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A different scenery unfolded with the feeling that I was alone.
A man was looking for someone.
It was a moonlit night, his face contorted with anger and he was wearing a black gentleman’s hat.
He had brown hair, and the ends of his hair stood out.
And his left hand was bandaged.
For an instant, the man’s eyes lit up.
At the same time, the view suddenly changed and I saw a black carriage.
‘Gasp
!’
I was taken aback at that moment.
Because it was a carriage I knew.
It was Grandpa’s carriage.
If the crest of the Selledor family is a lion, then Valliot’s is a sword and a wolf.
And Leguier family’s was similar to Valliot’s, but it looked like the claw marks of a sharp beast were engraved on the sword.
It’s not Uncle’s carriage because it has a wolf’s mane.
‘Grandpa? Not Uncle?’
Grandpa got out of the carriage.
At that moment, someone broke through the escorts and attacked him.
Fortunately, the escort driver saved him, but Grandpa injured his arm and the escort driver injured his face.
All in all, it’s a dangerous scene again.
Although the man was later caught and knelt on his knees, the fact that it happened was dangerous.
Who is this bad guy and why did he attack Grandpa?
These fragmentary visions seen while I’m awake, not in dreams, always showed what was going to happen that exact day

It’s tonight!
“Aika.”
“
”
Uncle’s low voice pierced my ears.
It was similar to when I heard a loud sound while covering my ears.
As I heard the sound again, my vision began to blur and sink.
I was relieved.
Because I noticed that the illusion was crumbling.
I don’t have to be locked up.
The once collapsed field of vision quickly changed to the original sight.
I blinked my eyes to come to my senses, but Uncle’s face looked serious.
“Peanut.”
“
?”
“Aika.”
“Why? Uncle.”
I answered casually.
Was it originally the time for the ability to end? Or did Uncle call me and take me out of there?
I was suddenly curious.
“What are you. What’s wrong with your face?”
“What
 is?”
“Why are you suddenly staring into space? Are you sick? You’re staying at home?”
Uncle asked while pressing my cheek with the palm of his hand.
His touch was rough, but I was surprised by his voice, which was kinder than usual.
But still, this can’t be!
I promised Russphe that we would meet after 10 nights.
“No!”
I shook my head.
I’m glad, though.
Uncle didn’t notice my secret.
My heart was still beating and my whole body was numb enough to feel like I wanted to hide somewhere, but I pretended not to know and stood with my feet on the floor.
“Hey, Peanut. Don’t whine that you’re sick later when you go, tell me now.”
Uncle’s voice changed back to that of the blackmailer.
“No, I’m not sick
 Uncle, let’s go to the Imperial Palace quickly.”
To tell Grandpa.
I swallowed the words behind my back and forced Uncle to stand up.
***
Oh my God.
There’s a problem.
Apparently, today was the day I was supposed to come to the Imperial Palace, but both His Imperial Majesty and Grandpa were busy with work, so we couldn’t meet.
I couldn’t even deliver the bouquet and had no choice but to look at Uncle in vain.
“Why are you making that face? Just ask them to hand over a bouquet of flowers.”
“I have to see Grandpa on my own instead of handing it over!”
“He’s busy.”
“But
 What about later?”
“I don’t know about later. What are you, aren’t you meeting White Peanut?”
“I’m meeting him! But there is something I must tell Grandpa
 Can I really see him later? I really need to.”
I was going to ask Uncle instead, but somehow it seemed like he would only say half of what I wanted to say.
Only the information needed!
As I clench my fists and look up at Uncle, a murmur flowed out from Uncle’s mouth, saying, “Ugh, that stubborn shit.”
“I know, so go meet White Peanut.”
After arguing with Uncle for a long time, I managed to get a promise that he would make sure I could meet Grandpa.
Then I met Russphe again at the place where Uncle took me.
“Russphe!”
I quickly ran and stopped in front of him.
“Aika, hello.”
“Hi! how have you been?”
Today, Russphe came wearing prettier clothes than last time.
His hair was as fluffy and soft as the day we first met, and he was wearing a white shirt also a yellow bow tie.
“Mm, I’ve been fine. Aika, what about you?”
“I’m doing great! Let’s really have fun today. This is a gift for you!”
I gave him a huge bouquet of flowers.
Then Russphe’s eyes widened.
“A gift
 for me?”
“Yep! Aren’t they very pretty?”
