For a moment, I doubted my ears, but it wasn't a mistake.
"-Chekhov's argument was established as the mainstream theory by contemporary scholars, but problems began to emerge in later generations."
I stopped sucking my pacifier and stared blankly up at Oscar. Oscar, engrossed in the book, didn't even notice my gaze and continued reading enthusiastically. I was confused. ...Wasn't he six years old?
'What six-year-old reads a book like a thesis?'
"His argument was first refuted by..."
I spat out my pacifier and grumbled unhappily.
"Huh? What's wrong, Mabel?"
Stop reading. It's bad for a baby's emotions!
You call that talking? I glared at Oscar quietly. Oscar, scratching his cheek, closed the book.
"That's strange. I thought you'd like it..."
There is no three-month-old baby in this world who likes a book about the ills of Bordeauxism by Chekhov... Seeing my indignant gaze, Oscar put the book away where I couldn't see it.
'If he had just thrown it away, it would have been better.'
"Mabel. Next time, I'll bring a more interesting book."
I suddenly felt incredibly uneasy. What kind of bizarre book would he bring next? This is clearly the downside of early education.
'Even if he is a prince, making a six-year-old read something like that is too harsh, like the royal family.'
I shuddered at the thought that this might be my future, when the outside became noisy.
Repeating 'baah' had become a habit, staying true to the concept. This kind of noise usually precedes the emperor's appearance, but something was different this time. It was louder and more bustling. Soon, the door burst open. Lying on my side, I could see the emperor enter.
I blinked my eyes. Behind the emperor, I saw people I had never seen before. They were all wearing pure white robes and were looking at me. The many pairs of eyes made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. At the same time, I felt a strange sensation. A feeling of nausea...
'Why am I feeling this way all of a sudden?'
"Oh. This is Princess Mabel, I see."
A middle-aged man stepped forward from behind the emperor with an unfamiliar voice. The more he approached, the worse the nausea became. I had never felt this way before, even though I had met a few people, which made me flustered. The gray-haired man looked at me with eyes full of goodwill.
"Very healthy... and overflowing with divine power."
Just as he was about to take another step, the emperor raised his arm to block him.
"Have you forgotten the conditions I set?"
The unfamiliar man smiled despite the emperor's somewhat domineering attitude.
"Of course, I am aware, Your Majesty. But to see the protagonist of the prophecy in person is truly astonishing."
"How can you be sure that Mabel is the protagonist of the prophecy?"
"Although she hasn't awakened yet, I can feel boundless divine power from Princess Mabel. I can sense it."
I don't understand what they are talking about. The topic seems to be about me, but I can't make sense of it. What is a prophecy, and what is awakening? Is the queasy feeling I get from the man in the white robe divine power? The unfamiliar man kept his gaze on me while talking to the emperor.
I whined and reached out for Oscar. Oscar patted my shoulder to reassure me.
"It's okay, Mabel. They are priests from Abellaire. You don't need to be afraid."
Abellaire. I had heard the name a few times. It was a country, I think, but why did the priests come to see me?
"Since Mabel seems uncomfortable, it's best to end the audience here."
The emperor, who had looked unhappy the whole time, blocked the priests. The gray-haired man laughed hollowly at the emperor's firm attitude.
"Let's do that. I've confirmed what I needed to. By the way, I heard that the 'Devil of Devlin' was captured as a hostage recently."
I remembered hearing Larama and Xavier mention it casually once. The name 'Devil of Devlin' seemed childish and funny to me. Hostage, hostage...
Was it just a coincidence that the red-eyed boy I met on my first walk came to mind?
"That's right. It's been about a month."
"I heard he's a powerful enough to handle aether without a medium. Was there any damage?"
"Quite a few people were injured. He destroyed the magic control device, making it difficult to confine him."
It seems the 'Devil of Devlin' is incredibly strong. The emperor's stern expression confirms it.
"Devlin's recent activities have been concerning. Please be vigilant, Your Majesty."
"Yes. It might be an attempt to retrieve the hostage. If not, they might have other plans. They've reached as far as the Holy Kingdom... I'm worried it might affect the Ermanno Empire."
The man's gaze, which had been on the emperor, returned to me. Our eyes met. His deep, age-old eyes stared at me calmly.
"Then, I'll see you next time. Princess Mabel Winter Gadenia Ermanno."
The man bowed respectfully to me. It was a simple greeting, but it felt meaningful. His tone, eyes, and attitude made it seem like he knew something. The priests from Abellaire left my bedroom immediately, and the queasy feeling disappeared completely.
I let out a sigh of relief and stretched my arms. I didn't feel any hostility from the priests, but something felt off. Oscar, who had been fidgeting with my hand, spoke in a serious voice.
"Father. The priests from Abellaire retreated too easily, more so than expected."
