Episode 149
Side Story 7. Small and Precious things (3)
After a long time, all my Academia colleagues except Rayl gathered.
Fortunately, even Eugene, who was busy, gathered to hold a tea party at the palace.
When unfamiliar people came, Caerine, clenched her mouth and clung to Yssius.
However, Yssius was at the height of his speech, so he grabbed anyone and talked to them.
Currently, his target was Eugene.
âI said my Mother is The Red Eye Archmage, isnât she cool?â
Yssius bragged about me using honorifics that he doesnât usually use.
It seemed to be because he recognized Eugene as a stranger, while actually he already saw him a few times before, but he didnât seem to remember well because he was too young.
âRi, right.â
Eugene answered awkwardly.
âHave you seen my Mother use the fire magic? Fire comes out of my Motherâs hand too!â
Eugene seemed to be out of his mind in the stormy story of Yssius.
He didnât seem to know how to react.
âRight right, fire comes out of Yerineâs hand. A really cool fire.â
âAunt Erie!â
When Erica replied, Eugene sighed with relief at the thought that he was off target.
As expected, since Erica is familiar to them, the children didnât mind her at all.
âYes! Aunt Erie is the best! Aunt Erie knows what Iâm talking about!â
Erica naturally took Yssius to the other side of the table, who was talking about Yerine.
I took the time and spoke to Eugene.
âWhy are you so awkward?â
âIâve never taken care of a child. I donât know what to say.â
Eugene said, scratching his forehead with his right hand as if he was in trouble.
âItâs okay if you just match up with âI seeâ or âReally?â, that much.â
Then Astra started laughing beside him.
âThere are some things that Eugene Ace canât do.â
âShuâ¦â¦ Be quiet.â
As Eugene frowned back, Rachel smiled softly and teased him.
âOh, why would you kill your temper all of a sudden, it doesnât suit you.â
âThere are kids here, so, just in case.â
âOh, youâre so delicate. The sun will rise from the west.â
Ignoring the giggling Astra and Rachel, Eugene swept off the sides of his head without saying a word.
Today, he had half his bangs turned sideways.
âBy the way, Yerine, did you tell Yssius that nickname âThe Red Eye Archmageâ?â
Rachel asked with an unexpected look.
âI know. Didnât you say that nickname was too cheesy last time? You hated it so much.â
Astra also tilted her head when Rachel said so.
âOh, someone wrote an article on their own.â
On the other side of the table, I looked at Yssius, in Erica arms, who is looking at Caerine, in Cassiusâ arms.
âThe kids saw it and read it.â
âOh, no wonder.â
Erica, who was looking at Caerine, was seen putting her index finger on her lips as if to be quiet in front of Yssius.
Nodding his head, Yssius moved toward the cheek of Caerine, who was asleep in Cassiusâs arms, kissed her and ran toward me.
I held Yssius in my arms, who smiled brightly as I opened my arms.
âMom, I think Kael is sleepy.â
âItâs because Kael is still young. Thatâs what Yssi did when Yssi was a kid.â
I said, tidying up Yssiusâs dishevelled bangs.
Yssius smiled at me and started talking again looking at Eugene, Astra, and Rachel.
âMy mother, sheâs the Red Eye Archmage!â
I thought I had gotten used to it to some extent, but when Yssius mentioned the nickname again in front of my other colleagues except Erica, my face slowly began to heat up.
âThat means my mother is a mighty wizard with red eyes. My mother knows how to use water, soil and air, not only fire!â
Astra managed to hold back her laughter, and Eugene hardened again into an ice sculpture.
Only Rachel clapped her hands and greeted Yssius.
âWow, thatâs really cool.â
âYes!â
âYeah, seriously, Iâm so jealous of Yssiusâs mother.â
In Rachelâs response, Yssius glowed his eyes and dyed his cheeks red.
At a glance, it seemed very exciting.
âYes, I think itâs a wonderful nickname.â
Astra stepped in and said.
âI wish someone would call me the Blue-Eyed Archmage.â
The first person to respond to Astraâs silly jokes while stretching was surprisingly Eugene.
âNo.â
Astra exclaimed in disarray at the immediate response.
âWhat, why? Even so, are you looking down on me?â
Then Eugene answered in a quiet voice to turn his head.
âIf itâs that, you overlap with me.â
âWow, I didnât see it like that, but mine is surprisingly weak.â
Astra said with a dumb face.
Listening to the conversation next to me, I couldnât stand it and laughed out loud.
âThen Astra is The Red Hair Archmage.â
âWell, thatâs good, but it overlaps with you, Yerine, but itâs only one letter apart.â
Eugene refuted Astraâs comments again.
âThatâs the same for The Blue Eyed Archmage.â
Yssius, who was watching the two fighting, asked with a face that he did not understand.
âMom, whatâs wrong with those two?â
âYeah, thatâs the way it is, itâs kind of like Dad making fun of Yssi and Kael.â
âOh, I see.â
Yssius, convinced at once, rolled his transparent purple eyes and said.
