Ch#183
"Tie?"
Tie opened her eyes at the distant voice calling her.
"Ung......"
As she squinted at the bright sunlight, a shadow soon fell over her face.
Dad was holding up one hand to block the piercing rays.
From the other side, Ardiana smiled brightly and asked,
"Sleep well?"
Tie blinked before nodding hesitantly.
She hadn't seen well in the dark yesterday.
With the mask off, Ardiana was the prettiest person Tie had ever seen.
Tese tan said,
"Necromancer King. Your sleeping habits are pretty bad."
Tie jolted up in shock.
She looked around before fidgeting restlessly and staring at Dad.
'Gasp, Tie rolled over again!'
Now she saw she'd rolled quite far toward Dad while asleep.
Tie gazed at Tese tan with a sorry face.
"Sorry, Vice Leader. Uncomfortable, right......?"
Tese tan let out a smirk.
"Nah? I'd just push you back to the middle whenever you rolled over, so it was fine."
"Gasp, really......?"
"Yeah. Wouldn't even notice if someone gave you a piggyback."
Embarrassed, Tie shut her mouth.
The child's cheeks soon flushed pink.
'Tie went to dreamland with Dad.'
Just like old times, sharing one blanket in Gold Apartment 106.
Dad had even moved the rolled-over Tie back to her spot.
'He did that in Jongno-gu too.'
"Tese tan. Can you get some water?"
Then Ardiana said leisurely.
Tie stared at Dad with round eyes.
Dad teased back playfully at Ardiana.
"Aren't you bossing me around too much? Making me anxious and not even sorry."
Ardiana snorted.
"Regrettably, it wasn't my intention. Didn't you say you wanted to be tightly held by a woman you revere?"
A smile spread across Tese tan's lips.
He glanced at the faint dimple on Ardiana's cheek before brushing off his seat and standing.
Once alone, Ardiana swept Tie's bangs to one side.
"We're going out for the siege together today."
"Yeess!"
"It's dangerous, so stay close to the members at all times."
Tie nodded vigorously.
As silence fell briefly and the child fiddled with the blanket.
"I like kids."
Ardiana said warmly.
Astie looked up at her in surprise.
Ardiana continued smiling nonchalantly.
"It's telling you there's no need to hide more from me."
She got out of bed and fetched Tie's uniform from the nightstand.
Just then, Tese tan returned with water and entered the tent.
"Drink up. Hungry?"
Tie hesitantly took the cup while eyeing Ardiana.
'The princess knows Tie's identity......!'
Ardiana, now cloaked and brushing her long hair, had a serene profile.
With her mask back on, she approached the bed.
And extended a hand to Tie as if nothing happened.
"Shall we go eat?"
Tie fidgeted while staring at the offered hand.
Ardiana added,
"For the record, I'll keep the Necromancer King's secret too."
Tie's lips parted slightly.
Suddenly, she recalled what she'd said when they first met.
'Tie will keep the Association President's identity secret.'
A smile slowly spread across the child's face.
Soon, Tie hopped out of bed spiritedly.
The cup beside tipped over, but Tese tan deftly caught it, preventing the bed from getting wet.
"Yeess! Let's go!"
Tie beamed and stepped onto the floor.
A matching dimple appeared on her cheek.
Tese tan chuckled helplessly as he set the cup on the nightstand.
He paused while reaching for his cloak.
'......Won't do it. ......Can't raise her.'
A familiar tear-streaked face flashed before his eyes and vanished.
As Tese tan froze, his vision flashed and other scenes rapidly flickered past.
'I know it's contradictory.'
'......Never once, never hugged you. So you......'
'I won't exist in the world.'
'Don't come find......'
Another hallucination.
Dizzy as the world spun, he gripped the nightstand reflexively.
Confusion settled on his face.
He stared at the entrance where Ardiana and Tie had vanished and muttered,
"......Ardiana?"
* * *
Tied-back hair whipped through the air.
"Finally, this damn siege is ending!"
Veil shouted from horseback, making Tie, following behind, bristle.
"Veil brooo! No bad words!"
Tie flapped her arms between Basto's holding the reins.
Raoul brought his horse alongside Veil's.
"Still, it ended earlier than planned! Probably because we skipped the preliminary investigation!"
Veil stared at Raoul as if to say don't jinx it.
"Sure, but then what! What kind of mana stone spits out endless beasts?! I'm so sick of grass clumps now!"
"Haha, but it's over today!"
Veil shook his head and sped up.
Raoul followed.
Everyone arrived at the ruins around just past noon.
"Ppuppue, come out!"
Tie called spiritedly after slinging her kindergarten bag forward.
Just-woken Ppuppue poked his head out of the zipper groggily.
"Gonna do great today? No bone friends to summon, so Ppuppue and Mar-Mar have to handle it."
Marbas poked his head out after Ppuppue.
[Don't worry! With the Honeybee Bomb this Mar-Mar invented, we can capture any beast alive!]
Tie smiled fondly and gently petted the tense Marbas's head.
The newly evolved weapon, Honeybee Bomb, was incredibly powerful.
Recently, at Tie's request, Marbas had modified the Poison Needle Bomb.
It launched stings on throw with a honeycomb net deploying alongside—a handy weapon.
Tie eyed the weapon thoughtfully and suggested,
'What if we paint it yellow?'
[......Pardon?]
'Tie likes honeybees, so yellow!'
Marbas had no choice but to recolor the net yellow and rename it Honeybee Bomb.
"Hee hee, Mar-Mar's the best!"
Of course, the hardship melted away like snow at Tie's praise.
"Kid, ready? It'll hatch and beasts'll pour out the moment we dispel it?"
Veil approached and said.
Tie replied brightly.
"Yup, Tie's all set! No bone friends, but minions are here, plus Honeybee Bombs and Ppuppue!"
Veil nodded before suddenly stiffening.
"Come to think of it. Why haven't you summoned Kkamangi lately?"
Tie froze.
The child slyly averted her eyes.
"Kka, Kkamangi? Uh, dunnooo."
"What do you mean dunno."
"Just dunno!"
Tie scurried away.
Only after reaching Aleric and Libia did she pat her little chest in relief.
"Phew."
That was close.
Almost let Veil bro find out Kkamangi isn't really a summon!
But the child's face soon fell sullen.
'But why isn't Kkamangi really coming......?'
He'd never been away from Tie this long.
"Tie, over here. Thinking of pitching a temporary tent."
Just then, Basto's voice came from the opposite side.
Dad stood beside him too.
"Waaah! Tie's in!"
Tie dashed back over.
Weapons for the Holy Knights and mercenaries were already stacked neatly around the tent.
Suddenly remembering something, Tie rummaged in her bag again.
Deep inside, three forgotten bear doll Orbs sat squished.
As Tie pulled them out and pondered.
"No way, are these Orbs?"
Someone asked beside her.
Turning, Aleric approached with curious eyes.
