Chapter 17
TL-Mechatronic
“Will you be able to go up on your own? Should I give you a hand?”
Rosaria, who was following, looked at the high chair and asked, but I shook my head.
“No! I can go up alone.”
Now that I’ve grown up, I was able to do this easily
Because I’m not the old me who could only chirp.
Hung!
Giving strength to my arms, I climbed into the chain and sat down, Rosaria applauded me joyfully.
I was smiling proudly when I heard a sneer next to me,
“Hmph. You can barely come up on a chair. What kind of black mamba are you?”
“Irene is a bird!”
“Ha?”
The boy with curly black hair raised his chin and one side of his mouth.
“What are you so proud of when you’re only a bite away, you idiot!”
The boy seemed to be waiting for me to cry out of fear.
So, what do you think? Are you afraid now?’ He looked at me like that. What should I do?
It doesn’t bother me, since I just learned that the expression “a bite away” is known as a sign of cuteness among black mambas.
“That’s right, Irene is cute!”
So I responded confidently. Then the boy winced and shouted out in an emotional voice.
“H-Hey, this! What nonsense are you talking about! How can you say that about yourself!”
“But it’s the truth, Irene is cute!”
Somehow, it felt as if my audacity was rising day by day.
Seth had a pathetic expression on his face when he saw the two of us arguing. He had eyes that couldn’t understand why we were doing this.
I glanced at the curly-haired boy sitting next to me and smiled bashfully.
The boy seemed speechless.
As I pretended not to take any damage and did nothing as he wanted, his face contorted and a slightly bewildered expression passed by.
This isn’t it. What gives? It was such an expression,
Cade, who was watching the fight, said briefly.
“Stop.”
With those words, the boy rubbed his lips, softening his momentum.
Hunf.
The boy shook his head.
As the chaotic atmosphere calmed down, Cade spoke again. “Seth, Arban. Don’t you know that today is the day you are introduced to your little sister?”
I think the name of the kid sitting next to him is Arban,
I glanced curiously at Arban, whom I had never seen before. There was an argument, but I couldn’t help but be interested, and maybe it was the same for Arban, since our eyes met.
It felt like I had been caught stealing, so I kept myself looking straight ahead and pretending to know nothing, but Seth greeted me like he knew.
“I see you again, Irene.”
“…..Yes, hi.”
“Seems like you are taller?”
Seth spoke out in a friendly tone, without hesitation.
I usually just think of things like that. He was surprisingly straightforward.
“Have you two met each other?”
“Yes. Last time, in front of the forest. The ball was playing with her.”
….Did I hear it wrong?
As I tilted my head, Seth smiled, closing his eyes. It looked like he was asking me if I had any problems with what he just said.
“….. was the one playing with the ball.”
Seth turned his head, pretending not to hear.
I feel like even if I change my fur, he would still detest me the same.
He did it last time, but I can feel it clearly this time as well. Now that he is in front of Cade, it seemed that he could not openly show his dislike, but even if it was this much, Cade would have noticed.
It seemed like it would take a very long time to change Seth’s mind.
But, at that time, I also gave the folded colored paper as a gift…….
When I was depressed, Seth’s mouth went up just in time.
“Ah. She also gave me some ugly colored paper. I was impressed because it was the worst thing I’ve ever received.”
“Then you can throw it away.”
Arban grunted. For some reason, he felt very upset, and to such an Arban, Seth said.
“Are you the only one who didn’t get a present from Irene?”
“You know what, who wants to get that?”
“That’s what it looks like.”
“No one wants that!”
It was the moment when the second round of the brothers’ chatter was about to begin in earnest, and before Arban could say something,
“Stop.”
The atmosphere, which was about to become ugly, was calmed down again by the involvement of Cade.
Don’t tell me the meals always start like this?
Seth seemed to be having fun teasing Arban, who always had an over-the-top reaction for everything,
I stopped paying attention to both of them and grabbed the children’s fork.
