I chased after Dori. First, I returned home, only to find Chips curled up at the entrance. Her belly had grown noticeably larger—enough that anyone could tell she was pregnant.
「Have you seen Dori?」
『Kuuun』
She shook her head as if to say no. It seemed Dori hadn’t come back here. Speaking of which, Potato was supposed to have returned home as well, but there was no sign of him.
「Where did Potato go?」
『Woof!』
Chips stood up and barked in the direction of the flower field. There was no need for her to stand, but maybe Mitsume Wolves were the type of breed that instinctively stood on two legs when something caught their attention.
Following Chips’ guidance, I headed to the flower field, where I found Potato pacing in circles. Every so often, he would stop, crouch, and hold his head in his paws.
「Potato, do you know where Dori is—」
『Woof!』
Before I could finish, Potato pointed—or rather, aimed his paw—toward the center of the flower field.
Squinting to look closer, I noticed a patch of dark green that bulged up like a small hill. That must be Dori’s head.
「Dori, where are you?」
「Nutt ere.」
When I called out, a voice answered back. Was she trying to say, “I’m not here”? Her cuteness made me smile despite myself.
「Do you hate Papa, Dori?」
「Hate.」
Hearing her actually say she hated me broke my heart. I felt like crawling under a blanket and crying.
Still, every time she said she hated me, I could hear her sniffle faintly.
「Papa loves Dori, you know?」
「Namba wan.」
「Namba one?」
「Papa, Dori’s namba one.」
「Papa is Dori’s number one?」
「Yeah.」
-0-
「Dori, Papa’s not not.」
Was she trying to say that while she considered me her number one, but I’m not like that to her? Seeing Yuri hug and kiss me must have made her feel like she wasn’t my top priority.
To me, Dori had always been number one, but it seemed I had made her feel otherwise.
「You’ve always been my number one, Dori.」
「Liar.」
If words won’t reach her, I’ll have to show her through action. But to get into the flower field, I’d have to step on Dori’s flowers.
「Excuse me for a bit」
I apologized to the flowers as I stepped carefully into the field, making my way to the center. The flower field, which had grown larger over time, was now in full bloom at its core, with vibrant blossoms surrounding me.
「Dori」
「No!」
When I grabbed Dori’s hand, she slapped it away with all her strength. The force of her tiny hand hurt more than a slap from an adult.
「I’m sorry, Dori」
I hugged her from behind, but she thrashed about in my arms. She must have hated not being my number one that much.
How could I make her understand that she was always number one to me?
I started thinking about why she felt otherwise. When Yuri clung to me, Dori had been upset but didn’t look sad.
It was clear now—the kiss on my cheek had been the cause.
「Dori, you’re my number one!」
I held her tight to stop her from struggling and kissed her cheek. Whether out of surprise or something else, Dori stopped moving.
「Really?」
She tilted her head as she looked up at me. Her eyes were reddened, with the whites stained crimson, giving her an appearance reminiscent of the Dryads I’d seen in monster guides. Even her skin, usually a warm yellow, had turned a shade of green.
Was this her true form? Or had her emotions spiraled out of control, turning her into something closer to the dungeon Dryads?
While I was taken aback by her appearance, I nodded again and kissed her cheek once more.
「Dori manba wan!」
Dori threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly. As always, she hadn’t mastered her strength, and I heard a faint creak in my ribs, but I suppose that’s just part of raising a child.
「That’s right. Dori is my number one」
As I gently stroked her head, her skin gradually returned to its usual color, and the redness in her eyes faded, leaving them bright and clear again.
Her inability to control her emotions—that was what had almost turned her into a monster.
「Fufufu, Dori mamba one!」
As Dori happily nestled in my arms, a path naturally formed through the flower field.
Was this her power moving the flowers aside?
Realizing I didn’t need to carry her, I slowly set Dori down on the ground.
「Shall we head back?」
「Yeah!」
She gently took my outstretched hand, smiling as she skipped along. Together, we walked the flower-lined path back to where Haruki and the others were waiting.
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