Chapter 247 - Lucy's Worries — What Was Lost

Lucy's Perspective:

Sometimes I think about questions that don't quite fit a ten-year-old.

Like Papa's work.

Like the family's future.

And Papa and Nanahoshi.

The first time I noticed it was pure chance.

School let out early that day. I was carrying my books to Nanahoshi's lab to find Lily, and as soon as I reached the door I saw Papa sitting inside. Nanahoshi was across from him. They were chatting — a completely ordinary chat. Magic. Future research directions. Some kind of potion I couldn't follow at all.

If anyone else had walked by, they probably wouldn't have noticed anything.

But I stopped.

Because the way Nanahoshi looked at Papa was different from how she looked at other people. I couldn't explain exactly how. I just felt it, the same way the Mamas look at Papa, except quieter. Less obvious.

The Mamas hug Papa. Kiss him. Act spoiled. Get angry. Get jealous. They wear their feelings right on the surface.

Nanahoshi doesn't. She always has that calm expression, and most of the time she even goes out of her way to seem annoyed with him.

Like right then.

"Rudeus, have you gotten fatter again?"

"No? I've been exercising."

"You've definitely gotten fatter."

"I really haven't."

"Stand up."

"Why?"

"Just stand up when I tell you to."

So Papa stood. Nanahoshi circled him once, then nodded.

"Hm. You really haven't."

"Told you."

"Who knows?"

She sat back down and went back to her documents. The whole thing was completely natural.

There was another time, Papa reached over, picked up the teacup beside him, and took a sip. Then he froze.

"It's bitter..."

Nanahoshi didn't even lift her head. "No kidding."

"You changed the tea leaves again?"

"This one's better for staying alert."

"It's too bitter."

"Drink it or don't."

Papa sighed and set the cup down. But the next second, Nanahoshi pushed her own cup across to him.

"Try this one."

"Hm?"

"I added sugar."

Papa didn't think anything of it. He just picked it up and took a sip.

"This one's good."

"Don't they say men start to prefer bitter things when they hit middle age?"

"Does thirty-something count as middle age?"

"Of course it does."

Papa laughed. "You're something else..."

They both went back to work, heads down, as if nothing had happened. As if it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

But it wasn't, was it?

Papa had just drunk from Nanahoshi's cup. There weren't any strict rules about that sort of thing here, but it still felt... ordinary friends don't do that. At least I wouldn't.

I thought about it for a moment, then finally walked inside.

"Papa."

"Hm?" He looked up and smiled. "Oh, Lucy's here."

"Mm."

"Out of school?"

"Mm. Just got out."

Nanahoshi glanced over. "Long time no see, Lucy."

"Hello, Nanahoshi."

"How are your grades lately?"

"Not bad."

"Good. You can come by the lab more often, you know. There are sweets." Then she went back to her documents.

Papa beckoned me over. "Come here. There was a magic formula you didn't quite understand last time, right? I looked into it. Let me explain it in a simpler way."

"Okay."

I walked to the desk. Papa pointed at the formula in his notes and started explaining. Halfway through, Nanahoshi suddenly spoke.

"You're explaining this part wrong."

"Hm?"

"That section isn't meant to be understood that way. At least not for Lucy."

"Oh?"

Papa looked at it, then nodded. "That's fair... the terminology here is a bit off too. Doesn't really apply in this world..."

"What do you mean, 'that's fair'? I've told you before — your understanding is too advanced. A child can't follow it."

"Mm, you're right."

"I was right from the start."

"Yes, yes, yes."

Nanahoshi gave a soft hmph and continued working. Papa continued explaining.

The whole thing was completely natural.

So natural it made me more and more preoccupied.

Because Papa rarely acts like that.

Papa is a formidable person. His name is in the textbooks. Most of the time, the theories he puts forward get classified directly as so-called Magical Truths. Hardly anyone can point out his mistakes, and even the ones who could wouldn't dare say so.

But Nanahoshi says so.

And Papa never gets upset when she does. If anything, he seems used to it, completely at ease, like it's happened countless times before.

On the way home, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Papa and Nanahoshi had known each other for years. Mama once mentioned that Papa already knew Nanahoshi back when the two of them first reunited, which meant they'd known each other for over a decade. They'd been through a lot together. I knew that much.

But that was exactly why I was a little worried.

Because I'd seen the way the Mamas look at Papa.

Mama. Mama Aisha. Mama Eris. Mama Roxy.

They all love Papa deeply. There's no question about that.

But Nanahoshi has that same look in her eyes.

If the Mamas ended up sad one day because of something like this... I didn't want to see that.

So the next day, I decided to probe a little.

The opportunity came fast.

On the weekend, I went back to the lab. Nanahoshi was organizing materials. Papa wasn't there. I walked over.

"Nanahoshi."

"Hm?"

"Can I ask something?"

"Sure~"

"Why are you always with Papa?"

The air went still for a moment. Nanahoshi lifted her head and looked at me. Her face wore the same calm smile as always, no fluster, no surprise. Like she'd already guessed what I was going to ask.

"Because of work."

"Just work?"

"Of course. Just because of work."

"Oh... does Nanahoshi really need Papa's help that badly?"

"No. It's because I want to call your Papa along."

"..."

Nanahoshi was quiet for a moment. Then she laughed softly.

"Lucy."

"Hm?"

