IPHW 07

Wentworth Manor was vast.

But the places my legs could reach were very limited. They were too short and too slow. If I were to properly explore it, it would probably take a month. If I hadn’t gathered clay, I wouldn’t even have known its approximate size.

Ppuk! Ppyopyok! Ppuk!

My playroom and bedroom were located on the third floor, and right next to them was my parents’ bedroom. My father’s study and my mother’s laboratory were on the second floor.

Ppuk!

In other words, I had to use the stairs…

‘If I were in Elana Maria Bailey’s arms, I’d be there in no time.’

Ppuk, ppuk.

“Ah, seriously….”

Just because I wanted to act dignified. I stomped my foot irritably. The squeaking sound grew louder.

“So noisy…”

When I started walking and running, my mother made sure I wore these shoes.

She said it was because I never stayed still for even a moment and she was worried about what I might do. Elana, Maria, and Bailey always stayed right by me, watching me, but even they were human and occasionally looked away for a moment.

Besides, what’s the point of just sitting still? I, who was thrilled by the freedom of being able to move on my own, had always dreamed of escaping—whether crawling, walking, or even running.

They absolutely refused to leave me alone.

No matter where I went, I had to be with at least one of the three.

Even when I went for a walk in the garden, or even when I lay in bed.

It was understandable that they couldn’t leave a baby alone, but never leaving me alone for even a moment felt like surveillance.

After I turned twenty in my previous life, I never once reported my whereabouts to my parents.

These noisy shoes were awful, but at least wearing them meant that sometimes people would briefly stop watching me. And in the mansion, it even meant I was allowed to walk on my own… Thinking that made them tolerable, even if they were childish and loud.

I walked down the hallway for a long time.

As I said again, Wentworth Manor was very large. Huge and spacious.

“Haa… huff…”

I had trained like an athlete in my past life, but what is this weak stamina—getting tired just from walking down a hallway…

Still, I finally reached the staircase.

From a child’s perspective, everything in the world felt enormous. It felt like I had entered an amusement park designed around a giant’s house. Standing in front of the stairs made me feel a little dizzy.

‘Why are there so many stairs in a house…’

I stood sideways, holding the wall, and lowered one foot onto the stairs. Even though it felt like I had lowered it for a long time, I still couldn’t feel the ground.

What the—how much farther down is this…

“My legs got longer, though…”

At the moment I was about to give up, my toes finally touched the ground. I confidently shifted my weight down.

Ppuk!

It touched! Relieved, I transferred my weight fully.

‘With a head this big, I might lose balance and topple over…’

Even though I had gotten somewhat used to this small body, I still couldn’t get used to the weight of my oversized head. It made everything feel slow and clumsy.

‘What if my head stays big even when I grow up…’

I had inherited a beautiful face from my parents, after all.

Light golden hair, green eyes, and fair skin inherited from my mother—I could confidently say I was pretty. There was no reason to be shy about stating facts. Honestly, I looked forward to my future every time I looked in the mirror.

The ingredients were perfect, but what if the proportions ended up ruined?

My cheeks weren’t particularly chubby, so why were they so round…

“Shana-sama. Shall I help you?”

Maria, who happened to pass by, spoke. I stood holding the wall and shouted firmly.

“No! I’ll do it myself!”

“Oh my, how brave.”

“Don’t you dare touch me…”

“Good luck! I’ll cheer for you here!”

“No! You can go. I can do it myself!”

Maria tried hard to hide a face that looked like she was about to burst out laughing. Of course she would find it funny—a three-year-old insisting on going down the stairs alone while clinging to the wall.

“Even if you fall, it’s okay. Madam placed floating magic on each step.”

“…overprotective…”

“You’d be in big trouble if you got hurt, right? Be careful.”

“Okay…”

Interference… I muttered while carefully stepping down. Slowly, little by little, I eventually reached the last few steps.

“You’re amazing, Shana-sama! Keep going! Yay!”

Maria clapped enthusiastically right next to me.

If it were Bailey, she would have picked me up without even asking, and if it were Elana, she would have politely asked before carrying me. Maria stayed beside me, letting me do things on my own as much as possible.

‘Elana definitely sent her.’

