An! Angel! Has! Descended!

“Ederine, it’s all taken care of.”

That afternoon, while I was drawing pictures with Ai, Yuri-sama appeared before me with a peaceful expression.

This was usually the busiest time of day for him when it came to official duties, so what was he doing here? And what did he mean, it was all taken care of?

Seeing my puzzled expression, Yuri-sama smiled.

“The adoption procedures for Ai have been completed. With this, Ai is officially our daughter.”

“Oh my…!”

My face instantly lit up.

I’d already considered myself Ai’s mother for quite some time, but having it officially recognized was still deeply moving.

The joy of being able to proudly declare that we were family! Hehehe, perhaps I should introduce Ai as “my daughter” to everyone we passed today?

“I look forward to being your mommy, Ai. This is my first time being a mother, but I’ll do my very best!”

Ai probably didn’t understand complicated things like official procedures yet. But seeing how happy I was, she seemed to share in my excitement, even if she didn’t quite understand why. We gave each other a cheerful high five.

“Ah. If I’m her mommy, then…”

Suddenly realizing something, I looked at Yuri-sama. His Majesty cleared his throat.

“O-Of course, that makes me her… daddy.”

I giggled at his awkward words.

“I’m looking forward to our life together, darling.”

The instant I said that, Yuri-sama’s face turned bright red. …My, my! Your attitude has certainly changed quite a bit since we first met, hasn’t it?

As I giggled to myself, Ai squeezed my hand tightly. When I looked down, she was fidgeting bashfully. Then, words flowed into my mind. Ai had activated her skill.

‘…Can I call you Mommy?’

OHHHHHH MYYYYYYYY!!!

I screamed inside my head. …Please pretend you didn’t hear that strange “Nngh!” that escaped my mouth for a moment.

Anyway! The sheer destructive power of that word, “Mommy”! My heart nearly stopped beating right then and there!?

“OF COURSE YOU CAN!!!”

Faster than the speed of light, I crouched down until I was at eye level with Ai.

“You can call me whatever you like, Ai! Mommy, Mother, Honored Mother, or even just Ederine without any honorifics!”

As I spoke with almost embarrassingly intense enthusiasm, Ai smiled shyly. Then she murmured in a tiny voice.

“…Mommy.”

AN! ANGEL! HAS! DESCENDED!

I collapsed onto the floor with a thud.

“Ederine!?”

“Mommy!?”

“I-I’m sorry…! You were so adorable that I nearly lost consciousness…!”

Then I quickly pressed a handkerchief against my nose. …After all, if Ai found out I was having a nosebleed, she’d only worry about me.

“I’m so happy, Ai. May I give you a hug?”

When I held out my arms, Ai happily threw herself against my chest. The impact caused more blood to seep into my handkerchief. But since I was holding her, Ai couldn’t see it.

“Ederine…!? You…!”

Yuri-sama was staring at me with an extraordinary expression, but I desperately raised my index finger to my lips and signaled for him to be quiet. Apparently, he understood what I meant, because he hurriedly offered me a fresh handkerchief.

“Thank you very much. I’ll wash it and return it to you later.”

“Good grief, you really are something else…”

As I watched Yuri-sama shake his head in exasperation, I suddenly remembered something.

I carefully wiped my nose clean and quickly tucked away the bloodstained handkerchief.

“Come to think of it, Ai, you can call Yuri-sama Daddy, too, you know?”

At those words, Ai’s body gave a little twitch.

When she raised her face, she was strangely pushing out her lower lip and furrowing her brow into a very deep frown.

…Huh? That wasn’t quite the reaction I’d expected. No matter how I looked at it, that was clearly an expression of displeasure, wasn’t it…?

Why!? How come!? She’d been getting along so well with Yuri-sama lately, so what had gone wrong…!? You said, “I want His Majesty to be my daddy,” didn’t you!?

While I was panicking internally, Ai squeezed my hand tightly. Words smoothly appeared in my mind.

‘…No thanks.’

“Ah! O-Oh, I see!? But you’re doing wonderfully! You’re finally learning to express your true feelings, aren’t you!?”

When I stroked her head while trying to hide my agitation, Ai narrowed her eyes like a cat and rubbed her head against my hand. She was smiling happily, just as she always did.

Which meant she hadn’t simply misspoken or anything like that…?

“Ederine… Um, what did Ai say…?”

It was Yuri-sama who asked, looking terribly anxious.

Oh, this was bad. His eyes were absolutely brimming with expectation.

“U-Um…”

What was I supposed to say here!? Should I lie and tell him, “She seems embarrassed”!? But it would be cruel to get his hopes up unnecessarily, wouldn’t it? Perhaps I should just take the plunge and tell him the truth…

“I-It might still be a little too early for that…?”

In an instant, Yuri-sama sank into the depths of despair.