C854
"It’s delicious!"
Sia grabbed the fork with her fist and swallowed the pasta. The way she licked the sauce off her mouth made everyone’s mouth water.
“Mmm…”
Raon watched Sia swallow the pasta and then turned his gaze to Sylvia and Edgar.
“What happened here?”
He thought it would take a long time to get close to Sia, but he never imagined they would bring him to the dining table with her. He couldn't understand what had happened in a single day.
“We kept talking about you yesterday, hoping she would warm up to you quickly.”
Sylvia smiled gently as she wiped the pasta sauce from Sia's mouth.
“Then she got excited thinking about having a brother and burst into your room. Luckily, you weren’t there.”
Edgar sighed deeply, saying it was hard to calm the excited Sia.
“Ah…”
Raon let out an ironic laugh as he looked at Sylvia and Edgar, who seemed tired. From the situation, it appeared that Sia wanted to meet her brother immediately after finding out.
-But does she think I’m her brother?
It was surprising that she accepted him and believed it without hesitation, even though suddenly an adult over 20 years old claimed to be her brother.
“From Sia's perspective, her own body also grew suddenly. We explained it as if a long time had passed while she was asleep.”
Sylvia nodded, saying they had no choice but to explain it that way since it wasn't entirely a lie.
“I see.”
Raon looked at Sia and exhaled softly.
'Is it because she’s a child without preconceptions?'
Sia’s mind was still that of a little girl, so she seemed to believe Sylvia and Edgar's words without questioning them.
“So, from now on, we…”
“Stop!”
Sia put down the fork and raised both hands.
You shouldn’t talk too much while eating!
She shook her head, saying that you should swallow all the food in your mouth before speaking.
“Mom taught me that!”
“Ah…”
Sylvia looked at Sia and bit her trembling lip.
“I told her that before I had to let her go…”
Her eyes reddened with emotion.
“Don’t cry!”
Sia made a slight gesture to Sylvia, telling her not to cry and to eat.
“You’re right. If mom taught you, we should follow her.”
Edgar nodded and wiped the moisture that had accumulated in Sylvia's eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
Raon clasped his hands, apologizing for speaking too much.
“No, big sister!”
Sia said she liked the sound of “big sister” and asked her to keep calling her that.
“Okay, big sister.”
Raon smiled slightly as he called her “big sister” as she wished.
'How strange.'
Sia’s red eyes, which had been chillingly eerie when she wore the helmet, now looked as tender as those of a lamb. Her bright eyes reflected only affection and curiosity.
“What does Raon like?”
Sia tilted her head after swallowing a bite of pasta she had twirled.
“I…”
-Meat! Say you like meat!
Wrath shouted his own preference, clamoring for meat.
“I don’t dislike any food, but what I like the most is stew.”
Raon set aside Wrath and mentioned the stew. Perhaps because in his past life he only ate cold food, he had been drawn to hot and soupy dishes since he was a child.
“Then eat this!”
Sia pushed the stew that Sylvia had served her towards Raon, having not touched it herself.
—So, what about you, big sister?
“Big sisters must give things to their little brothers!”
She waved her sauce-covered hand, smiling without a care in the world.
“Mom told me! Since I’m the big sister, I have to share!”
Sia nodded, looking at Sylvia.
“That too…”
Sylvia clenched her trembling hands and let out a low groan.
“It’s something I told her when I was pregnant with you.”
Finally, she couldn’t hold back and ran to Sia. Not caring that the food might stain her white clothes, she hugged her daughter tightly as if she would never let her go.
“Mom?”
Sia blinked with her round eyes, not understanding why Sylvia suddenly hugged her.
“How unfair, just you two!”
Edgar got up, unable to resist, and hugged Sia and Sylvia at the same time.
“Why are you doing this? You shouldn’t stand while eating!”
Sia frowned and said that her parents didn’t respect table manners. However, she didn’t push them away, as it apparently didn’t bother her to be hugged.
-Raon too!
Sia gestured for Raon to come over as well.
“Huh? Me too?”
Raon blinked and pointed to himself.
—Yes, Raon. Come here too.
Sylvia extended her hand, sobbing.
“That’s right! It’s not often that a family can hug together. If not now, we might never get the chance! Later, if Sia says ‘Don’t wash dad’s clothes with mine!’ I’ll just die!”
Edgar gestured for Raon to come quickly, saying this could be the only chance to hug Sia.
“No, I’m fine…”
Just as Raon was about to shake his head awkwardly, Sia spoke.
-Raon, come here too!
Sia pouted, and her eyes turned red. It seemed like tears could fall from her soft eyes at any moment.
-Are you going to make her cry? Are you going to make your big sister cry when she treats a weirdo like you as her brother?
