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It’s been eight months, but Luria still can’t speak much.
So, Luria’s lines are written in furigana, reflecting what she wants to say, or what she actually says aloud.
For these eight months, this will be the method used.
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Eight months have passed since I was born.
Yesterday, I overheard my mother and nurse talking about it.
“Daudau, daudau!”
Today, as always, I crawl around the room.
“Luria is lively.”
“Indeed. Young Miss Luria drinks plenty of breast milk.”
My mother and maid look at me with kind eyes.
When I started crawling, the carpet in my room was replaced with a new one.
It seems that my father was surprisingly wealthy.
Moreover, everyone had to take off their shoes when they entered my room.
So, I could crawl around without worry.
“Ha ha, pii~ ha.”
When I crawl, Daud chases after me, wagging his tail.
“Da-u…”
“Woof?”
Now that I’m eight months old, I can speak a little bit.
But since my tongue still isn’t quite ready, it’s only a little.
“I’ve grown, haven’t I?”
“Woof.”
Daud proudly puffs out his chest and sits down.
When we first met, Daud was smaller than me.
Now he’s about the size of a small wolf.
If he stands up, he can put his front paws on my mother’s shoulder.
“……”
After crawling around for a while, I glance at my mother.
“Woof?”
Daud tilts his head as if asking what’s wrong.
“Da-u.”
“Wa-u.”
I call Daud over, and he lies down, pressing his ears against me.
“……I want to go exploring outside!”
“Aw.”
To explore, I have to sneak past my mother’s watchful eye and get out of the room.
Daud understands my intent and quietly barks.
“Fun, fun, fun.”
Daud sits down as if to hide me, sniffing and keeping an eye on my mother.
By the way, my nurse is off today.
The nurse is essential if my mother can’t breastfeed.
Naturally, the nurse has a child of the same age as me, known as the wet nurse’s child.
So, she can’t be here every day.
When I was just born, my nurse’s mother and sister, as well as the servants, took care of me while the nurse mainly attended to the wet nurse’s child.
Now, the nurse spends more time with her child, making up for the time she missed earlier.
You might think the nurse could bring her child to my room, but there’s a reason she can’t.
“No, it’s not allowed. You can’t bring your child here.”
I once overheard my mother firmly saying this.
That was shortly after I was attacked, right after I was born.
When the attack happened, if the wet nurse’s child had been there, there was a high chance they would have been caught up in it.
It would have been hard for the attackers to distinguish the faces of the babies, as they were strangers.
So, my mother ordered that the child not be brought here.
There’s no doubt my mother cares for me deeply.
Even so, as a mother herself, she didn’t want to put the wet nurse’s child in danger.
I think my mother made a noble decision.
For this reason, I’ve never met the wet nurse’s child.
But one day, I’m sure I’ll meet them.
“Wa-u.”
It felt like Daud was saying that I would definitely meet them someday.
But more importantly, right now, exploring the mansion is what matters.
“Keep watch.”
“Aw.”
I glance at my mother briefly.
“Lady, we’ve received invitations from both the Duke and the Marquis on the same day.”
“Oh dear, what a dilemma. Which one sent theirs first?”
While discussing this with the maid, my mother is working.
“Now’s our chance!”
“…Aw.”
The large Daud uses his front paws and mouth skillfully to twist the handle.
Without a sound, the door creaks open slightly.
“Thank you, I love you.”
Through the gap, I eagerly crawl out of the room.
Seeing the hallway from such a low perspective, which I usually see when my father holds me, is quite refreshing.
Once I get outside the room, it’s all mine.
“Daudau daudau daudau daudau!”
With my proud speedy crawling, I move down the hallway.
Daud follows me closely.
“Must understand the structure of the house!”
“Woof.”
Knowing the layout is important.
In case of emergency, I’ll have to escape by crawling.
If I don’t know where things are, I’ll be late to escape.
“Daudau daudau!”
“Aw aw aw.”
As I happily crawl along, Daud, perhaps having fun, jumps around me.
When I’m making good progress, I bump into someone at a corner.
“… Da-u?” “Woof?”
“Oh, Luria. You managed to crawl all the way here?”
“This is bad, Majuu!”
“It’s not bad. It’s good that you got found.”
I was caught by my older brother.
