Tie swallowed in surprise.

"H-hic, Marr is telling the truth!"

She had been so absorbed in talking with Papa about the past that she completely forgot.

Raising her head, she saw a sphere slowly floating in the air.

It spun right above her, softly glowing with golden light.

[Just this morning it was critically low! But now the Harmonium is already this full! As expected of Master! Incredible magical power! It cannot be exhausted!]

Tie tilted her head and replied:

"Maybe it’s not that... maybe it’s just that the Harmonium is small?"

Of course, Marr had said at the very beginning.

That it would take about two weeks to fully fill the Harmonium.

"But the sphere is really tiny."

It takes less time to fill a glass of water than a bottle.

"You have to hold a bottle for a long time, but a glass fills up quickly!"

Finishing her reasoning, Tie spoke as if comforting him:

"You know, Marr. It’s okay. Even Marr can make mistakes in calculations. Maybe it was supposed to fill up quickly from the start?"

Marr’s eyes widened.

His wooden body twitched slightly, as if in indignation, and he suddenly snorted.

[Master!]

"Huh?"

[This Marbas is currently trapped in a pitiful shell! But once, I was a pillar of the Ibranis dynasty!]

"...Y-yeah."

[Ibranis is still called the most prosperous dynasty in the world for a reason! Do ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) you think that’s by chance?! All of it—because of me!]

"Yeah!"

[And after that—you say a miscalculation? An error?]

Marbas raised his head high.

And snorted again.

[I do not know how it may sound, but I am a being incapable of making mistakes! Because I am too perfect!]

Tie blinked.

And at that moment, a quiet chuckle finally escaped from Tesetan.

He ruffled the hair of the calmly sitting Tie and crossed his arms over his chest.

Marbas shook his head and continued:

[The Harmonium, though small in size, contains within it an extremely complex and delicate expanding barrier structure.]

"R-really?"

[Of course! Such precision is required to stably pass through spatial gates!]

Tie recalled what Marbas had said before.

And suddenly raised her hand.

"I remember!"

[And what exactly do you remember?]

"When the sphere fills up, Marr will take it and go back through a spatial passage!"

Marr let out an approving sound:

[Oh!]

[Exactly right. I will fill the Harmonium with Master’s magical power and return to Tallocium. Then Lord Lucarion will strengthen the passage.]

"..."

[Then the passage will become far more stable. Even a great mage like you will be able to pass through it without difficulty.]

"Mm."

[And then! We will open the passage from that side and call for you.]

"Mmm..."

[And you will simply walk through it back to Tallocium. I assure you, it will be far more comfortable and peaceful than you expect.]

Tie rolled her eyes.

"If I put it simply..."

Her gaze lifted to the sphere.

They said it would take two weeks.

But only two days had passed—and it was already almost half full.

"When it fills up, Tie will have to go back."

It felt strange.

She didn’t understand why it was filling so quickly.

Maybe because she had used a lot of power in Korea?

She had opened a subspace to trap the bad man who was hurting the aunt from Room 203.

"And I also pulled out a lot of gold coins..."

Thinking about the coins, she suddenly remembered last night.

The grandmother from Room 107, who had coldly sent her away.

Tie’s face fell.

Marbas immediately tilted his head.

And Tesetan, who had been leaning against the wall, quickly leaned forward.

Seeing the child’s puffed cheeks, he immediately pulled her into his arms.

"Why are you puffing your cheeks again?"

"Eee..."

Tie hugged him.

"...Yesterday, Grandma was mad at Tie."

Tesetan froze.

He also remembered yesterday.

He fell into thought.

"I remember thinking then that she was too cold toward a child."

Yesterday, he knew nothing.

But now that his memories had connected, he began to understand Chae Boksu a little.

He gently called:

"My daughter, look at Papa."

Tie lifted her big eyes.

Just moments ago, she had been laughing happily.

Now, sadness had already filled her green eyes.

"You know, right? Grandma is sick."

Her lips formed a small triangle.

Tie moved her fingers and nodded quietly.

"...Yes. Like the grandmas in the TV commercials."

With a cap.

Always coughing.

Smelling like medicine.

"And she’s really, really thin..."

On the first day, she had noticed the veins on her hands had become more visible.

That had not been her imagination.

Tie lowered her head.

Tesetan stroked her cheek.

"But they say she’s not very sick. Just a little."

Tie raised her head.

"Really...?"

"Yes. She just didn’t want to say it so you wouldn’t worry."

Tie’s heart began to beat faster.

If Grandma wasn’t very sick—

Then it wasn’t so bad even if she acted coldly toward her.

"Then Grandma will get better?"

"Mm."

Tesetan hesitated.

In truth, Chae Boksu’s illness was complicated even for the medicine of this world. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

She might recover.

Or she might not.

"But if my guess is correct."

Tesetan smiled gently.

"Yes. She will become healthy."

Tie’s eyes widened.

She jumped to her feet.

Taking a deep breath, she asked again:

"Really? Really really?"

"Yes."

He pulled her into his arms again.

Tie pulled away and puffed her cheeks.

"Papa! Tie is not joking right now!"

Tesetan covered his mouth and laughed softly.

He understood that the situation was serious.

But there was only one thought in his mind.

She is so cute.

So precious that he did not want to let her go for even a second.

And that surprised him.

"...She really is that important."

Before Tie came into his life,

he had never imagined he was capable of such feelings.

"In any case, what Papa wanted to say..."

He pulled the struggling Tie back into his arms again and covered her with kisses.

"Grandma didn’t say anything because she didn’t want you to worry. And."

"..."

"Maybe yesterday she was cold for the same reason?"

Tie peeked out from his embrace and frowned.

"The same reason? What does that mean?"

Tesetan tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Grandma doesn’t want to be a burden to you."

"A burden?"

"Yes. It means she doesn’t want to make things hard for you."

"That’s too hard..."

Tesetan took her hand.

"It’s okay that it’s hard. Would you like it if things were difficult for others because of you?"

Tie fell silent and shook her head.

"...No."

How could that be something to like?

And then she remembered something.

"Tie was also afraid of being a burden..."

In Korea—for Grandma, Papa, and Aunt.

In Tallocium—for Basto, Bale, and the others.

"Grandma is the same."

Papa said.

"She doesn’t want things to be hard for you because of her."

Tie tilted her head.