C 124
"...What strange and unusual thing have you brought again?"
Chronos Etham asked awkwardly, standing a couple of steps away from me, as if he completely distrusted me.
"Just some cufflinks and a brooch."
"...What functions are installed there? Does it release mud? Or a pheromone that attracts animals? How much more will there be?"
As I looked at him with a rather cold gaze, Chronos Etham slowly approached me, carefully lowered the upper part of his body, and extended his hand.
I lifted the small leather box containing the brooch and cufflinks with both hands.
"Thank you for listening to everything I discuss, uncle."
"......"
He opened the box, found a perfectly intact brooch and cufflinks, and looked at me with a strange expression.
"It's because I'm very grateful."
"...I can't believe it."
He lightly touched the brooch with the tip of his finger, looked at me, and clicked his tongue.
"Thank you."
"Yes, indeed, I think my uncle should receive a gift."
"What?"
I smiled and stuck out my tongue.
"Because I took care of all of my uncle's accidents."
"...Is that a solution? To make me unemployed?"
"That way, you raised animals, and your expression improved. Uncle, are you dating any women these days?"
I lightly nudged my uncle's thigh with my elbow. Chronos Etham laughed and backed away a couple of steps from me.
"No! Young people these days are..."
Chronos Etham's earlobes were particularly red.
"If you blush like that, I want to tease you even more."
I rolled my eyes and suppressed the bad feelings that were arising for no reason.
"I will make good use of this. Now, I'll be on my way since I'm busy."
"Why are you busy?"
"I have to go to the feed factory."
Chronos Etham, who said it so naturally, was about to walk away.
I quickly ran and blocked Chronos Etham's path, handing him the invitation.
Chronos Etham opened the invitation and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, then I'll give you this! Please make sure to attend today. Okay? It would be nice to bring a gift for dad too!"
"A gift?"
"Yes, it's a secret for dad!"
"...Are you really going to celebrate his birthday?"
"Yes, why?"
"...No reason."
Chronos Etham fell silent and squinted his eyes.
"Then I'll be on my way because I'm busy. There are five factories I need to check."
As if he had finished saying what he needed to, Chronos Etham walked away. I tilted my head and looked at his back.
"That guy, soon... I think he'll open a feed factory."
It's more likely that the current feed isn't up to that picky Chronos Etham's standards.
The qualities of a great steward were evident.
"Anyway, I'm worried about Sharnae."
No matter how you look at it, her earlier reaction wasn't normal.
Did something happen around this time? Although I tried to remember, nothing came to mind clearly.
I went straight to Charniel. When I gave Charniel the gift, his eyes widened, and he laughed heartily.
"Thank you. But what's this invitation?"
"This is an invitation to today's party. It would be better if you brought a gift for dad."
"...If it's a party, is it a birthday party?"
"Yes!"
"I don't think the maknae would enjoy his birthday..."
Charniel Etham shook his head while I sulked at his muffled mutterings.
"No, maybe it's different if you're in charge of it. Then, see you later."
"Yes!"
Next was Nelia Zardan.
"Hahaha, are you having a birthday party? That sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks for the gift, our young matriarch has great taste."
"Fun?"
"I'll make sure to bring a gift."
Nelia Zardan folded her fan and laughed with great joy.
"...What?"
Is the anniversary of her younger brother's wife's death something to laugh about like this?
I felt a little annoyed.
And for some reason, I felt a little uneasy.
Next was Akrea Safile.
"...What's this? Do you think I would wear such a crude gem?"
"Ah... as expected, it's not something my aunt would use...?"
I had been wondering for a while if I could give it to her as well. Although I don't know much about fashion, I always felt that the jewelry worn by Akrea Safile was of high quality.
"It's okay if you give it back, I won't be hurt."
When I stretched both hands out in front of me, Akrea Safile frowned.
"Re-return it. Are you giving things and then taking them back?"
No, she just said she didn't like it.
"Oh, my goodness! Wow!"
Akrea Safile closely examined the brooch I gave her and lifted her chin.
"If you look closely, you have good taste. Well... I thought it might be careless, but the quality isn't as bad as I thought. Well, I'll make sure to store it specifically in my secret treasure."
She talked a lot, but she still seemed to like it. In the end, I extended the invitation.
"Tonight, at the greenhouse! It would be nice if you brought a gift for Dad."
"...Mmm. Do you want to have a birthday party?"
"Yes..."
