The Dutiful Kid Who Saved the Villainous Family - Chapter 223

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Side Story 23

After distributing all the gifts among the Hybrid Creature Friends.
Airi and Berry were left alone in the room where the friends had gone off to try out their presents.
“Should we call our families now, Berry?”
Airi looked up at Berry, her heart racing with anticipation.
Berry looked down at her in return, smiling warmly.
“You want to give them gifts? ……I hope they all like them.”
These weren’t ordinary gifts—they were thank-you gifts purchased after returning from the honeymoon, which may have been why Airi felt a bit more excited than usual.
With this heightened sense of anticipation, Airi called for the Head Butler.
“By the way, could you bring our family members to the Reception Room on the first floor?”
“The Marquess is currently at Ortejo Castle as well. I shall inform everyone.”
“Oh! That’s right!”
Though honestly, Airi had no idea why her grandmother was at Ortejo Castle instead of the Marquess Estate.
The Head Butler bowed so deeply that the top of his head was visible.
“I shall see to it at once.”
Airi responded to his formal greeting with a bright, energetic smile.
While the Head Butler went to deliver the message, servants brought armfuls of gift bundles from the luggage carriage and set them down in the Reception Room.
‘I suppose I’ll have to wait a bit?’
But exactly one minute after the servants had finished unloading the gifts and left.
The family members gathered in the Reception Room all at once, as though they had been waiting for this very moment.
“Airi! You’re here!”
“I’ve been waiting, my dear granddaughter. Why have you grown so thin?”
……What? That’s not right. She’d been eating really well!
But before Airi could protest, her grandmother’s piercing gaze fell squarely on her plump cheeks and round limbs.
‘G-Grandmother is off-limits for now.’
Airi glanced around quickly, changing the subject.
“You all came so fast! That worked out perfectly!”
Declan, seated on the sofa in the Reception Room, cleared his throat before speaking.
“Well, it’s the day you arrive.”
Serafin continued the thought.
“……Still, I absolutely wasn’t craning my neck watching for you.”
Olivia let out a low chuckle at the two men’s poor attempt at honesty.
“Everyone skipped proper meals waiting for you. Your father was so worried about what might happen to you down in the Southern Region……”
“Olivia, I wasn’t.”
Declan protested indignantly, but his ears had turned completely red, which severely undermined his credibility.
Airi smiled mischievously while looking at her grandparents.
Her grandmother and grandfather simply smiled. Yet despite that, their ears had turned just as red as Declan’s.
‘My grandparents are so incredibly adorable……!’
But if they caught her thinking such things, they would surely be embarrassed.
After giggling softly to herself, Airi announced solemnly.
“So I prepared gifts for the family!”
“G-Gifts?”
Airi looked around at everyone seriously before speaking.
“Yes, Berry and I chose them together! Now then, let us proceed with the gift presentation ceremony.”
The family’s mood brightened considerably at Airi’s dignified yet cheerful announcement.
Airi stood up from the sofa and bundled numerous gift boxes into her arms from the corner of the room, beaming radiantly.
……These gifts were quite different in nature from those she had given to the Hybrid Creatures.
“Then, Father’s first!”
Declan’s gift box opened. And the gift was……
“……What is this? A hammer?”
“A harmless toy hammer! For people with no manners.”
What Declan held in his hand was a toy hammer.
Unlike the Hybrid Creatures, her family already had everything in the world.
So she wanted to give them amusing toys instead……
“……There’s a letter inside the hammer too.”
She had written a small note to go with it.
When Declan saw the toy hammer, he let out an awkward laugh thinking “What is this?”, but upon receiving the letter, his eyes grew misty.
Mother received a small harmonica—chosen with her love of music and sensitive ear in mind.
Grandmother received uniquely flavored mugwort bread.
“How do you know your grandmother’s tastes so well, my dear child?”
Since both grandmothers were delighted, Airi was delighted too, but……
“……It’s my taste too, so I know it well.”
That was true. Airi’s palate still matched her grandmother’s.
She gave Serafin a cute ribbon—which made him look quite flustered—and after organizing all the gift bundles for the household staff.
Only one gift box remained.
“What is this, Airi?”
“Oh! I bought it from a souvenir shop.”
At that moment, what had the shop owner said?
Airi thought for a moment, then opened her mouth.
“She said that when you wind the Music Box, it plays a song…… Here!”
Then Grandmother smiled warmly and picked up the Music Box.
“Shall we all wind it together?”
At her words, Airi nodded with a bright smile.
“Yes, let’s do that!”
Airi turned the small handle at the bottom of the Music Box clockwise a few times, then released the key with a click.
Expecting to hear a lovely melody now.
But contrary to Airi’s expectations, no song played.
‘What’s wrong? Everyone’s waiting.’
Just as Airi tilted her head in confusion and looked at the bottom of the Music Box.
Bang!
With a loud noise, the Music Box erupted in a cloud of smoke.
Three seconds later.
And what appeared before their eyes was……
“W-What is this……?”
……A five-year-old Airi, clutching the wind-up Music Box tightly in her hands.

* * *

“This is, what is this! This is really strange!”
A few hours later.
In the bedroom, Airi stomped her feet and let out a heavy sigh.
She’d become five years old!
But while Airi toddled about the bedroom in agitation, pacing back and forth……
“Oh my, my child!”
“……She’s our baby, after all.”
“It’s my daughter from a time I couldn’t see her grow.”
Grandmother, Father, and Mother beamed at me with unbridled delight.
“This is absolutely amazing!”
“Absolutely amazing?”
“Y-yes-absolutely-amazing!”
The family laughed brightly at her words—more brightly than I’d seen them laugh in a long time.
‘My tongue got shorter, so I can’t speak properly!’
Because of that, the family seemed to melt away even more.
……Airi bit her tongue. Cookie, who might have been her ally, had fallen asleep for some reason……
‘My last hope—Berry is here!’
……But when she turned her glimmering eyes toward him with all her hope……
“……You’re so cute. Little Airi.”
Berry stood there, looking taken aback but slightly delighted.
Airi pouted her lips and spoke.
“……Berry, what do you like about this?”
……Ugh, she was trying to speak seriously, but her short tongue kept slurring her words!
Berry’s mouth fell open in astonishment.
“I just, the Airi from the past seems to show through. That’s……”
Berry whispered softly, his cheeks flushing red as apples.
“……Cute, and I like it.”
And at those words, Airi too became a blushing beet.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————