Math Is Magic Chapter 4: CHAPTER 4: Little Exploration

Read chapter 4 of Math Is Magic by iminchoo on NovelPedia.

{ 11 MONTHS LATER... } In the silence of the room on a warm summer afternoon, the bright sunlight filtered through the red curtains. 'Alright, let's try again!' Mirac exclaimed inwardly. Over the past months, he had spent all his time being fed, playing with his wooden toys, having his diaper changed, and doing countless other things, behaving like the perfect baby he was. But recently, the son of the royal Strongold family had started focusing on a new goal: getting out of his crib and exploring the castle! 'Come on!' With his face lit by a mixture of determination and curiosity, little Mirac gripped the sides of his crib. His chubby fingers clutched the wood tightly, and his lively eyes studied every detail of the edge above him as if planning a daring adventure. For the past four weeks, it had been the same story every afternoon: pushing himself up on his still-wobbly legs, Mirac would stand, swaying slightly. The soft mattress beneath his tiny feet made his movements unsteady, but the desire to explore the castle seemed stronger than any obstacle. He had tried numerous times, slipping back, sliding down with a frustrated huff. In short, he had never managed to get over the edge of the crib. 'Today's different, though, I can feel it!' With a grunt of effort, he pulled himself up until his chin was over the railing. One foot, then the other, tried to find a foothold, pushing clumsily against the wood. His arms trembled from the strain, but with a triumphant smile and a laugh of victory, Mirac managed to lever himself just enough to get his torso over the edge. For a moment, he seemed frozen in midair, caught between fear and the excitement of what was about to happen. 'Just a bit more, damn it!...' Then, with one last push, he propelled himself forward, landing with a soft thud on the blue carpet surrounding the crib. He lay there, sprawled on the floor, surprised at his own accomplishment, but with eyes wide open with joy. Mirac got up on all fours, looking back at the crib now behind him. 'Finally, damn it!' His heart raced with excitement! After about a month, Mirac had managed to escape that ridiculous "wooden cage" that kept him prisoner and prevented him from leaving the room to explore the castle. 'I know I said everything would slowly unfold in due time... But damn it, I'm bored to death! I'm not going to sit around here after doing that for over 60 years! And besides, there's no danger in taking a few steps to stretch my legs, right?' Wasting no more time, little Mirac moved on to the second part of his plan: he crawled quickly, pushing forward with hands and knees that hit the floor at an eager pace. His hazel eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he passed his scattered toys and the familiar corners of the room. His goal was clear: the slightly open door! 'Hmph, just as I thought! She left it ajar again...' With this thought, little Mirac referred to his personal maid, Carmen, who always left the door slightly open whenever she came to him. It was barely ajar, just enough so she could hear any cries of hunger or nighttime whimpers from the young Prince. 'But it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't cried three times a day for the last three weeks! Damn! How embarrassing...' Swallowing the bitter feeling at the thought of a probable future nickname, "The Whiny Prince," that the chatty maids would likely use to refer to him, Mirac reached the door. 'Well, it was worth it. And now, it's you and me, buddy!' the baby finally declared, staring at his last wooden obstacle almost with a sense of challenge. Taking a deep breath, Mirac's tiny fingers gripped the edge of the wood, and with a struggle accompanied by small grunts, he managed to push it. The door opened slowly, letting a beam of sunlight shine on his face. 'Ah, damn it!' he cursed inwardly, blinking to refocus his vision, momentarily blurred by the sunlight. 'That damn sun again!...' Regaining his sight, the little Mirac gazed out at a long hallway bathed in the warm a