Chapter 15
15
Medical Chart 1. People who adore the little one
"How is Shana doing?"”
“She just fell asleep. She grabbed my finger and earnestly asked me not to take the puppy away, saying she’d hate me if I did, and her face was so tearful…”
Ella smiled faintly. It was the same smile Shana had inwardly praised as elegant.
“She was so cute I almost had a nosebleed.”
“You should be grateful for your face. Who would imagine that someone with the face of a noble lady would have such an old man’s thoughts…”
Maria clicked her tongue. Her youthful appearance and demeanor played a big part in disarming others, but in many ways, she was no match for Ella.
For reference, Maria’s weapon was a gauntlet, and Ella’s weapon was a whip. In fact, both were equally surprising in their own way.
“Yeah, I am grateful. Thanks to it, I’m enjoying myself to the fullest.”
“Don’t say it out loud, please.”
She might actually wake up. Ella wasn’t fazed by Maria’s nagging. She just smiled leisurely and tapped her lips.
“Shana is really too cute…. She was definitely faking tears at first, but then without realizing it, they became real tears.”
“Is it even possible to be so exhausted from not being able to stop crying that you actually collapse?”
“She speaks so maturely, but she always makes sure to take her naps on time.”
“She insists she saw words in a book that are definitely not in any fairy tale.”
“And she visibly relaxes if you don’t question her about it.”
By normal standards, she might seem like a strange baby, but to Maria, Ella, and Bailey, she was nothing short of adorable.
The point was that she pretended to be an adult, but her actions were not at all adult-like. The fact that she knew it and was upset about it only added to her cuteness.
“By the way, she never got any better at faking tears. Even when she was younger, she would only make a reluctant ‘hoo-aeng’ sound when she really had to cry.”
It was so awkward and funny that they had to try their best not to laugh.
“She would only reluctantly pretend to cry when her diaper was uncomfortable or when she was too hungry to bear it.”
Maria closed her eyes as if reminiscing about a cherished time.
When they first met Shana, she was much younger and more helpless than she was now. Her chubby hands and feet had no wrists or ankles. Her hands were so small that they could cover her entire head when she spread them wide.
Her golden hair, as radiant as sunlight, her rosy cheeks, and her large green eyes that took up half of her face made her look like an angel sent from heaven.
If you praised her openly like that, she would be embarrassed and distressed. She was just a baby, but she understood everything and was distressed. It was so funny and amazing.
‘She was really cute….’
The way she struggled to do anything on her own.
“Where did the dog go?”
“The Madam and Bailey went to investigate. We need to know his basic information before we can keep him in the mansion.”
“That’s true. She’s a very thorough person.”
“Of course. It’s a matter directly related to Shana’s safety. Oh, the Duke went to see off His Highness the Prince.”
Maria leaned back in her chair and stretched.
“It’s not like the people in this family are just now becoming sensitive about Shana’s safety.”
“Only the people in this family?”
“We’re part of this family now, aren’t we?”
“After seeing him today, His Highness the Prince is quite something, too, isn’t he?”
Raven’s sudden visit was a very embarrassing event for Maria and Ella as well. They hadn’t been given any prior notice. If they had tried to attack or subdue him as planned, they might have been dragged away by the Prince’s guards for treason.
…It was a chilling thought.
“Did you hear what that little 8-year-old said? Calling our Shana his, or whatever… Just because he’s a prince, does that mean he can do anything….”
For the most part, he probably could. Ella muttered quite fiercely, and Maria said nonchalantly.
“He’s about to become the Crown Prince, so I guess his choice of words is unique.”
“Even so, what kind of nonsense is that to say to Shana, who’s only 3 years old?”
“Is that something you should be saying, the person who almost had a nosebleed because she was so cute?”
“I just think she’s cute in my head. And I didn’t actually have a nosebleed. Shana didn’t hear me, so I’m innocent.”
“…That’s quite a big difference….”
Maria shook her head.
“I never imagined that we would still be here two years ago.”
“Bailey had just given birth, so we were just going to rest in a safe place for a while and raise the baby.”
“Yeah, but all three of us ended up settling down by Shana’s side. We even extended our contract indefinitely.”
“How can we leave that little one now? Wherever we go, we’ll miss her so much that we’ll end up coming back. I can’t leave, at least. Only the cold-hearted Maria can leave.”
“I never thought you’d say something like that… It’s really something to see, Ella.”
“You too.”
“Actually, Bailey is the most surprising. She used to hate kids, but she had a baby, and now she’s a nanny. A nanny.”
“No one would believe it.”
