Poison (3)
Poison (3)
A gentle touch wrapped around my waist.
My body was drawn forward, slowly.
"I'm off."
"...Take care."
Tracing the lingering warmth on her forehead and lips, Claire saw Baek Woo-jin off as he left the estate for the observer selection meeting.
"Haa..."
Once the door closed, Claire brushed her fingers over her lips a few times, then turned away.
The weather had grown mild, so she began by opening the kitchen window and Baek Ha-na's bedroom window to air out the house. With the last of the spring breeze drifting through, she tidied up the kitchen.
Her cleaning finished, she entered the study as she always did. Carefully, she turned over the picture frame that lay face down on the desk.
Baek Ha-na between them, herself and that person holding hands affectionately.
Claire used the finest silk cloth to gently dust the frame. She stepped back for a moment to admire the picture, then placed it face down again.
She did not know why he kept it turned over, but as ever, she assumed there was a reason and did not ask.
After leaving the study window slightly ajar, Claire moved to the bedroom.
"It's time to get up."
-Phewwng~
She gently stroked the small, soft cheek of the Fairy, who wore pink rabbit pajamas today.
"If you sleep in late, I'll leave without you."
-Peep...!!
The Fairy, who had been mumbling cutely in her sleep, reacted to some word and suddenly snapped her eyes open, bolting upright.
-Pee-hauwng~
But a yawn was apparently unavoidable. As if she hadn't just jolted awake, the Fairy stretched her little arms and legs out in a long, satisfying stretch.
Claire found the sight so endearing that she smiled without a sound and stroked the Fairy's head.
-Goooood morning~
"Yes. Good morning."
Claire returned the greeting in kind to the Fairy, who had risen from her basket and was giving a polite little bow.
Shrrrk.
After exchanging greetings, the Fairy fluttered her mysterious wings and took flight, heading straight for the painting on the wall.
-Peeang~
Then she smacked herself against Baek Woo-jin's face in the painting—the one where he had taken off his glasses and was hugging Claire's waist affectionately—clinging to it tightly.
This had been the Fairy's morning routine ever since the painting was hung, so Claire simply watched with a faint smile as she straightened the bedding.
-Bap~
"Food."
-Bam?
"Pfft..."
Seated on Claire's palm and tilting her head in confusion, the Fairy nearly made Claire fail to hold back her laughter.
Claire set down the blanket she was holding and went with the Fairy to the kitchen.
-Peep~
The Fairy dove into her personal basket, which was filled to the brim with chocolates.
Claire poured milk into the little mug Lee Ye-sol had recently brought for the Fairy and placed it on the dining table.
"You must wait patiently."
-Peep~
She stroked the Fairy's head—the little creature's mouth was already stuffed full of chocolate—and then set about finishing the housework.
She did the laundry, then went to the wardrobe. She left out only two spring outfits and took the rest to be sorted, swapping them for summer clothes.
"..."
Once she had finished organizing her own clothes, Claire moved on to Baek Woo-jin's shirts and formal wear. Absently, she pressed her face against the black summer shirt in her hands.
"Mm..."
But it didn't carry the scent she had hoped for. A bit embarrassed, she quickly got up and finished arranging the wardrobe.
-More, please~
Back in the kitchen, Claire responded to the Fairy's adorable request—the empty mug held out in both little hands—with a smile and refilled it with milk.
-Peeuk!
The Fairy drained the mug in one go and let out a cute little burp while rubbing her full belly.
Claire watched the Fairy sprawl out on her back for a moment, then tidied up her apron and went to the study. She came back with the black box that Le Coléon had sent, containing the remaining elixirs and artifacts after she had distributed what was needed to Baek Ha-na and the children.
Today, she had scheduled a visit to the temple to hand these out to the other children and clergy there.
"Shall we go?"
-Peei...
The Fairy was struggling just to stay awake. Claire carefully scooped her up in her hand, placed her in her front pocket, and carried the box toward the temple.
**
"Fufu, welcome."
The moment Claire opened the temple doors and stepped inside, Lee Ye-sol, who had been waiting, approached with a sly smile.
"It's quiet."
"It's still early in the morning, and things outside have been a little unsettled lately."
Though they were low-stage, rifts had been appearing with increasing frequency.
No one could predict where or when they would manifest, so holy knights and priests were taking turns standing guard around the academy. There were also personnel out gathering intelligence.
It was a busy time in many respects.
"As it happens, the Great One was looking for you."
"...What for?"
"You know he's not the sort to tell you such things."
Lee Ye-sol let out a tiny sigh, an extremely rare sight.
"Leave this. Let those who need it take from it as they will."
"Am I included in that?"
"Yes."
"Oh my, what a pleasure~"
The cheapest one was two billion won.
