Popcorn Is Tired
The village hall had an early breakfast prepared just as the sun was beginning to rise.
It wasn’t for the villagers.
It was for Jerold and the peddlers.
The woman who served as the village’s head cook had prepared a simple meal of stew and meat, along with separate boxed lunches packed in baskets.
Inside those baskets were burritos—the latest craze sweeping the village.
They hadn’t existed in this world before. I was the one who created them.
Originally they were just savory pancakes, but the children kept demanding this ingredient and that one, so the pancakes grew thicker and thicker until they eventually stopped cooking through in the middle.
The village cook had seen them while coming and going and suggested shaping them like burritos instead.
Which meant, technically, I had invented them.
Anyway, these had become the most popular food in the village lately.
You wrapped plenty of meat and vegetables inside a wide, flat flour tortilla and rolled it up. At first only the children ate them, but before long everyone in the village had fallen in love.
If only we had ketchup to go with them.
I’ve been searching for tomatoes, but I still haven’t found any. It’s a shame. If tomatoes would just appear, a truly wonderful new world would open up.
Thanks to the burritos, though, our meals had become much more enjoyable. Eating nothing but jerky and stew every day would get old fast.
It was also a huge improvement health-wise. People in this world didn’t seem to like vegetables much. The children would chant “meat, meat” the moment they opened their mouths, and their shoulders would slump the instant vegetables appeared on the table.
They said vegetables were food for the poor. Everyone hated them because they were only added to stretch out portions.
But ever since burritos came along, it seemed they had finally realized vegetables could taste good too. As long as there was meat inside, they ate even the ones packed with vegetables without a single complaint.
That was probably thanks to how easy it had become to obtain meat since I arrived.
When the peddlers opened the lunch baskets during their meal, their eyes went wide.
“What in the world is this?”
“I’ve never seen anything like it.”
As the two men picked up the burritos and turned them this way and that, the village woman handed each of them one.
“Our village chief came up with them. Go on, try one. They’re really delicious.”
They each took a bite, then looked at each other.
“Brother, this is pretty good.”
“You could sell these for a high price. A little meat and a lot of vegetables.”
Almost at the same time, they asked:
“How do you make them?”
“What exactly goes inside?”
Their enthusiasm was so intense that the village cook took a startled step back.
Apparently these peddlers saw everything as potential merchandise.
Overwhelmed by their energy, she told them the amounts of each ingredient. The men tore the burritos apart to inspect them, then asked again.
“Is the seasoning the key?”
“Didn’t you put something else in? It doesn’t taste like it’s made from just these ingredients.”
She was right, of course. The vegetables and meat inside the burritos had been swimming around with Popcorn and the other spirits.
Even if they made them exactly the same way, they would never taste quite the same.
The cook smiled and answered with solemn reverence.
“It’s all thanks to the blessings of the spirits.”
The spirits have blessed the ingredients.
“....”
“....”
The peddlers let out long sighs.
“What the— she’s not going to tell us after all.”
“Haa… and it was going so well.”
Even if she told them the truth, they wouldn’t believe her.
Well, it would be troublesome if they did believe her.
The peddlers laughed as they gathered their belongings, and Jerold exchanged final farewells with Marguerite.
“Marguerite, do you have any message for Father and Mother?”
At Jerold’s question, Marguerite looked at me and smiled.
“I’ll come visit once the baby is born. My husband keeps saying we should go as soon as we have the money, but he’s the chief of a village that’s only just getting started. He can’t leave for days on end. By the time the baby arrives, the village should be more stable.”
Jerold smiled as if dazzled by the sun.
“You’ve become an adult.”
“I was already an adult.”
Marguerite’s reply made both me and Jerold laugh at the same time.
In my eyes—and probably in his—Marguerite still looked young. She was only twenty, after all.
But what was that little guy doing?
Marguerite and I tried to pretend we hadn’t noticed, but Popcorn was driving me crazy.
Popcorn had latched onto Jerold, sniffing him all over and crawling across his body. Every so often he would glance at Marguerite, then back at me, making the strangest face.
Maybe siblings smelled alike?
