The current time was 3:30 PM.
The best time for basking in the sun had passed, so by now, that little one had probably finished sunbathing, slid open my window, and sneaked into my room, rubbing against my bed or desk.
"What? Why aren't you in the room again? I'm bored!"
Saying the same thing as always.
Ever since we first met, they had been noisy. Last winter, they were restless. Last month, they were fidgety. Last week, they were lively. Even last night, they never stopped chattering. Just thinking about them made a slight crease form between my brows.
"They're noisy, sure, but they are definitely helpful in many ways."
Of course, I never actually said that out loud.
If I ever admitted it to them, they'd get even more full of themselves and start strutting around like they owned the place.
Clatter.
My eyes landed on the cookie tin in the nanny's hands, making a delightful sound as she shook it.
"I shouldn't eat all of these. I should save some and bring them over. After all, a few tasty cookies will feel like a much better reward to them than any words I could say."
Splat.
"By the way, the sea fog is really thick today."
I turned toward the sudden sound of waves crashing, and in an instant, I could see the mist far out in the ocean—something an ordinary person would never be able to perceive with the naked eye.
Arca.
A second weapon that had been flowing through my veins for the past seven years.
Now that it had fully adapted to my new body, I could effortlessly surpass the physical limitations of a human thanks to the blessings Arca bestowed upon me.
Over the past six years, it wasn't just Angelus that had improved.
No, if I were being honest, in terms of progress, Arca had developed far more. My top priority had never been Angelus but Arca.
I felt guilty, knowing my father firmly believed I was dedicating myself to training Angelus.
But the instincts I had sharpened over my past life constantly whispered to me: Focus more on the "Blade in the Veil" than on "Cladius's Armor."
And for the past six years, I had obeyed that whisper without fail.
Had I poured all my energy into refining Angelus instead of learning Arca, my skills wouldn't just be considered legendary—they would have been hailed as the greatest in history.
If that had happened, my father and the retainers wouldn't have compared me to past heads of the house; instead, they would have invoked the name of Orpheus Cladius, the very first lord of our family.
"Brother! What are you thinking about so deeply?"
A chubby little finger boldly poked my cheek, breaking my train of thought.
Faced with that adorable force, I had no choice but to shift my gaze and meet the bright, expectant eyes of my precious little chick.
"Brother! Let me guess what you were thinking about!"
"Oh? Can our little Lana really guess?"
"Of course! It's you, Brother! I know everything about you!"
Lana tightened her arms around my neck and spoke confidently.
"You were thinking about the Spirit Beast you'll be meeting next week, right?"
"Spirit Beast? And how does our little one know about Spirit Beasts?"
"Hmph! Of course, I know! This is about my most respected brother, Phaegan! There's no way I wouldn't know!"
"Pfft!"
As Lana puffed up her chest proudly, even the nanny walking ahead of us couldn't hold back a chuckle.
"Ahem! Young Master, Young Lady, please have a seat. I will prepare the tea."
A quaint tea table was set up in the flower-filled garden, with a neatly arranged tea set waiting for us.
"Hmm hmm hmm♪ Tea time with Brother!♫"
Ignoring the empty chairs, Lana plopped herself onto my lap and excitedly waved a cookie in the air, urging the nanny to hurry up.
"Cheers!"
Like adults clinking their glasses, our cookies lightly tapped against each other before disappearing into our mouths. Even as we savored the sweetness, Lana kept chattering away.
"Brother! What kind of Spirit Beast do you think you'll meet? I think it'll be either Protedas or Agla!"
"Protedas?"
"Yes! Protedas looks like a noble white tiger, and Agla is a cool, giant eagle! Since you're the most amazing person in the world, your partner Spirit Beast has to be just as cool as you! So, it'll definitely be Protedas or Agla!"
Lana's eyes sparkled with excitement as she listed off potential Spirit Beasts, clearly invested in the idea of me meeting one in the Eternal Forest next week.
"Hmm… Protedas and Agla wouldn't be bad, but I think Esanti would be nice too. Its fur is so fluffy—wouldn't it feel amazing to take a nap on it?"
"No way! Esanti is fat and has a huge butt! It doesn't suit you at all!"
Esanti was a Spirit Beast that resembled a large, shaggy elephant. Just imagining it made Lana pout and shake her head furiously.
"Absolutely not! It has to be Protedas or Agla! Esanti looks just like Father! So it should be his partner, not yours!"
"Haha. But Lana, Father already has Beldorush, remember?"
"Exactly! Beldorush, Esanti—they both suit Father so well. Mother even said that a Cladius always ends up with a Spirit Beast that resembles them. That's why Brother's has to be something cool! Understood? It has to be Protedas or Agla!"
"Haha, Lana. I appreciate the compliment, but don't say that in front of Father, okay? He might… take it personally."
Beldorush was a Spirit Beast that looked like a massive black bear, with strikingly beautiful eyes.
If my father found out his beloved daughter thought he matched better with a bear or an elephant…
"Well, I mean… he does kind of fit the part. He's big, and he's got a lot of fur."
To stop myself from voicing such dangerous thoughts, I stuffed a chocolate cookie into my mouth. The rich sweetness melted away, leaving only its delicious scent behind.
"Young Master! I've been looking for you everywhere!"
Just as we had finished about half of our snacks, Hans, a tall, slender young man, rushed over.
"The Lord instructed us to inform you if we ever had a patient suitable for acupuncture. Right now, there's one at the external clinic. Master Elmon says it would be best treated with acupuncture rather than medicine or magic and asked for you to come immediately."
"Oh? Understood. I'll head there now."
As I swallowed the last of a butter cookie, Lana gasped in admiration.
"Brother! You're going to treat a patient? That's amazing! Do you have your tools? If they're in your room, I can get them for you!"
"No need."
I showed her the silk pouch neatly tucked under my shirt.
"I always carry them with me."
"Brother! You're so prepared! So cool!"
I grabbed a few extra cookies—for a certain cohabiting beast waiting in my room—and turned to Hans.
"Let's go. Where's the patient?"