Wrath wagged his tail, floating in the air as if he were extremely excited.
“Raon…”
Sia, Sylvia, and Edgar looked at him with puppy eyes, as if telling him to come quickly.
“Little mister?”
Even Helen and Judiel held hands, urging him to go to Sia.
“Ah…”
Raon let his shoulders droop weakly and then positioned himself between Sylvia and Edgar to hug Sia.
“Alright! I’ll let it slide for today!”
Sia patted his head and said she would forgive them for not respecting table manners. It was the second time, but curiously, she didn’t feel bad.
-Hehehe!
Wrath burst out laughing and started jumping in all directions. Raon frowned as he watched Wrath.
'Just imagine you ate all the ice cream...'
* * *
After finishing the most challenging breakfast of all time, Raon entered the guest room where Merlin was.
'Her breathing has stabilized.'
Yesterday, her mana had completely vanished, and her breathing was erratic, but now her breathing was calm. It seemed that her condition had naturally improved as her mana recovered. However, she was still unconscious, probably because her energy had been completely exhausted.
-It must have been really hard. Normally, she would have woken up as soon as you left.
'That’s right.'
He nodded slightly. Although he was worried about Merlin, what he felt yesterday was just his own intuition, and Federick had said she would be fine. For now, all he could do was wait for her to wake up.
“Mmm…”
Just as Raon was about to leave the room, a weak voice was heard. Turning around, he saw Merlin slowly opening her eyelids.
-Raon? Is this a dream?
Merlin blinked, wondering if she was dreaming as soon as she woke up.
Are you conscious? How do you feel?
Raon approached the bed again to look at Merlin.
“Oh! It’s real!”
Merlin covered her face with the blanket, her eyes wide open.
“Esmeray?”
“Go away!”
She told him to leave, almost for the first time.
-What is this? Why is that crazy...?
Even Wrath’s eyes widened, not understanding.
“How can I show you my face right after waking up?!”
Merlin kicked under the blanket, asking why he had come now.
“No, you’re wearing a mask…”
“That’s my face!”
She shouted that the mask was her face and told him to stay away even more.
“Oh…”
Raon scratched his neck and let out an empty sigh.
“Then, are you really okay?”
“Huh? Are you worried about me right now?”
Merlin chuckled and slightly lifted the blanket to show only the front of her mask with wrinkles engraved on it. He couldn’t understand what she considered her face and what she found embarrassing.
“…You suddenly fainted, so I got worried.”
“You don’t have to worry. I’m perfectly fine.”
She clenched her fist under the blanket and told him not to worry. Although she seemed fine, she was the type who didn’t pay attention to her own body, so he couldn’t fully trust her words.
“It’s embarrassing to show my bare face, but I’m happy to receive your concern.”
Merlin said she was pleased, turning her body from side to side.
“Esmeray.”
Raon tilted his head to Merlin, bringing his hands together in front of him.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, my mother and father were able to truly smile after such a long time.”
-It’s nothing. We aren’t strangers, after all.
“Eh? Huh…”
Sometimes, hearing jokes like that made him shudder and left him speechless.
-Is that a joke?
Wrath shook his head and said that it probably wasn’t.
“And don’t worry about my body. It’s just fatigue and loss of mana overlapping.”
Merlin extended her arms outward.
—Ah, I need to sleep a little more. I don’t think the fatigue has disappeared yet.
She gestured with her hand and said she would greet Sia later, so present her well.
“Okay. Rest well.”
Raon looked at Merlin’s hand before leaving the guest room. After asking Judiel to take good care of her, he stepped into the open space outside the annex. He was about to do some light exercises when he felt a gaze from behind. Sia was hiding behind the door, watching him.
“It seems we now have a cat.”
Sia seemed to think she was watching secretly, but her adult-sized body was completely visible. Raon sighed softly and demonstrated slightly the basic sword handling without aura. However, since he had reached transcendence, the mana in the air naturally followed him, creating bright blue lights like constellations.
“Wow!”
Sia immediately jumped, completely forgetting that she was supposed to be hiding, and grabbed a branch that was next to the woodpile.
-I know it too. Dad taught me!
When Raon was about to stop her, Sia waved the branch with a radiant smile. Whoosh! The aura from her energy center erupted violently with her gesture, splitting the ground and dividing the water of the lake in half.
“Oh no!”
Raon jumped forward onto the Supreme Harmony steps and blocked the attack with the sword that Sia had thrown. If he hadn’t intercepted it, it would have reached the entrance of the North Tomb Mountain behind them.
'I forgot.'
A chill ran down his spine. He had completely forgotten, but Sia still retained the body and aura of a Great Master.
'How should I handle this...?'
