One year has gone by since that discussion with Maa.

I'm finally three years old, which isn't a feat in and of itself, but it means I've reached a new level of independence.

I can now walk on my own.

One might think I was talking about walking on my own with my own legs and stuff, but what I meant was walking on my own without Maa watching over me.

Previously, when all I could do was toddle, I was only allowed to do so in my room under Maa's close supervision; I suppose it makes sense for a child to be baby-sat, but still.

I appreciate her dedication, but she should at least give me some privacy. Her overzealous behavior would please the person who hired her, but it has become a bit of a nuisance to me lately.

When I was younger, she used to spend 90% of her time watching me do things, toddler things, toddler things I was forced to do because she was watching me.

And god it was awkward.

The only time I wasn't being monitored was in the middle of the night.

But times have changed. I can finally roam through the manor freely.

I've come to a conclusion after spending the majority of my free time exploring the manor. My family is not just wealthy; they are beyond what could be described by that word. I can't even imagine how much money is required to keep up with the expenses associated with the upkeep of this place.

I've only recently learned of it, but the manor's name appears to be Rosetta. The manor is a 1060-square-meter mansion with an entrance, a large living room, a dining room, a kitchen with a laundry room, and a boiler room. There is another living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom nearby. The other room was on the first floor, and it was a massive room that was supposed to be a reception room. On the second floor, there is an office, a dining room, a living room, and a library, which I have never visited because Maa has forbidden me from doing so. There are five bedrooms and five bathrooms on the third floor.

Many outbuildings are enclosed, including a 530-square-meter independent house that I was not permitted to visit because the staff lives and sleeps there.

Three hectares of well-kept lawn surrounded the manor, which was enclosed by a two-meter-high fence.

The household included me, the supposedly master of the house.

Mathilda, the governess, spends the majority of her time looking after me and teaching me noble manners. She frequently acts as a link between me and the other servants of the house, as I don't have much interaction with them.

If I remember correctly, the butler's name is Sirus. He might be Maa's age, because his hair, which I assume used to be brawn, has started to turn white in several places. I've never had much interaction with him. Most of our interactions could be summed up as an interrogation of "Does the young Lord need anything?" to which I would frequently respond "No."

He appears to be a competent butler, but I believe he has an aversion to babies because, from what I can tell, he tries to avoid me as much as possible. That was pretty much all I knew about him. Oops, I almost forgot, I also know from Maa that before I was born, he used to work for my family.

There were four housemaids, all of whom were in their twenties. When I was younger, I remember them attempting to interact with me because, after all, I was a very cute baby. But I've recently noticed that they're clearly avoiding me.

Why would they do that? The answer was obvious: Maa,

At first, I assumed she simply despised the maid because whenever they were close to me while doing their jobs, such as setting the table, Maa would glare at them in the same way a jealous mother-in-law would glare at her daughter-in-law. But recently, as I was parading around, I noticed Maa interacting with them in a friendly manner. It appears that she simply does not want them to be near me. I've concluded that the problem did not originate with Maa and the maids, but rather with me via Maa and the Maid.

Several guards, four to be exact.

Yeah, it’s a little V.I.P that we have here.

As for Sirus, I don't know much about them because I never really interacted with them; all I know is that two of them were long-time employees and the other two were hired after I moved here. It's clear that they have it easy because, in almost three years of living in this manor, I've never encountered a situation where they were truly needed.

The former is a brawny brawn ponytailed old man, and the latter is a beer-bellied bald man. Aside from that, I knew very little about them except that they do an excellent job. Everything served in this home has always been delicious, and the well-kept lawn and lovely enclosed garden were proof that the gardener was doing an excellent job.

There was also the merchant and his wife, who did not live in the manor but came by carriage every week from the nearest town to deliver food and other supplies to the manor.

By the way, the wife is expecting a child. I'm no expert in pregnancy, but I believe she will give birth within the next week if she hasn't already.

To summarize, I'm doing pretty well in this household; despite not having blood-related relatives by my side, I was given enough resources to grow into a genuine noble. I guess I'll have to work harder to live up to their expectations.

And there's one more thing I almost forgot.

The most noticeable aspect of this location is not its people or the building, but rather its location.

The manor is situated in the middle of nowhere.

Around here, there was no such thing as a neighbor.

If I looked outside, I would see a dense forest not far away with no end in sight.

I once asked Maa about the forest. She stated that the forest is known as Iharana the Great and that it is the largest forest in the world.

The manor is located on the dividing line between the human and monster continents.

Yes, Monsters do exist in this world.

And this forest is said to be the world's largest. Due to two factors,

Nobody had ever been able to fully investigate it. So far, its superficies are unknown, but it is thought to be at least a hundred times the superficies of the human continent.

The monsters that live there: The forest appears to be densely packed with a variety of monsters, ranging from the almost harmless to the one against which humanity has no way of fighting.

When I first heard that, I wondered why anyone would build a manor so close to the forest if it was so dangerous. But I was immediately reassured by Maa that there was no reason for us to fear the monster from the monster continent, for humanity had one thing.

The barrier.

A force field covering the entirety of the human continent.

The barrier is one of the few ways humanity has to combat monsters. Previously, a large portion of the human continent was part of the monster continent.

Through guerrilla warfare, which consists of eliminating monsters in a specific area and erecting a barrier. Humanity has found a safe place to live, which is now known as the human continent.

Unfortunately for humanity, their guerilla strategy is incompatible with the forest. Extending the barrier took time, and monsters from the forest attacked in waves as if sensing human goals.

As a result, humanity had no choice but to halt their expansion of the human continent here.