"It's delicious!"
Sia gripped the fork with her fist and inhaled the pasta. The way she licked up even the sauce smeared on her mouth made everyone else's mouths water.
"Hmm..."
Raon watched Sia gulp down the pasta, then turned his gaze to Sylvia and Edgar.
"What happened here?"
He thought it would take a long time to get close to Sia, but he never expected to be pulled to the dining table with her. He couldn't understand what had transpired in just one day.
"We kept talking about you yesterday, hoping she'd warm up to you quickly."
Sylvia smiled softly as she wiped the pasta sauce from Sia's mouth.
"Then she got excited about having a sibling and barged into your room. Good thing you weren't there."
Edgar sighed deeply, saying it was tough to calm down the excited Sia.
"Ah..."
Raon let out a wry chuckle, looking at the tired Sylvia and Edgar. From the situation, it seemed Sia wanted to meet her sibling right away after hearing about it.
"But she believes I'm her sibling?"
It was surprising that she accepted and believed him without hesitation, even though a grown adult over 20 suddenly appeared claiming to be her sibling.
"From Sia's perspective, her own body suddenly grew too. We explained it as a lot of time passing while she slept."
Sylvia nodded, saying they had no choice but to explain it that way since it wasn't entirely a lie.
"I see."
Raon looked back at Sia and exhaled softly.
'Is it because she's a child with no preconceptions?'
Sia's mind was still that of a young child, so she seemed to believe Sylvia and Edgar's words without question.
"Then from now on, we'll..."
"Stop!"
Sia put down her fork and raised both hands.
"You shouldn't talk too much while eating!"
She shook her head, saying you should swallow all the food in your mouth before speaking.
"Mom taught me that!"
"Ah..."
Sylvia looked at Sia and bit her trembling lip.
"I told her that before I had to let her go..."
Her eyes reddened with emotion.
"No crying!"
Sia made a light gesture to Sylvia, telling her not to cry and to eat.
"You're right. If Mom taught you, we must follow it."
Edgar nodded and wiped away the moisture gathering in Sylvia's eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Raon clasped his hands, apologizing for talking too much.
"No, big sister!"
Sia said she liked the sound of "big sister" and asked him to keep calling her that.
"Alright, big sister."
Raon smiled slightly as he called her "big sister" as she wished.
'How strange.'
Sia's red eyes, which had been chillingly eerie when she wore the helmet, now looked as gentle as a lamb's. Her sparkling eyes reflected only affection and curiosity.
"What does Raon like?"
Sia tilted her head after swallowing a forkful of pasta she had twirled.
"I..."
-Meat! Say you like meat!
Wrath shouted his own preference, crying out for meat.
"I don't dislike any food, but I like stew the best."
Raon pushed Wrath aside and mentioned stew. Perhaps because he only ate cold food in his past life, he had been drawn to hot, soupy dishes since childhood.
"Then eat this!"
Sia pushed the stew Sylvia had served her towards Raon, without having touched it herself.
"Then what about you, big sister?"
"Big sisters are supposed to give things to their younger siblings!"
She waved her pasta sauce-covered hand, smiling without a care.
"Mom told me! Since I became a big sister. I have to share!"
Sia nodded, looking at Sylvia.
"That too..."
Sylvia clutched her trembling hands and let out a low moan.
"It's something I told her. When I was pregnant with you."
She finally couldn't hold back and rushed to Sia. Not caring that food might stain her white clothes, she hugged her daughter tightly as if never to let go again.
"Mom?"
Sia blinked her round eyes, not understanding why Sylvia suddenly hugged her.
"How unfair, just the two of you!"
Edgar stood up, unable to resist, and hugged both Sia and Sylvia at once.
"Why are you doing this! You shouldn't stand up while eating!"
Sia furrowed her brows, saying her parents weren't following table manners. However, she didn't push them away, seemingly not disliking their embrace.
"Raon too!"
Sia waved her hand, telling Raon to come over as well.
"Huh? Me too?"
Raon blinked, pointing at himself.
"Yes, Raon. Come here too."
Sylvia reached out her hand, sniffling.
"That's right! It's not often a family gets to hug all together. If not now, we might never get the chance! Later, if Sia says 'Don't wash Dad's laundry with mine!', I'll just die!"
Edgar gestured for Raon to come quickly, saying this might be the only chance to hug Sia.
"No, I'm fine..."
As Raon was about to shake his head awkwardly, Sia spoke up.
"Raon, come here too!"
Sia pouted, her eyes reddening. It looked like tears might fall from her downy eyes at any moment.
-Are you going to make her cry? Are you going to make your big sister cry when she's treating a weirdo like you as her sibling?
