Kalz’s tail wagged with unrestrained excitement. Oh? So he liked strawberry cake? That was an unexpected revelation. Noted—but it didn’t change anything.
“Wrong! That’s not a proper meal. Try again.”
“Tch. You said I could pick anything.”
Kalz hugged a pillow and stuck out his muzzle in a sulky pout. It was the kind of cuteness that made you want to give him whatever he wanted, but baking a cake? That was beyond me.
“How about a sandwich instead?”
“Okay. Just hurry back, and you better behave while I’m gone, young master.”
Fortunately, there were still some leftover sandwiches in the kitchen. I brought them along with a glass of milk. Kalz took one and began nibbling eagerly, his small mouth working busily as he devoured it. I reached over and wiped away the milk that had clung to the fur around his muzzle.
“Is it good?”
“Mm-hmm! Super yummy! Did you make this, Briel?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Huh. You’re really good at cooking.”
“Thank you. But… why are your ears turning red all of a sudden?”
“It’s nothing!”
He shook his head violently. Was he embarrassed about giving compliments? This was the same kid who casually called people pretty. I’d never understand how his mind worked.
“All done? Then what do you want to do now?”
“Read me a book.”
“A book? Sure! What kind do you want to hear?”
“Hmm… your favorite!”
My favorite? As if I could read a murder mystery to a child. Not that Kalz’s library had anything suitable for kids anyway.
“How about I tell you a story I know instead?”
“Okay!”
“Then let’s begin. Once upon a time, in a faraway village, there was a boy named Jack…”
Kalz listened with wide, gleaming eyes, completely immersed in the classic fairy tale from another world.
“…And so, Jack brought down treasures from the sky, became rich, and lived happily ever after. The end.”
“Wait, that’s it? Again! Tell me another one!”
“Another? Alright… Once upon a time, there was a girl who wore a red hood…”
He kept asking for more, and I ended up pulling out every fairy tale I could remember. Toward the end, I was practically making them up on the spot because I couldn’t recall the details, but the endings were always the same.
“…And Snow White and the prince lived happily ever after. Now it’s really the end. My throat’s sore—I need a break.”
I lay down on the bed before he could hit me with another “Again!” Luckily, he didn’t push it. Instead, he flopped beside me, resting his head on my arm as he looked up at me.
“Briel, I’ve got a question.”
“What is it?”
“Why do all your stories end with ‘happily ever after’?”
“Because that’s how fairy tales go.”
“But how do you live happily ever after?”
“Well… if it’s a love story, maybe the couple gets married and spends their whole lives cherishing each other without ever changing.”
“If you get married, you can live together forever?”
“Usually, yeah.”
“Oh…”
Kalz muttered like something had just clicked in his head. Then, with a small roll, the baby lion climbed onto my stomach and shyly said,
“Then I want to marry you, Briel.”
“……!”
Could this be one of those “When I grow up, I’m gonna marry Daddy!” moments I’d only ever heard about? It was so cute I nearly burst out laughing, but I held it back. I didn’t want to accidentally hurt his little heart.
“Why me?”
“Because I like you.”
“But we just met today. Isn’t it a little early for that?”
“But Briel, you’re good at cooking, you know tons of fun stories, and… you’re the prettiest person I’ve ever seen.”
Well, at least now I knew Kalz had excellent taste—as a child, anyway. Hopefully, that’s something he’s managed to keep.
“Hey, Briel… you’re going to marry me, right?”
With his cheek pressed to my chest and a pleading look on his face, it was hard to say no. But something this important shouldn’t be answered lightly. Not to mention, teasing him was just too tempting to resist.
“Hmm… I don’t know.”
I made a show of acting unsure. Kalz bolted upright in shock.
“Why not? Do you not like me?”
“It’s not that. But wouldn’t it be a little awkward to marry someone you can’t even talk casually with?”
“Then I’ll talk casually from now on!”
“Really? In that case, maybe I will too.”
Perfect. I’d just scored official permission to drop honorifics.
“Yeah! And don’t call me ‘young master’ anymore. Just call me Ian.”
“Ian? Not Kalz?”
“But all the grown-ups who talk casually with me call me Ian.”
“Is that so?”
So his nickname when he was little was Ian, huh? That name stirred up memories—of someone else I knew. Someone who might still be wandering this mansion alone, in silence. The thought made my chest tighten a little, and Kalz must’ve sensed it, because his brows furrowed in concern.
“Briel, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”
“No, I just… remembered something sad.”
“Then I’ll cast a spell to make the sadness go away!”
He pressed his tiny paw against my chest and shouted with all the power his little lungs could muster:
“Sadness, go away—far, far away!”
“Pfft, your whiskers tickle.”
“Begone, sadness! Shoo, shoo!”
“Oh wow. It really worked. All my sadness is gone.”
I widened my eyes in mock amazement. Kalz puffed out his chest with pride.
“See? That’s all me!”
“Yeah. Thanks, Kalz—no, I mean, Ian.”
“Then will you marry me now?”
“Hmm… should I?”
“Still? Why not…? Is it because I’m a lion?”
I hesitated again, just to tease him, but Kalz’s big golden eyes were already getting misty. He looked like he might cry at any second. Okay, fun’s over. Can’t let him cry.
I smiled warmly.
“Alright. Let’s get married.”
“Really?!”
“Really. But not now. When you’re older, and if you still feel the same way, then we’ll get married.”
“Okay! I’m never gonna change. And you can’t take it back either, Briel. Promise!”
“Never gonna change,” huh? Just wait two hours—you’ll be running around shouting that it’s gross. But I didn’t have the heart to burst his bubble. I brought my pinky to his soft little paw and smiled.
“Promise.”
“Hehe.”
“Is marriage really that great?”
“Uh-huh. But even more than that… I like it when you smile. You’re even prettier when you’re smiling, Briel.”
“…Huh? I—uh, thanks.”
Seriously, where does a preschooler learn lines like that? I was honestly taken aback. Just like the other Ian… Little Ian was a natural-born flirt. Hard to believe that the boy who once shone so brightly turned into… well, that. Maybe a hundred years really does change people.
After that, Kalz rolled around the bed, peppering me with endless questions about our hypothetical married life.
“Then what color should our curtains be? White? Navy?”
“I like green, but honestly, I’m good with anything.”
“Let’s go with green! What about our honeymoon spot?”
On and on he went with his wedding plans. I answered every question dutifully until, before I knew it, the moment of parting had crept up on us.
“Then… what flowers should we plant in the garden…”
“Ian, you’re sleepy, aren’t you? It’s okay, you can sleep now.”
“I’m not sleepy…”
But despite his words, his eyes had already closed. I leaned in and gently pressed a kiss to the forehead of the softly breathing baby lion.
“Goodnight, Ian. It was nice meeting you.”
