Before anyone could say a word, I leaped into action and took the seat right next to Dietrich.
The reason was simple: I wanted to put some distance between my dad and me, even if just a little.
“Huh? Why are you sitting here? That seat over there is yours.”
“Well, that’s…”
Meeting my dad’s shamelessly expectant gaze, I tightly closed my eyes.
As much as I hated saying this, I had no choice.
Because sitting next to my dad would ruin my appetite.
“I like Dietrich. I’ll eat with him instead.”
“Wow, Baby Ella, are you saying you actually…!”
Don’t get too emotional.
Blocking his mouth as he looked moved, I gave Dietrich a cold, indifferent glance and casually ignored him, gripping my spoon instead.
‘Come to think of it, Dietrich hasn’t quite lost all the weight yet.’
Well, that made sense. He had spent most of his time lying down or sitting as per the doctor’s orders.
“Starting tomorrow, Dietrich, let’s work out together again.”
“I’d love to. I’ve been feeling stiff from not moving around much lately.”
Though he’d had enough time to recover, it would be best to lower the intensity and start from scratch.
That’s how exercise works. If you don’t do it consistently, your performance will plummet. That’s why fitness enthusiasts always prioritize injury prevention—because getting injured would prevent them from exercising, which would then cause their skills to deteriorate.
Listening to our conversation, my dad tilted his head toward Dietrich with interest.
“Exercise?”
“Yes, Father! I can run over twenty laps on the horseback track in a day!”
Hearing Dietrich’s enthusiastic response, our dad set down the glass of aperitif he’d been holding and asked,
“Sounds like your basic stamina is in good shape. In that case, how about trying swordsmanship training?”
Dietrich and I exchanged glances upon hearing our dad’s sudden suggestion.
Then, in perfect sync, we both tilted our heads to the left.
‘Swordsmanship training?’
Seeing us tilt our heads identically, our dad gave a faint smile and elaborated further.
“At seven years old, it’s about time to start training to become a knight.”
Dietrich’s eyes began to sparkle.
Knight training!
In a fantasy world like this, knight training was something you just had to experience at least once.
What kind of exercises would be included in this world’s knight training?
Since our dad brought up swordsmanship training, it was clear it was mandatory. But would it be closer to fencing or kendo?
Surely, it would be much more practical and real than those two sports.
“Mariela too…!”
“You should start by learning how to write.”
Before I even realized it, I had eagerly raised my hand, but now I lowered it, feeling a bit dejected.
“…I can learn to write later.”
“You can learn swordsmanship later too.”
Mimicking my tone exactly, my dad teased me in the same way I had spoken, making me glance at him with a subtle glare.
That small act of defiance was all I could muster for now.
Honestly, if my dad were still as terrifying as he had been yesterday, with that severe and daunting expression, I wouldn’t have even dared to think of rebelling, let alone trying it.
‘Is he trying to get closer to me in his own way?’
He was still scary, but not to the extent where my whole body felt paralyzed like a frog before a snake.
“Let’s save swordsmanship training until you can at least write a letter.”
It seemed like he had received the drawing letter I sent him.
But… is there no reply? Is this his only reaction?
Feeling a bit awkward and embarrassed, I nodded absentmindedly, poking at the mashed potatoes on my plate with my fork.
As he let out a faint chuckle, my dad stopped one of the kitchen staff who had come to serve the next dish.
“Excuse me, over here for a moment.”
“What can I do for you, my lord?”
“Prepare one more serving of the same menu as Mariela’s. I’ll take care of it myself…”
When you bow your head and keep quiet, you tend to overhear others’ conversations more easily.
One more serving of the same menu as mine?
Curious about the conversation, I strained my ears to listen further, but my dad’s voice grew softer until it was inaudible.
***
The sun was bright, and the breeze was refreshing.
After the rainstorm last night, the sky looked as clear and shiny as a polished pane of glass.
As I stared up at the sunny, flawless sky, I clutched my head in frustration.
On such a beautiful day, Dietrich was outside training with his newly-made wooden practice sword, while I was stuck indoors, learning how to write!
‘In my past life, I mastered the Korean alphabet at six and learned the English alphabet as soon as I started elementary school. Why must I do it all over again?!’
“Young miss, what’s the matter? Are your assignments too difficult?”
