Goddess Kingmaker Chapter 19

『You think you’re any different, Belzer?』

 

『What are you talking about?』

 

『Forget it, just come here!』

 

—Tang tang

 

As I patted the spot beside the cradle, Belzer narrowed his eyes.

 

If he didn’t want to, he could just say no.

 

Only after I pouted my lips did he glance around and sit down on the cradle railing.

 

『I don’t know what trick you’re trying to pull this time, but I—hmph.』

 

『Here!』

 

Getting up with my well-practiced walking skills, I shoved a condensed milk jelly into Belzer’s beak.

 

‘Just try spitting it out!’

 

But I didn’t even need to threaten him.

 

『hmm.』

 

Because Roen’s special jelly melted gently in your mouth the moment it went in.

 

『It’s ridiculous that humans evolved this much.』

 

『Hey. Just admit it tastes good.』

 

『……』

 

Still, I found his awkward honesty cute, so I put another one in his mouth.

 

Watching Belzer, his pride clearly wounded yet still eating whatever I gave him, was surprisingly entertaining.

 

‘Now do you understand my sister’s heart?’

 

Grinning, I reveled in having made him my accomplice.

 

No more shame about performing all those little tricks in front of Roen just to get a piece of jelly.

 

Having shared all the jellies, we only snapped back to reality with the last one in our mouths.

 

『By the way, why are you even here? Isn’t there a war or something going on』

 

『War? Tch… If only. That would’ve made things easier.』

 

Since Belzer wasn’t opening his beak wide, he must’ve been savoring the jelly slowly.

 

Geez.

 

I grabbed one of his feathers and tugged playfully.

 

『So what, since there’s no war, you came here because you missed me?』

 

『Hah!』

 

‘Did I really say something so outrageous he had to swallow the jelly down in shock?’

 

Feeling a little embarrassed, I quickly took my hand away from his spread wings.

 

These days, whenever I see something soft and fluffy, I want to bury myself in it, and I almost get swept away.

 

“Ahem,” I cleared my throat, shaking off the awkwardness.

 

『Then what? Did you really come here to show off your wings?』

 

『Do I look like that?』

 

Whatever it was, his gaze suddenly turned serious.

 

I hesitated for a moment, feeling nervous as well, but it was no use.

 

Even if something happens, it’s hard for things to get any worse from here.

 

『Okay. I don’t have that much free time either.』

 

『Siren.』

 

『I might look pathetic to you, but I’m doing my best here.』

 

Well, for a 10-month-old baby anyway.

 

Eating well, sleeping well, and slowly mastering party tricks.

 

Whatever I could do in this body, I did without complaint.

 

Every day, Roen struggles to fill a basin with water, claiming it has “the power of water” or something.

 

Honestly, I didn’t try that hard with it, but that’s her ambition, not mine.

 

Expecting too much from a 10-month-old is a real mistake.

 

『Anyway, I’ve adapted pretty well, so don’t worry—』

 

『Arwen was looking for you.』

 

『What…?』

 

The sweetness that had filled my mouth suddenly vanished like the tide.

 

It wasn’t just a matter of losing my appetite.

 

『Why me?!』

 

『Wouldn’t you know better than I do?』

 

『……..』

 

『Siren. Don’t underestimate her.』

 

Even without Belzer dramatically flaring his wings, Arwen’s cunning needed no reminder.

 

She must’ve grown curious seeing I hadn’t shown up anywhere—probably thought I’d be drowning in despair.

 

The woman who has been pretending to be my best friend for hundreds of years will not be satisfied with simply setting me up for failure.

 

She’d definitely want to finish what she started—no matter what it takes.

 

Especially if she finds out I came here to flip the game.

 

『Tch!』

 

『Siren, what are you doing?』

 

Ignoring her concerns, I rose from my seat with newfound determination.

 

This was no time to pretend that I couldn’t walk.

 

Placing one foot over the cradle railing, I moved quicker than before.

 

『I’ll go first.』

 

“Oh my! Baby! What are you doing?”

 

“Aaang!”

 

I have to practice! I will practice!

 

It wasn’t the time to be lying down comfortably and eating jelly.

 

I puffed out my cheeks seriously and dipped both my hands in the water in the basin that Roen hadn’t put away yet.

 

But Roen became just as panicked as me.

 

“Ahh! Why is—why is there a bird here?!”

 

“Aaang!”

 

Leave him alone, sister. He’s my ex-boyfriend.

