Chapter 74
“Heeheehee, you little brats! You missed the princess, didn’t you?”
ㅡKiiit
ㅡClack!
It feels like forever since I last saw Minyumi and Suri. To think they started brawling the moment they entered Britain—what delinquent golems. Of course, it’s fine since I told them to.
I hugged the shrunken Minyumi and Suri and rocked them back and forth. It finally feels like we’re complete now.
“Ophelia! So then, are we going to get our weapons now?”
“Not today. For now, we’ll receive a list of the models Crown Guard can provide, and then think it over slowly.”
“Hee, I see.”
Too bad, but it looks like I can’t just say, “Hand over this and that right now,” and take them back to the hotel today. But honestly, if I did that, hauling them around would be a pain too. They said they’ll send them directly to Korea later anyway, and moving dangerous weapons on a regular passenger plane does seem a little sketchy.
They said there could be an incident where they go missing, or someone might attack just to steal them.
“I remember it being a little bigger just a moment ago. It’s shrunk, hasn’t it?”
“Ah, Minyumi can get bigger and smaller.”
“Minyumi? Is that this golem’s name?”
“Yep.”
Mr. Malcolm got kicked clean out by Minyumi’s jet kick and went flying with a boing right out of bounds, so I won by ring-out. As for the guns I’d fused into Ophelia for the fight, they were old-generation items anyway and consumables, so I decided to just give them up.
They said there’d also be compensation from the Association’s side. It’s true we want Crown Guard products, but from another angle it could look like the British Hunter Association is dumping all the compensation onto Crown Guard.
“What is the Association giving us?”
“We’re thinking it over from the proposed list. I’ll show you separately later.”
“Ah, okay.”
Honestly, I never imagined things would turn out like this. I just went to ride the London Eye and suddenly met terrorists and got to play hero. And now I’m at the British Hunter Association, picking a fight with some high-ranking old man.
“Hmmm....”
“Is there something in particular you’d like?”
“Ophelia, I think I’d like to have something that can protect me too.”
“Is that so.”
Somehow Ophelia got guns too, and if something like this happens again later, I could be in danger too, right? Of course, if I use the summon skill, all the golems will come running, but still. I’m a hunter too, so I want to fight.
“If I could get something like a sword I can use myself that can turn into a golem... that would be nice.”
You know those things in games, right? The kind that’s mounted on your arm and then pops out with a whoosh? Not a golem, but something that helps with combat too?
“When we return to Korea later, I’ll try making a weapon along the lines of what you want, Princess.”
“Really!? Yahoo!!”
* * * * *
“Ugh, I’m tired.”
After we returned to Claridge’s from the British Hunter Association, it was evening. There had been a lot going on, but in the end, to sum it up, we’d gone there to get compensation. It would take a while, though, so it probably wouldn’t arrive until after we got back to Korea.
ㅡBoing
“Maybe I ate too much.”
What was left was that insanely delicious pasta sitting in my stomach. When I touched my belly, something soft was there.
“Could it be... I gained weight..?”
Now that I think about it, I’ve been eating quite a lot of Dubai chewy cookies lately. Since I had to play Roblox, I even rushed through my calisthenics at 1.5x speed, but with the same movements, wouldn’t speeding it up burn way more calories?
Of course, I skipped a few things because the speed increased, but I still went on walks with Doggo too.
“Mm.”
Ophelia, who was sitting at the table next to me looking over the papers we’d received from the British Hunter Association, turned her head toward me for a moment and stared at me before standing up.
“Ophelia?”
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Then Ophelia slipped her hands under my armpits and lifted me up in one go. After tilting her head for a moment, she put me back down and closed her eyes tightly.
“Princess. Your weight has increased.”
“Wah.”
“Dubai chewy cookies are about 210 calories for the 70-gram size you usually order, Princess, so they count as a very high-calorie food.”
“Ehh.”
“Looks like you’ll have to cut back on snacks.”
“Hwaeek..!”
I just thought I’d only gained a little, but suddenly Ophelia, with no pity whatsoever, confiscated my Dubai chewy cookies.
“B-but! I’m a child! I-I’m still growing!!”
“During a growth period, the priority is building a healthy body through a balanced diet. Dubai chewy cookies, an extremely high-fat, high-sugar dessert, won’t help you much, Princess.”
“Aghyaa!”
Ophelia suddenly came at me with cold hard facts and beat me up with them. Crushed by the fact assault, I slipped out of her hands and sprawled out on the bed.
“No, no way….”
“Princess, you are currently working as a model for Royal Mayfair. If your weight gain causes the contract to be terminated and you end up having to pay a penalty fee...”
“I-if that happens..?”
“Your allowance could be reduced to 150,000 won a month.”
“Hwaeeeeeeek!!!!!!!”
150,000 won a month. That’s half of what I get now. For someone like me, who even trembles at 500 Robux, 150,000 won is money enough to buy the universe.
