Chapter 27
27
Chapter 7. That's Too Much (1)
Four more years passed.
I steadily aged and turned seven this year.
'A child's time feels both fast and slow...'
When I was an adult, time flew by in the blink of an eye. If I worked mindlessly, a day, even a month, would disappear.
'I worked in a factory, so my days and nights were reversed... I didn't know how time was passing.'
Those were days when I was bound to collapse from overwork. On my days off, I even felt guilty for not working. I would think about what more I could have done for Mina if I had worked during that time.
Perhaps because I lived so tightly and died, the animalistically fulfilling days up to the age of three were happy, but also frustrating at heart.
I want to live lazily, but 'not being able to' and 'not doing' are different.
A baby doesn't get to slack off.
A baby... does its best even with small things...
It's not the mindset of a lion hunting a rabbit, but doing my best because I can't even do small things.
I just didn't want to do anything. That's a big difference.
My parents were so overprotective that they wouldn't let me take a single step outside the mansion, and the fairy tales they read to me were boring, but I couldn't ask them to teach me something else for fear they would think I was a strange child.
But after the day I was summoned to Raven, I became busy as could be.
Studying!
I had no time to play!
I swore I would be as lazy as I wanted in my next life!
I was born as the daughter of a wealthy family, so I could have lived like trash, just playing and eating!
My parents are so devoted that they wouldn't scold me even if I were trash...
I wanted to study and go outside, but not this much.
'You want to build a hospital? Then you have to study!'
'Huh? No, I can cure people...? Right away...'
'You need to know where and how to treat them.'
'Huh? No, I don't need to know...'
'I have a good idea. How about studying with my son? If it's a teacher invited by the Imperial Family, the Wentworth couple can trust them.'
'...You're not listening to me...'
'If Shana builds a hospital, I will officially sponsor it. So study hard!'
'I don't need it!'
Her Majesty, the beautiful Empress, repaid kindness with enmity.
"Even magpies repay kindness...!"
"Are you going to say that again?"
"I won't forget this grudge..."
Raven put a book down next to me and sat down.
"Don't say that in front of other people. It sounds seditious."
"It is seditious! I'm a very seditious person!"
"Oh, really."
"So I'm not qualified to study with His Highness the Crown Prince..."
"Now you're saying that?"
Raven smiled crookedly. Don't sneer, you handsome prince.
Raven, who turned 12 this year, grew rapidly and became an even more radiant prince. To be exact, he was appointed as the Crown Prince.
If it were my previous life, he would only be in the fifth grade of elementary school, but even I could see that he had grown taller. His frame was also gradually becoming solid and thicker, so he was slowly starting to look like a boy rather than a child.
Seeing a golden-haired, golden-eyed pretty boy every day has raised my standards sky-high, which is a big problem.
On the other hand, I am still a child, appropriately! I'm not particularly behind, but I've grown moderately.
'It's all because of that show-off...'
No, I definitely don't feel inferior? Really? It's just that he seemed bigger than me when he was seven, so I wonder why I'm so short. I really only think that sometimes.
Leon and Ian also seemed bigger than me, so I wonder why I'm small. I don't care at all.
My Mother is tall and my Father is tall, so I'll grow tall when the time comes, right?
'Everyone around me is too amazing...'
Only I'm small! I eat more than anyone else, so why aren't I growing? Aren't children supposed to grow quickly if they eat well and sleep well?
When I occasionally pounded my pillow in frustration, Ella would give me a perfectly rational answer, saying, "Children aren't houseplants."
Ella is definitely a T.
For reference, Bailey is also a T, and Maria is presumed to be an F. Mother is a T, and Father is an F? I want to test them.
Anyway, I have now become a wonderful child.
Even though I'm a bit short, I can easily reach the doorknob, and I can skip two steps at a time when going down the stairs. I can also eat seasoned meat now. Every time I eat meat, I realize that happiness is not far away.
...Even I think my standards are too trivial and small... Waaah.
"If you didn't like it, you should have said so four years ago."
"I did say it! I said I didn't like it!"
"Did you? I don't remember?"
"Don't lie! You have a good memory!"
"Thanks for the compliment."
