Chapter 21
Surprised by a child’s handsome face, a protruding hand pushed the face away.
“I told you to be quiet. Mabel was scared.”
Oscar patted me on the back.
I alternated my gaze between the blond boy and Oscar.
‘They look about the same age. How cute.’
It was good to see two cute boys standing side by side. Oscar smiled and lifted me up.
“Sorry, Mabel. We didn’t mean to wake you up.”
Oscar’s hand touched my cheek. He lost his reason and began to rub my cheek.
The excessive affection made my eyes swirl.
‘Eu……!’
I was so embarra.s.sed that I froze when making eye contact with the blond boy. For some reason, he was looking at me with a surprised look.
“O-Oscar……?”
“What.”
Oscar fell apart from me and turned his eyes to the blond boy.
Oh, isn’t his tone a little different?
“You’re….Oscar, right?”
“What kind of nonsense are you spewing?”
I was quite surprised at Oscar’s strange way of answering cynically.
When he talked to me, he was so sweet that he looked like a puppy that there was no way he could be that cold to a friend his age.
Oscar carefully laid me down on the bed, paying no attention to whether or not his friend was surprised.
“Mabel, did the meeting go well?”
“Oong.”
“Ah, I have to call you by Majesty now.”
I shook my head. I don’t know about other people, but I didn’t want Oscar to call me by Majesty.
‘I feel like I stole it from him.’
“Hwate.”
“Hate?”
“Hwate. Emewor hwate.”
“Yes, so Mabel hated it, didn’t you? Okay, then I’ll call you by your name when it’s just us. Is that okay?”
“Oway.” (Okay.)
I nodded and looked at the blonde boy behind Oscar.
The boy was pointing a finger at Oscar with a shocked face.
“Woah, you…”
“What about me.”
“I’ve heard rumors that you’re a fool for your sister, but I didn’t expect it to be like this.”
“You’re not going to shut your mouth?”
I opened my eyes wide because of Oscar’s harsh att.i.tude.
Oscar’s att.i.tude was too unusual to pa.s.s by.
But he smiled softly like cotton candy when his eyes met with mine.
‘Is my blood…actually a double personality?’
Oscar sighed at the boy as I glanced at him.
“Mabel, this guy is my motivation for training swordsmanship.”
I looked at the boy with curiosity.
It meant that it’s not easy to learn swordsmanship like the Prince (soon to be Duke).
“Enrique, introduce yourself.”
“Uh? Yeah. Hi, baby. I’m-.”
Shwing.
Before Enrique could finish his introduction, there was a tremendous sound.
Oscar pulled out his sword and pointed it at Enrique’s neck. The sudden sword pulling surprised me.
“What? Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”
“Greet the Emperor with courtesy.”
Oscar’s comment left me speechless. It seemed to be the same with Enrique.
Of course, it’s only natural to be polite to the Emperor, but still.
‘Guys… How about you play in a more mature manner?’
How can one not be embarra.s.sed when a child who’s not even a teenager yet pulls out his sword threatening you to be more polite.
But the more ridiculous thing was Enrique’s next move.
“…You’re right, Oscar. I have committed a grave discourtesy to you, Your Majesty.”
Enrique, who gently admitted his fault, suddenly got down on one knee in front of me.
‘W-what’s with this scale.’(T/N: Meaning he’s setting the bar high)
Unsurprisingly surprised by the scale of the little one, Enrique bowed his head with a guilty face.
“A moment of misjudgment has caused me to be disrespectful.”
“I-ith pine.” (I-it’s fine.)
“It won’t happen again.”
“Ogay……” (Okay……)
“I’m terribly sorry, your Majesty.”
There was no sign of the apology ending. I was tired being on the receiving end.
‘Stop it, dear.’
“How can I pay for my, huk!”
I couldn’t stand it and placed my hand on his head.
With a pleased smile at his cute response, I patted his round head.
I added in a solemn voice.
“Ah badon yur thins.” (I pardon your sins.)
I grinned at Enrique, who looked up at me blankly.
![I grinned at Enrique, who looked up at me blankly]()
‘So let’s stop now.’
Enrique grinned and opened his mouth.
“Your Ma-.”
