“Let’s understand her feelings too. Grandma wants to see you in good health. She doesn’t want to show you how sick she is.”


  “But why? When I’m sick I don’t hide anything.”


  Should I hit him or not? Look at him talking back to me. I wanted to ask him to listen to me instead of talking back at me, but I held my frustrations back because I learned that I shouldn’t get mad at children when it’s a time like this.

  I thought raising a child is so difficult. How did mothers endure this while raising a child?

  “That’s because you’re being taken care of.”


  “I want to take care of grandma too!”


  “You’re too small and young. You’d only be a nuisance.”


  I guessed he didn’t like being a nuisance. His face got gloomy. Since I saw his bright smile, I didn’t want to see that depressed expression. Children looked best when they smiled brightly.

  “I don’t like grandma being sick.”


  “Grandma won’t like you being so naughty and disobedient.”


  Graecito’s face stiffened. He seemed worried. He had a variety of expressions, huh?

  “Really?”


  “Yes.”


  “T, that’s a lie! How would you know!”


  He believed me until now, so why was he suddenly suspicious?

  What he said with a suspicious face was ridiculous. I just wanted to say something, but then I thought I’d fight him again, so I held it. Well, I guessed this was the only way.

  “I’m a princess. The princess knows everything.”


  What a load of crap. I didn’t know if there’s any more of this bullshit, but Graecito must have been getting into this bullshit. Oh, this poor boy.

  “Really?”


  “Yes.”


  Graecito’s face changed again as I nodded with a serious face. Oh, Jesus, I was like a fisherman who caught people. It’s also a person in another world, and I was having fun fishing.

  “W, what should I do.”


  “What do you mean?”


  “I… I didn’t listen to her.”


  Graecito whined with a face that looked like it was about to crumple into a million pieces. I ignored that face altogether.

  “You just have to apologize.”


  After all, no matter how hard Graecito said what he said, Serira would only suffer alone and wouldn’t punish her child. No, would she punish him when she’s really hurt? I was not sure because I was not Serira. Still, I knew that she would accept his apology if Graecito would apologize first.

  I looked around and approached the most beautiful rose around me. Oh, I saw one, but it had thorns. I was more worried about the mites than that, but I carefully selected the roses that looked as clean as possible.

  “Here.”


  Graecito was tilting his head as I gave him the rose. Oh, this idiot, he should have known by now how to handle his own mother.

  “Take this and give this to your mom.”


  “D, do you think she will accept this?”


  Of course she would take it. When I was frowning my forehead, it suddenly occurred to me what happened a few months ago.

  Oh, I thought I could understand why. That’s how it felt. I finally understood Serira when I didn’t want to hand my handkerchief. I was really scared that I would almost die, but I guessed Serira was feeling the same thing. Of course, he wouldn’t be rejected.

  “Of course, it’s from you.”


  Graecito, holding the rose I gave him, looked at me with a very frightened look on his face.

  “C, come with me.”


  “Seriously, are you baby?!”


  He was a baby.

  He was an actual kid when I thought about it. Graecito was like an abandoned puppy, but I didn’t mean to go with him. The first time was important. Adapting a habit would make three years old turn to eighty. I couldn’t go with him whenever something like this happened.

  “Go on your own. I’ll catch up.”


  “R, really?”


  “Yes. So go ahead.”


  After looking down at the roses in his hand for a moment, Graecito gulped. He must be nervous. Yes, it was nerve-wracking for him for sure.

  Graecito nodded loudly as if he just made up his mind.

  “See you later!”


  He has a loud voice.

  I sighed as I saw him running. Still, it’s disturbing to send him alone. However, It’s embarrassing to see Serira. Since I had to see her again anyway, I thought it would be better to just go and see her with Graecito for now. Before I left, I would take a rose with me too.

  I felt sorry for the roses, which bloomed beautifully in the garden, but I was a little reluctant to go back empty-handed. Serira and Elene were nearby. It was a pavilion built not far from the winter tree, and Serira was resting there.