âMom, what is blueâ¦â¦?â
âOh, itâs like blue but different blue.â
(T/N: theyâve been using a different term of blue but itâs blue anyway)
Of course, Astra was closer to sky blue than normal blue.
âDo they want to be Archmages too?â
Yssius seems to have been curious about Astraâs words that she hoped someone would call her The Blue Eyed Archmage.
I patted Yssiusâs head looking at me and answered him.
âNo, theyâre already Archmages.â
âOh, is that so?â
âYeah.â
Hugging Yssius tightly in my arms, I said.
âYssi too will be called that if you practice a lot while growing up.â
âReally?â
Yssius grabbed my arm and asked back in an excited voice.
âCan I be called The Archmage too?â
Glittering purple eyes were directed at me.
It was a colour that looked just like my right eye.
I thought I must have had those eyes when I first learned magic.
âYeah.â
I replied with a calm smile.
âYssi too could be called The Purple Eyed Archmage.â
After a while, Yssius looked back at me and asked.
âPurple Eyed?â
âYeah. Because you have purple eyes.â
âOh⦠yes!â
I kissed Yssiusâs head lightly when he answered vigorously.
***
It was when Yerine and Cassius were eating with their colleagues.
Yssius was reading a fairy tale next to Caerine, who woke up and went to the playroom together.
The siblings, who used to play with toys or playhouse, as usual, started painting.
âThe Purple Eyed Archmageâ¦â¦.â
It seemed that the Archmage was a nickname only for a super-strong man like his mother.
Therefore, Yssius was grateful to his mother for telling him that he could become The Purple Eyed Archmage.
But there was still regret in the corner of his mind.
âBut I still prefer The Red Eyed Archmage.â
Yssius puffed up his cheeks and looked at the painting by Caerine.
A sigh came out of Yssiusâs mouth when he saw his motherâs red eyes in the painting.
âI want to do the same thing as my mom.â
Is there anyone who can teach me how to get the same red eyes as my mom?
Yssius, who was stroking Kaelinâs head, thought to himself.
âMy Prince, My Princess.â
Yssius and Caerine, who were drawing on a large piece of paper at the sound of opening the door of the playroom, turned their heads.
âPlease have some snacks.â
Yssius raised himself at the appearance of a kindly smiling nanny.
âKael, letâs wash your hands with Oppa.â
âYes.â
Caerineâs right hand, nodding, was full of purple dye.
Thinking it would be because she drew her mother so many times on the corner of the paper, Yssius thoroughly washed his sisterâs hands and washed his hands before returning to the playroom.
âTodayâs snack is delicious strawberries.â
Strawberries, cut into small pieces, were placed on a small golden plate.
On a slightly larger plate next to it were arranged pieces of strawberry cut in half.
âCome on, Princess. Ah.â
At the nannyâs words, Caerine opened her submissive little mouth.
Yssius, who was dipping the half-cut strawberries with a blunt fork, gazed at the scene.
âNanny, can I feed Kael?â
âNo, my prince.â
âWhyâ¦?â
The nanny answered, wiping Caerineâs mouth, who chews strawberries.
âThen my Prince wonât be able to eat properly because my Prince would only care about The Princess.â
At the nannyâs words, Yssius picked up the fork with a drooping face.
As the nanny said, Yssius intended to feed Caerine first and later eat his share.
âIf you empty your plate first, then thatâs fine.â
Upon hearing that, Yssius began to eat strawberries in a combative manner.
âBut donât eat too fast.â
Yssius, who had a bunch of strawberries in his mouth, lowered his eyebrows and said.
âThatâs too much, Nanny.â
Then, someone knocked on the door outside.
âNanny, thereâs something you need to see!â
At the voice of another user from outside, the nanny cleared the tableware for Caerine and turned her head.
âMy Prince and My Princess. Iâll be right back, so please wait. And My Prince, Iâm so sorry, but could you take care of The Princess for a second?â
âYes, nanny. See you!â
The nanny left in a hurry, and only brother and sister remained in the playroom again.
And Yssius, who still couldnât give up his hopes of becoming The Red Eye Archmage, was inadvertently again drawn to the same agony.
Caerine, who knew nothing, was already putting her finger in her strawberry dish in that short time.
âOh, Kael, you canât mess with food.â
âCan not?â
âYes, you canât.â
She was the prettiest little sister in the world, but things that shouldnât be done are things that must not be done.
Yssius took a handkerchief out of his pocket and skillfully rubbed Caerineâs fingers, which were dripping with red nectar.
âNow, itâs clean.â
âClean, clean.â
Then Yssius, who was trying to fold the handkerchief back without thinking, paused.
âRedâ¦â¦.â
A clear red stain on the white handkerchief caught his eye.
âThis is it.â
As Yssius looked at the red stain, Yssiusâ eyes began to sparkle.