Time passed quickly, though I couldn't tell how long, until I felt myself waking up. Not the usual kind of waking, but something gentler, almost strange, like a soft tickling sensation spreading all over my body. Along with it came voices, faint at first, then clearer.
"Mother! He's waking up!"
Mother? Whose mother? There's a mother here? Am I still in the cave?
My thoughts stirred in confusion as I slowly opened my eyes, my vision blurred as silhouettes formed before me. But unlike before, the shadows that once felt distant began to take shape, no longer vague or undefined.
They stood around me, towering presences that felt vast and immeasurable, their forms stretching beyond what I could fully comprehend. And then I saw them clearly, humanoid figures, elegant and beautiful, each one seated within a massive clam as if it were their rightful place.
Their garments flowed in shades of pink and violet, shimmering like water, and for a moment, I couldn't help but think they looked like characters from a game. I thought this world was full of creatures so why are there humanoids here… weren't they all clams before?
My gaze shifted, then froze when it landed on Aunt Karen. Inside her shell was a woman. Beautiful, refined, and currently staring at me with a sharp, unimpressed expression.
My eyes instinctively traced downward, and a terrible realization crept in. …Wait. Did I…When she noticed my gaze, she quickly covered herself and turned her head away with a snobbish look. Ah. I f***ed up.
In a small, trembling voice, I forced out the words.
"Did I… harass a minor?"
For a moment, there was silence. Then laughter. Soft at first, then spreading until the entire cave was filled with gentle, soothing amusement. I blinked, stunned, as a familiar glow approached from the side.
The clam nearest the entrance, the one I had always treated like a mother, stepped forward, her presence warm and comforting. Without hesitation, she pulled me into a gentle embrace, holding me close as she examined me carefully, checking my face, my body, as if making sure I was truly unharmed. Only when she seemed satisfied did she speak.
"She is not a minor," she said calmly.
"But she is the youngest among the fully matured clams. She is at least two hundred and fifty years old."
I was shocked at the same time amazed.
"…Wow,"
I blurted out before I could stop myself.
"Looks can be deceiving."
The woman froze slightly, then turned her face away, a faint blush forming on her cheeks. I paused, then muttered under my breath.
"…She still looks like she's in her twenties." at least by the human standard.
She glanced at me, her expression softening just a little before she muttered, "Hooligan."
I smiled, trying to flash what I hoped was a handsome grin only to freeze when I felt something tugging at both of my arms.
Arms? I have arms?
I turned my head, only to find two small figures clinging to me, happily swinging from my sides. Twins? A boy and a girl, their features strikingly similar yet distinct in their own way.
The boy had soft pink hair and wide, gentle purple eyes that made him look almost too innocent, while the girl's hair was a deeper violet, her bright pink eyes sharper, more observant, almost intelligent in a way that didn't match her age.
And yet…they felt familiar, uncomfortably familiar. Like I knew them…like they were mine. I glanced toward Aunt Karen fast, silently asking for an explanation, only to find her looking away with a faint blush and an oddly cute, annoyed expression.
"Dummy," she muttered. "They're the queen's children. The two clams you took care of before."
She paused.
Then, as if remembering something, her blush deepened.
"You didn't get me pregnant."
"…I didn't even say anything,"I muttered under my breath, scratching the back of my head in embarrassment. Yeah, I thought so. I didn't even… I blushed as the memory of that day came to me.
[ Paternal instincts: unexpectedly high. ]
I paused.
For a moment, I simply stood there, completely at a loss for words. Then I exhaled slowly, deciding not to dignify that with a response.
Shaking my head faintly, I let the comment pass and turned my attention to the two small figures clinging to me. Gently, I lifted them one in each arm, adjusting to the strange yet oddly natural feeling.
"So… you're the little ones I babysat before, huh?"
They looked up at me, their eyes bright with recognition. I leaned closer, lightly brushing my nose against theirs in a playful gesture. They giggled immediately, soft, sweet laughter echoing gently through the cave.
"So finally… you can finally see our true form."
I turned toward the voice and stilled.
At the farthest end of the cavern, elevated above all the others, sat the largest clam I had ever seen. Its shell was vast, its surface layered with soft hues of violet and rose, glowing with a depth that made the others seem dim in comparison. It did not merely rest there, it dominated the space, as if the entire cavern had been shaped around it.
Seated within it… was her.
Her posture was effortless, composed, one leg slightly drawn as she rested within the shell as though it had always been her rightful throne. Flowing garments of pink and deep purple draped around her form, shifting like liquid with every subtle movement, not worn, but formed, as if woven from the very essence of the pearl beneath her.
Her hair cascaded in soft waves, pale with hints of violet, catching the glow of the cavern light, while a crown-like structure rested upon her head, not placed, but grown, delicate yet undeniable in its authority.
But it was her presence that held me still—calm, silent, unmoving. Overwhelming… yet somehow comforting. She did not need to raise her voice or command anything. Her mere presence was authority itself.
"Boy… do you not know how to speak?"
"No. I was just…" I hesitated, then blurted it out before I could stop myself. "…speechless."
A soft chuckle slipped from the queen as she shifted slightly within her shell, her movement slow and graceful. She turned her gaze to the figure beside her, the man seated just below her, and a faint, amused smile touched her lips.
"Do you see that, my dear?" she said lightly. "He is speechless."
The man met her gaze, his expression warm, almost indulgent, as he returned her smile.