It was an unexpected first meeting with my grandmother and grandfather.

I stiffened myself at the identity of the two strangers.

We just looked at each other without saying a word. It was a moment when a second felt like an hour.

Soon, Helena’s eyes filled with surprise and opened wide.

I hesitated and stepped back.

“Pii, pii.”

Why is no one talking first?

Embarrassed, I was looking at the two of them alternately, and then I met the straight gaze of a pair of red eyes.

Hic.

“Pii…”

I flinched and clasped Kasana’s hand.

Seeing this, Ian narrowed his brow. He glanced at me from head to toe, full of energy that he didn’t like me.

Then his mouth opened.

“Is this my granddaughter?”

His words had a nuance that he could never accept me.

But why isn’t this situation unfamiliar?

It was a familiarity as if I had experienced it somewhere. It was the same feeling I had after being born from an egg and meeting Cade for the first time.

Blood can’t lie.

I straightened my shrugged body and slowly examined Ian.

It’s because the feeling of being terrified melted away like snow when he felt similar to Cade.

Looking at it like this, not only did they look alike, but the way he spoke was identical to that of Cade.

“Pii!”

I was so surprised that I covered my mouth. There was no doubt about it.

He’s really Cade’s dad!

I couldn’t take my eyes off of him and stared at Ian, who showed his displeasure.

“Your eyes feel bad.”

“What kind of eyes did the child make?” (Helena)

“I’m offended. What did you think about?”

Shake. Shake.

I vigorously shook my head, saying it was nothing. Ian’s eyes drooped low.

“You must have been thinking about something.”

“Ian. Saying that kind of thing makes the child scared. What will you do later if Irene avoids you?”

Helena interrupted with a reproach. Then Ian looked away as if he had never done so and bit his mouth.

The food chain was clear.

The big shot was Helena for sure. 

She smiled and bent her knees and brought her eyes to me.

“Hello. Nice to meet you, Rina.”

“……Pii?”

…Rina?

Where that name came from? Are you shortening my name to a nickname? Even Cade hasn’t called me that way yet.

“I’m your grandmother. My name is Helena.”

“Piihi.”

“Have you just succeeded in shape-shifting?”

“Pii.”

“Oh, my gosh. Seems fun to raise such a little thing.”

Flash.

Helena’s eyes, which were gently drawing arcs, flashed fiercely. The pupil, which had a distinctive look, became thin for a moment.

“Pi-Pii…?!”

I’m scared……!

I quickly hid in Kasana’s arms.

What. What now?

It was confusing.

Helena, whom I had expected to be the sweetest and kindest between the two, felt the most dangerous at this moment.

Helena tilted her head as I curled up and shrank between Kasana’s sleeves.

“Is the child cold? Why is she hiding?”

“It’s probably not. It seems like she’s hiding her face because she’s shy.”

“She’s shy of strangers?”

When Kasana explained the reason for her, Helena, with a blank face, burst into laughter.

“If you hide like that, I won’t be able to give the present I had prepared for you.”

“…Pii pii?”

“It’s the first day I’m meeting my granddaughter, and I can’t leave out a present, can I?”

I blinked my eyes and slipped half of my body towards her.

“You must be wondering what the gift is.”

“Pii!”

Gift!

“Would you like to come over?”

Helena cautiously reached out her hand.

I looked at the hand in front of me with a whimper.

….Well… what should I do? It’s still a little awkward to get on her hands. 

Still, she said she would give me a present and tried to get to know me, wouldn’t it be a bit harsh to say I didn’t like it?

All right. Let’s go up once.

When I was slowly stepping her way.

“You get in the hands of someone you don’t know just because you were offered a gift.” 

A familiar voice sounded in my ear.

“Pii?”

I quickly turned my head.

Cade and Baon were standing there. They seemed to have come out after hearing the news that Helena and Ian had arrived.

Cade crossed his arms and looked over here.

As if he was quietly seeing what I was going to do.

I quickly put down the foot that was going to touch Helena, and she, who had been waiting for me to come onto her palm, widened her eyes.

“Oh, my.”

“I would have clearly told you not to follow people you don’t know. There’s no learning ability at all.”

“Pii!”

But Helena isn’t a stranger.

It’s my grandmother!

I pointed to Helena and strongly insisted that I was not trying to follow someone I didn’t know, but Cade shook his head. 

“I don’t know what you’re saying.” 

“Pii, pii!”

“Come here.”

Cade came closer, and as if I had waited, I quickly climbed onto his big hand.

Cade patted me on the head.

“You succeeded in shapeshifting.”

“Pii!”

Right! I succeeded in shapeshifting!

As I turned around, asking him to take a good look, he smiled.

“You must have studied hard.”

“Pii.”

“Then I’ll keep my promise. Well done, Irene.”

I felt a different sense of stability than before and my tensed body slowly relaxed. Now that I look back, it seems that meeting Helena and Ian had me a little nervous.

Helena, who was looking at us, muttered with a shocked expression.

“Oh my God. Is that my son?”

“The outward appearance seems to match.”

“I didn’t expect to see him like a real parent. I’m a little touched.” 

Ian snorted, still not quite convinced.

“By the way, sir. Why don’t you say hello to the two?”

Baon, who had been far away at a certain distance, intervened and asked. 

I stared at such a Baon.

Why are you so far away?

At Baon’s words, Cade, who proudly looked at me for a long time, finally said his late greetings to the two he had pushed to the back.

“Long time no see.”

“That’s fast. I thought I was going to wait until the sun set down.”

“I didn’t expect my father to come.” (Cade)

Cade responded to Ian’s sarcasm with a crooked attitude. 

“You said you wouldn’t come back, so what’s up with the luggage?” (Cade)

“I didn’t come to see you.”

“Is that so? The exit door is over there.”

“You still haven’t fixed that cocky attitude.”

Whooshh.

Between the two opposing sides, an intangible energy collided without concessions.

Wh-what’s happening all of a sudden? How come they are on such bad terms?

As if he had already anticipated this situation, Baon was leisurely watching the situation.

You knew in advance that this was going to happen!

A deep sense of betrayal came over me. When I sent a stare at him, Baon cheekily shrugged his shoulders.

He spoke only with the shape of his mouth.

‘What can I do? I have to avoid it. I’m afraid to get caught between the two of them. I wish you good luck.’

The situation was heading towards catastrophe.

No one showed any sign of backing down first.

The moment when the pheromones of each other were about to collide without any concessions in a huge wave.

Clap!

Helena clapped lightly.

“Come on now. I know it’s nice to see each other after a long time… but you’d better quit for now, Cade. You too.”

“It’s a wise proposition.”

Baon, who was watching from afar, answered so while Helena stopped the two of them and settled the situation.

“We’d better go inside first. How long are you going to let us stand outside?”

“I will guide you to the parlor. Come this way.”

“Oh my. Thank you, Baon.”

Baon took the lead and started guiding us to the mansion.

I swept my chest. 

I’m glad it ended with nothing bad happening.

As expected, Helena is amazing. She was the real power of this family all right.  

As I looked up in wonder at Helena who was walking next to me, she sensed my gaze and smiled back.

“Pii?”

Why are you smiling?

She seemed to be having a lot of fun. 

“Isn’t it nice to see?”

“……Pii?”

“They are still on good terms.”

…Where the hell do those two look like they are on good terms?

Do you really think the two are good friends?

I was speechless and looked at Helena in a daze.