At that exact moment, the nursery door burst open.
Leonarth stood there, breathing hard, his jelly leg squelching loudly on the floor. He had somehow convinced, or more likely bullied the Tower's outer wards to let him inside. He now stood in the middle of the nursery. His eyes locked on Lush.
"You!" he snarled, flames flickering around his free hand. "Still playing nanny? I remember you webbing my delegation to the ceiling like common flies!"
Lusha's eyes sparkled with pure delight. She set Hania gently on the rug and turned to face him, hips swaying as she stepped forward. "Greetings, Duke Jelly-Leg. Still as loud and fiery as ever. Though the leg is a lovely new touch. Very… avant-garde."
Leonarth's fire flared brighter. "Don't you start with me, you eight-legged menace! I came here to complain to the baby, not get insulted by the help!"
Hania, still on the rug, watched with wide eyes as Leonarth turned to her, pointing at his wobbling leg. "Look at this! Look at what your father did to me, little princess! I fought beside him! I saved his life at least three times, maybe four if you count the time I distracted that annoying wyvern, and this is how he repays me? A leg made of grape jelly! I can't even attend court without leaving sticky footprints!"
Hania tilted her head, then gave a solemn little nod.
Yes. Father is terrible. I agree completely.
Leonarth's eyes lit up with betrayal-fueled joy. "You see? Even the baby understands! Finally, someone with sense in this cursed tower!" He crouched down with great difficulty, and continued his rant. "He's impossible. Calls everything 'bothersome.' I once offered him the entire Southern Duchy as a summer home and he said, and I quote, 'Too noisy.' Too noisy! As if my perfectly maintained estates are some kind of marketplace!"
Hania nodded again, more vigorously this time, and patted Leonarth's arm with her tiny hand in what she hoped was a comforting gesture.
Exactly. Your complaints are valid.
Leonarth looked like he might cry from gratitude. "You are clearly the only intelligent being in this entire family. I shall tell my great-grandson that you are a kindred spirit. We shall form an alliance against your father's tyranny—"
Lusha's voice cut in. "Oh? Did you ignore me? That's not fair. And the help? How charming. Shall we greet each other properly, then?"
Before Leonarth could answer, Lusha flicked her wrist. Thin strands of spider silk shot out, wrapping around his good leg and yanking him off balance. He stumbled, flames roaring, but Lusha was already moving.
She ducked under a wild fireball, trailing her fingers teasingly along his chest as she passed. "Still so hot-tempered. I like that in a man."
Leonarth spun, trying to blast her, but his jelly leg betrayed him again. It began to melt faster under his own heat, turning into a runny purple puddle. He slipped, flailing dramatically.
Lusha caught him mid-fall, one arm around his waist, pulling him close in a mock dance. She leaned in, lips brushing his ear. "Careful, Duke. You're melting all over my floor."
Then, with a wicked grin, she dipped him low and gave the wobbling jelly leg a slow lick, right along the translucent purple surface.
"Hmm…" she purred, licking her lips in the most seductive way possible. "It's like a salty grape. With a hint of expensive regret. Not bad, actually. Would pair nicely with wine."
Leonarth froze, face turning scarlet. "You—you—did you just lick me?!"
"Only a little," Lusha said innocently, still holding him in the dramatic dip. "Purely for scientific curiosity. The texture is fascinating. Very… jiggly."
At that exact moment, the door flew open again. Kofery burst in, robes askew, hands already glowing with bright blue magic. "What is going on in here?! I heard shouting and—" He spotted the purple puddle, the flames, and Lusha still holding red-faced Leonarth in a dip. "Master's guest? The Duke? With the… jelly leg? And you're licking it?!"
Kofery thrust both hands forward. A shimmering blue barrier snapped into place around Hania, shielding her from the chaos. "Everyone stop! This is a nursery! And most importantly there is a baby present!"
Leonarth tried to stand straight, but his melting leg made him wobble again. "How dare you lick me!"
Lusha released him with a graceful step back, smiling sweetly. "It was merely a taste test. You were melting anyway. Waste not, want not."
Kofery's voice rose to a near-squeak. "This is highly inappropriate! Duke Emberlyn, you are a guest! And Lusha, you cannot just… lick people! Especially not melting ones!"
The argument exploded. Leonarth waved his cane wildly. "She started it! She called me Jelly-Leg!"
"You called me 'the help' first!" Lusha shot back, flicking another silk strand that playfully wrapped around his cane and yanked it sideways.
Kofery stepped between them, barrier still up around Hania. "Both of you! This is undignified! Stop it! The baby is watching!"
The noise grew louder. Flames crackled. Silk strands whipped through the air. Kofery shouted warnings while trying to keep the barrier steady. Leonarth complained about his leg. Lusha teased him about the flavor.
Hania's tiny hands clenched into fists. The shouting was too loud, too annoying, too much. Her face scrunched up in baby frustration.
"Stop!" she tried to shout. What came out was a loud, high-pitched scream: "WAAAAAHHHHH!"
Everyone froze. Then Hania kept going, scolding them with all the anger in her tiny body. "You're all being ridiculous! Stop fighting in the nursery! This is not how adults behave!"
What actually left her mouth was a stream of angry baby babble: "Iieww… wee… Abbssja… ajaj… Waaah!"
