Episode 5
As soon as they left the hair salon, warm sunlight touched their faces.
The shopping district was still full of people.
Laughter and sellers shouting filled the streets.
Ridel held bags in one hand and little Ellie’s hand tightly in the other.
Ellie kept her head down.
She wore a new sky-blue dress and her freshly cut, soft pink hair looked so pretty that people couldn’t help but glance at her. But Ellie didn’t seem to like the attention.
Seeing Ellie staring at the ground while walking, Ridel felt sad.
“What did those temple jerks say to her?”
She was such a lovely child.
It felt like the saying “so cute, it wouldn’t hurt even if she was in your eye” was made just for her.
“What’s wrong with having two different eye colors? It just makes her more special.”
Suddenly, Ellie tugged on Ridel’s hand, pointing at something ahead with her shiny, curious eyes.
“Hm? What is it?”
Ellie pulled harder. Ridel was confused, but followed her lead.
After walking about ten steps, they heard a loud crash behind them—
Splash—!
“Ahhh!”
“Eek!”
“What was that?!”
Ridel turned to look.
A vendor had lost balance pulling a cart, and big wooden barrels full of water had fallen off, soaking people nearby.
“If Ellie didn’t pull us, we would’ve gotten wet too! Good timing.”
Ellie quietly nodded.
Ridel gently touched her cheek with his hand.
Just then, a delicious smell drifted through the air.
“Hmm? This smell…”
Ridel followed it without thinking.
They turned a corner and found a food street.
“Oh! Ellie! It’s a food alley!”
“Food awwey?”
Ellie tilted her head at the strange word.
Ridel smiled.
“It means a street with lots of yummy food. Let’s go!”
Ellie held her dad’s hand tightly and followed.
The food smells and the busy crowd greeted them.
One stall had roasted meat, filling the air with a rich scent.
Another had a seller shaking big glass bottles of colorful fruit juice.
The sweet and sour smell was mouth-watering.
Farther down, a small bakery gave off the warm scent of fresh bread and butter.
With each step, a new delicious smell tempted them.
Ridel looked down at Ellie and couldn’t help laughing.
Just moments ago she was staring at the ground, but now she had her head up, eyes wide, and mouth slightly open, excitedly looking around.
“……!”
Then Ellie stopped and stared at one stall.
Noticing her gaze, Ridel gently guided her there.
“There are a lot of kids.”
Children stood around, happily munching on something fluffy.
Ridel recognized the snack.
“Cotton candy! Sweet and soft cotton candy, come try it!”
It looked like real clouds on a stick—white and fluffy.
“Oh, so it’s cotton candy.”
It was simpler than the colorful, shaped cotton candy from Korea, but it still looked like real clouds.
“Ellie, have you never seen cotton candy before?”
“…No.”
“Want to try it?”
Ellie flinched and quickly shook her head.
Ridel was surprised.
“Really? You don’t want to try? It’s really tasty.”
He gently shook her little hand, playfully.
Ellie hesitated, then shook her head again.
“Not hungry… Ellie won’t eat much…”
But her eyes wouldn’t leave the cotton candy.
(Memories flash in Ellie’s mind…)
– Ellie, wanting food is greedy. That’s not what the Goddess Fiorezca likes. You should share instead.
– I should only eat a little…!
– That’s right. If you behave well, your daddy will wake up from his sickness, right?
– Yes! Is Daddy sick because I was a bad girl…?
Don’t eat it.
Don’t want it.
Or Daddy will get sick again.
Ellie swallowed hard and looked away from the cotton candy.
This beautiful street was dangerous—it made her want things.
“Daddy…”
Just as she was about to say she wanted to leave, Ridel spoke:
“One cotton candy, please.”
“Thank you~ That’ll be 3 luqs!”
Ridel held a white cotton candy in his hand.
Ellie quickly shouted:
“It’s okay! Ellie doesn’t want any!”
Ridel grinned playfully.
“Oh? I got it for me. You said you didn’t want any.”
“Ah…”
Ellie turned red, flustered.
Ridel held the cotton candy in front of her.
