Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: A Human at Last
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Chapter 16
I woke up a human.
Overcome with a strange feeling I couldn't put into words, I examined my body from every angle in front of the mirror.
I clenched and unclenched my hands and wiggled my feet.
I touched my longer hair, my eyes, my nose, my mouth—everything.
"Wosawia!"
"Yes, Lady Aileen."
"Look! Fiwe!"
When I spread my hand wide, Rosaria nodded.
"Yes, there really are five!"
"Mhm! I'm a weal human now!"
This is great!
I had been standing in front of the mirror for hours, but I wasn't the least bit tired of it.
"Are you still so fascinated?"
"Mhm! ...But, Wosawia."
"Yes?"
"What if I wake up and I'm a biwd again?"
That would be a real disaster.
I was looking in the mirror partly out of joy, but also out of anxiety that I might have turned back into a bird.
That's why I checked the mirror every chance I got.
What if my arms suddenly poofed into wings, or a tail sprouted out?
I'd heard that young children with weak pheromones sometimes revert to their original forms.
After all the trouble of humanizing, I didn't want to go back to being a bird.
As I confessed my worries, Rosaria, who was tidying up my toys, burst out laughing.
"Are you worried you'll turn back into a bird?"
"Mhm."
They say even similar things can startle you, and I often jumped in surprise at the sight of my own white-silver hair.
Whenever that happened, I would clutch my startled chest and run to Rosaria for a hug.
This time, too, as I burrowed into her arms, she stopped what she was doing and hugged me back.
"Don't you worry. As long as you're not a picky eater and chew your food well, that won't happen."
"Weally?"
"Of course."
"Fow weal?"
"Yes."
Rosaria's reassurance put my mind at ease a little.
Phew. I was letting out a sigh of relief when Rosaria checked the time and quickened her pace.
"Lady Aileen, you must be hungry. Let's hurry to your meal."
"But the food hasn't come yet."
Every day, my meals were brought to my room, but there had been no sign of them today.
I hoped it would come soon. With all the morning's excitement, my mealtime had become a bit uncertain.
Rosaria smiled brightly.
"From today on, you'll be eating in the dining hall."
"...The dining haww?"
"Yes. The Head and the Young Masters will be waiting. Here, take my hand!"
"Okay! I'm gonna eat in the dining haww now too."
I was so excited that I could go to the dining hall now. Would the chef be there too?
What else was hidden in this mansion?
Since I only ever went to a few places with Rosaria, there was still so much about the mansion I didn't know.
My heart pounded with anticipation.
I could now walk to the dining hall on my own two feet!
"Lady Aileen, your hand!"
"Okay."
I took Rosaria's hand and carefully took a step.
If I wasn't careful, my feet could get tangled and I could fall. I still wasn't used to walking on two legs.
I left the room and was walking briskly down the hall when, as expected, I wobbled again.
Rosaria, who expertly caught me before I could fall, saw my teary face and gave me a reassuring smile.
"...Wosawia."
"Yes?"
"I... I don't think I can walk by myself wifout a tail."
I used to be such a good walker. But now that my tail, which helped me balance, was gone, I couldn't.
What if I have to learn how to walk all over again?
I thought humanizing would solve everything, but now there was a mountain of new things to learn.
"You don't have to be so hasty. You're walking just fine right now, aren't you?"
"But dis is..."
...just toddling. I even had to take the stairs one step at a time.
No, I won't get discouraged. I can do this!
Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.
As I walked with determination, my shoes made a sound.
Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.
"Oh my, Lady Rosaria. Is that Lady Aileen?"
"Lord Durias?"
"She's quite..."
A man carrying documents, who had been passing by, heard the squeaking and approached with interest.
He was a man I thought I'd seen once before, in front of the meeting room.
Wearing white gloves that covered his hands completely, he had an overall neat appearance.
Durias looked at me—in my yellow tank top and white shorts, holding Rosaria's hand—and smiled brightly.
"Just as the Head said. How insignificant."
"..."
"You're so cute, you look like a single bite."
I froze solid. Rosaria quickly tried to stop Durias.
"If you say things like that, Lady Aileen might misunderstand!"
"Why is that?"
Durias looked genuinely confused.
I began to wonder what kind of mindset led to such a way of speaking.
This family's way of expressing themselves was just too extreme.
"But you said it too, Lady Rosaria. That she's so cute you want to kill everything."
Rosaria flinched.
Come to think of it, I think she had said something about wanting to crush everything before.
When I gave her a bright smile to show I understood, Rosaria, who had been flustered, looked deeply moved.
"Our Lady Aileen is so generous, as expected."
"It's okay!"
"Still, it's best to be careful, Durias. What if Lady Aileen learns such aggressive expressions?"
For someone who was supposedly worried, she was using them quite openly. I fidgeted with the hand I was holding.
When are we going to the dining hall? I'm hungry.
"Wosawia. I'm hungwy."
"Hoh. Off to feeding time, are we?"
"...Durias. Watch your words. That's how we speak among clan members."
So they were aware that their way of speaking was off-kilter.
But they had no intention of changing it.
That seemed highly likely.
Judging by the family members I'd met so far, they would surely ignore any complaints from others.
In fact, they'd probably do it more, just to make a point, rather than stop.
"Well then, enjoy your meal, my lady. I'm quite busy."
"Goodbye."
Bye-bye.
As I waved with my other hand, Durias gave a polite bow and disappeared down the hall.
"Wosawia."
"Yes?"
"My legs huwt. What do I do?"
Was it from standing for too long? My legs were starting to ache.
I'd only come down from the second floor to the first, but I was already exhausted.
Are young children's bodies normally this weak?
Rosaria smiled warmly and picked me up.
"Then I'll just have to carry you. The dining hall is in the basement."
"The basement?"
"Yes. But even though it's in the basement, it gets sunlight, so it's not scary at all."
I see. Then it's okay.
I wrapped my arms around Rosaria's neck and leaned against her.
It had taken a long time when I was walking, but being carried, we reached the dining hall in no time.
A delicious smell wafted from the entrance, and my stomach rumbled.
"Oh, our Lady Aileen, you must have been very hungry. I'm sorry I didn't bring you sooner."
"No, it's okay!"
"How will you ever survive in this world, being so kind?"
Rosaria said, her expression genuinely worried.
"It would be better if you expressed yourself and acted however you please, Lady Aileen."
"Okay."
So being too nice is also a cause for concern.
But I don't think I'm that nice. Sometimes I only think of myself when I act.
As we chatted quietly and entered the dining hall, I saw Kaide, who had already arrived.
"You're here."
And I saw two boys.
One was Set, whom I'd already met, and the other was a boy I'd never seen before.
"I wanna get down!"
"Yes, Lady Aileen."
Rosaria set me down on the floor. At the same time, my shoes made a sound.
Squeak!
Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.
"...What is that?"
"Dis is Aileen's!"
I declared it was mine with all my might, along with the name I had been diligently memorizing in my head.
Kaide let out a deflated laugh.
"They make a strange sound."
"It's not stwange. Wosawia gave them to me as a pwesent."
"I had her wear them to prevent her from getting lost, as she doesn't know her way around yet."
That's right. That's what they're for!
I walked toward an empty seat.
I could see a plate of hot meat. I can eat meat now!
My heart raced, and I quickened my pace.