The Fun, Fun Operation Botamochi!

The sweet, sweeet botamochi got even sweeter the more I chewed it.

And no matter how much I ate, it never seemed to run out! It was like magic! That meant I could eat lots and lots of it!

“My, what a joy it is to watch you eat… Do you like it that much? You’re making little nibbling sounds, just like a hamster.”

Hamster. I’ve seen one in a picture book before. Was it that cute little animal?

“Try touching your cheeks.”

When I patted my cheeks, one of them was all puffed up. …What’s this?

“That’s right. You’ve stuffed that cheek full of sweeet botamochi.”

For some reason, Granny looked a little sad then.

“Still, some parents really do terrible things. They’re blessed with such an adorable child, so what on earth could they possibly be unhappy about…?”

I stopped chewing and looked down.

“B-because Ai is… a bad girl…”

That’s what Mama and Papa always said.

They said I got hit because I was a bad girl. Because Ai was a bad girl. They said it was called “discipline.”

“There’s no way you’re a bad girl! You’ve been a good girl all along. The ones who are really bad are your parents, that’s who!”

“Granny, do you know Ai’s Mama and Papa?”

“No, I don’t. But I can tell just by looking at you. You’ve gotten so terribly thin… You poor little thing. If only I were a bit younger, or at least if these legs of mine still worked properly, I could take you and run away…”

Granny looked like she was about to cry.

“But you just hold on. I hear these days you can get help by contacting the Child Guidance Center. Granny will give them a call, so please bear with it just a little longer, all right?”

Child Guidance… What’s that? I didn’t really understand, but I nodded.

Because the botamochi was delicious.

I figured a granny who gave me such delicious botamochi must surely be someone I could trust.

“Now, have a little more botamochi. Or if you’re hungry, shall I make you some proper food?”

No, it’s okay, Granny.

My tummy’s already full.

—And besides, I’m really okay now.

You see, now I have a Mama who’s as pretty and kind as a princess.

Mama calls me her treasure.

So everything’s okay now.

…I wanted to tell her that, but somehow I was getting really, really sleepy.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

When I opened my eyes sleepily, Mama’s face was right there.

Huh? Where’s Granny…?

“Hehe, you’re still looking sleepy, though. It’s already quite late, so perhaps we should just take you straight to bed.”

“Then I’ll carry her.”

His Majesty reached out his hands, and I was lifted up into his arms.

…Was what happened just now a dream?

That thing from before…

“Sweet and delicious…”

When I mumbled that sleepily, Mama laughed.

“Were you dreaming about some delicious sweets? How lovely. You’ll have to tell Mama what you ate sometime.”

Mm-hmm, okay…

Come to think of it, Mama said something earlier.

About wishing there was some wonderful food that worked like magic…

Hey, Mama, there was one wonderful food that was just like magic—.

The following morning, the moment Ai woke up and saw me, the first words out of her mouth were:

“Hey, Mama, can we take some botamochi to Granny?”

“Botamochi?”

While I stared blankly at the unfamiliar word, Ai continued excitedly, her eyes sparkling and her breathing enthusiastic.

“Yeah! It’s black and round and sticky!”

“Black and round and sticky…?”

…What could it be? There were plenty of different foods, but there weren’t that many black, round ones, were there?

Mushrooms, truffles, chocolate… Putting the shape aside, cocoa would fit the description in terms of color. Or perhaps something made into a cake? You could describe those as sticky, too, I suppose.

“It’s really sweet and chewy and yummy!”

Ai said, squishing her own cheeks between her hands.

I could understand the sweetness, but… chewy?

That texture would rule out cake, wouldn’t it? Maybe some kind of bread…? Chocolate bread? But I’d never heard of anything called “botamochi.”

I looked toward the maids for help, but they merely tilted their heads in confusion.

…In that case, I’d like to enlist the help of Yuri-sama and High Priest Houghtley as well. After all, the more people we had working on this, the better!

“—Botamochi, you say…?”

High Priest Houghtley spoke with a troubled expression as Ai and I nodded enthusiastically before him. Beside him, Yuri-sama wore a look that practically screamed, “I haven’t the slightest idea.”

“Yes. Apparently, it’s black, round, and sticky. On top of that, it’s supposed to be sweet and chewy.”

“Black and round and sticky…”

“And sweet and chewy, on top of that…”

The more I explained, the deeper the creases between their eyebrows became.

“Hmmm, I suppose there are a few possibilities…”

“Incidentally, what do you intend to do once you’ve made it?”

When Yuri-sama asked, I answered with absolute confidence.

“Why, we’re going to take it to Her Majesty Sakura, of course! Ai told me about it. Apparently, this ‘botamochi’ is ‘a wonderful food that’s just like magic.’”

“Oh! Now that certainly sounds promising!”

Beside Ai, who was nodding vigorously with sparkling eyes, High Priest Houghtley chuckled merrily.

Yuri-sama, on the other hand, maintained his doubtful expression.

“…I apologize for throwing cold water on your enthusiasm, but would that really change Her Majesty Sakura’s mind…?”

“Hehe, Yuri-sama, let’s not spoil the mood with such unromantic questions.”

At the word “unromantic,” Yuri-sama let out a strained groan.

“What matters in situations like this is the sentiment behind the gesture. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping to win her over, and I’d certainly welcome that outcome if we were fortunate enough, but what’s more important is how Ai feels.”

As I said that, I looked toward Ai.

Beside us, Ai was once again stroking the head of High Priest Houghtley, who had crouched down in front of her, saying things like, “Mister, your head looks just like the moon.” …Well, I was starting to get used to this by now. As long as the High Priest looked happy, I supposed I could pretend I hadn’t seen anything.

“I want to cherish that child’s desire to prepare a sweet treat for Her Majesty Sakura. Don’t you think that nurturing a child’s compassion for others is also part of a parent’s duty?”

My words seemed to convince Yuri-sama. He nodded quietly—and then, rather unusually, smiled.

…Ah, that was close! That unexpectedly gentle smile had made my heart skip a beat!

“You’re right. As her parents, we should help her. In that case, let’s all work together to make it. We’ll call it ‘Operation Botamochi.’”

“Now that’s what I wanted to hear!”

I thrust my fist triumphantly into the air. Reacting to my voice, Ai happily raised her own tiny fist and exclaimed, “Yeah!”