# Chapter 94
Chapter 94
“This little troublemaker sleeping isn't just a one- or two-day thing.
She probably doesn’t even know when she slept.”
Blink.
Blink, blink.
Blink, blink, blink.
‘Calvard is always right.’
But it’s annoying.
“…Bernie doesn’t like Calvard.
Allen, hug me.”
“What?”
“Huh?
Of course, come here.”
Bernie loosened her grip on Calvard like a cicada letting go of an old tree and ran off, this time clinging to Allen’s upper body like a cicada.
Allen hugged Bernie tightly.
“Bernie, I think you’re just too cute.”
“Mmgh… But I can’t breathe…”
“Oh, sorry.”
“So, Bernie, what was it that you missed while sleeping?”
At Bernie’s question, the two of them let out an “Ah” before speaking.
“Oh, I heard a new kid is coming today.”
“A new kid?”
“Yeah.
A hero’s… I mean, Uncle’s daughter, I think?”
Bernie blinked, then widened her eyes.
Before that heroine… No, that homunculus arrives, should I make a lot of money first?
Bernie hasn’t made a single penny yet, and she’s already coming?!
‘Fake human!!
Homu… homunk…’
Bernie struggled to pronounce the difficult human word and tilted her head.
After blinking a few times, she rolled her eyes and thought.
‘Homu-ngi.’
Anyway, today brings another huge crisis.
‘But Bernie has way too many huge crises.’
First, she needed to go tell Dad that she was going to become the little boss of the chocolate factory.
Just as Bernie was thinking that and jumping down from Allen’s arms—
“Hello!
My name is Sharlone, and I’ll be staying in the annex from today!”
…Luri, the homu-ngi is already here.
What should I do?
“What?
Is that her?”
“But why did Uncle take her in?
There are plenty of people around.”
Allen spoke bluntly, and Calvard also looked displeased as he opened his mouth.
Allen glanced at Calvard, who stood with his arms crossed in a sulky manner, then started walking toward the stairs.
“I heard they let her choose a guardian, and she picked Dad because he looked the least scary.”
Allen answered Calvard while effortlessly carrying Bernie, who was dangling from him, down the stairs.
Calvard, still looking displeased, also walked down slowly.
Wavy, sky-blue hair.
Shining silver eyes.
A fair-skinned girl with porcelain-like beauty.
Her softly curved eyes were captivating, and her round, upturned lips made her look even more lovely.
‘A doll!’
Bernie thought of the pretty doll her grandfather had gifted her recently.
The girl looked exactly like a beautifully crafted porcelain doll.
‘Luri told Bernie not to hate or dislike the homu-ngi.’
She also told her not to get too close.
‘But what if the homu-ngi falls for Bernie’s cuteness?’
What if Bernie’s “cute attack” makes the homu-ngi completely fall for her?
Hop.
Bernie let go of Allen and chuckled.
In her imagination, young Bernie was sitting on a grand throne, holding a glass full of grape juice in one hand.
“Bernie, you’re really adorable.
I… I’ve ended up liking you!!
I didn’t know you were such a wonderful child.”
“Hmph.
I shall grant you the honor of being Bernie’s big sister.”
“If I become your big sister, will I get to eat honey-glazed sweet potatoes and twirly potatoes?
While holding you in my arms?!”
“Of course.
Bernie is a genius, after all.”
Bernie’s lips curled up mischievously.
Calvard, Allen, Dad, Grandpa—everyone said they felt happy when they hugged Bernie.
So, surely, the homu-ngi would also want to hold Bernie in her arms.
‘Bernie will execute the evil homu-ngi cute attack.’
With this cute attack, Bernie will become the protagonist together with the homu-ngi.
“Oh, nice to meet you.
Are you two…?”
Sharlone, her hands neatly folded, hesitated slightly before cautiously asking.
Calvard rubbed under his nose before suddenly pushing Bernie forward.
“My name is Calvard Yudia.
And this here is my cute… No, ahem.
Well, she does look kind of cute—my little sister, Bernie.
And I am Bernie’s first older brother.