It was literally like a child holding a demon sword that could kill anyone, so he wasn’t sure how to control it.
“Hello, big sister.”
When Raon approached Sia, she frowned.
“Huh? It’s not coming out…”
Sia tilted her head and said the aura light wasn’t appearing.
“Mmm?”
Raon extended his aura perception to examine the inside of Sia’s body. As she said, her energy center was blocked as if sealed, and the aura wasn’t moving.
'How did she do this...?'
As he blinked in confusion, not understanding the reason, Sia waved her hand.
“Why are you doing that?!”
She frowned and looked at the air.
“Big sister?”
Raon called Sia, lowering his eyebrows.
Who are you talking to right now?
“Huh? Doesn’t Raon see it? Lavera knew Raon.”
Sia blinked her big eyes as if wondering why he didn’t know.
“Wash the clothes?”
Raon repeated the name Lavera and swallowed hard.
-That’s the name of the girl who was in the soul crystal!
Wrath clapped loudly.
'You’re right.'
The soul of the unfortunate girl who had been trapped in the soul crystal. The soul that had originally been filled with malice had told him her name was Lavera after he dispelled her curse just by playing with her.
'Did they really meet?'
He had hoped that Lavera’s soul would become friends with Sia while he purified her, and it seemed that wish had come true. A deep joy and happiness welled up in his chest.
“Lavera told me Raon is a very good boy! She said you played well with her!”
Sia chuckled and said that was why she could approach him right away.
“But now Lavera is interfering.”
She wrinkled her nose as if she were disgusted. From the situation, it seemed Lavera was repressing Sia’s aura.
“Big sister.”
Raon made eye contact with Sia and nodded.
“You shouldn’t use that shining power carelessly.”
“Why?”
“Other people could get hurt. From now on, promise me you’ll only use it when I’m nearby to observe.”
He extended his pinky finger, asking her to promise.
“Okay! I understand!”
Sia quickly linked her pinky with his, as if she was eager to play with him.
—But… you have to play with me every day, okay?
“Okay.”
—Then let’s start right now! Raon is the one!
She immediately ran out, saying they should play hide and seek. Her topic changes were ridiculously fast. She really was a little girl incarnate.
“One, two, three…”
Raon turned around and started counting, obediently taking the role of “it” with no possibility of refusing. After counting to sixty aloud, he turned around.
He had intended to suppress his aura perception to really follow the game, but he immediately saw Sia hiding behind the tree right in front of him.
'This is...'
What should he do? Sia seemed to think she was well-hidden, smiling with her flushed white cheeks, but her body was too large and completely visible.
-Kuhuhuh...
Wrath chuckled quietly, clearly trying to hold back laughter.
“Uh... where could she be?”
Raon forcibly averted his gaze from the clearly visible Sia and began to search for her.
“Pff!”
“Kuh…”
Even the maids who were watching burst into laughter.
-Ejejejejeje!
Wrath burst into a strange laugh, as if he wanted to return everything he had endured in his life today.
'Tonight, you’ll have nothing but Nadine’s bread for dinner...'
* * *
The next day, Raon headed to the training field of Lord’s Manor at Glenn’s order.
“You arrived quickly.”
Glenn nodded in approval.
“I greet the Head of House.”
“There’s no need for a formal greeting. This isn’t an official call.”
He gestured with his hand, indicating Raon to come closer.
“What is Sia doing?”
Glenn slightly turned his gaze.
“She fell asleep after eating something.”
Raon smiled slightly and said he had put her to bed before coming.
“She really is like a little girl.”
“Yes. It seems she has mentally returned to that age.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Glenn nodded and looked up at the air.
“Five years old is the cutest age. It would be a shame to miss it.”
He smiled gently, saying it would be regrettable not to see his granddaughter’s adorable antics.
“That’s true.”
Raon slightly lowered his eyebrows. Although Sia’s body was that of an adult woman, her behavior was so cute that it naturally made him smile just by looking at her.
“My mother and I have talked about her grandfather, so you can come visit her soon. She has a very lively personality, so I’m sure you’ll get along well soon.”
“Really?”
Glenn’s eyes widened with anticipation.
-Yes. Her personality is the opposite of mine.
Raon nodded and said he could trust him on this.
“Ahem. Then I should go tomorrow.”
Glenn’s lips trembled, showing that he was truly looking forward to it.
—But why did you call me here today?
Raon blinked and looked around the training field. He didn’t understand why Glenn had summoned him, as his training had been postponed.
“There’s something I wanted to show you.”
As soon as Glenn spoke, Karoon entered through the training field door. He had a noble look, like a general facing the battlefield.
“Today I’m going to train with that guy.”
He rubbed his chin with a strange smile.
“Let’s see how well you can keep up.”
-
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