Chapter 18. Did You Ignore Me?
“Wout!” (Out!)
In order to collect information efficiently, one should listen to the stories of the people outside the room.
Lalima was not usually a chatterbox, but she was not a good match to get information from because the nanny constantly cracked her down.
I began to insist on going out.
The nanny, who was glad to grout at first, comforted me with embarra.s.sment when I begged her dozens of times a day.
“However, your Highness you went out for lunch, didn’t you?”
“Mwore!” (More!)
“You can’t.”
I was inwardly embarra.s.sed when the nanny hit the nail firmly.
‘I thought you would listen no matter what.’
It was an unexpected difficulty.
I looked up at the nanny desperately, but it was useless. I didn’t think she would refuse me.
‘What should I do?’
When she held onto her dress from my tearful face, the nanny’s determined expression collapsed a little.
‘……this is it!’
It’s cheap and cowardly, but I can’t help it. I began to cry pulling together emotionless emotions.
“Wout……” (Out……)
The nanny was at a loss of what to do. I extended the other hand and squeezed the nanny’s finger.
I only held one finger, but my hand was full.
“Oh my.”
The nanny opened her eyes wide and sighed, wrapping her cheek with one hand.
“But…… Then just for one minute?”
“Ooh!”
After I had achieved what I wanted, I went out in the nanny’s gentle embrace, followed by Xavier and my invisible escort, Lissandro.
“Ober twere!” (Over there!)
“This direction?”
“Oong!”
The nanny kept pointing to the crowded side because she was only going to places where it was rare.
Because of that, I succeeded in settling on the bench at the entrance of the garden where many people used to pa.s.s by.
It was a bench behind the bushes. so if you didn’t look carefully, you wouldn’t know there was a person sitting there.
“Isn’t it loud?”
“Oong.”
“The weather is still cold, so you can’t come out this often……”
With the worried nanny, I focused on the chatter of the pa.s.sers-by.
There was not much information gained today.
‘Is it a waste of time again?’
The information I wanted was why the Emperor wanted to put me on the throne, who was second in line to the throne, and who just turned one years old.
‘I think it’s got something to do with the oracle.’
Perhaps because of the oracle, the priests of the Holy Land showed interest in me.
They tried to kidnap me once.
‘I think they’re trying not to send me to the Holy Land.’
But this is just my guess, and I wanted to know the truth.
“Madame. It’s been a while since we came out. so……”
“H-hwate.”
I hurried to stop Xavier, who was about to say to go in. I didn’t know when I could come out again if I went in now.
It takes a couple of tear operations, and if I keep doing it, it’ll be less effective.
The nanny, who was folding my outer garment, opened her eyes wide.
“Oh my! Your hands are so cold……!”
“Hwate. wittle mwo.” (Hate. Little more.)
“At this rate, you’ll catch a cold again. We’ll come out tomorrow when it’s warm, okay?”
I was forced to nod my head at the nanny’s earnest remark.
Yeah. There’s tomorrow, so I don’t have to insist on today.
It was them. Two servants pa.s.sed by the street. chatting away.
“The Devlin’s devil……on the border again……”
I only heard parts of it because it was a pa.s.sing road, but I could understand the contents.
‘He escaped……’
Since them, I’ve been sick and laid down, so I was curious to hear about you, but I had nowhere to listen.
Actually, my conscience was stabbed at the fact that I condoned the escape of the nation’s enemy.
‘But he was a child, and he was covered in blood.’
I’ve only seen him twice.
Even though it was only for a few minutes, the boy’s eyes were clearly embedded as if they had been stamped on.
‘I’m sure I won’t meet him again.’
I shook the boy out of my head and went into the nanny’s arms. It was just as we got up from the bench.
A group of maids brushed past the bushes.
“Did you hear that?”
“What?”
I was going to pa.s.s by thinking it was nothing. But.
“His Majesty fell down!”
‘What?’