Wrath wagged his tail, floating in the air as if extremely excited.
"Raon..."
Sia, Sylvia, and Edgar all looked at him with puppy-dog eyes, as if telling him to come quickly.
"Young Master?"
Even Helen and Judiel clasped their hands, as if urging him to go to Sia.
"Ah..."
Raon dropped his shoulders weakly, then went between Sylvia and Edgar to hug Sia.
"Okay! I'll let it slide today!"
Sia patted his head, saying she'd forgive him for not following table manners. It was the second time, but strangely, it didn't feel bad.
-Puhehehehe!
Wrath burst into laughter, prancing about in all directions. Raon furrowed his brow as he looked up at Wrath.
'Just pretend you ate all the ice cream...'
* * *
After finishing the most challenging breakfast ever, Raon entered the guest room where Merlin was.
'Her breathing has stabilized.'
Yesterday, her mana had completely disappeared and her breathing was erratic, but now her breaths were calm. It seemed her condition had improved naturally as her mana recovered. However, she was still unconscious, likely due to her energy being completely depleted.
-It must have been truly difficult. Normally, she would have woken up as soon as you came out.
'That's right.'
He nodded slightly. Though he was worried about Merlin, what he felt yesterday was just his own intuition, and Federick had said she would be fine. For now, all he could do was wait for her to wake up.
"Mmm..."
As Raon was about to leave the room, a faint voice emerged. Turning around, he saw Merlin slowly opening her eyelids.
"Raon? Is this a dream?"
Merlin blinked her eyes, wondering if she was dreaming as soon as she woke up.
"Are you conscious? How do you feel?"
Raon approached the bed again to look at Merlin.
"Oh! It's real!"
Merlin covered her face with the blanket, her eyes wide open.
"Merlin?"
"Go away!"
She told him to leave, almost for the first time.
-What's this? Why is that madwoman...?
Even Wrath opened his eyes wide, not understanding.
"How can I show you my face right after waking up!"
Merlin kicked under the blanket, asking why he came now.
"No, you're wearing a mask..."
"That's my face!"
She shouted that the mask was her face and told him to move further away.
"Uh..."
Raon scratched the back of his head and let out an empty breath.
"So, are you really okay?"
"Huh? Are you worried about me right now?"
Merlin chuckled and slightly lifted the blanket to show only the forehead of her mask with wrinkles engraved on it. He couldn't understand what she considered her face and what she found embarrassing.
"...You suddenly collapsed, so I was worried."
"You don't need to worry. I'm perfectly fine."
She clenched her fist under the blanket, saying not to worry. Though she seemed okay, she was the type to disregard her own body, so he couldn't fully trust her words.
"It's embarrassing to show my bare face, but I'm happy to receive your concern."
Merlin said she was pleased, twisting her body left and right.
"Merlin."
Raon bowed his head to Merlin, clasping his hands in front of him.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, my mother and father were able to smile genuinely after a very long time."
"It's nothing. We're not strangers, after all."
"Huh? Uh..."
Sometimes hearing jokes like that made him shudder, leaving him speechless.
-Is that a joke?
Wrath shook his head, saying it probably wasn't.
"And don't worry about my body. It's just fatigue and mana depletion overlapping."
Merlin stretched her arms out wide.
"Ah, I need to sleep a bit more. I don't think all the fatigue is gone yet."
She waved her hand, saying she'd greet Sia later, so introduce her well.
"Alright. Rest well."
Raon looked at Merlin's hand before leaving the guest room. After asking Judiel to take good care of her, he went out to the open space outside the annex. He was about to do some light exercises when he felt a gaze from behind. Sia was hiding behind the door, watching him.
'Looks like we've got a cat now.'
Sia seemed to think she was secretly observing, but her adult-sized body was fully visible. Raon sighed softly and lightly demonstrated basic swordsmanship without aura. However, since he had reached transcendence, the mana in the air naturally followed him, creating sparkling blue lights like constellations.
"Wow!"
Sia immediately jumped out, completely forgetting she was supposed to be hiding, and grabbed a branch lying next to the woodpile.
"I know that too. Dad taught me!"
As Raon was about to stop her, Sia swung the branch with a bright smile. Whoosh! The aura in her energy center surged up violently with her gesture, splitting the earth and cleaving the lake water in half.
"Oh no!"
Raon leaped forward on the Supreme Harmony Steps and blocked the sword strike Sia had unleashed. If he hadn't intercepted it, it would have reached the entrance of North Grave Mountain behind them.
'I forgot.'
A chill ran down his spine. He had completely forgotten, but Sia still retained the body and aura of a Grandmaster.
'How should I handle this...'
