“We'll see in a month. Just come right here and call my name. Oh, by the way, you wouldn't be too scared to show up then, would you~?”
Semilis looked at Shulim provokingly.
“I'll definitely be here! You'd better not run away instead, Semilis!”
Upon hearing this adorable attempt at a threat, Semilis felt as though she had heard the funniest joke in the world. She clutched her stomach, flipping over and over in the air once again.
Shulim's face flushed a deep crimson from embarrassment, and she spun around to storm off in a huff.
She hadn't gone far when a voice drifted over from a distance behind her.
“Remember, it's seven elements of magic! Don't get it wrong, li~ttle~ ba~by~! ”
This was immediately followed by another round of raucous laughter.
Shulim only quickened her pace.
...
...
The sky was gradually dyed a deep crimson.
Shulim's tiny figure appeared at the gates of the Hayeral household.
“You're back quite late today. Father was almost about to go look for you.”
Rezerian, who was standing at the entrance, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Shulim return, but he immediately noticed that his youngest daughter's expression seemed off.
“What's wrong, Shulim? Did something happen?”
Shulim was just about to tell her father about what had happened today, but the moment she thought of that obnoxious face mocking her, she felt a fresh wave of annoyance rise within her.
“It's nothing, Father. I just met an annoying fellow. By the way, Father, do we have any magic books at home?”
“Magic books? Let me think... Yes, we do. They're in my study. On the bookshelf to the left, there are some books on magic...”
“Thank you, Father!”
Without waiting for Rezerian to finish, Shulim dashed inside the house.
Watching his youngest daughter's hurrying back, Rezerian stroked his chin.
“Did she get into a fight with her little friends?”
In Rezerian's eyes, for such a young child to call someone an “annoying fellow,” it was undoubtedly a peer of the same age.
“Oh, right, how many words does Shulim actually know by now...”
Looking at the now empty courtyard, Rezerian shook his head.
“I'll ask her at dinner.”
Meanwhile, somewhere in the forest outside Mente Town.
“Achoo!”
A certain fairy with an angelic face rubbed her nose.
“How strange. I feel like someone is disrespecting me. Whatever, I'll punish them by making them fall the next time they sit on a chair.”
...
The Hayeral family's study.
Shulim dragged over a stool and stood in front of the bookshelf on the left.
“Not this one... not this one either... this... Ah, found it!”
Just as Shulim was about to pull out the magic book—
“Shulim.”
Yamen's voice came from outside the study.
“It's time for dinner.”
Her small hand froze midair. Shulim turned her head to look outside. The sky had already gradually darkened.
Shulim hesitated. Although they were at the absolute bottom of the nobility, a rural Knight household, they were still a rare hereditary Knight family. The Hayeral family adhered strictly to noble etiquette. According to noble custom, on ordinary days, young noble children had to cease all activities and prepare for bed after having dinner.
“Shulim?”
Just then, her mother Lilia's voice sounded from outside as well.
“Mmh...”
Shulim sighed.
“I'll come back tomorrow.”
She withdrew her little hand, which had been reaching for the magic book.
“I'm coming, Mother!”
After responding from inside the study, Shulim wiped the stool clean and moved it back to its original spot.
She then opened the door of the study and walked out.
As she stepped out, she suddenly felt a weight lift from her heart for some reason. The tight sense of urgency driven by her spite slowly dissipated.
She stopped in her tracks and turned back to look at the study thoughtfully.
In there, she seemed to see a familiar figure throwing a tantrum at someone, and she understood. Doing that was no good. Magic wasn't that kind of thing.
After standing in silence for a moment, Shulim gently closed the study door.
Only much later did Shulim realize that, through her mother's call, her mind had stumbled into a moment of growth. It was because of this that she was rarely driven by her emotions on her future path, allowing her to survive one crisis after another.
...
Dinner time.
At the Hayeral family dining table, the entire household sat together, performing their pre-meal prayers.
At the head of the long, rectangular table sat the current head of the Hayeral family, Knight Rezerian Hayeral.
Seated down the left side was Rezerian's wife, Lilia, followed by their third daughter, Luti, and the twin fifth and sixth daughters, Lumia and Lucia.
Down the right side sat their second son, Reid, their fourth son, Yamen, and their youngest daughter, Shulim. Normally, their eldest son, Sieg, would have taken the first seat on the right side, but because Sieg had gone to study at the Imperial Knight Academy, everyone else automatically moved up one spot.
As for the seat directly opposite the head of the table, it was usually reserved for guests, and family members did not sit there.
Aside from the Hayeral family, there was a middle-aged butler in his forties named Lorenz, an elderly housekeeper named Mrs. Yeager, and a maid named Jessica, who was the daughter of a tavern owner in Mente Town. Since her family's tavern didn't need so many hands, she had come to work as a maid for the Hayerals. Because she was a good cook, Rezerian paid her an extra wage to also serve as their chef, which saved them the expense of hiring a dedicated cook.
As servants, they did not dine at the same table as the masters; they would have their meals separately after the family finished dining.
If this arrangement of servants were placed in an ordinary commoner's family in the empire, it would undoubtedly be considered the setup of an upper-class household. However, the reality was that even though they were at the very bottom, they still belonged to the aristocratic class.
The Hayeral family's setup was actually rather shabby—unmistakably that of rural nobility.
“...May the blessings of the Six Gods be with us.”
Once the prayer was finished, Rezerian opened his eyes and lowered his hands.
“May the blessings of the Six Gods be with us.”
The others immediately finished their prayers as well.
When Shulim lowered her hands, a strange feeling suddenly welled up inside her. After all, reciting the prayer was merely a common folk tradition in the past; no one took it seriously, and whether they did it or not had no real effect. However...
...Wasn't that a real, genuine Blessing?
“What's wrong, Shulim? Do you have no appetite?”
Noticing his youngest daughter wasn't moving, Rezerian asked with concern.
“It's nothing, Father.”
Shulim shook her head, picked up her spoon, scooped up some porridge, and put it in her mouth. Mmh, the taste was sweet and refreshing. It was brewed with her favorite bobom powder.
Besides the porridge, her plate also had a serving of stewed gudong chicken, a slice of bread spread with honey, and a quarter of a sliced luoxia fruit.
Everyone else's dinner was mostly the same, only differing in portion size.
Seeing his youngest daughter begin to eat, Rezerian also continued with his spoon, though his mind was busy wondering.
He had originally wanted to ask Shulim what had happened during the day, but it seemed she was still sulking about her friend. Bringing up something that made her unhappy at a time like this would only sour her mood further. Still, what should a father do? Should he go and talk to the other party? Well... but it would be a bit awkward for an adult to meddle in children's business...
“Dear, has Sieg written to us recently?”
Lilia's sudden question interrupted Rezerian's train of thought.
Rezerian replied, “No letters. Didn't his letter last month say that they were going to participate in a field training exercise and wouldn't be in contact for a while?”
“Isn't it over yet? I thought a month would be enough.”
“Hehe, how could it end so quickly? Back when I participated in field training, I spent a whole half-year in the wilderness. I was practically a savage when I returned to the city!”
Rezerian laughed. Now that he had started reminiscing about his youth, his youngest daughter's issues were completely forgotten as he began to boast about his past achievements.
Rate on N.U.
