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Chapter : 15
Medical Chart 1 The People Who Adore Baby Shana
“How is Lady Shana?”
“She only just fell asleep. She grabbed my index finger and kept making me promise not to take the puppy away, saying she’d hate me if I did. And the way she looked like she was about to cry was seriously…”
Ella smiled faintly.
It was the very smile Shana had once praised as elegant.
“She was so cute I almost got a nosebleed.”
“You should spend your life being grateful for that face of yours. Who would ever imagine that someone with the face of a noble young lady would be thinking such old-man thoughts…?”
Maria clicked her tongue.
Her youthful appearance and mannerisms also helped lower people’s guard, but in many ways, she couldn’t compare to Ella.
For reference, Maria’s weapon was a pair of gauntlets, while Ella used a whip. In truth, both were equally surprising choices.
“Mm, I am grateful. Thanks to it, I’m enjoying myself to the fullest.”
“Please don’t say that out loud.”
You’ll really wake her up.
Even at Maria’s rebuke, Ella remained completely unfazed. She merely smiled leisurely and tapped her lips.
“Lady Shana is just too adorable. It definitely started as fake crying, but while pretending to cry, she ended up genuinely crying without even realizing it.”
“And then she couldn’t stop crying even though she wanted to. She actually exhausted herself and collapsed asleep. Can you believe that?”
“The way she talks is so mature, but then she never misses her nap time.”
“And she insists she saw words in books that definitely don’t appear in children’s storybooks.”
“And when nobody questions her about it, she’s visibly relieved.”
By normal standards, Shana might have seemed like a somewhat strange child.
But to Maria, Ella, and Bailey, she was simply the cutest thing in the world.
The key point was that she tried so hard to act like an adult, while none of her actions were adult-like at all.
And the fact that she knew it and felt upset about it only made her even cuter.
“By the way, her fake crying never improves. Even when she was much younger, whenever she absolutely had to cry, she’d reluctantly go, ‘Waaah…’ and that was it.”
It had been so awkward and funny that they had to struggle not to laugh.
“When her diaper felt uncomfortable or when she was so hungry she couldn’t stand it anymore, she’d reluctantly pretend to cry.”
Maria closed her eyes as though reminiscing about old memories.
When they first met, Shana had been far younger and more helpless than she was now.
Her chubby little hands and feet didn’t even seem to have wrists or ankles.
She had been so small that if she spread her hands wide, they could cover her entire head.
With brilliant golden hair like sunlight, rosy cheeks full of healthy color, and enormous green eyes that seemed to take up half her face, she had looked like an angel descended from heaven.
And if anyone praised her like that openly, she’d become embarrassed and suffer for it.
Despite being a baby, she understood every word and felt mortified.
That had been both fascinating and hilarious.
She was really adorable…
The way she’d struggle and strain, determined to accomplish something by herself.
“Where did the dog go?”
“Her Grace and Lady Bailey went to investigate it. They need to know its background before allowing it to stay in the mansion.”
“That makes sense. Thorough as always.”
“Of course. It’s directly related to Lady Shana’s safety. Oh, and His Grace went to see Prince Raven off.”
Maria leaned back in her chair and stretched.
“The people in this family have always been sensitive about Lady Shana’s safety.”
“Only this family?”
“Well, we’re part of this family now too, aren’t we?”
“After what I saw today, His Highness the Prince wasn’t any different.”
Raven’s sudden visit had been a shocking event even for Maria and Ella.
They hadn’t received any prior notice.
If they had proceeded with their planned attack or suppression attempt, they might have been dragged away by the prince’s guards for treason by now.
…A terrifying thought.
“Did you hear that eight-year-old brat talking? Saying Lady Shana was his and all that nonsense… Just because he’s a prince…”
For most people, being a prince was enough.
As Ella muttered darkly, Maria responded casually.
“Maybe his word choice is different because he’s about to become Crown Prince.”
“Even so, what kind of nonsense is that to say to Lady Shana? She’s only three years old!”
“Is that really something the person who said she almost got a nosebleed from cuteness should be saying?”
“I only adore her silently. I didn’t actually get a nosebleed. And Lady Shana didn’t hear me, so I’m innocent.”
“…What a massive distinction…”
Maria shook her head.
“Two years ago, I never imagined we’d still be here.”
“Lady Bailey had just given birth, so we were only supposed to rest somewhere safe while raising the baby.”
“Mm-hmm. But somehow all three of us ended up settling down completely beside Lady Shana. We even extended our contracts indefinitely.”
“Where would we even go now, leaving that tiny little person behind? No matter where we went, we’d keep thinking about her and come right back. I know I couldn’t leave. If anyone’s leaving, it’ll be cold-blooded Maria.”
“To think you’d say something like that… Ella, you really do live long enough to see everything.”
“You’re one to talk.”
“Honestly, Lady Bailey is the biggest surprise. She used to hate children. Then she had one of her own, and now she’s a nanny. A nanny.”
“No one would believe it.”
Bailey, Ella, and Maria were a three-woman mercenary group, all famous A-Rankers.
