C 49
How the hell can something like this become a trend in the capital?
"...Did a trend occur that I was completely unaware of?"
Still, calling people pets is a bit...
I leaned in with a puzzled expression and extended my hand toward Lucilion, who collapsed on the floor like a pitiful heroine and didn't want to get up.
Then Lucilion took my hand carefully and rubbed his cheek against the back of my hand.
"No, hold onto it and get up."
You're not even a real dog.
When I looked at him with a perplexed look, Lucilion smiled widely and stood up.
"Do you like it?"
"Oh... yes..."
I couldn't say no to his face, so I awkwardly nodded, but I was still embarrassed.
"I'm glad."
Erno Etham ruffled my hair with a proud expression.
"Daughter."
"Yes?"
"Am I your daddy?"
"Yes..."
"Is there another daddy you'd rather have?"
"What? No."
I didn't know what he meant, but I shook my head, and he smiled, bent over me, and kissed me on the forehead.
"It's okay then; I'll take care of the rest."
Then, he stayed like that, with his back bent.
"Ah..."
It seemed like he was waiting for something.
"No way..."
I gently brought my lips to his cheek, and then he straightened his back as if he had never done that.
"He's dirty because they left him outside, so I'll wash him first and then return him."
Erno Etham grabbed Lucilion by the back of his neck, lifted him, and handed him over to his assistant.
No, don't treat him like a real pet...
Kwaaaak-
Furthermore...
"Why is he still like this?"
Lucilion never let go of my hand. Seeing his sullen expression, I quietly approached Lucilion.
"Goodbye..."
It was only after a small whisper that Lucilion released my hand with a suspicious look.
"Now that I think about it, I said I would wait and couldn't contact him."
Deserves to feel suspicious.
When Lucilion left, Erno Etham sighed and slowly sat down on the sofa.
Strangely, he seemed exhausted.
"Daddy... are you sick?"
"...No, I'm fine."
Covering his head with one hand didn't seem normal.
I quickly climbed onto the sofa, got on my knees, extended my hand, and placed my hand on his forehead.
"It's hot...!"
It was so hot it felt like a fireball.
"Daddy..."
When I looked at him in confusion, he smiled as always.
"It's okay, go back to your room and rest."
"No... I'll call the doctor..."
As I shook my head, he let out a low groan.
No matter how you looked at it, it was a symptom of madness.
"The balance fragment in the earring is so large, why on earth...?"
I couldn't understand why.
"Daddy, do you have medicine...? Should I call my sister?"
"It's okay, I won't have an attack. I just need to take a little rest..."
I held his hand with both of mine and closed my eyes tightly, bringing it to my forehead.
"Daddy is sick, not feeling well..."
"Daughter, it's okay..."
"Daddy, don't get sick..."
Finally, I have a family.
"For the first time, he asked me to stay by his side."
I didn't want to lose my newly formed family.
He said I could stay by his side.
So please, I hope my family stays healthy and doesn't get sick.
I want to live with you for a long time.
At that moment.
A pure white light burst out and enveloped Erno Etham's body in an instant.
"...What is this?"
Erno Etham looked at me in surprise.
Strangely, my eyelids suddenly grew heavy along with my body.
When I reached out to him with a big smile, he took my hand tightly as if it were natural.
And that was the last memory I could remember.
***
"When will she wake up? It's been a year already. Hey, it's not funny, so wake up now. I won't bother you anymore."
—Hyung, our older sister is still in a coma.
—Didn't you see her hand move the other day? Her eyelids fluttered after that.
I heard someone sigh.
Her closed eyelids didn't budge, as if she didn't want to open them again.
I didn't rebel because I didn't want to open my eyes.
"What older sister...? What kind of weakling older sister is this? She'll tear down all the pillars of the house."
(N/T: metaphorically referring to a person or important center of trust in a family.)
"She was born first, so she's our older sister. Come to think of it, Grandma said that if she doesn't wake up by next year, they'll just disconnect her."
"Grandma is too kind."
"Grandma originally hated my sister. There's no such thing as kindness."
"Do you want to act cute? Hey, Mom almost knelt down and begged for another year. If not, it would have been until this year."
Lies.
I don't want to hear any more. Why am I having these strange dreams?
"I don't want to have a dream like this."
I want to go back.
"...daughter."