There are always fluffy spirits flying around him.
“We’re running away! Nijé!”
I tried to turn around and escape, but after all, I’m crawling.
“Luria. No—don’t run from your brother.”
“I still want to explore! I’ll do it!”
“No, if you’re going to explore, let’s do it together with your brother. It’s dangerous.”
I was picked up by my brother.
Daud, thinking he might get to play, happily runs around my brother.
“Daud, thank you for taking care of Luria.”
“Woof!”
Daud wags his tail proudly.
“Listen, Luria. You can’t crawl around the hallway. It’s dirty, okay?”
“It’s dirty, right?”
“Yes, it’s dirty.”
My room is off-limits for shoes, but everyone wears shoes in the hallway.
When I’m told it’s dirty, I suppose it’s true.
“Luria, you always lick your hands, so that’s especially bad.”
“I don’t do that! I don’t!”
“I see, you don’t. But it’s still dirty, you know?”
I haven’t done it. Well, maybe sometimes, but very rarely.
“Lydia was quiet, but you’re lively, Luria.”
“Mu-fu.”
“Coming all the way here means… you want to explore?”
“I do!”
“Hmm, well, let’s get permission from mother before we look around the house.”
“I want to explore by myself!”
I still can’t speak long sentences.
But considering I’m only eight months old, I think it’s amazing that I can talk this much.
My older sister even said yesterday, “Luria speaks early.”
“You want to explore by yourself? That’ll have to wait until you’re a little older.”
“Mu-fu.”
I feel like my brother understands my unclear words.
It’s a curious thing.
“If mother realizes you’re gone, she’ll worry about you.”
“That’s true, I guess.”
“Yes, it is. We have to be careful.”
“Got it, okay.”
Taken by my brother, I return to my room.
“Luria! When did you…?”
My mother exclaims in surprise, hugging both my brother and me tightly.
“Ha, mother…”
My brother, held by my mother, is embarrassed.
“Brother, you’re lucky.”
My brother is responsible and, to me, he seems very grown-up, but he’s still ten years old.
From an objective view, he’s still a child.
“How did Luria get out? The door was closed.”
“Daud must have opened it.”
My brother points this out, and both his and mother’s gazes turn toward Daud.
I also look at Daud.
“……”
Daud silently averts his eyes, probably thinking he’ll be scolded.
A few days ago, when Daud caught a bug and I tried to put it in my mouth, he also turned away when I got scolded.
At that time, Daud wasn’t at fault.
He probably just thought I wanted to eat the bug as a snack.
It was his kindness.
“Daud isn’t at fault, Daud isn’t bad.”
Since I can’t speak long sentences yet, I energetically move my hands and feet in my brother’s arms to show that Daud isn’t bad.
In fact, Daud only followed my instructions this time.
And he was watching over me to make sure I wouldn’t get hurt.
He’s done nothing wrong.
“It’s Luria’s fault, Luria!”
“Luria, don’t act up. If you leave the room by yourself, mother will worry. Next time, if you want to explore, tell your brother.”
“I don’t need to tell my brother. I won’t!”
“… Mother, I think we should prepare a fence.”
Because of what my brother said to mother, she began to consider, “Maybe we do need one.”
“I don’t think we need a fence, though.”
“But if there’s a gap, Luria will sneak out, right?”
“I won’t sneak out!”
“Can you promise me?”
“……”
“Mother, I think we need a fence after all.”
“I promise! I will, I won’t need a fence!”
I was made to promise that I wouldn’t leave the room on my own.
Now that I’ve promised, I have to keep it.
“Fumu.”
“Even if you pout, it’s no use. Instead, your brother will take you on many walks.”
“Really?”
“Really. Unless I have something to do.”
“Thank you, I love you.”
It might be fun to be carried by my brother and look around.
“Mother, Luria promised she won’t leave the room on her own.”
“Until you’re bigger, yes.”
“Of course, when you’re bigger, you can walk around the house by yourself.”
“That’s good!”
“Good girl.”
Saying that, my brother patted my head.
“Well then, mother, I’m taking Luria for a walk.”
“Just inside the house, okay?”
“Of course. Daud, let’s go.”
“Woof.”
Then, I was carried by my brother, and we went for a walk inside the house.
