Since she's the first 8-year-old the family's ever had, Blaine must have been worried yet excited, carving all these toys in the sack. There might even be unreleased new products… Then how much are they worth…
“Honey, don’t blame yourself too much. I think we surprised her by coming too suddenly. Calyx, I didn't catch it at first, but the kid seems like a real scaredy-cat, huh?”
"...Beats me," Calyx answered, not really caring.
'I didn't think she was the type to get spooked easily. Something's not right.'
Leaving Calyx behind, Blaine rummaged through the sack.
"I thought, since she's a girl..."
The old man - who used to be the infamous Mercenary King, the legendary weapons dealer - looked totally bummed, his tanned face all gloomy.
"...I even made a whole bunch of embroidered dresses in the carriage."
Shff.
The maids went gasp. Exquisite strawberry embroidery was densely stitched on the hem of the cute dresses.
'Holy crap. Blaine's embroidery skills are insane.'
Can you even do that in a rocking carriage?
I mean, can he even get a needle between those sausage fingers? How does he even thread the thing? Does he, like, lick the thread?
I was dying to know, but there was no way I was getting near Blaine right now.
"That's it... A loser like me is better off just making weapons, like always."
The old man shuffled out of the dining room, shoulders all slumped.
"Ugh. He's down in the dumps again. Calyx! I'm gonna go cheer up my honey, you deal with your daughter!"
"She's not my daughter, sheesh. Whatever, the maids are already on it."
"Huh? You're not gonna, like, go make her feel better?"
"The maids'll handle it. They're way better at this stuff than me, and..."
“…….”
"We're getting rid of her in a month anyway."
Elisa, who was about to turn, gave Calyx a hard stare.
Just 'cause she'd been away from the mansion didn't mean she was out of the loop. She'd heard all about what was going on between Calyx and the kid.
‘Hmm.’
Calyx raised his head at Elisa’s cold gaze.
She thought she'd heard he was waiting on her hand and foot, like some kind of servant.
'Guess I was wrong?'
Then it hit Elisa. Calyx was totally in 'avoid and deny' mode.
'Now that I think about it, someone said he kinda loses it around the kid.'
Maybe if it was Alex (27 years old) in the video, goofing off on purpose.
But Calyx now, with his 22-year-old brain, was still all messed up between what he thought and what he did.
"Whatever, do what you want. Like I know anything about raising kids? Anyway, did you check out what I asked you about?"
"What are you talking about?"
Elisa waved her hand, shooing all the servants away.
"Why you've kept that kid around for the past five years. I mean..."
“…….”
"What's she good for?"
Thud.
Calyx slammed down the papers he was holding. You could practically feel the cold coming off him.
"...8 AM, wake up. Five minutes of exercise."
Huh? What's he going on about?
"Wash her face, get the sleep out of her eyes, and then from 8:30, she runs in front of this office for 30 minutes. With my little brother. Then, breakfast at 9. After that, a little tea."
“…….”
"She hangs around the maids until 12, and after lunch, she's out there talking to the trees around the mansion. Sometimes she sings, too. And she's good. Like, really good. Snacks with the maids at 4, dinner at 7. Then a bath. After that, she's locked up in her room."
"Are you, like, her personal slave or something?"
"What's the point of a kid who spends her day like that?"
Elisa’s eyes narrowed sharply.
'He doesn't exactly want to, like, shower her with love, but he doesn't want anyone else messing with the kid.'
If he sees her, he goes all soft and treats her nice, but if she's out of sight, he's all logical and pushes her away.
Wow, what a mess. This guy's gonna be drowning in regret later on.
‘Ah, he’s my son.’
Ahem. Elisa shook her head.
"No, I was just wondering if that kid knew anything about the Divine Beast. Like, maybe she's got some hidden powers... I mean, it could happen, right? Maybe you told her stuff you found out over the past five years."
"Mom, you've always had zero intuition. What kind of power would something the size of a gumball have?"
That’s true. Elisa nodded.