I heard something I couldn’t just listen to.
***
“Are you really okay?”
“I said I’m fine. Why do you keep asking? Do you want me dead?”
“O-of course not!”
Gustav felt falsely accused.
“I heard you skipped another meal.”
“I have no appet.i.te.”
“But Your Majesty. You need to preserve the jade body. No matter how hard it is, you should eat well and get enough sleep.”
Gustav kept it together and nagged.
At first, Esteban, which was letting the words go through the other ear, began to get irritated.
The expressionless face on Esteban was distorted.
“……you’re noisy.”
“Huk.”
Gustav hurriedly shut his mouth.
Perhaps due to a lack of sleep, Esteban’s first impression was even harsher than usual.
‘More nagging and I will die.’
Somehow, he felt sorry for him when the thought of being so ferocious was actually because his daughter said she didn’t like him.
Gustav’s eyes narrowed, feeling Gustav’s sympathy:
“What are those eyes?”
“What? T-that……”
“There hasn’t been much work lately.”
“Whaaat?!”
A sense of crisis that could end up with a mountain of doc.u.ments!
Gustav unknowingly blurted out the truth.
“W-well, if you want to see her Highness so badly, you can go see her!”
Swoosh- The atmosphere froze. At the same time, Gustav’s face faded.
Gustav was born with the first experience of regret while speaking out.
‘Stay still.’
But after already spitting out the words, Gustav saw Esteban’s expression.
Although his expression was colder than usual, he was unlikely to take his life right away.
Gustav fiddles away and slipped out the words.
“Um, your Majesty…… I’ve heard that her Highness is taking a walk every day recently.”
“A walk……”
Esteban’s expression of imagining Mabel, slightly softened. He was encouraged by Gustav.
“Yes, I heard she enjoys the outdoors. She asks to go out everyday. I’ve heard from the maids that when they say h.e.l.lo, she waves her little hands back…..haha……”
Gustav, who was imagining Mabel wave her hand, was awakened by a piercing look.
Esteban was staring at him. He thought his heart was falling.
“W-what’s wrong?”
“Who are you to talk like that about my daughter?”
“Pardon……?”
“Don’t pretend to be close.”
“When did I pretend to be cl-!”
Before Gustav could make excuses, Esteban jumped up and left the Oval Office.
Although he didn’t want to follow, Gustav hurriedly followed the Emperor’s footsteps, fearing that he may cause an accidents.
Esteban was headed for the bench at the entrance of the garden of the palace. Of course, Mabel was there.
Yes. Esteban was already being briefed on Mabel’s every move.
‘……It’s been a long time.’
He looked at Mabel from afar.
The baby sat side by side on the bench with Oscar, munching on something.
Every time she moved her mouth, her plump and flushed cheeks moved.
Even though she stretched out her feet as far as she could, it was short and she had no ankled yet.
It’s only been a few days since he had seen her, but she was different from the last time he had seen her.
‘Your hair grew by 1.4mm.’13
You’ve also seemed to have grown taller.
Esteban felt resentful that he had not been able to see Mabel for a few days.
Esteban, who was staring at Mabel, hurriedly hid himself.
“Oong?”
Mabel looked around and turned to Oscar again.
Gustav asked silently at the sad sight he couldn’t look at.
“You aren’t going?”
“……won’t she hate it?”
The first time he had heard it, it was a shock.
The second time he had heard it, it was a shock.
No, the more he thought about it, the more shocking it was. He didn’t know Mabel would reject him.
If he knew the reason, he would at least solve it through conversation, but he couldn’t solve it through conversation because he couldn’t communicate with her.
It was frustrating.
“Your Majesty. It’s time to see the coroner.”
“Yes.”
Esteban left the scene without seeing his daughter finish eating while holding Oscar’s hand.
‘I can handle half a day.’
After half a day, he was also worried about how to hold out.
***
“Oong?”
Oscar looked down at me as I raised my head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Twomewon hewe!” (Someone’s here!)
