Myu pouted her cheeks when Leo gently placed Shea on the bed. And for a minute, his attention was solely directed at Shea.

‘How can papa ignore a cute girl like Myu?’

Thickheaded Leo never knew how Myu always had to endure her desire to play with him. She even went as far as to ignore him to seek his attention. Even that didn't help her.

Myu wasn't dense; on the contrary, her experience made her sharp and perceptive, unlike any kid of her age. She understood her papa had a lot of duties to take care of, many kind onee-chans to look after… or maybe she wasn’t worth his time.

She almost teared up at the thought.

The reason for her unnatural negativity was today was the arrival of summer, the first day of Junho month, but this day held one other meaning in Myu’s life.

Her birthday…

Today, Myu woke up, hoping to be wished by her papa. She skipped in the long corridors of her renovated home and entered the living room to receive a surprise.

“““Happy birthday, Myu!!!”””

Cheer louder than her mother’s screams at night reached her, and a bright smile made its way on her face. Her eyes darted around the room before her shoulders drooped down.

“Myu, don't be depressed. Papa must be busy with his work.” Remia picked her up and tried to cheer her.

“Leo is cruel.” Yue stroked Myu’s back to cheer her up. She was a bit resentful of her beloved.

Eri sighed at Yue’s reply and softly pinched Myu’s soft cheeks. “I can't side with him on this. How can he forget such a cute girl’s birthday?”

“Leo-san is wrong this time. He must be tending to Irene-san, that doesn't mean he can forget about Myu-chan like this.” Shea also joined the Anti-Leo group.

“Please do not criticize Dear over this. Having his affection is more than a blessing for me, and Myu, don't hate your papa for this.”

Remia supported Leo. She wouldn't hold a grudge even if he were to forget Myu’s birthday. She would just not let him forget about the next one.

“...Myu won't,” Myu whispered, making everyone even more enthusiastic in cheering her up.

While Remia managed to stop everyone’s plans to scold Leo, they were adamant that Leo would have to remember it on his own. Otherwise, some punishment would be needed.

And when Leo returned, Myu cast a hopeful look at her papa, only to receive a glance. After that, he disappeared, leaving her with teary eyes.

“Bad papa!”

“Ara~ Myu, don't be angry,” Remia whispered. “Attack Dear, when he comes back. If he doesn't remember, then say you aren't talking to him anymore. Dear is smart, and he will understand the hints.”

“Okay, Mama.” Myu mimicked the smile of her papa. “Myu understands what to do.”

The others shook their heads at this. This beloved daughter of the family was picking up habits.

Then, Myu witnessed the miracle of an old woman turning into a beautiful young woman.

‘Can Myu also grow old like this Oba-san became young?’

She crossed her arms on her chest. It was then that her papa appeared again, Myu waited for the right opportunity and leaped like her Shea onee-chan.

Her papa, like usual, caught her unharmed and held her like a child. She hated how he treated her like a child, but she also loved it. Her contradictory emotions severely clashed with each other. On the one hand, she wanted to be pampered by her papa, while on the other, she did not want to be treated like a kid.

In the end, the comfy headpats made her choose the latter.

---

Leo eyed Myu daydreaming with open eyes. The idea of reading her mind flashed in his head before he buried it. He wasn't an overprotective father robbing all freedom from his baby daughter.

(Are you sure about that?)

‘I wonder what my next child will be like. Will they be a cute girl like Myu or a handsome boy like me?’

(...)

He grinned and bent to pat Myu’s head, which made her come to her senses. She tilted her head before her lips formed an innocent angel-like smile.

He clasped her small fingers and brought her hand to kiss the back of it. “Myu, can this blessed father have the opportunity to accompany his daughter for a small adventure?”

Myu spiritedly nodded her head. She forgot all of her grievances, and clumsily leaned her body to exhibit a clumsy yet elegant bow. Yue and Liliana were teaching her some etiquette when they played with her.

“Papa, please~ Myu will be happy, nano!” She didn’t know what adventure her papa was talking about. But it sounded fun, so she agreed.

Then in the next moment, everything became a blur in her eyes. The sudden light forced her to close her eyes. She used one hand to cover the sunlight, and with almost closed eyes, she peered at the surroundings. It was water everywhere, even on the far horizon, only a beautiful blue. Suddenly, the ground under her feet moved. But a hand coiled around her waist to save her.

“Papa!”

“Look below you.”

She turned her gaze to her feet. “Wow!” She unconsciously exclaimed. The giant creature below her had beautiful, almost ethereal scales of deep blue color. She touched them.

“Papa, this feels like your horns~!”

“Yeah.” He nodded, feeling amazed by the changes in Delphy. Her body was far more prominent now, nearly 13m.

“Papa! What is this!?”

Her excited question made him chuckle. “She is Delphy, a friend of your daddy. Do you like her?”

Myu nodded her head as she caressed the slippery scale. “Very much!”

“Then, Delphy will be your guardian and a friend from now on. Right, Delphy, do you agree?”

“Yes, master. It’ll be my honor to serve the princess.”

Both Leo and Myu’s eyes stretched wide. Her fluent speech surprised him while Myu was stunned to see a creature speaking.

“Did Hearst teach you?”

“Hearst nee-chan helped me in learning many languages. I can also shapeshift freely.”

“Does that mean…?”

“Yes, Master. I can switch into a humanoid shape. But please do not ask me to turn now. It is rather ugly in comparison to other humans, so please wait until I gain a better form.”

Her tone carried guilt for denying his wish. He shook his head. In the first place, he was just curious about it. “Don’t worry. I can wait.”

“Thanks, master! Princess Myu, hold onto Master’s hand. Let us dive into the deep sea filled with wonders.”

Leo crossed his legs on Delphy’s back, and Myu happily hopped on his lap. As he stroked her hair, Delphy moved, displacing tons of water.

He created a barrier enchanted for protecting Myu. Although she could breathe underwater, her frail body won't be able to bear the intense underwater pressure. He used air magic on himself to breathe.

Thus began the trio’s adventure in the depth of the ocean...