Loren's ears perked up the instant he heard the name *Hermione*. That name stirred something deep in his memory, the image of a very special figure from the stories he once knew.
But outwardly, he remained calm, quietly listening until Mrs. Doris excused herself to prepare lunch. At last, Loren had the chance to lean toward his mother.
"Mom, I heard Mrs. Doris say she has a granddaughter. Why haven't I seen her before?"
Mrs. Angus stroked his hair with a smile.
"Of course Hermione lives with her parents. I haven't met her either, but according to Mrs. Doris, they live in London."
With wide, innocent eyes, Loren asked softly,
"Then… can I meet her someday? Mrs. Doris said we could be friends. I've never had a friend before, I don't know if it's fun."
Mrs. Angus pulled him into her arms, whispering tenderly,
"My darling Loren, you'll make many friends in the future. I promise."
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she said,
"Wait here, Loren. I need to call your father and tell him we'll be eating lunch at Mrs. Doris's. He'll need to take care of himself."
"Okay, Mom."
While she stepped over to the phone, Loren closed his eyes and called inwardly:
"System, can you confirm whether this is the Harry Potter world?"
"Ding! Insufficient data. Unable to confirm."
"What do I need to confirm it?"
"Ding! Contact with key characters or objects, or registering at critical locations, is required."
As he pondered this, Mrs. Angus and Mrs. Doris returned—one carrying sandwiches, the other glasses of milk.
"Here you go, little Loren," Mrs. Doris said warmly. "Try this ham sandwich, and drink plenty of milk. It will make you strong."
"Thank you, Mrs. Doris."
He wasted no time. After a morning of walking and greetings, hunger gnawed at him. He tore into the food while the two women chatted happily, the conversation drifting again toward Hermione—a subject Mrs. Doris adored. Loren sharpened his ears, gathering every scrap of information.
After lunch, as always, he took his nap, while the ladies prepared for the afternoon tea gathering.
But when the townsfolk's women all gathered, Loren's nightmare began.
At the tea party, Mrs. Doris first apologized publicly to Mrs. Angus, then praised Loren lavishly. Soon, he was being passed from one pair of hands to another like a prized doll, bombarded with endless questions. He answered as best as he could, and by the end of the ordeal, his reputation as a "smart, adorable child" was firmly established. The old rumor of the Angus couple's "simpleton son" would now surely vanish.
When it was finally over, Mrs. Angus excused herself, taking her son home to prepare supper.
On the way back, they stopped by Mr. Charlotte's bookshop. Mrs. Angus wanted to buy some children's books. She had tried before, but since Loren had never understood English, those books had been set aside.
While she browsed, Loren's gaze fell on a massive volume—*World Encyclopedia*. It was heavy, so heavy he struggled just to lift it.
By the time Mrs. Angus came to the counter with a stack of picture books, she saw her son clutching the encyclopedia, standing stubbornly at the register.
"Darling, you're still too little for that book. Hand it back to Mr. Charlotte. Mommy picked out stories for you—all the children love them. These will help you make friends."
"Mom, I like this one. Can we buy it? Please?" Loren hugged the thick tome tightly, his expression on the verge of tears.
Charlotte chuckled. "Mrs. Angus, let's call it my gift to him. That old edition's been sitting here for years, hardly worth anything. He clearly loves it."
"Thank you, Uncle Charlotte," Loren said quickly, seizing the chance.
Mrs. Angus sighed but smiled, bowing her head. "Thank you, Charlotte."
So, arms laden with books, she led her son home.
That evening, after helping with dinner, Mr. Angus took the new storybooks and began teaching Loren how to read.
During supper, Mrs. Angus beamed as she recounted the day.
"Joel, Doris apologized in front of everyone. Now the whole town knows Loren is smart and adorable."
Joel smiled proudly. "Yes, Nona. He's brilliant. I only read the stories a few times before he began reading them himself. He'll become a scholar one day."
"Oh no!" Mrs. Angus countered, clasping her hands in delight. "He's far too handsome. Our Loren will be an actor, breaking the hearts of countless girls."
Loren silently lowered his head, focusing on his food, ignoring his parents' fanciful debate.
Afterward, he told his mother, "Mom, I'm tired. I'd like to sleep early."
"Of course, darling. You had such an exciting day—it's no wonder. Come, let me tuck you in."
She led him upstairs to wash and rest, while Joel cleared the table.
———————
The next morning, Loren did not rise on his own as usual. Instead, Mrs. Angus had to wake him. Yesterday's events had drained him—body and mind alike. At least today, there was no tea party to endure.
After breakfast, she busied herself with the inn's chores, while Joel continued teaching Loren to read.
Though the boy had the gift of Universal Language Mastery, he endured the lessons patiently, careful not to reveal too much. He even asked questions now and then—some about the town, others about the ruined castle behind the inn.
The mention of the castle caught Joel's imagination. He launched into a vivid retelling, speaking with practiced enthusiasm.
It began centuries ago, when an English noble founded his domain there. Joel spun the saga of that family with flourish—tales of rise and fall, courtly intrigue, rebellions, wars. In less than two hundred years, the family collapsed, torn apart by feuds among three heirs. The eldest died on the throne within the castle, the second perished in rebellion, the youngest vanished without a trace, leaving behind only legends. Thus, the once-mighty Yoford Castle decayed into the ruin it was today.
Listening, Loren felt a faint tug of recognition at the name, though he could not place it. *Perhaps if I visit it myself, the system will trigger.*
Meanwhile, Joel reveled in the story, his son's admiring eyes encouraging him further. To visitors, this tale was his well-polished lure—one that drew guests to the inn, sustaining their livelihood.
Finally, Nona interrupted to call them to lunch.
As always, Loren napped afterward—a habit carried from his previous life.
While Nona went to tea with Doris, Joel waited eagerly for his son to wake so they could resume the lesson.
By supper, he proudly announced, "Loren is the brightest child—he can read stories on his own now!"
That evening, Loren excused himself quickly, darting upstairs with the pretense of reading storybooks. But what he truly wanted was to dive into the *World Encyclopedia* and learn, at last, what this world really was.
———————
Later that night, downstairs:
"Nona, have you noticed something strange about Loren? He always seemed out of step with others, and since yesterday, he's changed suddenly. Too suddenly."
"Joel, no matter what, he is our child. Isn't he wonderful the way he is now?"
"There's nothing wrong with it, Nona. He's brilliant. That's what worries me—it happened so fast."
"Joel, Loren is our son."
"…Yes. Loren is our son."
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