“But it’s too big for me. Can you help Daddy eat just a little?”
Ellie blushed and stared at the cotton candy.
She said she didn’t want it, but her eyes told a different story.
Of course, Ridel noticed.
“Ellie, want me to make it into a pretty shape just for you?”
“Pretty shape?”
Ridel raised one hand over the cotton candy.
A soft light came from his palm and wrapped around the cotton candy.
Then the cotton started changing shape.
First, it became a butterfly.
Then a heart. Then a star.
Finally, it turned into a big rainbow-colored flower!
It smelled even sweeter now.
People nearby gasped.
“Wowww…!”
Ellie covered her mouth in surprise.
Ridel handed her the flower-shaped cotton candy.
“Here, Ellie. Want to try?”
Ellie carefully took it.
“…It’s really pretty.”
She stared at it, then slowly took a bite.
The other kids nearby watched in silence.
When Ellie finally took a bite—
Her mouth filled with soft, sweet flavor.
“So sweet… and fluffy…”
She mumbled, then took another bite, smiling.
To Ridel, she looked like the cutest little bunny.
“Daddy, it’s yummy!”
“Yeah? I’m glad you like it.”
Ridel laughed.
The other kids shouted:
“Dad! I want one like that too!”
“Mom, that candy is so pretty!”
“It’s a rainbow flower! Is it magic?!”
Oops. Ridel accidentally made all the kids jealous.
Soon, they rushed over, waving their cotton candy sticks.
“Mister! Can you change mine too?”
“I want a puppy shape!”
“Make mine a butterfly!”
Ridel was overwhelmed.
Even when he worked at the mage tower or in Korea, he never had to deal with this many kids!
What should he do?
He looked at his 4-year-old daughter.
“Ellie, what do you think? Should Daddy help them?”
Ellie paused her bite, thought for a moment, and answered:
“If we all eat pretty candy… that’s good!”
Ridel smiled warmly and turned to the kids.
“Alright! Everyone get in line! I’ll do them one by one!”
“Yayyyyy!!”
The kids cheered and lined up.
The cotton candy seller looked shocked.
“Wait, sir! You’re really going to help all of them?”
Mages were supposed to be proud and important. They didn’t waste time on things like this.
But Ridel just smiled and said:
“Because my daughter wants me to.”
Then he raised his hand.
One by one, the cotton candy sticks turned into special shapes.
The kids happily thanked him and showed off their new candy.
“Your dad is awesome!”
“I’m telling my friends about this!”
“This is real magic!”
Then, one child holding a yellow moon-shaped candy looked at Ellie.
“Huh? Why are your eyes different colors?”
Ellie gasped and looked down.
But the child shouted to the others:
“Her eyes are pink and blue! So cool!”
“Whoa! Did your dad do that with magic too?”
“So lucky! I want eyes like that!”
Lucky…?
Ellie was shocked. She looked up slowly.
Their eyes were full of curiosity and kindness.
“Your eyes are so pretty! You’re cute! How old are you?”
“What’s your name? Are you gonna be a mage too?”
“I want red eyes!”
“I want golden ones!”
The kids crowded around Ellie, talking excitedly.
Ellie had never heard so many kind words before.
Her cheeks turned pink.
She thought she shouldn’t look up, but now she couldn’t help it.
She kept looking at their shining eyes.
Ellie leaned against her dad’s leg, resting her head there.
She couldn’t explain it, but she knew—
Everything good that was happening… was because of Daddy.
Ridel felt her leaning gently against him.
She didn’t have to say anything. He could feel her heart.
He smiled warmly and patted her head.
“Ellie, are you okay?”
“…Yes!”
Ellie looked up at him shyly, then quickly looked down again.
Ridel felt relieved.
“Did she… just smile a little?”
Her face still looked nervous, but her lips were curved just a bit.
Just then, a new voice came from behind.
“Ridel? Wait—is that really you, Ridel?”
Ridel stopped and turned around.
There stood a man with a familiar face.
He was looking straight at Ridel.
The robe he wore had the symbol of the Imperial Mage Tower.
