Cyan's "Blessing"

"Lyra, look at me."


Early in the morning, Cyan quickly seized Lyra as she lazily walked out from her room.


"What is it, Dad?"


"Who are you?"


Cyan asked with a serious expression that made Lyra surprised.


She blinked several times and only after a few seconds passed did she manage to open her mouth. But this was the words that exited her small mouth.



"...Dad, are you sick?"



To Lyra's question, Papa Cyan's answer was...


"Answer me. Introduce yourself properly, give me your complete basic information."


With his serious expression as he tried to interrogate her, Lyra decided to give him what he wanted and see what he was aiming for!



"...? I am Alrescha Lyra Hartmann. I was born on Day 25 Month 7 Year 970, which means I turned six just recently. I'm living with my mom, dad, big brother, and several employees at my house... -long details omitted-"


"Good. That... consider that as a practice for your entrance interview!"


"...?"


Lyra tilted her head in confusion, but then she concluded that her father would want to help her practice for the entrance exams, so why not?



"Eh, then Dad, let's have this kind of practice again until my entrance interview. Please tell me what I should and should not say!"


Lyra innocently requested for more of this weirdness!


Cyan felt a bit guilty but he managed to smile and said, "Sure."



However, instead of letting her go, Cyan continued to stare at Lyra, which made Lyra confused.


"Uhm...?"


"Hmm... Lyra, see this."


Cyan took out a cross and pointed it at Lyra.



"...Uh, yes?"


"How do you feel?"


"...Nothing?"


Cyan then touched the cross lightly to Lyra's forehead and Lyra's chest.



"Dad...? Are you giving me your blessing for something?"


"Ah, yeah, it's for your studies and training so that your entrance exam is going on well."


"Thank you, Dad!" Lyra hugged Cyan softly.


To think that Dad would help me a lot in facing my entrance exams!


Lyra genuinely believed that and her chest became warm.




"Alright, the water should be ready. You should prepare yourself to take a bath."


"Okay~!"



Before Lyra reached the bathroom, Cyan quickly went to Cassie's side.


"Cass, have you purified the bath water as I have told you to?" Cyan then asked Cassie, who heaved a long, long sigh.


"Yes, I have. What's wrong with you? I'm telling you, Lyra shows no sign of possession at all. Not today, not two years ago, not six years ago. I am a [Light] magic user, I can sense if someone's cursing her or possessing her."


"I just don't want it if Lyra's affected by nearby vengeful ghost or anything, so..."


Cassie glared at Cyan.




"No, this is just a precaution, precaution!!" Cyan quickly defended himself.


"I'm telling you, it's affirmative that she's only gifted and retained some memories of her past incarnation. Stop thinking of other things that will make you anxious."


Cassie sighed. If only she was cooking right now, she would be cutting the meat or vegetables as if she wanted to kill someone.




Lyra quickly finished her bath and paused shortly upon seeing Cyan and Cassie on her way out.


"Mom, Dad, did we change something from our bath? The water today feels oddly more refreshing!! I like the water just now!"


"Really? Nothing changed... It might be your imagination? Or it might be our luck with the water this morning," Cassie quickly answered—there's no way she could let Lyra know about Cyan's antics and more especially, the reason behind it! Moreover, there's no way she would purify the bath water everyday...


"Ah really? Hmm, I see~"


Lyra left them while humming and drying her wet hair on the towel.



"..."




"See, I told you? Why did I comply with your ridiculous purification idea, anyway...," Cassie rubbed her temples.


"Well, better safe than sorry, right?"


"Does that mean you doubted my judgment?!" Cassie shot a sharp glare at Cyan.


"No, not at all! Anyway, I will make sure to find out more about it."


Cyan quickly tried anything he could do to coax his angered wife.



From that day onwards, Lyra would spend some of her time to ask Dad to look after her performance for the entrance exams~!


If anything, perhaps Cyan's weird antics and his insecurities granted Lyra the chance to consult her (already-good) performance to him, and ask for simulations~


So, this can be counted as something good, more or less.



Altaire thought that it wasn't weird for Lyra to be doing some practice, especially for her upcoming entrance exams.


After all, he also asked his parents' opinions for his interview and magic exam.


If only he knew how weird the beginning of Lyra's interview exam practice with Cyan was...


Though the only people who knew about it are Lyra, Cass, and Cyan.




Oddly enough, Lyra didn't question anything. It might be because she was more used to Cyan right now, or it might also be due to her growing trust with her Dad.


If only she questioned how weird her dad's actions actually were...


She might have obtained some hints about how her parents aren't completely clueless about that secret of hers!




As Lyra passed her days as usual, Day 8 Month 7 finally arrived. Luca and Kiri were done with their exams. As much as Lyra wanted to visit them to probe more on the entrance exams, since it was not possible to visit on Day 8... and how she had to do her final preparations on Day 9, in the end, Lyra had no chance to do so.


To cheer herself up, Lyra talked in her mind.



[Congratulations, Lyra! You're free from any spoiler about this year's entrance exams! Aren't you excited for tomorrow?]


...and smiled bitterly.



[Worry not, if you—as a formerly 13-year-old—didn't manage to enter the special class, then who could?]


With that kind of mindset, Lyra was able to calm herself down and view Day 10 Month 7 as no challenge. Except for... having to socialize with the other children. She couldn't help but get excited and worried about that part, as she was not a sociable person in the past.




Finally, the long-awaited day...


Day 10 Month 7 Year 976, is coming right ahead!

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