The flowers the flower shop sister picked yesterday didn’t wither at all.
Zenda told me that it was because she sprinkled something on it so that it wouldn’t wither, but I heard it once and forgot about it.
While Russphe was entrusting the bouquet to someone else, Uncle handed me the key.
“Stay in Gerard and Zenda’s plain sight. Not all places in the Palace is safe.”
Uncle turned around.
I tugged at his clothes.
“Uncle, where are you going?”
“I’ll seek my work for a while while I’m here.”
“If Uncle is late, can I go to the Ancient Book room first?”
“Do whatever you please.”
“Okay! You have to let me meet Grandpa, you know?”
“I told you I got it.”
Uncle ordered Gerard something, then he disappeared.
I put the key in the pocket Zenda made for me.
I’ll have to ask Russphe to go to the Ancient Book room with me later.
I was thinking about that, but this time, Russphe received the box from an escort and handed it to me.
“Aika, here.”
Suddenly, his face turned red.
“Are you giving me this? A gift?”
Then he shyly nodded.
I gave out the bouquet as it was, yet what Russphe gave me was a beautifully wrapped gift with a ribbon attached.
A yellow box with a yellow ribbon. The box size was also large.
I got the whole store as a gift from Uncle today, and I never thought I would receive another gift!
Although that power was expressed at will, it’s safe to say that it was the best day except for that.
“Russphe, can I open this now?”
I snorted and asked.
“Yeah, you can.”
At the same time as Russphe’s answer, I supported the box on my stomach, held it firmly with one hand, and untied the ribbon.
Holding the untied ribbon in my mouth, I carefully opened the box.
At that moment, my mouth fell open and the ribbon fell to the floor.
“Ah, ribbon!”
“I’ll pick it up, Miss.”
“Zenda, thanks! Whoa, it’s a bunny.”
To be precise, they were pink bunny slippers.
It also had round rabbit eyes and soft ears.
I’ve seen a lot of separate stuffed animals, but it’s the first time I’ve seen slippers in the shape of animals.
It would be nice to wear in the cold winter.
No! I felt like I could wear them in my room right now.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen something like this, Russphe! It’s really pretty!”
He looked at me and smiled.
“That’s a relief. I saw it at the store and you
”
“Hm?”
“Nothing. Thanks for the gift too, the flowers.”
Russphe’s cheeks and ears turned red.
Just like a bunny.
“Mm! Now let’s play.”
I securely entrusted the box of slippers to Zenda.
Then, I took Russphe’s hand.
“Let’s play under the tree over there. The biggest tree!”
Russphe and I sat on a mat Zenda spread under the biggest tree in the Imperial Palace.
And while we were having fun, strangely, the people working at the Imperial Palace brought us an entire table full of sweets.
There were people whom I had seen the last time I met His Imperial Majesty the Emperor.
We played by catching handkerchiefs and drew pictures.
“Russphe, let’s measure our height.”
“Height?”
“Yeah, I have to be tall so Uncle doesn’t call me ‘Peanut’. Turn around and stand here.”
I stood with my back to the tree with Russphe.
I stretched out my hand and measured the height between Russphe and me.
“Zenda, measure us now!”
“Yes, you two need to stay still.”
“Got it!”
I held my breath and waited for Zenda.
“You may move now.”
At those words, I hurriedly pulled away and turned around.
Zenda was marking the tree with her finger instead of drawing a line.
“Is this my height?”
“Yes, Miss. This is Sir Russphe’s.”
“We’re almost the same, aren’t we!”
Then Russphe met my eyes and smiled bashfully.
“Aika is a little taller.”
“Ah, that’s right!”
Zenda’s finger on my height was one inch higher.
Huh? So am I not the smallest, right?
But why am I ‘Peanut’?
I had to think for a while.
Come to think of it, Mom was tall.
Uncle was also tall, so I wondered if I was growing up late.
“Then next time Russphe should be taller, right?”
“Mm, that’s right.”
We measured our height and were playing frantically again when someone approached us.
I thought it was Grandpa Turtle I saw at the banquet for a moment, but fortunately it wasn’t.
It was an old man with hair the color of dark green leaves.
His curled mustache stood out.
“To think that a guy who will rise to a big position in the future is playing so comfortably. I told you never to waste your time.”
“Ah
 I apologize. Because today
 it’s my day off.”
Russphe spoke in a hesitant voice.
Why is Russphe apologizing?