It was odd. At first I thought he was just curious about a stranger, but perhaps because they had spent the night in the same house, Marguerite’s scent and mine had mixed together.
Wait. Hold on a second.
He couldn’t possibly be mistaking Jerold for another one of my brides like Marguerite, could he?
Haha. No way. That couldn’t be it.
No matter how much of a spirit he was, he should at least be able to tell the difference between men and women.
“....”
Could he really?
I glanced at Popcorn without thinking.
“Pii?”
Popcorn tilted his head and looked back at me. Apparently mistaking why I was staring, he suddenly stuck his bottom out and started dancing.
He was clearly showing off, but I had no idea what he was so proud of.
“Be happy, Marguerite.”
Just before climbing into the carriage, Jerold spoke, and Marguerite smiled brightly.
“I already am.”
“Yes… I suppose you are.”
Jerold, now seated in the peddlers’ carriage, turned back once as it moved away and waved.
Only after he had left did Marguerite seem to feel the loneliness settle in. She stood at the village entrance, watching until the carriage completely disappeared, then sniffled quietly.
When I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, she leaned against me in silence.
“Pii?”
Popcorn tilted his head in front of Marguerite’s face, looking worried.
“I’m fine. I just got a little sentimental after seeing my brother for the first time in so long.”
Marguerite cupped Popcorn gently in both hands and gave him a light kiss.
Whether it was because he was happy about Marguerite’s kiss or because he loved the taste of her energy as always, little sparks of light popped from Popcorn’s body like popcorn kernels and scattered in every direction.
“What… did you say? I’m going to be a princess consort?”
Jeong So-hee’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Alf smiled faintly.
“That’s right. The date for our wedding ceremony has finally been decided. First, we’ll sign the marriage certificate tomorrow, and the wedding itself will take place in about a month at the main temple. It will be an extremely grand affair so the common people can see that the Saintess has become a member of the royal family.”
Alf’s voice grew quieter toward the end.
Somehow her reaction was different from what he had expected.
He had thought she would be delighted, but Jeong So-hee’s expression had turned noticeably cold.
“So-hee, what’s wrong?”
Alf stepped closer and tried to take her hand, but she jerked away and glared at him with icy eyes.
“Why am I only a princess consort and not the crown princess? Aren’t you the First Prince?”
“That’s…”
She was reacting to the title of princess consort rather than the marriage itself?
Alf felt a twinge of disappointment at her response.
Still, he kept it from showing on his face and first explained the royal succession of Lomon Kingdom.
In many countries the first prince born to the queen became crown prince, but in Lomon the king chose his successor from among all his princes.
That was why there were other princes who had received education on par with a crown prince besides Alf.
Everyone had previously assumed he would become crown prince, but the variable had been none other than the Saintess, Jeong So-hee.
A crown princess would one day become queen.
They could not entrust the role of queen mother to Jeong So-hee, who showed neither the qualities nor the slightest effort to fulfill the position.
A queen was not merely decoration.
There were duties she had to perform as queen mother and member of the royal family, and they were certainly not about living a life of idle luxury.
The queen stood at the pinnacle of the kingdom’s noblewomen. Factions were not limited to the men’s families.
There were many factions among noblewomen as well, and they intertwined with the men’s factions, creating an even more complex web.
It was the queen’s role to manage those factions well and maintain balance.
Besides that, there were countless other duties—greeting state guests alongside the king, holding charity events for the temple and the extremely poor, and so on.
Alf knew they could not expect such things from Jeong So-hee. That was why he had no choice but to accept his father’s decision that the Second Prince would become crown prince.
Moreover, he was aware that his own behavior up to now was unfit for a crown prince.
He had indulged Jeong So-hee’s every whim even though he knew it was wrong.
He had neglected his official duties.
There were tasks that needed to be done first, meetings and inspections he absolutely had to attend, yet whenever Jeong So-hee contacted him, he put her first.
He knew he shouldn’t, but the moment it involved her, his mind stopped listening to reason.
He couldn’t control himself.
He had even tried to deliberately put her matters aside.
