I was watching with great interest.
Loreina smiled awkwardly and spoke to Abino.
“Your Highness, is there anything you’d like to do separately...?”
“Not really.”
Above Loreina’s head, I could almost see a speech bubble saying, ‘Then why did you say you wanted to play?’
Still, she forced a smile and asked again.
“Is there nothing you’ve found fun before?”
“There was, but... not here.”
Abino glanced around at the toys and games the three-year-olds had their servants fetch and shook his head.
“How about a sword? We have a fine blade.”
“Not really.”
“How about archery? We have bows softened by magic so they don’t hurt even if you shoot a lot...”
“Not really.”
“Do you like horseback riding? I have an amazing thoroughbred...”
“Not really.”
“We could bring in clowns for a performance...”
“Not really.”
“Then maybe some books...”
“Not really.”
That was five in a row.
I swallowed a smile.
Loreina’s face was contorted in frustration.
If Abino wasn’t a guest, she looked ready to turn into a beast and swipe him with her paws.
Loreina forced her trembling lips into a tight smile.
“...Oh dear. I really want to entertain Your Highness, but it’s truly unfortunate.”
Then she stepped back, looking genuinely regretful.
‘Since he’s said no to everything, there’s no other way.’
“Phew...”
Even after that, the three-year-olds showed off their charms one by one in front of Abino, but his expression stayed the same.
Flat.
No matter what they did, his expression was indifferent.
Actually, now that I looked, he even seemed a little depressed.
“...”
“...”
The three-year-olds exchanged glances.
Like puppies who can’t eat treats right in front of them, they wore frustrated expressions.
They had to somehow cheer up Abino, but nothing worked.
No reaction at all — as hosts, it’s awkward beyond words.
‘Now’s the time for me.’
Stepping a few paces away, I watched Abino and the three-year-olds, then took action.
Whoosh—!
I blew the whistle hanging from my neck with strong force.
After the high, clear sound spread into the sky,
Flap! Flap!
From afar came the sound of wings slicing the air.
A flying monster appeared overhead.
It was speeding quickly toward us.
With one flap of its wings, it was suddenly close enough that people’s pupils dilated.
“Th-the monster’s flying this way—!”
A servant shouted in terror.
The drooping mood instantly became chaotic.
In a way, it freshened the atmosphere.
Servants and hired hands tried to take their three-year-olds to safety.
The three-year-olds loudly declared a confident front before Prince Abino.
“Your Highness, there is nothing to fear.”
“Indeed. There is nothing to fear while you are with the direct descendants inside Astra’s factory.”
“That monster will be dealt with immediately.”
The kids loudly boasted and looked around with eyes asking, ‘Where’s the guard?’
‘Of course, there’s nothing to fear. But if it’s dealt with too quickly, that’s a problem.’
That monster is a creature I trained.
Watching the reaction of the direct descendants, I looked at Loreina.
Her face was all twisted up.
‘Loreina recognizes it.’
Unlike others who ran away in panic, she was right here watching.
That monster was the ‘Ragon’ called during her match.
Besides Loreina, some others had escaped the panic and were visibly relieved.
They remembered that I had manifested my second Gaho, .
Wheee, whoosh!
Ragon circled overhead, gliding, and a strong wind like a typhoon arose.
“Oh my goodness!”
“Ah! Get away!”
“No! My scarf!”
The huge Ragon whipping up strong winds.
Even the three-year-olds, direct descendants of Astra, were still too young.
It’s natural they felt instinctive fear.
Amid the noisy kids, I spoke clearly.
“Ragon. Over here.”
Ragon, already close to people, slowly descended to the ground.
Thud, thump!
It stomped heavily, shaking the ground slightly.
Ragon is a Steel Raven monster.
Its wing tops are as hard as steel, and inside its beak are countless teeth—a flying monster.
It looks like a nightmare creature.
But when ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) tamed, it’s one of the gentlest.
Wobble, wobble.
Ragon landed in the garden and walked toward me on two legs.
“Well done. Good boy, Ragon.”
Kraaak!
