novelraw Chapter 43: Qiqi
Chapter 43: Qiqi
“Good morning, Mr. Fischer. You’re up later than usual today.”
When Fischer came downstairs, Fieron was already sitting at the dining table reading a newspaper. Nana was beside him, eating breakfast. What surprised Fischer was the presence of a small girl in the dining room—Qiqi, the Werekin girl that Fieron had adopted.
She had short brown hair with two pointed ears standing upright and was holding a cup slightly larger than her palm, sipping milk.
The main difference between Werekin and Dogkin was in their ears and the amount of body hair. Dogkin had floppy ears and typically more hair all over their bodies than Werekin. Overall, Werekin had stronger combat abilities, while Dogkin were better at learning.
She cautiously glanced at Fischer, then looked at Fieron, and finally took another sip of milk.
Fieron raised the newspaper and said to Fischer,“This is last week’s paper from Saint Nary. It says the king is planning to form an environmental investigation committee to inspect all those smoke-spewing factories around Saint Nary. They want to purify the air to prevent the black smoke from being blown into the Golden Palace every windy season.”
“That’s a good move. At least the citizens won’t have to worry about dying from lung disease anymore. I suppose even the king can’t stand the clear sky over the Golden Palace getting choked by smog...”
Fischer sat down and thanked the maid who brought him breakfast. Fieron set down the newspaper and sighed,“Exactly. According to the latest survey from Saint Nary University, sixty-four percent of the city’s residents list air quality as their top health concern... Sacrificing a few entrepreneurs’ interests for the wellbeing of the majority—well, that’s a necessary move.”
Before he could finish, the Werekin girl had already set down her milk cup, tugged on Fieron’s sleeve, and pouted,“Daddy, you still haven’t answered me... Can’t I go meet her in the outer city today?”
Fieron tapped on his gas mask with a troubled look and said to Fischer,“Apologies, Mr. Fischer. This little one made a pen pal at the outer city school and insists on meeting her today...” He turned to Qiqi and said,“But Daddy still has work to do today. Nana also needs to help settle the demi-humans who just moved in. I can’t let a maid or soldier take you out alone—I wouldn’t feel at ease.”
Qiqi puffed up her cheeks and crossed her arms in front of her chest in frustration. Though she looked angry, the tears welling in her eyes made her seem even more adorable.
“Daddy, you promised me...”
Seeing she was about to cry, Fieron had no choice but to pick her up into his arms. Then, as if an idea struck him, he turned to Fischer and asked,“Mr. Fischer, do you have any plans for today?”
“I’m taking Raphaëlle and the others into the city to stock up on supplies.”
“Ah, perfect.” Fieron patted the girl’s head and clapped his hands. “Could you take Qiqi with you and let her meet her pen pal? You know how the humans outside view them—I really wouldn’t feel safe letting just anyone take her.”
Still nestled in Fieron’s arms, Qiqi glanced tearfully at Fischer. Her ears twitched, her gaze full of wariness.
Fischer looked at her, then nodded.“I’ll keep an eye on her. She can keep Larr company too, that noisy little dragon...”
“Ugh, Daddy, I don’t want to be around that little dragon! She always steals my toys! I hate her the most!”
Fieron burst out laughing and stroked her head.“You can’t talk about others like that. Sharing your toys won’t hurt, and maybe you’ll even gain a good friend. So it’s settled then—Mr. Fischer, I’ll leave Qiqi in your care.”
And just like that, it was decided. By the time Raphaëlle came downstairs with Larr and the others, Fieron had already gone to the lab, saying he needed to replace the nutrient fluid in his mask. That left Nana behind to remind Qiqi about what to watch out for in the outer city.
“Fischer! Larr dreamed of Lady Raphaëlle last night. She swears she could hear her voice!”
Larr ran straight into Fischer’s arms. Her words made everyone pause for a moment. Mir blushed, while Fassil and Cachil gave Fischer a peculiar look. Nana hugged a bewildered Qiqi and pretended not to hear.
Only Raphaëlle, grinding her teeth, reached out to smack the tactless Larr, wanting to teach her the meaning of “loose lips sink ships.”
Fischer kept a straight face and said to Larr,“That was a hallucination. You probably just miss Raphaëlle too much.”