"It's not a compliment! No matter how much I said I didn't like it, you didn't even pretend to listen, saying, 'That's great, Shana. Let's study hard!'"
"It sounds like I was the only one who did that. The Wentworth couple didn't object either. No, they actually pushed for it."
"...I can study alone..."
My parents, who had kept me locked up in the mansion and prevented me from meeting other people, started taking me in and out of the Imperial Palace as if it were a lie. If you're going to be like this, please keep me locked up.
"Why are you making such a fuss about how hard it is? It's all easy stuff, isn't it?"
"You don't know, you smug genius."
"You're five years younger than me, but you're taking the same curriculum? Which one of us is the genius?"
"...I'm just mature..."
"That's ridiculous."
You don't know it's true, you innocent lamb.
When you become an adult, you know. You develop a knack for things. The reason I seem to be good at studying is all thanks to that, and I can't keep up with Raven, who is a real genius. He's still young, but his true skills will be revealed soon.
"But this suffering will be over soon!"
"Huh?"
Raven looked at me with a puzzled expression. Don't play dumb.
"You'll be entering the Academy soon, so my studying will be over too!"
"......"
"The Academy has a rule that all students must live in the dormitory, right? There's not much time left until admission, so just hang in there a little longer."
"......"
Raven pursed his lips like a clam. Judging by the cold look in his eyes as he looked down at me, hmm, he's sulking.
"Are you happy that you won't be seeing me, Shana?"
"Honestly, we see each other too often..."
We see each other almost every day. That means I have to study almost every day...
"That's too much."
"...Raven, acting doesn't work on me."
"You're my first and only friend. But you're saying you don't want to see me."
"......"
"I'm hurt..."
"You shameless brat. Acting doesn't work on me."
Raven quietly lowered his head. His golden eyes sank gloomily.
I know it's all a lie. It's obvious that he's acting. Raven isn't delicate enough to be hurt by a few words, and his insides are black. I know it all...
"Raven, don't joke around."
"...No, Shana. You're right. I think I've been bothering you too much..."
"Stop..."
"You're the only friend I can trust..."
"Ah, really! I get it! It's a joke! I'll miss you so much when you go to the dormitory!"
He's going to cry, he's going to cry! I shouted and grabbed Raven's shoulders. I could see my troubled face in Raven's golden eyes.
"You'll miss me?"
"Yeah, I'll miss you. You're the only friend I have... but not really."
Because there's Leon, Ian, and Evelyn. Raven narrowed his eyes and looked at me. Why is he so possessive? But it's all because he's young. He'll get better after he graduates from the Academy.
It's not just him who's possessive. All the kids are like that.
"Anyway, since we're close friends, it's natural to miss you. Yeah, I'll miss you..."
"There are parts I don't like, but I'll let it slide."
"...How very kind of you..."
Raven smiled brightly as if he had never been gloomy. It was all acting after all.
'You sly fox...'
Seeing his refreshing smile made me annoyed. I grabbed both of Raven's cheeks and stretched them out. Raven didn't seem to be in pain and remained calm.
"Y-Your Highness. Your Highness!"
At that moment, Raven's attendant, Hugh, ran in. He paused for a moment when he saw me pulling on Raven's cheeks, but then skillfully averted his eyes as if he hadn't seen anything.
He's a pro, a pro.
"Your Highness, His Majesty is urgently looking for you."
"He's going to give me another troublesome task..."
Raven had the useless talent of pronouncing everything correctly even with his cheeks being pulled.
"What's it about this time?"
"You'll have to go and see, but I overheard that Duke Algren met with His Majesty first."
"He's still good at eavesdropping... If it's Duke Algren, he'll come to pick a fight again."
It was a conversation that seemed to have complicated circumstances.
I rested my chin on the desk and looked up at Raven as he stood up. Raven often made adult-like expressions even though he was still a child. What if he collapses from overwork? Like me.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"You don't like meeting Father, do you? Just go home. Sorry I can't see you off."
"Okay. See you later. Don't overdo it."
"Okay."
Raven patted my head.
Instead of complaining, I quietly waved my hand.
Yes! I'm skipping the afternoon class.
