Dad Came Back from a Deserted Island Chapter 7

Gold coins.

The first thing that caught Vivian’s eye was the enormous pile of gold coins glittering in the morning sunlight.

Beside them was a fist-sized ruby scattering a brilliant glow, followed by an emerald said to contain the power of healing, a sapphire, and even diamonds that shone so brilliantly they were almost blinding.

Even through Vivian’s eyes, which knew nothing about the value of jewels, they were clearly extraordinary.

Jean picked up the largest gemstone among them and handed it to Vivian.

It was almost half the size of her face.

Seeing Vivian startled again at how heavy the gemstone was, Jean laughed and spoke with a proud, easygoing air.

“All of this belongs to Daddy—or rather, it belongs to us. Vivi, I can buy you as much chocolate as you want. So you don’t have to save it anymore.”

“Wowww, it’s so big, Daddy!”

“Right? It’s really big, isn’t it?”

“Yeah! It’s so pretty! Daddy, where did you get something like this?”

“I brought it from a deserted island~”

“What’s a deserted island?”

“A deserted island is an island where not a single person lives.”

When Vivian tilted her head in confusion, Jean pretended to cry and pulled her into his arms.

“Boo-hoo-hoo. Daddy was trapped there for two years, so he couldn’t come see our princess.”

Gasp.

Vivian’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“Really, really? There wasn’t a siiiingle person there?”

Vivian’s face quickly crumpled into a sad expression.

She had Ron, Mary, and Peter in the house, yet she had been so lonely.

Sometimes, she had even been so scared that she was afraid to enter her own room.

“Sniff…”

Vivian wrapped her arms tightly around her father’s neck.

Jean’s large hand gently patted her back. Even so, he didn’t stop exaggerating his hardships.

“Yeah. I almost forgot how to talk, too. There was nothing on the island except monkeys and birds.”

“What’s a monkey?”

It was a name she had never heard before.

There were dogs, cats, horses, and sheep in Vivian’s village, but there were no monkeys. In fact, they weren’t even common animals in the Empire.

“Hmm, a monkey is an animal that looks similar to a human. Sheep and puppies walk on four legs, right? Monkeys can use their hands like we do. And they cry like—”

“Eek-eek!”

“Eek-eek?”

This time, Jean’s mouth fell open.

“Huh? That’s right! Vivi, how did you know?”

“That egg cried like that!”

“An egg? Where’s an egg in there?”

“This one!”

Vivian climbed down from Jean’s arms with an “Unh!” and rummaged through the treasure chest before pulling out an unusually round black jewel.

It was almost as large as her torso.

“This isn’t an egg. It’s a round gemstone.”

“Oh, Daddy! Didn’t you hear me? It’s making such a loud noise, saying it wants to come out of here and telling me to let it out quickly!”

“Really? Daddy can’t hear anything. I guess it must be a fairy who only talks to little children!”

Remembering that Vivian had also claimed to have a fairy friend when she was four, Jean assumed that his daughter had simply made herself another imaginary friend.

“Is that so? A fairy? Are you a fairy?”

By now, Vivian had completely lost interest in the treasure chest and was talking to the black, round gemstone—egg—instead.

The sight was adorable, but at the same time—

Vivi, did you already forget that Daddy was trapped on a deserted island?

He couldn’t help having such a childish thought.

Jean let out a hollow laugh.

Good grief. It’s not like I’m going to whine to a child just because I want her to know how much I suffered.

He then began gathering up the gemstones Vivian had scattered around the chest and putting them back in place.

“[What kind of fairy nonsense is that? I’m far more noble than some fairy!]”

“Then what are you?”

“[I-I am! This body is…! Ngh! I told you to get me out of here first!]”

If Jean had known that the thing Vivian was holding really was an egg, and that something inside it had actually been talking to her, he wouldn’t have brushed it off so easily.

Unfortunately, only Vivian could hear the egg’s voice.

“How am I supposed to get you out?”

“[Give me your power!]”

“Cheer up!”

Vivian clenched her little fist and encouraged it, but the response wasn’t particularly enthusiastic.

