The Divine Warden Is a Bad Kid

This citadel welcomed a young master on a snowy day.

He had a pair of wary black eyes, and both hands gripped the hem of the person beside him. His whole body was tense, like a little wolf cub.

The person who brought the young master told them that the child needed companionship, patience, and lots and lots of love. The tsukumogami didn't understand, but of course they would give their master all of that.

The moment the hem of the child's garment disappeared from his grasp, they understood.

The wary child froze in place. He looked around the unfamiliar citadel and seemed to shiver from the cold. Then he let out a piercing scream, covered his head, and hid in a corner.

By the time the tsukumogami came to their senses and found their young master, the child was curled up in a ball, trembling all over and refusing to let anyone touch him. Soft black bangs covered his eyes, making it impossible to tell what he needed.

*

The master was a bad child. He knocked away food offered to him, pushed away anyone who came close to hug him, and maliciously called them monsters. The tsukumogami were hurt and couldn't understand what they had done wrong.

They had done nothing wrong. Their master was simply a bad child.

One day, the child suddenly came down with a high fever. They were frantic. Since he wouldn't let them touch him, they could only give him medicine when he was so ill that he passed out.

His tiny body suffered terribly, and the fever wouldn't come down. The tsukumogami were beside themselves with worry and wanted to leave the citadel to seek help.

But suddenly, someone grabbed the hem of a garment. When they turned around, the feverish, dazed child weakly reached out. His face was flushed, and his black eyes glistened with tears. "Don't go..."

"Don't go!" His childish voice had never been so loud, yet he was already too weak for anyone to hear.

"..."

"As you command, Aruji."

Their master sobbed and curled up in his arms, gripping his clothes tightly.

Warning: OOC ahead.

Theme: Everyone has something they are good at. Don't lose heart.