A Grand Welcome
Mister Pehrman.
"Hmm..." The middle-aged man fell silent at Shine's bold attitude. Their gazes locked in midair. I watched Shine's back, my entire body tense with anxiety.
"Are you seriously trying to have a staring contest with a child right now?" Amy, who had been standing in front of me, pulled Shine behind her with a displeased scowl. Shine didn't resist, letting herself be led back toward me.
"She has quite the spirited eyes," Pehrman remarked.
"Don't worry about the kids," Amy replied sharply.
"You may call me Pehrman, child."
The middle-aged man, who introduced himself as Pehrman, seemed to have taken a liking to Shine. Ignoring Amy's warning, he smiled warmly at Shine and me. His smile only made me shrink further back, burying myself against Amy's side. Shine simply glared at Pehrman in silence, her mood clearly still sour.
"Forgive my late greeting. It has been a while since you all last visited, hasn't it? Victor. Rain."
As if his previous sharp gaze had been a mere illusion, a gentle, grandfatherly smile now graced Pehrman's face. At his words, Rain, who had been hiding in the back, flinched before raising a timid hand to greet him.
"Hello!"
Rain was incredibly tense, trembling as she stood on her tiptoes.
"Rain, you haven't changed a bit."
She must have wanted to look taller, but even stretching herself to her absolute limit didn't seem to make her look any different than before. At Pehrman's remark, Rain's shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Well, there is no need to keep standing out here. Let us head inside."
Pehrman looked around, turned on his heel, and gestured for us to follow. Amy let out a heavy, dissatisfied sigh.
"Let's go."
Though everyone had hesitated at first, the moment Amy started walking, the rest of us fell into step behind her.
The vast garden was beautifully manicured. The sparkling green grass was trimmed to a uniform height, and the breeze blowing from all directions carried the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers. Perfectly pruned trees stood in neat, orderly rows. Even the path we walked on was meticulously paved with a mosaic of pretty stones.
No one in our group spoke. Since Pehrman didn't say anything either, a heavy silence settled over us. The atmosphere felt rather uncomfortable.
"Amy."
It was Pehrman who finally broke the silence. He called her name, but Amy's response came only after a long pause.
"What is it?"
"Those two citizenships you issued under your authority back then... do they belong to those children?"
Amy didn't answer. She simply kept her lips pressed into a tight line.
"We will have to upgrade their ranks."
"Excuse me?"
Pehrman didn't answer Amy's bewildered question. He merely let out a soft chuckle and kept walking.
Amy stared at Pehrman with trembling eyes before looking down at Shine and me. When our eyes met, Amy had a dazed, bewildered expression. I reached out and gently took her hand. Meeting my gaze, Amy offered a small, reassuring smile before looking back up. Taking a slow, steadying breath, she spoke again.
"I thought you said there were no spots left this year?"
"A spot can always be made."
"Was it really that easy to just create one?"
"It is easy if you think it is, and difficult if you do not."
As Amy and Pehrman conversed, we arrived at the entrance of a massive castle. The gates were incredibly tall. I stared blankly at them. The building was colossal, topped with sharp, blue conical roofs that looked like pointed hats. The sheer, overwhelming scale of the place made my hands tremble. Do actual people really live in a place like this?
As I stared at the gates with a puzzled expression, the attendants waiting on either side pushed them open. Looking through the wide-open entrance, Amy frowned.
"Did you change the interior design again?"
"I was bored without you around, so I had to find something to occupy my time."
"You didn't do it yourself, Father. Your staff are the ones who suffered."
"They were compensated handsomely."
Pehrman stepped inside first. He blended into the surroundings with natural ease. As the true master of this place, the innate elegance radiating from him was impossible to hide. Amy followed close behind. She, too, looked perfectly in her element here, despite her disgruntled expression. Her long legs carried her forward gracefully, her pink hair swaying gently down her back.
I quickly scurried after Amy. Tap, tap. The crisp sound of our footsteps echoed beneath us. The polished floor was so shiny it reflected my image like a mirror. The interior of the building was incredibly spacious. The ceiling soared high into the sky, with a magnificent chandelier hanging from its center. Watching it sparkle like starlight, I unconsciously reached my hand out toward it. But stars are always out of reach, and so was the chandelier.
As I stood there with my hand stretched high, I suddenly felt everyone's eyes on me. Startled, I quickly hid my hands behind my back.
"Do you like shiny things?" Pehrman asked.
However, I missed my chance to answer because I hadn't realized he was speaking to me. As I blinked my wide eyes at him, he gave me a gentle smile and waved. Surprised, I quickly hid behind Amy's back.
"You're making her uncomfortable," Amy chided.
"Does she look uncomfortable to you?"
It wasn't that I disliked him; it was just that everything was so unfamiliar. I peeked out from behind Amy's legs, locking eyes with Pehrman.
"Jeff."