So that’s why she agreed so easily…

When I finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Maria burst into exaggerated applause.

“Congratulations! You did it!”

Anyone listening would think I had passed a college entrance exam.

“You’re going to see His Grace, right? Shall I guide you to the study?”

“I’m not dumb. I’ll go alone. Maria, go work.”

“My job is to take care of Shana-sama.”

“Something else!”

“There is no something else!”

“Eek!”

Then I’ll just run away. My squeaky shoes echoed loudly. Maria could probably have caught me with a single hand, but she just smiled and let me go.

These people in this house were too soft on children. If I were a real baby, I would’ve turned into a spoiled brat by now.

I ran all the way to my father’s study.

Then I stood there blankly and looked up.

The doorknob was far above my eye level. I stretched my hands up.

It didn’t reach.

Sigh… a bit humiliating, but I stayed calm. I rose onto my tiptoes. If I reached just a little more…

The polished doorknob gleamed mockingly.

I can’t even open a door!

“Ugh… ugh…”

It won’t reach! It won’t reach! I’m too short!

When I confirmed I truly couldn’t do it alone, tears prickled at the corners of my eyes. Even though I had adult awareness, my body’s emotions were still that of a child, and tears came easily.

Knock knock!

I wanted to knock harder…

“Daaad! Dad!!!”

“Shana!”

As if he had been waiting, the door swung open and my father instantly picked me up.

He had definitely been waiting. I could almost see him sitting right there in front of the door, waiting for me to ask for help.

“Shana, did you come to see Daddy because you missed him?”

“Yeah, I missed you!”

It wasn’t a lie. I nodded vigorously and wrapped my arms around his neck. My father looked at me in mild confusion.

“So my daughter wants something from me?”

“…uh.”

“I wonder what Shana wants.”

“How did you know…”

“Daddy knows everything.”

It was probably because I didn’t usually show enough affection.

‘But it’s embarrassing…’

Even if I had accepted them as my parents, acting openly affectionate like a child was still difficult. If I tried deliberately, I could probably act cute, but accepting that version of myself was another matter.

“Daddy, I want to learn magic!”

“Magic?”

“Fire whoosh! Light flash!”

I tried my best to sound like a child.

My father’s face turned troubled.

“That… would require your mother’s permission.”

“Can’t Dad?”

“….”

He pressed his lips shut, unable to admit in front of his daughter that he couldn’t do it. I could see the conflict between pride and truth.

My father is kind of cute.

“I can do it, but I’m not as good as your mother.”

“So you can’t…”

“No, that’s not it. Shana, Daddy can do anything.”

“Show-off…”

Ah, mistake. My father looked hurt.

“Then… just a little! Secretly.”

“A secret from your mother?”

“Just you and me. Okay?”

I whispered into his ear. I didn’t actually expect him to keep secrets from my mother.

“Hmm, that’s difficult.”

He was a devoted husband who would melt completely when it came to his wife.

“But Mom never shows me anything…”

“She does it because she worries about you.”

“I’m curious…”

I muttered gloomily, and my father looked even more troubled. Just a little more and he might’ve given in.

“Shana…”

“Maria said Mom is amazing and cool…”

“She is… that’s true…”

“She said she’s an extremely amazing mage!”

“That’s right, she is amazing…”

“And Dad is a really important person in the kingdom too…”

And then they muttered to each other, “But she’s actually terrifying…”

This smiling man holding me like a melted puddle was apparently cold and expressionless outside. Hard to believe, but…

“I want to see Mom being cool too…”

I gave up. My ultimate three-year-old acting…

Tears welled up as I looked up at him, and my father covered his mouth with his hand. But I could clearly see his grin through his fingers.

He had fallen into my trap card.

“That’s what she says, Anais.”

“Hmmm.”

“Huh?”

From where he was looking, my mother stood with her arms crossed.

Ah. Caught.

“Shana, that’s cheating. Asking your father instead of me directly.”

“But!”

“But?”

“It was easier to ask Dad than Mom.”

“How sly.”

“She’s your daughter.”

Mother and father looked at each other and burst out laughing.

“As expected of my daughter!”

No one should underestimate the adaptability of a three-year-old.