But then he would grow so restless and anxious he couldn’t focus on anything.
And that wasn’t all.
He could barely take a single step.
It felt as if every nerve and muscle in his body was screaming at him to run to Jeong So-hee.
Alf stared at her blankly.
She was shrieking that as the Saintess she should have become crown princess, and demanding to know what on earth he had been doing all this time.
It’s because of her that I couldn’t become crown prince.
He had lost Marguerite because of her as well.
On the last day he had seen her—the day of judgment—she had been more beautiful than words could describe.
He remembered her eyes, anxious yet dignified.
He had loved those beautiful eyes, that sculptural face and body, that pale skin.
So why had he let her go?
He had loved her so much.
His own incomprehensible behavior sent a chill down his spine.
The image of Marguerite that had filled his mind for a moment vanished like smoke at the sound of Jeong So-hee’s voice.
“Shouldn’t I greet the crown prince as the Saintess as well?”
“…What?”
“I haven’t met any of the other princes yet. Since we’ll be family, it might be good to meet them now while we have the chance.”
So she was trying to get her hands on his younger brother too?
Was becoming crown princess that important to her?
Alf’s vision went black.
“Your Highness! Prince Alf! Stop!”
The servant’s voice struck his ears.
Someone was holding him from behind and shouting for him to stop.
He felt a soft sensation in his palm. When he looked down, Jeong So-hee’s face came into view.
Oh god.
He had been strangling her.
Pii! Pii! Pii!
Two is better than one, and three is better than two.
There was only one Daddy-Bride, but since they smelled the same, they must be similar.
“Pipipi!”
If I brought another one back, Daddy would be happy. Daddy-Bride would be happy too, since he looked sad when they parted.
Okay!
Popcorn began packing his things.
He spread out the pretty cloth Daddy-Bride had made for him recently.
On top of it he placed one of his favorite droplets of Daddy’s sweat, one precious grain of sand, and two pieces of meat. Meat was important, after all.
“It’s not bedtime yet. Why are you spreading out your blanket?”
Daddy smiled gently when he saw Popcorn.
“Pipipi! Pipipi!”
Daddy, I’ll bring back something that smells like Daddy-Bride again! I don’t know why he left, but I’ll bring him back, so just wait, okay?
When he shouted that, Daddy-Bride, who was standing beside Daddy, smiled and said,
“It looks like he’s going on a picnic. But it’s already late.”
“Well, it should be fine. He’s a spirit, after all. Still, don’t stay out too late.”
Popcorn raised his hands high.
Got it! I’ll bring him back soon!
He added a few more things onto the cloth and tied it tightly.
With a heave-ho, he slung it onto his back. It felt heavy.
“....”
Strange. He couldn’t fly.
He had no choice but to take the sand out.
But it was still heavy.
He removed the grass, and after that he had to take out the pretty stone the children had given him as a gift.
It was still heavy.
“Pii….”
Reluctantly, he took out one piece of meat.
Now the pretty cloth held only one droplet of Daddy’s sweat and one piece of meat.
With another heave-ho, he tied up the bundle again and lifted it onto his back. This time he was finally able to fly.
“He’s wobbling quite a bit.”
“It looks a little worrying.”
Daddy-Bride and Daddy encouraged him to have a safe trip.
I got it! I’m off!
“Pit!”
Popcorn answered energetically and flew outside.
But by the time he reached the edge of the village, he had already run out of strength.
The body that had been floating in the sky was now wobbling close to the ground.
And after flying a little farther beyond the village, his feet began dragging along the earth.
“Pii.”
This is hard.
Lying face-down on the ground, Popcorn thought.
Two is better than one and three is better than two, but Daddy seems happy with just one Daddy-Bride, so maybe I don’t have to bring another one back.
Popcorn opened his bundle, ate the meat and the droplet of Daddy’s sweat, then flew back home.
“Is the picnic already over?”
“That was fast.”
Daddy and Daddy-Bride laughed brightly.
Daddy, Daddy-Bride, I’m sorry.
Popcorn let his shoulders slump and collapsed onto his blanket.
Today had been a very tiring day. Really. Pii.