Chapter 32: What Children Need (3)
by fnovelpia
The alley where Loren’s clothing shop was located was quiet.
Sunlight filtered sparsely through the awnings draped over the street,
And there were more sparrows clustered on the cobblestones than pedestrians.
The flock of sparrows suddenly took flight all at once.
A familiar face was waving her arms and heading this way.
It was Loren.
“Over there.”
“?”
“Loren.”
“!”
The child jerked her head around to look toward the alley.
Before long,
Upon spotting Loren, the child, too,
Raised both hands high and waved them vigorously.
The corners of the child’s mouth were turned up so high she nearly touched her ears.
“Hi, Loren.”
“!”
“Yes! Good afternoon!”
Loren, who had practically run over, pinched the child’s cheeks.
She pressed them firmly with both hands,
Then stretched them outward, giggling all the while.
Despite that, the child’s face was blooming with smiles, as if she didn’t mind at all.
“Hehe, my little munchkin! You missed me that much?”
“!”
“Yeah, I missed you too, so much!”
“……!”
“How can you be this adorable, huh?”
The child’s face flushed red as she covered her cheeks with both hands.
Even so, her eyes still sparkled.
Loren chuckled and ruffled the child’s hair.
Then, she looked up and stared at me.
Her eyes gradually narrowed,
And I had a feeling she was about to give me the same lecture as always.
“Have you decided yet?”
Just as expected.
After silently staring at Loren, I shook my head the same way I always did.
The child’s name still hadn’t come to me.
Loren placed both hands on her hips and let out an exasperated
Sigh.
“Ugh, seriously! How hard is it to come up with a single name?!”
“I did come up with one.”
“That’s not a proper name?!”
I glanced once at the child,
Once at Loren,
And once at Hubert, who was locking the door and heading this way.
After tilting my head and looking back and forth between the three of them, I finally spoke.
“…Is Pinky really that bad?”
“What kind of name is Pinky for a child, you idiot?!”
At Loren’s outburst, the child flinched in surprise, eyes widening.
Loren gently patted the child’s head,
Then glared at me sharply before jabbing her finger into my chest repeatedly.
“Is it really that hard? Put some sincerity into it, put some thought into it, and come up with something pretty!”
“Pink is pretty.”
“That’s not the point!”
Loren huffed for a moment before clearing her throat.
“Try putting yourself in her shoes. If someone called you
‘Yellow’ just because your hair is yellow, would you like that?”
“I’ve been called that before.”
“…Huh?”
“I just went with it.”
“…Haaa. You really are.”
Loren let out a long sigh, as if the ground itself might cave in.
It’s still so difficult.
Humans.
What’s so ordinary for a dragon—
Why do they take it so sensitively?
Dragons often name themselves after the color of their scales.
It’s the simplest way, and for dragons with weak ties to their kin,
It’s at least a way to prove where they belong.
‘Though I can’t exactly be classified by color…’
Perhaps he overheard our conversation.
Hubert walked over, chuckling leisurely.
“Hoho, fighting over names again, I see.”
“We’re not fighting. I’m trying to persuade this dull block of wood.”
Hubert glanced at me briefly before turning his gaze to the child.
“…Well, back in the day, simple names based on appearance or birthplace were common.”
“That was ages ago!”
Loren immediately bristled.
“Nowadays, names like that just get you made fun of! The child has to be pretty, meaningful, and special— that’s just how it is, right?”
“Hoho, you’ve got a point.”
Hubert turned to the child and asked kindly,
“What kind of name do you think would suit you, little one?”
“……”
“If you want, I can pick something pretty for you instead of this blockhead!”
The child’s eyes wavered slightly.
No words came,
But for a brief moment, her pupils trembled as if lost in thought.
Then, her small hand tightened around the hem of my robe.
Loren, who had been staring at the child with a defeated expression, finally dropped her head.
“…Ugh, another failed persuasion today.”
“Do you like ‘Pinky’?”
“……”
“Lowe. If you seriously settle on ‘Pinky,’ I’m sewing your mouth shut.”
Hubert laughed as he stepped between us.
Loren was still glaring at me, her face full of displeasure.
Patting Loren’s shoulder soothingly, Hubert spoke up.
“Don’t be so upset, Loren. It’s not that Lowe is being careless.
Last time he was here, he bought a few books on naming conventions.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah.”
Loren’s expression softened slightly.
After glancing between me and the child,
She pinched the child’s cheek lightly and shot me a look.
“Then hurry up and pick one. How can such a cute kid go this
long without a name?”
“…I’ll try.”
“You better. And don’t you dare bring back something like ‘Pinky’ and call it effort.”
The child’s eyes turned to me.
Her tiny fingers gripped my robe even tighter.
In that touch,
I could feel a small wish—
A hope for a name.
It seemed the child, too, faintly understood what having a name meant.
“…I got it.”
“You promise?”
“Yeah. For real this time.”
Loren nodded and smiled.
Then she crouched down and gently took the child’s small hand in hers.
“Our little one, you’ll soon have a pretty name, won’t you?”
“……!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep pestering them until we find the perfect name.”
Did the child even understand what that meant?
