CVS 10

Chapter 10

“Because Chuu eats pretty much anything… you can give the pretty ones to people who eat a little.”

Anyway, was it really okay for me to give him something like this and receive a new name in return?

I wasn’t sure, but I was curious what kind of name it would be.

I understood my current situation very well.

The Admiral was my fake dad, and I was his fake daughter.

I couldn’t go back to the daycare center, and I couldn’t become a cook either.

Still, there were blocks here, Rina was here, and there was lots of delicious food, so I didn’t dislike it.

‘I don’t know how long I’ll be staying here. But I probably won’t be leaving right away… so until I do, a new name… yeah, I like it.’

The Admiral bent down and took the cookie from my hand.

His expression was strange, and his movements were extremely careful.

It was just a cookie, but after stroking it several times, the Admiral eventually slipped it into the inner pocket of his jacket.

Then he put his hands beneath my arms and lifted me up in one swift motion.

“Shuperti.”

“……!”

“From now on, your name is Shuperti Pasayen.”

His quiet voice wrapped around my name.

‘It feels like crunchy sugar is being crushed inside my mouth.’

If I opened my mouth, it felt like candy would come tumbling out.

Suddenly, my heart began pounding, and I couldn’t stay still.

“I’m Chuperti!”

“…Shuperti.”

The Admiral quietly corrected my pronunciation.

I giggled and clung to his neck, rubbing my cheek against him.

“Then Chuu is going to be the Admiral’s daughter forever now, right?”

“Yes.”

“Wow!”

Something… something made me happy!

‘I’m sure I’ll leave this place someday, but I’m glad it doesn’t seem like I have to leave right away!’

Still in his arms, I bounced my feet and smiled brightly.

I couldn’t stop the corners of my mouth from curling upward because I was so happy.

“So now, try calling me Dad.”

“…Hweh?”

“Repeat after me. Da-d. That is how you pronounce it.”

The Admiral looked very, very serious.

He was a person who barely changed his expression and mostly spoke with his eyebrows, but right now, those were his serious eyebrows.

Following the Admiral, I carefully opened my mouth and silently mouthed the word.

‘I got a name, and he even called me his daughter…’

But the word “Dad” simply wouldn’t come out.

“Hmm. Perhaps it’s still too soon.”

The Admiral’s eyebrows rose.

I grinned and simply rubbed my cheek against him.

I didn’t know why, but I had always been like that even when I was at the daycare center.

I was going to leave this place someday.

I didn’t know where I would go after leaving.

But I definitely would leave.

It felt as though someone was whispering that inside me.

“Do you like your name?”

“Yes!”

“Then that is enough. It is the name of the North Star, which guides a ship’s course during navigation, and the goddess of battle.”

The North Star?

I knew what that was.

‘We came from that distant star over there. Someday, we’ll return there.’

Crackle.

‘Huh?’

Something had just flashed past my eyes.

And I had heard an incredibly warm voice, too.

I opened my eyes wide and looked around, but there was only me and the Admiral here.

“Why?”

“Umm, no…”

Maybe I had heard it wrong.

“You also have two people who will become your older brothers.”

“Two people?!”

“Yes. The eldest is Mikalrd. He was named after the god of blood and victory.”

Big Brother Mikalrd.

I memorized the name.

“The second one… you don’t need to know his name.”

“Why?”

“You will never have to meet him, so there is no need to remember.”

The Admiral looked sad as he said that.

His expression and stiff tone of voice were exactly the same as always, but somehow, he looked sorrowful.

[Water Spirit King ‘■■■■’ asks you for a favor.]

[Give him one big hug. He’s such a fool that he doesn’t even realize he needs comforting himself.]

At that moment, sparkling letters spoke to me.

But strangely, the letters themselves seemed to be crying, so I rubbed my eyes once.

‘Well, giving hugs is something Chuu is good at.’

I wrapped my arms tightly around the Admiral’s neck.

The Admiral looked at me with puzzled eyes, as if wondering why I was doing that.

I stared into his magenta eyes, tinged with red, and wiggled my fingers.

My toes wiggled, too.

‘When my friends cried and cried, I always hugged them tightly, patted them, and gave them kisses.’