“Twome……?”
“……sigh.”
No matter how much of an unordinary baby I am, my p.r.o.nunciation is still not good, so there were many difficulties in communication.
‘Well, I don’t want you to understand everything.’
I looked at the place where I heard the noise, but there was nothing. I guess it was my mistake.
Again, I listened attentively to the conversations of pa.s.sers-by.
The only information I found today was that Count Leonid and Baroness Trudy had an affair.
‘As expected, soap operas are the most fun.’
It was a pity that the nanny appeared to chase away the chatty maids right around the time it was getting fun.
I wanted to hear more rumors about the Emperor falling down, but since he was in the main Palace, there was no one to listen from.
‘……he’s fine, right?’
He’s fine. Because Oscar doesn’t say anything.
Oscar, who was looking at me, touched my dress and c.o.c.ked his head.
“What’s wrong, Mabel?”
“Oong.”
I shook my head.
It’s heartbreaking and resentful that the baby needs information and can only do this much because of a baby’s body. ‘It’s frustrating growing up this slowly’, is what I’d like to say.
The reality is a poor life where you can only say short sentences or words.
At that time, Oscar, who was pondering without knowing what was going on, suddenly opened his eyes wide.
“Ah!”
“Oong?”
Turning my head where Oscar was staring, there was a familiar creature.
“Kitty?”
It seemed a little bigger than the last time I saw it.
‘You’re still a baby cat though.’
Seeing the golden hair twinkling again, it was so pretty. While still observing the divine beast, he jumped onto the bench.
“Ah!”
Surprised, I grabbed onto Oscar’s big hand.
‘T-that surprised me.’
Either way, the divine beast leisurely came right next to me and sat down calmly. Its golden eyes glistened like jewels.
“Kitty!”
Looking back at Oscar and shouting, he nodded in a daze.
“You usually don’t come out of the woods, what brings you here?”
“Cwute!” (Cute!)
“Who’s talking to who……”
Oscar shook his head with a chilling smile.
I held back my desire to pet, and just watched the cat with sparkling eyes.
‘I wanted to raise a cat, but I couldn’t afford it.’
I couldn’t even dream of a pet because it was so hard for me to take care of myself. Raising a hamster was a luxury for me.
Unlike me, who is patient, the divine beast was not.
“Ah!”
It jumped up and sat on my lap, rubbing its head against my arm.
“K-kitty……!”
Am I seeing this correctly?
I was so fl.u.s.tered. Why is the divine beast of the northern forest so adorable like a dog-cat?
I smiled and nodded as I looked up at Oscar, not knowing what to do.
“Pet it. But you have to pet the kitty gently, you could hurt it. ‘Ah, so pretty~.’ Like that”
“Ah, tho pwetty~.” (Ah, so pretty~.)
I gently laid my small hand on the divine beast’s head, roughly following Oscar’s rhythm. It was then.
[That’s very frustrating!!]
“?!”
I took off my hands in surprise at the sudden influx of strange voices.
‘W-what was that?’
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“What’s wrong, Mabel? Is it cold?”
Oscar gave me a worried look. I opened my mouth blankly.
‘Was I the only one that heard it? Or…… an auditory hallucination?’
[It’s not an auditory hallucination.]
Flinch. I heard it again.
I looked around in extreme tension.
The nanny was on the next bench and Lissandro was out of sight.
There was no one else.
[How is no one there! I’m right here. Are you ignoring me?!]
‘Yeah. It’s not that there isn’t someone……’
I lowered my gaze very slowly to the divine beast. The golden cat, Ermano’s divine beast, was looking up at me.
There was the voice again.
[Yes. It’s me!]
‘……should I faint?’
***
A few days later.
I woke up in the morning and began to prepare diligently. Oscar, who finished his morning training, was surprised.
“Mabel, what are you doing in the morning?”
“Yum yum.”
