Lucky Day~
In just a few days, Seira had grown quite familiar with me. Or rather than familiar... maybe it was more like she was completely smitten.
"Ria sis."
The girl who used to just peek her head around the door at first now approached cautiously if I beckoned her. She still wouldn't start conversations herself, though.
When I ate. When I stepped out into the hall for a moment. When I returned to my room to rest. Whenever I came to, there she was, sitting quietly nearby. With her golden hair swaying as she followed me, she looked just like a little puppy. If she had a tail, it would've been wagging nonstop all day.
A puppy. Or maybe a duckling. Either way, she was adorable.
And she'd picked up a strange habit. When I took the water glass with both hands and set it down quietly.
"Whoa..."
When I smoothed out the crumpled end of a handkerchief and folded it neatly.
"Whoaaa..."
When the merchant leader came in and I gave a short bow before answering.
"Whoaaaa..."
Wait, why the last one?
"S-sorry. It just slipped out..."
"What's so amazing about that?"
"J-just... um..."
Seira's eyes darted around before she whispered, almost inaudibly.
"Ria sis is just... cool at everything."
"Even setting down a glass?"
"Yes."
"Folding a handkerchief?"
"Yes."
"Bowing?"
Seira fidgeted for a moment, then flushed bright red and nodded.
"Yes..."
She seemed sincere. Instead of answering, I reached out and poked her cheek lightly with my fingertip. It was soft.
Seira's eyes went wide as she looked up at me.
"Don't like it?"
"N-no...!"
Her cheek was soft, her reactions were fun, and having her stick quietly by my side wasn't bad at all. I'd always liked pretty, cute things anyway, so she wasn't a bother. If anything, it was entertaining to watch.
The moment Seira's eyes sparkled the brightest was when she heard that the merchant leader and his wife were inviting me to dine with them.
"Th-then... you can eat together too?"
Her voice was tentative, but her big eyes were already pleading for it.
"No reason I can't."
"Ah..."
Seira's lips curved up just the tiniest bit. Then she glanced at her parents and quickly clasped her hands demurely again. It was like the wagging tail from moments ago had vanished in an instant.
Raden's wife glanced at Seira, then smiled softly at me.
"Join us if it's not a bother. You seem well enough to move around now."
"Yes. Thank you."
I gave a short bow. Even then, I heard a tiny gulp from beside me.
"Whoa..."
"Seira."
At the wife's quiet call, Seira clamped her mouth shut.
The dinner was quiet. Not as suffocating as a noble house meal, but it seemed daunting enough for Seira.
She handled her glass carefully, tore her bread carefully, picked up her fork carefully. Too carefully—that was the problem.
Screeech.
The fork tip just barely scraped the plate. It wasn't loud. But Seira's shoulders froze solid.
"Seira."
The wife called her name softly. Seira's fingertips went even paler.
I set down my bread and glanced at Seira's fork.
"You're gripping it too hard."
"Huh?"
"Grip it that tight, and the fork gets mad and scratches the plate in protest."
At my silly remark, Seira's eyes went wide.
"Th-the fork...?"
"Yeah. It's complaining—'handle me gently.'"
I held up my own fork.
"Relax your fingertips a bit. Like this."
Seira stared at my gently curved fingers for a long moment, then carefully mimicked me. The fork tip touched the plate lightly again. No sound this time.
"There you go."
"Ah..."
Color slowly returned to Seira's stiff face.
Across the table, Raden's wife watched us intently. The stern lines around her eyes had softened noticeably.
"Seira's enjoying her meal more today."
Seira's hand paused. But the wife's gaze soon shifted to me.
"Must be because you're there giving her courage. It's good she's found such a fine big sister."
"I didn't really do anything."
At my modest reply, the wife gave me an approving look.
"Those little considerations are the hardest to learn."
She said that and resumed eating. Seira said nothing. Instead, she stared down at the fork in her hand. It had more tension than before. Realizing it, she quickly relaxed her grip. Then she looked up at me again. Her eyes were still sparkling.
"Ria sis... where'd you learn this stuff?"
"I worked briefly in a noble house before. Not properly trained—just picked up a bit from watching."
"A noble house?"
Seira's voice pitched up sharply.
"For real? So tons of dresses? The kind where they flare out like whoosh when you spin?"
Seira drew a huge circle in the air with her fork-holding hands mid-sentence.
"Stairs super grand, endless rooms... pretty cakes every day?"
"Seira."
The wife called her name again. Seira's hands froze in midair.
"...Sorry."
Seira dropped her flushed hands to her lap. I smiled and set down my glass.
"Makes sense you'd wonder. I was the same at first."
Seira's eyes turned back to me.
"Dresses? Yeah, tons. Some flared out like flower petals when you spun, just like you said."
