Chapter 21: Oh, Your Majesty!

After that, we alternated between the hot bath and the cold bath several times, reenacting the classic childhood game of “hot, hot—cold, cold!” It wasn’t for any particular reason; I just felt like doing it.

Maybe it’s some kind of instinct ingrained in kids? It was so much fun.

…Wait, haven’t I thought this before?

“The bathhouse was nicer than I expected…”

“Yeah, my skin feels cleaner, too.”

“Teacher, you were already clean to begin with.”

“Thanks. Harp, you look even prettier now.”

“…H-huh?! Th-thank you.”

When I gave her a light compliment, Harp’s face turned bright red in an instant.

It seemed she wasn’t used to receiving praise, even if she was good at giving it.

Poor Harp…

Had no one ever given her a simple compliment before?

Starting now, I’ll make sure to praise her as much as possible.

“You’re amazing, Harp.”

“W-what?!”

“Your skin glows so brightly, and your hair—it’s as beautiful as the night sky.”

“…Ah, ugh, stop teasing me…”

“I’m not teasing.”

Steam seemed to rise from the top of Harp’s head with a faint whoosh.

Of course, not literally, but that’s how flushed her face had become.

“Th-thank you, Teacher…”

“You’re welcome!”

Even though she tried to hide her face with her hands, I could still see the tips of her lips curving into a big smile through the gaps.

She might be embarrassed, but she’s clearly happy.

Good.

From now on, I’ll make sure to have a daily Harp-petting session.

It’s something she clearly needs, so no objections will be allowed.

“Ah, Teacher! Look over there!”

“Hm?”

“That!”

Still looking like a bright red tomato, Harp suddenly pointed excitedly at something she’d spotted.

“Oh, that? Do you want it?”

“Yes!”

She had, of course, discovered one of the staples of post-bath rituals: the milk corner.

Rows of familiar-looking milk bottles in all kinds of colors—chocolate, strawberry, banana, and more—lined the shelves.

As we approached the display, a slightly plump woman standing nearby greeted us with a warm smile.

“Oh, it’s rare to see kids here! So, what flavor do you want?”

“I-I’ll have strawberry, please!”

“I’ll take chocolate, thanks.”

“Got it. One strawberry and one chocolate coming right up.”

Harp chose strawberry, and I went with chocolate.

For a moment, I debated trying a different flavor, but come on, chocolate milk is the ultimate choice—it’s the rule.

A childish taste? Sure.

But what can I do?

It’s the best.

“Here you go!”

“Thank you!”

“Thanks so much!”

“My, such polite little ones. Wait a second… Aren’t you Eve?”

“Yes…? How do you know my name?”

“With how much buzz you’ve been causing in the village lately, it’d be strange not to know about you.”

I tilted my head in confusion.

“Me? Popular? …What did I even do?”

“As expected of you, Teacher! You’ve already become the superstar of the village.”

“Uh… Is that… a good thing?”

“Of course! It means everyone cares about you!”

“Oh, I see.”

Now it made sense why there were so many people gathered outside the orphanage last night.

At the time, I thought they were just concerned about me, but looking back, it seems like neither Mrs. Gordon nor this kind stranger are exceptions—everyone in the village seems to know who I am.

“Well… That’s nice.”

In other words, I’ve become a king.

Not the kind of king who rules over others, of course, so let’s tweak that a bit…

Yeah, let’s call it being a ‘Wong.’

“I am a Wong.”

“…A Wong?”

“Yeah! A Wong is what you call someone who’s super famous.”

“Oh, I see! Then Teacher is definitely a Wong!”

“That’s right!”

“All hail the Wong!”

Harp, with an exaggerated bow and grandiose reaction, made it seem like I was an actual monarch.

Watching her made me feel like I really was a king, and I couldn’t help but smile at how fun it all was.

“Fufu, our great Eve Wong… Your milk, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, right! Thank you!”

I’d gotten so caught up in the roleplay that I’d completely forgotten about the milk.

Hurriedly, I reached for the milk bottle on the floor.

Thankfully, it was still nice and cool.

“Harp, you should drink yours too.”

“Enjoy, Teacher!”

“…Oh, Harp, should we do a ‘cheers’ before drinking?”

“‘Cheers’? What’s that?”

“You don’t know? Here, like this—just tap the two bottles together…”

Clink!

“See? You make a sound like that before drinking. It makes the milk taste even better.”

“That’s amazing!”

“Wanna give it a try this time, Harp?”

“Yes!”

Clink!

“Wow, this is really fun!”

“Right? Okay, let’s drink now.”

“Okay!”

Time to try some fantasy milk!

