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Chapter 12
From today onward, Maybel was scheduled to study with Sigmund for two hours every day.
It was natural, since she was the assistant to the professor—but the problem was, Maybel couldn’t read.
So, instead of alchemy or anything else, she started with learning letters first.
“In our Greenhurst Empire, the writing system has 21 consonants and 5 vowels, making a total of 26 letters…”
Sitting at her desk, Maybel nodded eagerly, listening carefully to Sigmund’s lecture.
“Now, try writing them down.”
“Yes!”
Maybel answered energetically and clumsily picked up her pen.
She filled the lined practice paper with uneven letters, designed to help her learn more easily.
This practice paper had been made by Dain.
“Please let me know anytime if it’s not enough, Milady!”
Even now, Dain was lying on the floor, drawing lines across more sheets.
He was on the floor because the desk Maybel was using actually belonged to him.
Sigmund’s study didn’t yet have a proper desk and chair for Maybel.
But leaving a growing child to study on an uncomfortable sofa wasn’t an option.
So Dain worked on the floor instead.
After all, even with cushions piled on the chair, their eye levels wouldn’t match—it was effectively the same.
“Umm, that’s fine! So don’t push yourself too hard…”
Maybel, filling the paper with letters that looked almost like random scribbles, glanced sideways.
She was a little concerned about the adult working on the floor while her seat was taken.
Seeing this, Sigmund used a sturdy binder to block Maybel’s view.
“I told you before, Maybel. What should you be focusing on?”
“L-learning the letters quickly!”
“Exactly. So don’t worry about Dain. Keep practicing your letters.”
“Yes…”
Maybel returned her attention to memorizing the letters.
‘If I learn them fast, Uncle Dain will get up from the floor!’
It felt like she had taken Dain hostage, but as long as it worked, it was fine.
Thanks to that, Maybel memorized all 26 letters used in the Greenhurst Empire in just one hour.
“Let’s see… hmm, only one hour?”
Sigmund checked the time after inspecting her quiz.
Dain, who had been lying on the floor making practice sheets the whole time, lifted his head in surprise.
“Actually, it’s exactly 30 minutes. You studied for 10, rested 10, studied 10, rested 10!”
At only eight years old, Maybel couldn’t have studied straight for a full hour.
She had lived only in her small room, so her stamina wasn’t used to long study sessions.
“Wow, learning all the letters in just 30 minutes! That’s amazing, Milady!”
Dain clapped enthusiastically, praising her.
“The other two took two full hours each—aren’t you a genius?!”
His glasses sparkled as he asked Sigmund.
‘Wait… glasses sparkling, not eyes…?’
Maybel tilted her head slightly, wondering.
‘The other two?’
She remembered the two empty seats at every meal.
But her thoughts didn’t last long.
While Maybel was trapped in Dain’s “praise prison,” Sigmund went outside and brought something in.
“Here’s your reward for a perfect score.”
It was none other than a crisp, fluffy cream puff!
“Wow…!”
Maybel’s face lit up when she saw it.
She had enjoyed cream puffs for dessert last night.
However, the one from last night had been huge—almost as big as her face—and it was hard to eat.
She got cream everywhere, and it kept spilling out.
“It’s so big!”
But this one Sigmund handed her was small enough to eat comfortably.
Excited, Maybel clenched her tiny hands and her eyes sparkled.
“See? It’s tiny, just like you.”
“No! I’m not that tiny!”
Maybel pouted but eagerly took the cream puff.
Even small things could say a lot, she thought.
Sigmund chuckled and brought some milk, saying it would help her swallow.
“Jacques said you should cheer up. He was impressed by how you enjoyed mine yesterday too.”
Maybel flinched as she picked up the cream puff from the top of the plate.
“W-wait, I didn’t take it! You gave it to me!”
Seeing Maybel happily eating, even though she got cream everywhere, Sigmund offered his own dessert plate.
She said it was fine, but he insisted.
“Yes, I gave it to you since you already had cream on your lips.”
Embarrassed and with nowhere to retort, Maybel pouted her lower lip.
Instead, she slipped from her seat while holding the cream puff.
“Wait, that’s dangerous!”
Sigmund quickly caught her.
The adult chair was already high, and the cushions had been stacked to match her eye level with the desk.
But Maybel had tried to slide down like a little slide, thinking her bottom would be safe.
“Oh… I thought I wouldn’t get hurt sliding down like this…”
“Still, it’s dangerous. You could have asked for help.”
Sigmund lightly scolded her.
Looking back, he was right.
He had helped her climb up, so he certainly would have helped her down if she asked.
But Maybel wasn’t used to saying “help me.”
She had never said it while living in the duke’s mansion.
So even climbing up the high cushions on her own, she struggled alone.
“Uh… um…”
Maybel hesitated, and Sigmund sighed silently, remembering her unfamiliarity with asking for help.
“From now on, call for an adult. It’s dangerous.”
“Yes…”
She might have found it bothersome, but she understood.
Sigmund cleared his throat.
“And that’s for the adults’ sake.”
“For the adults’ sake?”
“Yes. Everyone here wants to help you.”
Having set her safely on the floor, Sigmund looked at her.
“You’ll listen to the adults’ wishes, right?”
“…Yes!”
For some reason, she felt she should.
Maybel nodded.
And the first place she went on the floor was in front of Dain.
“Uncle, eat this!”
She wanted to give the cream puff to Dain, who gave up his seat and drew the lines on paper for her.
“Huh? To… me?”
Dain, sitting on the floor and happily watching Sigmund and Maybel, was so surprised he nearly jumped up, causing his glasses to bounce.
“Hah…!”
He couldn’t believe it, shaking his hands over and over.
Why was she doing that?
“Do you… not like cream puffs?”
Maybel tilted her head, worried.
With her slightly curved eyebrows and blinking round eyes, it was just too cute.
“Ahhh!”
Snap.
Dain’s glasses cracked from her cuteness.
“Uh?! My glasses!”
Some glass shards flew, but luckily Maybel was safe.
Sigmund, rushing over, had kept her at a safe distance.
“Change your glasses quickly. She could’ve gotten hurt.”
“Yes!”
Dain quickly put on a new pair.
Watching him, Maybel worried.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine. I have several spare pairs. I’m more worried if you got hurt from the glass shards.”
Not the glasses—she meant his eyes…
After rambling her worries, Dain cleared his throat.
“But… can I really accept this?”
“This cream puff? Yes!”
Maybel smiled brightly, urging him to take it.
Her small front teeth were almost like a rabbit’s, adding to the cuteness.
“Thank… thank you… I’ll treasure this forever… so cute…”
Dain held the tiny cream puff carefully in both hands, trying to hold back tears.
Even though small, it looked like a tangerine in his hands compared to Maybel’s tiny grasp.
“Right? It’s really a cute cream puff!”
“No, not the puff… hhh…”
Her not even knowing how cute she was made her cuter!
Dain decided he would preserve it forever.
And then…
“Maybel.”
“Yes?”
After giving the cream puff to Dain, Maybel, helped by Sigmund, sat down and took a bite.
Sigmund asked, with a face full of longing:
“And me?”
