Chapter 53

“……?”

It wasn’t me who ate the flowers—it was Chae-a!

Of course, it should’ve been Chae-a’s mouth they inspected, not mine. But Han Arin, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, peered into my mouth with a dead serious expression.

“Hmm… You didn’t swallow it by any chance, did you? Oh, wait, you did spit earlier, so maybe not… Should I take you to the hospital just in case?”

Why does everyone keep assuming *I* ate something?!

While I was feeling a little bummed about this and tapping my tail against the ground, Chae-a suddenly piped up beside us with her usual cheerful grin.

“Hae-un didn’t eat them! It was me!”

“Eh?”

“This is yummy! You should try some too, Onee-san!”

Chae-a grabbed a handful of flower petals she’d stashed in her pocket and offered them to Han Arin. Han Arin gasped dramatically at the sight before quickly turning her attention to checking on Chae-a’s condition.

“If your stomach hurts or feels queasy, you have to tell me right away, okay?”

“Mm-hmm! But these are really good! Aren’t you going to try one?”

“Eh? Me? This…?”

Han Arin seemed like she wanted to accept Chae-a’s offer without hurting her feelings but clearly had a strong psychological barrier against eating random garden flowers. She froze, unable to either agree or decline.

“Nyam nyam~ The ants ate them, the butterflies ate them… Hey, will worms eat them too?”

“Worms?! Worms!”

“Yeah, that’s what they said!”

…

Watching Chae-a innocently encourage others to eat flowers, I couldn’t help but intervene when I realized Han Arin might actually give in. Pulling out a small chocolate bar from my pocket, I handed it to Chae-a.

“Here, eat this instead.”

“Aaaaah! My favorite chocolate!”

Chae-a’s eyes sparkled as she took the chocolate, then held it up triumphantly like an explorer discovering treasure.

“I shall add this to the family heirloom collection!”

“Family heirloom…?”

Before I could ask what she meant, Han Arin chimed in with a smile.

“Are you talking about the family treasure?”

“Yep! That’s right! Isn’t that smart of me?”

“That’s amazing, Chae-a!”

Chae-a beamed proudly (even though she was mistaken) before stuffing the chocolate into her pocket and declaring:

“All done!”

As I stared silently at her bulging pockets, curiosity bubbled up inside me. What exactly was in there? Though tempted to investigate further, I resisted the urge, knowing it wouldn’t be polite to rummage through someone else’s belongings without permission.

‘Right now, my priority is making the ring for Grandma Leseia.’

With renewed focus, I turned my attention back to the flower bed and spotted a beautiful cosmos blooming nearby.

‘This will do.’

Carefully plucking the stem, I began weaving it into a ring shape… only to realize halfway through that my fingers were too short to complete the task properly. Shocked by this unexpected obstacle, I blinked repeatedly as Han Arin noticed my struggle and extended a helping hand.

“Should I help you with that?”

At first, I nodded gratefully, but then shook my head, insisting I finish it myself.

‘After all, it won’t hold much meaning unless I make it personally.’

Though challenging, I decided to give it my best shot. Using the nearby wall for support, I carefully bent the stems into a circular form. Meanwhile, Chae-a gently pressed down on the flowers to assist me.

Seeing her tiny hands delicately aiding my efforts made me think how adorable she was. Gathering my concentration, I slowly continued crafting the ring.

Eventually, after much effort, the makeshift flower ring came together—albeit rough and battered, with crushed stems—but still, I felt a sense of pride knowing I gave it my all.

‘Now, let’s see if Somtul can reinforce this.’

Looking down at Somtul warming my feet, I extended the fragile ring toward him.

“Hey Somtul, could you possibly strengthen this? No pressure though.”

“Pii!”

Without hesitation, Somtul indicated his readiness, tilting his head upward expectantly. After placing the ring on his fluffy crown, a soft white glow emanated from him.

Staring at the warm light radiating from Somtul, I marveled at how comforting it felt. Moments later, with another cheerful “Pii!”, the enhancement process completed successfully.

The flower ring now shimmered faintly in a soothing blue hue. Carefully holding it between my fingers, I prepared to store it safely when Han Arin approached with a small box.

“Why don’t you put it in here?”

“It might get squished if you keep it in your pocket.”

Touched by her thoughtful gesture, I bowed slightly before placing the delicate ring inside the box. Han Arin closed it gently and handed it back to me.

