Chapter 113

Meanwhile, the people of the Frozen Kingdom weren’t the only ones who had heard that the King had changed.

“I told you to bring the kingdom down, not replace its King.”

“To be fair, their King was just too stupid. I was trying to do a good job in my own way.”

A forest on the way to the Kingdom of Doctia.

Ariana, who had been waiting for him there, clicked her tongue in displeasure. The boy gave her an innocent smile and pulled down his hood.

It was Avin.

“If you wanted to live, you should’ve come alone. Why did you bring that idiot with you?”

“Idiot? Who? You mean Mister Tree?”

At her sharp words, Tree, who had been quietly following behind the boy, flinched.

“Why? Mister Tree’s pretty quick at reading the situation, you know. Look how he devoted himself to Argen, then ran away the moment it looked like he was going to die.”

“That isn’t being quick at reading the situation. That’s called being a traitor.”

“But he’s trying to survive. I like him.”

Ariana sighed as she looked at the young boy who had an answer for everything.

I need to report this to His Majesty the King of Doctia, but I have no idea how he’ll react.

“Just dump that man somewhere and—”

“Let’s go already.”

Ariana had barely spoken the words with another sigh when—

“Traitor or not, we have a poison power user and an ice power user. Isn’t that enough?”

A boy who had been staring at them pathetically from not far away furrowed his brow in annoyance.

He looked only about fifteen, but he was taller than average for his age, and the cold air around him made him seem far more mature.

“So if you’re going to abandon him, hurry up and do it.”

The boy had black hair and red eyes that made him the spitting image of Calypse.

“And if you’re taking him with us, then pick him up and let’s get moving.”

It was Cedric, the eldest Young Lord of House Kreutz.

***

After Grace became King, nearly everything in the Frozen Kingdom changed.

Hmm. It already sparkles plenty. Do we really need gold on top of that too?

The first thing to change was the appearance of the royal palace.

Under the pretext of elevating the royal family’s authority, Argen had ordered the ceilings, which were covered in famous paintings, to be adorned with gold and jewels.

Grace, however, was far more interested in the paintings than in the gold.

The masterpieces, carefully preserved for five hundred years, depicted everything in meticulous detail based on stories from scripture—from the beginning of the world, to the birth of powers, to myths concerning a young god.

As a result, the once-flamboyant royal palace took on a calmer atmosphere while also displaying the legitimacy and history of the Frozen Kingdom itself.

The gold that had been removed was soon used to improve the quality of life of the kingdom’s people, and those who had already liked Grace came to support their new King even more fervently.

There was another change.

Magic education, once considered the exclusive privilege of the nobility, was opened to everyone.

The so-called Academy Project.

And that change had a huge impact on me.

“For the record, my first student is Miss Aisha, so make sure she comes to the royal palace at least once a month.”

“My daughter is still young, so there’s no real need for her to study—”

“I wanna!”

With Grace and me both enthusiastically in favor, Calypse’s objection was crushed without mercy.

At long last, I was finally able to do something called studying.

And finally!

Well, I suppose this wasn’t exactly something that had changed, but...

“I’d like to repay you for freeing me from the dark magic that bound me. We’ll begin with Young Lord Lucas.”

Tap.

King Grace set down her teacup and smiled faintly.

That was right.

His Majesty the King had acknowledged House Kreutz’s contributions and agreed to grant each of us one thing we wanted!

“W-Well, I...”

Lucas’s ears steadily turned red as he failed to continue. Unable to stand watching him struggle, I whispered to him.

“Hurry up and say it, Lucas.”

“B-But... it’s... it’s embarrassing...”

“It’s okay. She’ll grant you anything.”

There’s nothing to be embarrassed about!

When I urged him again, Lucas hesitantly looked toward something.

The strawberry cake sitting on the tea table.

“Would you like more strawberry cake?”

Grace had noticed where the young lord was looking, but—

“N-No... That’s not it...”

Still hesitating, Lucas finally began rummaging solemnly through his trouser pocket.

Then, as though he had prepared it specifically for this moment, he pulled something out.

It was a clipping from a newspaper article.

“...They say the central region is warm, so peach desserts are famous there...”

“Bring us peaches first. An entire box.”

Grace immediately whispered to a servant.

Lucas, who hadn’t heard her, still couldn’t bring himself to look at Grace and held out the clipping with both hands.

“A-And apparently the specialty among them is... p-peach crêpes...”

“Tell them to prepare peach crêpes immediately as well.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After issuing her orders with impressive speed and efficiency, His Majesty the King looked back at Lucas with a faint smile.

