The Meaning of the Silver Lion
Time flies when you're having fun. It meant that over a week had already passed since I arrived at Ferman's Castle. Late in the evening, Shine and I were sitting around a small desk, writing in our picture diaries.
Today was another fun day.
Moving my colored pencils diligently to color in Rain, I looked down at my picture diary with satisfaction. The diary, which I had started keeping at Ferman's suggestion, gave me a chance to reflect on my day. Recalling what I did well and what I did wrong, I hoped to become a better person tomorrow.
“Are you done too, Shine?”
“Yeah.”
Clasping my diary to my chest, I peeked at Shine's. The rate at which her drawing skills improved was beyond imagination.
“Whoa...”
Shine had perfectly captured Rain's and my features, rendering us as adorable characters. Chuchu was depicted running around us in dynamic, lively motions.
“Shine, you're really good at drawing.”
But there was one flaw in Shine's diary: she never drew herself. She always drew scenes exactly from her own perspective. Personally, I wanted to see Shine draw herself.
“Hey, Shine. How come you never draw yourself?”
“Mm... It's hard.”
“What's hard about it? You look exactly like me.” I tilted my head in confusion. Since Shine and I were identical, wouldn't drawing another character just like me right next to me make it Shine?
“It doesn't feel like me. It's impossible for another 'me' to exist beside Jeff.”
“Is that so...?” I nodded blankly at Shine's difficult-to-understand words.
“You two haven't forgotten your appointment, have you?” Amy said, looking over at us.
Startled by her voice, I checked the clock. It was nearing nine in the evening. The time we had promised to meet Ferman was fast approaching. I hurriedly stood up and shoved my picture diary into the desk drawer.
“Shine! Hurry! We have to go to Grandpa right now!”
Our appointment was at nine. If Shine and I ran as fast as we could, we would make it to the garden—our meeting place—without being late. Ferman was highly sensitive to punctuality. If we were late, he would start lecturing us with a deeply disappointed expression. It was the kind of lullaby-like lecture that made you drift off to sleep before you even realized it.
“Let's go!” Shine also put her diary away and sprang up from her seat. The dinosaur tail of her pajamas swayed gently with her movements.
“We'll be back!”
“Don't eat too many donuts.”
“Gasp...” I covered my mouth with both hands at Amy's words. She knew we had been secretly eating donuts!
“Amy... did you know all along?”
“Did you really think I wouldn't? You two reek of delicious donuts every single time you come back.”
At her words, I instinctively brought my arm to my nose and sniffed. Of course, since we hadn't eaten any yet tonight, there was no smell.
“Are we going to get punished?” I looked up at Amy, my face filled with apprehension. She chuckled softly and patted my head.
“As long as you don't eat too many, it's fine.”
Even though she knew everything, Amy had pretended not to notice until now. Feeling a wave of warmth, I threw my arms around her leg.
“Thank you!”
“Aren't you going to be late for your appointment?”
“Ah!” At Amy's reminder, I spun around and bolted. Shine ran ahead, leaping up to open the closed door. In front of the wide-open door lay Chuchu, the massive dog, who had apparently been waiting for us. The moment Chuchu saw us, he stood up, wagging his tail vigorously.
“Chuchu!”
*Woof! Woof!*
We began to run alongside Chuchu. The hallway, illuminated by beautifully colored lights, exuded a completely different atmosphere compared to the daytime. Although the empty space was quiet, the warm glow of the lights kept any fear at bay. Having Shine and Chuchu by my side made me feel even safer.
Without stopping, we dashed down the stairs. As we bounded down two steps at a time, Chuchu leaped high into the air. Landing at the bottom of the staircase in a single, magnificent bound, Chuchu looked back at us and wagged his tail as if we were in a race. The massive castle gates were wide open as if welcoming us. We sped toward them.
Sprinting through the gates, we headed toward the meeting spot Ferman had designated. The garden was bathed in the soft glow of lanterns, and a cool, refreshing breeze brushed past us. The faint chirping of insects tickled my ears. The nights I remembered from my past life were never this beautiful. They had always been loud, chaotic, and dangerous. Even as I ran, I couldn't help but look around in wonder.
“Welcome, children.”
The moment we arrived at the large fountain after our long run, Ferman, who had been waiting there, greeted us warmly. I hopped up onto the edge of the fountain. Standing on an elevated spot allowed me to see much more of my surroundings than looking from my short height. Cool droplets of water splashed lightly against my face.