“[Ngh! You foolish human! Not that kind of power!]”

Something inside the egg flew into a rage.

It must be a fairy with a really bad personality.

Vivian hugged the egg and suddenly jumped to her feet.

Her concern for her father, who had supposedly been trapped alone on a deserted island, had long since been pushed far into the back of her mind.

It couldn’t be helped.

An egg that could talk?

Was there even a single child who wouldn’t be fascinated by that?

At least, Vivian certainly wasn’t one of them.

 

***

 

“What’s your name?”

“[I don’t have one.]”

“You don’t have a name? Why?”

“[Because nobody ever gave me one.]”

“Why?”

“[Because I was on a deserted is—Argh! That stupid ‘why, why’! Stop asking so many questions!]”

“You have a personality just like Peter.”

“[You just insulted me, didn’t you?]”

The egg was surprisingly quick to catch on.

Vivian rolled her eyes slightly and flopped down onto the bed with the egg in her arms.

She thought it would take her a little more time to get used to such a soft bed.

“Why can’t Daddy hear your voice? Daddy doesn’t believe me.”

Vivian had realized long ago that Jean was only playing along with her.

She simply didn’t want to argue with her father over why he didn’t believe her after finally seeing him again, so she had kept quiet.

The egg answered indifferently.

“[Your father doesn’t have any power. Did you think just anyone could hear my voice?]”

“Then do I have power?”

“[Yes. It’s strange. You’re definitely an ordinary human, so why do you have this kind of power? …Anyway. You have enough power to awaken me, so you have to wake me up! Being trapped inside this egg is incredibly frustrating.]”

“Mm. I guess it would be. It must feel stuffy in there. But I don’t know how to do it.”

As the egg’s voice became pitiful, Vivian’s eyebrows immediately drooped.

Once it realized that Vivian seemed willing to grant its request, its voice quickly became sly.

“[You just need to share some of your power with me. I know how to do it, so don’t worry. You just have to keep holding me. I can receive power simply by staying near you.]”

“Really? That’s all I have to do? That’s easy! Okay. I’ll help you.”

“[Really? No backing out! Ah, finally! I’m going to escape this boring egg at last! Very well, little human. If you really get me out, I’ll specially grant you some of my abilities. I swear.]”

“Abilities? What kind of ability?”

“[The ability to communicate with animals.]”

“What’s ‘communicate’?”

“[Stupid human.]”

“I’m not stupid! I just… I just haven’t learned it yet!”

“[Yes. You poor, undereducated human. ‘Communicate’ means that, just like you and I are talking to each other, you’ll be able to understand what animals are saying. Of course, they’ll be able to understand you, too.]”

“Oh. I see.”

The lukewarm response actually left the egg flustered.

“[What? Why are you reacting like that?! Do you have any idea how incredible this ability is?!]”

“Is it really that amazing to know what kind of grass a sheep wants to eat?”

For Vivian, who had grown up in a simple rural village, the ability to communicate with animals was only useful to that extent.

The egg, which had been boasting to its heart’s content, deflated instantly.

“[What am I even supposed to say to you…? Fine. Fine! I was going to give you another ability, but I guess you don’t need it.]”

Vivian shook her head.

“No! I need it. It’s better to take whatever you can get.”

“[Where did such an underdeveloped human learn something like that?]”

“Because… if I didn’t accept something someone gave me, they’d take away what I already had.”

“[…] What kind of life have you been living? You’re only a little human. Fine. Then I’ll give you the ability to help plants grow well, too.”

“Wow! Then whenever I’m hungry, I can grow beans or carrots and eat them, no matter where I am? That’s amazing!”

“[Beans… carrots…]”

Vivian happily bounced around on the bed, but the egg seemed completely dumbfounded.

Still, when Vivian happily pressed her lips against the egg’s surface, leaving a little kiss, and hugged it again, it didn’t seem to matter.

“Okay! I understand. I’ll give you a big, big hug until you wake up!”

“[H-Hmph. It’ll be heavy for you to carry around, so let’s see how long you can keep that up!]”