“Heeeeeey Weiss! What did you do!?”
It’s around noon, three days after we got back from Anheim.
I’m taking it easy in my living room, watching Ririi dancing around with her robe and staff, when Sieglinde runs in without even ringing the doorbell, with her face burning red.
“What’s the matter?”
“Everything!”
Sieglinde shuffles her way towards the sofa, and places the vanity case she’s holding on the table. Then she sits on the couch, looking tired, and wipes sweat off her face with a handkerchief.
I don’t know what magic she’s using… But once the handkerchief passes by her face, it shifts in a second from looking tired to looking angry.
“Why did the queen of the country of elves send something addressed to you!? The ministry of magic is in a state of uproar… It’s unheard of for the queen to offer something to an individual!”
Sieglinde puts her hand on her forehead and sighs. That’s a deep sigh with many emotions in it.
“Hello Miss Sieglinde.”
“Ah, hum… Hello Ririi.”
Ririi walks over to the table, looking curious.
She completely ignores the bad smile that Sieglinde is trying hard to put on, and focuses her attention on what’s on the table.
“Daddy, what’s this?”
“This… Is a present for you.”
“What…!?”
It’s Sieglinde that’s surprised, not Ririi. She’s completely frozen with her eyes wide open. She really exaggerates everything.
“Present!? Can I open it!?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Yay!”
Ririi holds the box that’s so big, she could fit inside it, and slides it off the table.
Then she quickly starts undoing the beautiful flower shaped ribbon.
“Kyu!”
“Hn?”
I look down and see Beary, who heard all the noise in the living room, and is now rubbing against my leg. That means it wants to get up on the sofa.
I grab it by the scruff of the neck to bring it up to the sofa, and it walks towards Sieglinde without showing the least bit of fear. I guess living with Kaya made it tougher. Now that I think about it, it has a sharper look on its face than before I left it with her.
“Kyu.”
It sits on her lap and curls up. That’s what it does when it sleeps, so I guess that thick uniform of the ministry of magic is comfortable.
“H-hey… Do something about this, Weiss.”
Does Sieglinde have a problem with small animals? She’s completely frozen. She doesn’t know what to do about the sleeping Beary, and starts moving her hands around it like she’s swimming or something. She looks troubled, but it’s funny, so I’ll let it be for a while longer.
“It likes you, Sieglinde. Try petting it.”
“Pet it… Me…?”
Sieglinde fearfully looks down at Beary. Her expression changes as she slowly moves both her hands closer, pulls back, then moves closer, and pulls back again… And doesn’t touch it.
Why is she acting like she’s touching some stupid jewel that’s worth a billion zeni? I’m getting anxious just watching it.
“Geez… Here.”
“Hyau!?”
I sit closer to her, grab her hand, and gently place it on Beary. Its soft fur tickles my hand through Sieglinde’s thin fingers.
“What kind of sound are you making…”
Sieglinde let out a very lady-like sound, as her body tenses up. She’s so nervous that her neck is contracting like a turtle, and her shoulders are stretched as high as they could be. And her face is so red that it looks like it’s about to release steam.
“There’s no way you’re this bad with monsters.”
I let go of her hand and look at Ririi, who just got done undoing the ribbon.
“Ah!!!”
What she takes out of the box is… A jet black hat that’s immediately clear that it’s of fine quality. Looking at it more closely, I see the coat of arms of the country of elves has been etched into the fabric, meaning it’s a royal artifact that only royalty over there can use. It’s probably a one of a kind item that no other hat in this world can beat.
“Hehehe… How is it daddy?”
Ririi puts on the hat and turns to me with a big smile on her face.
“…Ooh…”
With the robe, the staff, and now the final piece, the hat, Ririi looks super cute. I can’t find other words to describe what I see. The robe and staff came from different places, but looking at them like this, it’s like they were designed as a set.
I’m sure she’ll make a lot of friends in school. And as I start thinking about the near future, my cheeks start loosening without me realizing.
“It looks great, Ririi.”
She hears my response and starts running around, and a comfortable feeling of exhaustion blows its way towards me.
Everything’s ready for her to begin school. I made the impulsive decision to move back to the capital, and then had to get everything ready for Ririi to start school, but it looks like things are finally calming down.
I stretch as far as I can, and start feeling drowsy. I could get some nice sleep right now.
“Fuwah… Maybe I’ll take a nap.”
“Hold it. Explain everything. I knew something was off when I saw you come back from Anheim empty-handed.”
“Geh…”
I open my eyes, and see Sieglinde looking at me with that serious expression that tells me she’s back in her work mode. That said, having Beary on her lap cuts her intensity down to fifty percent.
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