Celia knelt down, studying Grem with an almost motherly concern. “Grem… what happened?”

  Grem let out a long sigh, scratching the back of his now much smaller head. “B-Baelze showed up,” he stuttered, still trying to get used to his new voice. “She threw some kind of potion at me, and ran off yelling about revenge.”

  “Baelze?! That tiny demon you and mother fought a few years ago?” Alya adjusted her gsses, “What exactly did you do to her castle?”

  “We blew it up.” Grem muttered.

  “Though, I will say I might have put too much mana in that explosion spell back then.” Celia smiled sarcastically.

  “Anyway, I tried to chase her down, but—” He motioned to himself with a deadpan expression, his oversized sleeves flopping. “Turns out I don’t have the best speed anymore. To think she still holds a grudge on me…”

  Viena smirked, crossing her arms. “Alright, then. Let’s go drag that little twerp back here and make her undo it.”

  Alya nodded. “If I cast a tracking spell, we can find her quickly—”

  Celia straightened up, folding her arms. “Girls.” Her voice was gentle but firm. “And what, exactly, do you pn to do with your father like this?”

  Both sisters hesitated, gncing at the shrunken Grem. He sighed. “Look, tracking Baelze down isn’t the problem. Figuring out what she hit me with is. I have never heard of a potion that…turns people into children. The Grand Library might have something on this potion.”

  “I suppose they do.” Celia replied. “They are closed now, but we can go there first thing tomorrow morning.”

  Just as Grem nodded in agreement, a cold breeze swept through the yard. He barely had time to react before his tunic slipped right off his shoulder, pooling around his feet.

  Alya let out a strangled gasp and immediately spun around, her ears turning red. “I—I saw nothing!”

  Viena, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes to inspect the specimen in front of her “Oh, wow…You’re actually tiny all over.”

  Grem sighed, crouching to cover himself as best as he could. “Alright, alright, enough!”

  Before he could grab his tunic, a pair of warm hands lifted him effortlessly. Celia scooped him up into her arms, holding him like a small child. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she tucked some of his messy brown hair behind his ear. “You know dear…you’re actually adorable like this.”

  Grem groaned. “Celia…”

  She giggled, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “Mm, Sorry. I just can’t help it~”

  Viena giggled seeing what was occurring in front of her. Alya, still covering her face, muttered, “Can we please get Father some proper clothes first?”

  Grem just sighed again. This was going to be a long night.

  ***

  Later that night, Grem stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bedroom, staring at the unfamiliar reflection.

  A small boy—no older than six or seven—stared back at him. Tousled blonde hair, round cheeks, big green eyes that once held the weight of an experienced adventurer now looked… soft. Innocent. His limbs were scrawny, his fingers small. He lifted a hand, flexing his tiny fingers. How had he ever held a sword with hands like these?

  He sighed, rubbing his face. This was so bizarre.

  And to make matters worse… this outfit.

  The white nightgown, clearly designed for a girl, hung loosely around his frame. It had ce at the sleeves and hem, and while it wasn’t too frilly, it was still obviously not made for him. It was one of Viena’s hand-me-downs—because, apparently, there were no little boys' clothes in the entire mansion.

  Grem pinched the fabric between his fingers. He sighed again. “This is ridiculous.”

  The bedroom door creaked open, and soft candlelight flickered against the tall, graceful figure stepping inside. Celia's blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, freed from its earlier tie, glowing like spun gold in the dim light. Her nightgown—thin, silky, and ever so slightly sheer—clung to her generous curves, the faintest outline of her figure visible beneath. The delicate ce trim at the neckline only added to her effortless allure, and with every step, the fabric shimmered against her smooth, fair skin.

  Grem caught her tall, radiating reflection in the mirror behind him. Meanwhile, he stood there, small and dressed like a lost vilge girl.

  “Admiring yourself?” Celia leaned against the doorway, smirking. "You’ll grow up big and strong, you know~" she said in a teasing manner.

  Grem sighed, continuing to examine his body. "Just… getting used to it."

  She hummed in amusement, stepping closer, her bare feet barely making a sound against the floor. Then without warning, swooped down and effortlessly lifted him off the floor. "Wha—Hey!"

  Ignoring his protest, she carried him over to the bed, her embrace warm and secure. She pced him gently onto the mattress, then pulled the bnket up to his chin, tucking it snugly around him.

  Grem exhaled, shooting her an exasperated look. "Celia—"

  She only smiled, brushing a hand through his hair. "There. Nice and cozy."

  He frowned, shifting slightly under the bnket. "You know I don’t actually need to be tucked in, right?"

  Celia gave a small, knowing hum, her fingers still combing through his hair. “But you’re letting me do it anyway."

  Grem clicked his tongue but didn’t argue. Fine. If it made her happy. He knew Celia was fond of children. In fact, before this whole potion fiasco, he was going to ask her if she wanted to go for a third child.

  Celia then slipped into bed beside him, the mattress dipping slightly under her weight. She let out a soft sigh, settling comfortably before she began to him a gentle, soothing melody.

  Grem rolled his eyes at first. Did she really think he’d just drift off because she was humming a lulby? He wasn’t that much of a child. “Celia…that’s not going to—”

  And yet, the warmth of her body next to him, the steady rhythm of her breathing, and the way her skin brushed against his—it was all ridiculously comforting. She smelled like fresh blossoms, mixed with something warm and familiar. His tiny body, seemingly on instinct, betrayed him. Before he even realized it, he had nestled into her chest, his face resting against the smooth fabric of her nightgown.

  Celia chuckled, lightly stroking his hair. “There we go… You’re such a sweetheart like this.”

  Grem murmured something incoherent, already feeling his eyelids grow heavy. Maybe it was the warmth, or the gentle rise and fall of her breath beneath him, or the way her hand kept combing through his hair—but before he could fight it, he was sinking into sleep.

  Celia waited a moment, smiling as his breathing evened out. She carefully slid out of bed, tucking the bnket around his small form one st time. Leaning over, she pced a feather-light kiss on his forehead, then stepped over to the candle on the nightstand. With a gentle breath, the fme flickered out, plunging the room into darkness.

  She turned and silently slipped out the bedroom door for a quick errand, leaving Grem to sleep peacefully in the quiet night.