Chapter 854

“It’s delicious!”

Sia grabbed her fork with a tiny fist and devoured the pasta, licking the sauce from her lips so cleanly it made everyone else’s appetite stir.

“Mmm…”

Raon looked at Sia, who was gulping down pasta, then glanced at Sylvia and Edgar.

“What happened here?”

He had expected it would take a long time to get close to Sia, but somehow he’d been pulled by her hand to sit at the table together. He couldn’t understand what had happened in just one day.

“We kept talking about you all day yesterday so she’d get close to you as soon as possible.”

Sylvia gently wiped the pasta sauce from Sia’s lips with a small smile.

“She was so happy to have a younger sibling, she stormed straight into your room. Good thing you weren’t there.”

Edgar sighed, saying it was a struggle getting the excited Sia to sleep.

“Ah…”

Raon let out a hollow laugh as he looked at the tired Sylvia and Edgar.

It seemed that as soon as Sia heard she had a younger sibling, she’d wanted to meet right away.

“But she believes I’m really her younger brother?”

Even if she accepted that a sibling suddenly appeared, it was strange that a twenty-something adult could show up claiming to be her younger brother and she’d believe it without hesitation.

“From Sia’s perspective, her body suddenly got bigger too. We explained that a lot of time had passed while she was sleeping.”

Sylvia nodded, saying it wasn’t a complete lie, so it was the only way to explain it.

“I see.”

Raon let out a soft breath as he looked back at Sia.

‘Maybe because she’s still a child, she has no preconceptions.’

With her mind still that of a young child, Sia seemed to believe everything Sylvia and Edgar told her without doubt.

“Then from now on, I’ll—”

“Stop!”

Sia put down her fork and raised both hands.

“You’re not supposed to talk so much while eating!”

She shook her head, saying you should only speak after swallowing all your food.

“That’s what Mom taught me!”

“Ah…”

Sylvia bit her trembling lips as she looked at Sia.

“That’s what I told her… before she left.”

Moved, her eyes grew red.

“No crying while we eat!”

Sia waved her hand lightly, telling Sylvia to eat instead of crying.

“That’s right. If Mom taught you, you have to keep the rule.”

Edgar nodded and wiped the moisture from Sylvia’s eyes.

“Sorry.”

Raon brought his hands together and apologized for talking too much.

“No! You have to call me ‘big sister!’”

Sia said she liked being called big sister and insisted Raon add it to everything he said.

“Alright, big sister.”

Raon smiled and called her “big sister” as she wanted.

‘It’s amazing.’

When she wore her helmet, Sia’s red eyes were so chilling they sent shivers down his spine, but now they were as gentle as lambs, full only of curiosity and affection.

“What do you like, Raon?”

After swallowing a twirl of pasta, Sia tilted her head.

“I…”

-Meat! Tell her you like meat!

Wrath yelled out his own preference.

“I’m not picky, but I like stew the most.”

Raon ignored Wrath and said stew. Maybe because he’d only had cold food in his past life, he’d always craved warm, soupy dishes.

“Then eat this!”

Sia pushed the untouched bowl of stew that Sylvia had served toward Raon.

“What about you, big sister?”

“Big sisters always yield to their younger siblings!” (T/N: Ughhhh, so cuteeeee!)

She smiled brightly, waving her sauce-stained hand.

“Mom told me! Now that I’m a big sister, I have to yield.”

Sia looked at Sylvia and nodded.

“That, too…”

Sylvia gripped her trembling hands and let out a low moan.

“That’s something I told her—when I was pregnant with you.”

Unable to hold back any longer, she rushed to Sia and hugged her tight, not caring that her white clothes were getting food on them, as if she’d never let go again.

“Mom?”

Sia blinked, as if confused by Sylvia’s sudden embrace.

“Hey, no fair hugging without me!”

Edgar couldn’t take it anymore, stood up, and hugged both Sia and Sylvia at once.

“Hey! You’re not supposed to get up while eating!”

Sia frowned, scolding them for breaking table manners, but didn’t push them away.

“Raon too!”

Sia waved for Raon to come over as well.

“Huh? Me?”

Raon blinked, pointing to himself.

“Come on, Raon.”

Sylvia, still sniffling, reached out her hand.

“She’s right! It’s not every day the whole family gets to hug together. Who knows if we’ll get the chance again? If Sia says later not to mix my laundry with Dad’s, I’ll just die!”

Edgar beckoned him over, saying there might not be another chance to hug Sia.

“No, I’m fine…”

Raon tried to refuse with an awkward laugh, but—

“Raon, come here!”

Sia pouted, her eyes welling up as if she might cry.

-Are you going to make her cry? Are you going to make your big sister, who accepts a weirdo like you as her little brother, cry?

