Mommy, Daddy, Please Don't Be Mad ◆—Ai

Splash.

The sound of water spilling.

And then, Mommy and Daddy’s angry voices.

Daddy grabbed my hand with a scary look on his face.

“Ai! You spilled it again, you little brat!?”

Smack. Daddy hit me.

“Ai! How many times do I have to tell you!? Honestly, I wish I’d never given birth to you!”

I’m sorry, Mommy. So please don’t hit me…

But no matter how many times I said I was sorry, Mommy and Daddy wouldn’t forgive me.

“Stay out here and think about what you’ve done!”

I was pushed hard in the back and thrown out onto the balcony.

Outside, snow was falling. It was so cold that my whole body shook.

I wanted them to let me back inside.

But if I said that, they’d hit me again.

Even when I hugged myself really tight, I couldn’t get warm at all.

Little by little, everything in front of me started getting dark.

Help me… Somebody, anybody, please help Ai…

Just then, somebody grabbed my hand and gave it a strong pull.

When I looked up, everything around me was filled with light.

It was so bright that I couldn’t see very well, but a woman was smiling at me.

Black hair and black clothes. But she wasn’t Mommy.

…Who are you?

I wanted to ask, but my voice wouldn’t come out. Everything in front of me was turning white—…

“…i. …Ai.”

Somebody was calling me in a gentle voice.

…Mommy?

When I opened my eyes, there was a very pretty lady.

“Are you all right? You were having a nightmare. You’re covered in sweat.”

She had sparkly golden hair and light blue eyes. …She looked just like a princess from a picture book.

…Oh, that’s right. This lady’s name was Ederine.

When I noticed, I’d been in a strange place, and there were lots of people…

While I was remembering what happened, the princess reached her hand toward me, and I flinched. …I thought she was going to hit me.

“I’m sorry. I startled you, didn’t I?”

The princess smiled, but she looked very sad.

I watched Ai trembling in fear before me, my heart aching at the sight.

To think she would be this frightened just because I’d taken out a handkerchief to wipe away her sweat. Even now, she was trembling nervously, looking up at me as though trying to gauge my mood.

“Your Majesty, I’ve brought breakfast.”

Just then, a maid entered, pushing a cart laden with breakfast.

“Thank you. Would you arrange everything over there?”

A small bed tray was placed in front of Ai. Her breakfast was then arranged on it.

There was corn potage, soft bread porridge, white bread, colorful fruits, and a pudding that jiggled enticingly. …It was a rather strange combination, but for now, I’d prioritized foods that a young child would enjoy over nutritional balance.

Ai stared at the dishes, blinking repeatedly.

And that adorable little growling sound I heard next? That was Ai’s stomach.

“Hehe, it seems your tummy is doing just fine! Go ahead, you can eat as much as you like.”

When I encouraged her, Ai hesitated nervously for a while before timidly grasping a spoon.

However, she didn’t seem able to put much strength into her hand. Her hand trembled, and the next instant, the spoon slipped right out of her grasp.

With a splash, the spoon fell into the potage, sending droplets of soup flying everywhere. Fortunately, the soup had been kept at a lukewarm temperature, so there was no danger of burns, but some had splashed onto Ai’s face.

“Ah…! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Her face instantly drained of color, and she began apologizing with tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Did she really think I’d hit her over something so trivial?

My heart clenched painfully.

Without letting it show, I spoke in a gentle voice.

“…It’s all right. I’m not going to hit you.”

Then I gently wiped the soup from Ai’s face with my handkerchief.

She endured it while trembling.

“Your hands are shaking, so it’s difficult for you to hold the spoon properly, isn’t it? In that case, I’ll feed you. Open wide!”

With that, I picked up the spoon.

—Actually, while Ai had been sleeping, I’d asked the court physician to examine her.

According to the physician, Ai hadn’t merely been beaten. She was also suffering from severe malnutrition.

When I heard that she might have died if she’d been rescued even a little later, I couldn’t describe how furious and, at the same time, relieved I’d felt.

I could never, ever forgive that child’s parents, but I was sincerely grateful that we’d managed to save her just in time. …I supposed even those priests managed to do something useful every once in a while!

Anyway, my first priority was helping this little girl recover her health! And to accomplish that, I needed to make sure she ate!

I scooped up some potage with a fresh spoon and offered it to Ai.

“Here we go. Open wide!”

I smiled brightly so as not to frighten her, but Ai seemed uncertain about what to do. Just then, her stomach let out another long growl, and her cheeks turned red.

Then, ever so timidly, she opened her tiny mouth. I gently brought the spoon toward her.

Her little mouth closed around the silver spoon.

Instantly, Ai’s eyes narrowed blissfully, and a tiny “Fwaa…” escaped her lips, somewhere between a sigh and a breath.

Hehehe, that’s right. It’s delicious, isn’t it?

I smiled.

Not just this potage, but every dish brought here today had been prepared by the palace chefs under my personal supervision.

There was sweet corn potage made with plenty of fresh cream especially for a child, and bread porridge slowly simmered in milk. I’d even had them bring the pots themselves on the cart so the food wouldn’t cool down too quickly. What about the leftovers? Why, I’d eat them myself, of course.

“Don’t hold back. You can eat as much as you want.”

As I spoke, I offered her another spoonful, and this time, her mouth opened immediately.

With a little nom, the spoon disappeared into her mouth. As she took the bite, Ai’s round little cheeks puffed out adorably.

Aaaaahhhh~~~!? What was that just now!? That was unbelievably adorable…!

Was this what it felt like to feed a baby squirrel!?

I pressed a hand against my chest, overwhelmed by how adorable she was. I’d like some credit for managing not to shout “HAAAH!” in a deep, booming voice.

Pretending not to notice the maid beside me stifling a laugh, I diligently continued feeding Ai one spoonful after another.