Chapter 9
“The Prince and the Little People?”
“Can I come visit sometime?”
“Of course. But just so you know, it’s a really small place.
It’s an old one-story house where my grandmother used to live alone.”
Ruri laughed, then asked,
“How are the orders coming along?”
“This week, the natural stone bracelets and necklaces are selling like crazy,”
Midori said with a weary smile. “I’ve been threading elastic all day, my eyes are burning.”
“The boss left for Thailand yesterday.
Yuko-san went with him, so I don’t think he’ll be slacking off.”
Since Yuko also handled sales, it wasn’t unusual for her to accompany him on business trips.
“I see.”
Ruri smiled at Mitsuko.
“Mind if I step out for a bit?”
“Sure, but where are you going?”
Midori looked up from her work.
“To Tanaka-san’s place,” Ruri said, referring to the nearby real estate agency.
“About your apartment?”
“Well, that too. But I’ve got another favor to ask.
On the way back, I’ll stop by Chika-chan’s place to buy some dumplings—what kind do you want?”
Chika was the friendly daughter of the local dango shop.
“I’ll take mitarashi and sesame,” Mitsuko said.
“I’ll have yomogi and seaweed,” Midori added.
“I’ll take red bean and kinako,”
Haruki called out, raising his hand from behind his computer screen.
“Got it~”
Ruri jotted the orders down on her phone and left the office.
As she walked down the street, Ruri’s thoughts drifted back to the mysterious child who had emerged from the bamboo.
After carrying the baby out of the grove, she had made sure no one saw her before returning home.
Now what should I do…
As that thought crossed her mind, the baby’s chest began to glow brightly.
Startled, Ruri instinctively placed her hand on the baby’s chest.
There, embedded in the skin, was a small, gleaming mineral she had never seen before.
“What… is this…?”
It looked like a geode—
and from its glowing core, countless rays of light burst out.
Then, something tiny came flying from it.
“Huh? A little person?”
They were about the size of the baby…
No, even smaller.
They looked just like the dwarfs from Snow White.
But… one, two, three… fourteen?!
Fourteen little people fluttered out of the light.
“Phew—finally, we’re out!”
“Where are we?”
“The princess told us to protect him,
and then she forced us to come here.”
The tiny beings all started talking at once, grumbling and complaining.
Then, one of them noticed Ruri.
“Who’s this lady?”
Lady?! Well… not wrong, but—
Are dwarfs supposed to be this rude?
They were cute in fairy tales!
The one who had called her “lady” was a small boy with bright blue hair and eyes.
He looked up at Ruri with a skeptical expression.
“And who exactly are you?
You just pop up in my house uninvited and act like you own the place!
How rude can you be, you little dwarfs!”
“Dwarfs? Excuse you, you’re the rude one!
We are the fairies of the Gemstone Kingdom, with noble lineage!”
“The… Gemstone Kingdom? What is that, some kind of anime?”
Ruri couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
At this point, nothing could really surprise her anymore.
“Come to think of it…”
the blue-haired boy tilted his head, squinting at her.
“This woman… kinda looks like the princess… doesn’t she?”