"Then I have a perfect gift for him..."
Akrea Safile smiled.
"Why do all the uncles seem tired and the aunts happy?"
I've reached a point where I don't quite understand it all. I went to Hayel Etham with a worried expression on my face.
His room, located in the farthest corner of the annex, emitted a gloomy atmosphere from the moment I approached.
When I barely managed to open the door, I saw him carrying some chemicals and experimenting with them while laughing.
"U-Uncle?"
"Uagh!"
Hayel Etham jumped and rolled on the floor along with the medicine.
"N-niece..., matriarch...?"
Where did he get the title niece matriarch?
"Why are you here?"
"Here, a gift!"
"A g-gift? For me...?"
Hayel Etham cautiously accepted the brooch and cufflinks I offered with an unexpectedly surprised expression.
"...Wow, this is the first time I've received a gift from a child. To think they care about me... My niece matriarch, you're kind."
What kind of life have they all been living?
Still, I'm glad he liked it. I smiled and nodded, and he looked at the box attentively and smiled.
"Thank you."
He took out something and handed it to me.
"This is my gift. It will listen to whatever you say. I raised it myself..."
What he showed was a praying mantis. It looked quite menacing as it swung its scythe-like front legs.
When Hayel Etham extended his finger, it was embarrassing to see it sitting on it so calmly and silently.
"A gift..."
This mantis?
When I felt embarrassed, Hayel Etham's expression became quite somber.
"You don't like it, do you?"
"N-no...? I like it. I really do."
I quickly extended my palm. As if the praying mantis had been waiting, it jumped and landed on my palm.
I felt goosebumps.
"Ah, and this is an invitation to a party tonight. You can come to the greenhouse, and it would be even better if you brought a gift for Dad!"
"...A gift?"
"Yes, because it's a birthday party..."
"...My niece matriarch, you haven't heard about the terrible things that happened on Erno Etham's birthday."
I was the one left puzzled by Hayel Etham's very serious expression.
"What happened?"
I swallowed and asked carefully, and Hayel Etham swallowed with a somewhat pale face.
"I can't say it with my own mouth. Ask Erno directly later."
Hayel Etham started to slip away.
"I'm busy with an experiment... But I'll definitely come at night."
"Yes."
Finally, I was shooed away.
After watching closely, I turned to my grandmother and grandfather one last time.
Grandfather said he had retired, but there were reports that he was often seen in the garden these days.
"Kyaaung!"
"Ark!"
Just as I was about to head out into the garden, Ark, covered in dirt, appeared out of nowhere and clung to my leg.
"I said I couldn't see you these days because you disappeared. Where did you go?!"
"Kyaaau! Kyuung!"
"Eating food...?"
Since he looks like a black tiger, I guess he likes raw meat?
"Next time, at least chicken..."
"Kwaaang, Kwaaang~~"
For some reason, Ark raised his front paws and started waving them back and forth.
The voice also sounded somewhat eerie.
"Kwaaaang! Kyaaanh! Kwoo!"
Ark pretended to be a herbivore, jumped to the other side, made a loud noise, then jumped to the other side again and pretended to tremble.
Then he started chewing on something.
"Ah..., do you have to eat something alive...?"
"Kyaung!"
Answer received! It felt like the sound resonated in my head.
"Ark, you might seem... a bit scary."
I rolled my eyes and nodded.
"Do you know where Grandfather is?"
"Kyaung?"
Ark tilted his head, jumped, and disappeared somewhere.
"What's going on here?"
Ark brought Grandfather and Grandmother dressed in very familiar clothes.
"A servant and... a princess."
Grandfather, wearing a straw hat and work clothes, and Grandmother, stylishly dressed in comfortable clothing, definitely had that feeling.
When I handed them the invitation and the gift, their eyes widened.
"...A birthday party?"
Grandmother's voice became somewhat gloomy.
"Yes..."
"I see, of course, I should attend."
"I have a lot to prepare, so I'll go in first, please clean this up and then come back."
"...I understand."
Grandmother told Grandfather and turned around without hesitation.
"I suppose there will be another fight."
"What?"
"...It's nothing. What could happen?"
Grandfather ruffled my head, then picked up the farming tools and went back to the field.
He seemed a little bitter.
"But why...?"
Is he building his own garden? Where are the servants?
Thinking about it, I lowered my head and turned around.
And finally, the eagerly anticipated evening for the party arrived.
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