Feeling a flutter of excitement, I grabbed the bottle and pulled off the cap.

A soft pop echoed as it opened.

A sweet and nutty aroma, unmistakably chocolate milk, wafted up faintly.

Gulp.

My mouth watered as I brought the bottle to my lips, unable to resist the temptation any longer.

Gulp, gulp.

“Ahhh, this is so good!”

“Yes, it’s absolutely delicious!”

It wasn’t just good—it was extraordinary. As expected of a fantasy world, even the milk here was special.

“Teacher, this milk is so bouncy!”

“It’s like pudding!”

“Oh, you noticed! This is a specialty from nearby Nunu Village, called slime milk,” the vendor explained.

“Whoa… That’s amazing.”

With a texture both chewy and rich, yet somehow smooth as it went down, the milk offered a unique and delightful experience.

This milk was so intriguing, with its fun texture and harmonious flavors, that I could imagine drinking it every day without ever getting tired of it.

How could such an incredible food exist?

That milk… It’s a specialty of Nunu Village, right?

Maybe I should visit it someday with Harp.

“Teacher, I…”

“Yeah, let’s get one more.”

“Gasp, Teacher, you’re the best!”

We ordered another bottle of slime milk.

Something this delicious shouldn’t be limited to just one bottle—it’d leave you wanting more.

So, we didn’t stop at just one refill.

No, not even two.

By the time we were done, we’d had slime milk three times.

Now, with our bellies full and satisfied, we sat on a bench in the locker room, trying to recover from our feast.

“Whew… That milk was so good,” Harp sighed contentedly.

“Yeah, way better than I expected,” I agreed.

My stomach felt so full that I figured I wouldn’t need lunch today.

“My belly’s all puffed up.”

“Same here.”

I glanced at Harp, who was gently patting her rounded stomach, mirroring my actions.

Her skin looked noticeably better—probably thanks to the slime bath.

Even the dark circles under her eyes seemed to have disappeared.

The slime bath might be even more amazing than I initially thought.

“Hey, Harp, can I ask you something?”

“Yes, of course, Teacher.”

As I looked at her thoughtfully, a small question came to mind.

“Are you okay with this?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Well, there are a lot of people here, and you’re not even wearing a robe. I just wondered if you were feeling alright about it.”

“Oh, that’s…”

Harp’s species is beastkin.

She’s endured so much discrimination that it’s left her shy and deeply wary of strangers.

Knowing that, it was natural to worry about how she might feel being in a bustling village—let alone in a bathhouse full of all kinds of people.

I couldn’t help but worry.

Was Harp hiding her pain and pushing herself too hard again?

Was I asking too much of her?

“…I’m okay.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Honestly, I was really scared at first. But I realized something when we first entered the village.”

“Realized?”

“Beastkin have sharp instincts, you know? We can usually sense whether someone harbors hostility toward us or not.”

“Oh, that’s impressive.”

“And in this village… I didn’t feel any of that. There wasn’t a single hint of hostility in the air, and none of the villagers’ gazes carried any hatred or disgust.”

Harp’s expression as she spoke was truly radiant, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

“But still, my heart’s ‘number one pick’ is you, Teacher, so don’t worry.”

“Geez, there you go, flattering me again.”

“No, really! I’ve never felt anything like the warmth and kindness in your gaze. It’s strange yet comforting, and it’s brighter than anything else I’ve ever known. I don’t think I’ll ever feel it from anyone else.”

…Have I really been looking at Harp like that?

Hmm.

I’m not sure. I can’t seem to recall.

“…Well, I like you too, Harp. I’ll keep protecting you, so just keep growing up strong and healthy, okay?”

“Th-thank you…”

Harp’s ears and tail fluttered as if she couldn’t contain her happiness.

Feeling embarrassed, I started swinging my legs back and forth quickly.

Since my legs were too short to reach the floor, watching my dangling feet gave me a strange, bittersweet feeling.

And then I noticed something else—Harp was sitting just fine, her feet firmly on the ground, while I’d been stuck like this the whole time.

For some reason, this sudden realization made me… a little annoyed.

“Hmm…”

“Teacher, why are you making that grumpy face?”

“It’s… nothing.”

“Uh… okay?”

No, this isn’t right. I’m older!

Something about this just feels fundamentally wrong.

“…Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?”

“Harp, you said you know a lot about magic, right?”

“Um… I guess so, yeah. But why do you ask?”

“Do you know any magic that can make someone taller?”

“Magic to… grow taller?”

“…Never mind. Forget it.”

Like something as silly as height-enhancing magic would exist.

“There’s no such magic, but…”

“I knew it.”

“…There’s something similar, though.”

“…What?”

What did she just say?