It was literally like a child holding a demonic sword that could kill anyone, so he was unsure how to control it.
"Hey, big sister."
As Raon approached Sia, she furrowed her brow.
"Huh? It's not coming out..."
Sia tilted her head, saying the aura light wasn't appearing.
"Hmm?"
Raon spread his aura perception to examine inside Sia's body. As she said, her energy center was blocked as if sealed, and the aura wasn't moving.
'How did this...?'
As he blinked in confusion, not understanding the reason, Sia waved her hand.
"Why are you doing that!"
She frowned, looking up at the air.
"Big sister?"
Raon called out to Sia, lowering his eyebrows.
"Who are you talking to right now?"
"Huh? Can't Raon see? Lavera knew Raon."
Sia blinked her large eyes as if wondering why he didn't know.
"Lavera?"
Raon repeated the name Lavera and swallowed hard.
-That's the name of the girl who was in the soul crystal!
Wrath clapped loudly.
'You're right.'
The soul of the unfortunate girl who had been trapped in the soul crystal. The soul that was originally full of malice had told him her name was Lavera after he dispelled her curse simply by playing with her.
'Did they really meet?'
He had hoped Lavera's soul would become Sia's friend while purifying her, and it seemed that wish had come true. A deep joy and gladness welled up in his chest.
"Lavera told me Raon is a really good kid! She said you played with her well!"
Sia chuckled, saying that's why she could approach him right away.
"But now Lavera is interfering."
She wrinkled her nose as if displeased. From the situation, it seemed Lavera was suppressing Sia's aura.
"Big sister."
Raon made eye contact with Sia and nodded.
"You shouldn't use that sparkling power carelessly."
"Why?"
"Other people could get hurt. From now on, promise me you'll only use it when I'm around to watch?"
He held out his pinky finger, asking her to promise.
"Okay. I understand!"
Sia quickly linked her pinky with his, as if eager to play with him.
"But... you have to play with me every day, okay?"
"Alright."
"Then let's start right now! Raon is it!"
She immediately ran away, saying they should play hide-and-seek. Her topic changes were ridiculously fast. She truly was a child incarnate.
"One, two, three..."
Raon turned around and started counting, dutifully taking on the role of "it" without a chance to refuse. After counting to sixty out loud, he turned back around.
He had intended to suppress his aura perception to truly play along, but he immediately saw Sia hiding behind the tree right in front of him.
'This is...'
What should he do? Sia seemed to think she was well-hidden, grinning with her white cheeks flushed red, but her body was too big and completely visible.
-Kuhuhuh...
Wrath snickered, clearly trying to hold back his laughter.
"Uh, where could she be?"
Raon forcibly turned his gaze away from the clearly visible Sia and started looking for her.
"Pfft!"
"Khuh..."
Even the maids watching burst into laughter.
-Huhehehehe!
Wrath erupted in bizarre laughter, as if he would pay back all he had endured in his life today.
'You're getting nothing but Nadine bread for dinner tonight...'
* * *
The next day. Raon headed to the Lord's Manor training ground at Glenn's summons.
"You came quickly."
Glenn nodded approvingly.
"I greet the Head of House."
"No need for formal greetings. This isn't an official call."
He flicked his hand, gesturing for Raon to come closer.
"What is Sia doing?"
Glenn slightly turned his eyes.
"She fell asleep after having a snack."
Raon smiled faintly, saying he had put her to bed before coming.
"She really is like a young child."
"Yes. It seems she's returned to that age mentally."
"That's fortunate."
Glenn nodded, looking up at the air.
"Five years old is the cutest age. It would be a shame to miss it."
He smiled gently, saying it would be regrettable not to see his granddaughter's adorable antics.
"That's true."
Raon slightly lowered his eyebrows. Though Sia's body was that of an adult woman, her behavior was so cute that it naturally brought a smile to his face just watching her.
"My mother and I have talked about her grandfather, so you can come visit soon. She has a bright personality, so I'm sure you'll get along quickly."
"Re-really?"
Glenn's eyes widened with anticipation.
"Yes. Her personality is the opposite of mine."
Raon nodded, saying he could trust him on this.
"Ahem. Then I should go tomorrow."
Glenn's lips quivered, showing he was genuinely looking forward to it.
"But why did you call me here today?"
Raon blinked, looking around the training ground. He was confused about why Glenn had summoned him, since their sparring had been postponed.
"There's something I wanted to show you."
No sooner had Glenn spoken than Karoon entered through the training ground door. He had a noble gaze, like a general facing the battlefield.
"I'm sparring with that fellow today."
He rubbed his chin with a strange smile.
"See how well you can keep up."