"For real...?"
"Yup. Stairs so huge you climbed forever, rooms so many I nearly got lost at first."
"The cakes?"
Seira whispered from under the table.
"Sadly, not every day."
"Ah..."
Seira's shoulders slumped just a little in disappointment. At her cute reaction, the merchant couple just chuckled softly instead of scolding her further.
After dinner, Seira hovered around me for a while. Her lips kept twitching like she desperately wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to, just peeking at me for cues.
Finally, I spoke first.
"What's up?"
"Um..."
Seira twisted the hem of her skirt between her fingertips.
"Can I... introduce you to our caravan folks?"
"To me?"
"Yeah. You don't know everyone here yet..."
Her voice trailed off meekly, but her eyes sparkled with excitement, just like when I'd talked about the noble house. She was dying to share what she knew.
"Sure. I'd like that."
Seira's face lit up, then she cleared her throat and composed herself primly again.
"Th-then, this way..."
She stuck right by my side as we walked.
"That person's in charge of the wagon wheels."
"They can tell just from the rolling sound where it's bumpy—like magic."
"Impressive."
"Right? And that one organizes the herb crates. Can tell them apart just by smell."
"That's kinda cool."
"Right...? Hee hee."
Seira let out a small laugh. Less trembling in her voice now. She clearly loved chattering about her world to someone.
I could almost feel a tail swishing behind her.
"And that guy's on packing duty—ties knots like a pro. Super tight, but unties in seconds."
"Handy for a caravan."
"Exactly."
Seira nodded proudly. Then suddenly, her chatter cut off.
"That one..."
Her voice shrank to a whisper.
Following her gaze, a mountain of a man loomed behind a wagon.
"He's... kinda scary."
A long scar slashed his face, his forearms as thick as my waist. Standing stone-faced, he was plenty intimidating for a kid.
Seira half-hid behind me.
"Why?"
She peeked at him, then whispered in my ear.
"There was a kid who got lost near the warehouse at night and cried their eyes out."
"Yeah."
"After he took them away for being noisy... no one's seen the kid since."
Seira clutched my skirt tighter, face dead serious.
Right then, the scary scarred man reached a massive hand into his pocket toward Seira. A colorful candy wrapper peeked out between thick fingers.
But as Seira hid more, his hand froze awkwardly. The candy dangled half-out.
Then his shoulders slumped. His huge frame made the gloominess extra obvious.
A nearby packer snickered.
"Failed again."
"Told him to smile more."
"With that mug, kids think you're coming to eat 'em, not give candy."
The man's brow twitched.
"Shut it."
"See? Voice too."
The workers chuckled and stifled laughs.
Ah, got it.
I approached the man, leaving Seira behind.
"R-Ria sis...?"
Seira called softly, urgently.
"W-wait. He's..."
She stomped her feet quietly—don't go.
Pretending not to hear, I stood by him and whispered low enough for Seira not to catch.
"This candy's for Seira, right?"
He didn't answer. But the wrapper rustled again in his pocket.
Bingo.
I smirked inwardly, then turned to Seira.
"Huh."
I said it a bit louder on purpose.
"This is a problem."
Seira peeked out.
"Wh-what...?"
"That uncle's got super tasty candy."
"Candy..."
Her eyes flicked to his pocket for a split second.
"But gotta eat it before it melts, and no one's around to help."
I looked around casually.
"No candy-loving kids nearby?"
Seira's throat bobbed.
Gulp.
I nudged the man with my elbow.
"What're you doing?"
He looked down at me, face stiff.
"...What."
"You're in a bind, right?"
He stayed silent a long time. Then in a gravelly voice like chewing rocks:
"...Yeah, real bind."
I whispered.
"That acting sucks."
His ears tinted slightly red.
Seira didn't notice the awkwardness. She just alternated stares between the candy and his face, clutching my skirt.
"Someone should help."
Seira looked again between candy and face. Still scared—her toes stayed behind me. But her eyes wouldn't leave the candy.
Finally, she let go of my skirt ever so carefully.
"Um... ex-excuse me..."
Her voice was barely audible.
"I'll... help."
The man pulled out a candy like he'd been waiting. His huge hand made it look like a pea.
"...Here."
Seira took it with both hands, peeled the wrapper gingerly, and popped it in her mouth.
Moments later, her eyes went wide.
"...It's yummy."
His hand twitched a bit—like he wanted to pat her head. But she flinched, so it hung in the air.
I tapped Seira's shoulder lightly.
"Say thanks."
She started to hide again but peeked out, clutching the candy.
"Th-thank you..."
He didn't reply. Just nodded slowly.
A packer smacked his arm.
"Hey, success at last?"
"Cut it."
His voice rumbled low. The packer shrugged, chuckling, then glanced at me.
