Homecoming (7)
I'll admit it. A child's stamina is like an inexhaustible spring, and it's not something that can be matched even by the physical prime of late teens to early twenties.
“Huff, huff…”
“Tired? Should we stop?”
“No!”
Of course, if the opponent were a 5th Realm superhuman, the story would be different.
I take quite a bit of pride in my own Realm. Both in the level I've reached and in what my Realm holds. So, childish as it may be, I genuinely bested a five-year-old. What can I do? I'm a man too. Even if the opponent is five, I don't hold back.
…Let's ignore the two pairs of pitiful glances I can feel from behind.
How long had passed like that?
“Wungni.”
“Yeah?”
“I'm hungry.”
“Hungry? Should we eat?”
“Wung.”
“Jeden~! Let's wrap up soon and eat!”
Cecil's voice called out to me.
“Okay!”
*Thud.*
“Alright, that's enough for now. Let's eat and continue later.”
“Eh? Already? Can't we do a little more?”
Enter pouted, looking disappointed.
After a moment's thought, I recalled something from a parenting book I'd happened to read.
“Enter, you said you wanted to become a knight, right?”
“Yeah! I'm gonna be an awesome knight!”
“Then you need to grow big and strong. Did you hear from your dad what you need to do?”
“Eat lots of food, go to bed early, and wake up early!”
“Then what should you do right now?”
“Hmm… Food! I need to eat!”
“That's right. Come on, let's go wash your hands first.”
“Okay!”
Enter had a simple side to him; if you guided him gently, he'd easily give the answer you wanted. Like a puppet.
“Cecil.”
“You're here?”
“Yeah. Your parents left something for us, right?”
“Yeah. Leftover doenjang-jjigae and some side dishes.”
They'd entrusted the kids to us, but taking care of them was work in itself. They'd told us not to cook, so they'd left the doenjang-jjigae simmering in the pot. Even normally, childcare was handled by the mothers, and household chores by the fathers—this probably followed that pattern.
By the time we reached the dining table, Cecil had already set everything up.
“Did you heat up the doenjang-jjigae?”
“No. Since it's for the kids, I thought it might be hard to eat if it's too hot.”
“Good.”
After bringing Enter over and seating him at the table, our slightly late lunch finally began.
“Wungni.”
“Yeah?”
“I want this.”
“Wait a sec… here.”
“A~.”
Ifril ate readily, like a baby bird, accepting whatever Cecil offered. When she wanted a particular side dish, she'd call out “Wungni” and get more. Enter stuffed his cheeks full, rice grains sticking to his mouth, chewing thoroughly. It seemed less about taste or hunger and more about the idea that eating a lot would make him grow faster. Still, it was a relief that both had been well-taught table manners.
“By the way, Enter.”
“Yeah?”
“You seem a bit taller since I last saw you?”
“…Gulp. Really?”
“Of course, really.”
I asked because his sitting height seemed noticeably higher. Even though it's only been a few months at the Academy, if it's visible, he must've grown quite a bit. Watching Enter speed up his eating to confirm, I turned my gaze to Cecil.
“Cecil.”
“Yeah?”
“I'll take care of Ifril. Eat your food.”
“…You'll do that?”
Cecil, perhaps growing tired, didn't refuse and handed Ifril over.
“Mwung?”
Ifril made strange noises with her hands tucked under her armpits. I smoothly took Ifril and patted her back. Cecil then hurriedly started eating. She wasn't very efficient—she could've eaten while Ifril was feeding, but she was completely focused on the child. Seeing her eat lukewarm soup and hardened rice, I felt a pang of guilt. She probably came here expecting to enjoy a vacation in the countryside, not to deal with unexpected childcare…
‘It's not like it's completely out of the question.’
Probably. No, definitely—she'll have to do childcare someday. Even without a concrete plan, she's vaguely thinking that way.
…No. That's not the important part right now.
“Eat slowly. You'll get indigestion.”
“Mm.”
I stood up, cradling Ifril, who had already closed her eyes with a drowsy expression.
“I'm going to check on Enter. Rest a bit.”
“Mm!”
“Hyung! Hyung!”
“Shh. Ifril's sleeping, so let's keep it down. But judging by her reaction, she did grow, right?”
“Yeah! One centimeter!”
“Oh.”
Is that a lot? I don't know. When I was that age, I didn't care about height or anything. Height doesn't feed you.
“She grew a lot, huh?”
“Right? Hehe!”
Still, I said that for now. Later, I can tell her she grew because she ate well and slept well. The eldest's mother is average height, but the father is above average. Enter, inheriting that blood, will probably grow up fine without issues. It's true that eating habits and sleep quality are important. This gives me another tool to use when he refuses to go to bed late.
“Ah! Hyung!”
“What?”
“What's noona doing?”