Bailey, Ella, and Maria were a trio of female mercenaries, all A-rankers, so they were quite famous. The reason they remained at A-rank was because they selectively accepted requests, and there were rumors that their actual skills were on par with S-rankers.
Then, two years ago, they disappeared completely.
“To think that they would be holed up in the capital of the Empire, in a Duke’s mansion no less, taking care of a baby… If we had heard that two years ago, we would have told them not to talk nonsense.”
“At first, we were only planning to stay for half a year. We were really frustrated about how we were supposed to take care of a baby, and…”
Anais promised to provide a safe environment for Bailey’s son to grow up in, and she also offered a generous allowance. Bailey’s son was also a hostage in case of an emergency.
At first, the three of them were just planning to earn a generous allowance and bide their time, but before they knew it, they were captivated by Shana and gave up on the idea of leaving altogether.
Shana, who couldn’t even roll over on her own, can now crawl, stand up on her own, and now she walks quite well and even runs sometimes.
Is there anyone who can’t love the way she struggles to do anything on her own, and the way she smiles brightly as if asking for praise when she finally succeeds?
It was impossible not to love the baby who was extraordinarily intelligent and understood all the adults’ conversations, yet smiled so defenselessly instead of being wary.
Maria rested her chin on her hand and muttered.
“Healing magic and healing powers don’t work on Shifters, originally.”
“Pretend you don’t know.”
“She’s a baby with troublesome abilities, our Shana….”
It’s twice as troublesome that she doesn’t even try to hide her abilities. Maria sighed deeply.
The most troublesome thing was that the people around Shana couldn’t stop her from doing what she wanted to do.
Including themselves.
“We shouldn’t indulge her too much.”
“But her indulgence is precious….”
“That’s the problem….”
***
“Ian, Leon! Come here!”
“Ugh, what is it now, Father.”
“……”
Leon grumbled habitually, and Ian shot a dissatisfied look instead of speaking. It was too disrespectful to be a look sent to their parents.
However, Gillian Lloyd didn’t care at all about his sons’ rebellious looks. Anyway, they came even if they were reluctant.
The twins, who had put down the wooden swords they were swinging and stood in front of their father, looked sullen. Gillian said.
“How long are you going to be stubborn?”
“What about us.”
“What.”
“Shana is wondering how you are. She said she made you cry….”
Leon and Ian’s faces twisted as if they had eaten a sour lemon. Gillian grinned.
“She’s worried about you. Go show her your faces and reassure her.”
“No.”
“No way.”
“No, why? You were always singing about wanting to see Shana….”
Gillian looked at the sulky brothers as if he couldn’t understand. In front of Shana, they had said arrogantly, “We want to judge whether she is worthy of serving,” but in fact, the twins only said that they wanted to see Shana in front of Gillian. That was probably the truth.
‘Those punks, all talk.’
Seven years old was the age when they were doing all sorts of annoying things, but in the end, they were just simple children.
“That’s what you get for pretending to be tough, you got on her bad side for no reason.”
“……If only you had told us sooner…….”
Ian, who had been silent, muttered. Gillian mischievously pretended not to hear and said, “Huh?”
“If only you had told us what kind of person Shana was!”
“I told you. I said Shana was cute.”
“Your words are useless! You just repeated like a parrot that Shana is like an angel, but you didn’t give us any details!”
“How can I explain it any further than that!”
Gillian shrugged.
“Think about it. Is there anything I said that was wrong?”
“…….”
“Shana is as cute as an angel. Right?”
“…….”
“She has a kind and gentle heart.”
“…….”
“She speaks well and is smarter than a 3-year-old. Is there anything wrong with that?”
“Well, no, but…….”
Leon clenched his fists in frustration.
But it was only natural that they couldn’t tell what kind of person she was just from Gillian’s praise, who was blinded by love. Ian and Leon had a vague sense of resistance to the name ‘Shana,’ which they had heard since they first started holding wooden swords.
It didn’t make sense to put in the effort for someone they didn’t even know. They didn’t hate training, but there were definitely times when it was hard, so they were angry for no reason.
‘No need.’
But.
‘Do what you want.’
‘It must have been hard.’
The moment they heard those words, they felt like something that had been stuck was being released.
They had been captivated by the person who had touched them with her white, chubby hands, who had smiled at them even though they had clearly made a bad impression, and who had even read their twisted hearts.
Leon and Ian were determined. They would definitely become great knights and stand by Shana’s side.
But.
“What if Shana completely forgets about you while you’re being stubborn?”
“…….”
“…….”
Oh, their cheeks puffed up like toads. Gillian chuckled inwardly.
“I heard that His Highness Prince Raven went to see Shana today. Are you really not going to go see her?”
“……I’ll go.”
We can’t let her forget us.
