Guinevere picked up the flower basket placed in one corner of the laboratory. She knew what it was without opening it, but her hand habitually opened the card.

I love you. With just one sentence written on the card crumpled in her hand, Guinevere threw the flower basket out the window.

“Is this some kind of joke?”

Siod was persistently confessing his love as if in protest. Even William and Larisa who were watching looked sick of it.

Even at lunch.

“I love you, Vera.”

The sudden love confession continued, but Guinevere silently continued eating. William made a face like he was about to choke.

“I said I love you?”

Siod said, as if urging for an answer.

“I love youuu~”

William, unable to bear it anymore, responded instead.

“Professor, can’t we just eat in peace?”

Siod, paying no heed, said with a smile.

“You should call me dad, William.”

William sighed. He thought it might be easier to watch them fight and argue instead.

“I love you.”

Guinevere silently finished her meal and got up first. While patting Larisa’s head, who was watching nervously, Guinevere said as gently as possible.

“Eat slowly.”

And then she escaped via teleportation.

“Why is that crazy bastard acting like this?”

Guinevere couldn’t understand why Siod was behaving this way. He left first before, and now he’s acting up.

Guinevere composed herself and started her research again. But then someone shouted loudly in the middle of the garden.

“I love you!!!”

He was out of his mind. Guinevere finally couldn’t stand it and teleported to grab Siod by the collar.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

However, Siod shamelessly asked back.

“Why are you doing this?”

“What did I do?”

“Why are you denying my love?”

Siod asked as if demanding an answer. Guinevere was dumbfounded. Who was he to question her.

“Listen, you dragon bastard. I don’t have the luxury to play along with your childish love game. I’m overwhelmed just taking care of my children. Got it?”

Siod made an extremely wronged expression.

“Childish? Did you just call it childish? Want me to show you what’s really childish?”

That was a bit scary, so Guinevere hurriedly changed the subject.

“You asked why I’m denying your love, right? Then let me ask you. Why do you love me in the first place?”

“What?”

“Why do you love me?”

Siod was at a loss for words and looked dumbfounded. Why he loved her?

“Because… you’re pretty…?”

“Ha.”

Guinevere sighed. She wasn’t expecting a profound answer, but…

“I fell for you at first sight, what can I do?”

Siod said, feeling wronged.

“Your rude expressions, your annoying behavior, even your arrogant tone as if the whole world is at your feet – they all look pretty to me. What can I do?”

Guinevere made an incredulous face and hit Siod’s mouth.

“Is that something to say? Is it?”

Siod quickly grabbed Guinevere’s hand and got angry.

“Then stop being pretty! It’s your fault for being pretty!”

“No, this is really crazy…”

“Why did you make me fall in love because you’re pretty! You think I wanted to fall in love? Every minute and second is precious to me, but you…”

Siod stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth. His expression suddenly darkened, and he dropped his arm weakly.

“Never mind. Just don’t love me back.”

“What?”

“I said don’t love me. Just try loving me.”

“Have you finally gone mad?”

Guinevere looked at him with suspicious eyes.

“If you love me, you’ll regret turning back time, right? So don’t love me.”

“What? What does that mean? Can’t you speak properly?”

“I know you’re researching how to turn back time for just Larisa. I’m going to turn back only you too. I’ll keep turning you back over and over since you don’t love me anyway!”

Guinevere experienced for the first time that when you’re too dumbfounded, words don’t come out. After gasping for a while, Guinevere finally managed to speak.

“Who are you to…”

“Who are you to try to turn back Larisa’s time?”

Guinevere was at a loss for words and closed her mouth.

“Huh? Say it. Who are you? You’re just a mother-in-law at best. You’re the most selfish one. Trying to turn back only Larisa’s time for your own comfort and convenience, that’s selfish!”

Guinevere pressed her lips tightly. Siod was also silent. The two stood looking at the ground in silence for a long time. Guinevere was the first to run away.

Siod was left alone in the garden and sighed.

*

Guinevere cursed in the lab where she was alone. It had been a while since she swore, so it felt awkward. She roughly ran her hand through her hair and flopped down on the armchair.

“Everything he said was right, so I have nothing to say.”

