~Chapter 10~
“H-hello….”
Should I not have come?
From upstairs, the house hadn’t looked this huge….
I gulped hard, my eyes darting everywhere.
Balux said I could come, didn’t he?
My plan was just to hang out with him and then “accidentally” run into Grandpa, but somehow I got invited straight into the drawing room the moment I arrived.
Wait… why was I called here?
Was this even really an invitation?
My head spun. I hadn’t expected anything this formal. Honestly, I was just hoping I wouldn’t get ignored….
“The other day…”
“Y-yes! Hiccup! Hic!”
I hadn’t even sat down yet, but I was so tense my hiccups exploded out.
“I-I’m so, hic! Sorry, hiccup!”
Oh no. What do I do?!
I quickly clapped my tiny hands over my mouth.
But that just made it worse—my body kept jerking up from the suppressed hiccups.
Grandpa opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, then sighed heavily instead.
The butler rushed in with a glass of water. I grabbed it and gulped it down, my shoulders trembling.
“S-sorry…”
“It’s fine.”
I gripped my skirt tight, bracing myself.
“You’ve grown a lot. I think the last time I saw you, you were still a baby.”
Grown a lot?
…Was that supposed to be sarcasm? Like, How dare a thing like you grow up in my house?
But Dad always said I was too small. So was that just because Dad was biased?
“Sorry for… for growing too much….”
“…What?”
“I-I’ll try to shrink more….”
Maybe if I eat less, I’ll shrink…. Did I eat too much already?
Why does his face look so scary? Maybe meeting Grandpa was way too soon….
All kinds of thoughts swirled in my head. I felt like I was about to panic.
Wait—did Balux trick me?
Maybe all that laughing and playing around was just an act, all leading up to this moment….
I turned my head. Balux was looking at me and… smiling a little.
See?!
Ugh, I got played!
“Hah, you’re tiny as it is. What use would you be if you got even smaller?”
“Uh… well…”
No, wait. I should prove I’m useful.
Dad said Grandpa likes talented kids, after all.
I screwed my eyes shut and blurted out:
“G-Grand—no, Y-your Grace, sir! I-I have healing powers…!”
Argh, I bit my tongue from being too nervous.
And I blurted it in the most awkward, chopped-up way possible. My face flushed hot.
“I-I mean, I’ve got an ability. A healing ability…!”
“Heh…”
I stammered, stomping my little feet nervously, and Grandpa suddenly let out a low chuckle. Then—“Hahaha!”—he bent over, laughing hard.
I blinked at him.
…Why’s he laughing?
“Who’d have thought the useless youngest son would have a kid like you.”
“R-right?! My dad’s really smart and kind of a genius… I’m the one who’s lacking.”
“The lacking one is my youngest. Never could be affectionate.”
He clicked his tongue, then gestured at the sofa.
“Sit.”
“O-okay.”
“See, Grandpa? Lady’s cute, right?”
Wait, huh? He didn’t trick me?
I shot Balux a side glance, and he just grinned, plopping down next to me and handing me a cookie.
“Well then. I only called you here to see your face, so no need to be nervous.”
“R-right. Anyway… since I can heal people, that makes me useful! I read in a book that healing powers are really rare—is that true?”
Grandpa gave me a strange look, but he nodded slowly.
“Yes. Extremely rare.”
“Then… that means I’m useful now, right?”
I beamed at him.
But Grandpa just stared at me, his face unreadable.
After a short silence, he finally asked:
“…Why do you keep bringing up ‘usefulness’?”
“Because Dad said you like kids with strong powers. Kids who are useful.”
His eyes widened.
“I’m glad I turned out useful, then!”
Now that Grandpa had acknowledged me, it was time to start working on fixing things between him and Dad.
But when I looked back up, Grandpa was staring at me with a stiff, frozen face.
…Wait. Did I screw that up?
Awkward. I really wanted to bolt. I turned my gaze to the window, pretending to admire the clear sky.
“…Your father told you that?”
“Uh… y-yeah.”
Crap. That was a mistake.
I shouldn’t have repeated Dad’s words. I should’ve said something about wanting to help Grandpa, or wanting to help the family. Something smarter.
“And… I want to help you too, Grandpa. And the family, of course! You even let me stay here even though I’m technically an outsider!”
“…”
The air grew heavier. Yeah, something was definitely wrong.
“And, um…”
What else could I say?
“Oh! I can heal any injuries, too! Even if my cousins get hurt, I can patch them up right away! That’s a big plus, right?!”
I kept rattling off points, forcing a laugh.
“A-amazing, huh?!”
Ugh. This was a disaster.
I buried my face in my hands, sighing deeply.
This wasn’t how my plan was supposed to go. I always ramble like an idiot when I get nervous. Should’ve just done like Dad and stayed quiet.
“I-I can heal most things….”
Well, except people who are literally on death’s door. That might kill me instead.
“T-the cookies are tasty, though…”
I chomped down on one, trying to laugh it off. But the mood still wouldn’t budge.
“If only I had Dad’s hot cocoa too… that’d be perfect.”
I even muttered that nonsense, but nope—still tense.
I turned and caught the butler’s eyes glistening with tears. Then I turned back to Grandpa’s still-stiff expression.
Yeah. This was hopeless.
Better just shut up and eat cookies.
“…I don’t only care about kids who are ‘useful.’”
I froze.
Oh no—so even if I am useful, if I don’t meet his standards, I’m still out?
“A-ah! Don’t worry, I’m not saying I want to join the ducal house!”
I forced a smile.
“Actually, Dad’s the genius one. He’s always working hard on developing healing medicine. But….”
Hmm. Should I ask him to let Dad stop making medicine?
“…If you’re mad at Dad, I hope you can forgive him. That’s… what I wanted to say. I’ll work hard too, so I can be helpful!”
I clenched my fists.
All I want is for Dad to be happy.
Ever since I got a second chance at life, that’s all I’ve thought about. How can I make Dad live his own life? How can I make him happy?
“Oh! Right.”
I waved my arms, eyes wide.
I remembered the hurt look in Dad’s eyes. And the way he said Grandpa didn’t know how to love people.
“Can’t you love Dad too…?”
“…What?”
Grandpa stared at me, completely thrown.
Okay, yeah. I get it. Some random granddaughter he barely remembers shows up and asks him to love his estranged son—of course it’s weird.
“W-well, sure, Dad’s powers are kinda… meh. But still! He can grow plants! That means farming, orchards, herbs, all that stuff!”
Honestly, his research was amazing.
If he’d had proper funding and been able to publish papers, he could’ve lived a way better life.
“Dad’s really, really smart! He’s got tons of research notes!”
If only Grandpa would look at them, acknowledge him….
Back then, before I died, Dad was always alone. Always locked in the basement, researching by himself.
So he must’ve been lonely too.
If only someone had been there for him. Someone to cheer him on, comfort him, tell him it was okay. Someone to care for him when he was sick.
“If it’s because of me… don’t worry. Dad doesn’t know yet, but I’m planning to live independently. When I’m about fifteen….”
Grandpa’s eyebrow twitched.
“T-thirteen! I’m not as smart as Dad, but I’m still clever enough…!”
His face didn’t soften at all.
Uh-oh. That’s still too young. No one would even hire me.
“T-ten…?”
I squeezed my eyes shut and threw out my last desperate offer.
“…”
Silence. Cold, suffocating silence.
