Chapter 18

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: The Super Shy Kid is Looking for Dad 116

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Tiye woke up alone at five in the morning the next day.

She tiptoed down the stairs so she wouldn't wake the troupe members.

Then she found a fresh apple in the kitchen and munched on it with crisp bites while asking,

"Blackie. How's your room?"

Lukarion, who was sitting in front of the first-floor fireplace, answered indifferently.

"Good."

"I see!"

Tiye had asked Marshal for just one room for Lukarion the day before.

Of course, even though everyone knew Lukarion was Tiye's summon,

'We're experimenting with the battery necklace that Factory Manager Berugon gave us right now!'

Lukarion couldn't turn back into a dragon or a black stone when he wasn't using magic power.

Marshal readily showed her a room where Lukarion could stay.

'Oh my, you should have said so sooner. We have plenty of rooms. Do you need anything? Toys, maybe?'

Naturally, Lukarion refused the toys.

Instead, he gathered an armful of old books he'd found in the basement and headed to his room.

They were difficult books that only adults would read, but Lukarion really was amazing.

Tiye paused midway through her apple and grinned at Lukarion.

"See, Blackie? Brother Veil said, 'A summon living in luxury!' like that."

Then she lowered her voice to a whisper.

"Tiye thinks you should have the most power! Because Blackie was Tiye's very first companion."

At those words, Lukarion set his book down and stared at Tiye.

At the same time, Ppu Ppu, who had been sitting on the floor, jumped to its feet.

Ppu Ppu poked its nose at the floor again and again with a sulky look on its face.

But Tiye gently stroked Ppu Ppu's head and turned back to Lukarion.

"See, Lukarion? At first Tiye was just a stray mutt, but now we have a house and money too."

"......"

"So Lukarion's gonna stay with Tiye forever, right? Tiye likes Lukarion the best in the whole world!"

Lukarion parted his lips.

"Uh, well......"

He fiddled with his ear in bewilderment.

Maybe it was from sitting by the fireplace too long.

His ear felt hot.

That was when Lukarion was channeling a bit of magic power through his fingertips to cool it down.

"Huh?"

Tiye, sitting beside him, suddenly jumped up.

And then,

"It's a meow!"

She flung open the large door and dashed right out of the mansion.

"Hey, monster. Keep a good eye on her."

[You keep a good eye on yourself, lizard.]

Lukarion and Ppu Ppu sat in front of the grand mansion's entrance.

They watched Tiye, who had been excitedly scampering around the garden for a little while now.

Tiye had already been running around the garden for ten minutes straight.

"This is grass, this is grass, this is...... a flower, this is grass......"

Was it fun to wander the garden calling every plant "grass"?

And when she spotted some odd-looking stone, pocketing it like it was the best thing ever?

Astie really did the strangest things sometimes.

Meanwhile, Tiye was marveling at the mansion's exterior, which felt several times bigger than the inside.

"The yard is huge!"

She knew one friend from quail class who lived in a house with a yard. Hyunwoo.

But even kids without yards had little community gardens in their apartment complexes.

'Come to think of it, Tiye was the only one without a yard......'

Gold Apartments were crammed right up against a super narrow alley.

So there was no yard or anything like it.

But now Tiye owned this massive yard.

'This is what real estate laundering looks like...!'

That was the moment Tiye, eyes shining with awe, swept her gaze around.

Far off, she spotted the sturdy fence that wrapped all the way around the enormous mansion.

Suddenly, Veil's warning from the night before popped into her head.

'Kiddo, just in case I'm saying this. If you're going anywhere from now on, stick to right out front, okay? Only wander inside the fenced garden. Got it?'

'Yes!'

Tiye had answered brightly.

Tiye was almost five years old—did he think she didn't know that much?

She'd learned at two not to wander outside the house alone.

'When you go out past the fence, come with us. A crowded city like this is even more dangerous, you know?'

But even Tiye had to snort at that.