“Mabel!”
But his words were buried by Oscar’s cry. Oscar looked distressed for some reason.
‘What’s up with him?’
The reason was quickly revealed.
“Mabel. Even though you’ve never patted my head, why to this guy……!”
“Wha?”
“……pat me too.”
I patted him on the head at Oscar’s imposing request.
When I came to my senses, I was stroking Oscar with my left hand and Enrique with my right.
‘This picture is strange……?’
In other people’s eyes, seven-year-old children were being stroked by a mere one-year-old.
When I hurriedly took my hands off in fear of anyone seeing, the two little boys looked up at me with moist eyes. As if they were asking for more petting.
“Sigh……”
I sighed and stroked the children’s heads until they were satisfied.
Today too, I had a fresh realization.
‘It’s hard to take care of children.’
As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw the middle of a battlefield, which smelled like blood.
‘This sight again.’
Called Devlin’s dog or Devlin’s devil, he looked around.
It was the usual killing scene.
Blood stained furrows were dug under the mountains of corpses.
Sometimes there was a man with a lingering life moving his fingers in desperation.
He took his steps, offering a rest to the suffering enemy.
‘…I’m tired of it.’
How long has it been since he lost his reason and went wild again? He couldn’t tell.
He’s been killing people as long as he could remember.
“You are the knight who swore allegiance to the House of Devlica.”
“Prove your faith.”
“Cut off the heads and flesh of the ones who treaded on my land, the Ermano army.”
The voice of Veron Arthur Devlica, the Emperor of the Devlin Empire, lingered in his head countless times.
No matter how hard he tried to disobey, he was eventually killing people as Emperor Devlin intended.
There was a time when he put a sword at his heart to betray the sickening bondage.
But.
“You’ve done something foolish, Aidan. Your body is immortal.”
“…”
“So, you’d better follow my orders without thinking nonsense.”
On the day he realized that he couldn’t get out of Veron Arthur Devlica’s clothes no matter what he did, he gave up on escaping.
A life in which one loses reason and commits slaughter.
Then, he loses his reason again and repeats the same process.
‘A life with no purpose or meaning.’
All I have is the name Aidan and a cursed body that can’t even die.
How long do I have to repeat this kind of life?
Aidan fled the battlefield to escape Ermano’s soldiers that were rushing to kill him.
There was no destination as long as it was not Devlin’s Imperial Palace.
It was because I wanted to get as far away as possible when I was sane.
‘If I go wild again, I’ll crawl.’
Aidan climbed a tree and leaned on a thick branch, all while laughing hollowly.
“…I want to die.”
With his low murmur, he raised his head.
His eyes riveted on the sky, which began to turn pink.
It’s just a pa.s.sing landscape that usually didn’t impress him, but someone suddenly came into mind.
Not long ago, he lost his mind during a runaway race and was escorted to the enemy country.
At that time, he remembered a baby’s face with light blue eyes that he had met twice.
At that time, when Veron’s orders lingered in his head, he escaped Ermano and headed for Devlin again. Aidan had no choice but to become that again.
‘Because it was my first time.’
The experience of getting cleared in an instant as if you were drunk on drugs.
Vaneless hope struck his head.
‘…maybe.’
Maybe that baby will save him.
I might get out of this d.a.m.n curse and be given death as I’ve been hoping for.
Aidan was willing to seize even the smallest possibility.
He had nothing to lose anyway. Even if he failed, his life would just have the same repet.i.tion.
Looking at the darkened sky, he landed lightly back on the ground.
‘I’ll have to go back.’
To head to Ermano, he had to meet Veron while he had his reason.
The miserable feeling of walking to h.e.l.l with a distant spirit was enjoyable at this point.
There is little hope to die an unsavory death.
***
The blonde boy’s name is Enrique Javier.
It was fortunate that the nanny came and kicked them out when she was thinking about how long she would have to pet them.
There was no explanation for the unexpected guest.
“His Highness the Prince has been defeated in a sword fight and has agreed to do me a favor.”
“Ooh…”
“He begged me to see your Majesty, so I had no choice but to listen.”
‘I see.’
Somehow, Oscar’s reaction to bringing his friend was harsh.
