Volume 10 Chapter 52 Epilogue： Welcome To The Newly Opened Lobelia!
I rushed over to Dad and baby SylSyl.
SylSyl, with eyes as clear as the blue sky, was intently peering into the cradle, watching me and Eir-Eir and the others gathering around it.
"Dad, is this child SylSyl?"
"Ah. To be honest, I struggled. My role is over, and Sylphina has been released. I wondered if disappearing together was the right way for us, who have lived on since ancient times."
"Dad..."
"But Lydia's feelings for Sylphina made me hesitate. I wanted to hold onto the fragments of Sylphina's fading soul, here. Just as you wished. And, well... I also want to watch over Lydia. If possible, I want to be by your side as a cute little puppy on the path you will walk from now on."
"Yes, Dad! Of course!"
I ruffled Dad's hair.
I'm so glad Dad isn't going away.
Because it's really lonely when someone disappears.
"SylSyl... heh, squishy!"
I pinched SylSyl's cheek.
SylSyl flapped both hands and said, "Dau.".
"Dau... ehehe..."
"Abu."
"Abu... ufufu..."
Babies are just so cute.
It's incredibly adorable how they talk with their chubby lips and sweet voices.
How can they be this cute...!
──But.
At that moment, I realized the reality.
I've never touched a baby before.
I squatted in front of SylSyl's cradle and turned to look behind me.
For some reason, everyone behind me was exchanging glances and fell silent.
"Um, um!"
I hesitantly spoke to everyone, who seemed to create an awkward atmosphere.
"I-I've never raised a baby before... what should I do, Sir Ciel...?"
"Ms. Lydia. It's okay, I'm here. I'll help raise them with you."
"Sir Ciel..."
Sir Ciel smiled happily and said it firmly.
He's always reliable, but somehow he feels even more dependable than usual.
Has the atmosphere changed a bit? There was always this feeling that he were watching us from a step back.
But now that seems to have disappeared, and how should I put it──his expression seems softer than before.
"Lydia, wait. Why rely on Ciel? He's the guy who's the furthest from being a baby in this group. Even if he's used rats for research, he probably has no experience raising a baby. You should rely on me. I'm used to it."
"Mr. Lucian, you're used to babies... with your secret child."
"I don't have one. I don't, but I do want a child with you. I'll become Sylphina's father."
"Pumpkin pudding!"
"Tarte Tatin..."
"It's not s*xual harassment, you two. Where did you learn that?"
Eir-Eir and Ms. Famine are complaining about Mr. Lucian.
Sir Rail and Sir Roxas exchanged glances.
"Well, it does sound a bit like s*xual harassment."
"Everything Lucian says sounds like s*xual harassment."
"Mr. Lucian... um, that kind of thing is... troubling..."
"Lucian. Those indecent things can wait until after married."
It's a bit troubling to suddenly be told he wants to have kids.
I don't really know how babies are made, but I guess it's something that happens when a couple loves each other, so that means Mr. Lucian is saying he wants to get married, right?
Sir Stefan protects me as I blush and feel flustered.
"Then, shall we get married, Lydia?"
Mr. Lucian said this with a smile, as if he didn't care about anyone else's words.
Has Mr. Lucian changed a bit too? I thought he was kind, mature, and calm──but now he feels really pushy.
"Um, well, I, uh..."
"Princess, I'm okay with you marrying anyone, you know? As the kind older brother living next door, I plan to keep hanging around your house forever. My goal is for your kids to think of me as the mysterious uncle who often comes over."
"Not a hero, huh, big brother?"
"Actually, being known as a hero is part of the whole surprise package, right?"
"I see... Lydia. ...I'm... I'm..."
"Roxas...Come on, Roxas...!"
"Roxas, you can do it...!"
Sir Roxas seems to be about to say something but stops, while Sir Rail and Sir Stefan cheer him on.
What kind of situation is this? I really don't get it.
"Lydia! W-well, Lobelia is probably too small for raising kids...! Isn't it too cramped for a family to live in!? After all, it's smaller than Duke Girard's storage shed!"
"W-wait, I was suddenly insulted..."
I flinched.
Sir Roxas just suddenly put down Lobelia.
It's true, so I can't argue against it.
I think it's spacious enough for one person, and it's not that cramped for living with Eir-Eir and SylSyl.
"S-so, um... I'll build a house for you!"
"Eh, w-wait, that's not something you can just declare out of the blue... That would be a problem..."
"Lydia's family is the Rest Priest Family, so I think it's spacious enough... Roxas, you're not getting your point across. It sounds like you just want to build a house."
"That's right, Roxas. Don't let those unfair adults get to you, Roxas."
"W-well, that's easy to say, but I'm not ready for this...! Besides, it seems like I'm at a disadvantage, doesn't it? I still feel like I'm seen as the kind guy with glasses."
Sir Stefan and Sir Rail are whispering to Sir Roxas.
"Ms. Lydia. If you're having trouble with the space, would you like to come to my house? I can expand it and turn the first floor into a restaurant."
"Then my house would work too. We can renovate it and make the first floor a restaurant."
"Uh, um, well..."
"Taking care of a baby is quite a task. Don't worry, I may not have experience, but I have knowledge. It would be too much for you alone, so I'll help you."
"I'll help too, Lydia. I don't have any hidden children, but I've taken care of kids. There are many young orphans, and I've looked after abandoned babies before."
"Mr. Lucian..."
"That sudden sad story to get attention, Lucian, isn't that a bit sneaky? The princess is kind-hearted, so she's weak against other people's misfortunes."
"That's right, Lucian. Since you've already recovered, please stop saying unnecessary things that make Ms. Lydia sad."
"You've been acting all reserved like you're holding back during times like this, but you're the one being sneaky, Ciel."
