§ Chapter 11 §
I only remembered later—Yurik might have been the son of the powerful Liatris, but he was constantly bullied and ignored by his brothers.
It was because he had blue eyes, a color the northerners considered unsettling.
‘So what if his eye color is a little different? What petty jerks.’
It was the same reason Annitsa’s birth mother had abandoned her.
‘So that’s why he was so touched when I gave him just one cookie.’
In my past life, I too was treated like an outcast in my family, simply because I didn’t have the same talent as my siblings.
‘We were in similar situations.’
I had decided that next time I met him, I’d treat him better. But maybe because he had been scolded so harshly by Dietrich, the boy never came back to the Dalia Palace again.
In the meantime, I grew up, and eventually became skilled enough to sneak Ransel’s snacks, even going so far as to rob his pockets while he napped.
‘Not a stray cat anymore… more like a stray baby thief.’
Ransel always complained that he had one of the lowest salaries among Lagrange’s servants, but honestly, I didn’t feel guilty about it.
No matter how I thought about it, I was way past the age of drinking only milk, yet Ransel kept giving me nothing but milk.
‘I even have all my teeth now.’
Holding up Ransel’s mirror with both hands, I opened my mouth wide. The tiny, pointy teeth poking through my gums looked small and cute, but they were definitely teeth.
“Baegoo-pwa…” (I’m hungry…)
Drinking nothing but milk every day left me constantly starving.
Maybe I should just start hunting like Dietrich.
No one ever told me the time or showed me a calendar, so I didn’t know my exact age. But it was already my second spring in Lagrange.
‘So I guess I’m about two years old now.’
Ransel, however, had absolutely no intention of properly caring for me. He seemed to think that as long as I was breathing, that was good enough.
“Momma dyo.” (Give me food.)
Whenever I demanded food, he would just bring me more milk.
“Here. More milk.”
“Ee-go magu momma.” (This isn’t food, give me real food.)
“This is food, you silly young lady. Do you even know how hard it is for me to get this?”
I could hear the irritation in his voice. He said even buying that ‘milk’ was hard because of Derek watching him.
‘And yet you’re always eating your fill!’
“I’m tired. I’m going to get some rest.”
Muttering that, Ransel sprawled out on the sofa in my bedroom.
‘He must have no worries in the world to fall asleep so fast.’ Annoyed, I thumped my tiny hand down on his forehead while he snored away instead of taking care of me.
“Ow! …Mmm. Hrrm…”
But he didn’t even wake up.
“Hee-ing…”
Today, for some reason, I felt hungrier than usual. Tossing the empty bottle against the floor in frustration, I jumped to my feet.
‘Let’s at least check the kitchen.’
The Dalia Palace might have been poor, but judging by Ransel’s ever-growing belly fat, there had to be some food hidden somewhere.
‘Otherwise, there’s no way he’d be getting that fat.’
The last time I’d checked, the kitchen had been barren, not even dishes around. But maybe today would be different.
Clinging to a small hope, I toddled my way to the kitchen. To my delight, this time it didn’t betray my expectations.
At first glance it looked empty, but thanks to my sharpened sense of smell—developed from sniffing out Dietrich’s ominous aura—I caught a whiff of something sweet.
‘Over there.’
Following the sugary scent, I reached a cupboard tucked in the corner. Clambering up the counter with effort, I opened the door, and there it was: a jar stuffed full of chocolate, waiting for me.
‘Eat me quickly!’
It was as if the jar itself was calling out to me.
“Kya! Bba! Chokko-le!”
‘Nice!’
So Ransel had been hiding this precious chocolate all for himself. What a petty adult. Disgusting.
‘I’d better eat it all before he comes back.’
Clapping my hands with joy, I reached in—when suddenly the firmly shut kitchen door burst open.
The sharp sound of footsteps echoed across the floor. I froze and spun around in fright.
“What do you think you’re doing here?”
The sharp, ringing voice belonged to a maid I sometimes saw when she came to clean my room.
‘Her name was Janine, right?’
“Oh my! What are you eating?!”
She was one of those who hated both Dietrich and me so much she wouldn’t even give us basic care. There was no way she’d let me get away with sneaking food.
