When I glared at Oscar with a terrifying expression, he laughed awkwardly and averted his gaze.
"Xavier, could you ask the servant outside to bring some books?"
A moment later, thick books were neatly stacked on the bed. Could it be that I have to read all of these? As Oscar picked up a book and felt my gaze, he bowed his head.
"Ah, these are assignments."
'Too many... way too many...'
Would they be difficult books like theses this time? I wanted to know, but since I couldn't read the characters, it was impossible. God is really unfair. If He gave me the ability to understand speech, He should have given me the ability to read as well. I leaned against Oscar's chest and looked at the book he was reading. There were many pictures drawn in the book. I pointed at the book with my finger and asked,
"This is a map of the continent."
How interesting! I looked at the book with sparkling eyes. But Oscar shook his head firmly and slammed the book shut.
"Such things are boring, so let's play something more fun."
What?! You're ignoring my passion for learning?
As I stretched out my arms toward the book and whined, Oscar was taken aback.
"But last time, you said the book was boring, remember?"
'Of course, it was. I wasn't interested in things like the claims of Algol Chekhov.'
But it was common sense to know the map of the continent beforehand. I refused to give up, grabbed Oscar, and shook him, throwing a tantrum. Reluctantly, he opened the book.
"Alright, alright. I get it. See, this is big, right? This is the Empire of Ermanno where we live."
Oscar pointed to the largest landmass in the east.
"Big, right? It's been about five hundred years since it became this size. It expanded its territory significantly through conquest wars back then."
It was an enormous territory that almost covered most of the continent.
As I exclaimed in amazement, Oscar muttered, "What do you know to be so excited about...?"
I pointed to various places on the map with my finger. Oscar's answers popped out like a vending machine.
"That's the Holy Kingdom of Abelard. The one that... Ah, no. Forget what I just said."
"That's the Kingdom of Persia."
"That's the Kingdom of Bargata."
At six years old, isn't he too smart? Thinking of myself studying world geography, I felt a sense of self-pity. If a six-year-old can memorize the map, what did I do at twenty? Overcoming my self-pity, I pointed to the second-largest country.
Oscar frowned. Hmm... His reaction doesn't seem normal.
"That's the Empire of Devlin."
'Devlin? If it's Devlin... '
The first thing that came to mind was the red eyes. And the jet-black hair. Although I only met the boy called the "Devlin Demon" twice, he left a deep impression on me.
'Has he managed to escape?'
I didn't hear anything about what happened to him because I was too busy with a cold. The only information I had about Devlin was from the conversation I overheard between the priest Montego and the emperor.
"Recently, Devlin's movements have been suspicious, so please be cautious, Your Majesty."
"Yes. It might be to retrieve the hostage. If not, they might have other plans. They've even reached out to the Holy Kingdom... I'm worried it might affect the Empire of Ermanno."
When I recalled that conversation, it seemed that Ermanno and the Holy Kingdom of Abelard didn't like the Empire of Devlin very much. Maybe because it was the second-largest country, there were many conflicts? I pointed to Devlin and stared at Oscar. He added,
"Devlin is an empire that doesn't get along with Ermanno. They've been eyeing Ermanno and invading it. The Holy Kingdom of Abelard, which is in between, acts as a buffer, but historically, there have been several major wars. The northern border is also adjacent."
"Recently, a small war broke out at the border, and the Ermanno army was completely annihilated. There's even a story that one person did all of it."
One person annihilating an army? Is that even possible? It sounds like a lie... Oscar, who was explaining seriously, suddenly came to his senses, took a deep breath, and closed the book.
"What am I talking to a baby about... You can't even understand it. Forget it, Mabel. Let's do something more fun!"
He took it away too firmly, and I missed the chance to grab it again. I pouted, but Oscar shook his head. He was stubborn and didn't seem willing to give in.
"Let's try this, shall we?"
Sigh. I repeated the motion of opening and closing my hand a few times as Oscar did. He smiled brightly and praised me.
Well, what can I do... After all, it's useless to understand national affairs when you're not even a year old. Let's play with Oscar.
'Six is the age to play.'
Finally, I reached eight months old.
"Your expressions are so clear, so there shouldn't be any problems... but it's worrying that you don't move at all."
The wet nurse complained to the doctor who came for a regular check-up. The doctor, who examined me, smiled kindly and gave his diagnosis.
"Indeed, it's a bit slow, but you've successfully rolled over, so there shouldn't be any issues. They say you crawl sometimes too. Today's results are good. You're very healthy."
"But... even though you say that..."
Even though the doctor said I was healthy, the wet nurse couldn't take her worried gaze off me.
'You were lying still for too long.'
Should I start showing that I can roll over without any issues? But it's hard to match the pace since I don't know how fast other babies grow. I laughed and stretched out my arms, and the wet nurse, looking worried, smiled tenderly and stroked my cheek. As time passed and night fell, I yawned and closed my eyes, and the wet nurse approached the bed.
"It's already this late. Good night, Your Highness."
Everyone left... Click. The sound of the door closing echoed. I opened my eyes, and a soft candlelight greeted me.
'Well, let's start my solo exercise!'
Since Lisandro would definitely be outside the door, I had to proceed secretly and quietly. I started moving very slowly. Using the rolling and crawling skills I had honed through (not really) spitting blood and (not really) grinding bones, I moved to the bed rail.
'It's hard to do this quietly.'
I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and grabbed the bed rail. Then, I exerted force with my arms and legs.
Go, Mabel! You can stand up! You can do it! Remember your past life! The joy of walking! As I gradually lost strength, I didn't give up.
I gathered my strength again. And finally...!
Even though I had to hold the rail, I stood up on my own! I can finally walk on two legs! I rejoiced, holding the rail tightly.
'No, this isn't the time.'
Once you stand up, you must walk. I haven't taken my first step as a human yet. With a solemn expression, I took a step. I wobbled and almost fell, but I easily overcame that crisis. Just as I was about to take another step... Thud, roll...
I slowly turned my head at the sound from the door. There stood the emperor in his night attire. Our eyes met.
Caught. *** I was so startled that my hands went limp. I fell backward and landed on my bottom. It didn't hurt because I was on the bed, but I didn't have time to think about that. It was a moment of suffocating awkwardness. The emperor broke the silence first.
Although I responded with baby talk to the emperor, my mind was racing. How should I handle this situation? A baby who can only crawl suddenly standing up and walking... It's suspicious no matter who sees it. The emperor, who seemed to think the same, stared at me with a tense expression. How should I explain? I didn't try to deceive? I didn't say anything because I was afraid you'd be surprised?
'Ah, I can't talk, damn it!'
There's nothing I can do. I'll have to accept whatever reaction he shows. I waited humbly for the emperor's words. But...
"You are indeed my daughter."
Wait. This isn't the reaction I expected...
"My daughter is a genius."
No, that's not it. Come back.
My desperate plea didn't reach the emperor. He approached without hesitation, picked me up, and kissed my forehead repeatedly.
I was momentarily overwhelmed by the excessive display of affection.
"To celebrate your first steps, I'll give you a gift, Mabel."