NOVPUBWith the shopping done, we stepped back out into the late afternoon sun, which was already starting to dip low in the sky.
Ella stretched with a soft sigh, fanning her head with her hand.
"Ice cream," she mumbled.
I blinked.
"What?"
She turned, her silver hair catching the light like strands of moonlight.
Her expression was almost pouty.
"I said… I want ice cream."
"…You're not even being subtle about it."
"I don't want to be," she said, lifting her chin.
"I'm on a date. I deserve to be spoiled."
I chuckled under my breath, glancing toward the nearby food stalls.
"There's a place near the fountain. Let's go."
"Mhm!" she subtly nodded, quickly grabbing my hand and interlacing her fingers with mine.
Now, she wasn't as shy as before, instead, she acted like we did this every day.
She looked cute nonetheless.
Upon reaching the stall near the fountain, the old man who ran the place smiled warmly at the sight of us.
"Welcome, welcome!" he said, peering over the top of his glasses.
"A couple, are we?"
Ella flushed red immediately.
"W-We're not—!"
'Ah... I guess she's still shy when someone directly addresses our relationship.' I smiled inwardly.
'...If I'm not wrong, I saw Ella eating a strawberry ice cream back in the capital...'
With that in mind, I leaned on the counter, glancing over the list for a moment.
"Two cones. One strawberry, and one vanilla."
"Oho~ someone knows what the lady likes," the man teased, chuckling as he prepared them.
"I'm quite observant," I said smoothly, glancing at Ella.
She avoided my gaze, pretending to study the flower cart across the street.
When the old man handed me the cones, he winked. "She's a lovely one. You take good care of her, boy."
'....Ugh.'
"I plan to."
Ella looked like she was about to explode.
Shortly after, we found a bench a short walk away, nestled beside a quiet tree-lined path with the lake barely visible through the leaves.
I handed her the pink cone, and she took it with a small, shy nod.
"…Thank you," she mumbled softly.
I sat beside her, unwrapping the napkin from mine and taking a slow bite.
"Mmm."
She watched me from the corner of her eye.
"You act like you're in some dessert commercial."
"I'm appreciating it. Isn't that what people on dates do?"
She puffed her cheeks.
"You're teasing me again."
"Always."
She took her first bite—and immediately, a soft dab of ice cream clung to the edge of her lip.
I tilted my head, grinning.
"Messy."
"Huh?"
Before she could react, I reached over and gently wiped it off with my thumb.
"There. Now you don't look like a child."
Ella stared at me.
And then—
"…You're evil."
A blush crept up to her face.
'Gosh, she easily gets flustered.'
"Only when I'm having fun," I replied.
We kept eating in silence for a moment.
Ella swung her legs a little, like she didn't know what to do with her energy. Her eyes kept glancing up at me, then down to her ice cream, then back to me again.
"…You really like ice cream, huh?" I asked.
She gave a small, sheepish smile.
"Mm. It's sweet. Makes me forget stuff for a bit."
Then, I stood up, brushing my new shirt with a small sigh.
"It's getting late," I said gently.
Her eyes turned directly to me.
One could easily see the disappointment on them. But unfortunately, it was already getting late, and I still wanted to enjoy a bit of time with my family.
And also check on the progress of Ruli and Leaf.
She rose, her hands still wrapped around the now half-melted cone, and turned to face me.
We looked at each other for a long moment as her green eyes slightly lowered.
I slipped my hands into my pockets, offering her a small smile.
"Guess this is goodbye… for now."
Ella's fingers curled tighter around the napkin, her voice was barely a whisper.
"Y-Yeah…"
Her cheeks were tinged pink, and her lips parted like she wanted to say something more—but she bit her lower lip instead, uncertain.
'That look…'
I sighed, my lips curving into a faint smile.
"C'mere."
She blinked.
"Eh—?"
I stepped forward, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her in slowly.
No rush, just enough to let her decide.
And she did.
She leaned in, her body fitting against mine like she'd done it a hundred times in her dreams.
With one hand, I gently cupped the back of her head, fingers brushing through the soft curtain of her hair.
Then, I dipped down and kissed her—softly—on her forehead.
Her breath hitched.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Princess."
Ella didn't answer at first. She just… leaned her forehead against my chest, as if trying to memorize the feeling of it.
Then, finally, she mumbled.
