How was one supposed to react to a portal suddenly opening in their room? YuSung was in the midst of relaxing and drinking banana milk when the air split open in front of him, revealing a portal that Velvet walked out of. The dragon girl clearly looked unhappy.
"Velvet?" YuSung put down his banana milk, rushed to Velvet, and crouched next to her.
Velvet softly said, "Dad I got scolded by Mommy Sumire"
YuSung wasnt sure what she had done to get scolded, but her cute sulking made him quickly forget about that. "So you got scolded by Sumire today?" he asked.
He couldnt tell if she was feeling angry or sad as she sat down and hugged her knees. "Right she said, I thought Mommy Sumire would like it but it didn't turn out that way" She was just a child, but she sighed like the world was ending. Was she being so dramatic because it was her first ti being scolded? "Kyahoo"
YuSung smiled and tried to hold back his laughter as he stroked Velvets hair. "Velvet, you got upset because Sumire didn't understand your feelings?"
She nodded and sighed like an adult again. "Kyahoo Actually, I know Mommy Sumire loves That's why she scolded ! Surely, Mommy Sumire was also sad. Kyahoo"
Velvet was a dragon, so she was incomparably intelligent compared to other children. There was no wonder she understood why Sumire had scolded her and knew her true intentions.
"Still, I wanted to be praised, not scolded" Understanding didn't an it was okay. For the still-young Velvet, those were completely different issues.
"I see."
YuSung, simply finding Velvet adorable, listened to her story while mumbling softly, "So, what do you want to do, Velvet?"
Hmm Velvet put her index finger on her chin and fell into thought in a gesture shed unmistakably gotten from EunAh. After pondering for a while, her eyes sparkled like shed co up with an idea. "I need to receive more love! I will make Mommy Sumire understand how precious I am! Today, I won't go back!"
In the end, her choice was to run away. As if that werent enough, she was taking the situation a step further by deciding to go to a different country as well.
Ziing!
"Dad, co with !" Velvet exclaid as she opened another portal.
YuSung faintly smiled and thought, 'I should send a ssage to Sumire, so she doesn't worry'
Whether Velvet knew of YuSung's thoughts or not, she excitedly pointed at the portal and said, "Kyahang-! Dad! Let's go! If you don't hurry, it'll close!" Even though she was a dragon, a child was still a child.
* * *
* * *
The neatly arranged bedding, sleek, silver fridge, and stark white room made the dormitory feel both modern and sowhat desolate. Arden couldnt help but feel a bit bad. "I asked Bianca to prepare the best possible accommodation but it's too quiet around here. It's too depressing here to be alone."
"It's okay. After all, I don't plan to stay for long." Loneliness wasn't a stranger for Adela. After all, she'd been feeling it continuously since the incident in Volterra. The only difference from then was that she had soone she missed. "Still I do miss that person and Velvet from ti to ti."
"I see." Arden felt a sense of relief upon seeing Adela missing soone. 'I'm grateful she changed like this' Still, the thought of leaving Adela alone in such an empty dormitory bothered Arden.
If only Velvet and YuSung could appear and stay by her side How great would that be? He sighed and thought, 'Well Asking that would be too reckless on my end.
BZZT!!
Mana fizzed in the air of the lonely dormitory and gathered into a portal.
Paf!
"Mommy Adela-!" Velvet, whom Adela had been sincerely missing, walked through the portal.
YuSung followed behind her, dressed in casual clothing and holding a banana milk. "I'm sorry, Adela, to co at such a ti"
Blink, blink
Adela's eyes widened in surprise. "Velvet? And you?"
Velvet jumped into Adela's arms. "Kyahang-!"
"Velvet!" It was a truly touching reunion between mother and daughter.
"Mother, I ca to visit you!"
Adela smiled and hugged Velvet tightly. "Welco, Velvet!"
"Kyahang! I won't go back today! Im going to sleep at your house!"
Adela didn't know why Velvet was visiting her, but she seed to be very much in favor of having her stay in her room.