I petted Ragon’s head, and it made a slightly eerie sound.
People flinched and covered their ears.
Kkakkkak! Kraaak!
‘...Sounds like a crow from hell.’
But I know, since I tamed it.
Right now, Ragon is in a great mood because I praised it.
“Shu-shu-shu.”
I scratched under Ragon’s beak, and it flapped its wings excitedly.
Hmm.
The wind is so strong.
My hair wildly blew around, but it made a strong impact.
“W-wow—!”
Abino reacted immediately.
“Ah-amazing!”
Abino’s half-closed, indifferent eyes suddenly opened wide.
His usually big eyes looked twice as large.
Buzz, buzz.
He jumped up and waved his arms like a child.
“The monster actually listens!”
Right then, Liantin quickly spoke.
“That’s Erilot’s second Gaho, .”
Liantin’s voice sounded a bit proud.
‘Why are you proud?’
Liantin’s expression somehow reminded me of a dad bragging.
The noisy garden transformed into a stage for me as I tamed Ragon like a cute puppy.
“Hey, could you bring some grapes?”
I said to a nervous servant watching us, and the servant answered loudly.
“Yes!”
No sooner had they answered than they brought a silver tray piled high with grapes.
‘It would look better to pick grapes one by one, but if I did that, the liver wouldn’t even know.’
For a creature the size of a crow, one grape is too small for Ragon.
“Here, Ragon! It’s a treat!”
Whoosh!
I tossed the bunch of grapes high, and Ragon jumped up.
Thump!
Boom!
Catching the grapes was good, but the jump made the ground shake.
People staggered.
‘The flashier the show, the better.’
An unintended spectacular effect.
Ragon wagged its tail happily.
‘It loves grapes the most.’
When I first gave grapes, I thought the house was collapsing...
“Ragon, this is a grape. You’ve never eaten one before, right?”
“Kkakkkak.”
“Here. Good boy, you’re eating well.”
“Kkak!”
“One more? Okay.”
“Kkakkkak!”
“One more...? Hmm.”
“Kkakkkak!”
“One... more? O-okay.”
“Kkakkkak!”
“Again? No, don’t eat too much—”
“Kkawekkakkak! Kakkakkakkeaeaeak—!!!”
“Ahhhh! Miss, the territory is collapsing!”
“...”
A dizzying memory.
I felt a very intense gaze nearby.
“I want to try too!”
Of course, it was Abino.
His eyes were shining brighter than ever.
It looked like he could shoot lasers from them!
I put on a polite smile and stepped back a few paces from Ragon.
Then I picked a bunch of grapes from the silver tray the servant was holding and offered it.
Abino ran to me.
Somehow I thought I saw a tail wagging behind him.
‘He’s like a puppy too.’
He seemed like a cool and aloof cat before, but now he looked like a curly black poodle.
Today must be a day for watching puppies.
I held back a laugh and explained.
“You have to throw the grapes from here. If you get too close, it might bite you whole, bones and all.”
“Okay!”
Huh? Why did he get even more excited?
He seemed to be even more thrilled at the idea of biting a human whole.
‘Well, boys this age like scary stuff.’
Dinosaurs and transforming robots.
The bigger and scarier, the better.
I expected he’d like it, but it worked better than I thought.
Abino held the biggest bunch of grapes from the silver tray with a serious face and carefully adjusted his grip to throw them.
‘Looks like he’s about to compete in shot put.’
He was very serious.
Not only his hand shape but also his throwing motion repeated several times, simulating carefully.
‘Why not just throw the grapes?’
Even Ragon was restless, stomping its feet impatiently because Abino kept holding onto the grapes without throwing them.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
“All right. I’ll throw it now!”
Abino, cheeks flushed red, threw the bunch of grapes.
Whoosh!
Plop!
“Pfft!”
Someone laughed, but fortunately the sound was drowned out by Ragon’s wingbeats.
“Ah! What a waste!”
Actually, not a bit wasted.
The grapes didn’t even get close to Ragon.