Noona would refer to Cecil. If it's Cecil, she's probably still eating.
“Won't she feel left out if we leave her behind?”
“Maybe.”
She's probably enjoying the break. I didn't realize that Ifril, though usually quiet, is more demanding than Enter. Unlike Enter, who just needs someone to play with once, Ifril is the type to say, “Wung, do this for me,” “Wungni, do that for me.” She probably asked Cecil to be a human cradle—something that moves. But explaining that directly would be a bad move. Kids, not just Enter and Ifril, are quite perceptive. Plus, they're pretty sensitive emotionally. If I told them, “It's hard taking care of you,” they'd probably feel guilty and try to handle things themselves. Whether it's eating, playing, or whatever. That's not what I want. If I volunteered to take care of them and then said that, it would be putting the cart before the horse. It's also something I feel bad about for the kids. As someone who grew up without proper care, it's something I absolutely want to avoid.
“Hmm, I don't know…”
How can I phrase this to make it as good as possible?
……Ah. Right.
“She's probably hiding.”
“Why?”
Why? Because…
“Hide-and-seek starts! 100… 99… 98…”
“Huh?! Wait! How can you just start like that!”
“97… Even if you become a knight, 96… you'll still 95… make excuses?”
“Eek, don't turn around!”
Enter's voice grew quieter. That means he ran off to the annex where the height-measuring device is.
Alright, Cecil. I've set the stage. Handle it yourself.
Main building living room.
“I should go…”
Cecil, who had finished eating, was sprawled out as is. The two kids were quiet if anything, but even so, it was tough for a childcare novice to handle. Still, they weren't at the age where they couldn't hold up their heads or needed diaper changes, but they were five—the dreaded age. Enter ran around without stopping, and Ifril demanded something every minute. Jeden played with Enter, but Cecil was also running around fulfilling countless small requests. As a result, her stamina was drained. She wasn't confident in her stamina to begin with, so it was even worse.
But. Even though Jeden was watching Ifril and Enter, she couldn't just lie there. Putting aside the sweet rest, she was trying to force herself up when—
“A! Noona!”
“A.”
She faced the purple-haired disaster. No, what kind of language is that to use with a kid.
“Enter's here, huh?”
First, let's resolve this through conversation. Make her talk about this and that to buy some rest time.
But.
“This isn't the time to be doing this! We need to hide!”
“Hide? Why?”
Enter said something incomprehensible. And when she heard the next words.
“Hyung is the seeker! We need to hide quickly! Hyung is really good at this!”
“……Huh?”
Cecil couldn't hide her smile. Not because she got a break, but because she was charmed again by Jeden taking care of her.
“No, noona…?”
“Euh. Why?”
“No, noona's scary. I'm going…!”
“Euh?”
Cecil turned her head to check the mirror at Enter's sudden reaction.
“Hmm.”
She saw a hungry predator.
…Can I make a face like that?
No, that's not important right now. Right now, it's time to use the opportunity Jeden gave her.
Since Enter had taken Ifril, I counted about three minutes in my head and came out of the annex.
‘By now, Cecil should've hidden well enough.’
I didn't plan to catch her unless she was in a too-obvious spot. Ideally, she'd be hiding under the covers in the guest room. Thinking that, I headed toward the main building.
“A! Found you!”
“…?”
Cecil popped out from the bushes.
……Hmm?
“……What is it.”
“Your family's daughter-in-law.”
“No… why are you here?”
I gave her a chance to rest and stalling time, and she just pops out—what is this?
“…I'll pretend I didn't see you, so go back and hide. No, not there—go inside. You've got dirt on you.”
“Brush it off for me.”
“Why is she doing this, seriously.”
Childcare stress is ruining people. I lightly brushed the dirt off Cecil's calf…
Hmm…….
“…….”
“What's wrong?”
“Are you a kid? Making me brush off dirt?”
“Wung. I'm a baby forever.”
“…….”
Is this revenge for what I said yesterday?
“Not brushing it off?”
“No.”
Just the leg, though.
“Where are you going?”
“To catch the kids who are playing properly.”
“Leaving me behind?”
“…Come here.”
I grabbed Cecil's hand and brought her to the main building's living room.
“Wait here.”
“No, no. I feel like I'm getting a lot of energy from someone.”
“Then it's okay to leave the kids with me after hide-and-seek ends?”
“…….”
Cecil's eyes widened.
“20 minutes… No, that might be noticeable. It'll end in 10 minutes. Rest a little.”
“Hmm… I guess I have no choice.”
Cecil lay flat on her back. She smiled and closed her eyes, finally deciding to rest.
Leaving Cecil like that, I muttered quietly.
“Her face is all red too…”
Saying she's our family's daughter-in-law, asking to brush off dirt, calling herself a baby. This glass cannon is launching a suicide attack.