"Now that you two have been acquainted, I’ll give you a tour of Oasis. I hope you’ll like it."
I looked at Kai who looked at quizzically.
"His Grace is here to see my town and establishnts so, we’ll be out in town. Would you like to co along?" I asked.
His expression morphed into that of anxiety and I got my answer.
"It’s fine," I smiled and then turned my head to see Lyall and Mrs Jones who were at a distance walk up to .
"Where have you been?" I asked looking at the two.
"His Grace told that he would like to look around himself." Lyall answered, Dad nodded in agreent and then I looked at Mrs Jones.
"I went to bring a snack for Young Master." She said as she showed the cookies wrapped in handkerchief and I sighed.
"I know he’s cute but don’t give him too much snacks, they’re not good for his teeth." I said and she smiled.
"I’ll keep that in mind, Master."
I nodded and then looked at Dad and Lyall.
"Let’s go, shall we?" I gestured for them to move before I looked back at Kai.
"We’ll be back till evening, eat your al properly and don’t eat too many sweets, all right?" I smiled at him while ruffling his hair and he reached out and pinched the edge of my sleeve in his fingers looking at with his doe eyes shining.
"What’s wrong?" I asked.
He then looked at Dad and Lyall and I crouched to his eye level.
"I’m not abandoning you here, if you’re thinking that." I spoke making him flinch.
I smiled softly as I cupped the side of his face with my palm, "I just have so work to take care of, once that’s done, I’ll sit and talk with you properly about the things that happen here."
He kept looking at with the expression of a lost puppy and I sighed before I turned slightly looking at Dad who was eyeing us curiously.
"You see that man?" I asked and Kai tilted his head to look at my Dad.
I leaned in to Kai’s ear as I whispered, "He’s my father."
Kai gasped loudly and flinched as his eyes widened before he looked at Dad again and I held Kai’s hand.
"I need to give so of my ti to everyone so, will you be all right for so ti? I’ll be back soon and besides, you won’t be alone. All these people here as all yours as much as they’re mine so, if you need anything then you can be free to talk to them as well. Mrs Jones, Lyall and everyone here is strong and likes you. This is your ho, Kai, your own ho so, don’t be scared to open up in front of them, do you get it?"
Kai stared at , I could see various emotions swirling in his beautiful doe eyes before he let go of my sleeve.
"I’ll be back soon," I said and he nodded.
I ruffled his hair again before I stood back up and turned to face Dad and Lyall.
Lyall joined Dad and as we set off on our tour of Oasis. We boarded a carriage bound for the town, the gentle sway of the vehicle making for a peaceful ride.
Dad, who had been observing Lyall closely, finally turned to .
"You seem to be really close to that child," he remarked.
I nodded. "He... is like ."
Dad’s brows furrowed slightly, but he waited for to continue.
"He’s a half-Dragon," I explained. "And he’s suffered a lot at the hands of greedy people. I had to take him away from there if I wanted to keep him alive. He needs —at least until he learns to harness his power."
Dad remained silent for a mont before murmuring, "He almost seems like your son."
Then, as if realizing how absurd the idea sounded, he frowned.
I chuckled. "I know it sounds strange, considering my age, but... he fits the image of Ocean’s successor—or even family."
Dad studied for a long mont before shifting his gaze to Lyall, who sat straight-backed and composed beside us. His quiet presence filled the carriage.
"He knows, Dad," I said.
Dad turned back to with a start. "What?"
"He knows I’m Reina," I clarified. "A lot of people in Ryujin Mansion do."
"You—You’ve told them?!" Dad gasped.
I crossed my arms at my chest, eting his startled gaze. "They needed to know."
Dad turned to Lyall, who remained silent, his expression unreadable. The boy had long since co to terms with the truth of my identity—unlike my father, who was still struggling to process it.
The rest of the carriage ride continued in silence, tension lingering in the air.
When we arrived at Oasis, we stepped out of the carriage, and Lyall instinctively positioned himself behind us—ever watchful, ever cautious.
I walked beside Dad, leading him through the town’s lively streets. Shops and establishnts were open, their owners calling out to passersby. The scent of freshly baked bread, roasted nuts, and dried herbs mixed in the air. The townspeople bustled about, tending to their daily tasks, and so paused to greet warmly.