The room went dead silent. Leonarth, Kofery and Lusha, all stared at her. Then, slowly, all three of them pressed their lips together, shoulders shaking as they tried, and failed, to suppress their laughter.
Leonarth turned away first, coughing into his fist. "The… the baby is scolding us…"
Kofery's face turned bright red as he fought a grin. "She sounds so serious…"
Lusha covered her mouth, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Oh, little moon… you are adorable when you're angry."
Hania crossed her tiny arms and glared at all of them, which only made the adults struggle harder not to laugh.
After a moment, Lusha clapped her hands once. Silk strands shot out from her fingertips, quickly cleaning the purple jelly from the floor and straightening the furniture in a blur of efficient magic. The room was spotless again in seconds.
Then she conjured a large, comfortable chair and gently placed Hania in it, even though the chair was big for her, making her look like a tiny queen on a throne.
Kofery, still fighting a smile, hurried out and returned with a tray of tea. He set a cup in front of Leonarth with exaggerated politeness. "Tea, Duke Emberlyn? Perhaps it will help with… the melting."
Leonarth sat down opposite Hania, still red-faced, and accepted the cup. "Thank you," he muttered. "Though I maintain that the spider started it."
Lusha leaned against the wall, arms crossed, looking far too pleased with herself. "And I maintain that grape jelly is an acquired taste."
Hania sat in her oversized chair, rabbit in her lap, and gave all three adults her best disapproving baby stare.
The silence lasted for a few seconds. Leonarth set his teacup down a little too hard. "Right. Where was I? Ah yes… your father is impossible. I once sent him a perfectly reasonable letter suggesting we combine our research on elemental stabilization and he replied with one word: 'No.' One word! After I spent three weeks drafting that letter!"
Hania nodded solemnly, patting the rabbit's head as if agreeing.
Yeah! Yeah! Continue.
Encouraged, Leonarth leaned forward. "And the jelly leg! This is the third time! Last month it was blueberry. The month before that, it was raspberry. I'm starting to think he's experimenting with flavors on purpose. Do I look like a dessert tray to you?"
Hania shook her head, then pointed at his leg and made a small questioning sound.
Why does it keep happening?
Leonarth threw his hands up. "Because your father has the sense of humor of a frozen rock! He says it's a 'temporary disciplinary measure.' Disciplinary! For what? For visiting? For bringing gifts? For existing?"
Kofery cleared his throat nervously. "Duke Emberlyn, perhaps we could discuss this more calmly."
"Calmly?" Leonarth's voice rose. "Calm is no longer an option!"
Lusha's smile widened. She pushed off the wall and sauntered closer, hips swaying. "You never become calm, even if it was an option," she corrected sweetly.
Leonarth's fire mana flared involuntarily. "You stay away from me and my leg!"
"Make me," Lusha purred, flicking her fingers. A single strand of spider silk shot out and playfully wrapped around his cane, tugging it sideways. The fight reignited instantly.
Leonarth swung the cane and the attached silk, like a fiery baton, flames crackling. "I fought dragons! I will not be toyed with by a glorified spider!"
Lusha dodged with graceful ease, laughing. "Dragons? Please. You barely survived the wyvern incident. I webbed three of them to the ceiling while you were still screaming about your singed eyebrows."
The room had just settled into an awkward, giggling quiet when the door opened again, without a sound.
Dravin stepped inside. The laughter died instantly.
He took in the scene at a glance: Hania in the oversized chair like a tiny judge, Leonarth with his melting leg and half-empty teacup, Kofery frozen mid-pour, Lusha leaning against the wall with a smile.
"Explain," he said.
Leonarth straightened as much as his jelly leg allowed. "Your daughter is an excellent listener unlike you. Also, your nanny licked my leg. Twice."
Lusha waved a hand lazily. "Only once. The second time was purely for quality control." Kofery tried to hide behind the teapot.
Dravin looked at Hania. But Hania looked at the door and thought, So how many times are you going to open for their dramatic entry and then close silently? Hmm… so that's how manhwa doors work. Even they're paid actors. Huh.
Hania looked back at him, and gave a tiny, innocent shrug.
They started it.
He turned to Leonarth. "Your leg will return to normal in three days. Stop melting it faster by shouting."
Leonarth opened his mouth to protest. Dravin raised one eyebrow. Leonarth closed his mouth.
Dravin walked over, picked Hania up from the chair, and settled her against his chest as if the entire chaotic scene had been nothing more than background noise. "Tea is unnecessary," he told Kofery. "The Duke is leaving."
Leonarth sputtered. "What? Is that how you treat your guests who bring gifts? Oops… you never had one besides me. My bad."
"Leave them."
Lusha chuckled softly. "Always so efficient, Archmage."
Dravin ignored her and carried Hania toward the door. As he passed Leonarth, he paused just long enough to add, "Next time you visit, do not bring drama. Or I will make the other leg blueberry."
Leonarth clutched his teacup like a shield. Dravin continued walking. Hania rested her head against his shoulder, the stuffed rabbit still in her arms, and glanced back at the room.
Lusha winked. Kofery waved weakly. Leonarth raised his teacup in a reluctant toast. Hania smiled.
Somewhere behind them, Leonarth's voice drifted out one last time: "The baby agreed with me! Did you hear that? The baby agreed!"
Hania buried her face in Dravin's coat to hide her laughter.