Chapter 13
“What do you mean by that?”
“You caused all this trouble.”
Joshua’s voice was clear and sharp, as if he wasn’t even sleepy.
“Huh? No, we didn’t! We were chosen by the prophecy, right?”
Solphy stammered, spilling words in a panic. She realized she looked too flustered, but it was too late to take it back.
“Really?”
“Yes!”
“I could give you at least five pieces of evidence that you started it.”
Joshua said casually.
“E-Evidence… what do you mean…”
“First, your handwriting. The little loop at the top of the ‘O’ in the prophecy—that’s your habit.”
“Lots of people write like that! Ricco does too. Maybe it wasn’t me but Ricco?”
“There was a single silver hair in my prophecy.”
“There are so many silver hairs in the world! Grandpa Candy Tree has white hair too!”
Solphy argued even though she knew it was a weak point.
“I saw you opening a sketchbook and writing something yesterday. You must’ve written the prophecy.”
“That’s not proof. How would you know if I was writing the prophecy or just a letter to a friend?”
“The sketchbook is the proof.”
“What?” Solphy’s eyes went wide at the unexpected answer.
“If you put a sheet of paper on top and wrote, there would be marks left underneath. You press hard when you write.”
Solphy groaned. Were there marks left in the sketchbook? She wouldn’t know until she checked.
“Want to bet? Whether the sketchbook has marks or not.”
“No. I don’t want to bet and lose.”
Muttering “I give up,” Solphy raised both hands. If he already knew, there was nothing to hide. She decided to tell the truth.
“When I was little, I came to this shop with my mom. Actually, the Candy Tree was in the south, but we moved it here to the capital with me.”
Solphy’s memories of her mother were hazy, like fog. All she remembered was that her mother felt warm like sunlight, and smelled soft like milk when she held her.
“I would sit in my mom’s arms at the Candy Tree, and she would pick sugar-free candy or nutritional jellies for me.”
She looked around the Candy Tree as if tracing memories. She remembered how beautiful the Candy Tree full of candy had looked the first time she came.
“I used to play a game with my mom, giving each candy a little story. Now that she’s gone, I do it alone.”
It felt bitter at first, but now she felt a little different.
“If I meet my mom again someday, I’ll tell her all the candy stories I made!”
“So in the end, it’s not the candy shop you want to protect—it’s your mother.”
Joshua said sharply.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Solphy hugged her knees and muttered.
“Do kids without moms talk about moms?”
She had suggested it first, but didn’t expect much. She wouldn’t be surprised if Joshua ignored her. Actually, she would be more surprised if he accepted it…
“You go first.”
Solphy’s eyes went wide at his answer.
Where should she start? After a moment of thinking, she spoke.
“My mom died when I was three, so I don’t remember much. Actually… about my dad too. Not my current dad, my old dad.”
Even though time had blurred most memories, this place held clear ones. This was why Solphy wanted to protect the Candy Tree.
“What happened was a carriage accident.”
Marcelo’s knights had defeated the dragon and returned to the capital, where a celebration was held.
“My parents got on a carriage to attend the celebration. They rode all night to not be late. But a huge rock fell, and the carriage plunged off a cliff.”
“You were lucky to survive.”
“I was sick at home then, so I was safe.”
Solphy spoke plainly, deliberately keeping emotion out when talking about her parents’ accident. It was too much to handle.
“What about you, Joshua?”
Having said her part, Solphy glanced at Joshua. He must miss his mother too. That’s why he looks for someone like Serena to be a mother figure, isn’t it?
“My mother died on my fifth birthday.”
“On your birthday?”
Solphy couldn’t help raising her voice.
Marcelo had said birthdays should be the happiest day, a day just for you. No matter what, your birthday should be special.
Solphy had fought with Marcelo the day before her birthday, but when the day came, he celebrated her like nothing had happened.
‘Although we fought again the next day!’
Thinking of when Marcelo was a rookie dad, Solphy shook her head. She had grown a lot, and so had he.
“My mother…”
Joshua spoke slowly, as if lost in memory.
“She had blonde hair and red eyes like me. My father used to say her blonde hair was like sunshine. My father also has red eyes, but he said her eyes were like flames, bright enough to burn everything. I agree with that.”
Solphy imagined Joshua’s mother: golden hair like the sun, fiery eyes like Joshua, a beautiful woman.