Automatically, Siod’s words came to mind.

‘Why do you always try to solve problems with magic when they arise?’

A problem she had tried hard not to think about also came up.

‘What if Larisa wants to grow old?’

Guinevere had also wanted to grow old at one point. When everyone close to her had grown old and died. Guinevere, left alone, was consumed by the thought that she would be alone forever.

It didn’t take long for her to fall for Siod who appeared then. She wanted him to stay by her side. In the end, he left.

‘Will Larisa want to leave us too?’

Maybe she will. She might want to live like siblings with William for now, but later fall in love with someone else and want to grow old and die with that person.

‘If that happens, what about our son?’

My son, William. I don’t want to see that child get hurt again. The William that Guinevere remembered was already broken beyond repair.

There were times when she felt like going crazy with anxiety that he might still be broken inside. That’s why she couldn’t help but react sensitively whenever William said he had dreams of the past.

‘You can just treat Larisa better. So she won’t want to leave us. If you make her happy…’

It’s a way to make Larisa live happily for a long time. She could also keep her promise to Marina. That’s what she had thought until now.

Guinevere was lost in thought for a long time, not even noticing that the room was getting dark.

Until a small knock broke her reverie.

“Mother? Come eat dinner.”

“You should say, ‘Please have your meal.'”

“Mother~! Please have your meal~!”

It was the children.

Guinevere quietly opened the door. William and Larisa were standing side by side holding hands.

“Mother, it’s dinner time. Why aren’t you coming to the dining room?”

“Is it that time already?”

“Research is good, but don’t skip meals. What if you collapse again?”

Why act like a filial child at a time like this? Guinevere felt like she was going to burst into tears, so she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Let’s go.”

As she led the way down to the dining room, Larisa followed closely behind, saying,

“Mother, tonight’s dinner is meat stew, your favorite~”

Guinevere stopped in her tracks and looked down at Larisa, saying,

“Did you tell the chef? That I seemed to be in a bad mood?”

“What?”

Larisa looked scared. Guinevere quickly said in a soothing tone,

“I’m not scolding you, I’m grateful.”

At some point, whenever she was in a bad mood, meat stew would appear on the table. It was obvious who was behind it. Larisa was the only change in this household.

Larisa relaxed and said with a bright smile,

“Eating something delicious makes you feel better, right?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Guinevere picked Larisa up. The child was small and cute. Sometimes she wished she wouldn’t grow up.

“Larisa, can’t you stop growing?”

“What?”

Larisa burst out laughing, thinking it was a joke.

“Do you want to become an adult?”

“Of course~”

“Why? I can give you everything you need even if you don’t become an adult…”

“I want to grow up quickly and repay your kindness.”

“Kindness? You don’t need to think about such things. We’ve received more from you.”

Guinevere was sincere. Even now, just holding Larisa filled her with a sense of relief. Just having this child by her side. The relief that she hadn’t lost Larisa yet.

“So, William. What about you? You don’t want Larisa to grow up either, right?”

Since he said he didn’t want to fall in love, she thought he would naturally answer that he didn’t want Larisa to grow up.

But William suddenly blushed and averted his gaze.

“William?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want Larisa to become an adult?”

“…What?”

William cleared his throat. Guinevere, who had been looking at him with a sour expression, sighed.

He said he didn’t want to fall in love, but it seems he’s already fallen in love with Larisa in his dreams. And we can’t stop him from dreaming.

Siod said that when William can perfectly control the dragon’s magic, he might be able to regain all his lost memories. The recurring dreams of the past are likely part of the process of regaining his memories.

Guinevere sighed. There were countless things to worry about in the world. She hoped he wouldn’t recall the bad memories first, but it didn’t seem entirely good for him to recall the good memories with Larisa either.

“Lala, don’t grow up to be too pretty.”

“What?”

Larisa giggled, thinking Guinevere was joking. But Guinevere was serious.

“I’m not joking. If you grow up to be too pretty, William might fall in love with you. You saw how Siod acts, right? Men in love are scary.”

“Oh no, what should I do~? Larisa is going to be a beauty?”

Larisa made a worried face. It was so cute that Guinevere rubbed her cheek against Larisa’s face.