"I see. Considering how much I've worried you until now, I think I need to protect Ms. Lydia."
"Ah, um..."
"Everyone, just calm down for now. We were talking about how to raise a baby, right? I think it's right to support Lydia, but fighting over the role of a father is not the way. Wouldn't it be better if we all raised her together?"
"That's true, Your Majesty. However, I feel like this is a battle I can't lose."
"Your Majesty. There's definitely a battle here that I can't afford to lose. I'm the one who will teach Lydia the meaning of sausage."
"Lucian. If I remember correctly... in terms of size, didn't I win?"
"Lucian was average."
"I feel like it was a pretty standard size, for sure."
"Calm down. You guys, calm down. Lydia is a pure and innocent good girl... she's still a child, don't corrupt her."
"I'm not a child...! I've already been to the red moon, and I'm a proper adult now!"
I really didn't understand what they were talking about anymore.
Anyway, I realized that Sir Stefan was treating me like a child, so I denied it.
"Waahhh!"
Maybe I let out a surprisingly loud voice, and SylSyl started crying.
"Pumpkin pudding!"
"Tarte Tatin..."
"Fried horse mackerel."
"Shiratama Anmitsu."
Eir-Eir and the others were peering into the baby, flustered.
Mer-Mer, on the other hand, looked like she was saying she was already tired, as she jumped onto a chair and curled up.
I hurriedly picked up SylSyl.
"Sorry, SylSyl. ...Um, I got a bit lost in the conversation halfway through, but... I──."
As I comforted SylSyl, I stared at Sir Ciel and Mr. Lucian.
I need to express my feelings.
I...
I──.
* * *
I took about a week off.
Partly because I was exhausted from the battle with the red moon, and partly because moving was a hassle.
Since I'm raising SylSyl, I felt it wasn't great to spend time in the back alley Lobelia.
After all, I'd prefer a place that's a bit brighter, bigger, and cleaner.
Because I'm not living alone anymore.
"SylSyl, Eir-Eir, this is the new Lobelia!"
"Ahh."
In one corner of the spacious kitchen, there's a large cradle just for SylSyl.
Inside, Eir-Eir and the others are all snuggled up together, acting like SylSyl's toys and cushions.
SylSyl is growing up healthy and strong.
According to my dad, SylSyl is a baby, but not really a baby.
I don't quite get it, but it seems to be something like Eir-Eir and the others.
A mass of magical power.
In other words, a type of monster.
By the time it came to me, she was already big enough to sit up and eat solid food.
So sometimes she sleeps in the cradle, and other times she sits in a chair, strapped in with a belt, munching on her food.
This is the new Lobelia.
The location is in a corner of the Holy Capital, at the bustling square of Arsubania.
It's a large, towering former haunted mansion, which is Sir Ciel's home.
We've mowed the overgrown grass, organized the messy first floor, and renovated it with the Girard family's wealth.
It has transformed into a neat and clean shop.
"Ms. Lydia, are you opening the shop today?"
"Yes, Sir Ciel. You have work, right? Please be careful out there."
"Lydia. Don't overdo it."
"Mr. Lucian has a monster subjugation mission, right? Be careful."
They pat my head, stroke my cheek, and Sir Ciel and Mr. Lucian go out.
Right now, I'm living with Sir Ciel and Mr. Lucian at Sir Ciel's house.
To be precise, my dad, Eir-Eir, and SylSyl are also here, so we're all together.
I didn't want to leave Arsubania.
There's the familiar market, and Mx. Margaret and Mr. Tsukuyomi are here too.
So, I chose to stay at Sir Ciel's house, but after seeing the disaster at Sir Ciel's place, Mr. Lucian said, "I can't leave Ciel to handle this alone. He's a guy who can't clean up.
Lydia will struggle," and offered to live together.
I thought Sir Ciel might not like it, but he agreed, saying, "That's certainly true".
By the way, there's also Sir Rail's room.
He said he would come over when he's tired from his hero activities.
Actually, he comes over quite a bit.
So, it feels like Sir Rail is living here too.
Mx. Margaret told me that this is called a share house.
"Isn't it great? Lyd-Lyd is cute, so having 3 or 4 guys around is fine."
They said with a smile, so I denied it.
It's not like I'm having them around for that.
We're just taking care of SylSyl together.
I want to continue with Lobelia.
But raising a child alone is tough.
That's why I'm having them live with me.
I still haven't responded to the confession.
It might not be a good thing, but there are just too many things going on── I like Sir Ciel, and I probably like Mr. Lucian too.
But I've always thought of them as just friends.
Right now, I think I have feelings that are bigger than friendship.
Choosing someone, or anything like that, is difficult.
I've told them I want to wait until these feelings become clearer.
Mr. Lucian cheerfully said, "Since you're a Saint, isn't it fine to have multiple husbands?" and Sir Ciel said, "As long as I can be by Ms. Lydia's side, that's enough for me".
Sir Rail and Sir Roxas come by often, and Sir Stefan shows up sometimes too.
FraFra worries and comes to check on me.
I'm having such a luxurious, selfish, and lively time.
In the new kitchen, there are way more seats than before.
The new Lobelia, designed by the stylish Mr. Lucian, is super cute.
It might not be a regular restaurant anymore; it could be a trendy café.
A day at the new Lobelia Diner House is about to begin.
It's time to open the shop, so I opened the entrance door to switch the sign outside from closed to open.
There were already the folks from Saintwise and the Leonsroar crew.
Then, Mx. Margaret and my parents, along with many people I know, were waiting with flowers and gifts.
I took a deep breath.
"Welcome to the newly renovated Lobelia Diner House!"
The first opening had a dark, gloomy vibe.
But this second opening──everyone is smiling brightly!
Everyone looks so happy and is laughing.
Cheers and applause echoed through the Arsubania square.
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