Did the Admiral like kisses too?

The Carrot Class teacher did.

As I thought hard about it, sparkling letters appeared in front of me.

Quest!

A Daughter’s Kiss Is the Strongest in the World!

The Water Spirit King has given you homework!

Gasp! I wouldn’t be able to taste sweetness?!

Panicking, I squeezed my eyes shut and headbutted him.

Thunk!

“……?”

Smooch!

“Don’t cwy.”

“Hmm?”

“But if you still wanna cry, it’s okay to go ‘Waaaah.’”

Then I wouldn’t be able to taste sweetness…

But that was okay.

Adults must have days when they wanted to cry, too.

I put both hands beside the Admiral’s ears and whispered.

“If you wanna go ‘waaaah,’ Chuu will hide you.”

“…….”

“Okay? Promise.”

I smiled and held out my pinky.

The Admiral stared at me for a long time.

First at my face, then at my pinky.

“…A crab. Crying is something only little children do.”

“I’m not a cwab. I’m Shuperti.”

“Good to know. Now, let us go eat.”

The Admiral quietly turned his head.

There was a vein bulging along his jaw, so I gently rubbed it.

Thinking that adults cried strangely, without tears coming from their eyes.

Mealtime was incredibly fun.

What was the most delicious thing today?

The huge blueberry pie and lasagna!

But even though my tummy was completely full, the Admiral didn’t get up from his seat.

Still, it would be rude for me to jump up and leave before him.

I swung my feet back and forth, and as the silence continued, I started thinking.

I felt like I had to say something!

‘Ah, should I ask him about that?’

The thing I still hadn’t been able to ask Rina about.

“Admiral, you know…”

“Hmm.”

“What is a Bijou?”

Bijou, Bijou.

Even the pronunciation was pretty.

I deliberately pushed my lips out as I played around with the word.

The Admiral stared at me for a moment before slowly answering.

It felt as though he were waking up from a long dream, or perhaps from his thoughts.

“A Bijou is the crystallization of pure power.”

“……?”

Was that the whole explanation?

Perhaps he read the confusion in my eyes, because the Admiral cleared his throat and added more.

“First of all, when someone becomes an Awakener, a Bijou spot appears somewhere on their body, including the face.”

“Yesh.”

“Later, a jewel will grow from that spot. Once the Bijou emerges, you become capable of using supernatural abilities. Supernatural abilities are special powers.”

This explanation was better than the previous one.

At least now I knew that a Bijou was a jewel.

“In your case, a Bijou will grow on your left shoulder blade. Assuming that spot is not damaged.”

“Damaged…?”

When I made a blank expression at the difficult word, the Admiral firmly pressed down on my head.

Today, my seat was close enough for him to reach me.

“It means you must not carelessly show it to just anyone. There are people who specifically target and harm Awakeners before their Bijou has emerged. Once it emerges, it is difficult for someone to take it from you by force, so that part is less of a concern.”

“Not even Rina?”

“Pasayen… No. You may trust me, your older brothers, Carmin, Rina and Sedrick, and my father. No one beyond that.”

“Okaaay.”

So it was something I had to protect carefully.

‘Then I hope it grows soon!’

I wasn’t showing it outwardly like a grown-up, but losing my precious class leader badge still made me sad.

‘Instead, I’ll protect my Bijou really well.’

What kind of special power would I get?

What about the Admiral and Grandpa Head of the Household?

Does Rina not have one?

There were mountains of things I was curious about.

But this was what I was most curious about.

“So when will mine grow?”

“Yours will grow once you are fully grown as well. Normally, they emerge around the age of ten. Of course, those with exceptional talent may have theirs emerge much earlier.”

“When did yours grow, Admiral?”

“When I was seven.”

The Admiral looked strangely proud as he said that.

“Then I wanna be seven too.”

How many nights would I have to sleep until I was seven?

I counted on my fingers one by one before looking blankly up at the Admiral.

The Admiral seemed to be suppressing a laugh, but eventually, he gave a solemn nod.

“Yes. It would be good if yours emerged when you were seven.”

“Then, Admiral, what kind of supernatural ability do you have?”