CHAPTER 53

I woke up after falling asleep and furrowed my brows.

“Ugh, was I sleeping all this time?”

I couldn’t remember anything after greeting my sister and grandfather. 

“Geez, I’ve just wasted time.”

I let out a deep sigh, annoyed that I had spent time sleeping instead of studying magic to become a magician.

“Child, our Rafi, have you woken up?”

I turned my head at my father’s somewhat hoarse voice. There, my father with slightly swollen eyes was giving me a very warm smile.

It was clear that he had cried his eyes out while I was asleep, probably due to his wife’s death. Without realizing it, I reached out my hands and touched my father’s face. His sturdy face was moist.

“Father, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I was so, so sad and in pain… and happy too…”

Crying because of sadness and pain was understandable. However, I couldn’t grasp the idea of crying out of happiness on a day like today, so I tilted my head in confusion. In response, my father covered both of my hands with his large hands.

I felt the warmth for a moment on the back of his hands and then his lips and breath lightly touched my palms.

“It tickles.”

I twitched my hand, trying to free it, but my father didn’t let go. He held onto me firmly for a while, gazing at me with a loving look. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed by his affectionate gaze, I found myself awkwardly smiling.

“Some important people have come to see our Rafi. Let’s go and greet them.” 

“Huh? With sister and grandfather, too?”

“Yeah, and someone else has come as well. So, our Rafi, let’s put on some nice clothes and go out with Father.”

As my father’s words came to an end, Jenny and Elena came running over in a hurry and helped me change into clothes. After grooming my hair with a comb and securing the hairpin that Jaden had given me, the finishing touches were done. Then, my Father scooped me up into his arms.

“Shall we go to the living room?”

“Everyone is gathering in the living room.” 

*rustling sounds*

Even as we headed to the living room, my father planted several kisses on my cheeks. I couldn’t refuse his affection that was overflowing with love.

On this day, when my father’s deep love seemed to fill the air, the living room door opened. Everyone there was familiar to my eyes.

“Our little one, you look so pretty. You’re wearing cute clothes.”

Seeing Grandma, I squirmed and wriggled out of my father’s embrace.

“Grandma! You’re here!”

“Our child, how difficult it must have been for you all this time.”

Grandma, who held me, shed tears as she patted my back. 

“Sophia, didn’t we decide not to say that?”

“Ah! I’m sorry. Still, thinking about what my child, our granddaughter, must have gone through…”

“Honey, from now on, only good things will happen. You didn’t tell that to Seraphina too, did you?”

“Yes, you’re right. Since the moment our little soft rice cake fell, happiness has come to us.”

Moving from Grandma’s embrace to Grandpa’s, Daniel and Helena came running as soon. Following them, Aiden and Jaden also arrived, beaming with smiles.

“Hehe, are you all okay? Your eyes are all puffy.”

“Yeah, we were so sad and hurt, but we cried out of happiness too.”

Daniel repeated Father’s words and planted a kiss on my cheek as if mimicking him. 

“Dear, welcome to our family. Don’t worry, we’ll properly expand it soon enough.”

This time, Helena kissed my other cheek and smiled brightly. 

“Aunt, I’m here too.”

“Aunt, will you study magic with us? We brought books and all sorts of things.” 

Both Aiden and Jaden reached out to touch my cheeks at the same time, and I extended my hand to stop them. 

“Later, okay? You’re grown up and it’s awkward.”

“You’re too much. We came all this way to see Aunt.”

“Right. Sabina also asks about Aunt every day through the communicator, saying she wants to see her. Today, I’ll have plenty to tell Sabina.”

Seeing Aiden and Jaden laughing like mischievous kids, despite their age, I shrugged my shoulders. Then, I planted a kiss on each of the brothers’ cheeks. 

“Here’s to all the magic you’ve been doing.”

I tried to sound stern, but the two boys just grinned and playfully shook their heads. To an outside observer, it might have looked like reciprocated affection, as they looked at me with eyes that were moistened with emotions.

“My sweet red bean sister-in-law, you went through a lot coming all this way.” 

It was them who came from afar, yet suddenly he was saying something strange. 

“Sister, did he hit his head?”

“Heh, oh, no. It’s not like that. It’s not like that. It’s just because we missed our Rafi so much. So, let’s generously understand and move on for today.”

“No, sister-in-law, how can you say something like that with that tiny and cute mouth? I’ve been so hurt…”

“You hit your head, right?”

“You’re right, I hit my head. I haven’t caught anything yet.”

While my brother-in-law was talking, my Father and grandfather shook their heads and spoke. Then, they both looked at my sister and let out a lingering sigh.

“Erica, it’s too bad your only husband is getting old.”

“Erica, considering how things are, it might be okay to leave behind my elderly grandson-in-law and come back.”

Huh? Suddenly, the atmosphere seemed like it might not be easy to adapt to. What should I do?

Even though we supposedly resolved the negative emotions last time, it wasn’t supposed to be like this. What on earth is this situation? I didn’t understand it from the moment I woke up, but I couldn’t possibly ask. I didn’t want to ruin this atmosphere.

“Aunt, I’m here.”

“Colin, hey. Is this your first time here?”

“Yeah, I came to play with Aunt and cousins.”

Seeing Colin’s bright smile, I couldn’t help but smile back. 

“No, that won’t work. Your older cousin should probably step aside a bit.” 

“Right. We need to study magic with Aunt.”

“Nuh-uh! Aunt is going to play with me!”

Suddenly, the kids started squabbling. Shaking my head in exasperation, I let out a deep sigh.

“Ugh, seriously, how did they raise these kids?”