The little one looked up at Loren and gave a bright, toothy smile.
After gazing down at the child for a moment, Loren gently ruffled her hair.
“……?!”
“I’ll do my best.”
“!”
The child’s cheeks flushed pink.
After staring at me intently, she buried her face back into the robe.
‘…A name just for this child.’
Tonight,
I had another reason to open a book.
“Ah, right. I almost forgot.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Oh, it’s nothing much. I just had something to give you both.”
Loren rummaged through the basket they had been carrying and pulled out a few things.
Handmade sachets and herbal tea bags.
A delicate fragrance drifted through the air.
The harmonious blend of floral petals and dried herbs created a soothing aroma.
Loren carefully placed them into Hubert’s and my hands.
“Here. The herbal tea is blended with ingredients good for colds.”
“Thank you.”
“Hoho, much appreciated. Seems like colds are going around lately— this’ll come in handy.”
Loren grinned and nodded in satisfaction.
“I heard everyone’s been feeling under the weather because of the cold, so I thought a nice scent might help lift her spirits.”
“Your skills are as impressive as ever.”
“Yes, you’ve done a wonderful job.”
“Hehe, right?”
Loren puffed up slightly with pride before turning her attention back to the child.
“I made something special for our little one too.”
“……!”
She pulled out a sachet small enough to fit in the child’s tiny palm.
Wrapped in a soft pink cloth embroidered with a tiny rabbit design,
The sachet inside carried the faint, sweet scent of apples.
“I made this just for you. No strong fragrances— just something gentle and calming. Keep it by your pillow, and it’ll help you sleep well.”
“……!”
“Oh my, you really like it, don’t you? That much?”
“!!!”
The child’s eyes sparkled with delight.
Clutching the sachet tightly in her small hands,
She hugged it to her chest before nodding vigorously at Loren.
“Ehehe, so adorable! Let me know when the scent fades. I’ll make you another one!”
“!”
The child beamed.
After gazing at the sachet for a long moment, she hugged it tightly again.
It seemed she had no intention of letting go— her grip was firm and unwavering.
“If you ever get tired of this scent, just tell me. I’ll make you a new one with whatever you like.”
“…….”
“It’s okay. This kind of thing is my specialty, after all.”
Loren playfully winked,
And the child, slightly embarrassed, nodded slowly before tugging lightly at my robe.
‘…Ah, right.’
I tapped the child’s hand gently.
Tilting her head in curiosity,
The child brightened with a radiant smile when I held the basket closer to them.
Her movements grew even more animated.
“Jusum jusum,”
The child rummaged through the basket and held out a sandwich she had made.
Perhaps because Hubert had gladly accepted it before.
Unlike at the bookstore, this time, the child offered the sandwich without hesitation.
A hint of confidence flickered in her eyes.
“Huh? What’s this?”
“!”
“…A sandwich? What the— Did you drop it on the way here? It looks a bit…”
“!!!!!!”
The child’s eyes widened in shock, her shoulders hunching up defensively.
Her small lips trembled, and her face quickly twisted into an expression on the verge of tears.
Hurriedly, someone patted the child’s head.
“The kid made it.”
“…Huh?”
“……”
Loren froze.
She glanced once at the flattened, lopsided sandwich.
Then, she saw the child’s face, desperately fighting back tears.
“Ah—!”
In an instant, Loren’s face turned pale.
The whites of her eyes grew more visible as she covered her mouth and bent over sharply.
“Aaaaah—! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”
“……!”
Loren poured out apologies, nearly bowing her head to the ground.
The child blinked in surprise, eyes round with shock.
Tears welled up, shimmering at the edges, ready to fall at any moment.
Seeing this, Loren practically dropped to her knees, clasping her hands together.
“I was an idiot. I didn’t realize you made it. Ugh, I’m the worst.”
“……”
“Ahaha, must be because it’s winter— my mouth’s frozen stiff. That happens, right?”
“Y-yeah!”
Her expression was as if she’d found a savior.
Loren nodded vigorously, desperately pleading.
“I really thought it looked delicious! The moment I saw it, I got so hungry that my words came out weird. That’s the truth!”
“That’s what she said.”
“……”
The child’s pupils wavered ever so slightly.
Catching that tiny tremor,
Someone gently took the sandwich from the child’s hand and offered it to Loren.
“Here, take it.”
“……!”
“Wow, this looks seriously delicious!”
Loren sprang up and eagerly grabbed the sandwich.
Without hesitation, she took a big bite.
Crunch.
The sound of lettuce being chewed echoed lightly.
Loren’s mouth moved thoughtfully for a moment before her eyes lit up.
“…Huh? Wait, is this actually good?”
“……!”
The child cautiously lifted her head.
The corners of her mouth began to curl upward.
“It’s really tasty! You’re not selling these, are you?”
“……!”
“If you did, I’d totally be a regular… What a shame.”
Loren winked playfully and gave a thumbs-up.
Finally, the child broke into a bright smile.
Relief washed over her expression,
Her eyes now sparkling, no longer brimming with tears but with joy.
“Thank goodness, right?”
“!”
The child nodded vigorously.
It was a relief.
Because the child’s face was now filled with a smile as warm as sunshine.
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