But Amy immediately blocked my view. It was as if she wanted to shield me from Pehrman, keeping him out of my sight.
"Has everyone eaten?" Pehrman asked, turning back to look at us.
I patted my small stomach. If someone asked if I was hungry, the answer was no, though I could probably eat if food was put in front of me. But it was still a bit too early for another meal. It hadn't been that long since we ate the pork cutlets Hairi had prepared for us.
"No, thank you. We ate not too long ago," Amy declined.
"Hmm."
Pehrman looked disappointed at Amy's rejection. He must have been looking forward to sharing a meal with her. Stroking his chin, Pehrman shifted his gaze until it landed on Shine and me.
"Did you choose those clothes?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I do not care for them."
"I told you to mind your own business."
"It seems they will be needing new clothes."
"Father!"
Ignoring Amy's protest, Pehrman raised his hand. At his gesture, the attendants waiting nearby began to approach us. People are closing in. The moment I realized what was happening, my powers flared up instinctively.
Crackle—!
Blue electricity surged across my entire body. Startled by the sudden display, the approaching attendants flinched and quickly backed away.
"Jeff."
Just then, Victor, who was standing beside me, pressed his hand firmly onto my head.
Zap! Crackle!
The currents flowing from Victor's hand clashed with the electricity surging from my body in a brief tug-of-war. I tried to calm my racing heart and suppress my power. Feeling my energy subside, Victor also reined in his own electricity, dampening the sparks that had scattered into the air. As the tangled blue light faded away, I noticed Pehrman staring at me with immense curiosity.
"They mean you no harm," Pehrman said gently.
I nodded. In my memories, whenever people crowded around me, bad things always followed. I had simply reacted out of fear.
"I will take care of them myself, so do not lay a finger on them."
Amy glared at the surrounding attendants before pulling Shine and me into her protective embrace.
"You seem to cherish them quite a bit."
"It's not 'quite a bit.' I cherish them more than anything."
"Hmph."
Amy gave Pehrman one last glare before walking away.
Click-clack, click-clack.
The sharp clicking of her heels echoed loudly through the hall. Victor and Rain silently bowed to Pehrman before quickly following after Amy. Pehrman waved goodbye to me. He had seemed a bit scary at first, but he actually seemed like a decent person. Shine, however, still looked displeased as she tugged on my arm.
"What's wrong?"
"Don't look at him."
"Okay..."
The room we arrived at with Amy was unbelievably spacious. I had expected the rooms to be large given the scale of the building, but this completely defied my expectations. The room was nearly the size of a training ground; it felt like it would take a long walk just to reach the bed.
"Whoa..."
"This is my room."
"Yours, Amy?"
"Yes."
Amy gently set Shine and me down. Standing on the floor, I looked around. We were the only ones in the room. Realizing there were no unfamiliar eyes watching us, I began to bounce on my feet and run around the room. A vast space. Grand curtains. Antique bookshelves. Old books that smelled of history.
"Wow!"
I stood in the center of the room, raising my hands high and shouting happily. No matter how much I ran, there was nothing to block my path. It was truly enormous. While I was busy running around, Amy and Victor sat down on a nearby sofa.
"How long do you plan on staying?" Victor asked.
"I think we should stay until things quiet down."
"This is indeed the safest place. Considering the children, it is the right choice, but..."
Rain and Shine joined in, sprinting right behind me as we ran laps around the room. After running until we were out of breath, we collapsed onto the floor. To my surprise, the floor was incredibly soft. The plush, high-quality carpet brushed against my cheek. Intrigued by the wonderful sensation, I began rubbing my face against the floor.
"Jeff!"
"I didn't do anything!"
As I was busy rubbing my face against the plush carpet, Amy's scolding voice rang out. I jumped up and ran to a corner, shouting back in defense. Rain and Shine scurried along right behind me. As we continued exploring Amy's fascinating room, a soft knock came from the door.
Knock, knock.
"The Chairman sent us."
"Come in," Amy called out.
"Pardon our intrusion."
The moment Amy gave permission, the door swung open. The people who entered were staff members dressed in immaculate uniforms. Pushing a large cart, they approached the table where Amy was sitting.
"These are clothes for the young ladies."
"All of this?"
"Yes, ma'am."
At the staff member's words, Amy began opening the small boxes stacked on the cart. Inside, they were filled to the brim with beautifully packaged clothes. There was everything from light, breezy sundresses to elegant gowns that looked like they belonged to ancient nobility, and even formal suits tailored for children.
Having wrapped ourselves in the bed curtains to hide from the strangers, the three of us immediately dashed out the moment the staff left, crowding around the table where Amy and Victor sat.
"He must have taken a real liking to you," Victor remarked, lifting a magnificent necklace.
Beside the necklace, which was studded with glittering, brilliant gems, was a small note.
Written on the tiny piece of paper was my name.