"Not shy, huh. Young but polite."
Seira munched her candy, listening quietly. Then she looked up at me, beaming like she got the praise.
Then the man reached into his pocket again. This time, candy toward me.
"..."
"Nah, I'm good."
"..."
"Really. Not big on sweets."
"..."
His hand didn't budge.
"...Thanks. I'll take it."
I popped it in. It was sweet.
After that, Seira was even more upbeat. Still soft-spoken around others, but no longer buried behind me.
"That one's in charge of warehouse keys. Can't lose 'em ever."
"Important job."
"Yeah. And that one..."
Her excited chatter slowed again. Her gaze stopped behind a wagon.
A boy about her age was coiling rope. Brown hair, faint freckles—lively-looking kid. Familiar face—the one who'd peeked at my door before.
"And... that kid..."
Seira's voice dropped noticeably.
"He's Haren's son."
"Name?"
"No-Noah..."
Just those two syllables, and Seira's ears went pink.
I looked at her. She fiddled with her candy wrapper needlessly.
"Seira."
"Yes?"
"You like that kid, huh?"
Her hands froze. The wrapper crumpled.
"N-no...!"
Quick denial.
"Doesn't look like no."
"No, really not."
She shook her head vigorously, then belatedly covered her ears. As if that'd hide the blush.
"Really?"
"Yes. Totally not."
"Want help?"
"For real?"
Her eyes lit up—sparkled, legit.
For a split second, our eyes met, and she realized something, slapping hands over her mouth.
"Ah."
"..."
"You were about to nod, weren't you?"
Seira couldn't answer. Her eyes darted. Then she hung her head.
I couldn't hold back a laugh.
"D-don't laugh..."
"Sorry. You're just too cute."
"W-was it that obvious...?"
She peeked through her fingers.
I thought a sec, then pulled a small hand mirror from my pocket.
"Wanna see?"
"Huh?"
"How obvious."
Seira took it hesitantly. Then froze.
The mirror showed her face beet red to the ears. Cheeks burning, lips pressed in embarrassment. Worst, her eyes—shaking with shyness but flicking toward Noah's wagon. Wanting to look but fleeing if caught.
She gripped the mirror tighter.
"...I-I really look like this?"
"Yup."
"For real?"
"For real."
Seira stared in the mirror, then slowly covered her face.
"What do I do..."
"What d'you mean? Liking someone's fine."
"I-it's not like that..."
I swallowed a laugh and glanced at the wagon.
"Then how about an intro?"
"Huh?"
"You're introducing everyone, right?"
"N-now?"
Seira jolted like she'd leap away. Not sure if to stop me or flee.
Too late. I waved at the wagon.
"Hey."
The boy flinched.
"...Me?"
"Yeah, you."
Noah's reply lagged a beat. He blinked at me a few times. His gaze lingered on my face, then dropped to my silver hair. Realizing, he set the rope down carefully.
"Wh-what is it?"
He approached stiffly, like a glitchy wooden doll.
I glanced at Seira casually.
"Nothing much. Seira's introducing caravan folks. Thought you'd wanna say hi."
"Ah..."
Noah's eyes flicked to Seira, then back to me.
Seira clutched the mirror to her chest, frozen.
"Seira?"
Her face was stiff. Different from her shy blush earlier.
"What's wrong?"
At my question, she startled and looked up, then forced a small smile.
"N-nothing..."
She shuffled toward me, mirror hugged tight. Tense around her crush, I guess. Fair enough.
Something was off.
Her cheeks had been burning moments ago, but now her fingertips felt cold. Noah was staring at Ria sis.
Just like the face in the mirror sis showed her earlier.
Red. Shy. Eyes drifting to one side, dazed.
Like hoarding yummy candy to sneak peeks alone.
Noah had that exact look.
But those big eyes held only Ria sis—her sparkling silver hair filling them completely.
Seira's small hand pressed her chest hard.
Poke—it hurt weirdly. Why? Ate the candy too fast? Indigestion?
She tilted her head, puzzled. But it only stung a little. If Ria sis patted her head and smiled like before, it'd go away.
So it'd be fine.
Seira thought it firmly and toddled back to Ria sis's side.
The Northern Forest Path was eerily quiet. Monsters that should be tearing into each other, devouring, howling—they were all gathered in one spot.
Yet they didn't move. Even as a wounded one staggered, the others didn't turn their heads.
All staring the same direction.
"...Weird."
The man hiding behind a tree scratched his nape.
"No way they'd cluster like that all meek."
"And adventurers keep vanishing lately..."
He swallowed a curse.
"What the hell's going on?"
He didn't watch longer, slipping away from the forest edge with muffled steps.
After he left, the frontmost monster slowly raised its head.
Soon, the rest turned the same way, as if on cue.