Chapter 52

Lair Leseia.

The primordial dragon and guardian of balance.

Due to the prolonged period of peace, and taking into account the effects of the world’s growing independence and power, she hadn’t appeared for a long time. Thus, though some might feel her strength had somewhat faded…

“Any person who has met her even once or heard of her achievements wouldn’t dare doubt her power.”

Han Arin was watching Hae-un tightly closing her eyes as she got her hair cut at the front and chuckled softly. But then she quickly refocused and continued her thoughts.

“In any case, the important point is that Lair Leseia is so strong that she surpasses all standards.”

Even Han Arin herself, along with the top-ranked Sword Saint, couldn’t guarantee they could withstand her. Upon hearing that she would visit the association, Han Arin couldn’t help but get goosebumps.

“And she’s coming tomorrow too!”

It was almost overwhelming.

Though the chances were slim that Lair Leseia would find fault with the association or have a negative impact, Han Arin still wanted to show her granddaughter was doing well. She also wanted to boast about how well she cared for Hae-un, which made her anxious.

“So I must prepare thoroughly…”

Determined to make Lair Leseia satisfied when she sees Hae-un, Han Arin steeled her resolve. Just then, she noticed Hae-un’s tail wagging anxiously.

* * *

I was currently being dragged by Han Arin for a forced haircut. While it wasn’t really an issue, my legs started tingling because it was taking longer than expected.

“It’s hard…”

My legs felt numb, and my tail kept signaling me to stand up. But since I couldn’t do anything until the haircut was done, I just closed my eyes tightly and trembled.

While trying to calm the pins and needles in my legs by wiggling my toes…

“Relax, cutting your hair isn’t scary. Look, there’s an alligator character! Isn’t it cute?”

Thinking I was scared of getting my hair cut, the stylist waved an alligator plushie and kept reassuring me.

I wanted to say I was fine, but speaking might prolong the sitting time, so I stayed silent. That’s when…

“Here, don’t worry, I’m here.”

Arin suddenly grabbed my hand and whispered these comforting words.

Feeling slightly wronged, my lips pouted involuntarily. Though I could control it consciously now, I secretly wanted to keep it this way for a moment.

“Peek!”

Somtul began licking my leg, making me want to giggle. I held back because moving might mess up my hair.

“Peek!”

Unable to resist Somtul’s persistent licking, I giggled uncontrollably. Surprisingly, after laughing for a while, the numbness in my legs disappeared. Whether it was from laughter or Somtul’s licking, I didn’t know, but I was sure it was thanks to Somtul. So I stroked his head gratefully.

“Chae-a too!”

Next to me, Chae-a, who was also getting her hair done, waved her hands excitedly, trying to grab mine. Despite the distance, she kept reaching out.

‘She wants to hold my hand.’

Wishing the hair session would end soon so I could be with Chae-a, the stylist complimented me unexpectedly.

“Hae-un is incredibly cute. I’d love to use her as a model for the salon.”

Caught off guard by the praise, my tail wagged rapidly. Feeling my cheeks heat up, I shook my head to decline, but the stylist kept praising me.

“Seriously, among all the babies I’ve seen, including celebrities and child actors, Hae-un is the cutest. I can confidently say that.”

Hearing this, Han Arin beamed proudly as if she herself had been praised.

“That’s true. Even I think so. There’s probably no baby as cute as Hae-un.”

Blushing furiously from embarrassment, I tried rubbing my face with my palms to cool down. The stylist gently lifted my chin.

“Don’t hide your face. Look at the mirror!”

With no choice during the styling process, I squeezed my eyes shut.

* * *

After a few hours of struggle, we finally managed to leave the salon. While I didn’t see much difference, Han Arin thought there was a significant change and kept repeating “so pretty” while snapping photos.

Still feeling flustered, I held Chae-a’s hand tightly. Suddenly, she rummaged through her pocket and handed me something.

“Eat this! Chae-a will be happy if Hae-un eats it.”

It was a crinkly small candy. Assuming it was part of her snacks, I tried giving it back, but Chae-a smiled and insisted I eat it.

Originally indifferent to sweets, I now loved them so much that I couldn’t live without them. As I popped the candy into my mouth, Chae-a looked delighted.

“Because Chae-a is the older sister, I must take care of Hae-un! Right?”

Apparently, Chae-a still believed she was the older sister. Though I considered denying it, seeing her happiness, I decided against it.

“Since being the older sister doesn’t matter much anyway…”

What mattered was Chae-a’s happiness. Deciding to overlook this trivial detail, I quietly chewed and handed her a candy I secretly brought.

“Sister, you eat it too.”

“Wow! This is my favorite strawberry flavor…”

Here’s a fun secret: If you only listen to Chae-a, you might think she loves strawberries most. But in reality, she loves everything edible, so if I gave her grape-flavored candy, she’d probably say that’s her favorite.

Realizing this, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Han Arin, observing us, suggested:

“Let’s skip clothes for now since I’ve already ordered some. First, let’s choose a gift for Grandma Leseia.”

Upon realizing it was customary to bring gifts when meeting elders, I widened my eyes. After pondering briefly, I shook my head and carefully said:

“I’d rather do it myself. It’s better to use one’s own efforts. I’ll personally choose Grandma Leseia’s gift.”

“Huh? Hae-un wants to pick the gift herself?”

“Yes!”

“If so, shall I give you some allowance…?”

“Nope.”

If I used the allowance, it wouldn’t truly be my effort. I wanted to personally select and present the gift.

“Gifts are all about sincerity.”

Though others may differ, Grandma Leseia seemed to prefer heartfelt gifts over materialistic ones. Thus, I decided to align accordingly.

“Alright then, try first. If it seems impossible, let me know, okay?”

Nodding determinedly, I turned my gaze toward the flower bed.

“I should make a ring out of pretty flowers.”

Selecting beautiful and suitable flowers, I planned to weave them into a ring. Asking Somtul to reinforce it would ensure its longevity.

*

After making this decision, I entered a small resting area near Lair to gaze at the flowers. Initially, I intended to search in parks or backyards, but Han Arin deemed it dangerous, so I ended up here.

“At least Han Arin said I can pluck all the flowers here.”

As I scanned the flowers, Chae-a suddenly picked one and started munching on it.

“Huh?”

Confused by her sudden action, I watched as she mumbled:

“This is yummy!”

“Wha?”

“Mu-dang told me things that look like this are tasty.”

Hearing this, I blinked rapidly before quickly grabbing her attention.

“Spit it out!”

Following my command, Chae-a spat out the flower, tilted her head, and asked:

“Was there dirt?”

How should I explain this?

Struggling to find the right words, I was interrupted by Han Arin.

“Ah, kids, you shouldn’t eat random flowers!”

She then wiped around my mouth with her hand.

“Hae-un, open wide.”

Suddenly, she started checking inside my mouth.

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