I recently found a pretty fun game and, after making up my mind, spent 290 Robux on a new class, but it turned out to be worse than I expected, which was already really bothering me..!!!
“Waaah, no way....”
“Then let’s do calisthenics today.”
Since coming to Britain, calisthenics had been on hiatus. I was working too, and I was going on walks more than usual as well. There’s no way anything bad would happen just because I skipped exercise a little..! Impossible..!!
“But I don’t have my exercise clothes..?”
“I do have them, though.”
“Oh.”
You actually brought this. Seriously.
* * * * *
“So that’s why you looked a little tired today.”
“D-did I look that way..?”
“A little.”
“Haaa....”
The next morning, during the time we were preparing equipment on set.
After doing calisthenics last night, sweating a ton, taking a bath, and going to sleep, it feels like I suddenly lost all that weight again. I guess my stomach had just been sticking out because I ate too much pasta; Ophelia also picked me up this morning and said my weight had gone back down.
But I’d already done my exercises, and I’d even worked out really hard, so my body was a little tired. Eloise could tell too, since she spotted it at a glance and immediately said I looked tired.
“Right, did you get home safely that time?”
“Ah, yeah. You?”
“I got home fine too. Sigh, I never expected something like that to happen. Are your grandpa and grandma okay?”
“They’re both fine. They were just a little shocked, that’s all.”
“Hee, that’s a relief.”
Fortunately, Eloise’s grandparents don’t seem to have been badly hurt. I remember Eloise being so shocked back then that she was bawling her eyes out; looks like she’s gotten better now. Don’t kids usually get trauma or something after one experience like that?
“Are you okay?”
“I’m... not really. I’m okay.”
But on New Year’s Day, Eloise was with her grandparents rather than her parents. Maybe her parents were busy? I wanted to ask, but... somehow it felt like I shouldn’t.
“What? Got something you’re curious about?”
“H-How did you know..?!“
“Your mouth kept moving like you wanted to ask something. I figured you were about to say something.”
“Ah, was I doing that.”
I hurriedly covered my mouth, but after being caught red-handed, what was the point of covering it now? Eloise stared at me and tilted her head as if to say, if you’re going to ask, then ask.
“Well... it’s kind of an awkward question to ask.”
“What is it? I’m fine.”
“N-no, it’s nothing. I suddenly don’t want to know anymore.”
“Now I’m curious. What question were you going to ask?”
Eloise suddenly pulled her chair closer and leaned in. Our shoulders touched, and she brought her face within almost ten centimeters of mine. Her face smelled like cocoa.
“N-no... you won’t get mad, right..?”
“I won’t. Hurry up and say it.”
People who say that usually get mad for real when you ask them, though. Still, I’m basically her lifesaver or something..?
“Um, maybe... Eloise. Where did your parents go..?”
“Ah....”
“N-no! I mean! It’s New Year’s Day, so I thought it would be nice if you could spend it together...”
See? The mood got weird all of a sudden.
After hearing my question, Eloise slowly lifted her head and looked up at the sky for a moment.
‘C-Could it be... they’re up in heaven..?!’
No way. That couldn’t be it. No matter what, both of her parents couldn’t have passed away, right? She still has her grandparents..!?
“Mom and Dad are busy. They’re Hunter Police.”
“Huh, both your mom and dad?”
“Yeah. They met while working together.”
“I-I see... Still, it’s a little sad that you can’t hang out together even on New Year’s. And it was really dangerous too.”
Eloise raised her right hand and showed me the back of it.
“Hm? The back of your hand?”
“Can you see this?”
“What is it?”
When I stroked the back of her hand, some kind of strange yellow pattern started sparkling. I felt like I could sense a little magical energy from it too.
“What is this?”
“My mom engraved it. She said if I used it when I’m in danger, it would protect me.”
“I-I see..?”
But wasn’t I the one who protected her when it actually got dangerous? It just looks like a glow-in-the-dark tattoo, so I also wonder if it really has that kind of function. Still, since it does have magic in it, maybe it does have some kind of ability.
“Um... did you use it at the London Eye?”
“Yeah.”
“Really? What effect did it have?”
“I met you, didn’t I?”
“Wah.”
Why is that your mom’s ability? That was my ability.
“She said it brings powerful luck.”
“Hee, really?”
I wonder if there are Awakened people with an ability like that? I’m not sure. It feels a bit like superstition, but if I told Eloise, “What your mom did was all a lie,” I’d be a total jerk. And it’s awkward to say it directly anyway.
“That’s amazing. Your mom is incredible.”
“Hehe, right?”
Eloise is expressionless and prickly most of the time, whether normally or when working, but when she smiles, she looks really cute.
“Eloise, you’re pretty when you smile.”
“H-hey. What are you saying all of a sudden.”
With her face red, Eloise rubbed her cheeks for a moment, then sat in awkward silence before looking at me and saying,
“You’re pretty too, Eve.”
“I’m cool.”
“I don’t think that’s true.”
“What?”
This brat.