“Ah. To give to the kitty?”
“Oong.”
Oscar grinned as I nodded.
“Ah, how sweet. Our Mabel is feeding the kitty, you have such a nice heart.”
“Hehe……”
I smiled weakly and took the food I had asked for with my clumsy hands.
‘I’m not taking care of him because I want to.’
Yeah. This was a threat!
When I first head the divine beast’s voice, it told me:
[I am G.o.d’s messenger who was born to a.s.sist you! I had to make contact in order to talk to you, so I had to excuse myself!]
‘what the h.e.l.l. I must’ve gone crazy at last……’
[I can read thoughts, so can you control yourself? I can hear you.]
‘A cat is talking……’
[Are you ignoring my words? Huh?]
……That’s what happened. Ever since I first talked with it, the kitty threw away its main habitat, the northern forest, and came to my side and rolled around.
A talking cat. I was a little scared at first, but I adapted quickly. It was amazing, and there was something to gain out of it. Hoo-hoo!
I laid out the snacks I had brought in from of the kitty. It was snacks for pets that cats liked.
“Hwewe. Pood.” (Here. Food.)
[Did you bring this for me to eat……?]
“Eat.”
But the kitty touched the dry snack with its front paws and turned its head away.
Then, with a dissatisfied tail, it patted the floor.
“Wa dwon’t eat?” (Why don’t eat?)
[I’m not a cat! Even though I look like this, the truth is, I, huh?!]
Does that mean the divine beast is actually a human?
The kitty nodded enthusiastically as it c.o.c.ked its head.
[If you understand, bring me food that humans eat!]
But what the kitty requested was a little difficult.
I was sick inside and turned my head. The fervent gazes above me.
The nanny, Lalima, and Xavier were watching my every move with happy smiles.
Yes. I wasn’t a free body.
‘They won’t let me give food humans eat to a cat.’
And I couldn’t even steal food to give.
I was sweating at the sight of the kitty, who began to meow for food. That nanny hugged me.
“Your Highness, the kitty must not be very hungry.”
[What are you saying? My belly is stuck to my ribs!]
The Kitty discontented, but to others, it just sounded like a meow.
Lalima’s eyes twinkled with admiration.
“The divine beast really has a lot of aegyo!” (T/N: Aegyo is acting cute)
[What kind of nonsense are you spewing?!]
The angry kitty became a charming divine beast.
I felt sympathy for my fellow soldier when I recalled myself, who had always been misunderstood as a baby.
“You’ll have to go in for today, Your Highness.”
“Hw-.”
“Now matter how much you hate it, you need to get your dress measurements.”
‘Dress measurements?’
There was a pile of clothes already piled up.
Due to the different sizes each day, my dress room is full of clothes, even though most of the clothes are out of size.
‘It’s a waste anyways.’
As soon as the nanny took a step back, a fretful voice came from behind.
[Where are you going! Don’t go!]
“……eung?”
[Just how long have you been here that you’re leaving? This isn’t right!]
The irritating sheep suddenly began to hold onto me dearly.
But in other people’s ears, it only sounded like meowing.
“Let’s get going.”
[I said don’t leave me here……!]
In the end, I had no choice but to leave the crying kitty behind.
On the road to Mabel Palace, suddenly, I saw a familiar person in the distance.
It was the Emperor. I heard he collapsed, but he looked fine on the outside.
‘Is he all better?’
Behind the Emperor, people I saw for the first time were following him. From their clothes, they looked like servants.
The Emperor’s steps stopped as if he had found me. I thought he would come and say h.e.l.lo-.
‘……Did he ignore me?’
He just whizzed past me.
The unexpected reaction struck me dumb. At the same time, there was a self-help feeling.
‘Well, it was strange that you’ve liked me until now.’4
No parent would like a weird kid like me, who doesn’t laugh or hug you.
‘So this is obvious.’
I tried to ignore the p.r.i.c.kly feeling in my chest.