20demayo Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Side Story: Gilnandio, Part 2
“Nnmuu...?”
How much time had passed? It seemed the girl finally awoke late into the night. I resolved to speak as softly as possible so as not to startle her.
“...You’re awake.”
”!?”
The child flinched at my voice. She slowly turned to face me, her expression wary.
I had thought her sleeping face delicate, but her features upon opening her eyes were even more adorable. Her large, navy blue eyes, which could appear sharp at first glance, were softened by their beautifully arched brows, giving her a gentle impression.
As I was observing the child, she suddenly began to tremble. Hmm, th-this is...
“Fu... ue... Waaaah!”
“Wha-... Wait...”
As expected, the child started to cry. Damn it, did I scare her? Thinking back, I was dressed entirely in black, my face mostly concealed by my hood and mask. It was no wonder I’d frightened her. I realized my mistake.
But what should I do? I had no experience handling children. I didn’t even know how to interact with them, let alone soothe a crying one. I used spatial magic to retrieve a fresh towel. I thought about handing it to the girl right away, but I hesitated, unsure of the right timing. I was afraid of making her cry even more. ...It was an unexpected discovery to find I was capable of such fear.
As I stood there, at a loss for what to do as the child continued crying, they gradually calmed down on their own. Silence fell once more. Should I try speaking to her? ...Ah, maybe I should at least remove my mask first. I hesitated slightly at the prospect of revealing my face in public after so long, but my companion was a child. Besides, it was better than scaring them again. Strangely enough, I felt no discomfort about showing her my face.
Afterward, I gave the child some Appli water and fed her the vegetable soup I’d prepared. Her hands were so small, it was almost alarming, and I found myself lending a hand. She showed no fear as I cared for her, so I continued to see to her needs.
She seemed somewhat reserved, so I imagined she was the type to try and handle things herself whenever possible. However, this was a special circumstance. I decided to pamper her a little, both to ensure her well-being and to teach her it was alright to rely on others. ...It was unexpectedly enjoyable.
Perhaps because her stomach was full, the girl began to doze off. Even though I told her it was alright to sleep, she tried to stay awake, so I encouraged her to rest, and she quickly drifted off.
...What was this feeling? It was completely foreign to me. I couldn’t say for certain if this was how parents felt, but I didn’t hate it. I finished tidying up, erected a sturdy barrier for good measure, and decided to take a nap myself.
“Nyoh!?“
I woke up to the child’s strange yelp. I’d been getting up several times throughout the night, maintaining a light sleep out of caution, but it seemed I’d made the blunder of letting the girl see me sleeping. The pleasant warmth radiating from her must have lulled me deeper into sleep than I’d intended.
I pulled myself together and urged her to get ready for the day when an unpleasant possibility, one I hadn’t considered, occurred to me. The child didn’t seem to know how to use magic.
Any child her age should have been able to use simple daily magic as easily as breathing. Unless... they had amnesia.
It was a disconcerting thought, but I had to consider the possibility. I would have to interact with her carefully, making sure she didn’t feel like their inability to use magic was strange. I didn’t want to risk confusing her or triggering anything unpleasant.
I’d never been so considerate towards another person before. After a light breakfast, I gave a brief introduction of myself and mentally planned to leave the dungeon as soon as possible.
——
Appli → In this world, it refers to what is known as an apple in the original world.