It was the moment when I took a good look at the sliced meat.
“Pfft.”
“….-Don’t laugh.”
It was not easy to eat because the table was chestlevel for me. I think my arm will get numb if I keep eating like this. What should I do?
I was wondering if there was a good way, but the plate in front of me suddenly disappeared.
“Mine!”
I resentfully flicked a look at the criminal.
“That’s my dwinner…….”
“The table is high. Come here.”
“Huh?”
I opened my eyes wide. Cade was pointing at his knee.
Thesitated and came down from the chair and walked towards him.
Pon. Pon. Pon.
Big hands came between both arms and lifted me up. My legs were dangling in the air. Cade, who put me on his lap, casually brought the meat to my mouth.
“Ah.”
“Ah-.”
Hap.
A large piece of meat, big enough to fill my mouth, came in. Soft texture and savory juices spread out.
Nham Nham.
When I chewed hard and swallowed it, the next meat came into my mouth as if waiting for its turn.
“You eat well.”
How many times did I take it?
A chef wearing a beret appeared from the kitchen as swallowed the last piece of meat.
“Desserts are here, my lord, young masters… oh, there you are, Miss Irene!”
The chef, who was putting on desserts that looked delicious one by one, gave me his greetings.
I realized that he was the chef who sent me delicious snacks every day.
“The uncle who gives snawcks to me!”
“I am honored that you know me. My name is Baharn.”
I bowed my head quickly. This is because I remembered that I promised to say thank you when I meet him later.
“Thank you for giving me something to snawck on every day!”
“Thank you for enjoying your meal.”
“I like Baharn!”
A voice rang loudly in the dining hall. With that said, the atmosphere in the room quickly subsided.
“……Who do you like?”
Cade’s hand, which was trying to give me snacks, stopped in the air. Seth’s eyes then slowly turned to me. With a subtle frown on his face, he flapped his lips and closed them, and finally, Arban’s mouth, who was teasing me for not being able to eat alone, quickly closed in a straight line.
What? Did I say something wrong?
I pulled Cade’s hand that stopped in the air.
“Ah.”
“Here.”
The atmosphere that had become chilly was once again lifted.
Baharn, who was sweating profusely, tried to change the mood by continuing what he was doing.
“But why is the Miss sitting on Lord’s lap?”
“The chair was low.”
“Oh, I see. Then I’ll tell them to prepare a tall chair.”
“Baharn.”
“Yes?”
Cade’s mouth twisted up.
He looked at Ziggy Baharn. And in a few seconds, breathtaking tension came and went.
“I think you have lost your touch.”
“Do you want me to send you to the front lines of the territory to bring your senses back to you?”
“……I’ve made a slip of the tongue.”
“You think so?”
“Yes.”
Baharn quickly changed his posture as the threatening questions continued and quickly disappeared into the kitchen.
I tilted my head in a vague way. What did Baharn do wrong? Sometimes I can’t understand adults’ conversations.
While eating pudding, I asked with my mouth full of whipped cream.
“Drink!”
I was eating it without knowing that there was whipped cream on my mouth, and Arban, who was looking at me, clicked his tongue.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“Don’t dig in too much. You’re going to get my hands too dirty, it’s bothersome.”
Then he cleaned my mouth with a tissue. It was a rough but cautious touch.
I was being taken care of with an awkward touch, and Seth opened his mouth.
“You’ve been training in the woods for days and worked hard, Arban.”
“Ha?”
When Arban asked back as if he was saying something, Seth’s eyes turned to the tissue.
At that moment Arban’s body shuddered.
He jumped out of his seat at the moment when I looked suspicious of his bewildered face.
“I don’t have to work hard! I didn’t practice because I wanted to see her!”
Arban ran out of the restaurant.
Even if he practiced to see me, why is he so angry?
I swallowed the last piece of bread and drank the whole glass.