Got that?
First.
Older.
Brother.”
“Oh… okay…”
It was unclear whether he was introducing himself, Bernie, or just emphasizing that he was Bernie’s brother, but Sharlone awkwardly nodded with a smile.
“What are you saying, bro?”
Allen lifted Bernie and placed her in front of him as if competing with Calvard, then quickly spoke up.
Bernie, now accustomed to being easily lifted by Allen, who had grown incredibly strong over the past few years, dangled effortlessly in his grasp.
"Bernie is my real younger sibling.
That one over there is officially a cousin.
So, I'm the real first older brother of Bernie.
The first older brother, Allen.
Well, my name isn’t important, so you can just call me Bernie’s first older brother."
“…Ah.”
Sharlone’s pupils trembled slightly.
The girl’s silver eyes quivered as she forced a smile and slowly nodded.
“I see!
You must be Brother Allen and Brother Calbard, right?”
“Brother…?”
“Oh… I’m sorry.
Was ‘Brother’ too familiar?
I just…”
“No, it sounds nice.”
Calbard, looking troubled, rubbed his chin once before quickly lowering his gaze to Bernie.
“Hey, little bunny.
Try calling me Brother Calbard.”
“Brother Calbard?”
Bernie blinked and tilted her head slightly before obediently saying it.
At that moment, Calbard’s nose burst with a sudden nosebleed.
“Kyaaah!
Blood…!”
“Ugh, come on.”
As Sharlone screamed in surprise, Allen clicked his tongue, pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, and threw it at Calbard’s face.
Calbard caught it naturally and skillfully stopped the bleeding.
“Anyway, now that you’re here, there’s only one thing you need to remember.”
After finishing the bleeding, Calbard stepped closer, ignoring Allen’s disapproving look, and spoke.
“One thing?”
“Yeah.”
Calbard quickly grabbed Bernie under her armpits and lifted her up, holding her out in front of Sharlone.
“Huh?!
Stop it!”
Bernie, dangling in midair, flailed her arms around.
As Allen poked Bernie’s puffy cheeks, Calbard looked at Sharlone seriously and spoke.
“Hey, what do you think?”
“Huh?
What do you mean…?”
“I’m asking what you think of our youngest.”
What do I think… What does he mean…
Lowering her gaze, Sharlone couldn’t hide her awkwardness and confusion as she stared at Bernie, who was now right in front of her.
A round face that still had baby fat.
Mysterious pink eyes.
Soft-looking, slightly puffed-up cheeks that seemed to hold a bit of discontent.
And when their eyes met, Bernie gave a bright, beaming smile.
“C-cute…?”
“Approved.”
At Calbard’s sudden declaration, Sharlone looked up at him in confusion.
The unexpected word “approved” left her speechless, as if this was some sort of interview.
“Huh…?”
“I was debating whether to accept or reject you, but your sense isn’t too bad, so I’ll approve you.”
“Oh… I, uh, thank you.”
Blinking in confusion, she slowly nodded.
Dangling in the air, Bernie grinned widely and spread her arms.
“Nice to meet you!
Sha, Sha… Sharolong…?”
“…My name isn’t Sharolong, it’s Sharlone.”
Sharlone’s eyebrows twitched as she heard Bernie’s strange mispronunciation of her name.
Still, she smiled brightly, grabbed Bernie’s hands, and shook them up and down.
Squeeze—
Of course, despite her cheerful expression, she was squeezing with all her strength.
“Nice to meet you too, Bernie.”
Sharlone.
A created artificial human, a homunculus, had about twice the strength of an average child.
‘Ah, shaking hands while smiling is kinda bad!’
Bernie had already taken the first step in her cute-cute strategy Homunculus Meltdown!
“Yeah!
Bernie too!”
Smiling widely at Sharlone’s friendly face, Bernie firmly grasped her hands.
Squeeeeze—!
And now that Bernie had turned eight, her strength was about five times that of an average child.
“…!?”
Of course, since people like Kiriel, Calbard, and Allen also had abnormal strength, no one even noticed.