C 134
"I was waiting to see when you'd say that."
My grandpa responded calmly, not particularly surprised by my visit.
Ark seemed very attached to my grandpa and was sound asleep in his arms.
"Yes, please take care of him!"
I said with a bright smile.
"Is something wrong?"
The curious voice came from grandma. I nodded slightly. Maybe I'll fall asleep here again for a while, but that's all.
"Because I will return."
I really didn't want to say goodbye.
"Nothing happened."
Then there were the direct descendants of the Etham family.
In fact, even if you keep it a secret from your grandparents, there can be no secrets from those who protect this family.
As we gathered everyone under the name of a meeting and explained the situation, a heavy silence fell.
"So, are you saying you're going to fall asleep again because you're growing?"
I nodded at Charniel Etham's words.
Dad was sitting next to me as usual, but he had a stern expression on his face and kept his mouth shut.
He had been like that for several days. I didn't feel very well.
When I talked to him, he had a smile on his face, but if I didn't talk to him, he always had that expression on his face.
"Is that really all?"
A dry and familiar voice reached my ears.
It was Chronos Etham holding a cat in his arms. His usual dry voice and the cat in his arms definitely didn't match.
"If that's it."
"...Yes, if that's the case, then it must be."
Chrono Etham fell silent again.
The fact that I really remember my past life or that I lived in another world is something that no one else but my dad knows.
From now on, I won't have to tell anyone else except my father and Lucilion.
So, this is something that can't be helped. Who can I tell that I'm going to another world to die?
"Mmm... I was going to officially announce that you became the matriarch of the family during this banquet..."
"I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to regret, but... Then, it would be better to at least select a relic."
"Select a relic?"
"Yes, the Etham family has three relics. 'The Flame of Fire,' which is the inherited sword of the family patriarch, the 'Piece of Balance,' which Erno possesses, and the last one is the 'Dragon's Orb,' which has never chosen an owner."
Dragon's Orb...
If taken literally, it means it's a bead from a real dragon.
"Is it the same as Yeoui*?"
(N/T: Yeoui is a treasure bead that expresses spirituality and strangeness in Buddhism. In Buddhism, it is said to fulfill all the wishes of its possessor.)
No.
Since this is the West, there's no Yeoui, right?
"But originally, only one relic was given to each person. Seeing that the flame of fire won't leave my father's side..."
Charniel Etham shrugged.
"I guess your relic is the Orb."
"The Orb..."
"According to the ancient book, the Dragon's Orb..."
"The Orb...?"
"Nothing was written."
My mouth hung open at Charniel Etham's words. While I furrowed my brow, Charniel scratched his cheek and smiled awkwardly.
"You seemed so nervous today, so I tried to make a joke... Was it a failure?"
"Ah..."
Haha, I smiled awkwardly, and Charniel Etham shrugged.
Actually, the Dragon's Orb has never chosen an owner, so there's no detailed information. However, they say it can make your wish come true.
"...Your wish?"
"Yes, nothing else has been revealed. This is just a comment left by the first Etham."
I nodded with a bewildered expression.
"It's a good thing, but I wanted to tell you today."
Charniel Etham snapped his fingers, and the butler approached me before I knew it and handed me a small, rough box.
My father, who was by my side, took it for me and opened the lid of the box. Inside was a rough bead that looked like a glass bead.
Contrary to its nickname, the Dragon's Orb, it didn't look special at all.
As I carefully held the transparent bead in my hand, it soon began to glow gently in gold and then seeped into my body.
"Oh?"
No, the bead is seeping in!
The golden orb floating in the air silently penetrated into my heart and then disappeared in an instant.
Dad, who was reaching out his hand, also looked embarrassed, and his hand froze in the air.
"What is this...?"
"Daughter, are you okay?"
"Yes. Just a little..."
Should I say I felt a little warmer? I felt like the inside of my chest had warmed up.
"Does your chest hurt? Answer right now..."
"No, my chest is warm."
"...What?"
"It just feels warm."
I didn't feel anything in particular. In fact, I didn't even have the sensation that the Dragon's Orb had seeped into me.
"Whatever..."
Charniel Etham spoke up.
"All you have to do is come back safe and sound, niece."
"That's right, don't worry and come back."
The others nodded and responded to Charniel Etham's words.
"...Yes!"
I smiled widely and nodded. Somehow, I felt very fulfilled.