The eldest son of Duke Javier, Enrique Javier, has learned swordsmanship with Oscar from a very young age.
‘Hm, pa.s.s.’
Anyway, I liked him because he seemed like a good kid. That lets me allow him to get along with Oscar.
After spending some time waving a rattle, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t seen the divine beast for days.
“Wout.” (Out.)
“Outside? It’s too late, though.”
The sun was setting.
It wasn’t too late, but all the people who took care of me were worried.
I used a secret method that gave them no choice. I clasped Xavier’s clothes tightly and drooped the corners of my eyes.
“wout…….” (out……)
“L-lets go! Go!”
.
.
.
I guess time is tasing by because it was a little warmer than before.
“Ho, ho.”
Blowing her breath when she arrived at the Northern forest entrance, where the divine beast usually appeared.
“Kitty!”
Not long after the mighty bellow, the divine beast appeared in a leisurely manner.
‘Have you been well?’
I was happy to see it in a while, so I greeted it softly, but the kitty turned its head.
[Hmph. I thought you forgot about me because you didn’t come.]
‘Um, that…I had some things…’
[Forget it! I don’t need you!]
It seemed very angry too. I felt bad when I saw the dabbing tail on the floor when it was sulking.
It must have been very lonely while it was alone. I got out of Xavier’s arms and held the kitty in my arms.
“Kitty……”
[Hmph.]
But it just turned its head away from me.
‘It’s not working. I’ll just have to go back……’
It was then when I made it look like I needed alone time, hugging Xavier again.
[W-where are you going!]
“……Oong?”
[Where are you going, leaving me behind!]
The kitty suddenly came running up to me, clinging to my leg.
‘Because you were angry……’
[When was I angry!?]
‘You’re angry right now, though?’
[This isn’t anger! Anyway, don’t go! Don’t leave me alone in this lonely forest!!]
I sighed as I looked at the kitty holding onto me mournfully.
‘sigh’
It’s too tiring to be a one-year-old and play with a kitty after Oscar and Enrique.
***
In the end, as the kitty wished, we settled down in a vacant spot near the forest.
‘Kitty. I have a question.’
[Ask anything!]
The kitty answered with glistening eyes. Its anger was quickly relieved.
I asked the questions that I had been curious about but couldn’t.
‘Just what are you?’
[I’m a divine beast.]
‘Yeah, a divine beast…… But what’s your situation with me? Why am I the only one that can hear your voice? And isn’t it weird for a one-year-old baby to talk casually with you?’
Questions poured out.
The kitty gently wagged its tail and put its head on my stretched out calf.
[I can’t explain exactly, but I was waiting for you to be born. You can hear me because I’m only for you. I already know that your soul is not a one-year-old’s.]
‘……wow, why me?’
[Because G.o.d chose you.]
‘G.o.d?’
The thought of an unthinkable being fl.u.s.tered me.
Yeah. In this totally different world, there is a divine beast that is a cat and can talk.
I felt strange. In my previous life, I cried and begged every day to escape my miserable life.
I begged, ‘Please let me get out of here.’
But in the end, G.o.d never listened to my wish.
‘Why was I chosen?’
[That’s what you’re going to find out from now on, Mabel.]
‘……okay.’
While answering, I couldn’t figure out why I had to find the reason.
I didn’t even want to know.
Since I don’t believe in G.o.d.
***
[H-O-O-T]
[Bw.a.n.g.]
The noise gradually awoke me from my sleep. I frowned and threw off the blanket.
‘Why is it so noisy?’
I got up and fell from the bed. It hurt, but I could bear this much.
[Hoot. I’m hungry!]
‘……?’
Hoot, I’m hungry……?
I lifted my head towards the sound.
I slightly pushed the balcony door and made room for me to get past.
There were birds on the balcony railing—three eagle owls.
[Hoot. I’m hungry.]
[House rat. Hoot. Hiding.]
[Frog. Hoot. None.]
Three owls began to take turns talking. In the midst of it, I stood in despair.
There is no chance that those three are divine beasts.
In case I was dreaming, I pinched my cheeks.
“Ouch.”
I opened my mouth quietly.
‘Owls are talking……’