101. ‘Adult’ Titania
[Episode 101] – ‘Adult’ Titania
“Ugh… it’s cold…”
I woke up to the winter breeze blowing in through the crack in the window. I blinked away my sleepy eyes and pulled the blanket up to my chin. Even though it has been almost ten years since I came here, the winter here was difficult to endure.
Even if I lit a stove in the room or covered myself with several layers of blankets, it wasn’t enough to block the cold here. Really, every time this happened, I couldn’t stand it because I missed modern things like boilers and electric blankets.
As I covered my mouth and yawned loudly, I felt something stirring under the blanket. When I slowly lifted the blanket and looked inside the blanket, I saw Titania sleeping peacefully in my arms.
‘I’m not even a child anymore…’
When I saw Titania, who was already grown, sleeping in my arms like a child, I sighed involuntarily. Titania, now fifteen years old, could no longer be called a ‘little girl’.
Isn’t it said that children grow incredibly quickly?
Titania had not looked like a child until the year before last, but as soon as she grew up, she ate well and slept well, gaining weight and growing to a height similar to mine.
When did small fingers become so long? My fingers, which were chubby and cute like a child’s, became long and thin, and now I felt like they were the hands of an adult.
Her face still had a youthful look, so in some ways she still looked like a young girl, and in other ways she looked like a mature woman. What you are showing me is the innocent face of a child…
Not only did she become an adult, but Titania was now an ‘adult’ recognized by the kingdom. Two days ago, Titania successfully held the ‘Debutante Ball’ hosted by the castle.
In other words, Titania has finally graduated from the children’s social world, and she has made her debut in the real social world. It was ironic that she was celebrating her debut in such a shady social world…
As the kingdom has a culture that does not recognize her as an adult unless she participates in the Debutante Ball, Titania was recognized as a ‘saint’ by all of the kingdom’s nobles by participating in the Debutante Ball.
I wanted Titania to act like an adult now that she has become an adult recognized by the country, but she still acted like a child in front of me. It’s not that I don’t like it, but…
‘…Okay, there are only a few months left anyway…’
Now that the debutante ball was over, I wanted to scold him and tell him to act like an adult, but the fact that he would no longer be able to see Titania once she entered the academy made it impossible to do this or that.
Titania also used that fact as an excuse to scold me, pouting her lips and pouting, saying, ‘I only have a few months left…’ If that happens, I have no choice but to turn a blind eye to Titania’s actions.
It was literally a vicious cycle. I shouldn’t be like this, I need to be a little distant, but I thought I wouldn’t be able to meet Titania anytime soon even if I promised myself that, so I had no choice but to turn a blind eye to Titania’s cuteness.
‘Ugh… what’s the use of thinking about it now?’
I pushed Titania, who was sleeping in my arms, rolled her up in a blanket and made her into kimbap, then got up from the bed and wrapped the blanket on the chair around her.
When I wondered why it was so cold, it was because the embers in the fireplace on one wall of the room had started to go out. It may have been snowing recently, so the room became humid, so I had to check the lights frequently.
I threw some firewood into the fireplace and poked the inside of the fireplace with a poker, and embers popped out and I felt a warm warmth spreading throughout the room.
As I lit the embers and sat near the fireplace, listening to the crackling sound of sparks on the firewood and staring blankly at the embers, random thoughts kept rising like smoke.
What should I do if Titania goes to the academy? I need to get ready to leave the castle soon. Should I ask the Queen Mother to open a store with the money she is giving me? But what should I sell?
‘…I guess the building owner is the best here too. Should we ask for a few good commercial buildings rather than just money? If you live off of that, you won’t starve to death for the rest of your life.’
I was lost in thought while looking at the embers on the firewood, but those thoughts did not last long. Because I don’t know when Titania came near me, she suddenly played a mean prank on me.
“Mother, what are you thinking?”
“Huh…!”
When an ice-cold palm came through my pajamas and rubbed my back, my back jumped unconsciously. My heart felt frozen and I couldn’t even scream properly.
I told her not to do it and twisted her body as hard as she could, but Titania smiled sinisterly and now put both her hands in and started stroking her back and her waist, warming her hands with my body heat. .
“Ah, stay warm. “I always think about it, does your mother have a high body temperature?”
“Hey! You…! “Why don’t you take it out right now?!”
Despite my warnings, Titania didn’t care at all and only after she had completely thawed her cold hands did she remove her hands from her clothes. Then, as if nothing had happened, she sat down next to me and leaned her head against me, so I couldn’t help but hate her like this.