Lee Ye-sol beamed and cheerfully took the box from Claire's hands.
"And where might our little Fairy be~?"
-Rawr~!
"Oh my~?"
The Fairy peeked her head out of the pocket and raised both hands high. Lee Ye-sol matched the gesture by opening her eyes wide in mock surprise.
"Now, Executor, you have some business to attend to, so shall we play together for a little while?"
-Yeah!! Ye-sol nice~
"Oh my, oh my~"
The Fairy flew right up and alighted on Lee Ye-sol's shoulder.
"Do your business in comfort, then."
"...Very well."
The very premise of meeting a great being meant there could be no comfort in it.
Claire let out a small sigh and headed for the private prayer room on the second floor.
Click.
After closing the prayer room door, she knelt reverently before the beautifully androgynous child-shaped divine statue. Then she placed her hands neatly before her chest and whispered, her red lips barely parting,
"...Your daughter asks to see you."
Swoooosh—
Faint particles of light gathered beside Claire and, within an instant, took on the form of a child.
"Honestly."
The child, Vuar, wore a sulky expression and poked Claire's closed eyes and left cheek repeatedly.
"You have more time than before, and yet how can you not visit me even once?!"
"...Did you not always say you were too busy whenever I sought you out?"
"Th-that's, uhm... a-anyway!!"
Out of excuses, Vuar let out a small shout and plopped right down onto Claire's lap as she knelt.
"Even if one has fallen head over heels for a man, wouldn't visiting at least once a month be a daughter's duty?"
"..."
"Wh-what's with that, uh, terribly impious look...?"
The moment Claire, who had kept her eyes closed, opened them, Vuar, seated on her lap, flinched in alarm.
"As your child, it is my duty not to trouble you since you are so busy."
"I-it's fine now, so get in touch... "
Vuar hung his head with a deeply dejected expression and fidgeted with his fingers.
"I know you're watching over everything, so please stop making that face."
"...Tch."
Like a child whose prank had been exposed, Vuar clicked his tongue briefly, then lifted his head to look up at Claire again.
"I'm not watching everything, you know? That insufferable fellow's intuition is just too sharp..."
Chewing on a handkerchief he'd produced from who knew where, Vuar kept talking.
"She's my daughter!! I'm the one who gave my permission!! Hmph...!! Whenever I try to take a tiny peek while you're together, he senses it like a ghost, always comes around, and threatens to smash my divine statue!!"
"...It was likely not a mere threat, but a sincere promise."
"...The saying that raising a daughter is useless really was true."
"...I fail to understand why that saying is being brought up now."
Swish, slither.
Vuar fidgeted for a moment, then shifted his body and looked squarely up at Claire.
"No difficulties lately? Troubles of any sort?"
"...It is not a worry fit to trouble a great being with."
His childish behavior sometimes angered her, but she was not so ungrateful as to lie to a being she genuinely respected.
"Something small is fine. I simply enjoy talking with Claire."
"...Promise me you will absolutely not tell him."
"Promise!!"
"..."
She knew she shouldn't feel this way, yet why did she find it so hard to trust him?
Claire let out a small sigh. She wrapped her arms around Vuar's tiny waist as he sat on her lap, pulling him into a gentle embrace.
"I do not know what to do whenever he teases me."
"When you say teases?"
"That is... hm..."
She tried to explain, but Claire's lips only moved without properly forming words.
"Oh dear, over thirty and still a blushing virgin... ah, but you're not a virgin anymore, are you."
"...!!"
"Ahahht!!"
The instant Claire's face flushed bright red, Vuar snickered playfully and climbed down from her arms.
"When you said you had a worry, I thought someone was mistreating you. So basically, you want to be lovey-dovey but you're shy, right?"
"..."
Seeing puffy white steam practically billowing from his beloved daughter's head, Vuar clutched his stomach and cackled all over again.
"Mm... my favorite daughter indeed... I'm happiest when I'm with Claire. So."
Vuar tenderly cupped Claire's cheeks in his hands and pressed a kiss to her flushed forehead.
"It's all right to be a little greedy."
"..."
Gazing steadily into the blue eyes that looked up at him.
"You already know that being has chosen to accept you. So be a little greedier."
"...Yes."
Vuar watched his daughter avert her eyes as if embarrassed and gently stroked her cheeks a couple of times before stepping back.
"Good. I'm well satisfied for this month, so you can go back now!!"
"...I shall."
Claire bowed her head toward the child before her, rose silently, and left the prayer room.
Pashhshk.
The child's spirit form slowly scattered and seeped into the divine statue.
【Ehehe~】
With a cryptic smile as its last expression, the child's spirit body dissolved into particles of light and merged into the statue.