Wrath wagged his tail in the air, sounding delighted.

“Raon…”

Sia, Sylvia, and Edgar all looked at him with puppy-like eyes, as if waiting for him to come over.

“Young master?”

“Young master, aren’t you going?”

Helen and Judiel also clasped their hands, as if urging him to go to Sia.

“Ugh…”

Raon drooped his shoulders, then slipped between Sylvia and Edgar to hug Sia.

“Alright! I’ll let it go just for today!”

Sia declared she’d let the breach of table manners slide and patted her own head. Even though it was the second time, for some reason, it didn’t feel bad at all.

-Puheheheheh!

Wrath burst out laughing, flying wildly as if he knew this would happen.

Raon frowned at Wrath.

‘Just think of it as you already finished all the ice cream….’

—

After what was probably the most exhausting breakfast he’d ever had, Raon headed to the guest room where Merlin was.

‘Her breathing’s stable.’

Yesterday, with all her mana gone, her breathing had been uneven, but now it was calm. It seemed her mana was recovering naturally and her condition was improving.

However, she still hadn’t woken up, likely because her physical strength was still depleted.

-She must have really pushed herself. Normally, she’d have woken up the moment you walked in.

‘That’s true.’

Raon gave a small nod. He was worried about Merlin, but what he’d felt yesterday was only intuition, and Federick had said she was fine. For now, all he could do was wait for her to wake up.

“Mmm…”

Just as Raon was about to leave the room, a faint voice came from behind. Turning back, he saw Merlin slowly opening her eyes.

“Raon? Is this a dream?”

Merlin blinked, as if unsure if she was dreaming as soon as she woke up.

“Are you conscious? How’s your body?”

Raon walked back to the bed and looked at Merlin.

“Ah! It’s real!”

Merlin’s eyes widened as she pulled the blanket over her face.

“Merlin?”

“Go away!”

For almost the first time ever, she told him to leave.

-What’s going on? Why’s that crazy woman acting like this?

Wrath’s eyes went wide in confusion.

“How can I show my just-woke-up face!”

Merlin kicked under the blanket, saying he shouldn’t have come now.

“But you’re wearing your mask…”

“That is my face!”

She insisted the mask was her face and told him to move farther away.

“Oh…”

Raon scratched the back of his head and let out a hollow laugh.

“Anyway, you’re okay, right?”

“Huh? Are you worried about me?”

Merlin peeked out from the blanket just enough to show the wrinkled forehead of her mask, grinning. Raon couldn’t tell what exactly she considered her face, or why she was embarrassed.

“…You collapsed suddenly. Of course I was worried.”

“No need to worry. I’m perfectly fine.”

She pulled a fist out from the blanket, saying she was fine. She seemed okay, but she was the type to never care about her own body, so Raon couldn’t fully trust it.

“It’s embarrassing to show my bare face, but it feels good to be worried about.”

Merlin said she was happy as she squirmed under the covers.

“Merlin.”

Raon put his hands together and bowed his head.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, my mother and father were able to smile for the first time in a long while.”

“No need to thank me. We’re not strangers.”

“Huh? Uh…”

Sometimes when she joked like that, Raon got chills and was left speechless.

-Was that a joke?

Wrath shook his head, unconvinced.

“And really, don’t worry about my body. It’s just fatigue and mana depletion.”

Merlin stretched her arms high.

“Ah, I should sleep a little more. I’m still tired.”

She said she’d greet Sia later, so please introduce her well, and waved her hand.

“Alright. Rest up.”

After watching her hand, Raon left the guest room. He asked Judiel to look after her, then went out to the yard.

As he was about to do some light stretches, he felt a gaze from behind. Sia was peeking at him from behind the door.

‘It’s like I have a cat.’

Sia probably thought she was hiding, but she was so tall for a grown woman that she was in plain sight.

Phew.

Raon let out a small sigh and began practicing basic sword forms without any aura. But since he was now a transcendent, mana in the air followed naturally, and a blue glow flickered like constellations.

“Wow!”

Sia immediately forgot she was hiding and darted out, grabbing a branch stacked by the firewood.

“I know how to do that! Dad taught me!”

Just as Raon tried to stop her, Sia beamed and swung the branch.

Kuwaaaaaa!

At her gesture, a surge of aura erupted from her dantian, splitting the ground and cutting the lake in half.

“Whoa!”

Raon darted forward using Supreme Harmony Steps, blocking the sword strike Sia sent out. If he hadn’t, it would have reached the foot of Mount Bukmang behind them.

‘I forgot.’

Goosebumps rose on his skin. He had completely forgotten, but Sia still possessed the body and aura of a Grandmaster.

