“But I can’t go right now. At least, give me another week,” Alistair said charismatically.

  “You want me to wait a week?”


  “He’s saying that if you can’t wait, then we’ll take him to the capital later. Don’t worry, you can go ahead and report,” Bart criticised the shocked Prince.

  The Prince thought a little and said, “Hmm. Then we’ll do that. A week later, Alistair Lisburn, you will come to the fief capital with that violet-eyed baby who’s playing innocent.”


  Alistair looked like he wanted to add something, but he kept quiet and looked down. I wanted to complain about being called an infant who was playing innocent, but it would be immature of me, so I stayed quiet.

  “It’s a bit annoying how you won’t say anything,” The Prince was probably saying that to me, but I didn’t care. I went back to playing with the blocks. Behind me, everyone was surrounding Alistair.

  “Are you sure?”


  “Yes. I thought this would happen one day. At least I was with my mum since I was born and I had fun travelling all over. I’m glad that I was able to settle down here and work as an apprentice hunter.”


  “You’re calm and have good intuition. You definitely would have become a good hunter, uooah,” Bart said disappointingly, and Alistair lightly hit his stomach.

  “Bart, why are you acting like I won’t become a hunter? I’ll still be working as a hunter at the fief capital,” Alistair declared.

  “But isn’t it hard channelling your magic? I’m sure it will be since the magic stone is bigger than the ones in the barrier boxes,” Mill said worriedly.

  “I don’t know, but it’s not like I’ll be doing it every day, right? I can just work as a hunter when I’m not filling the magic stone.”


  With his cheery and optimistic attitude, Alistair today, looked completely different from yesterday.

  “I guess so, yeah. You’re right. He didn’t say you had to stop being a hunter,” Mill also brightened up and said. I played with the blocks while glancing behind me. Unlike the two cheerful people, the rest looked like they had mixed emotions.

  I remembered brother’s friend, Gill.

  I cheered up a little.

  I sunk my head down and reflected on my selfishness.

  And, I finally realised.

  My tears fell down onto the blocks because my head was lowered.

  My tears continued to fall, but I didn’t wail.

  I held the blocks which had changed colours from my tears.

  “Lei.”


  “Lei, turn around.”


  Alistair sat behind me, put one hand around my stomach and held my hand, which was holding the blocks, with his other hand.

  “We won’t forget you just like how you didn’t forget about your dad or brother. We’re family, even if we’re apart.”


  “.…… Ai.” I somehow managed to squeeze my voice out.

  “Lei, don’t cry.”


  “Noth cwying!”


  I rubbed my eyes, and Alistair put a little force into the hand that was hugging my stomach.

  “Yeah, you’re not. Something just got into your eyes.”


  “Ai.”


  [Bart’s POV]

  Everyone in the room more or less started crying when they looked at Alistair hugging Lei’s back.

  “Mill, at least wipe your snot.”


  “I forgot my handkerchief.”


  “Even though Lei reminded you so many times not to?”


  I had enough, so I took my handkerchief out from my pocket and gave it to him.

  “Isn’t this all wrinkled?”


  “It’s better than not having one at all.”


  “Lei’s too cute.”


  “You’re even blowing your nose.”


  It was Mill who blew his nose on the handkerchief he was holding.

  I looked at the two while remembering the past few months that we’d spent together with a baby.

  “It was fun.”


  “Now, what’re we gonna do? We’ll talk about it after Alistair and Lei have gone to bed.”


  “Aite,” Kyaro answered straight away. Clyde also nodded.

  “So cute.”