"Are you worried about something?"

I didn't answer.

She propped her chin on her hand and looked at me. Her gaze was gentle, like she was watching a child throw a little tantrum.

"Worried I'll steal your Papa away?"

"I didn't say that..."

"But you're thinking it."

"..."

I was a little embarrassed. But Nanahoshi didn't press. She just smiled.

"Lucy."

"Mm."

"What kind of person do you think your Papa is?"

I blinked. "Papa?"

"Yes."

I thought about it. "Gentle."

"What else?"

"Very smart."

"What else?"

"Very reliable."

Nanahoshi nodded. "Then do you think someone like that would change just because of what someone else says or does?"

I went quiet. Papa had never been that kind of person.

Nanahoshi continued. "Your Papa has known me for many years. Longer than you've been alive. If something were going to happen, it would have happened long ago."

Her voice was calm, even carrying a trace of faint amusement. "And your Mamas are much more capable than you. If they aren't worried, what are you worried about?"

I opened my mouth, and found I had nothing to say.

Because that really did seem to be true. The Mamas had never shown the slightest discomfort. They even invited Nanahoshi over for dinner all the time.

Nanahoshi reached out and gently ruffled my hair. "Don't let your imagination run wild. You're only ten. A ten-year-old should be worrying about ten-year-old things. Adult matters can stay with the adults."

She said it gently. But she never directly answered my question.

I don't know why, but that made me even more preoccupied. She'd avoided it too naturally, so naturally it felt like she was protecting something.

That night I lay in bed, tossing and turning.

So I decided to go find someone.

Lara.

If you asked who the smartest person in the family was, that was a hard question. But if you asked who understood these strange things best, I was pretty sure the answer was Lara.

I pushed open her door.

"Lara."

"Hm?" She was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "What's up, Lucy?"

I laid everything out. The lab. My suspicions. Nanahoshi's answer. All of it. Then I waited.

After Lara finished listening, the first thing she said was:

"Lucy."

"Hm?"

"You sure have a lot of free time."

"..."

I immediately regretted coming to her.

Lara rolled over onto her stomach and looked at me. "So you're worried something will happen between Papa and Nanahoshi?"

"A little."

"Why?"

"I'm afraid the Mamas will be sad."

Lara thought for a moment, then asked: "If Papa and Nanahoshi did end up together, do you think Papa would be happy?"

I thought back to how they'd been in the lab. "He'd probably be happy..."

"And the Mamas?"

"They'd be sad."

"Hm? Why do you think the Mamas would be sad?"

"Because... if a woman suddenly joined the family to share Papa, the Mamas definitely wouldn't be happy..."

Lara smiled and snapped her fingers. "Then why do we have 4 Mamas?"

"...?"

"The Mamas are happy when Papa is happy. They're happy when Papa is happy. So as long as Papa is happy — even if that means accepting Nanahoshi — the Mamas will be happy too~"

"But..."

"No buts. Think about it~ The Mamas get jealous so easily."

"Mm..."

"If some random woman just talks to Papa, the Mamas get jealous. But they let Papa and Nanahoshi be alone in that lab without blinking. Doesn't that already tell you where the Mamas stand?"

"...Is that really how it is?"

"That's how it is~ You're just too rigid, Lucy."

Lara yawned. "And even if the Mamas agreed, that doesn't mean Papa and Nanahoshi would actually end up together."

"Huh? Why?"

"Do you know what Papa's most formidable quality is?"

"Magic?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"That Papa won't let the people he loves get hurt."

I fell silent.

Lara continued. "Papa is actually pretty dense. He misses a lot, especially when it comes to feelings. But his love for the people he loves is pure."

She reached out and poked my forehead. "So~ don't worry. Papa would never do anything to make the Mamas sad. Even if Nanahoshi confessed, he'd get the Mamas' blessing first before accepting her. And honestly, I don't think Nanahoshi would confess directly anyway."

"Any problem you can think of, Papa can think of too. And if he can't, the Mamas will."

"And if all else fails, there's still Mama Aisha. Mama Aisha is way smarter than any of us."

I couldn't help it. I laughed.

She was right. If it was Mama Aisha, probably nothing could get past her.

Lara saw me laugh and laughed too.

"So~ go to sleep! I'm tired~ Stop analyzing the adults' love lives. You haven't even been in love yourself."

"I'm only ten."

"So am I."

"Then why are you lecturing me?"

"Because I'm the older sister."

"..."

Completely illogical.

But somehow I felt a lot lighter.

On the way back to my room, the living room light was still on. I glanced over without thinking.

Papa was sitting there reading. Mama was leaning on his shoulder. Mama Roxy sat on his other side. Mama Aisha was saying something to him. Mama Eris had her arms wrapped around his. The whole family was laughing and talking together.

Warm. Peaceful.

I watched for a moment and felt my earlier worries quietly dissolve.

Because that was Papa.

That was Rudeus.

The person we love most. The person who cherishes his family most.

If even he couldn't handle something like this, there probably weren't many people in the world who could.

I smiled to myself.

Then turned and went back to my room.

As for what was really between Nanahoshi and Papa, maybe I'd find out someday. Maybe I never would.

But it wasn't my problem to worry about anymore.

After all, as Lara said: I'm just a ten-year-old kid.

And the adults' relationship problems are better left to the adults.

➤ Next: Christina — Into the Unknown