Crowded? No way it was more crowded than Jongno-gu.

And Tiye had often run errands to the neighborhood supermarket even there.

Being able to run errands meant Tiye was an incredibly smart and grown-up kid.

"Blackie! Tiye's gonna go look at the fence!"

Tiye spoke more grown-up than usual, and Lukarion rose from his spot.

But by then, Tiye had already dashed to the far right end of the front yard.

"Wow."

Tiye's mouth fell open as she reached the fence.

Beyond it was another mansion about the same size as Tiye's.

"Tiye's next door...?"

The word "next door" immediately brought Grandma 107 to mind.

The grandma who always called Tiye over whenever there were tasty treats to share.

The grandma who babysat Tiye whenever Dad was away and let her watch all the TV she wanted!

To Tiye, close neighbors were pretty much family.

The little girl's face lit up as she gripped the fence tight.

If she was lucky, she might be able to squeeze through a gap into the next-door yard.

'Once I'm in, I can do a belly-button bow.'

Then she'd say she just moved in and please take good care of her from now on.

No rice cakes, but there were apples in the kitchen...

"Astie. Don't climb over."

But right then.

Lukarion's voice reached her, as if he'd read her mind.

She turned to see him standing there with Ppu Ppu perched on his shoulder.

Tiye mumbled hesitantly.

"But... isn't it polite to greet the neighbors...?"

"Who greets neighbors by hopping the fence?"

"Then... what if I go out the gate and around to their front door?"

"Don't you remember what your troupe members said?"

Tiye drooped her eyes sadly.

"Can't go outside the fence......"

"Right."

Lukarion took Tiye's hand.

"Let's head back. Sounds like your troupe's up."

Tiye had no choice but to start walking back toward the mansion.

But her eyes kept drifting next door, and a sigh slipped out.

Lukarion glanced back at her and said,

"That house is empty anyway."

"Huh?"

Lukarion pointed next door with his other hand.

"See? Second-floor window's open."

"Huh? For real?"

Sure enough, the next-door second-floor window hung slightly ajar.

Every gust of wind made the rickety frame creak open and shut.

"Been like that since yesterday. No one living there would leave it open."

Tiye's mouth gaped wide.

Come to think of it, the next-door garden was nothing like theirs.

Overgrown grass, weeds sprouting even thicker on top.

Stone paths thick with moss, like they hadn't been used in ages...

"C'mon."

Lukarion tugged gently at Tiye's hand.

Tiye followed along reluctantly.

'I wonder who lives there?'

Why leave such a nice house empty?

Her head tilted in curiosity.

After a simple breakfast.

"Tiye, you ready?"

Basto, calling from the first floor, soon went wide-eyed.

Tiye came hopping down the stairs, clutching Marshal's hand tight.

"Crazy..."

Veil, sprawled on the sofa, bolted upright at the sight of Tiye's hair.

The child's twin braids had been woven with artistic precision.

"I thought Basto was actually good at braiding all this time."

At the very least, Marshal's skill with hair was no joke.

The amazement didn't stop there.

"K-Kiddo. That outfit... it's insanely cute?"

This morning,

Tiye had been dressed in something utterly bizarre.

A long-sleeved red top layered with a sleeveless one, then a kid-sized dress on top.

She'd probably gotten excited last night, dressed herself, and slept that way.

But now,

"Marshal Auntie did it!"

A cute little dress of beige fabric adorned with fluffy light-green frills.

Even white hose that hugged her legs.

The shoes were a screaming hot pink that clashed a bit, but...

"The captain insisted it had to be this one."

Veil just nodded at Marshal's troubled tone.

Then Tiye giggled and pointed somewhere.

"Okay then, Auntie! Time for Tiye's uniform!"

Veil stared at her, baffled.

"You're getting all dolled up just to hide it under a uniform?"

Tiye tilted her head.

"Huh? But Tahni Pang's on the uniform, so of course."