‘How am I supposed to handle this…’

It was as if a child was wielding a sword that could kill anyone—he had to think about how to control it.

“Hey, big sister.”

As Raon approached, Sia frowned.

“Hm? It’s not coming out…”

Sia said her aura wasn’t coming out, tilting her head in confusion.

“Huh?”

Raon extended his senses to examine Sia’s body. As she said, her dantian was locked tight, and her aura wasn’t moving.

‘What’s going on?’

He blinked, not knowing the reason, when Sia waved her hand.

“Why isn’t it working!”

She frowned, looking up at the sky.

“Big sister?”

Raon called her, furrowing his brow.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Hm? Can’t you see Rabera? Rabera knows you.”

Sia blinked her big eyes, as if surprised Raon didn’t know.

“Rabera?”

Raon repeated the name and let out a breath.

-The girl from the soul stone!

Wrath clapped his hands loudly.

‘Right.’

The soul that had been inside the soul stone, a girl who had died with deep resentment. The soul that had once been filled with malice, but whose curse was lifted just by playing with her, who finally told her name—Rabera.

‘Did they really meet?’

He had hoped that Rabera would become Sia’s friend after being purified. Now it seemed that wish had come true, and a deep joy and relief welled up in his chest.

“Rabera said Raon is a really good person! That you play with her!”

Sia smiled, saying that was why she’d been able to approach him right away.

“But now Rabera is getting in the way.”

She scrunched her nose, looking dissatisfied.

Judging by the situation, it seemed Rabera was suppressing Sia’s aura.

“Big sister.”

Raon met Sia’s eyes and nodded.

“You can’t use that sparkling power carelessly.”

“Why not?”

“Someone could get hurt. From now on, I’ll help you practice often, but you have to promise to only use it when I’m around, okay?”

He held out his pinky finger, asking for a promise.

“Okay, I promise!”

Sia quickly hooked her pinky with his, as if eager to play together.

“But… will you play with me every day?”

“Alright.”

“Then let’s start right now! Raon, you’re it!”

She immediately ran off, declaring a game of hide-and-seek. Her ability to change the subject was almost unbelievable—she really was a child.

“One, two, three…”

Without a chance to refuse, Raon turned around and started counting to fulfill his duty as seeker. After counting aloud to sixty, he turned back.

He suppressed his senses to play along for real, but Sia was clearly visible hiding right behind a tree.

‘What do I do with this…’

Sia looked convinced she was hidden, cheeks flushed and grinning, but her body was far too big to actually be concealed.

-Kkkuuuup…

Wrath snorted, barely holding back laughter.

“Hmm, where could she be?”

Raon forced himself to look away and started searching for Sia, who was in plain sight.

“Pfft!”

“Heh…”

Even the maids watching from the side couldn’t help but laugh.

-Heheheheheh!

Wrath cackled, as if paying Raon back for every hardship he’d ever faced.

‘You’re getting only hard bread for dinner tonight….’

(T/N: Damn, so cuteee.)

—

The next day.

Raon headed for the main house’s training hall, summoned by Glenn.

“You’re here quickly.”

Glenn nodded as if pleased.

“Greetings, Family Head.”

“This isn’t an official matter, so there’s no need for a formal greeting.”

He waved Raon over, signaling for him to come closer.

“What is Sia doing?”

Glenn glanced sideways.

“She fell asleep after having a snack.”

Raon smiled faintly, saying he’d left her sleeping.

“She really is just like a child.”

“Yes. It’s as if she’s returned to that age.”

“That’s good.”

Glenn looked up at the air and nodded.

“Five is the cutest age. I’d regret it if I missed seeing my granddaughter at that stage.”

He smiled softly, saying it would be a shame to miss such moments.

“That’s true.”

Raon’s brows softened a bit. Even though Sia’s body was that of an adult woman, her actions were so innocent and childlike that just watching her made him smile.

“My mother and I talked about you, so you can visit soon. She’s so cheerful you’ll get close in no time.”

“Really?”

Glenn’s eyes widened with anticipation.

“Yes. She’s the complete opposite of me.”

Raon nodded, assuring him it was true.

“Ahem. Then I’d better go tomorrow.”

Glenn smiled in genuine anticipation, the corners of his lips trembling.

“So, why did you call me here today?”

Raon blinked, glancing around the training hall. Since their spar had been postponed, he wasn’t sure why Glenn had summoned him now.

“There’s something I want to show you.”

No sooner had Glenn said it than the doors to the training hall opened and Karoon entered. He had the air of a commander facing a battlefield.

“I’ll be sparring with him today.”

With a subtle smile, Glenn nodded his chin.

“Let’s see how far you can keep up.”

(T/N: Finally a wholesome chapter. Sia is sooo cute..)