The surface of the river reflected the sunlight. It was a winter wonderland. Though the flowers had yet to bloom, their buds flew against the wind. The nanny spread out a clean mat expertly that not a single crease was seen. She lifted me out of the stroller and laid me down on the mat.
I kept leaning over from the weight, forcing me to fall into a lying position.
Oscar decided to put me on his lap.
"Mabel, doesn't it feel good to be outside?"
I sat there motionless and blinked.
"Hmm… well, this isn't too bad either."
Lalima sat next to Oscar and kept a keen eye on me as she organized our carried belongings. But she was too preoccupied and could not help but succumb to worries.
She looked at Lalima.
"Lalima, don't take your eyes off of her."
"Don't worry, madam! I'll keep a close eye on Her Highness. In any case, madam, doesn't it look like she's having trouble because of her head? Oh my goodness… isn't she so cute?"
Lalima held my cheeks and squealed.
Xavier gave Lalima a look of warning.
"At this rate, you'll be the one to cause problems."
"You think I'm clumsy, don't you?"
They're getting along well.
I stifled out a yawn and leaned into Oscar's body.
The sky hung above me.
'It's blue.'
The last I looked at the sky was when it was a midnight black and not a single stellar light shone. I remember it well… that shabby apartment… the roof I fell from… it had not been long since then, but it felt like a distant memory from years ago. It was a memory I would never forget.
As I reminisced over the past, my eyes closed, Oscar whispered softly.
"It looks like Mable is sleepy."
"Uwaa…"
…No, that's not it. I was not sleepy, I was depressed.
I let out a small sigh. Even they would not let me be sad in peace.
Since I did not have much to do, I looked at Xavier. He busily organized the things around me when he suddenly roared and pointed to the forest entrance.
"…..What?"
What is it?
"It's the divine beast!"
Divine beast? Ah… I remember Lalima and Xavier quarreling over the golden divine beast hatching from an egg in the north forest. What is a divine beast? Is it a cat?
'I want to see it as well!'
I stretched out both arms and expressed my wants and needs, but Oscar did not pay attention to me.
Lalima and Xavier argued again.
"Really? Xavier, don't make up lies. I'm not falling for it!"
"It's true! It's over there! Why don't you go and see for yourself?!"
"If it's not there, then you're dead meat!"
Lalima snapped back as she leaned forward to stand up.
"Your Highness, let's go and check out this nonsense as well."
"Alright."
As Lalima complained, the nanny stretched out her hand to me.
'Wait… you're all going to look without me?'
I flailed and flung my arms around. I had tried to reject the nanny's embrace.
"Your Highness, would you like to stay with me for a bit? His Highness wants to go and see a kitty."
"Waa…!"
The nanny smiled softly and hugged me tenderly while I trashed about as much as I could, an only expression I could make to express my disdain.
'I want to see as well! The divine beast…! The kitty!'
"Kiddy…!"
The nanny would not let me go no matter how much I moved. I could not bear it anymore and let out a sound as loud as I could. I was 2 months old, and my pronunciation horrid. Kitty as my first word was not the best moment in my life, but it did not matter.
And then I realized a moment too late that everything around me grew silent until Oscar broke the ice.
"….. Mabel?"