Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Preparations for a Debut
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Once the first part was over without a hitch, the rest was easy.
I did as I was told, covering one eye and naming the numbers and pictures Hestia pointed to.
"Your vision is normal. Lastly, please lie down here and say 'ah'."
"Ahhh."
"No cavities, and all your teeth are accounted for. Oh my, your canines are so rounded. How adorable."
Hestia, who had been checking for cavities, gently tapped one of my canines.
I quickly snapped my mouth shut.
As I waited for her to say I could get down, I looked at Hestia, who smiled and placed a piece of chocolate in my hand.
"Here, this is a gift for finishing so bravely."
"Ung, fank you."
"If you eat this, you must brush your teeth, okay?"
"Aileen bwushes evewy day!"
I beamed, absolutely delighted.
It was because I hadn't been able to eat much candy or chocolate lately, due to worries about cavities.
Isn't this the plight of all children? Something so delicious, yet you can't have much of it.
I'll have to savor it.
I tucked the chocolate into my pants pocket. But Rosaria had been looking serious for a while now.
"Is it alright for Lady Aileen's canines to be so blunt? I caught a glimpse, and her molars seemed very small too."
At Rosaria's earnest question, I ran to the mirror on the examination room desk.
Blunt canines must be a bad thing!
Standing on my tiptoes, I opened my mouth wide. Sure enough, a small, rounded canine was nestled on one side.
"Young Lady Aileen doesn't hunt like we do, does she? There's no need to worry, Rosaria."
"But canines are the most basic of basics."
"That's more for the children of predators. What we should be paying attention to is something else."
"Is there a problem somewhere?"
Hestia's eyes were more serious than ever.
Rosaria leaned in, asking what it was.
Watching the two of them in the mirror's reflection, I gulped nervously. I could hear their quiet whispers.
"The young lady is not even a meter tall."
"......What?"
Hestia held up her hand, palm open.
"She's only five of my handspans tall."
Now even her height is ridiculously cute!
Hestia couldn't hide her excitement.
Rosaria's eyes widened before she gave a slow, languid smile.
It was the sort of leisurely expression you'd see on someone who has everything.
"Oh my, I was already aware of that. Isn't it a privilege of those who serve Lady Aileen?"
* * *
Recently, a peculiar ailment had been spreading among the vassals working for the Astrofel family.
The symptoms varied, but they all stemmed from the same cause.
*'We want to show off the youngest lady to the entire world, but we can't!'*
A child who couldn't yet stand on their own was strictly forbidden from outside exposure, save for special circumstances.
This was an ironclad rule of the Astrofel family, where heirs were precious.
That was why the meeting held this time was of the utmost importance.
It would be the historic first moment Aileen was officially introduced to the world.
The vassals, gathered in one place, deliberated carefully and repeatedly over the banquet to be held in the spring.
"Shall we proceed as planned and invite only the allied clans?"
"That sounds best."
"I'm a little worried. What if those hideous beasts take an interest in Lady Aileen?"
Come to think of it, that's a valid point.
The opportunity to show off the youngest lady had finally arrived, but it came with such side effects.
The vassals were all lost in thought.
The clans allied with the Astrofel family were, without exception, exceedingly dangerous.
Just off the top of their heads, there were the lions of the western plains, the jaguars and wolf packs of the east, and...
"The North sent a letter saying they'll be participating this time?"
Kaide said, looking at Durias.
Durias, who was in charge of the family's external affairs, affirmed it with a nod.
"Yes, the letter arrived this morning."
"Why the sudden decision to attend?"
Baon asked dubiously. The North had been absent from the banquet for over a decade.
Durias shrugged.
"How should I know what's on their minds?"
"But why is the letter in that state?"
Kaide pointed to the tattered golden letter.
"Ah, this. I briefly considered tearing it up."
Durias gave a chilling smile, fiddling with the letter regretfully. His expression seemed to say, *'Should I just rip it up now?'*
The North's intention to participate would cause enormous ripples.
Families wishing to form ties with them would announce their attendance in droves.
The sudden news of the inscrutable tigers' attendance sent a murmur through the room.
The vassals, already frantically busy preparing for a banquet less than a month away, scowled in annoyance at this unforeseen variable.
"Baon."
"Yes, Gajunim."
"Do your utmost to prepare for Aileen's security."
No matter that it was an annual event, it was still a gathering of predators in one place.
It was unlikely anyone would be audacious enough to cause trouble in the South, but there were always exceptions. It wouldn't hurt to be careful.
"I will do my best."
"The thought of Lady Aileen walking among those beasts makes my heart pound already."
Everyone nodded in agreement with Jeras's words.
They seemed to have forgotten that they themselves were classified as a high-risk group.
Kaide laughed in disbelief.
"It's just a banquet held in our own front yard, anyway."
"That is true."
Had another family been hosting, Kaide might have hesitated to let Aileen attend.
But this year's banquet was being held in the South, where they resided.
"Then shall we recall the spare personnel remaining at the border?"
As the meeting seemed to be winding down, Baon asked casually. Kaide tilted his head.
"Are there any personnel left? I don't recall there being any."
"There are *them*, aren't there?"
Baon grinned. Realizing who he was referring to, Kaide narrowed his eyes.
"Aren't those bastards only interested in the battlefield?"
"Wasn't Rosaria the same at first?"
That was true.
She was already famous within the Black Mamba clan as a warmonger. The fact that she was now looking after Aileen was almost unbelievable.
Rosaria, who they thought would return right away, now wanted to remain with the family more than anyone.
"Won't they be curious as well? After all, Rosaria hasn't returned for over two months."
"Doesn't seem like a very good idea."
"It's for Lady Aileen's protection; it needs to be of that caliber. With predators flocking from all sides, we need a shield that strong."
"That's true."
Kaide tapped the table, signaling his approval. He was a little uneasy about placing them by Aileen's side, but there was no more reliable protection.
"Then I will contact them."
"If those guys return to the family, there will be no need to organize a separate escort."
* * *
Squeak, squeak.
Squeak.
My walking improved day by day.
Thanks to my diligent wandering, I could now go up and down the stairs by myself.
Today, as I stomped around exploring the mansion, the pleased gazes of those around me made my cheeks flush.
Everyone seems so interested in me!
Affectionate attention always makes one feel good.
"Lady Aileen, are you on a solo walk again today?"
"Yes! I'm all gwown up now, so I can walk awound by myself."
I gave a bashful smile to a passing vassal and bowed deeply, and the area erupted in hearty, boisterous laughter.
Everyone looks happy. That makes me happy too!
I stomped my feet energetically.
Squeak! Squeak, squeak!
"You're full of energy today. What did Rosaria pack for you this time?"
A cool-looking lady asked, pointing to the bag bulging with snacks.
Umm. I don't know yet.
I fiddled with the clasp of the bag, which had been adjusted to fit snugly against my chest so it wouldn't loosen.
"......Aileen has to open it to know."
"Oh dear. I suppose I won't get to see, then. Here, I'll give you one of these too!"
"Fank you."
She handed me a heart-shaped glass tube, and I examined it closely.
It was a candy coated in sparkling powder.
It's a candy I've never seen before!
I quickly pocketed it and started walking again. I had a long way to go today.
It had already been several days since I started leaving my room on my own.
The mansion was so absurdly large that I still hadn't seen even half of it.
Even the places I had managed to visit were ones I'd learned about by overhearing others' conversations.