"I'll handle the Divine Beast stuff myself. So keep your useless comments to yourself. We're getting rid of her soon, anyway. No point in blabbing family secrets."
"Okay, okay! Jeez. You're so annoying. You never give up."
"It's late."
"I'm going!"
Elisa stomped off. But even pissed off, she walked with perfect posture, like always.
She was about to leave the office when she whipped around again.
"Hey, Calyx. I learned one big truth about love from dating Blaine, even if I don't know crap about other kinds of love. And I never told you!"
"Oh boy, this long-ass conversation is making me wanna yawn."
"If you don't show you care, nobody knows you do!"
"Ha."
"Something that people in our family, including me, are the worst at! You good-for-nothing son!"
"Yeah," Calyx said, barely moving his lips, his face totally frozen.
Just then, Elisa gave a sweet smile to the secretary who was walking in.
"Ruska? Kill him."
"Ms. Elisa..."
Ruska, dead tired from working overtime, calmly pushed up his glasses.
"That's a tempting offer. Want to talk details?"
‘Wow, I chickened out.’
I pressed a hand against my racing heart.
I didn't even remember how I'd managed to scramble all the way up to the 4th-floor bedroom.
“But I didn’t show that I was scared, right, Theo?”
I even grabbed Theo on the way out, go me.
But Theo shook his head hard.
“Boo.”
"You think I showed it? No way! I just ran out because I was busy! Big Sis didn't look like she was running away, right?"
“Boo!”
"T-tears only welled up a little."
I thought about what happened in the dining room again.
The giant old man approaching me with a flushed face. As I remembered the dark shadow cast over me, my body stiffened again.
But thinking about it again, I thought I heard Elisa’s voice.
Then… that person was?
‘Could it be Blaine Winterwald?’
Just like his reputation said. He was one scary grandpa. And because he was so huge, the pressure was way worse.
Of course, Dad was also big, but Dad was familiar, so it was okay.
'I was planning to just steer clear of him.'
It was a complete failure from the start. Honestly, I never dreamed that Blaine Winterwald would come looking for me first.
‘Running away with someone right in front of me. Was that a little rude?’
My shoulders slumped.
Before being a scary grandpa, he was Dad’s dad, so I should have been nice to him, shouldn’t I?
‘I should apologize when I see him next time.’
Sigh. I think I got on his bad side.
‘I should still apologize.’
Still. Still…
I hugged Theo tight and tried to chill out.
"Thinking about it again, that guy's size is scary..."
As a day, and then two days went by, things at the mansion got crazier and crazier.
Because the commemorative parade was really just around the corner.
I moved around like usual when Theo was napping. I hadn't seen Elisa or Blaine much since that whole mess.
I heard they were only staying in the west wing.
Of course, I was busy too, so I didn't have time to think about them.
‘Today, I’m definitely going to find the protective magic tool!’
I clenched my fist and tiptoed down the stairs.
“Found it, the warehouse.”
Among the many warehouses, this one is the last!
Thanks to the map the head maid gave me, it was easy to find.
The underground warehouse didn’t have any locks in particular.
I mean, who would be stupid enough to try and steal from the Winterwald family?
“But I will.”
Now playing the part of a thief, I tiptoed in and checked out the shelves real careful.
Oh, wait. Actually, this wasn't really stealing.
Before I lost my memory, Dad used to tell me all the time.
“Ririn, everything Dad has is Ririn’s. Repeat after me. Everything Dad has is Ririn’s!”
“Everything Dad has is Ririn’s! Ririn’s things are also Ririn’s!”
“You learn ten things from one! Oh my, you’re so clever!”
‘Everything Dad has is mine. My things are also mine…’
So, this might actually be me just using my own stuff.
My conscience pricked a little, but anyway, I found a shelf full of magic tools.
‘There it is, protective magic tool!’
My eyes flashed as I saw the label attached to the box on the bottom shelf. I carefully opened it, and a small magic device revealed itself.