"I agree. I don't think this is the end. The new king will likely take other actions."
"Why did he suddenly bring up the Devlin Empire?"
"We need to investigate further."
I could guess what the father and son were discussing. There seems to be something the priests from Abellaire want from me, and the emperor is desperately trying to prevent it.
What's the point of a three-month-old worrying about complicated adult matters? Still, my name is 'Mabel Gadenia Ermanno,' right? What's with the 'Winter' surname? I stared at Oscar, who smiled brightly.
"Huh? Oh, you don't need to know, Mabel."
Really. Isn't this kind of exclusion too much?
"Her Highness is sleeping soundly."
"Shh. Don't wake her. Let's go quietly, Xavier."
"Yes, Madam. Larama has already gone back..."
I heard Xavier and the nanny whispering and then leave my room. Hearing their footsteps head to the next room, I slowly opened my eyes.
I took a deep breath and stretched my arms toward the ceiling. This dark night was the only time I could be alone. A month ago, the nanny used to stay in the room and take care of me while I slept. But after they realized I didn't cry or wake up like real babies, they no longer stayed with me while I slept.
'It's a good thing for me.'
Thanks to my consistent nightly exercise, I had become quite adept at moving my arms and legs. The problem was my heavy head. No matter how hard I tried to roll over, my head was too heavy, and I kept failing. Growing up is so hard. Well, let's try some secret night exercises, shall we?
I clenched my fists and wriggled my limbs to roll over. But, as expected, I didn't move.
I tried again, but it was the same result.
I was frustrated. Was I going to fail to roll over again today? I wanted to walk as soon as possible, but my body wouldn't listen to me. I had only been born three months ago, so I knew I needed to be patient. But I felt stagnant and wanted to get out of this situation quickly. Most of all, the daily visits from my father and brother were the most awkward. They showered me with unconditional love without knowing what I was thinking, and my guilt grew. The emperor probably didn't want a daughter like me... and neither did Oscar. I felt like I was deceiving them by not being able to speak. So, I need to grow up and get out of this situation as soon as possible. Whether I become independent or do something else.
Come on, enough of this useless worry! Let's do more exercise! Just as I was about to wriggle my limbs again to overcome the heavy head like a sad animal-. Thud.
But the sound came from the opposite direction of the nanny's room. I opened my eyes wide and tensed up. But nothing happened as time passed.
'Maybe I just imagined it?'
Phew. I let out a short sigh of relief and was about to exercise again when a cold breeze blew from somewhere.
I really did hear that sound earlier...! The nanny wouldn't have left the window open, so this must mean someone else has entered my bedroom.
I wanted to check, but I couldn't even roll over, so there was no way I could see the side. I heard footsteps. Instinctively, I realized it wasn't the emperor or Oscar, and it wasn't the nanny. It was absurd to think that someone who sneaked into a baby's room in the middle of the night had no ill intentions.
'What should I do? Should I cry?'
But what if the intruder hurts me before I can cry? While I was thinking, the footsteps got closer. At the same time, I felt the familiar queasy sensation. Could it be the priest from Abellaire? I quickly pretended to be asleep, but it was too late.
"You're awake, Your Highness."
The voice confirmed my suspicion. It was one of the priests from Abellaire who had an audience with me a few days ago. I could feel his intense gaze in the darkness. I opened my eyes and met his gaze.
"I have come to take you, Your Highness."
Why is he still being polite, knowing I can't understand? Does he know I remember my past life? Before I cried to call for help, I decided to check. I clenched my fist and brought it to my eye.
I whined as if I was about to cry.
'Come on, taste the whining of a baby!'
I sniffled while observing the priest's reaction. The man's face showed confusion as he looked down at me.
'So, he doesn't know I remember my past life.'
I felt relieved, but also worried about how to handle this situation. A 3-month-old baby who can only cry and an adult who came to kidnap me. Of course, crying is the only answer.
"Good, Your Highness. Tsk, tsk!"
He tried to soothe me, which was out of place. His calm expression was long gone.
I cried mercilessly. I thought it might not work since I hadn't cried in a while, but it was a pointless worry. My loud cries filled the bedroom and more. I could sense someone approaching the bedroom door, having heard my cries.
The man, looking anxious, took a step closer and reached out his hand. No, no.
I cried even louder and wriggled my limbs to resist. The man's hand flailed around, trying to grab me.
"Your Highness, be good. Tsk, stop crying."
I've cried enough. Now, go away!
Thud. Thud. Someone tried to open the bedroom door. Thud, thud. But the door didn't open.
With the heightened sense of danger, I couldn't even cry properly. My only means of defense, crying, was useless, and I had no other options.
Just before the man's hand reached me, I lifted my left arm and left leg. Then, I strained my neck.