Our appointment with Ferman was for a night walk. Fortunately, we weren't late, as Ferman didn't say a word about the time. Ferman was busy. Always. All day long. He had so much work to do that we only got to see him twice a day: once briefly during lunch, and once briefly in the evening. I knew that even now, Ferman was pushing himself to make time for us. His habit was to constantly check the watch on his wrist, yet whenever he was with us, he never looked at it once.
“Shine, Jeff. I hope you both had a wonderful day today.”
“Yes! Today was really fun!” I replied, hopping down from the fountain.
And so, our slow stroll began. Feeling the cool breeze, we walked through the vast garden. The vine-covered walls looked as though they were made entirely of living plants.
Shine and I took turns telling Ferman about our day. He truly loved listening to our stories. Looking down at us with a constant smile, his eyes held an emotion very similar to Amy's—a warm, genuine affection completely devoid of hostility. Shine must have felt it too; though she had been wary and on guard at first, she now took the initiative to approach him. Just like she was doing now.
Shine gently took hold of Ferman's empty hand as he walked ahead. Ferman's eyebrows twitched slightly at her sudden gesture. Seeing this, I reached out and took his other hand. His large, calloused hand felt rough and warm.
Ferman's pace was slower than usual. This was our last walk. Tomorrow, Shine and I would return to where we came from with Victor and Amy. It seemed Ferman wanted to stretch this moment out as long as possible.
“I'll come back again next time,” Shine suddenly spoke up as we walked in silence. It was incredibly rare for her to initiate a conversation.
“That's right. We'll definitely come back. With Amy, Rain, and Victor too.”
Ferman stopped in his tracks without a word. The sound of the fountain echoed slowly, matching the sluggish flow of time. As stray leaves drifted past our vision on the wind, Ferman finally spoke.
“Jeff. Shine.”
“Yes?”
“Yeah.”
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
Saying so, Ferman pulled two small boxes from his breast pocket. Placing a box on each of his palms, he knelt on one knee to bring himself down to our eye level.
“Would you... be willing to accept these?”
Shine and I looked at each other. Meeting each other's gaze, both of us wore calm smiles. Moving in perfect unison like reflections in a mirror, we reached out and picked up the boxes resting on Ferman's hands.
*Click—*
Inside the boxes lay silver rings. Engraved on the top of each ring was a small lion's head. The silver lion's eyes were set with tiny red gems that gleamed with a sharp, brilliant light.
“This is...”
“A ring?” Shine looked back and forth between her hand and mine.
“Will you accept those rings?”
“What happens if we take them?” Shine asked Ferman, clutching the ring in her hand. Even as she asked, the way she refused to let go of it showed she quite liked it.
“It means we become family.”
“Family...?”
“Yes. You, Jeff, myself, and Amy. The four of us.”
“Family...”
“Yes. Family.”
Shine muttered blankly. The Silver Lion Ring caught the light, sparkling softly in her gaze. She slowly turned her head to look at me.
“I'd like that.”
If we accepted this proposal, our family would grow. To be honest, I didn't fully understand what "family" truly meant. Did Shine know? For some reason, my chest felt ticklish. Exhaling a soft breath, I nodded. If it was Amy and Ferman, I had absolutely no objections to them becoming family to Shine and me. In fact, it made me happy. A pleasant tingle ran through my fingertips and toes.
“I'd like that too.”
At our answers, Ferman's eyes shook with emotion.
“Jeff. Give me your hand.” Shine took the ring out of the box in my hand and grabbed my fingers. Her gaze burned with a sudden heat. I hesitantly offered my hand to her. The gleaming Silver Lion Ring in Shine's hand slid smoothly onto my finger. The cool metal of the ring and the warmth of Shine's fingertips brushed against my skin. Slipped onto my left ring finger, the Silver Lion Ring emitted a faint, elegant glow.
“Now you do it for me, Jeff.” Shine held out her own ring and her left hand. She raised her hand, wanting it on the exact same finger as mine. I nodded and took her ring. The cold metal somehow felt as if it were holding a gentle warmth. Just as Shine had done for me, I slid the ring onto her ring finger. Watching me, Shine let out a satisfied smile.
“Thank you for accepting them.” Ferman gazed at Shine's and my left hands. Yet, for some reason, his expression seemed somewhat complicated. I raised my hand toward the sky, letting the moonlight catch the ring. The softly shimmering silver lion looked rather cute.
“Now then, shall we go eat some donuts?” Ferman stood up, brushing off his knees. At the mention of donuts, I hopped up and down, spinning around him.
“Donuts!”
In the end, we stuffed ourselves with donuts until our stomachs were about to burst that night. And when Shine and I returned to our room, we got a thorough scolding from Amy.