Fire
Even with a cup of sweet hot chocolate steaming in front of me, I couldn’t bring myself to take a sip.
“Drink it.”
Herald, perhaps reading the look of longing on my face, took a sip of his tea and spoke.
Gulp.
Faced with Herald’s increasingly fierce gaze, I involuntarily swallowed hard and clenched my fists.
No, don’t get scared. I have nothing to be ashamed of—he’s the one who should be regretful.
I reached out a trembling hand toward the pretty teacup filled with hot chocolate.
“Mmm…”
The hot chocolate was sweet and velvety. The marshmallows floating on top were so cute they added a visual delight.
Smiling as I watched a white marshmallow spin in a circle inside the cup, a low voice pierced my ear.
“So, what kind of bouquet and gift did that brazen scoundrel bring with him?”
Scoundrel…?
Eddy, the once wholesome village youth, had suddenly been demoted to a shameless scoundrel.
To be fair, Eddy had only brought flowers and a gift because it was Mom’s birthday that day.
But… the way he looked at her was definitely something. So it wasn’t a complete lie.
“Ah, don’t tell me that’s the guy Adeline’s been seeing lately?”
“Huh?”
“She said something about being in love, didn’t she? Is that him? What does he do?”
“……”
What is he going on about? While I was cooling down, Herald was getting more and more heated.
“Hah. A guy from some backwater village couldn’t possibly be decent. But Adeline’s too naive and softhearted. That’s probably why she couldn’t reject that persistent bastard. Yeah, that’s it. She just felt sorry for him and dated him out of pity.”
“Um…”
“That place is crawling with guys who all look like potatoes. As if Adeline could truly love someone like that? She loves beautiful things.”
“So…”
“Right, right. No need for me to get worked up over some potato. I just got a little overheated for a second.”
Muttering to himself, Herald touched his forehead with a hand draped lazily over the armrest.
Sigh…
What a performance. I couldn’t help letting out a sigh. I had to clear up his misunderstanding before it got worse.
“That’s not it.”
“What?”
Finally, Herald’s eyes met mine.
“Mom doesn’t have a boyfriend or anything like that.”
“…Really?”
His previously slouched posture straightened a little. His eyes even widened, uncharacteristically, as he waited for my answer.
“Yup.”
When I nodded, he twitched the corner of his mouth. “Of course,” he muttered under his breath.
But I couldn’t let him get too comfortable.
“But!”
“…?”
“She’s super popular! Eddy, Lottie, Boris… um, and…”
Well, Lottie’s still a kid, Boris has a girlfriend, and Eddy… sorry again. I’ll just borrow your names for a bit.
As I ticked off male names on my fingers, deep lines formed in Herald’s forehead.
Yes, yes. Get more anxious.
“That many…?”
“Yup!”
I nodded without a hint of hesitation, my face the picture of innocence. Herald clicked his tongue sharply as he turned his head away. I think I heard him mumble something about “potatoes,” but I decided to ignore it for now.
“That’s why Your Grace needs to make up with Mom quickly. She’s got too many rivals. And I’m all grown up now. Mom really dislikes you, so she might be thinking it’s time to move on.”
“Hah, grown up, my foot…”
I pointed out, one by one, the reasons he needed to reconcile with Mom quickly. Herald gave a hollow laugh, muttering under his breath as if dumbfounded.
Then, after silently thinking it over, he finally spoke.
“Kid, how can you be so sure of that?”
“Well, can you be sure she won’t?”
“……”
As expected, Herald had no response. He just let out a low grunt, then tilted his chin toward me.
“So, what do I have to do? You were rambling earlier about helping us make up.”
Rambling, really? This guy sure has a way with words.
Fine. I’ll let that slide for now.
Even though I was boiling inside, I kept a straight face and smacked the center of my chest with my palm.
“Listen to me!”
“…What?”
Is he hard of hearing or something? I spaced out the words and said it again clearly.
“Lis-ten to me!”
“……”
Even though I was dead serious, Herald just stared at me silently, lips pressed tightly together.
His golden eyes—so similar yet somehow different from mine—calmly searched my face.
Silence fell between us. An unreadable staring contest ensued, and time seemed to stretch on forever.
Finally, Herald broke the silence.
“Hah. I can’t believe I’m in a position where I need help from a brat.”
“Hey…!”
So that’s what was bugging him!
I puffed out my cheeks in frustration. No matter how this went, I was not going to be friends with Herald.
“Fine, whatever. So, what do you want from me? I doubt you’re doing this for free.”
Oh-ho! Quick on the uptake, huh?
Finally able to reveal the real purpose of our “deal,” I stretched out my arms and opened my palms toward him.
“Give me dragon poop!”
“…Dragon… poop?”
“No, no! Dragon, poop! This!”
Seeing he still didn’t understand, I made a circle with my thumb and index finger.
Herald stared blankly, mouth agape, then frowned and shook his head.
Even so, I kept smiling brightly, looking as harmless and innocent as possible.
“Sigh… a tiny thing like you already obsessed with money. Fine. How much do you want?”
“100 francs a month! With 200-franc bonuses!”
“Bonus? What kind of bonus?”
“Every time you and Mom get along better, I get a bonus!”
“…Unbelievable.” Herald shook his head in genuine amazement and stroked his chin, deep in thought.
“Alright. We’ll do it your way. But I’m adding a condition of my own.”
“A condition…?”
“Yes. This is separate from making Adeline forgive me.”
Oh? You want to make it a formal contract?
“How much will you pay, then?”
“…That depends on how you do. I’ll pay based on performance.”
“How much is that…?”
“1,000 francs.”
My eyes and mouth flew open at the unexpected number.
Alright, let’s at least hear him out.
“You’ll undergo training to awaken your special ability.”
“…Huh?”
Awaken my ability? I thought it would just activate on its own if I was born with it. Wasn’t that the whole reason Mom was so scared—something about going berserk?
Frowning in confusion, I watched Herald sigh and continue, as if he’d read my thoughts.
“Awakening your ability isn’t easy. Successors usually awaken it around age five. Sometimes it happens naturally, other times with help from another successor. Have you ever felt something like wind coming from your hands?”
“No…?”
I shook my head immediately. Herald muttered, “I figured,” and pointed his index finger at me.
“That means you’re one of the cases that needs help awakening it. You said you’re five this year, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then time’s tight…”
He rubbed his forehead, looking troubled. After pondering deeply for a while, he shifted his golden gaze back to me.
“Starting tomorrow, you’ll train every day.”
“…Huh?”
My eyes widened. Every day?!
“And you’ll begin formal successor education too. I’ll arrange for a tutor soon.”
“Whaaat? Successor?”
“Yes. You’re my only daughter. Of course you’ll be the successor.”
“…Huh.”
“You’ll study every day alongside your training.”
Just when I was about to finally enjoy a comfortable, lazy life, this education-crazy household strikes again! I felt a surge of rebellion.
Fine, I’ll grudgingly accept the studying. But…
“Why does the training have to be every day?”
“Because if you don’t awaken by the time you’re over five, the risk of losing control goes way up.”
Herald cut in before I could finish and explained why the daily training was necessary.
“Your body stores energy, which manifests as an ability. But a body your size can only store about five years’ worth. Talented kids usually awaken early and release it themselves…”
He trailed off, but I got the implication. So I’m not talented, huh?
Seeing the annoying look on his face, I leapt to my feet, indignant.
“Fine! Training? Whatever! I’ll master it in no time! I’m smarter than I look, you know!”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Herald nodded, unimpressed.
Not a trace of expectation. My competitive spirit flared to life.
Just wait. I’ll show you what I’m made of.