Despite trying to scold them by raising their voices, my words got drowned in laughter as usual. Everyone was so busy laughing and hugging me that I couldn’t convey what I meant. With everyone finding something so enjoyable, it was hard to be heard.

“On a day like this, the anniversary of the lady’s passing, and you all are making such a ruckus?”

It wasn’t just any other day, and I felt like it was only appropriate to have a solemn atmosphere while honoring the deceased. But when Grandfather shook his head and planted a kiss on my head, he spoke.

“She’s not just any lady, she’s your mother. Your mother disliked somber atmospheres. Ah, especially on a day like today, she would prefer that everyone remembers her with a smile.” 

“Yes, that’s right. Seraphina was like that. It’s been four years, and we’re all gathered here. Our daughter must be proud up in the sky.”

Father and Grandpa, who seemed to turn pain into smiles, stroked my head. Even though they didn’t wrap my head, I felt a warm sensation as if they had. 

“Ciel, come here.”

Seeing Ciel sitting alone in a corner and looking pitiful, I reached out my hand. In response, the little one quickly ran to me and nestled into my arms.

“Meow meow—”

I held Ciel close and gently stroked him. 

“Is he the kitty Aunt is taking care of?”

“Yeah, he was a little sick.”

“I want to take care of a kitty too.”

Because my brother-in-law disliked animals, Colin pouted his lips. 

“You should come here often to play with Ciel.”

“Ah! Good idea! Aunt is clever!”

Casually, Colin moved to my side and started petting Ciel. For a moment, Ciel extended his claws from his soft paw, but when I blinked my eyes, he quickly retracted them.

“So fluffy, huh?”

“Yeah, right? If Colin and Ciel keep playing like this, they’ll tire each other out.” 

Be my living fishing rod while I’m studying.

Not knowing what I was thinking, Colin continued to pet Ciel and grinned broadly. After a while, the people who had dried their tears in the living room were now smiling brightly and chatting about various things. 

With so many people, it became impossible to listen to every conversation. During the meal, the newly expanded family members smiled, wondering what was so good about being part of a big family.

“Aunt, come here. This is a newly released beginner’s spellbook. Take a look.”

“Just by looking at this, they say even a magic novice can conjure fire from their hands.”

As I sat quietly, listening to the adults’ stories, Aiden and Jaden called me over from one side. I walked over there, and they handed me a freshly published, hot-off-the-press magic book.

“Heh, it is.”

Just as the older nephews had mentioned, the magic book was written in a way that even beginners could easily understand. As I looked at it with sparkling eyes, I glanced at Aiden and Jaden.

“Is this for me?”

“Of course. I brought it to show you, Aunt.”

At Aiden’s words, I burst into a smile. There hadn’t been a magic book so simply written even in the Benedict Empire. While I was wearing a satisfied smile, my body suddenly lifted into the air.

“Our daughter, let’s go for an outing now.” 

“An outing?”

Out of the blue, on the anniversary of my mother’s passing, Father suggested going for an outing, and I raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“I want to show your mother a better place. It was Seraphina’s wish to go out with the whole family gathered.”

And so, to fulfill the wish of the departed, we embarked on a group carriage ride. It seemed like Father knew that a day like this would come, as he confidently took us somewhere.

“You’ll like it here.”

It was a spacious and open meadow. The beautiful wildflowers were in full bloom, and even though they seemed untouched by human hands, they appeared well-kept. Ciel, now outside, was so busy chasing butterflies that he seemed quite distracted.

Since it was a gathering of family members, even the bloodlines of noble dukes laid out mats and brought snack baskets. There were enough mats for everyone in the extended family.

“Hehe, it’s so delightful, like all our secrets are exposed.”

“Indeed. For Seraphina who’s watching us here, we should relax and enjoy our time before we return.”

Sitting side by side, Grandpa and Grandma wore kind smiles that seemed to indicate they were pleased with the surroundings.

“I never even imagined a place like this existed.”

“This is a place Seraphina discovered. It’s a place she was eager to visit, yet she never got the chance to come herself.”

Smiling softly at my sister’s words, Father handed me a cookie as soon as we sat down. I was nibbling on the cookie when suddenly an odd feeling sent shivers down my spine. As my stiffened head slowly turned to the left, I saw Grandpa and Grandma there.

“Our Rafi, I’ve missed seeing your playful side… Have you ever seen Rafi being playful?”

“I haven’t seen it, but… Rafi, you’re being unfair. You play around with Grandpa and Grandma, but you don’t show that side to Father.”

Annoyed by Grandma’s words, Father’s expression turned sullen. Seeing his demeanor, I couldn’t help but jump up and start singing a new song, swaying to the rhythm. Just like the soft and adorable little one of the dukes!

“Rafi plus Rafi equals cutie pie!”

Singing the song, I extended my index fingers and playfully poked my cheeks. In an instant, Father’s clownish side emerged as he elevated himself. Perhaps due to the new song, even Grandpa and Grandma clapped their hands, keeping the rhythm. Meanwhile, my brother-in-law, even at this moment, kept poking my sister’s side, almost getting pricked by a fork.

“Tap-tap plus tap-tap is a cutie, snap-snap plus snap-snap is a cutie too!”

As the cutie song ended, everyone clapped their hands, even the shoulders of the knights standing guard around us trembled as if they were embracing the joy. But the only two nephews who were older couldn’t fully enjoy this moment.

Sitting on Father’s lap with a soft plop, I gently touched my forehead with my small hand and said, “Hah, it’s tiring, nephews! Did you have fun with Aunt? What’s up? You have to do some tricks.”

At my age, I couldn’t keep playing around forever.

Feeling the weight of each passing day, I began to dislike the act of getting up from a seated position, my body growing heavier. Isn’t this the perfect opportunity for my nephews to be useful? Hoot!