“If Grandma Leseia knows how hard you worked on this, she’ll surely be thrilled.”

Hearing those words filled me with joy, prompting me to wag my tail uncontrollably while smiling bashfully. Recognizing my efforts always brought warmth to my heart. Thinking about how happy Grandma Leseia would be, I nodded eagerly.

“Then I want to prepare something too!”

Suddenly, Chae-a declared her intention to join in, having quietly observed our interaction. Despite offering to help, she surprisingly insisted on doing it alone and dashed off somewhere.

“…”

Her refusal left me utterly stunned. Whether it was because she rejected my assistance or simply due to her absence, a pang of sadness crept into my chest. As I stood there dejectedly trying to process my emotions, Han Arin rushed over, concern etched across her face.

“H-Hae-un, are you alright?”

Although I hadn’t consciously felt sad, tears inexplicably welled up and trickled down my cheeks. Wiping them with the back of my hand revealed their presence, leaving me even more perplexed.

“…?”

Confused as to why I was crying without feeling particularly upset, I vigorously shook my head to signal otherwise. However, Han Arin mistook my reaction entirely, patting me comfortingly.

“You’re sad because Chae-a went off alone, aren’t you? Don’t worry, I’m here for you.”

Despite attempting to clarify the situation, she persisted in consoling me, refusing to listen to reason. Feeling increasingly frustrated yet unwilling to argue, I wiped my face with a handkerchief and tried explaining once more.

“No, it’s not like that… I’m just crying for no reason. I’m not sad.”

“You poor thing… It’s okay to cry. I’ll always be on your side.”

Realizing further attempts at explanation were futile, I surrendered and focused instead on stopping the flow of tears.

“…”

Just then, Chae-a returned, visibly shocked upon seeing me tear-streaked. Her expression shifted rapidly from confusion to distress as she stumbled closer, tears forming in her own eyes.

“Hae-un is crying…?”

Attempting to deny it, I shook my head vigorously—but too late. Chae-a dissolved into sobs almost immediately, soon escalating into full-blown wailing. Totally bewildered, I exchanged glances with Han Arin, who promptly gathered both of us into a group hug.

“There, there… Let it all out. We can play together later, so don’t worry.”

Even though nothing warranted such an emotional outburst, I decided then and there to research ways to control my inexplicable crying fits.

*

Fortunately, unexplained tears dried relatively quickly. Cradling the sleeping Chae-a in my arms, I tenderly patted her head while calming my racing thoughts. Nearby, Han Arin chuckled softly, drawing my attention to something.

“Look over there.”

Peering in the direction she indicated, I noticed two small stones clutched tightly in Chae-a’s hand. Curious, I tilted my head quizzically until Han Arin provided insight.

“Maybe Chae-a wanted to give you a gift too, which is why she insisted on doing it alone?”

Ah, so that was it. Observing the determination in her tiny fists, I felt a mix of gratitude and guilt wash over me. Han Arin noticed my conflicted emotions and gently reassured me.

“Can you forgive Chae-a for wanting to surprise you with a gift?”

Truthfully, I hadn’t been mad at all, but nodded silently anyway before stroking Chae-a’s hair, resolving to apologize later.

*

The next morning.

Upon waking, I immediately apologized to Chae-a for yesterday’s incident. Although she appeared confused about why I was apologizing, adhering to proper etiquette felt important, so I explained sincerely.

“In that case, I’m sorry too! For crying yesterday!”

Chae-a mimicked my apology with a bright smile. Watching her cheerfulness restored, I chuckled awkwardly before Seorin interrupted.

“Today, you’re coming with me, alright?”

Since Han Arin had preparations to make for Grandma Leseia’s arrival, she entrusted me to Seorin. Grasping Seorin’s outstretched hand firmly, I responded calmly.

“Alright, let’s check Lair’s furniture first.”

Wanting one last inspection of Lair before Grandma arrived, I requested a quick visit. Seorin agreed enthusiastically.

“Great! Let’s head back for breakfast after visiting Lair, sound good?”

“Sure!”

Excited to meet Grandma Leseia sooner rather than later, we set off toward Lair.

Approaching Lair, familiar silhouettes came into view. Recognizing one figure as Grandma Leseia, I started running forward—

“—But seriously, no matter how grand ‘Lair’ sounds, this place looks practically abandoned. Is Hae-un really living here?”

Freezing mid-step, I heard Grandma Leseia’s concerned voice echoing through the air.

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