I, who had woken up Titania completely due to her vicious prank, sighed and turned her head to look at Titania, who was resting her head on my shoulder. Even with her pranks, pranks like this…!
I gave her a really disgusting look, but Titania didn’t move and just shrugged her shoulders. She then smiled and asked me.
“So, what were you thinking that you didn’t even know I was approaching?”
“…I think you are still a child.”
When I answered that way, Titania’s lips pouted, as if she didn’t like my attitude of treating her like a child even after the debutante ball.
These days, he says he is an adult now and wants me to treat him as an adult, but what do you do when you grow up? The things he does are still childish and cute.
I sighed and rummaged through the fireplace again with the poker next to it.
“If you really want to be treated like an adult, you’d better stop sleeping with me first. Adults don’t sleep with their parents. Besides, they don’t play games like putting a cold hand on their parents’ backs.”
When I turned my head to look at Titania, my plump lips protruded even more. The innocent appearance of puffing out both cheeks and sticking out the lips was still the face of a child.
I pinched Titania’s pouting lips and burst into laughter.
“And adults don’t stick out their lips like a duck just because they’re upset.”
*
“You said…?! Isn’t that too much?! Now I’m taking my debutante too! I turned fifteen! I’m now old enough to get married in my country?! How long are you going to treat me like a child?!”
“…Would you stop talking about Vivian in front of me? “How many times haven’t I told you that I’m not interested in your relationship?”
“But you know that I have no one to talk to about this other than you. For some reason, I think Ainsel will tell his mother. “I’m sure if it’s a secret, she’ll keep it, but if my mother forces me to go out, she’ll definitely tell everything.”
“That’s right.”
Veronica rested her chin and made a sad expression and sighed as if she was dumbfounded. Every time I met her these days, she was Vivian, Vivian, Vivian, a listener, and I was sick to death.
“Now, I am the same height as my mother! As an adult, I know everything now! “My mother will always treat me like a child!”
Titania’s worry these days was Vivian’s attitude of always treating her like a child. Now that I’ve had my debutante, I understand that I want to be treated as an adult, but I thought I might be too nervous.
Titania is no longer fifteen, but only fifteen. Veronica sighed, quenched her burning throat with tea, and advised Titania.
“From what I heard, the problem is that you haven’t graduated from Vivian yet. How about taking this opportunity to use a separate room? “No child will ever share a room with their parents until they reach your age.”
“Well, that’s true, but… I have to go to the academy soon anyway…”
“You know that’s the excuse I’ve been using since last year, right? You’re using the Academy as an excuse to do anything. I’m so sick of it now. Surely Vivian would do the same?”
“Ugh…”
If Titania becomes speechless like this, the conversation ends. Veronica knew that Titania had no intention of correcting her even if she tried so hard to advise her, so she didn’t say anything more.
Titania, who was looking at the teacup with a gloomy expression, looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment. I guess that’s why Vivian still treats me like a child…
“Anyway, enough of this story… You know it’s ‘that day’, right?”
When she heard the word ‘that day’, Titania’s eyes opened brightly. Her gloomy expression just now disappeared, and she looked at Veronica, nodding her head with an expectant expression.
“Are you really going to listen?”
“I made a promise, so I have to listen to it.”
Veronica chuckled, and she motioned for Titania to get up from her seat. Then she stood up and approached Titania so close that her nose was touching. Then she compared Titania’s height with her own height.
Veronica was still slightly taller, but the difference was very subtle. Because both of her hairs were long, reaching down to her lower back, it was clear that anyone who saw them would mistake her for a twin.
“Well, I guess this will be fine.”
When Veronica said it would be okay, Titania’s face lit up. She was so happy that she wanted to jump up in her place, but she could barely restrain herself by twitching her lips.
“Did you know that this ‘Snowflake Festival’ will be held next week? Then go with Vivian. Vivian’s empty spot will be filled by Katsi dressed up so no one will notice her.”
“hehehe.”
Seeing Titania’s expression of laughter with her completely relaxed face, Veronica also burst into laughter. Titania honestly thought she wouldn’t be able to go to the festival with her mother this year.
I had to prepare to go to the academy soon, and Veronica hadn’t said anything about this wish until now. She thought Veronica had completely forgotten.
Titania could not bear the joy welling up deep in her heart and hugged Veronica, who was standing right in front of her. She startled Veronica and pushed her to let go, but it was no use.
“hehehe, thank you! Sister Veronica!”
“You only call me sister at times like this, right? Okay, so let her go now and give Vivian permission to take care of it! “If Vivian doesn’t give permission, I can’t do it either!”