But to Abino, it seemed like it was so close he was frustrated, stamping his feet.
Ragon felt the same.
It hesitated whether to eat the grapes on the ground but immediately perked up when Abino grabbed another bunch.
“This time it’s for real!”
Whoosh!
Plop.
“Ah! What went wrong?”
Abino frowned and threw the grapes again.
Whoosh!
Plop!
When he failed three times, I stepped in.
Accomplishing something on your own is important, but
‘Grapes are too precious.’
Adults say even a single grain of rice should be valued.
Do you know how much sweat farmers pour in until one grain of rice reaches my table?
Inside me, Yoo Hyemin was a kid thoroughly trained in Korean dining etiquette.
Of course, it was drilled in because Grandma scolded me for wasting food.
Anyway, I went beside Abino and asked.
“May I touch Your Highness’s arm?”
“Hmm... okay!”
Royalty are taught not to let others touch them carelessly.
And Abino had been missing, so he was probably taught even more strictly.
But he readily nodded, as if he wanted to feed grapes to Ragon.
I lifted my skirt and thanked him, then went behind Abino and gently held his elbow.
“Move your arm like this─. That way, the grapes will arc and go higher.”
“Like this─?”
“Yes. And you shouldn’t put strength from the start. At first, just float it up like throwing it lightly, then just before releasing your hand, put in the power so the grapes fly high.”
“Like this, like this?”
“Yes! You’re doing well.”
At my praise, Abino clenched his fist.
Now that he knew the trick, his face was determined to succeed this time.
Seeing such enthusiasm after so much indifference was even cute.
‘So this is how grandma feels.’
I smiled warmly and cheered him on.
“You’ll succeed this time. And even if you don’t, you can throw another grape.”
“I will succeed!”
Abino looked very serious as he picked the biggest bunch from the silver tray.
Then, moving his arm several times as I showed him,
“Your Highness! Fighting!”
“This time for sure!”
Encouraged by the other three-year-olds, he threw the grapes.
Whoosh—!
Unlike before when it barely arced and fell, this time the grapes soared higher than Ragon’s head.
The direction was a little off, but Ragon corrected it.
Ragon quickly moved to catch the grapes that had fallen miserably on the ground.
Thump!
The big, beautiful bunch landed safely inside its beak filled with many teeth.
Abino shouted excitedly as if he’d won an Olympic gold medal.
“Wow, waah—!”
From his face alone, you’d think he was an archer who hit a perfect 10 on all his shots.
‘I knew he’d like it.’
Kids rarely dislike feeding animals.
‘And our Ragon is the cutest among the steel ravens!’
Though if I said that, Han Jihyuk would say,
“You really have a problem with your eyes.”
—but what’s wrong with calling something cute?
Nobody has a right to criticize someone else’s kid.
Especially not my own, hatched from an egg and raised from the size of two finger joints.
‘You’ve really gone through a lot...’
I felt a little nostalgic.
It takes half a year for a steel raven to hatch.
The hatching conditions were demanding.
It can’t be too hot or cold, too humid or dry...
Plus, if not incubated, it won’t hatch, so I barely slept for six months.
‘And I had to take classes too.’
When it was born, it was tiny — usually born about an adult fist in size, but Ragon was only two finger joints.
“Kkak! Kraaak—!”
Yeah, yeah.
The reason I raised you this well was all thanks to this mama’s tearful efforts.
Then, cheered on by the other three-year-olds, successful Abino ran to me.
“Can I have more grapes?”
“Of course.”
Abino looked at the tray full of grapes.
Ragon wagged its tail happily.
“Kkak! Kkakkak!”
Though the faces of the other three-year-olds and servants watching from afar looked a little pale,
To me, it was cute. Cute as can be!
“But if you give all the grapes on that tray, Ragon might not be able to fly.”
“Hmm. That’s a shame.”
“But you can throw a few more times.”
“Okay. Then what else can I do?”
What else?
There’s a lot!
“Lots. You can ride on Ragon’s back and fly...”
Before I could finish, Balzac and Joshua shouted,
“No!”