"…Okay…"
—
Creeack...
The hotel door clicked open with a quiet creak.
"I'm home."
I didn't even get to take a proper step in—
SPLAT!
"GUHH—?!"
And then, something cold, gooey, and very much alive launched at me.
A wave of soft texture and wet slime hit my chest and wrapped around my arm, followed by something even softer—
"Welcome back!"
Two voices rang out, sweet and far too excited.
One squishy, glowy, and giggling.
The other warm, gentle… and currently clinging to my side like a kitten.
"Lumi... and Chaerin." I staggered back a step, arms full of glowing blue jelly and a very enthusiastic black haired girl.
Chaerin giggled, her ears twitching, face snuggled against my shoulder.
Lumi, meanwhile, had molded her gooey form over half of me, her glowing eyes shimmering with mischief.
"...Was this your idea?" I raised an eyebrow down at the grinning blob now hugging my neck.
Lumi beamed.
"Hihihi~ well, of course! I mean, we haven't seen you all day, Master Aestrea! That's basically a war crime!"
"You were only alone for, what, five hours?"
"Exactly! Torture!" she puffed her cheeks.
Chaerin giggled softly, still not letting go.
"I missed you too..." she whispered, hugging me tighter.
I sighed, though there was the faintest smile tugging at my lips.
"…You two are going to kill me one day."
"Only with love~!" Lumi chimed, wrapping herself tighter around me like a clingy scarf.
I chuckled at her words, patting slightly her goomy head.
Then, I peeled Lumi off my chest—and off my shoulder, and off my arm—I finally managed to slip past the threshold of the hotel room.
Chaerin was still latched onto me like a koala, humming happily.
But I had something to check first.
"Alaine," I called out softly as I walked toward the quieter room at the end of the suite.
A gentle rustle answered me.
And then, the door opened.
She wore her usual black and white maid uniform, pristine and formal, though her eyes softened immediately when she saw me.
"My Lord," she curtsied lightly, then stepped closer.
"Welcome back."
Strangely, since yesterday, she started calling me, "My Lord", which I didn't exactly mind, but it felt strange nonetheless.
I reached out and gently took her hand, bringing it to my lips.
Her cheeks flushed the lightest pink.
"Have was your day? I asked.
"Good. But I did miss you… terribly."
I smiled faintly.
"I'm home now."
With one last squeeze of her fingers, I pulled away and returned to the main room, where Chaerin was now bouncing on the couch like an excited bunny.
She perked up the moment I turned to her.
"So," I said, leaning against the armrest.
"How's Ruli and Leaf's training going?"
Chaerin puffed her chest proudly, her ears twitching excitedly.
"Papa! They've officially hit E-rank in strength and vitality! And their Agility's D+ now!" she grinned. "Their mana's also up to D-, but! They've already mastered all the basic provisional spells you gave them!"
I paused for a moment, absorbing the info.
Then, I frowned.
"…That fast, huh?"
But then, something tugged at the back of my mind.
Ding!
A lit-up light bulb appeared on top of my head.
Methaphorically speaking, of course.
"Chaerin," I said slowly, narrowing my eyes with a playful glint, "you can copy spells just by watching them… right?"
She blinked, tilting her head.
"…Yup?" she said, clearly confused by where I was going with this.
I smirked.
"Then it's simple. Just watch YouTube videos of lightning and water spells—copy them—and teach them to Ruli and Leaf."
There was a second of stunned silence.
Then—
POP!
Her eyes lit up like exploding fireworks.
"PAPA, YOU'RE A GENIUS!!"
Without even waiting for another word, she spun around like a whirlwind and launched herself straight toward the training room.
A slime trail whizzed behind her—Lumi had attached herself to her back like a backpack.
"LEEEEAAAFFF!! RULIIIIIII!!! TRAINING UPDATE!!" she cried.
I sighed, rubbing my temple with a wry smile.
"…That girl's got enough energy to power a country."
Alaine stepped beside me, a soft laugh escaping her lips as she wrapped her delicate arm around me, putting her head on top of my right shoulder.
"She takes after you, no doubt."
I chuckled.
She's not even my child, but I'm also starting to think that she does.
Mhm...
This Saturday, I should spend more time with them.
Maybe another little family trip. Besides, the rift to Yara's home is almost completed, so I should also visit her when it's done.
Well...
I have time for all of that.
