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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Nini's Self-Reflection
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"W-What... did you say...?"
What had I just heard?
Kaleo, who had been kneeling on one knee to meet the children's eyes, fell flat on his butt.
The servants nearby froze in shock as well.
"Father..."
"Uh, uh...?"
"I'm sorry..."
"......"
"Nini... has lived wrongly all this time..."
It was far too shocking a self-criticism for a four-year-old to utter.
Yet Nibelria kept repeating it: "I've lived wrongly. Nini is a naughty child."
She berated herself over and over, then staggered weakly past Kaleo.
Kaleo couldn't bring himself to grab hold of her.
"Sh-Shall I carry you?"
Dether, following behind, asked cautiously.
She had been stunned when she picked up the kids from kindergarten and the little lady suddenly apologized to her.
"No..."
Nibelria shook her head.
"Nini has to do it alone. Nini doesn't deserve any help."
"......"
"Dether."
"Y-Yes...?"
"I'm sorry for everything up until now..."
"Miss, why are you doing this? You're scaring me...!"
Terrified, Dether ended up dropping to her knees.
But by then, Nibelria had already climbed the stairs to her room on her own, step by painstaking step.
"......"
"......"
The people left behind were wrapped in shock and horror.
"Um..."
At that moment, Arep mustered his courage and broke the silence.
Arep pulled a letter from his yellow Magic Tower kindergarten backpack and handed it to Kaleo.
"The Magic Tower Lord told me to give this to the grown-up."
Lying face-down on her bed, Nibelria kept replaying what had happened at the Magic Tower that day.
"People have to hold back sometimes. You can't just live doing whatever you want. Not even the strongest cat can."
"People are different from cats. We live together, showing consideration, yielding now and then. That's what kind of animal we are."
"In other words, you can't get sulky and run off just because Arep forgot you for a moment."
Truth be told, Nibelria hadn't fully understood what Majia said.
Back then, she'd just grumbled inwardly: Ugh, so chatty. So noisy. Naggy nag.
But the teacher bowing and apologizing to Majia because she was gone? That had shocked her.
And Arep's worried face as he searched for her? She couldn't forget that either.
"......"
Nibelria squirmed, rolling over to lie on her back.
The familiar ceiling somehow looked different today.
"...Nini is too naughty."
"A truly naughty person wouldn't say that."
Nibelria glanced sideways.
"Grandma..."
Muniel Dayamor, who had slipped into the room without a sound, sat on the edge of the bed with a gentle smile.
Nibelria wriggled over and laid her head on Muniel's lap.
Tender hands stroked the child's head and back.
"Was kindergarten fun?"
"No..."
"Oh dear, why not?"
"Because Nini was so naughty, the teachers had to apologize."
"What naughty thing did you do?"
"Nini sneaked into the Magic Tower Lord's room alone, and her finger almost rotted away."
Nibelria stuck out her index finger.
"Oh my, this pretty little finger almost gone?"
Muniel fussed over it, caressing the tiny digit and blowing on it gently.
The pale, soft finger was plump and squishy, just like a cat's paw pad.
"This part rotted, but the Magic Tower Lord healed it."
"Did you say thank you?"
"Yeah."
"Good girl."
"But Nini wandered off alone, so the teachers apologized. Nini left Arep behind too. So Arep came looking for Nini."
Nibelria's spirits plummeted again as she buried her face in Muniel's lap.
"Nini is the boss, but she abandoned her subordinate..."
Oh goodness, Muniel swallowed a wry smile.
Kindergarten's effects are showing this quickly already.
Finally, this wild child had realized her actions could trouble others.
"Nini."
The gentle voice reached Nibelria's ears.
Nibelria lifted her head slightly.
She must have cried earlier—there was a faint tear stain shaped like her face on Muniel's skirt.
"So, what should you do from now on?"
"Can't wander off alone."
"Exactly."
If she'd learned something from it, then it was a valuable lesson.
That's what adults always taught children.
That's why Nibelria kept challenging herself to make money even after failures. She wasn't scared of mistakes.
"You learned from your mistake, right? So just don't do it again from now on."
Nibelria sat up straight and nodded.
"Can't wander off alone however I want. Yeah."