Her look… maybe like Serena?
“She was cold and strict, but gentle and kind to me. She could be cruel, but with me, she was like an angel.”
His voice sounded distant as he spoke. Though he was beside Solphy physically, mentally he was lost in memories of his mother.
“She liked taking care of plants. She said plants were good because they don’t talk. Humans talk too much, which is annoying.”
“Do you agree with that?”
“Of course.”
Normally quiet Joshua spoke surprisingly much when talking about his mother. Solphy was a little shocked by all the details.
‘I’ve forgotten a lot about my parents.’
So Solphy didn’t feel sad or miss them much. They were faint watercolor-like memories.
But Joshua didn’t forget. He held every memory firmly, swallowing it into himself.
‘He must have really loved his mother.’
Thinking of that made Solphy’s heart ache.
“…Why are you crying?”
“Because it’s sad.”
“But it’s not your story.”
“I know how you feel.”
Solphy wiped her tears and patted Joshua’s shoulder. He lightly brushed her hand away.
“So cold.”
Chewing on her coffee candy, Solphy continued.
“I understand how you feel. I miss my parents too. When friends talk about their moms, I feel jealous sometimes.”
At times like that, Solphy also felt a hollow spot in her heart.
“So that’s why you look for Serena?”
“No.”
Joshua’s expression changed instantly. The slight emotion he had shown disappeared completely, leaving a blank face.
“You need your mother for your family to be complete.”
“Huh?”
Unexpected words made Solphy tilt her head.
“A mother is necessary to complete a family. Everyone has a mom and dad. Lacking one means the family is incomplete.”
Joshua’s eyes narrowed.
“That’s unpleasant.”
“Hm…”
Solphy just scratched her head, without answering.
“You don’t understand.”
“I didn’t say anything…”
“It shows on your face.”
Joshua said coldly. Solphy had no choice but to speak.
“Honestly, I don’t get it. I’ve never thought about it. I miss my parents, and I envy friends who have both, but my dad treats me well, so it’s not lacking.”
Solphy didn’t feel the absence of parents strongly. Marcelo fulfilled the role well.
“Besides, my dad said families can take many forms.”
“Many forms?”
“Yes! So it’s not strange if you don’t have a mom.”
There are kids with only a mom, only a dad, or neither.
In the borderlands where Marcelo used to work, this was very common.
“Sometimes, a village would disappear if monsters appeared.”
For those living peacefully in the capital, it was unimaginable. Solphy quietly added:
“Still, we’re lucky to at least have a dad, right?”
Someone who supports you, stands strong no matter what, even if not two, at least one was there.
“I’m satisfied. I like my dad. I’m happy.”
Solphy hadn’t accepted Marcelo as her dad from the start. They clashed, pushed away, and had awkward moments.
But they came to accept each other as family.
‘When I first called him dad, he cried.’
Because it was funny, Solphy used to tease him by calling him “uncle.”
[Uncle!]
[She’s calling you dad!]
[Unc-lee~]
[Ugh.]
‘But dad, I can tease you like this because I know you won’t abandon me or hate me.’
It was a joke made possible by deep trust. Marcelo knew this, so he wasn’t hurt.
Though he pouted a little.
“That’s your opinion.”
Joshua turned his head sharply.
“I hate imperfection.”
“You’re different from me.”
Solphy didn’t need parents, she just missed them.
But Joshua needed his mother—for himself and his sense of completeness.
‘What kind of child is Joshua?’
Solphy grew curious. Most kids in Giraffe Class had come from Hippo Class, so they knew each other well, good or bad.
Some joined in Penguin Class, but none were like Joshua, who was completely new.
‘I want to know this Joshua who’s so different from me.’
You have to know your enemy to win.
This was necessary to compete over Teacher Serena.
“Joshua. You…”
Then—
Ding.
A faint sound. It was the “alert bell” magic tool set up so it would ring if any part of the Candy Tree opened.
“W-Who’s here! At this hour…”
“The arsonist, probably.”
Unlike the panicking Solphy, Joshua calmly woke the sleeping children.
Solphy bit her nails, nervous. She had imagined this scene many times, but now her legs shook in reality.
“Why, are you scared?”
“No!”
When Joshua asked, Solphy lightly slapped her own cheek.
They were fully prepared. Now all that was left was to face it!
‘I can do this!’
Solphy stepped forward bravely.
