Xiver awoke to the faint smell of burnt bread and eggs. His eyes landed on Elizabeth, busy at the stove. As he observed her, he couldn't help but note that her cooking was terrible, as always. Yet she looked well-dressed, even neat, and Xiver wondered why she cared so much about appearances when her culinary skills left so much to be desired.
As Elizabeth headed toward the door, she called out, asking something about "Emelia" and whether she had opened the door. Xiver frowned. Who was Emelia? Why was the door involved? The questions swirled in his mind, tangled with the memory of last night's chaos.
Ignoring the confusion, he grabbed a glass of water and a loaf of bread. Looking at the food, disgust settled over him. It smelled bland, looked dry, and he knew it would taste worse. Pizza or burgers would have been a dream—but he had to settle for this.
Instead, Xiver carried the bread and water to his bed. Reading was the only solace he had. He wasn't a fan of books, not in his old world, but here, with nothing else to do and no freedom to look outside the windows, books were at least a distraction. The mini garden outside was covered by walls, so even that was limited. Lying on his bed, he opened the magical book again—not for enjoyment, but for necessity.
Before he could get too absorbed, Elizabeth left, reminding him once more of Emelia. Xiver, curious despite himself, called after her:
"Where are you going?"
"Ugh… job?" Elizabeth replied with a shrug.
"And what about Alexander?" Xiver pressed.
She waved him off. "He's from the kingdom family. Not like he can hang out with us. If he wants to, he does. He loves me and loves spending time with me—and everything he has…" Her words trailed off, but Xiver didn't care enough to ask further. She left, walking proudly, seemingly in love with Alexander.
Moments later, a knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Assuming Elizabeth had forgotten something, Xiver opened it—but two figures stepped in without asking permission.
"Who are you?" Xiver questioned, instinctively stepping back.
No response came. One was an older woman with blue hair and glasses. The other was a young girl, blue hair as well, wearing a white shirt and a blue skirt with glasses. Despite the difference in age, their features were unmistakably similar.
The older woman's voice was gentle but firm: "Do you think you can get along this time?"
The younger one sighed. "Yes, Mom. I can handle it. Just babysitting some kid's son—not a big deal."
Xiver furrowed his brow. Babysitting? Who were they talking about?
"Are you Emelia?" he asked the younger girl.
She placed her hand on her chest and smiled. "Bingo!"
The older woman corrected her gently. "Daughter, manners."
Xiver's mind bristled. Manners? After bursting into his home uninvited?
"Oh, shame on me!" The older woman bowed slightly, hands clasped. "My name is Alphabet."
Emelia gasped. "HEY! What's so funny about my mother's name?" She pointed, while her fists shaped in confusion.
"Emelia, please… Sorry, kid. What's your name again?" Alphabet asked patiently.
"Xiver," he replied.
"What a lovely name," Alphabet said warmly. Emelia's eyes sparkled. "Hey Mother, are you gonna let me babysit or what?"
Alphabet smiled politely. "You're excited for your job, aren't you? Even after coming back from the adventure guild."
Emelia groaned. "Adventure guild sucks, Mom. Leave me alone." She was lazy, yet energetic—a strange mix that both annoyed and intrigued Xiver.
As Alphabet left, she turned back to call her daughter: "Have a sweet time."
Xiver froze. The words echoed in his mind. He had heard them before, in his previous life in a royal family. Alphabet—this wasn't the first time he had met her. His heart pounded with recognition and confusion.
Emelia approached cheerfully. "Hi, Xiver! Wanna play some games?"
Xiver hesitated, stepping back.
"Ghh—let's go have some fun," she insisted, smiling.
"I'm… busy," Xiver replied, frustrated.
Emelia tilted her head. "Come on! We'll have so much fun!"
Xiver sighed inwardly. She wasn't interested in what he wanted to do—reading and studying the book. Instead, she tried to pull him into games, chatting endlessly about this world, acting as if he couldn't comprehend it.
After about fifteen minutes, Emelia noticed his frustration. She pouted, her expression sad. "It's okay if you want to go back to your room," she said softly.
Xiver didn't care. He turned and dashed into his room, leaving her shocked.
"W-wait! We still have things to teach you!" she called.
"I'm busy," Xiver snapped.
"Okay, well… look at this trick!" she said, and Xiver glanced up, uninterested. But then he noticed the water on his desk floating in midair.
"What… what's that?" he whispered, wide-eyed.
Emelia smirked. "Magic. Do you want to learn it, Xiver?"
Her enthusiasm was infectious, but Xiver remained cautious. He had read about mana before, the invisible energy that powered magic. She began explaining:
"There are three magic sections," she said.
"I know," Xiver replied casually.
Emelia blinked, caught off guard. "Huh? You know? So… do you know my magic type? Or about sword wielders?"
Xiver shook his head. "No. But I'm interested. How do I know my section?"
Emelia explained warmly. "I'm divine. Support magic. Many people in the city use it—cooks, engineers, doctors. To make the water float, I place my mana underneath it. It's exhausting."
Xiver listened carefully. "And mana is…?"
"Energy everyone is born with. Like stamina. You need food and training to use it. To control or create water from nothing, you'd need manipulation magic. Adventurers often use it."
He frowned. "What's that?"
Emelia tilted her head, teasing. "Hoo? You seem very interested, even though you've been trying to hide in your room all day. Shouldn't kids play outside?"
Xiver shrugged. "Elizabeth and Alexander won't let me."
"Oh," she said, confused. "You call them by name? Not 'Mother' and 'Father'?"
Xiver only smiled slightly. "Their names are beautiful. Don't you think, Emelia?"
Her face lit up. "God, you're so cute! Cute, cute, cute!" She hugged him tightly.
Xiver stiffened. He wasn't innocent or a baby—yet she treated him like one. Still, she continued teaching him, answering his questions patiently.
Later, she surprised him by preparing food. Despite her earlier failures in cooking, she was talented. Xiver noticed a piece of expensive jewelry on her neck. How could his babysitter be so rich? Surely Alexander had sent her. His mother, he realized, would rather spend money elsewhere than on him.
Xiver placed a hand on his shoulder, silently promising never to forget his real mother. He missed her dearly.
As the day ended, Emelia packed her things to leave. She looked at him and smiled softly.
"I'm gonna miss you, Xiver," she said.
"Yeah. Thanks for teaching me what I needed to know," he replied.
Her grin widened. "We'll always meet. Always."
Xiver froze. "Always? Like… always, always?!"
And then his mind raced. What if she found the book? What if she discovered he was from another world? Next time… he would have to tell her.