‘This feels bad.’
Afraid she’d snatch away the chocolate, I quickly shoved my hand into the jar.
‘Better eat it before she takes it!’
It was the first chocolate of this life—how unfair that I had to gobble it down like this. Still, better than not tasting it at all.
I stuffed a fistful into my mouth, and Janine shrieked as she rushed toward me.
“Miss! That’s my chocolate!”
‘Ah, so it wasn’t Ransel’s.’
But that didn’t mean I was about to give it up.
Hunger doesn’t care about morality, and at this point my conscience was buried under a thick, fuzzy coat of fur.
“You’re not supposed to eat that!”
I ignored her scolding and swallowed the chocolate.
“I said don’t eat it!”
“I– I didn’t eat!”
I denied it, even though both my palms and mouth were smeared in chocolate.
“Didn’t eat! Didn’t eat!”
I tried to reassure her with words alone while shoving another fistful into my mouth.
“You’re eating it right now! What do you mean you didn’t?!”
“Nuh-uh… nyam.”
“Hand it over!”
“N-no way!”
I struggled with all my might to keep the jar, but what strength could a baby have? In the end, Janine ripped it out of my hands.
‘Seriously? A starving baby just wanted to share a little chocolate, and you’re being this stingy?’
“Ugh, how annoying! Now it’s all crushed!”
She screeched in her shrill voice, scolding me as if I had ruined everything.
‘I’m the one who’s annoyed! So stingy, really!’
Looking at the stolen jar, I sucked my chocolate-stained fingers miserably. At least a little was left stuck to them.
But the small taste only made me crave more. Tearfully, I reached toward the jar again.
Smack!
“I said it’s mine! What on earth is Ransel teaching you?!”
She slapped the back of my hand so hard it stung. Holding my reddened hand, I whimpered.
‘I’m so hungry…’
“Hee-ing…”
“What are you crying for?!”
“Kkeuhh… guhp!”
Her harsh words made me suddenly feel unbearably wronged.
‘I’m supposed to be a young lady—why won’t they even feed me?!’
I was hungry, my hand throbbed, and there was no one to look after me. The sorrow welled up inside me until I finally burst into tears.
“Waaah!”
“Unbelievable! You steal food and then cry about it?!”
She only grew more annoyed and even pinched my cheek.
‘Ow! That hurts!’
“You did wrong, so you need to be punished!”
“I– I said I’m just hungry!!!”
“Ransel will feed you, won’t he?”
All he gives me is milk! Just milk!
If she were told to drink only milk for the rest of her life, she’d understand what it’s like to feel your stomach gnawing your back.
But the maid had almost zero empathy for a hungry child.
“Hmph, I’ll just have to lock the kitchen.”
She turned to leave, clutching the jar. Panicked, I quickly grabbed her skirt.
“Wait!”
She looked back at me, clearly irritated. Her cold eyes made me shrink back, but I pressed on.
“What?”
“I… I’m reawwy hungwy.”
“Speak properly.”
“Reawwy, really hungwy…”
I thought that if I said it like that, she might soften and give me at least one piece of chocolate. After all, people usually feel protective toward babies.
But maybe she wasn’t human. With a cold laugh, she shoved me away.
“So what? Why don’t you go catch a wild animal in the forest, like the young master?”
With that, she left the kitchen.
I was left alone in the now truly empty room, swallowing my sobs.
“Hhic… guhuhh…”
Not long ago, I could manage on just milk. Had I grown too much now?
‘Why did Annitsa have to inherit only the Eredia’s useless powers?’
If I had the Shadow Demon’s gift—or even the Sun God’s ability—I could hunt like Dietrich.
I’d seen him roasting animals a few times, but they were always tiny rabbits, barely enough for himself. I couldn’t bring myself to ask for any.
‘He barely had enough for himself…’
I knew all too well that Dietrich, the so-called Grand Duke of Demons, was an enormous eater.
And people who eat well as adults usually start young. There was no way a rabbit could fill his stomach.
‘Haah… stop crying. Crying just makes me feel hungrier.’
Wiping my tears with the back of my hand, I stood up.
‘It’s spring… maybe there’ll be fruit growing in the garden.’
