Chapter 46 of 100

Chapter 46

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"In a little while, I thought you would come."

After that, I was dismissed by the princess with a wave of her hand, saying, "That's enough for today," and I returned to the mansion holding hands with Regulus. Although he pressed me about not singing, he let go of my hand when I promised to play with him after his nap. Then, I visited Mr. Romanov's room, and he opened the door with a gentle smile. Mr. Romanov's room is a guest room, with a bedroom connected to a study by a door. He spends his time here when he's not teaching me, or he goes to town or explores the dungeon. The room has a sofa, a writing desk with a chair, a bed, and a chest with a lamp beside it. The concept is to make it feel like home, without too much decoration. As soon as I entered, he offered me the sofa, and I sat down. He sat diagonally in front of me.

"By saying you thought I would come soon..."

"Considering your nature, I thought you would have reported in detail to the princess about what happened yesterday."

"You saw through me."

"What did the princess tell you?"

Looking into his calm green eyes, I recounted everything the princess had said. Mr. Romanov lowered his eyebrows and murmured, "Just as expected of the princess."

"The princess said that you knew the true identity of that peach and were waiting for me to realize it..."

"Hmm, that's a bit off."

"But Mr. Romanov, when I had the peach, you said it was a 'Peach of Immortality,' didn't you?"

"Yes, you were listening well."

Reflecting on it now, as the princess said, Mr. Romanov's reaction to that peach was a bit odd. There was one other person whose reaction was odd, but let's put that aside for now.

"At first, I wasn't sure if it was a 'Peach of Immortality.' After all, I had never seen one myself. I assumed it was a 'Peach of Immortality' because it was a gift from the princess, and it had the effects of a peach. The legend says that the 'Peach of Immortality' usually comes from the Hundred Flowers Princess."

"Ah... I see."

"Also, when we made sorbet, I heard that the ingredient was a 'Peach of Immortality.' That was the deciding factor."

Just by switching the position of his crossed legs, he looked elegant. If I did that, I'd probably fall over backward because my legs are too short. As I thought about this and looked at Mr. Romanov's legs, he looked at me seriously.

"...I was thinking about how to approach you."

"Approach me?"

"Yes, I was thinking about how to get you interested in the outside world."

"The outside world..."

When Mr. Romanov and Mr. Rottenmeier introduced us, I was diligently embroidering. I remember showing the guest around the mansion, the vegetable garden, and having a meal together. Mr. Romanov observed me for a few days to decide whether to become my tutor. Mr. Rottenmeier's initial impression of me wasn't good, but he pleaded for me to teach me magic and studies, which he found strange.

"After all, it's not normal to bow down for a child who can't do anything."

"Y-Yes, that's true."

Oh, I can't remember much from before I was sick, but I do remember causing some trouble, which makes my heart ache.

"From what I could see, your parents showed no interest in you, and it was unlikely that Mr. Rottenmeier would be punished if I refused to be your tutor. Yet, why was he so desperate...?"

Indeed.

So, the only point of interest was that.

To understand that point, he observed me and the mansion for a long time. Unaware of this, I was growing vegetables in the garden, feeding them to the horses, and learning to take care of chickens, getting pecked by them. It's embarrassing to think about what he was observing. Eventually, he noticed a glimpse of the 'Green Hand' and 'Blue Hand' in me. When he taught me an elf embroidery pattern, I could stitch a design that even an experienced seamstress would find difficult, which surprised him. Moreover, unlike the initial impression, I was unusually quiet for a five-year-old, spoke logically, and could read and count fluently, even things that adults would struggle with.

"Well, I was surprised. So, I asked Mr. Rottenmeier why he had given me such a bad impression of you."

"Why was that?"

"Simply put, 'You seem like a good child, but you've had issues in the past. There's a possibility that those issues might resurface. I want you to be prepared for that and not give up on you even if you change.'"

Ah... I'm really sorry.

I feel like I want to hide in a hole and look away. Mr. Romanov continued, as if to reassure me.

"Well, in reality, I haven't encountered such a situation yet. But when someone says that, both elves and humans tend to pay more attention."

So, while observing my every move, he noticed something odd.

"Something odd...?"

"Yes. I was the first guest from outside the mansion to visit you. However, you never showed any interest or curiosity about the outside world. Your world was complete within the mansion."

Now that you mention it, I never asked Mr. Romanov about the outside world. I listened when he talked about it, but I didn't think much beyond that. Regardless of whether it's normal, the children Mr. Romanov has tutored in the past were all interested in the outside world, regardless of the degree, and wanted to go to town, neglecting their studies. Among them, I never wanted to go to town, nor was I inspired by Mr. Romanov's adventure stories to play explorer in the garden. I spent my days calmly within the mansion. Of course, there were indoor types who didn't like outdoor play, but even they would want to go out when they heard about the town or fun festivals.

"On the other hand, you were interested in the broader world, politics, and religion. But that was all."

Now that I think about it, I often heard such stories. At that time, my knowledge from my previous life and my current knowledge didn't align well, so I prioritized understanding this world and wanted to know more about the broader world. The daily life was taken care of by Mr. Rottenmeier and the maids, so that information wasn't as important. Now, I feel like I'm paying the price for that.

"So, I asked Mr. Rottenmeier again. Why are you so uninterested in the outside world? He said that until you were on your deathbed from a serious illness, you used to throw tantrums about wanting to go outside."

Hmm, was that the case?

Some of my personality remains, but my knowledge and common sense have been completely replaced, and only the pleasant memories remain. It's a mixed bag, and I can't easily recall the past. As I thought about this, Mr. Romanov's hand reached out and touched my forehead. His eyebrows were furrowed again.

"Hearing that, I thought about it and came to a conclusion. I thought that when you were seriously ill, you might have died once."