084
“Ouch! Why are you hitting me?”
“You.”
“Why?!”
As I glared confidently, Sister Luarel slowly pointed toward the bathroom.
“You should turn off the faucet.”
“…Ah.”
Oh, that’s right.
Nodding in agreement, I quickly ran to turn off the faucet. When I returned, Sister Luarel hadn’t taken her eyes off me even once.
“Miss?”
“Lina!”
“Is something wrong?”
Meeting a drowsy-eyed Lina, I buried my face in her skirt and let out a long sigh of relief.
It was then that I suddenly realized—
‘Just now, I didn’t stutter!’
***
The next day.
The moment I opened my eyes, I was itching to share my discovery with everyone. I was about to spring out of bed when—
Spirit King Union Quest!
Unable to call Luarel by their true name, every Spirit King who entered the room has assigned a task.
✔ Reveal the true identity of 'Luarel Pashayen.'
Reward: ★Well Done★ stamp x2 upon success
No deadline
What? A quest!
And it’s a union quest, so the stamp rewards are plentiful!
Previously, I had felt a bit discouraged after failing a quest, but this time, I’m determined to succeed.
Plus, there’s no penalty or deadline—it’s perfect!
'If I clear this quest along with the one where I call the Admiral 'Dad,' I’ll have four stamps in total!'
Since I already have six stamps on my grape board…
‘If I collect them all, can I make a contract with another Spirit King?!’
Excited, I raised my arms energetically and performed a forward roll off the bed.
“Yahoo!”
“Byyap!”
Feeling a bit dizzy, I sprawled out like a starfish, only for Podong to come carrying an invitation that was almost as big as itself.
“What’s this?”
“Byaa?”
“It’s from Angela, isn’t it?”
As I opened the cute yellow envelope, a sweet honey aroma wafted out.
I sniffed it instinctively and then read the invitation. To my surprise, it was an invitation to a tea party.
To Shupetty.
Well, I don’t particularly want to invite you, but there’s one seat left.
It’s a tea party for my friends and me, and I’ll graciously grant you the honor of attending.
Time: 2 PM.
Don’t be late!
Angela’s prideful and snobbish tone was evident.
‘And the party venue is… the Summer Rose Garden at the Pashayen Mansion!’
There weren’t any classes today, so honestly, I wanted to go. But then, when would I meet Brother Elzen?
While I was pondering, someone knocked on the door.
“Can I come in?”
“Joy!”
“Elzen said to meet later tonight. The venue is the Admiral’s backyard. Time: 11 PM.”
Whispering quickly into my ear, Joy disappeared somewhere in a flash.
As expected of a half-elf—completely silent and unbelievably fast!
‘So, I’ll meet Brother tonight, which means… I can attend the tea party!’
Angela bragged about how delicious the food would be. I was so excited that my heart raced at the thought.
‘She even mentioned rose jam cookies!’
***
“Whoa, miss, you’re absolutely adorable!”
“Really?”
“Yes! Miss Shupetty is the strongest in the world! The best in the universe! Sniff, how can you be this lovely…?”
For the outdoor tea party, Lina had prepared a bonnet for me.
The bonnet, adorned with lace and flowers, was tied under my chin with a ribbon to keep it secure, completing a perfect sunshade.
“Alright, let’s go!”
What kind of people would Angela’s friends be?
Are they all close to her?
I was full of curiosity.
That’s why, upon arriving at the tea party venue, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
What on earth is this?!
[The Earth Spirit King ‘■’ clicks her tongue.]
[It’s complete chaos.]
The rose jam cookies Angela often boasted about were crushed under a shoe heel.
Witnessing the heartbreaking scene of ants already gathering, I sank to the ground.
“No… my snack…”
But I didn’t even get to finish mourning the rose jam cookies.
“Pity me because I didn’t get love from my mom? Saying you and I are the same! How dare you compare me to someone like you? I am Angela Pashayen!”
The bonnet was rolling on the grass, and the dress, likely made from fine fabric, was in complete disarray.
Angela’s perfectly styled hair was now a mess as she screamed in anger.
And the person whose hair Angela was pulling… was Sister Luarel?
“You! You don’t even know if it’s true or not, do you? If it turns out you’re just a commoner, I’ll kill you!”
Angela roared like an enraged tiger.
Angela’s friends, stiff with fear, were huddled in the corner, unsure of what to do, while Sister Luarel wrinkled her face in disgust and struggled to free herself.
“Let go! I said, let go!”
“Aaagh!”
Thwack!
Sister Luarel kicked Angela, sending her flying. Angela tumbled away and landed unceremoniously.
For a brief moment, I caught a glimpse under Angela’s skirt.
‘Her legs… they were as thick as the Admiral’s…?’
Was I imagining things?
They were even hairy.
No way those were Sister Luarel’s legs.
At that moment.
“Mom!”
Angela, who was gasping for breath after colliding with the overturned table, suddenly screamed out.
I turned around in surprise, only to see—
‘It’s Aunt Cecilia?!’
The aunt I had been searching for but hadn’t seen even a shadow of until now had appeared.
Dressed in a long black gown with her azure blue hair cascading loosely, she looked different—almost unrecognizable.
She didn’t seem like her usual self.
“Mom! Look at her! Do you know what she said to me? She—”
“You’re injured.”
“…Mom?”
But what was this?
Aunt Cecilia didn’t go to Angela.
She didn’t even glance in Angela’s direction.
“Are you alright, Luarel? You should get treated immediately so it doesn’t leave a scar.”
What… what was this?
Shocked, I opened my eyes wide and exhaled deeply.
It’s her mom! It’s Angela’s mom!
But why was she going to Sister Luarel instead?
Angela was lying there, clearly hurt…
“I’m fine. My hair got pulled out a bit, but…”
“What happened?”
“I… I don’t know. Angela suddenly got angry… I just wanted to get along with her…”
I wanted to help Angela, but I couldn’t say much since I hadn’t seen how it all started.
Angela’s friends were still trembling silently in the corner, unable to utter a word.
At that moment, I stepped forward, unable to hold back any longer.
“Such a lack of grace.”
Aunt Cecilia clicked her tongue as she looked at Angela.
And then, I saw it.
Her shadow—it wasn’t still; it was swelling and twisting in strange ways.
And despite her cold tone, Aunt Cecilia’s fists were clenched so tightly that her veins were bulging.
Even to my inexperienced eyes, the scene seemed peculiar.
‘It’s as if she’s forcing herself to say something she doesn’t truly mean.’
Eventually, Aunt Cecilia took Sister Luarel with her and left the scene.
Angela’s friends, who had been awkwardly standing by, slowly dispersed one by one, leaving only the two of us behind.
I approached Angela, step by step.
She was panting heavily, her face contorted as though she was trying to suppress her tears. When I drew closer, Angela avoided looking at me.
Yet, she didn’t lower her head.
If anything, she held it higher than ever before.
I hugged Angela tightly.
“What are you doing? Go away!”
“I’m hugging you.”
As expected, Angela reacted irritably.
Since I didn’t expect a 'thank you,' I wasn’t shocked or discouraged. Instead, I simply hugged her even tighter.
Angela screamed and struggled to push me away, shouting in frustration.
“You dare pity me?! You, who doesn’t even have a mom!”
“Yeah, I don’t have a mom. But I have plenty of family. And Angela, you’re part of my family too.”
“…....!”
“No matter how many harsh things you say, it won’t matter. I’ve already decided to hug you, Angela.”
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