Volume 10 Chapter 9 Homecoming After A Long Time
I got a letter from Father.
In the letter, written in Father's beautiful handwriting, it said something like, "There's a coronation ceremony coming up, so come back when it's convenient for you. Just whenever works for you, take care of yourself, Lydia. I worry that you might be caught by a bad man; I'm really concerned."
There were a lot of words expressing his worry for me, and I thought, "Wow, I must be making Father really worried," which made me feel a bit guilty but also a little happy.
Just knowing that Father cares about me makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
So, I decided to go back to the Rest Priest Family after a long time.
Since I might stay over, I made sure to use up all the perishable food and served extra meals to my guests, while the leftovers I cooked for Eir-Eir and the others.
The new little one, the Fairy Dragon, didn't have a name, so I decided to call her "Meruru."
It seemed like Mer-Mer didn't eat at Sir Ciel's place, but she happily munched on the food I made with Eir-Eir and the others. Munch munch, then she'd just flop down and sleep.
Ms. Famine sleeps a lot too, but Mer-Mer sleeps even more. She's surprisingly low-maintenance and quiet, but sometimes when she sleeps too much, Ms. Famine and Nel-Nel would nibble on her ears or tug at her tail to wake her up.
I made sure to lock everything up, grabbed my stuff──though I didn't need to bring any clothes since they said I didn't have to──and left Lobelia with Eir-Eir and the others.
"...Everyone is so light, but I don't have enough hands... I wish I had 5 hands or something."
"Pudding."
"Fried horse mackerel..."
Holding Nel-Nel, squeezing Eir-Eir and the others against my chest, and wrapping Ms. Famine around my neck, I was already pretty full.
If I had 5 hands, I could hold everyone at once!
Eir-Eir and Nel-Nel made faces like they were a bit annoyed. Having 5 hands would be handy, but it might be a little scary too.
"Kyuu."
Mer-Mer, who was walking beside my dad, let out a small sound.
They stepped in front of me as if to say, "Look!" and did a beautiful spin in the air.
The next moment, they had transformed into a creature about the size of a big dog.
Somehow, it felt like their fur was shining even brighter than when they was little.
A beautiful fox-like animal, wrapped in sparkling particles of light, proudly lifted their nose up.
"Big, Mer-Mer, big."
So big and cute.
Nel-Nel jumped off my hand and hopped onto Mer-Mer. Eir-Eir and Ms. Famine also jumped on her back.
And just like that, my hands were empty. It felt a bit lonely.
"...Dad, should I carry you?"
"If Lydia insists, I guess I have no choice. I am cute after all."
As I tried to lift my dad, Eir-Eir and the others protested all at once.
It felt like they were saying this was unfair, unfair.
Dad said, "I want to ride on Meruru too," and jumped onto their back.
"Actually, Dad can get big too, right?"
"I'm not giving up my identity as a cute puppy."
"Your words are hard..."
"Lydia should read a bit more."
"How about a cookbook... Oh, picture books would be nice too. I want to read to Eir-Eir and the others. Let's buy some on the way back from Rest Priest Family."
"To awaken maternal instincts before having kids... They say having pets delays marriage, and it's true."
"Oh, that sounded like a jab, Dad."
"I'm just worried."
While we were chatting like that, walking with everyone on Mer-Mer's back, Mx. Margaret, sitting in front of the butcher shop and puffing on an aromatic tobacco, waved their hand cheerfully.
"Mx. Margaret, hello!"
"Lyd-Lyd, out and about? Looks like you got a new addition!"
"Yes. This is Meruru, the fairy dragon I'm taking care of from Sir Ciel. Mer-Mer calm and a good child."
"I see. You're taking care of them from Ciel. It's unusual for Ciel to rely on someone."
"I had a fight with Sir Ciel, but we made up and became friends again. I'm happy that I can be relied on now."
"I heard about it."
"Huh? What did you hear?"
"Lyd-Lyd, you had your first kiss, right? With Ciel."
"Ah, um, that wasn't really like that...!"
"Then what is a first kiss like?"
"Well, um..."
"For example... like this, holding hands tightly."
Mx. Margaret took a cigarette from their mouth and held my hand, pulling me closer.
Mx. Margaret is beautiful, so having their face so close made my heart race a little.
"Lydia. I like you. Can I kiss you?"
Whispered in a lower voice than usual, I felt my cheeks flush.
Mx. Margaret feels like a guy. Usually, I can't tell if they're a woman or a man.
"How about sneaking out from the celebration party after the coronation, whispering on an empty balcony or in the backyard, or in the garden gazebo?"
"That's specific..."
"So, a kiss there would be the first kiss, right?"
"Um, well, yes, that's..."
Mx. Margaret suddenly let go of my hand, and I nodded while hiding my flushed face with both hands.
I don't think that kind of thing will happen, but just imagining it makes my heart flutter.
It's not like I don't have a longing for romance.
I'm turning 19 this year.
In this Kingdom, it's normal to get married between 16 and 20, so my marriageable age will pass in a few years.
This is for women, though.
For men, it's okay to be older.
When I told Mx. Margaret that I'm going home now, they eagerly said, "The showdown is at the coronation, Lyd-Lyd. Make sure to get a beautiful dress made!"
I didn't mean to, but when someone says that, it makes me oddly aware of it.
I tried to be careful not to daydream about romance with my friends as I headed towards the Rest Priest Family.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)