章 40: Moonlight in the Living Room

Eldric sat on the living room sofa with a warm cup of tea in his hands. After a long day of work, he always felt relaxed seeing his family at home. Today, he had made it a point to finish early because Lumi, his six-year-old daughter, had something special to show him.

"Papa! Don't peek yet! Lumi's not ready!" Lumi's cheerful voice came from behind her bedroom door. Eldric chuckled softly, placing his teacup on the table.

"Alright, Papa promises not to look until Lumi says she's ready," he replied gently.

A few moments later, the door opened slowly. Lumi stepped out, dressed in an adorable Sailor Moon costume. The white dress with blue and red accents was paired with tiny red boots, long gloves, and a shining gold tiara on her little forehead. Eldric's face lit up, his heart melting at the sight of how cute Lumi looked.

"Tadaaa!" Lumi raised her hands in the air, striking a pose like her favorite character. "I am Sailor Moon, the champion of love and justice! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" she declared loudly, mimicking a scene from the manga.

Eldric clapped enthusiastically. "Amazing, Lumi! Papa feels like he's seeing the real Sailor Moon! Who made this costume so perfect?"

Lumi grinned proudly. "Papa! You ordered this costume, right? From your super cool shop!"

Eldric laughed. "That's right. The Carval Collective always delivers the best, especially for Papa's most amazing daughter."

Lumi bounced to the center of the room, raising a crescent-shaped toy wand above her head. "Now, watch this, Papa! Lumi's going to act out her favorite scene!"

"Of course, Papa will be the best audience," Eldric said, leaning back on the sofa, his eyes never leaving his daughter.

Lumi began reenacting Sailor Moon's transformation scene with great enthusiasm. She twirled her wand, hopped around, and recited the lines with a seriously adorable expression. Occasionally, she glanced at Eldric to make sure he was still watching. Each time their eyes met, Eldric nodded and clapped lightly when she finished a part.

When she was done, Lumi stood with her hands on her hips, looking at Eldric with sparkling eyes. "How was it, Papa? Was it good?"

Eldric got up from the sofa, walked over to Lumi, and lifted her into his arms. "Not just good, Lumi. That was the best performance Papa has ever seen. I'm so proud of you!"

Lumi giggled and hugged Eldric tightly around his neck. "Lumi loves Sailor Moon so much. Papa's really good at making that manga. But Lumi likes Papa playing with Lumi even more."

Eldric's heart swelled with warmth at her words. "Papa also loves spending time with Lumi, Mama, and your siblings. Papa promises to finish work early more often so we can play together, okay?"

"Yay! Papa's the best!" Lumi exclaimed, planting a kiss on Eldric's cheek. Eldric laughed, feeling the moment was utterly perfect.

"How about we eat some cake now?" Eldric asked, setting Lumi down gently. "I'm sure Sailor Moon must be hungry after fighting evil."

Lumi nodded excitedly. "Yes! But I'm staying in this costume, okay? So I can be Sailor Moon eating cake!"

"Of course. Sailor Moon can definitely eat cake while keeping the world at peace," Eldric teased, holding Lumi's hand as they walked to the kitchen.

That evening, the Carval household was filled with Lumi's cheerful laughter and Eldric's warm smiles. To Eldric, Lumi's happiness was the greatest joy he had ever known, more precious than any success he had ever achieved. In his eyes, Lumi was the true hero who brought moonlight into his heart every single day.