Cachil and Fassil both rolled their eyes at him.
“Anyway, we’re going out to buy supplies today, and we’ll also take Qiqi to meet her friend. Larr, I need you to keep an eye on Qiqi and stay with her.”
Larr still bore the slave mark, and staying close to Qiqi meant she could help keep her safe.
Larr glanced at Qiqi, who was cautiously watching her from Nana’s arms, and grinned at Fischer,“Got it! She and I are best friends! She always lends me her toys—I like her a lot!”
“......”
Something like that, maybe. Fischer didn’t question it too deeply.
He didn’t quite understand why Fieron entrusted Qiqi to him. If Fieron harbored any ill will, he wouldn’t have left a child by his side—unless he intended to use her in some scheme. Like staging a kidnapping and framing Fischer for harming a demi-human child...
All sorts of thoughts flashed through Fischer’s mind as he silently planned their outing, careful not to leave any openings.
“Once you’re out, listen to Mr. Fischer, okay? This is Daddy’s badge. If anything happens, show them this and tell them your dad is Lord Fieron. He’ll make sure to investigate no matter what... Got it, Qiqi?”
“Yes... I understand, Miss Nana.”
Nana handed her a dark blue badge, stroked her ears, and reminded her again and again. Qiqi clutched the badge in her hand and nodded.
“Looks like you’re all set. The guards at the gate will let you out. Just have Qiqi show the badge when you return.”
Fieron soon returned, dressed in new clothes. As the city lord, he had many other duties to attend to, so he didn’t join them. He left with Nana.
Fischer then took Qiqi and the others to his carriage, which had been parked in the courtyard outside. The horses had been tended by the servants. After confirming that the carriage’s locks hadn’t been tampered with, Fischer ordered the Dragonkin to board.
“Hi, I’m Larr. Even though you never talk to me, I know your name is Qiqi, right?”
“....”
“Thanks for lending me your toys. I have toys too, but they’re not mine—they’re from Fischer. Wanna see them?”
“....”
Chirping away, Larr climbed into the carriage, explaining how the space magic inside worked. She then pulled out the hourglass Fischer had once given her just to keep her quiet, hoping to lend it to Qiqi.
Qiqi wore a little dark green dress and held a gift wrapped in colorful paper, sitting silently behind Fischer. She occasionally glanced at Larr but said nothing.
Cachil and Fassil sat on the steps, laughing at Larr.“You idiot! She can’t even understand you! Stop talking—our heads are about to explode!”
“I’m not an idiot... Even if she doesn’t understand me, she should still say something! Is she mute? But I’ve heard her talk before! Or is she only mute in front of me?”
Ignoring the squabbling, Fischer glanced at Qiqi and asked,“Qiqi, where’s your pen pal? We’ll go meet her first.”
She looked up at him, her ears twitching, then raised the gift in her hands.“She... she lives at 74 Second Street. Her name is Angela. She said I just need to call her name from downstairs. Also... there’s one more thing I’d like to ask, Mr. Fischer...”
“What is it?”
She glanced at him holding the reins, then pulled a little sunhat from her pocket and put it on, hiding her ears. She looked back at the Dragonkin girls and said,“Could you have them stay in the carriage? I don’t want Angela to see them.”
“...”
Only after she spoke did Fischer notice how much softer her voice had become. She barely opened her mouth, afraid her Werekin fangs would show. Her tail was hidden under her long dress, and the ribbon on her hat was tied in a tight knot to keep it from slipping off.
“I... I didn’t tell Angela I’m a demi-human. I heard from Nana and the other soldiers that humans outside really look down on demi-humans, so...”
“...Alright. But stay where I can see you. What exactly are you two planning to do?”
“Nothing really... I just wanted to meet her. But she did say there’s a really good café downstairs. She wants to buy me a drink there when I visit. I promise I’ll stay in your line of sight. Please?”
Fischer nodded. They had left the inner city that Fieron had built for demi-humans and were heading out onto the main road.
“For your safety, I’ll need to stay close to you. Their safety matters too, so they can’t leave me either. We’ll all go into the café, but we’ll pretend we don’t know you until she’s gone.”
Qiqi’s eyes lit up, and she smiled brightly at Fischer.“Thank you, Mr. Fischer.”