Chapter 10

***

“I’ve never even kissed Anastasia on the back of her hand! You…….!”

My brother looked at Mikhail with a very wronged face.

“……You didn’t tell me that.”

“Even so! You shouldn’t have touched someone else’s little sister like that.”

“Damian was the one who told me to be polite though….”

Mikhail also looked at my brother with a wronged face.

As a spectator, I was just amazed.

‘To think that my brother is acting like a child like that…..’

It was beyond my imagination that my brother would shout loudly, on the contrary, he wasn’t someone who would show any signs of embarrassment like that.

Because there were times when I thought that the words calm and polite were made for my brother.

In front of such a rare scene, the first kiss on the back of my hand was nothing.

I’m still a baby anyway.

‘You know normally, moments like this as a baby, don’t count.’

Normally, babies won’t even remember.

Because Mikhail is still young -he was a year younger than my brother, a young

six-year-old. Though it seems that his birthday is in February.- There is a possibility that he would forget about it after a decade or so.

Anyway, the quarrel between Mikhail and my brother didn’t last long.

Basically, I’m saying that both of them don’t act like their age.

‘You have to be like my older sister to act like your age.’

Truthfully, it was rather fortunate that they were not childish.

Because I was the least childish one.

Only after being strongly warned by my brother that physical contact was prohibited was Mikhail allowed to come close to me again.

Half-lying down, he made eye contact with me.

“How fascinating. It’s so small.”

Mikhail muttered as if I was a new creature he had seen.

“Our youngest, don’t touch her carelessly.”

“I said I won’t.”

Mikhail looked at my brother with a tired tone and then turned his head back to me again.

“It’s really small.”

I know very well that I’m small, so can you stop telling me?

He looked at me, his chin propped up with both hands.

Purple eyes filled with curiosity faced towards me.

So I also looked at Mikhail the same way.

There was something I wanted to know anyway.

However…..

‘I don’t know. It’s been piled up for 2,000 years, so of course it’s gonna be harder to remember.’

If I was that impressive, I would have immediately remembered who it was when I felt that ‘longing’ feeling in the first place.

I decided to let it go for now.

Because after all, up until now, the important things were always remembered in the right time.

Mikhail continued to observe me, so I turned my head first because I was getting tired.

“Wow, you can move your head?”

Of course I can move. Do I look like a doll or a statue or something?

“Baby, can you stand up? Can you move your hands? Look here.”

Then, he poured out a lot of questions.

He came a little closer to me as if crawling, then he looked at my hand, and was amazed again.

“How can it be so small? It’s like stuck marshmallows.”

Mikhail looked as if he wanted to touch my hands and cheeks, and finally asked my brother again.

“Can’t I touch the lady just this once?”

“No.”

“I think it’s going to be soft.”

“Our Anastasia is not a clay for playing.”

“I didn’t say that. She’s just really small,  moves around and it’s fascinating. She’s not even crying.”

My brother sighed at Mikhail’s words.

“Mother worries about that. Our Anastasia is so gentle that she never cries.”

“Is that something to worry about?”

“Of course!”

Despite my brother’s words, Mikhail just looked puzzled.

I also agreed with his curiosity. Well, you probably don’t know me or him or a baby very well.

Mikhail looked at me and opened his mouth as if he was merely amazed at my brother’s words.

“But still, except for that she looks like a normal baby. She’s small and small…..”

“What?”

My older brother gave Mikhail another dumbfounded look.

“Why?”

Yeah, what’s wrong with my brother?

I looked at him with the same question filled eyes as Mikhail.

Then, my brother frowned and opened his mouth seriously.

“How is our Anastasia a normal baby.”

“Then? What, If she doesn’t cry is she sick- umph!”

“Watch your mouth, Mikhail. It’s not like that.”

My older brother stared at Mikhail and spoke with a confident face.

“Our Anastasia is not an ordinary baby, but a very cute, lovely and angelic baby.”

“…….”

Both Mikhail and I shut our mouths.

I’m sorry, brother.

I can’t take your side right now.

* * *

Mikhail was the only heir to the Grand Duke of Leventis.

Unlike my older brother, who has been appointed as the successor, but has not yet been decided for sure, Mikhail was truly called a ‘little duke’.

He is my brother’s best friend, and he is still young, but is showing outstanding talent in swordsmanship.

Isn’t it amazing, I’ve only met him recently but I got to know this much about him.

‘Of all things, why do I get this kind of information so fast!”

I still don’t even know much about this house yet.

I found out because the maids who didn’t talk about the duke’s house talked about Mikhail occasionally.

That’s how often Mikhail visited the duke’s residence.

Particularly.

“Baby, I’m here. Have you been playing well?”

My room.

Mikhail’s hair was slightly wet, perhaps because he had washed up after practicing swordsmanship.

His normally calm hair sank further, creating a strange atmosphere.

