Episode 146
Side Story 6. Small and precious thing (3)
âSo the prince and the princess got married and lived happily ever after. End!â
When Yssius read the ending of the fairy tale book with a confident expression, Cassius and I clapped our hands with a big smile.
There were still unfinished documents rolling around by us, who cheered with all our strength.
âWow! This story was the best today!â
I gave Yssius a big hug as I praised him.
Then Yssius grinned and put his face on my shoulder.
Most children of Yssiusâ age ask their parents to read fairy tales, but Yssius is unusually fond of reading childrenâs books directly in front of Cassius and me.
Of course, Cassius and I were willing to be Yssiusâs audience because it didnât matter if we were reading or listening.
And every time he finishes a fairy tale book.
It was essential to pay storm compliments.
âRight, Yssi is the best. This Yssiâs story is the best.â
I praised him as I adored him and let him go so Cassius could do it too.
Then Cassus opened his arms as if he were hugging him, but Yssius looked wistful.
âI guess the sediment is still not completely gone.â
Cassius apologizes to Yssius as soon as he woke up in the morning, whether due to the shock of using a separate room.
Yssius eventually forgave Cassius for his desperate apology that lasted nearly half an hour.
Still, though, not completely relieved, Yssius had a pouty face every time Cassius approached.
âYssi, Daddy too!â
Cassius shouted at Yssius, who was not hugged by him.
At his fervent request, Yssius hugged Cassius with a slightly reluctant look.
âThank you, Yssi. Good boy.â
âEungâ¦â¦â¦.â
Yssius, who retorted Cassiusâ words, escaped from his arms and settled next to me.
Cassius looked a little disappointed, but he didnât ask Yssius to give him another hug.
Without noticing Cassiusâs appearance, Yssius lay on his stomach on the bed and stared through the last page of his fairy tale book.
âMommy.â
âYes, Yssi?â
I pushed the documents aside for a moment and stroked Yssiusâs little head, reading passionately as if to enter a fairy tale book.
âYou told me I am a prince. Am I like the prince here?â
Asking, Yssiusâ fingers pointed to a painting of a prince dressed in splendid garments and holding a wedding ceremony with a princess.
âWell, I guess so. Although youâre a little better than that.â
As a matter of fact, Yssius is a prince but better than that prince.
But for Yssius, who doesnât even have a governess tutoring yet, that concept will be a bit difficult.
âI see.â
Yssius nodded his head.
Then he turned the pages of the fairy tale book to the front.
This page shows the prince on a mission to rescue a princess trapped in a tower.
âDaddy is like the king in here, right?â
Yssius turned his head toward Cassius and asked.
At that time, Yssius was resting his hand on a painting of a king who was tasked to the prince.
âYes, itâs similar. Why did you think that?â
Cassius smiled softly and asked.
Then Yssius answered by sticking out a picture of the king in the fairy tale book to Cassius.
âThe king here sat in a very high chair like Daddy.â
Perhaps he remembered Cassiusâs appearance in reality and thought of it.
âRight, thatâs a good one.â
Cassius said with a pleased look on his face.
Yssius read all the fairy tales and heard compliments from Cassius. Now that he heard quite plain praise, he looked more overwhelmed.
Cassius then continued, whether he noticed it, and rolled it up, even more, asking Yssius.
âWho do you think Mommy looks like?â
âMom? Mommy isâ¦â¦.â
The sound of a small head rolling seemed to be heard all the way here.
Yssius long agonized over the answer to Cassiusâs question with a face so serious as to wrinkle between his eyes.
âI donât know.â
âOh, no one looks the most similar?â
âUmâ¦â¦â¦..â
After a moment of agony, Yssius handed over a fairy tale book, pointing to an illustration of the prince fighting the dragon.
âHere, I think Mommy looks like the wizard.â
At the tip of Yssiusâs finger was a painting of a wizard who covered his whole body with a black robe and chanted spells.
âHeâs my child, but heâs pretty good.â
Sometimes I show magic in front of Yssius, but I never tell Yssius that Iâm a wizard myself.
Probably, he found it out on his own through explanations that appear occasionally in the book.
âYes, Mommy is a wizard. How did you find out?â
âBecause the wizard got a fire in his hand just like Mommy.â
Oh, thatâs why.
âAnd the wizard always hangs out with the prince.â
Yssius said in a rather convincing voice.
Now that I hear it, it makes sense.
âMommy doesnât wear black very often, so I think itâs a little differentâ¦ââ¦.â
âOh, I have black clothes, too.â
âOh, really?â
âYeah.â
At my words, Yssiusâs eyes glistened.
âHave you ever fought a dragon?â
âUh⦠weâve met.â
âWow, really?â
âYes, but I didnât fight because she was a good dragon. She helped Mommy and Daddy.â
âWowâ¦â¦..I see.â
Yssiusâs eyes sparkled more than when he read fairy tales.
If I knew this would happen, I would have told him about dragons sometimes.
âYssi, didnât you think Mommy was a queen?â
âQueen?â
âYes, the person next to the king.â
I turned the fairy tale book to the front and pointed to the picture of the king.
A gorgeous queen with a handkerchief next to the king.
Usually, if a child thinks his father is a king, then he would think his Mommy would be a queen, so I asked.
; Of course, itâs different because Iâm the Empress, not the Queen.â¦.â
âThis person? But this personâ¦â¦.â
Yssius tilted his head.