Dad took it all in, his expression shifting from disbelief to sothing softer.
As we moved forward, I knew that this tour would open his eyes—not just to Oasis, but to the life I had built and the people who relied on .
As we walked through the bustling streets, people greeted warmly, their smiles genuine and their voices filled with affection. So even handed small gifts—freshly baked bread, pouches of fragrant herbs, and trinkets wrapped in delicate cloth.
Dad watched the entire interaction with awe, his eyes flickering between the townspeople and . He seed especially taken aback by the way they inquired about my well-being, offering warm bread if I was hungry or water if I was thirsty.
"All of them seem to know you," he finally comnted.
"Yes," I replied, nodding slightly. "I visit this place often to make sure everything is running smoothly. Everyone here has been helped by in one way or another."
At that, his gaze softened, admiration flickering in his eyes.
I led him to the Oasis Foundation’s administrative office, where I gave him a brief tour of its various departnts. He listened with rapt attention, occasionally asking questions, which I answered patiently.
Afterward, we made our way to the hospital, one of the busiest places in the kingdom due to the free dical care it provided. People from all over ca seeking treatnt, and the halls were always filled with patients and healers rushing about.
As we stepped into the Ergency Room, I spotted Doc Black, who was tending to a familiar-looking girl lying on a bed, her leg encased in a cast.
"What’s wrong, Viny?" I asked, recognizing her deep purple hair imdiately.
At the sound of my voice, she grinned. "Master!"
Before I could react, a pair of arms wrapped around mine, startling —and Dad, who visibly flinched beside .
"Where have you been, Master? Did you not miss us?" Gina, Viny’s identical twin, pouted up at .
"Get off of him, Gina! You’re not allowed to hog Master like that!" Viny whined.
"It’s your fault for being a clumsy head and landing in bed," Gina retorted, sticking out her tongue.
"Why you—"
Viny almost pushed herself up, but Doc Black placed a firm hand on her shoulder, keeping her in place.
"Stay down," he ordered.
Viny groaned in frustration. I sighed, gently prying Gina’s arms off , all while Dad looked like he was about to step in and pull away himself.
"She tripped and fell," Doc Black explained. "It’s a fracture. She’ll need ti to recover."
"It hurts, Master," Viny pouted dramatically. "Can you kiss the pain away?"
Dad coughed. Doc Black rolled his eyes.
"No way!" Gina latched onto my arm again, making sigh.
"All right," I relented.
"R—Lord Ocean!" Dad squeaked, horrified.
Ignoring him, I freed myself from Gina’s grasp and leaned toward Viny. She eagerly puckered her lips—only to receive a kiss on her forehead instead.
"You weren’t supposed to kiss there!" she whined.
I chuckled, stepping back.
"Be lucky you even got kissed!" Gina snorted.
Shaking my head, I turned to Doc Black. "Do you have a mont?"
We stepped outside the Ergency Room, leaving the two twins behind. I gestured toward Dad, who was still glancing warily at the girls.
"This is Duke Arthur Aurelius," I introduced him, then turned toward Doc Black. "And this is Doc Black, the esteed doctor who runs this hospital."
Dad nodded in approval. "That’s good to hear."
Doc Black gave him a once-over before turning his attention back to . "I heard you brought more people from your trip, Master."
"Yes, four dwarves and my successor," I confird.
He raised a brow. "You’ve made it a habit, haven’t you?"
I tilted my head. "What?"
"Most people bring back souvenirs from their travels. You, on the other hand, bring back people as souvenirs."
I laughed. "I suppose you could put it that way."
With that, I gave a final nod to the twins and turned back to my father. "I just wanted to introduce you to Doc and show you the hospital. Now that that’s done, we’ll take our leave."
Doc bowed slightly in farewell.
As we stepped outside, Dad hesitated before speaking again.
"D-Do most people here throw themselves at you like that?" he asked, clearly shaken by the twins’ behavior.
I smiled. "Most of them."
His face paled.
I shook my head. "It’s just those two. They’re playful. Other than them, it’s mostly children."
"Children?"
"Yes," I nodded. "Kids from the school and Eldarf."
"What’s Eldarf?" Dad asked curiously.
I smiled. "We’re headed there now. You’ll see."
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