ALL NOVEL chapter 2
2: Encounter with Papa
They gave me a name (code) to identify me as an individual.
Lex.
That seems to be my name.
Of course, I know the meaning of a name very well. It is something “administrators give to distinguish livestock.”
Numbers, letters, anything is fine. But it’s common to give something simple.
So why am I called “Lex”?
It’s simple. Because there are many livestock.
To give such a fancy name to a livestock like me, not “Le” or “A” or “1,” but “Lex,” it must be to avoid duplication. “Le” is already taken, “Lecc” is also taken, and “Lex” is already taken, so they must have wanted to avoid overlap.
“`
After a while postpartum, I was carried by Mama and returned home.
There would surely be many livestock-like creatures there, similar to me.
However, there were no livestock-like beings in the spacious house, and the room we were led to seemed to be a private room exclusively for Mama and me.
Mama, who laid me in the prepared baby bed, looked down at me with a happy expression and smiled.
I smiled back at Mama. This world is probably full of enemies, but Mama is different.
As we enjoyed our time together, a certain something entered our room.
I wanted to glare at it, but since my neck wasn’t strong enough, I could only flap my arms and legs.
“Camilla! Welcome back! I assembled the bed, how is it?”
It was a man’s voice.
Mama said affectionately, “I’m home, my love. Sorry for making you do the housework.”
Her voice had a sweet, dependent tone, and I felt strong jealousy.
Since I’m a baby, I cry when I experience intense emotions.
Waahhhhhhh!
“Wow, you’re really lively. Rex, do you remember? I held you right after you were born. I’m your Papa.”
Papa?
I was puzzled. ‘Papa.’ I couldn’t quite recall the meaning of that word.
That’s right, I remembered—’Papa’ generally refers to a man who forcefully impregnated the mother and made her give birth.
Unforgivable. He’s scum. I was angry. In other words, I cried. I cried and cried with the intention of defeating Papa with my voice.
“Can you hold Rex?”
“Huh, is it okay?”
Of course it’s not okay, you octopus— that’s what I thought, but I’m still a newborn who can’t even speak yet. I cry. I wail. But my neck isn’t strong enough, and I can’t even turn over. All I can do is sleep, cry, poop, and drink milk.
The Papa guy lifts me up.
“Wow, you’re really small…”
He probably intends to be rough with me just like before. Papas are generally rough, insensitive, and violent. In my countless past lives, Papa has always been my first enemy.
However, surprisingly, this Papa gently holds me, gently rocks me, and gently puts me back on the bed.
His treatment of a baby is too polite, making me wonder if “Is this man a little crazy?”
Why doesn’t he become violent towards someone who is clearly weaker than him? I don’t understand the meaning. I felt a sense of wonder that he could have lived this far with such a nature.
Could it be—
Is a baby something to be cherished?
I was taken aback, overwhelmed by the possibility.
Babies are treated with care—why? I don’t understand the reason.
In the world I have been born into, the survival competition usually begins right after birth. The competition can be with other babies born on the same day or even with adults hunting children.
And yet, somehow, I am being treated with care.
…Is it a trap?
It’s entirely possible. A plan designed to lure me into complacency.
If that’s the case, one hypothesis is possible—namely, that this baby’s body may seem powerless, but it possesses enough strength to deceive me.
I was careless.
You probably thought of me as just a baby. However, I have had experiences reading people’s intentions from their actions. Even if you call me a baby, I can read through your façade.
I need to discover it early.
The reason they want to exploit the baby’s complacency—the “power” the baby possesses!
I saw the first chance of a turnaround in my life and laughed gleefully.
“Oh, look Camilla! Rex, he smiled at me!”
“I’m sure this child also knows that you’re his dad.”
Gleefully.