“Young Lord Lucas. I’m offering to grant your wish. Surely a mere peach crêpe isn’t enough?”

Lucas fidgeted and looked at me.

That was right.

What Lucas really wanted was something else.

You can do it!

I clenched my tiny fist in encouragement.

Bolstered by my support, Lucas nodded as though he had finally made up his mind.

“The north is cold and barren, so strawberries are basically the only fruit we can use for desserts.”

“That is unfortunate.”

“So my wish is... for every kind of fruit to grow at our ducal castle, so we can taste all kinds of different desserts!”

...He finally said it.

Lucas had been so nervous about saying such a thing in front of His Majesty the King that he had squeezed his eyes shut. When he finally opened them—

“Then I’ll discuss it with Duke Calypse and see about building a glass conservatory at the ducal castle. If we place magic stones inside it, we should be able to maintain warm temperatures throughout the year, allowing fruit trees to grow.”

His Majesty the King even graciously laid out a detailed plan herself.

Lucas’s mouth slowly curled upward in delight.

Tap.

Grace took another sip of tea, set down her cup, and turned to me this time.

“Now then, Young Lord Lucas’s wish is settled. Next, Miss Aisha. What do you want for your wish?”

“Money!”

“Very well. I’ll have a sum sent to the ducal castle that won’t leave you disappointed.”

“Yesss!”

The exchange happened without either of us even stopping for breath.

Lucas and Calypse narrowed their eyes at the same time.

“Are you really five?”

There seemed to be an accusation in Calypse’s voice that I was far too materialistic.

“Father. Just because I’m a child doesn’t mean my wish has to be cute and adorable.”

Isn’t this the difference between a first-life child and a second-life child?

Grace chuckled before finally asking Father.

“Then what about you, Calypse? What do you want?”

“Give me my daughter back. Does it make sense for you to hold her through the entire tea party?”

Father, who had been sitting with his arms crossed and glaring at us the whole time, held out his hand.

The truth was that Grace had carried me around in her arms at the first banquet, and ever since then, whenever we had plans to meet, she always kept me tucked against her.

The nobles had even started asking whether she had adopted me.

Today, she had invited us over for tea and still refused to let me go, so Father was thoroughly annoyed.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to grant that wish for another hour.”

Instead, Grace tightened her arms around me and practically whisked me out of sight.

Calypse automatically stared at her in disbelief.

“What?”

“The monster enthusiasts’ gathering will be starting soon. Miss Aisha is a member of our group, after all.”

That was right.

Today was more important than tea time.

It was the day of my very first official monster enthusiasts’ gathering.

As though the timing were perfect, Grace stood up, and I waved both hands wildly toward Father from her arms.

“Bye-bye, Daddy. Bye-bye, Lucas.”

“If you go, Daddy’s going to sulk. Daddy’s really going to sulk.”

I didn’t care.

Until the door closed, I kept waving brightly at the sulking Calypse.

There was a saying that after rain, the ground became firmer.

“See you later, Daddy~.”

Calypse had been scowling at my farewell, but in the end, he gave up with a small laugh and waved back.

Peace had come.

Maybe the place where we lived had been hardened by all the rain it had endured too.

***

Several months later.

“I’m baaack!”

I had barely stepped out of the portal before shouting at the top of my lungs.

Calypse, who had come out in advance to meet me, stretched out both arms.

“Did your lesson go well today too?”

“Daddy!”

I scampered over and threw myself into his arms, then started telling him everything that had happened.

“His Majesty Grace taught us the basics of magic. She said magic has magical formulas and magical energy, and that magical energy is the energy used to control magic, while a magical formula is like the method you use to give magic a concrete form. And then I said, ‘I have a question!’ and the kid next to me...”

“So it was boring.”

“No, it was fun?”

“My daughter really does have unusual tastes.”

For the past few months, House Kreutz had been peaceful and uneventful.

As always, Calypse guarded the ice wall and occasionally went out on monster subjugations.

Lucas was learning increasingly powerful ways to use his power, and he had grown accustomed to the noble etiquette that he had once handled so awkwardly.

Guide was still inexperienced at training monsters other than Bibi, but he was getting along well with Granny Bibi.

However...

“Aisha.”

That was when it happened.

“Aisha. Aisha.”

Someone grabbed the hem of my skirt as I clung to Daddy.

“Huh?”

I looked down.

Kyle was jutting out his lips like a duck, his eyebrows sharply raised in displeasure.

“Aisha. Why didn’t you say hello to me? Why won’t you look at me? I want to smell Aisha too.”

There was only one problem in our otherwise peaceful ducal estate.

“Give me Aisha.”

Kyle had entered puberty.