Chapter 3

* * *

After spending about a month in that miserable room, I stopped my fruitless escape attempts and started taking note of all of my surroundings. As a result, I discovered several things.

First, the maid tasked with overseeing me changed weekly. They seemed to fight over who would have to look after me, as if they’d rather be cleaning the bathrooms.

Second, none of them paid much attention to me. None of them seemed to particularly like me either. It was also difficult to eavesdrop on their conversations since only one maid tended to me at a time, meaning they were always alone and there was no chatting.

Third, for whatever reason, I had to suck on that old, dirty pacifier to think. Without it, I felt terribly drowsy and dozed off. It took me three attempts at racking my brain without the pacifier in my mouth to finally realize what was going on.

Fourth, while the maids had different personalities, they all had one thing in common: once they were done feeding me, they left and didn’t come back for the next four to five hours.

Fifth, I couldn’t really tell who I was. I was sure that I was around ten months old, and while I wasn’t of low status, I was not exactly a welcome presence either. Sometimes I caught a few words about me being “half-blood,” along with mentions of some “young master.” It was probably safe to say I had something to do with whoever that was.

Sixth, I was likely in the Klaune Duchy of the Hayren Empire. I guessed there was about a 97.8% chance of that.

Seventh, putting all of the above together, I believed I was somehow related to Charente Klaune, a son of Duke Klaune. Considering that I was a “half-blood,” it appeared that I wasn’t Charente’s child. At best, I might be illegitimate.

Eighth… I mean, I couldn’t be the daughter of that insane, cold-blooded jerkwad, right? No way. I’d sooner wish that I was the product of an affair between Duke Deschar Klaune and some common woman. Maybe he had another child late in his life.

Ninth, everything else aside, I loathed Charente.

Tenth… But on the off chance that Deschar was my father, that would make Charente and I… siblings?!

I let my thoughts stop there and bravely conclude my observation diary. Further contemplation would only lead to even more dreadful thoughts.

Anyway, my treatment here was just terrible. My priority was to get out of this house as soon as possible. After that, I would need to find an orphanage where I wouldn’t be kept captive.

For that, I would have to use my magic again. I had lost most of my power. Only a minuscule amount remained within my body, and with such a small amount I could only perform minor spells like levitation.

It might be quicker to find someone to take care of me, but seeking new parents sounded like too much of a hassle. An orphanage seemed just right. It left no lingering attachments or vulnerabilities. A family was nothing but a hindrance.

Damn it. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t grow up here and carry on hiding the secret of my birth in the confines of such a dysfunctional household.

After a month, I’d come to realize that I was being neglected. The maids’ version of bathing me was just to give me a quick wipe with a wet towel. Even my feedings weren’t on any set schedule. Sometimes I only got one meal a day.

It was bearable, probably because I was fortunate enough to be a baby with nothing to do but lie around. Still, getting used to this level of treatment was a bit of a challenge, especially considering the decent lifestyle I lived until not too long ago.

One day, I decided I would start taking a look around. The nobles of the Hayren Empire’s House Klaune were known for their silver eyes. Thanks to that fact plus my own silver eyes, it wasn’t difficult to infer my status in the empire.

Among the many tales about the Hayren Empire, there was one that told the story of a family with mysterious silver eyes. According to the story, a beautiful celestial being with shimmering silver eyes descended from the sky long ago and fell in love with a human man. Shortly after, the silver-scaled being and the man had a child. The child was the first born with silver eyes, a phenomenon that was unknown in humans until then.

Generation after generation, the bloodline’s descendants continued to be born with silver eyes due to the dominant celestial blood running through their veins. One of these descendants made significant contributions to the founding of the Hayren Empire. The empire’s first ruler, deeply moved by the man’s loyalty, built a friendship with him and honored him with the noble name of “Klaune” along with various privileges. Although it wasn’t clear whether these celestial beings truly existed, it was easy to identify my lineage thanks to this tale.

The Klaune family had disputes with Sylopia over every little matter. We argued whenever we met. Their line was also unmatched in swordsmanship and capable of defeating even magicians using their swords alone.

In any case, many of the empire’s military secrets were said to have passed through the basement of the Klaune Duchy’s estate. It would be ideal if I could snatch up some confidential documents before making a run for it.

“All right, you noisy baby. Be quiet and go to sleep.”

“Aboo,” I babbled.

This was maid number four. Just like the others, she flicked the pacifier into my mouth and turned away. The pacifier now looked filthy, and I had a feeling it would make me sick if it got any worse. It was obvious this woman didn’t care about how fragile a baby’s health could be.

I should clean it. I couldn’t just suck on this filthy thing. But if I didn’t, I couldn’t think.

I waved my hand to shoo her away and activated my magic. I clenched my fists tightly, tensed my entire body, and let out a grunting sound.

Hngh!

As I did, my body began to float upward. I knew it wasn’t a dignified sight, but this was the most effective way that I could come up with.

As I neared the floor, I blushed and waved my hands in front of me. Even I know this must look ridiculous… I tried to rationalize with myself, but I couldn’t stop my face from turning beet-red.

Trying to play it cool, I awkwardly wobbled on all fours. Of course, I could stand on my legs for a little bit, but I was still quite unstable. In many ways, crawling was more convenient for me as a baby. Since the maid hadn’t closed the door properly, I could crawl out of the room.

Finally! My face lit up at the first breath of fresh air after a month of confinement. To my relief, there was a soft red carpet on the floor, saving my knees from pain.

I eagerly crawled around to get a better look. It appeared I was on the second floor. I carefully made my way down the stairs, trying not to draw any attention. I glanced back as I went down, lowering my feet with a wiggle of my bottom before moving on to the next step.

It’s so difficult to get around in such a small body. Still, I needed to familiarize myself with this building’s layout, so I could gather information. I couldn’t help but imagine the distressed faces of the Klaunes when they realized their important documents were missing.

I sucked on the pacifier as I safely reached the first-floor landing. Coming to rest on all fours, I glanced around again.

Should I hide behind that pillar for now? It was much easier to crawl around out here with the soft carpet beneath me, unlike on the hard marble floor in the nursery. I could move twice as fast. It feels like I cast some kind of speed spell, I thought as I scrambled across the floor and snugly tucked myself behind the pillar.

That must be the exit over there. I planned which way I would head next to keep exploring.

Sucking on the pacifier was strangely addictive. It seemed to provide a sense of mental stability. I never thought I’d find comfort in a pacifier at my age.

The rubber part was a bit hard, though. If I could apply some slime extract, I could certainly improve it. Slime’s self-purification capability would also make it much easier to keep clean. Maybe I should get on that later.

I abruptly snapped out of my pondering. What was I thinking? By the time I created a new and improved pacifier, I’d probably be an adult, or at least I wouldn’t need it to think anymore! I must be losing my mind, I thought.

I sighed deeply, looking at my stubby arms and legs. My drool was everywhere since I had been hard at work sucking on the pacifier.

Okay, let’s go. The path to the exit was quiet. Glancing around, I vigorously moved my little limbs once more. Moving off the carpet and having to cross the marble floor again was a bit painful, but I made it outside.

Phew, finally some fresh outdoor air! Tears of relief almost welled up in my eyes. It seemed the maids never cracked a window in that nursery. Honestly, the only reason I hadn’t gotten sick yet was because I had been purifying my body with magic. I’m not sure if my soul is totally purified, though.

Anyway, the first thing I had to figure out was how to handle this smelly old pacifier.