‘As much as the atmosphere, he’s really not like a six-year-old.’

In a very different way than my brother.

Mikhail Leventis had no parents.

His only family was his grandfather, the current Grand Duke of Leventis.

The Grand Duke was very busy.

For that reason, I did not know until now, but Mikhail said that he stayed in this house for about half of the month.

Under the pretext of studying with my brother.

But lately, not half of the month, but for 20 days he seemed to go in and out of the duke’s house.

“Baby, why don’t you take this and smile today?”

And just like this, when his study time is over, he comes to me and gives me all sorts of things.

‘It’s jewelry again.’

From jewelry to weapons, sometimes flowers, and toys to lace and silk.

The gift attack began with a question uttered by Mikhail.

“Why isn’t the baby smiling?”

“Oh my, Little Duke. Not everyone can just see our lady’s smile.”

“That’s right, that’s right. You can only see it for a bit after you become very close!”

The maids who saw my smile a couple of months ago proudly answered.

Even though I raised the white flag, I was still a baby with a rare smile.

[–raise the white flag means surrender]

It’s because I’m not used to expressing my feelings.

Anyway, since then, Mikhail has brought me things that he thinks are good for me.

My brother and sister also talked proudly to Mikhail for some reason.

“Shasha often smiles at Lara! Right, Shasha.”

“Anastasia only smiles at her real brother.”

Mikhail looked slightly sullen at the words.

But he didn’t get angry or urge me to laugh quickly.

‘He’s not like a child… No, even adults don’t show that kind of patience.’

People expect as they please and get angry when things don’t go their way.

However, Mikhail silently presented me with gifts whether it was because he did not want to give up or because he thought it was the natural thing to do.

Until today.

‘It’s fascinating, but…..’

Do you have a lot of money?

I mean, it’s probably overflowing, but… Because it’s the grand duke’s.

No, even so.

I sighed as I looked at the ruby ​​the size of my palm.

‘I mean who brings this as a gift to a baby.’

Of course, I had no intention to receive anything.

“The little one is sighing?”

It’s already been a month since I met Mikhail, and he was still looking at me as if I was a strange creature.

In addition, the expression “small” seems to be emphasized more and more.

Yeah, because he keeps on saying I’m small. That’s why I don’t want to laugh even more!

‘I was already thinking that I’m growing less, Is it because of him?’

Because he has mana.

[will use mana from now on instead of magic]

Of course, I knew better than anyone that it was pointless to blame that.

Mikhail has mana, but he didn’t know how to use magic at all.

‘Too bad, with that amount, it’ll be quite helpful later.’

Because various cases will happen even before the time of destruction comes.

Well, it wasn’t something I cared about for more than eight months now.

If I really need it, I can just gently wake up my mana later after I’ve grown up a little.

‘What I have to do right now is to get up!’

I didn’t say that I didn’t grow up for nothing.

At this point, it should be easy to grab something and stand up, or babble more but.

I still made slow progress.

‘This sofa, when will I conquer it?’

Maybe because my sister was late, none of the duke’s people rushed my steps or babbling progress.

But I’m on my 100th baby experience!

Is it really okay to be this late?

As I was contemplating, I ignored Mikhail

-he was still banned from physical contact- who was following me from behind on his knees.

His observations weren’t just for a day or two, so I didn’t mind.

However.

‘Uhh?’

The moment I tried to stand up while holding onto the sofa.

My body leaned backwards.

Thud, roll–

‘Ouch–’

Even though there was a carpet, I felt the pain in my soft buttocks.

Not only that, but my back and my head–

“Ah, baby!”

“Kyaa, My Lady!”

I almost fell over, but Mikhail displayed his usele–useful agility.

I could feel Mikhail’s propped hand on my shoulder.

‘I……. I lost my balance?’

It was shocking.

Knowing that my body was growing late, I paid attention to many things.

Because I didn’t want my family to look sad after getting hurt even a bit.

‘But, because of the weight of this head. I…..?’

Shocked by the ridiculous fact, I spaced out, and the maids rushed over and hugged me.

“My Lady, aren’t you in pain?”

“Were you very surprised? You can’t even cry–”

That’s not it, but of course I was surprised!

It’s not that I’m so surprised that I can’t even cry!

‘It’s just that it was so ridiculous–’

It was a moment I felt wronged.

“I, I’m sorry. Baby.”

I heard Mikhail’s voice.

He raised his hand carefully as if he had sinned.

Holding the big ruby ​​that he couldn’t give me.

‘So it’s you, the culprit of my imbalance!’

I understood the situation right away.

No wonder why my neck felt so heavy the moment I got up!

“It’s because I wanted to give it to you, really. I didn’t think you’d fall…..”

That punk put the heavy ruby ​​on my hooded cloak, which the maids dressed me in and said it was cute.

I shouted at Mikhail in shame and anger.

“ah ae uh–!”

I hate you! Was what I said.