Chapter 2

The walk to the person my mother and Quisquiliae called Bonum is silent and long. The shadow never talk... or is it just it can't talk?

It's so long that I got tired and fell asleep even though I just woke up when my mother took me away from that room.

I'm hungry, but I can't cry and ask for food right now, can I? Even though, I'm getting scared because I died hungry in my previous life, I tried to hold it in.

When I woke up, it's still dark, but the sun is already on the horizon, and there's a little light now. I guess it's around 5 in the morning. Do people have time here?

I started feeling my hunger a few moments after I woke up. I also felt that there's a poop in my diapers, which made me so uncomfortable and annoyed.

I started crying. Why the hell crying is the only thing I can do right now? Argh!

The shadow suddenly stopped from walking and... I think... look at me. All I can see is the bright green light in his eyes, so I'm not sure if it's looking at me.

Then it turned its head to the left and right, as if finding something. It looks terrified and nervous for some reason.

I stop crying and stared at him, bewildered.

Is it fidgety because I'm crying?

When I stopped crying, it look back at me... I think? It stared at me for a few seconds, before he stopped fidgeting and sigh with the look of relief.

I don't know why, but I find it cute.

He also looks a bit like the shadow Igrit from the Solo Leveling manhwa, which is why I'm having fun watching him getting fidgety and uncomfortable.

The shadow, which Quisquiliae called Umbra, raise one of its hand that is not holding me, then, he touched my face with its fingers and caress it slowly, making me close my eyes, and then, his index finger stop at my nose. He lift it up, then click it.

When he gently press my nose, my eyes opened on its own and I smiled. I don't know why, but... what ever this shadow did? It is comforting.

He hold me tight again with his two hands and started walking again.

No, I think it's a running, 'cause we're going too fast.

Is this shadow has a mind of its own? Is it walking too fast because he knows that I'm hungry?

We haven't gone very far yet after I woke up when the shadow, Umbra, stopped walking again. It just stood there like a statue, as if it's waiting for something.

When nothing came out, it look around the place, as if trying to find something, and then it look at me and hug me tight in its arm.

Why? Is there something wrong?

I wanted to ask. But again, since I was just born a few weeks ago, almost a month, nothing came out of my mouth other than 'aa'... which is super annoying if you ask me.

Umbra look around the place again, checking if there's really nothing in there. Then, he started walking again, still holding me tightly in his chest, and still looking around the place, as if it wants to protect me from something.

A few moment later, Umbra came back in his own pace again. Like nothing happened a while ago.

I don't know know how many miles did we travel from home, but a few moments later after we stop, the shadow, who Quisquiliae called, Umbra, finally stop from walking.

At first, I thought there's something wrong again, but then Umbra took 3 steps forward and put me down.

I watch him as he put me down and look at me. I don't know why, but I feel like he's smiling at me right now, even though I can't see it, because of his shadow armor. Does he even have lips?

He again raise his hand and caress my face with his fingers that made me close my eyes, and then stop at the nose and click. Like a while ago, when he clicked my nose, I opened my eyes and smiled.

It's really comforting.

He then stood up and knock at the door – which I only notice that we're in front of us, when he did – three times.

He look at me again after knocking, and then... left me alone in front of that door.

He... Left me alone.

The thought of 'I got left alone' got through me, and I think, I started making faces. Then I remembered that I'm hungry, and there's a poop in my ass. I started getting frustrated, so I cried.

I cried so loudly.

"What's that f*cking noise so early in the morning?!"

I heard someone shouted inside that house. After a few minutes, the door opened.

I want to look at that person's face, but my tears are on the way, and I can't stop myself from crying because of frustration.

"Who's tha—" it suddenly stopped from talking when he saw me. There was a few moments of silence, then... "Fa-!" He stuttered. "Father!" Then he left me alone in that cold floor and entered his house calling his Father.

Ah... It's not that hard to pick me up first before running away? I mean, hello?

I haven't seen myself in the mirror yet, but Quisquiliae told me that I'm a lovely child. Even the people inside the room when I was born made a commotion when they saw me, and some of the servants in my mother's house are looking at me as if I'm a delicious food when they passed by my room and the door is left open - which is really creepy, by the way.