“Betty, this is too much. I have to write one, two, three… four whole pages!”
Who in their right mind assigns a three-year-old to fill out four entire pages of repetitive handwriting practice?
Especially when I’m still too young, my fine motor skills haven’t fully developed, and I can’t even hold a pen properly yet.
Thinking about the strict nanny’s stern face, I nestled into Betty’s arms, whining as much as I could.
Betty returned three days ago.
The moment my dad came back and started managing the household affairs, Betty was the first person he ordered to return.
Recognized for defending my mother’s honor, she even got a raise and returned with a bright smile, patting my head affectionately.
“But our young miss is so smart, she’ll learn quickly.”
Darn it! Betty really isn’t any help at all.
If Laura, who’s always endlessly lenient when it comes to Dietrich and me, had been here, she would’ve joined me in asking the nanny to reduce my workload.
Finding no use in Betty, I wriggled out of her arms.
“This is a secret, but the nanny said she was planning to ask the Master if you could learn the ancient Holy Kingdom language alongside the Imperial language.”
“The ancient Holy Kingdom language?”
“Yes. The scriptures used in the temples are all written in the characters of the ancient Holy Kingdom.”
Thud.
Hearing Betty’s words, I accidentally dropped my pen.
“But you’re a genius, young miss, so you’ll manage it just fine.”
“I’m not a genius!”
“Of course, you are. Out of all the three-year-olds I’ve seen, you’re the smartest!”
That’s just because I have the mind of an adult inside, not because I’m a real genius!
Sure, I need to learn the Imperial language since I can’t live illiterate.
But why do I, at this age, need to learn the ancient Holy Kingdom language when I’m not even planning to become a priest?
The nanny and everyone else in this household seem to think I’m some kind of prodigy, but I’m just an oversized talking potato.
And as a potato, I need to act like one.
“Betty, could you get me some juice?”
With Betty, the nanny’s little minion, out of the way, mission accomplished.
I patiently waited until enough time had passed for Betty to leave the room and turn the corner of the hallway before springing up and slipping out of the room myself.
If the nanny is going to play hardball, then I’ll fight back in my own way.
I’ll put my studies on indefinite hold until they agree not to push the ancient Holy Kingdom language on me until I turn ten.
[No to the Holy Kingdom Language.]
I left behind a note clearly stating my demands before making my escape.
Carefully scanning my surroundings, I managed to leave the corridor safely. But as I was about to head downstairs, I noticed a few servants chatting away, blocking the path.
‘I was going to watch Dietrich’s swordsmanship training.’
Since the path downstairs was blocked, I had no choice but to give up on that idea.
Instead, I decided to head somewhere safe to hide.
Where would be the safest place on the third floor?
The left corridor led to my dad’s bedroom and office, which had recently become the busiest area in the house.
That left me with one option: the far end of the right corridor!
‘The room directly above mine is…’
Situated in the most scenic part of the house, it was the room of my eldest brother, Erich, who had never once occupied it.
Except for the occasional cleaning by a servant, it was a completely deserted space.
Perfect for hiding.
I cautiously turned the doorknob, worried it might be locked, but the door opened smoothly without a sound.
‘Success!’
Feeling a rush of excitement, like a game of hide-and-seek, I stepped into the room. But then I tilted my head in confusion at the sight of a child standing by the window.
Was I seeing things?
I blinked hard and rubbed my eyes a couple of times, but the child was still standing there, by the window.
With shiny silver hair and translucent red eyes, the child looked as if they had stepped out of a fairytale.
Though their cheeks were sunken from being underweight, their appearance was ethereal, with an ambiguous beauty that made it hard to determine their gender.
They seemed to be somewhere between my age and Dietrich’s.
“…..…”
“…..…”
“…Are you a fairy?”
The child, who had been watching me warily, frowned slightly.
Hmm.
Guess not.
Ah, I can see why they’d misunderstand!
In a world with monsters, fairies might exist too, right?
🍓;
‘Oversized talking potato’—something ordinary and unremarkable.
‘Like a potato’ suggests a desire to embrace simplicity or perhaps not live up to others’ expectations. Essentially, it’s a way of saying, ‘I’m not what you think I am; I’m just a regular person trying to be myself.’