"Hey, look at this. She moved again."
Dad, dad...
"Daughter!"
"Her eyelids are fluttering."
"It's true... Doctor, I'll call the doctor!"
"Hey sister! Wake up and open your eyes!"
Take me back to my original world. Don't let me have these terrible dreams again.
"Hey, Cha Miso!"
No...
"Eirin...!"
I desperately clung to the voice I heard from afar.
At that moment, my eyes snapped open.
Huh, huh.
My lips were pursed as if my breath was blocked, but no sound came out.
"What?"
As I blinked, my blurry vision became clearer.
"What happened?"
It felt like I was having some kind of unpleasant dream.
What was I dreaming?
"...But there's something strange about me."
I couldn't understand why my body was so hot. The breath I exhaled was like volcanic smoke.
"Eirin?"
"Oh, her eyes are open."
"Eirin."
I blinked slowly once more and saw my father's face in front of me.
"Dad...?"
I opened my mouth, but no voice came out.
That's when I realized how low my viewpoint was.
"Daughter, are you alright?"
I felt like a dwarf in the land of giants. The sensation of lying on the enormous bed was a bit embarrassing.
I nodded.
He let out a small sigh as he moved his head up and down.
"It's a relief, I was surprised by the sudden change."
I nodded once more.
I looked around and saw that Erno Etham wasn't alone.
"Now that I think about it, I heard other voices before."
Before, I didn't know because Erno Etham filled my vision, but Callan and Silian were nearby too.
I rolled my eyes wide with a nervous look on my face.
"Eirin, do you understand me?"
Callan, wearing a white coat, suddenly leaned his face in.
I opened my eyes wide, nodded, jumped off my seat, then wobbled and collapsed weakly on my legs.
"......"
Not on the blanket, but in the palm of a hand.
It was Erno Etham's hand. When I looked up in surprise, he also looked surprised, his eyes wide open as he stared at the palm of his hand.
"You have to be careful."
He placed me in his palm and carefully lifted me up.
"Eirin, I gave you antipyretics for now... you're a reptile... No, I have no knowledge about suins..."
Callan Etham said embarrassed.
"Have you ever been like this before?"
I nodded.
He vigorously nodded.
"When?"
Well, how do I explain this?
Callan Etham's eyes narrowed as he tilted his head over Erno Etham's palm.
"Oh, if you don't know..."
Ah! I can explain it like this.
I pointed to Erno Etham with my front paw in a method that suddenly came to mind.
"...... Me?"
And in the moment I jumped from the palm of his hand to the bed to pretend I was running away.
Tang-tang-!
I, who should have landed on the bed safely, was somehow still in the air.
This time, I was in the palm of Callan Etham's hand.
"What...?"
When I rolled my eyes embarrassed, Erno Etham and Silian Etham also came to me awkwardly.
The most surprising thing was that Callan Etham, who had been far away, ran here in an instant.
The chair Silian Etham was holding rolled on the floor.
"...Ah."
I burst into laughter without even realizing it.
I stood on my hind legs to say I was okay, and was about to thump my chest with my front paws when Callan Etham held me with both hands.
"No, I won't fall."
Callan Etham's expression was serious.
"Eirin, suicide isn't good for society... If you have any difficulties, just tell us first."
"No, it's not that..."
"And when you die, do you think people in the world will feel it for you, huh? You might think so, but it's not. Everyone will live better than you think."
"It's not that."
While shaking my head, Callan Etham narrowed his eyes and stared at me.
"Not?"
I nodded.
"Really?"
I nodded.
"Of course."
I let out a sigh.
Now that I have a family, I have nothing to regret, so why would I want to die? I will live a long life.
Only then did Callan Etham breathe a sigh of relief.
"I was worried because you jumped suddenly."
I pointed to the bed with my paw.
"It was safe."
I let out a deep sigh and shook my head, and Callan Etham looked at me with incomprehension.
"Well, then... it's a relief."
He stroked my cheek a couple of times and cleared his throat twice when a large hand came from somewhere.
It was Erno Etham's palm.
"Come here, daughter."
"I'll hold her, father!"
"No."
"Why not?!"
When Callan Etham raised his voice in discontent at Erno Etham's firm words, he responded with a serious expression.
"Your hands are too small."
Erno Etham said firmly.
