When did he get in?
"Daddy?"
I tilted my head, rolling the candy around in my mouth.
It had a slightly bitter taste; it seemed to be a lozenge.
'Whoa, he looks awful.'
Dad had dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn't slept in a week.
Not only that, but his usually neat clothes were a bit wrinkled, and his hair was somewhat disheveled.
Red bloodstains on his white shirt cuff... Oh, is that my blood? It'd be kinda sweet if he wiped up my nosebleed.
"Elisa, please take care of things. The Imperial Palace has sent people to figure out what happened."
In a low voice, he told everyone to get out.
Elisa frowned and hugged me lightly.
"But I need to look after the little one."
"Ha, since when have you been so close?"
"W-well, that's true..."
Elisa hesitated, then shouted, "But Ririn called me Grandma!"
"Huh?"
"She said she liked me from the start, that I was the best grandma in the world and she hoped I would never get hurt...! Ah! I see... Maybe I was safe because Ririn said that. This little kiddo protected me!"
No, that's not it.
It's kind of right, but it's also kind of wrong.
Dad clicked his tongue.
"Do you want three minutes with her now, or three days with her later?"
"Three minutes right now."
"......"
He gave her a look, and Elisa grumbled and got up.
"Geez, okay! You're glaring daggers at me."
Elisa turned to leave, but then hesitated and leaned down to me again.
"But, little one."
"Yeah?"
"Why don't you call me... Grandma anymore?"
My eyes blinked.
"Am I allowed to?"
"Why... wouldn't you be?"
"I can!"
Actually, I was holding back a little, 'cause I thought I was being too chummy before.
If it's okay, I'll call you Grandma all the time!
"Grandma! Grandma! Grandma!"
I've always wanted a grandma! A nice and awesome one!
Not just any grandma from Lepi Village, but Dad's mom! My real grandma!
"Aw, you're so sweet."
Elisa kissed me on the forehead. Then, she froze for a moment as if surprised by her own actions.
"Come to think of it... this is a first."
"......?"
"This isn't so bad either."
Having a child to cherish like this, I mean.
With a satisfied smile, she whispered that and left.
The maids also all left, leaving only Dad and me.
"......"
A heavy silence fell.
Dad had been sitting there quietly for a while. I was fidgeting with the blanket, and finally I asked,
"Dad, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
For a second, his icy expression cracked.
"Right now, who is asking who...?"
Dad bit his lip and turned away, trying to control his emotions. He took a few deep breaths.
'Oh no, am I gonna get in trouble for being so reckless?'
I mean, I did sneak onto the carriage, wander around, and then collapse.
'I'm in for it now.'
It's not like I'd never been scolded by Dad before.
Alex Dad was super lenient, almost annoyingly so, but he'd put his foot down if I really messed up.
Of course, he looked more upset than I did when he scolded me, and he'd be down in the dumps for days after.
"Dadddd... Say something..."
I gently grabbed the hem of Dad's clothes. Then I flinched.
'Oh, is it 'cause I called him Dad? How many times did I do that today?'
I don't have my memo pad with me right now!
I was about to call him 'Duke,' but he suddenly pulled me into a hug.
"...You're talking a mile a minute, so you must be okay."
His voice was really low.
I could feel Dad's heart pounding against my cheek.
Maybe... he was freaked out when I collapsed? Even though I lost my memories, maybe he still cares about me a little?
"I'm okay."
I pulled back and gave him a big smile. He looked back at me with this cold, unreadable expression.
"...If you're hurt anywhere, tell me now."
"I'm not! But I'm glad Elisa is safe. I heard there were Tower mages nearby!"
To change the subject and to emphasize that I was okay, I blurted out whatever came to mind.
But he just kept staring at me.
"...Mages from the Magic Tower, huh? I wonder."
When he said that in that super low voice, I clammed up.
"Do you really think so?"
"......"
"Ririn."
"......"
I knew very well what Dad's expression meant.
He's asking even though he knows.
I just knew it.
'Dad is...'
I gulped.
'He noticed.'
The voice that called my name before I lost consciousness... it wasn't a hallucination.
Even if he didn't see me using the magic tool, he at least knows that I was the one who activated it.
"Ririn, how were you able to use that magic tool?"
I flinched. He'd hit the nail on the head.
A large hand gently stroked my back.
"I'm not mad. I just need to know so we can keep it a secret. We need to get our stories straight."
"......"
"Don't tremble."
His hand felt warm and familiar.
I hesitated, then carefully said,
"That magic thing... I actually found it when I was exploring the mansion. I-it was pretty, so I put it in my bag and forgot about it."
"Yes, the head maid told me that you were wandering around exploring the mansion."
"Yeah... I snuck onto the carriage 'cause I wanted to see the parade, but I got carsick. The magic tool was annoying me, so I left it in the carriage."
"And then you saw the accident with Elisa's carriage and used your power?"
"Yes..."
"But how did you even get to where the accident happened?"
"T-toy store."
Dad sighed briefly.
"...I just wanted to see the toys there again, so I went when Kate wasn't around..."
I mixed facts and lies appropriately.
My magic wasn't a secret from Dad, so I could tell the truth about that.
But I couldn't tell him I'd been planning for Elisa's carriage accident. If I did, he'd know I could see the future.
Dad sighed again and asked, "And that power of yours? I think I have a rough idea, but."
"...I'm really good at growing plants. I can, like, connect with some of them using magic, and even... talk to them."
"......"
"But Dad said that kind of magic is super rare, and I shouldn't go around telling people. So, I've kept it a secret..."
"Yes, I see."
Dad looked thoughtful, and his expression was scary dark.
"Did I do something very wrong?"
My eyes started to water.
Dad making a serious face was awkward and unfamiliar.
I'm usually pretty tough, but today I just felt drained. I felt all蔫蔫的(niān niān de – wilted/listless), and my body was heavy and weak.
I was breathing kind of funny, like I was out of breath.
"What's gonna happen to me?"
"...Ririn?"
Did I talk too much just now?
"Maybe, am I causing trouble for Dad..."
No, I'm fine. I'm healthy.
"What's wrong with you?"
My vision spun.
My head was pounding, and I suddenly realized I shouldn't have been up this long.
I'm still sick.
I was strangely insensitive to pain.
Alex Dad spoiled me rotten, not just 'cause he loved me, but also 'cause I didn't really react to pain much.
"I'm going to go sit on the bed..."
"Ririn!"
"So, don't be angry..."
I was totally drained, and my body just gave out.
