
It was a water passage!
Water surrounded me on the right, the left, and even above my head.
Is this underwater?
“This is the underground section of Pashayeb. It’s connected to the ocean.”
“Wow!”
“Normally, water would weaken the ground, but we solved that with magical engineering. That’s why this tunnel full of water doesn’t shake or collapse.”
Grandfather’s explanation went in one ear and out the other.
How could I focus?
A shark had just swum overhead!
“Would you like to see it up close?”
“Yes!”
“Come here. Let me see how heavy you’ve gotten.”
Grandfather, who had his hands clasped behind his back, suddenly lifted me up.
Now closer to the glass ceiling, I placed my hands on it and stared intently.
“Grandfather, what’s that shiny thing up there?”
“It’s glowstone. It’s what lights up this space.”
“Wow…”
Bright red and yellow striped fish darted by.
Small fish swam gracefully alongside enormous sharks, and I marveled at how the sharks didn’t eat them.
“Grandfather, are the sharks full?”
“Those sharks?”
“They don’t go ‘chomp!’ on the fish.”
The sharks even seemed to be playing with the smaller fish.
Curious, I pressed my face to the glass until my nose squished, and Grandfather explained.
“They have a different diet. These sharks are satisfied just by eating shadows. Haha.”
Shadows aren’t food, though.
Although it didn’t make much sense, it was fascinating, so I didn’t question it further and continued watching.
“Now, let’s go eat something delicious. You might even see a mermaid there.”
“A mermaid!”
“The coral here is particularly tasty, so mermaids often visit to gather some.”
So mermaids eat coral.
Clinging tightly to Grandfather’s neck, I dangled as he carried me.
At the end of the hallway, there was a round table with exactly four chairs.
Behind it, through the glass wall, a magnificent red coral stood tall.
“A mermaid!”
“Oh, you’re in luck.”
I’d only seen mermaids in fairy tales like The Little Mermaid.
They had human-like upper bodies and fish-like lower bodies, with gills on the sides of their heads where ears should be.
“So pretty!”
Sliding down from Grandfather’s arms, I ran to the glass wall.
The mermaid, who had been plucking coral and placing it into a basket, noticed me and smiled, waving a hand.
“The scales are red!”
“She belongs to the Scarlet Pearl Tribe. Mermaids are classified by the color of their tail scales.”
I’m learning so much today.
The mermaid, with her snow-white hair, waved at me once more before quickly disappearing.
She moved so fast I couldn’t even follow her with my eyes.
“Wait, was that Calliote just now?”
“Seems like it. If she came all the way here to collect coral, it must be Calliote.”
At that moment, I heard voices behind me and quickly turned around.
It was my long-awaited brothers.
“What’s this plump little thing?”
I knew immediately.
The one with short navy blue hair and mischievous magenta eyes was Mikard.
“So cute. Hello? Nice to meet you.”
The one with navy blue hair softly covering his forehead, who smiled kindly but whose eyes didn’t smile, was Leviwood.
So, naturally, I decided I liked brother Mikard more.
“I’m Leviwood. You’re the vice-class representative, Shupetty, right?”
“Yes!”
“That’s impressive. You’re only four, but you’ve got good skills. I’m curious about how you became the vice-class representative. Could you tell me later?”
The fact that I added Cheer Butter to the bread was a secret only the Spirit Kings and I knew.
No one else would find out because I hadn’t told anyone.
Even if I tried, it would just come out as little chirps.
So I wagged my finger with a serious expression.
“Nope. It’s a secret.”
“A secret? That makes me even more curious.”
After greeting Leviwood, it was time to meet brother Mikard.
“Hey, plump one. I’m Mikard, your eldest brother. That guy is your cousin. Don’t get confused. Elzen and I are your brothers.”
I’m not stupid.
Even if I’m plump, I know who’s who.
Nodding, I offered him the box I had prepared.
Inside were the whale-shaped cookies Admiral and I had baked together.
“Here, it’s a gift.”
“Oh? Food, huh?”
“I baked it with Admiral!”
Soon, the cookies I had made were placed in the center of the table, and we all gathered around to eat them together.
Not long after, the butler came and poured drinks for us. The cups looked much fancier than the ones I usually used, so I held mine carefully.
“So, plump one, how do you like being here?”
“I want to go in!”
“What? Where? In there?”
“Yes!”
Smiling brightly at brother Mikard, I pointed at the enormous turtle swimming above us.
‘It’d be nice if I could swim with it.’
But I can’t breathe underwater, so I guess it’s impossible.
“Then we should go swimming sometime.”
Leviwood spoke kindly, but brother Mikard frowned.
“She’s not a blood member of Pashayen. It’s dangerous.”
“We can just watch over her carefully. Adopted children start swimming lessons around seven anyway.”
“She looks like she’d pop and sink.”
“Then we’ll pull her up. How will she grow if you keep coddling her because it’s dangerous?”
Listening to my brothers talk, I sipped my peach juice.
Even though it was called tea time, since I was still a kid, I got juice instead of tea.
“Haha, Leviwood is right. Adopted children aren’t meant to be protected—they’re meant to fight. Unless Shupetty becomes a resonator, that is.”
“Well… Grandfather says so, so I’ll take her swimming next time.”
“Good. Do that.”
Oh, I ended up learning to swim without even saying a word…
I was so excited that I started kicking my feet.
“With the turtle! I want to swim with the turtle!”
“Fine. This older brother will summon the turtle for you.”
“Hehe.”
Since he knows mermaids, doesn’t that mean he might know some turtles too?
“Oh, speaking of going places, I just remembered.”
“Hmm?”
“Grandfather, it’s almost time for the Pellun Spring Festival. Can I take the plump one with me?”
🍓; *A bib is a piece of cloth or material that is worn over the chest to protect clothing from spills or stains. It is often used by children during meals.