 

Without even looking, I chewed my jelly and kept my eyes on the water.

 

I still didn’t know what to do, but I had to try something.

 

“Eeekk!”

 

“Baby, stay still while I chase this bird away! I’ll give you jelly, just keep it in your mouth.”

 

“Aang!”

 

“Now, where did I put the jelly again? I saved so much of it…”

 

“……”

 

Over there, over there.

 

I lazily pointed at Belzer without looking back.

 

『Hey! You!』

 

Belzer flared his wings in disbelief, but in this house, the real threat wasn’t him—it was Roen.

 

“You vile little bird! How dare you approach my baby! Stop right there!”

 

“Aaang…”

 

Take it easy, will you?

 

Exchanging greetings that I didn’t mean, I swirled the water between my fingers.

 

Only after the falsely accused god of war fled through the window did Roen return to me, dusting off her hands.

 

“Phew, that was close. What kind of bird was that? I thought it might be a divine bird, but no—just a big, weird one!”

 

“Mmm.”

 

I had no clue what a divine bird was, but I was busy nodding my head.

 

“Though, now that I think about it, why would such a creature appear here?”

 

“Mmm.”

 

“Still, that bird’s all black—it looked so ominous! If you see it again, scream right away! I won’t let it near you again!”

 

“By the way… what are you doing?”

 

Took her long enough to ask.

 

After endlessly fussing over me, Roen finally noticed my hands submerged in the water.

 

“Baby, what are you trying to do?”

 

“Mmm.”

 

I don’t know either. I just do it.

 

Rub it, shake it, chant ‘Rise up, rise up.’

 

My face must’ve looked serious because Roen finally went quiet.

 

‘But seriously… what am I supposed to do?’

 

I didn’t expect to summon water like Grandpa, but if it could at least turn clean like Roen once said, that’d be great.

 

But nope. It was still just water.

 

“Mmm…..”

 

But now, this power is absolutely necessary, not just for Roen, but for me.

 

Whether it’s the Emperor or my father, or whoever it may be, I must establish myself as a member of the royal bloodline.

 

So that no one can threaten me again.

 

‘Please, don’t let this end before it even starts.’

 

‘Please, I beg you!’

 

I didn’t even know what to do.

 

I just stared hard into the water, pouring all my desperation into it.

 

The more I focused, the clearer the memory became.

 

I’d avoided thinking about it all this time—survival had to come first.

 

If I did that, I really felt like blood would boil up in my throat.

 

『I’m your friend. I’ll do anything for you, Siren.』

 

When I thought of Arwen laughing at my miserable appearance, the rage and heat surged all the way to my head.

 

“Baby, please don’t cry.”

 

“Mm?”

 

“You’re tearing up so much.”

 

“……”

 

‘I cried?’

 

I closed my eyes tightly, feeling unfamiliar with the tears that had fallen into the water without me knowing.

 

The tip of my nose, which had been flushed, felt tingly.

 

“Come here, baby.”

 

“Hnnng…..”

 

“It’s okay. It’s because you are still young.”

 

As expected, the water in the basin was unchanged. It did not increase or decrease, and did not even become transparent.

 

Maybe feeling bad for me, who was just blankly staring at the water, Roen blamed herself, saying that it was all her fault.

 

“I kept forcing you…. I’m so sorry.”

 

“Mmhm. Ayaya.”

 

“I even asked Young Master Lucas’s maid again just a moment ago. She said he didn’t show his purification powers until after he turned three. Before that, he could barely gather a bit of water in his palm.”

 

“Huh?”

 

‘Sis, why are you telling me this now!’

 

I still didn’t know who Lucas was, but I at least understood that even someone that impressive didn’t show powers until he was three.

 

When I, suddenly feeling like a crybaby, opened my lips to speak, Roen quickly realized that this wouldn’t work and hurriedly removed the basin from the room.

 

“Aaahhh!”

 

“Baby, I promise I won’t bring that back again. Okay?”

 

Roen came back with quick steps and hugged me in a flash.

 

“But right! This isn’t the time for this. A guest is coming, so I need to get you ready.”

 

“Eeeeeeeing!”

 

‘I don’t care!’

 

I wasn’t going to let my rare moment of determination go to waste, so for the first time, I rebelled against my sister.

 

“Aaang!”

 

‘I’m going to sleep! Let me sleep!’

 

“What’s the matter, baby? Do you know how important this guest is?”

 

“Aaaang!”

 

‘I don’t believe you! You’ve lost my trust!’

 

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