The reason they remained A-Rank instead of advancing further was because they selectively accepted commissions, and rumors even claimed their actual abilities rivaled those of S-Rankers.
Yet those very women had completely disappeared from public view two years ago.
“To think they’d be hiding away in the capital of the Empire, in a duke’s mansion no less, spending their days taking care of a baby… If we from two years ago heard that, we’d tell ourselves to stop talking nonsense.”
“At first we only planned to stay six months. We were already feeling stifled, wondering how on earth we’d spend our time taking care of a baby…”
Anais had promised to provide a safe environment for Bailey’s son to grow up in and had offered generous compensation.
Bailey’s son was also, in a sense, a hostage to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
At first, the three women had only intended to collect the generous pay and buy time.
But before they realized it, Shana had captured their hearts, and they abandoned all thoughts of leaving.
The Shana who once couldn’t even roll over by herself now crawled around, stood up on her own, walked quite well, and occasionally even ran.
Could anyone help but love the sight of her struggling so hard to accomplish things herself, then smiling brightly as though asking for praise when she finally succeeded?
She was exceptionally intelligent and understood every conversation the adults had.
Yet instead of being wary, she smiled openly and defenselessly.
No one could help but love such a child.
Resting her chin on her hand, Maria murmured,
“Normally, healing magic and natural recovery don’t work on beastfolk.”
“Pretend you don’t know.”
“Our Lady Shana really has a troublesome ability…”
The fact that she didn’t even seem interested in hiding it made it twice as troublesome.
Maria let out a long sigh.
The most troublesome thing of all was that nobody around Shana could stop her from doing what she wanted.
Including themselves.
“We shouldn’t indulge her too much.”
“But those moments when she acts spoiled are precious…”
“And that’s exactly the problem…”
“Ian, Leon! Come over here!”
“Ah, what is it now, Father?”
“…”
Leon grumbled out of habit, while Ian merely shot an annoyed look in response.
For sons addressing their father, there was a shocking lack of respect in those gazes.
Yet Gillian Lloyd paid no attention to his sons’ rebellious expressions.
After all, despite dragging their feet, they had come.
The twins set down the wooden swords they had been swinging and stood before their father, both wearing sullen expressions.
Gillian spoke.
“How long are you going to keep being stubborn?”
“What did we do?”
“Yeah, what?”
“Lady Shana is worried about how you’re doing. She thinks she made you cry…”
Leon and Ian’s faces twisted as though they’d just bitten into a sour lemon.
Gillian grinned.
“She cares about you. Go show her your faces and put her mind at ease.”
“No.”
“Nope.”
“No? Why? You were the ones constantly saying you wanted to meet Lady Shana…”
Gillian looked at the pouting brothers as if he couldn’t understand them.
In front of Shana, they’d arrogantly claimed they wanted to determine whether she was worthy of serving.
But in front of Gillian, all they ever talked about was wanting to see Lady Shana.
That was probably their true feeling.
Brats. Putting on airs.
Seven-year-olds were at the age where they loved being troublesome.
But in the end, they were still just children.
“Then why did you try so hard to act tough? You only ended up leaving a bad impression.”
“…If only you’d…”
Ian muttered quietly.
Gillian mischievously pretended not to understand.
“Hm?”
“If only you’d told us earlier what kind of person Lady Shana was!”
“I did. I told you she was cute.”
“Your words don’t count as a reference! All you ever did was repeat that Lady Shana was like an angel! You never gave us any details!”
“How was I supposed to explain it any better than that?”
Gillian shrugged.
“Think about it. Was anything I said wrong?”
“…”
“Lady Shana is as cute as an angel. Right?”
“…”
“She has a kind and gentle heart.”
“…”
“She speaks well and is remarkably smart for a three-year-old. Was any of that wrong?”
“W-Well, no, but…”
Leon clenched his fist in frustration.
Still, it was only natural that Gillian’s praise-filled descriptions hadn’t truly conveyed what kind of person she was.
From the day they first picked up wooden swords, Ian and Leon had developed a vague sense of resistance toward the name Shana, which they heard constantly.
Being told to work hard for the sake of someone they didn’t even know was ridiculous.
They didn’t dislike training, but there had certainly been difficult times.
And those times had made them irrationally angry.
Don’t need it.
But then—
Do what you want to do.
It was hard, wasn’t it?
The moment they heard those words, it felt as though something tightly knotted inside them had unraveled.
The pale, chubby hand that had gently poked them.
The person who had smiled so brightly despite them having clearly offended her.
The person who had even understood the twisted feelings hidden in their hearts.
They had completely lost their hearts to her.
Ian and Leon made a firm vow.
They would become outstanding knights and stand by Shana’s side no matter what.
But then—
“While you’re busy being stubborn, what if Lady Shana completely forgets about you?”
“…”
“…”
Oh.
Their cheeks puffed up like angry toads.
Gillian secretly chuckled.
“I heard Prince Raven visited Lady Shana today. Are you really not going to go see her?”
“…We’ll go.”
There was no way they could allow themselves to be forgotten.
