CHAPTER 81…………………………………
I really didn’t want to go this far…
“Agh, our Dad Harzen is still working so hard even now. So he can’t even properly see me.”
“No…”
“But if Grandpa doesn’t work just so he can play with me, how sad would Dad be?”
Once again, I puffed out my cheeks and sighed dramatically, deliberately dropping Harzen Dad’s name.
Grandpa seemed momentarily taken aback, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.
“You…”
He then looked at Derek Dad and spoke.
“Take good care of him.”
“…Understood.”
Derek Dad also exchanged a glance with Grandpa and nodded resolutely.
So… what exactly is going on here…?
After that, I finally got the time I wanted to “get closer” with Fer.
Of course, it was still under the supervision of our guardians.
“I don’t even know what I can say because of Derek Dad.”
Glancing at Derek Dad, who was standing ten steps away from us, I let out a troubled sigh.
Let’s sort out the situation first.
Right now, Fer and I are meeting for the first time since the previous commotion.
We haven’t even properly introduced ourselves yet.
Perfect.
“Um, hi.”
Consciously aware of Derek Dad, I awkwardly extended my hand for a handshake.
“I’m Cecilia Miller, and I’m seven years old.”
“…”
“You can just call me CC. Everyone calls me that.”
Good, that’s pretty natural.
“I didn’t have any friends here before. Now that this happened, I want to be good friends with you.”
Preferably, a friend with whom I can exchange valuable information.
“Let’s share info about saving Mom~♥”
“So don’t bother with formalities. Just treat me like a friend, okay?”
I finished speaking and smiled proudly.
Good. That lays the groundwork well enough.
Now, if Fer just picks it up, things can go back to normal!
“….”
But Fer, whether aware of my intentions or not, stared at my outstretched hand and smirked.
“I told you not to touch even the tip of my fingers.”
A mischievous smile stretched across his lips more than usual.
‘Already teasing me.’
Still, he seemed to understand what I was saying.
“This much is fine. I’ll beat Grandpa.”
I arrogantly tilted my chin and said.
Only then did Fer take my hand and smile softly.
“Yeah, I’ll trust you.”
“Hehe.”
Good. That should roughly settle things.
‘Now… what else should I say?’
I glanced again at Derek Dad to gauge his reaction.
Naturally, Dad was watching us intently.
He had at least stepped back because I wanted to talk with Fer alone.
‘At this distance, he’s probably hearing everything we’re saying.’
Not only that.
There was even a chance he could read our lips.
‘I have so many things I want to ask…’
At this rate, I can’t ask anything…
“Ah-ha.”
At that moment, Fer let out a small exclamation, as if he understood, and then…
Clack!
He lightly tapped his two fingers together.
“You can speak freely now.”
Finally, with a more relaxed demeanor, Fer opened his mouth.
“Our conversation will sound like ordinary talk to your Dad.”
“Huh?”
I opened my eyes wide and looked at him.
“How is that possible?”
“It distorts perception.”
Fer shrugged once and tugged the corner of his lips.
“It’s not a particularly difficult magic.”
I highly doubt that.
No matter how I look at it, it seems like incredibly complex and difficult magic.
‘Is it only possible because of Derek Dad?’
Maybe it works because Derek Dad is clueless about magic.
“Anyway, go ahead and speak now.”
He then crossed his arms and asked me.
“Why did you leave me earlier?”
“That… wait, is that important right now?”
We have so much else to talk about.
“Of course it’s important.”
Fer said confidently in response to my words.
“Do you know how hurt I was back then?”
He didn’t seem hurt at all.
I muttered to myself and cleared my throat.
“That was for your sake. Anyway, now that we’ve met again, it’s fine, right?”
“You shouldn’t have left me if it was for my sake.”
“But if I had shown off there, your situation… well, anyway.”
I placed both hands on my hips and asked sharply.
“Is this the method you came up with?”
“Why? You don’t like it? Anyway, now I can be by your side.”
Fer asked, eyes wide as if he couldn’t understand.
“No, it’s not about liking it or not…”
I exhaled deeply and continued.
“It feels suspiciously natural, like water flowing, so it feels… weird.”
“Ah-ha.”
Fer slowly nodded at my words and then said meaningfully, avoiding my gaze.
“…Well, it shouldn’t affect your perception, so it should be fine.”
I gaped.
What exactly did you do, you little rascal!?
No wonder everything went so smoothly without any opposition.
He really did use a trick!
‘Of course. Otherwise, there’s no way he could entrust a child with guarding duties.’
Derek Dad probably overlooked it because he’s always been extraordinary since childhood.
Other people couldn’t even believe Fer was the top of the wizard recruitment exam.
“Brainwashing? Hypnosis? Which is it?”
I looked Fer over carefully.
Either way, it sounded bad…
‘If… just hypothetically…’
If Fer’s ability could sway the hearts of the self-proclaimed “world guardians”…
“Neither.”
But Fer shook his head firmly, as if he could read my mind.
“I can amplify feelings, but I can’t create feelings that aren’t there. I can’t plant the thought in them that they shouldn’t touch your mom.”
“Ah…”
Then it can’t be helped.
I clicked my tongue.
Still, amplifying feelings…
“So, the palace people trusted you completely?”
How did that even happen?
Fer shrugged casually at my question.
“There’s no place more meritocratic for talent than in magic. The small fry like before might not know, but…”
“Is that… so?”
Thinking of Harzen Dad, maybe that’s true.
Still, Fer seems only a year or two older than me.
Entrusting research and guarding duties to a ten-year-old… does that make sense?
‘Though having four dads isn’t exactly a world with common sense either.’
Considering my parents went off to fight the Demon King, it’s not entirely incomprehensible…
Still!
“Well, of course, they didn’t trust me blindly at first.”
Looking at Fer with disbelief, he slowly confessed.
“They started trusting me when I tried to blow up the lab.”
“That was blackmail!”
Not brainwashing, not hypnosis… blackmail!
“You’re really a scary kid.”
I shivered and took a step back from Fer.
Fer, in response, moved closer as I stepped back, lowering his eyebrows.
“If you don’t like it, I won’t do it anymore.”
“That’s not how it works. Even if I don’t dislike it, you can’t do it.”
“But you don’t dislike it. Why can’t I do it?”
“….”
“Okay, I won’t do it.”
