Chapter 241: Don’t Leave Me Behind
To Cari now, there was no one else he could call "mother" but Qiong Xing.
"No."
He still remembered the words he had once been told, but he couldn’t recall her face or even what kind of person she had been.
When Cari saw Albe let out a relieved breath, he realized he wasn’t being blamed for not remembering.
"I’m sorry. I’ve never taught anyone before, so it’s probably hard to understand, right?"
It had been a few weeks since Cari started learning magic like this.
Albe’s way of teaching was definitely harder to follow than Qiong Xing’s, but Cari could tell he was trying his best, so he worked hard too.
"I’m the one who said I wanted to do it."
He had been the one to bring it up.
Before, when they were going to build a house at Iseul’s place, he had almost been left behind because it was dangerous, but he insisted and was taken along.
He understood they were worried about him.
That was exactly why he felt frustrated with himself for being unable to do anything.
Unlike Papa and the others, he didn’t have the strength to protect himself and his body was still small.
There was little he could do, but even as a child, he could use magic.
He wasn’t ready to help yet, but at the very least, he didn’t want to be a burden if he was brought along.
That was why, even though he couldn’t quite call him "big brother" yet, he still asked Albe who was the same race as him to teach him.
"Mama says it’s dangerous. He doesn’t want me to get hurt. So I’ll do my best."
"I see. Then we’ll both work hard so Qiong Xing will praise us."
"Yeah!"
He worked hard to protect himself and even harder so that one day he could protect Mama.
That was why it hurt when he wasn’t taken along and realized he had been left behind.
He knew Qiong Xing hadn’t been there since morning, but he thought it was just because he was busy taking care of his younger brother and sisters.
Papa and the others didn’t say anything either, so he simply waited, thinking he’d see him eventually while he played.
And yet...
"Ah, Cari. It looks like Qiong Xing has come back. Aren’t you going to go see him?"
"Huh?"
Only then did he realize that Qiong Xing had gone out and that he had been left behind.
Even though he had worked so hard.
Usually, he would be told beforehand.
He had wanted to be praised this time too, to be told he did well helping Mama.
Frustrated, sad, and sulking, he curled up on himself.
When Qiong Xing approached him, he asking him what was wrong, but he couldn’t bring himself to be honest.
He even got irritated at Iseul who had just been lounging around in the room and lashed out at him, thinking it wasn’t fair that Iseul was with Mama while he wasn’t.
"Cari got left behind! Mama, you left Cari behind!"
"Cari worked hard! I worked hard and even learned magic! Cari can work hard with Mama too!"
He had wanted to be patted and told he did well.
Lately, Qiong Xing had been busy taking care of his younger brother and sisters.
Although Cari endured it because he was the big brother...
"...Cari wants Mama to praise him too."
Unable to hold it in anymore, he said it and Qiong Xing pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Next time, I’ll have Cari help me too. Will you do it together with me?"
He understood him properly.
Being gently patted on the head by the mama he loved made him so happy.
"I love you, Mama."
"I love Cari too."
He was happy.
He was glad he had worked hard.
"Today, let’s do what Cari likes. Shall we read a picture book?"
"Um... a picture book and a nap."
When he said what he wanted, Qiong Xing smiled and nodded.
As Cari clung to his outstretched hand, he was lifted onto his lap and his favorite picture book was read to him.
After that, they napped together and even took a bath together.
"Cari, I’m sorry I didn’t notice sooner. If there’s anything I do wrong again, please tell me, okay?"
Something wrong?
Cari didn’t understand what he meant.
"I have made Cari feel lonely, didn’t I? It was my fault for assuming Cari would be fine. So from now on, please tell me, okay? If there’s something you want to do, or if you want more attention, when you rely on me, it makes me happy."
"Is it okay? You won’t get mad, Mama?"
He had seen a friend’s mother getting angry.
Telling them to endure because they were the older sibling and scolding them for being selfish.
That was why Cari had been holding himself back.
Because he only had Mama.
Because he didn’t want to be disliked by the mama he loved so much.
"I won’t get mad. I don’t know if I can grant everything, but if there’s something I can’t do, I’ll tell you properly. If it’s something that makes you happy and I can do it, I’ll do anything."
He loved being hugged tightly by Mama.
He loved when he patted his head and told him he did well.
He was happy when he said he loved him.
Even though he wasn’t really his child, even with his younger brother and sisters around, he still said he loved him dearly.
"Cari wants to play with Mama. I want to cook together again. I want to sleep together. I want to go out with Mama."
"That’s fine. Let’s do those things together little by little."
He loved him.
He loved him so much.
He clung tightly to him and he stroked his back while hugging him in return.
"Cari will stay with Mama foreveeer."
"Then Mama will never be lonely. Thank you, Cari."
Hehe.