* * *
"I was planning to meet Richard and Enosh again today..."
Unfortunately, Enosh seemed to be busy competing for the title of crown prince to become emperor.
I shrugged as I silently read his response and the letter apologizing because it would be difficult to meet for a while due to lack of time.
I decided to talk to him by sending a letter.
"Well, if he doesn't become the crown prince, I'll have to tell him I won't see his face when I return."
So, he won't work hard and become the crown prince?
"Then the quality of my network will improve even more."
Is the next emperor my friend?
There's nothing more satisfying than this.
This is the price you have to pay for not meeting me.
I smiled and wrote the letter.
"Well, if he looks at this, he'll say we should have met somehow..."
Still, it's good to make plans for next time.
I wrote a letter that looked much better than before, put it in an envelope, and handed it to the maid.
"Matriarch, Prince Collin is downstairs."
"Oh, I'll be down soon. Send this to the imperial family."
"Understood."
I leaped down.
After seeing Richard, I must write a letter to greet Phil, and... I must also go see Sharnae and my siblings...
"After that, I have to stay with my dad."
Dad hasn't come out of his room very often these days. He always welcomes me when I visit, but that's about it.
It seemed like he had a lot on his mind, but it felt deceitful to say he was okay when I thought he was probably worried about me.
"Let's think about it later."
I shook my head to clear my thoughts and went down the stairs.
Richard was in the living room.
"Eirin."
"Richard, hello."
"Yes, I'm glad you're okay."
Richard greeted me with a bright expression.
I stood up and took Richard's hand as he approached, sat on the sofa, and smiled.
"I missed you, Eirin."
"Yes."
"But what happened? You said you had something to tell... What's going on?"
I nodded and explained it to Richard. I'm going to sleep a lot.
Richard's expression, which had been silently listening to the story, distorted.
"This time, I wanted to tell you properly. Every time... there were many things I felt sorry for."
"...Is that something I can't help with? Eirin."
Richard said, holding my hand tightly.
"Can I help you?"
Richard said, looking like he was about to cry. To me, Richard is like a precious family member.
He was by my side in the toughest and saddest times, and there were many things I felt sorry for over a long period of time.
Since Richard was at the orphanage, I felt less lonely than I thought.
So, I didn't want to involve Richard in my personal circumstances.
It was even more so because I knew this child's heart better than anyone else.
"No."
I held Richard's hand tightly for a moment, then loosened it slightly and said.
"You've already helped me a lot, Richard. You're a truly precious friend to me."
So, this time, I didn't want to disappear without saying a word.
Richard was the main reason I asked Arma to give me time.
" I'm always grateful."
Richard nodded with a tearful-looking face.
"Are you going to come back?"
"Of course."
"I'll wait."
"Yes."
I lightly rubbed my forehead against the back of his hand. We'll be apart for a while until we come of age.
Afterward, we talked for a long time.
Mostly, it was just Richard's complaints because he was going through a tough time at the Magic Tower.
When Richard returned, and I finished eating, the sky was completely dark.
After tucking myself into the blanket with Laurent's help, I pointed my fingers one by one at the people who hadn't finished yet.
"Tomorrow, with Callan and Silian... And I also have to meet Sharnae."
It seemed like someone from Terem should be assigned to take care of Sharnae.
I must make it clear that Sharnae is still under the protection of the Etham family and will continue to be in the future.
"If I do that..."
It was at the moment I rubbed my eyes while thinking.
Suddenly, my vision brightened, and Arma appeared in the air.
"...No."
Arma, flapping her angelic wings, smiled cheerfully in front of me.
"Hello, baby."
"...Hello."
"I came because the other day there were other children, and there were some things I couldn't explain yet."
Arma smiled cheerfully like an innocent child.
"If you go back, the guardian of the stars will move."
"...What?"
"The world you return to will be different from the one you remember, and everything you desire will be right in front of you."
I really didn't understand, so I gaped, and Arma added that I would understand when I got there.
"The Guardian will do whatever it takes to retrieve your soul."
"......"
"So, you have to make sure to cut it off. You have to cut off all your regrets and attachments. If you don't change your mind, my pretty girl and I will take care of the rest."
Arma said and waved her hands enthusiastically. I blinked as I watched the blurry image disappear.
The storm came and went.
It was a night when my heart was disturbed even more for no reason.
Indeed, I couldn't sleep well that night.