Arden was equally pleased and happily welcod YuSung. "YuSung! Welco! Is that child the rumored"
"Yes. She's our new family mber, Velvet."
Arden exclaid in admiration, seemingly genuinely happy. "Haha! Welco! What brings you here today at such an hour?"
YuSung whispered softly so that Velvet couldn't hear. "Velvet got scolded by Sumire today"
Arden heartily laughed at the explanation. "Haha! I see! Seeing Velvet get so hurt and sulky over such a trivial matter It seems she's still a child, after all!"
Shin YuSung nodded in agreent and then smiled. "Then, before Velvets portal closes" He thought he could entrust Velvet to Adela, but the dragon girl didnt allow him to leave so easily.
"Ah! Dad, don't!" She grabbed YuSungs shirt and shook her head.
"V-Velvet?"
"You need to stay with , Dad! Stay until I go back."
YuSung could sowhat understand the girls firm attitude. Before he knew it, the portal ended up closing.
BZZT-
Arden welcod the idea of YuSung staying with open arms. "That's right, YuSung. There's no need for our honored guest to leave so soon."
"I even brought my pajamas!" Velvet said. She seed to have co well-prepared and opened her pack, taking out the pajamas shed prepared. "I'm going to change into them!" As if it were the most natural thing to do, she went straight into Adela's room.
Only then did Adela look at YuSung. "I'd also like for you to stay a bit longer" Everyone welcod YuSung's visit. Since they were so insistent, the right thing was to stay.
Of course, Adela asking the boy to stay only made Arden happier, and he thought, 'It would be good if Adela and YuSung could take this opportunity to get closer' He already viewed YuSung as a good partner for Adela and saw Velvet as his granddaughter.
"That's right, YuSung, Arden said. Stay for the night. The thought of leaving Adela here alone didn't sit well with ."
Arden was soone like a ntor to YuSung. He was a friend and colleague of his Master, Yu WonHak, after all. "Understood. I have plans in the morning, but If I return with Velvet, going back should be easy enough."
Paf!
At that mont, the door opened, and Velvet ca out, wearing a set of cute pajamas Adela had once gifted her. "Ta-da!"
"Velvet you look really cute."
"Kyahang! Of course! I look like the two of you!"
The group looked like a couple with their daughter. Seeing them look like a close-knit family, Arden noticed Adelas smile was brighter than hed ever seen it. 'Adela'
Drip
A tear slid down his cheek. Even through his many, hellish battles, hed never cried. Maybe age had made him softer, but they were undoubtedly tears of joy. he finally felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders and that he could sleep well without nightmares. 'WonHak, you seem to be always helping .'
[Silver Wind, what a grandiose na]
[Are you trying to provoke ?]
[Yes. I've heard the rumors. You've been wandering alone after your party mbers died, right?]
Hed been almost twenty when he t the young and intense Yu WonHak.
[You coward. No matter how much you pretend, I know you can't change anything on your own.]
[You don't know anything!]
Back then, Arden disliked Yu WonHak. His know-it-all attitude put him off, and he was upset by how the man was trying to ntor him in their first eting.
[I do know. You're just running away.] WonHak downed alcohol straight from the bottle and slyly smiled at Arden before saying, [You're afraid of having another comrade die! You're struggling with the guilt of being unable to save your friends!]
Aden thought of beating Yu WonHak up for touching his sore spot.
[As expected, you're weak. Well, a person who only runs away can't be strong.] Then, WonHak reached his hand out and said, [So face it! I won't die! I won't let my comrades die, either! You don't have to be scared or tremble in fear! You won't have to experience the sa sorrow again!]
That hand had been a salvation to him, and it looked like he was being saved again through WonHaks disciple, Shin YuSung. The boy had been the key to Adela being happy, and Arden valued him more than his own life.
'WonHak' That night, feeling an overwhelming desire to see his comrade, Arden quietly opened the food to their room.
"Tasty cake Mommy Sumire, I did wrong" Velvet was mumbling in her sleep.
anwhile, Adela looked to be in peaceful slumber, and YuSung slept beside them.
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