The book the Little One read was a storybook from the Mythical Era, containing tales from the time when the continent was divided into four worlds: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
In the book, there are guardian gods protecting each world, and it seems the little one was particularly moved by the deity of summer.
“So you ended up like this trying to imitate the fox from the picture book?”
“Yeah.”
I didn’t bother asking how it happened.
I had long given up trying to understand the Little One’s genius.
‘It doesn’t seem like you’ve just become a fox by appearance alone.’
Even just looking at the way she lay on my knees, it was apparent.
Wasn’t it the posture of a street cat when it was sleepy?
The ears and tail didn’t seem artificially made.
The movement was natural, as if they had always been there.
“Does it feel real?”
I touched the Little One’s fox ears.
As I did, her ears stood up as if startled.
With sharp eyes, the she said.
“… Don’t touch.”
“Sorry.”
Seems like the ears are sensitive.
I was curious, but I should be careful.
“Ask before you touch.”
“Can I touch?”
“… If you’re Mister.”
I didn’t expect her to give permission.
Anyway, since I got permission.
This time, I touched the tail.
Swish.
Soft. Very soft.
At first touch, that was the impression.
The nine tails were fluffy when gathered together.
The texture was as comforting as a blanket.
Maybe it was because of the Little One’s body heat, it felt warm.
Maybe that’s why.
It was healing.
It healed my body and mind that had been through so much.
“Like it?”
“Yeah. Feels nice.”
It had been over two months since I started living with the Little One, but it was the first time I felt this way.
Should have done it sooner.
“Little one.”
“What?”
“When will this state wear off?”
“Um… maybe in about an hour?”
“Then let’s stay like this a bit longer.”
“Okay.”
The Little One pushed closer to my body.
Folding the ears and tails as if trying to sleep.
I placed my hand on the Little One’s tails and relaxed my body, closing my eyes.
Sleep comes.
The cool breeze through the open window makes it hard to resist.
Come to think of it, there’s no reason to resist, so I fell asleep.
*****
A month and a bit more time passed.
“… It’s done! It worked!”
“Really? Is it really done?”
The Little One asked with wide-open eyes.
The surprise was evident, tears almost forming in those wide eyes.
It was understandable.
This success was what the Little One had desired and dreamed of for so long.
“We did it. Three hours.”
The time she could spend outside had increased from one hour to three.
Even though it cost a lot in terms of money and time, the result was what mattered.
“Yeah. Now we can comfortably handle up to three hours.”
The increase from one hour to three was significant.
It wasn’t just about more time.
During the process of extending the time, I found a clue to unlocking these restraints.
‘If done well, it might be possible.’
A way to unlock the restraints without even needing the mana code.
It’s not yet a solid theory, but there is definitely potential.
‘I don’t know how long it will take.’
Realistically speaking.
At the minimum, 1 year. At the maximum, 5 years.
If the permissible knowledge and resources expand, the time required will decrease accordingly.
“Wanna go somewhere?”
“Yeah. Let’s go buy clothes first!”
Anyway, since the time increased from 1 hour to 3 hours, the number of things we can do has increased dramatically.
One hour is barely enough for a meal out, but with 3 hours, it’s enough to go somewhere fun.
“Let’s do that. My clothes have been getting smaller these days.”
*****
For nearly three months,
The Little One has grown so much that it seems right.
When we first met, she seemed like a young child of about 7 or 8 years old, but now she looks more like 12 or 13.
At first, I thought claiming to be 15 was a lie.
I thought it was a ploy to scare me with an eerie atmosphere that didn’t match her age.
But with this rate of growth, I have no choice but to believe it.
“I told you to choose whatever you liked, and now you really are choosing whatever you like.”
These days, the prices of clothes are no joke.
But I can’t just buy something random because the Little One’s sense of aesthetics is quite discerning.
“You have a lot of money, Mister.”
“That’s true, but…”
“You said you still have enough to build a house, right?”
“Well, I am frugal and a bit of a common man.”
“You need to learn how to spend money, Mister.”
The Little One looked around at various clothes and then picked out five outfits.
She didn’t stop there but tried on each one before finally deciding which ones to buy.
“I’ll take these three.”
“Yes, understood.”
The final three chosen were the most expensive ones.
Even without price tags, the Little One picked them out accurately.
The shopkeeper, noticing this, remarked.
“You’ve only chosen clothes made by our head designer. How curious.”
“Well, it seems she has a keen eye.”
It’s not just a keen eye.
Alongside studying magic, the Little One has shown remarkable talent in almost every field.
History, philosophy, humanities, science, engineering, magic engineering.
Whatever she learns, she doesn’t accept it easily but delves deeply, progressing through thorough contemplation.
