Chapter 87
Unconsciously calling him Dad out of the emptiness from sending her friends away made her heart pound once she said it aloud.
‘Embarrassing.’
Asil hugged his neck tightly to avoid Arcian’s eyes. She fidgeted her toes for no reason.
Arcian remained stiff for a while.
Then, feeling the soft fingers tickling his nape, he let out a dazed voice.
“…Say it one more time. What was that?”
“No.”
“Come on, just once more. Hmm? My pretty daughter Asil, grant Daddy’s wish. Daddy didn’t hear it right.”
“Why couldn’t you hear that?”
She puffed her cheeks in full dissatisfaction, but it couldn’t be helped.
Asil pressed her lips to Arsian’s ear.
And this time, to ensure no claim of not hearing, she blew a warm breath and said it clearly.
“Da ddy.”
“Good heavens!”
Overjoyed, Arcian lifted Asil high.
“To think this fool of a dad is acknowledged as Dad!”
With a face on the verge of tears, he began rubbing his cheek against hers.
“Urk, can’t breathe.”
“My daughter is the best. So so cute and lovable!”
As if unleashing sealed emotions, he showered her cheeks with kisses.
“Want to say it again? Hmm?”
“No!!!”
“Daddy? Yes, that’s right. Daddy’s here. Asil’s Daddy is right here~ Right next to Asil~”
“Waaah!”
One mistaken call of Dad led to a barrage of kisses.
Asil couldn’t escape Arcian’s embrace until they reached the count’s estate.
“I’m never calling you Dad again!”
“My Asil called me Dad again! Yes, Daddy’s here! Asil’s Daddy is right here!”
After pouring out kisses for quite a while, Arcian finally released Asil upon reaching his study.
As soon as her feet touched the floor, Asil scampered away.
“I’m going home now.”
“Our daughter, wait a second and look at this before you go.”
He pulled out a round orb about the size of two adult fists from the drawer.
And held it out to Asil, who was backed against the wall, wary of him.
“It’s a communication orb. It allows communication with the beastkin forest.”
A few days ago, during the regular report to the beastkin forest, talk of Asil came up.
Recalling that moment, Arcian frowned briefly before infusing mana into the communication orb.
“Mom has something to say to Asil.”
“…Mom?”
Asil’s eyes widened. Mom? I can talk to Mom?
Just then, the communication orb connected.
Snowa, who had been waiting anxiously for the call, poked her face in.
– Father, where’s Asil? …That child?
“Brother?!”
– …Asil?!
“Yeah. It’s Asil!”
Asil pressed her face close to the orb like Snoa.
Wow, it’s really Brother!
Seeing the familiar face after so long made tears well up. She wanted to dive right in if she could.
Flustered, Snowa stammered.
– How did you take human form? Did the eggshell fall off already?
“No. Dad helped! Where’s Mom?”
– Wait, I’ll get her. Don’t hang up, Father!
Perhaps because of the previous abrupt hang-up, Snowa emphasized before bolting from her seat.
Rising so hastily, the spinning chair revealed Snowa’s room behind it on the orb.
“It’s really Brother’s room…”
Tears pricked her eyes. Sniff! Asil drew in a deep breath through her nose.
Soon after, with a clamor, Briana rushed in.
– Is it Asil?
“Moooom!”
The held-back sobs burst forth.
Waaah, it’s really Mom!
Asil clung to the orb far more fiercely than with Snoa.
“Waaah, Moooom!”
– Why are you crying? Is someone bullying Asil? Is it Dad?!
“I wouldn’t be that mean. Right, my daughter? I should have shown you earlier, but it slipped my mind.”
“Huuuh. Sniff, huuuh.”
Asil clutched the orb and wailed.
She cried so much that her human form unraveled, returning to her original appearance.
“Peepaaa!” (Huuuh!)
“Yes, yes, our Asil is good.”
Arcian held Asil calmly, patting her back.
Briana in the orb stamped her feet anxiously.
– Why is she crying like that? Did something happen? It’s not because you’re bullying her, right?
“She seems to be crying because it’s been so long since she saw you. By the way, you still haven’t thrown away that ring?”
Annoyed at the repeated accusations of bullying when he hadn’t, Arcian noticed the ring on Briana’s left ring finger.
Briana had married five times, but she only exchanged rings with him, her first.
From the second onward, she found it bothersome and skipped it.
Briana shot back primly.
– It’s expensive, so it’s a waste to throw away. What about you?
“It’s bothersome to take off. And it wasn’t that expensive.”
– Was it? Then I should remove it.
“Me too.”
Without a word on who went first, the two beastkin removed their rings and tossed them in the trash, glaring fiercely at each other.
Only then did Asil stop crying.
“Peep, peep.”
As if nothing happened, Briana hid her fierce expression and called her daughter’s name tenderly.
– Asil.
“Peepaaa…” (Moooom…)
Her eyes were swollen from tears, blurring her vision, but Asil flailed her front legs seeking Mom.
Arcian set Asil down on the desk in front of the orb.
Asil clutched the orb, half her size.
Briana and Snowa each said a word.
– Why are you so thin? Aren’t they feeding you well there? No hurts anywhere?
– Thin? She looks plumper than when she was here.
“Peep peep, peep. Peepyaa. Peepyaaa.” (Asil has no hurts. Eating lots of strawberries too. Husband gave lots.)
– Husband?
– Husband?!
Outraged at the absurd word, Snowa shouted.
– Why is a human my sister’s husband! Who! Which human coerced my sister!
– Be quiet. Husband? What do you mean?
Arcian answered instead.
“You told her to call the Duke of Monlepe husband, Briana. What were you thinking?”
– I did? I never said that?
“Peep peep peep peep.” (Mom said the boy who summoned Asil is Asil’s husband.)
– When did I say that…
Briana’s protesting voice faded as if wronged. No way, my daughter…
– I think you misunderstood my words.
“I thought something was off. What on earth led to that?”
Unaware that Briana was a ‘reincarnator,’ Arcian asked in disbelief.
Briana brushed it off vaguely.
– It happens. Asil, that one’s not your husband!
“Peep!”
Not husband! Shocked, Asil covered her mouth with her front leg.
Then Grandpa’s not Grandpa, and Father’s not Father?
But she had already signed a contract with Edenber.
Moreover, Asil quite liked him.
So, rubbing her swollen eyes, she said.
“Peepyaa peep.” (But Asil already promised to marry Husband.)
– Mom, can I kill that human?
“I already tried, but Asil stopped me. Asil, can we kill that human?”
“Peep!” (No!)
– Kill? Even if human, life is precious.
Briana folded her arms and glared at the father and son.
– But coveting my daughter deserves death.
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
By Anna 💓