Why not pick the cute little child first before running away? It's cold in here, hello?

"What is it, Fratem? It's still early in the morning."

"Yeah, what the heck are you yelling about so early in the morning?"

I heard people talking inside the house. I want to listen, but I can't stop myself from crying. This frustration that I'm feeling is making me feel so bad.

"Come down, big bwothers! Look at the door, fast!!" The guy who I think, saw me first, called out in a loud voice.

I heard footsteps. A lot of it getting near me.

"Ah? I can hear a baby crying?" I heard someone said, and then the sound of the footsteps stopped.

After a few seconds, the footsteps were so loud and it's getting closer and closer very fast.

Looks like they're running.

"Ahh!" They all shouted in unison when they finally got to the door.

That shock the hell out of me. I'm still crying, but because that surprised me, I also started hiccuping. A normal reaction of a baby. Crap! Why do babies get hiccups when they get surprise about something? And what the hell? Why does hiccups hurts so much? Is this how fragile a baby's body is? How annoying!

"Ah, look at what you did!" Someone shouted in their back. Another guy came out and took me from the floor. Thank God! "Ow, cutie, don't cry~," he said in a singsong voice, and shake me with rhythm "Hmm?" He leaned his face to me. Looks like he finally smelled me. "You have poopie~?" He ask.

"Ew!" The others shouted with disgust.

"Shh! You're too loud for the baby!" The guy who's holding me scolded them. "Common inside, cutie~. I'll change your diapers~," he said in a singsong voice and let me inside the house.

"What? Kuya Cordus?!"

"Shut up, Filius!"

We entered the house, I still can't stop myself from crying and hiccuping.

The guy, who I heard they call Cordus, removed the blanket that is wrap in me, when he did, something fell on the floor... or is this a table?

I remembered that my mother, Decoris, put something in there when she gave me to Lady Harrod. I already forgot about it because of the ruckus that happened last night.

"Father! Guys!" He called out to them. "There's a letter!"

"What?"

I, again, heard another loud footsteps and loud murmurs, then the sound of a paper being torn out.

"Where? I'll read it for you," one of them shouted.

"No, I'll do it!"

"No! Me!"

They all fought over who's going to read it. I can't see what's happening because there are still tears in my eyes, but I think they are all quarreling over the letter, taking it from each other.

"If that paper got torn apart, I'll electrocute all of you!" Someone roared out and everyone went silent.

"Y-You read it, Brother Maximus," someone said laughing nervously.

"Y-Yeah, Brother. You do it," one them said nervously too.

I again heard the rustling sound of the paper.

"This letter is for that kid, and this one is for Father," he started. "Let's read this one," then I heard that he put something in the table. "Dear Bonum, are you shock? I'm so sorry for leaving my little girl to you..." The boy stopped from reading. "Wait! Girl?!"

I heard another commotion again, and then the guy named, Cordus, removed the blanket, 'cause it's on the way, and my shorts, then my diapers to look at my genital organ - that made me cuss in my head even though I'm still crying and hiccuping.

This is way too embarrassing.

Do babies normally get embarrass? Or is it just because even though I'm a baby here, I have a brain of a 30 year old woman?

"I-It really is a girl."

"Woah!"

"But the poop, though. Uwerrgh..." Then I heard a running footsteps.

"Cordus? Can you clean her up already? Urrgh..."

The guy named, Cordus, did so as he was told.

While he's cleaning me, the Maximus guy continued reading the letter.

"I know this would be a trouble for you and your sons, but I don't have a choice. It's your daughter... Daughter?!"

"Father!" They shouted in unison again.

"W-What? I -I don't know anything. I'm innocent, guys," a voice of an old man explained while panicking.

"Tsh!"

Daughter? So that man is my father? Are these guys are my siblings then? Why are they all boys?

"Let me continue," Maximus said before continuing. "It's your daughter, Bonum. Her name is Adira Mulier Von Magnus, it means 'strong woman'. She was born just a few weeks ago, on Januarius quinque."