Out of curiosity, I even taught her the principles of kingship, and she memorized and understood it all.
‘… Right. There are a few children like this in the world.’
I didn’t expect our Little One to be one of those few.
Still, having talent is better than not.
Someday, the Little One will become independent.
The more she learns for that day, the better.
“Have you chosen everything?”
“Yeah. Let’s go eat now.”
“Sure. We have some time left, so we can eat out.”
Until then, it’s best to create lots of good memories.
Childhood memories stay deeply in one’s mind even as an adult.
Just like mine did.
*****
Mister is fascinating.
If I ask him to teach me something, he teaches me. If I ask him to do something, he does it.
Of course, there are boundaries, but he mostly accommodates my requests.
Why is this fascinating?
If I ask him to teach me magic, he teaches me.
If I want to learn history, he teaches me.
If I want to study philosophy, he teaches me.
Curious about how far this could go, I asked him about science and engineering, and even about kingship.
And he taught me all of it.
He doesn’t just hand me books and tell me to learn.
If I have questions while reading, he tells me to ask and he explains.
If a subject requires background knowledge, he teaches that too.
How is this possible?
I think Mister is quite a remarkable person.
But then.
“I always thought your fried rice was just okay.”
“For a kid who eats everything, that’s a strange comment.”
“Does it make sense to say that restaurant food doesn’t taste as good as your cooking?”
“Keep your voice down. The chef might hear you.”
Mister says he used to be a chef at a restaurant.
That’s why his cooking skills are top-notch.
‘What on earth did you do in the past?’
When I think about it, Mister can do anything.
Household chores like cleaning, laundry, and cooking.
Even home repairs and remodeling, he does them himself without hiring help.
He has a good sense of design, dresses well, and chooses clothes carefully for me.
Mister has never talked about his previous jobs.
So, I don’t know why he’s so versatile.
Should I ask?
“Mister.”
“What?”
“You said you weren’t unemployed before you met me, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“So, what did you do originally?”
Mister stopped holding the spoon.
It means that he was surprised, even if it was only for a moment.
“Nothing special. I was just in the military.”
“A soldier?”
“Yeah. I’m retired now.”
“Ah, I see.”
Doesn’t seem like a job that requires many skills.
What did you really do?
*****
As evening approaches, we walk home with full bellies.
The unextinguishable lights of the market.
With about 30 minutes left, we decided to take a leisurely stroll around.
“Little One, is there anything you’d like to eat?”
“Not really. I’m quite full.”
“And now?”
Growl~
“…I’m hungry again.”
“I figured.”
Lately, my appetite has increased significantly.
It’s because the energy I used for survival is now being used for growth.
Mister bought me chicken skewers and sandwiches from a nearby stall.
I ate them with satisfaction.
“Mister, hold my hand.”
He held my hand in his.
This is because my legs are too short to keep up with his stride.
I imagined myself growing tall enough that Mister wouldn’t have to adjust his pace for me.
I might not grow as tall as Mister, but if I can at least keep up with his steps… What will our relationship be like then?
As I pondered this, Mister suddenly stopped walking.
I looked up and asked.
“What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing. It’s just…”
Mister bent down.
He made eye contact and looked into my eyes.
“I wanted to give you a gift.”
“…Huh?”
What was he talking about?
“I said I would get you something, remember? A gift for you.”
“Ah.”
I had forgotten about it.
I didn’t really think much of it since I’ve never received a gift before.
Maybe that’s why the idea of gifts felt so vague to me.
Mister brought his hand to my ear.
His hand glowed slightly, and before I knew it, a bright yellow earring was hanging from my ear.
“This is…”
“An earring. You only have clothes but no accessories.”
My very first gift.
A gift from Mister.
A gift just for me.
That simple fact.
“It’s nothing special. It’s not even expensive.”
“…”
My heart fluttered a little.
A strange, unfamiliar emotion rose within me for the first time.
“It looks good on you. Maybe because your face is pretty?”
I suddenly felt warm and flushed.
Mister’s face looked different to me.
Was Mister always this handsome?
He was always good-looking, but today he seemed even more so.
I suddenly wanted to turn away.
It felt awkward to look directly at Mister’s face.
“Why is your face red? Are you feeling sick?”
Am I really sick?
“Let’s go home. Maybe your body hasn’t adjusted to being out for 3 hours.”
That must be it.
My body just hasn’t adjusted yet.
By tomorrow, I’ll be fine.
My heart is pounding as if it will explode.
My mind feels dizzy every time I see Mister.
As time passes, everything will return to normal.
I shook my head to shake off the distracting thoughts.
However, the strange feelings that I had tried to shake off stuck to my heart again and did not go away for a long time.
For a very long time, until the night turned to dawn.
No, even until the next morning.