"That's right."
"Tomorrow at kindergarten, Nini will say sorry to the teacher."
"That's wonderful."
To her granddaughter, who had grown so much today, Muniel asked one more thing.
"Are crowded places scary?"
"Not scary! Nini is a strong cat!"
Nibelria quickly corrected her slip.
"But strangers... a tiny bit. Strangers..."
"Hard?"
"A little. And, like, uh..."
Recalling painful memories, Nibelria squeezed her eyes shut and hunched her shoulders slightly.
Watching the child with pity, Muniel said,
"How about asking Arep to help?"
"Arep...?"
Muniel wiped Nibelria's damp eyes with her finger as she continued.
"Subordinates are supposed to protect the boss, right?"
"Arep protects Nini?"
"A boss has to give missions to her subordinate. Otherwise, won't Wolf get too down?"
"But Nini is strong? Nini is the boss?"
A boss had her pride—how could she ask a subordinate to protect her?
Nibelria refused firmly.
But Muniel explained once more.
"That's exactly why a boss has to raise her subordinate to be strong. You going to keep babying him? Nini is a kid too, but you're working hard to make money. Even if you failed spectacularly."
"Th-That's true...!"
She had failed spectacularly.
Nibelria nodded.
"See? Love them more, raise them tougher."
"Nini loves Arep! Loved him since forever!"
"Yes! Exactly!"
"Nini will raise him strong! Because Nini loves him!"
Fired up, Nibelria hopped off the bed with renewed energy.
She strode to the door with much more spirited steps and flung it open.
And there was Arep, already waiting outside.
"Arep!"
She had been just about to go find him. Nibelria beamed.
"Here to see Nini?"
"......"
Arep hesitated, then nodded.
"A-Are you okay...?"
"Nini is fine. No hurt. Just, um, a tiny bit reflecting."
"Nini knows how to reflect, you see."
Muniel praised him, stroking his white silver hair that resembled her own.
Nibelria giggled and said to Arep,
"Arep!"
"Yes."
"I am your boss! Got it?"
"...Yes."
Arep nodded for now. She was the daughter of the adults who took care of him, so he should do as told.
"So Nini will protect Arep!"
"Yes."
"But! You have to protect Nini too. To grow strong! This is a mission. Got it?"
"......"
Flustered, Arep pressed his lips together. His red eyes shook anxiously as he glanced at Muniel for help.
Nibelria couldn't wait even a second and pressed him.
"Got it?!"
"Oh dear, you can't bark orders like that."
Muniel gently stopped the excited Nibelria.
"Say it kindly. Sweet and gentle."
Nibelria pondered briefly, then said,
"Pwotect Nini. Okay?"
"That's not kind, that's just talking like you haven't learned words yet."
Muniel barely held back her laughter, then explained more gently to the even more bewildered Arep.
"Nini has a hard time around strangers. She went through something painful before."
"Something painful...?"
Arep's eyes went wide.
The boy stared at Nibelria in disbelief.
Their eyes met, and Nibelria nodded silently.
Ah, so that's why...
Now he understood why the talkative, spirited Nibelria had gone silent at kindergarten and run away.
Arep looked at her anew.
She's amazing.
To go through something painful yet act like nothing happened.
I couldn't do that.
Arep felt pathetic about himself.
The years at the orphanage still weighed him down, yet how could this little girl live so bravely?
As self-loathing made his head droop lower, Muniel spoke.
"So, can you stay by Nini's side and protect her?"
"Me...?"
Arep hesitated to answer.
I'm weak...
He lacked confidence.
But.
"...Y-Yeah. How?"
Instead of refusing, Arep asked how he could protect her.
From the moment they met, this tiny girl had bravely declared she'd protect him.
He still didn't know why, but she was the first to promise to keep him safe.
And he now knew bone-deep how hard it was to say those words.
I can't run away...!
Arep didn't want to become like the orphanage staff who abandoned him.
"How can I protect you?"
Muniel couldn't look away from those red eyes sparkling with resolve.
Watching warmly, she asked Nibelria,
"What do you think? Pretty cool subordinate, huh?"
"......"
Too moved for words, Nibelria threw her arms around Arep in a big hug.