"Von Magnus?"

"Isn't that a noble family?"

"Isn't she a cursed blood then?"

Everyone went silent for a few seconds, before Maximus continue reading.

"Yes, she's a Magnus. I'm sorry for not telling you that I'm a lady of the Magnus Family, I really don't want the people of Quintana to know that I am. Also, I'm sorry for not telling you that I got pregnant from that one time."

"Oh, my God, Father!"

"Ek! I-I didn't know! A-And, it's just one time. I didn't know that... that..." he explained nervously to his sons, and then he nervously laugh as if not knowing what to say nor do.

Is my father a whore? One of those assholes who do one night stands to every woman he meet? WTF?!

"Anyway, please, take care of the baby for me. I can't take care of her and she cannot go back to my house. My family calls her a disgrace for not having a pure blood of a noble, they'll kill her if she comes back. I only manage to get her away from here, because of a help from a friend, but I don't know how to hide her, and I think you're the only one who can. Please, protect our daughter. Sincerely yours, Decoris Von Magnus."

Silence.

So that's how it is? The disgrace thing that I heard when I'm still inside her womb, and the reason why they want to kill me.

I finally understand now.

The whole place got silent when Maximus finished reading the letter of my mom. The only thing that could be heard inside is the movements of Cordus who's cleaning me.

Well, I guess it's normal that they can't accept it. I mean, what would you do if you suddenly saw a baby in front of the door and suddenly found that you have another sibling/daughter? Of course, it's quite shocking for this to happen in just a few minutes, especially this early in the morning.

A few moments later, Cordus left me there and then came back with a small cloth, which I think is a lampin (diaper).

"So, we have a little sister now, don't we?" Cordus said when he came back and started putting the lampin to me.

There's another silence after that, and then...

"Waaaa! I have a sister!" Someone shouted with so much excitement, and the ruckus within the house started again.

"If only she could stop from crying, though."

"Oppidum nobile is a bit far from here. I don't know how she get here, but I think they didn't fed her through the whole journey," the old man said. "Germanum, I think this means that you're an old brother now. Would you like to share your milk with your little sister?"

"Hmp! Yesh, Papa! (Hmm! Yes, Papa)" A little voice answered with full of energy. "Brater Cordut! Brater Crudut! Meyk milk, beybi! Fash! Fash! (Brother Cordus! Brother Crudus! Make milk for the baby! Fast! Fast!)" Then I heard him running.

"Yup, yup, I'm coming~" Then I heard Cordus walking away.

"I-I have a little sister," one of them said hysterically. "Y-You heard that, Gemellus? We have a little sister!"

"Y-Yes, Geminus! W-We have a little sister..."

Then silence.

"Ahhh!" They both screamed in unison, and then... "We have a sister~ we have a sister~" They both sang like a crazy kids.

Well... they. are. kids.

What is this? What the hell is happening?

Then someone approach me.

"I'm sowy I'm harsh whilesh ago, baby. Don't cry~ don't cry~" It's the kid who saw me at the door a while ago.

"Move, Fratem!" Someone suddenly interrupted, who, if I remember correctly is the one with the most authoritative voice, Maximus.

He approached me and intently stared at me. He covered all the lights in my sight when he got near me. I can't see him clearly because of the tears that is hindering my eyesight, but I'm sure that he is looking at me with a very serious face.

He. Is. Scary.

I cried more because of that. Well, crying is the only thing I can do, anyway.

"Big brother! You're scaring her!" Someone pushed him away from me. I think it's that Cordus. "Don't cry sweety~ Here's your milky milky~" He gently said in a singsong voice and shove the baby bottle on my mouth.

As if on cue, I stopped crying and suck the milk in it. I'm still hiccuping, but later on it stopped.

"Aww~ so cute~" they said in unison while surrounding me and staring at me.

Well... this is creepy and annoying.

So... I have a lot of brothers and this place is the house of my father, and everyone here is crazy and they all have a sister complex.

Am I really on the right place?

Or did the shadow, Umbra, brought me in the wrong household?