âBut fire doesnât come out from her finger.â
âSo that was the standard.â
Cassius lay on his side and muttered, looking at Yssius.
âBy the way, Mommy. Daddy.â
âHuh?â
Yssius, who was looking at us alternately, pointed to the last page of the fairy tale book.
âSo whoâs the princess?â
When asked by Yssius, I glanced at Cassius.
Apparently, it seemed that he was also stunned at the unexpected question.
âWell, it is. We donât have princesses in our country.â
When Cassius calmly explained, Yssius opened his eyes wide.
âNo Princessâ¦â¦.?â
âYes, thereâs no Princess in our country now, I heard thereâs a Princess in the next country.â
At Cassiusâs words, Yssius looked disappointed.
âI want to see the Princessâ¦â¦.â
âUhâ¦.â
This was very difficult.
No one in the Tigris Empire currently holds the status of The Princess.
âThen letâs go to the next country with Daddy to see the Princess.â
Cassius hugged Yssius and tried to soothe him and talked.
âThere is no princess in our country yetâ¦â¦..â
Fortunately, Yssius seemed convinced of Cassiusâs words.
âShould I take you to another kingdom party when you grow up?â
I thought so when I saw two people talking to each other as if they had forgotten about yesterdayâs fight.
âThen do I tell her that Iâm a prince?â
âYeah, thatâs right. You could tell her that youâre The 1st Prince of Tigris Empire, and the princess will recognize you.â
âThe 1st whatâ¦â¦ what is it, Daddy?â
âOh, Iâll tell you all about it later, Yssi.â
Cassius spoke, stroking Yssiusâs head immediately.
Yssius, who left himself still to the touch, looked back at me and smiled.
âMommy, are you going with me and Daddy, right?â
When I saw that smile, I smiled face to face.
âWell, of course.â
âIâll tell her that Mommy is the strongest wizard in our country!â
His glittering purple eyes curled with a dazzling glow.
Just looking at it was a heartwarming light.
âYes.â
I said, holding Cassius and Yssius in Cassiusâs arms with both my arms.
âLetâs go together.â
***
âYerineâ¦â¦.â
Cassius, looking at me with a deep look, kissed the back of my nose.
Soon kissing all over my face, he hugged me tightly and buried his head in my shoulder.
Itâs been a while since I got married, but every time he kissed me, I seemed to heat up.
âYouâre acting cuter than usual today, Cassius.â
I said, sweeping Cassiusâs back against me.
âBecause I couldnât do it yesterday.â
Cassius said in a secretly disappointed voice.
âI didnât know it would be so hard to sleep separately.â
We only used a separate bed for one night, but I canât believe heâs having such a hard time.
âWhat are you going to do when you go on a business trip in winter?â
Then Cassius said with a nutty smile.
âIâll miss you every day, a lot.â
Wow, wait a minute.
Youâre hitting a hook like this?
When I was trying to calm my fluttering heart, Cassius took off his face and looked at me with a suspicious smile.
His golden eyes, twinkling in the soft light, gently bent, as if tempting.
âJust like every time youâre away.â
My face turned red in an instant.
âAre you going to seduce me today? Whatâs wrong with him all of a sudden?â
Screaming inwardly, I pulled back, but the more I did, the more Cassius clung.
âNow, hold on a second. Whatâs wrong with you all of a sudden?â
âItâs better today.â
Eventually, unable to resist, I stretched out my arms and blocked Cassiusâs lips.
âEup?â
âWell, please stop saying that.â
At this rate, my face couldnât stand the heat and felt like it was going to explode.
Heâs only getting more seducing skills.
As if he knew how to move on.
âReally, Iâm afraid Iâm going to explode if you do moreâ¦.â¦..â
But such words did not seem to work for Cassius.
His soft lips touched the palm of my hand with a blatant sound.
Cassius took my hands off me with a relaxed smile in his eyes when he saw me unable to shut up in dismay.
âWhy? Do you hate it?â
Enchanted by the fascination, I replied unconsciously.
âOh, noâ¦.â
âReally? Iâm sure you said you didnât hate it. Yerine.â
Cassius had already locked me in his arms when I realized I had answered it wrong.
The subtle smell of soap brushed the tip of my nose and his sundry black hair chillingly touched the back of my neck.
Chu
His hot lips stayed on the back of my neck for a long time.
I wanted to cringe with an itchy feeling, but Cassius gently pressed my shoulder with his face, preventing me from cringing.
âYerine.â
When the lips finally fell, Cassius opened his mouth and laid me down carefully on the bed.
âCassius.â
âHuh?â
âWhat do you want to tell me?â
Cassius did not immediately answer.
After a long time, he blushed and opened his mouth.
âWe named two babies before they were born.â¦â¦.â
âYes, you did, didnât you?â
âThereâs still a girlâs name left.â
Cassius held my hand and said with a fervent look.
âAnd donât you want to show Yssius the princess?â
âUhâ¦â¦.â
âNot the princess in the fairy tale, but the real princess.â
Cassius talked, kissing the back of my hand.
âSo, if you donât mind, why donât we make a princess tonight?â
When I heard that, I thought to myself.
âYou must be crazy, seriouslyâ¦â¦.â
While saying that with my head, I couldnât stop my face from getting hot.
After all, we spent a long, long night together.