Chapter 9

***

Considering the rotation, wouldn’t three or four people be enough?

There may be doubts, but all of the duke’s knights were professionals.

When the man who looked like the leader knelt down, other knights in uniforms followed.

“I humbly see the youngest lady.”

The smell of medicine wafted from their bodies, as if father had really made them roll around.

I just looked at them, flapping my short legs.

Because of me, you’ve been rolling around like crazy since the new year, wouldn’t you feel skeptical to swear loyalty to a baby?

In addition, the one you will swear loyalty to can’t even babble properly.

“Anastasia, these are all knights for you. In the future, they will continue to be loyal to you.”

But my father opened his mouth to me with a serious face.

“Give them words of encouragement.”

No, Father. What do you want from a baby who’s only six months old?

But what was more absurd was the attitude of the knights.

“Please. My lady!”

“Master!”

Pardon? Excuse me……

“We swear our loyalty to the young lady!”

Weren’t you guys rolling around because of me?

Even if you’re a knight…… Everyone’s eyes are sincere….?

‘I also had experience with knights… It wasn’t just once or twice…’

So I thought I understood their feelings, but I guess my experience was very lacking.

With their eyes, including my father’s, tinged with expectation, I gave up and opened my mouth.

“Woo, Awuu……”

Yeah, Please take good care of me.

I diligently moved my mouth, but only a  babble came out.

Ha, I think I’ve been hit with reality.

But what are they so happy for.

“I’ll do my best. My Lady!”

“I look forward to your kind cooperation!”

They swore loyalty to me with sincere voices.

It was an added bonus to see my father, look proud and reassured.

* * *

Anyway, due to the assignment of the Knights, as I entered my seventh month, the number of people in my room increased by about two.

‘There are two more people outside the room…….’

As my body grew little by little, it became easier to sense the presence.

I was immersed in one thought due to the assignment of these Knights.

‘Last time, it was just a kidnapping for money, but as expected, doesn’t it mean that my family is not in a comfortable position…..?’

[–not comfortable as in like prone to dangers or full of risks]

The day I was kidnapped, I realized that my mother and father weren’t just serious because of me.

My mother seemed anxious from the night of December 30 and even went out at dawn.

My father also went out looking uncomfortable.

‘On top of that, as my father said, the two of them never left the house for a while.’

So, as expected, as long as I am a duke’s daughter, I assumed that there would be forces that could be defined as enemies to an extent.

Otherwise, there was no reason to go as far as to place knights as escorts of young children, who even live almost exclusively in the mansion.

‘It was as if an assassin could easily come and wipe me out.’

In addition, that day was the end of the year and it was the work of an insider, so it was easier to get through -and even though he couldn’t escape the duke’s house and was caught- normally it wouldn’t be easy to get into the duke’s house.

‘Should I just use some power……’

I hesitated. It was so peaceful that I didn’t force myself to move.

Anyway, it’s true that it gets troublesome if I use my power.

There was a possibility that I would be ill with a high fever for several days like last time.

‘Gathering information would be fine after my first birthday passes.’

Because at that point, my body can probably endure it.

But right now, I had no choice but to hesitate.

When my fever didn’t go down for days, my father and sister cried.

“Shasha, don’t be sick, Bwig sister will get shick instead! Don’t get sick, don’t get sick, my little sister.”

[Big sister will get sick instead!]

“No, Laurentia. If you get sick. Then Dad will get sick too. Our youngest, why isn’t your fever going away.“

I really didn’t want to worry anyone.

Besides, in fact, the immediate actions needed was what my parents had already done.

‘But still…… I don’t know if it’s okay to stay still and just be protected like this.’

Of all people, me.

I have a duty to prevent the destruction of the world.

Is it really okay to be like this just because I’m still young?

In addition……

‘From that time, that little duke named Mikhail, is also on my mind.’

[- as in something about him bothers her]

Even though he was an unfamiliar boy, I don’t know why, but I felt like I had encountered him somewhere.

And I also missed it very much…..

* * *

For a few days, I couldn’t decide what to do, and concentrated on standing while holding onto the sofa.

In addition, I could now sit fairly straight.

‘It feels like my waist is slowly gaining strength.’

After a couple of months, wouldn’t it be possible to slowly start walking?

As I was groaning with such expectation, I heard my brother’s soft laugh.

“I wonder why my little sister is in such a hurry.”

Then instead of approaching me, he squatted down and stretched out his arms towards me.

After a while of groaning while resting my hands on the sofa, I quietly turned around and crawled towards my brother.

About a month and a half ago, I, who used to crawl like a snake, now made progress and can now crawl at a fast pace.

It was the first time I had observed my development like this, so it was a bit strange and fascinating.

“Our Anastasia, she seems to be growing up too fast.”

The maids around me laughed at my brother Damian’s words.

‘It’s not something a young child would say to a baby.’

Even if you’re mature, you’re way too mature.

My brother stroked my head while looking at me, muttering with a worried face.

“Anastasia, you know. Brother’s friend wants to see you.”

Brother’s friend?

I immediately thought of the little duke with those words.

[– btw ‘little duke’ is a title for the successor of the current duke.]

“You met last time, do you remember?”

“Woo!”

I nodded my head in a hurry.

Because the little duke also played a part in the reason for making me hesitate to gather information using my power.

The mana he also possessed was mana, but that wasn’t the reason.

It was a more fundamental reason.

During my reincarnation, there were times when I met people who were secretly familiar.

Just like how I was reincarnated, they were people I met in another world even though they don’t remember.

Souls have wavelengths, so when I meet such people, I used to think that ‘oh I’ve seen them in my previous life’.

‘But the little duke is not just familiar, but….’

A strange feeling of longing sharply rose.

‘No way, it’s not my jerk brother right?’

Here, the jerk brother I meant was not my kind and gentle brother Damian, but the older brother whom I thought would be better not to have in my first life.

There’s a difference between longing and coldness though.

‘Well, the bowl looked too different for that.’

[–not really sure but bowl in korean metaphors can mean a person so I think she’s referring to Mikhail here.]

That jerk brother is not the kind of guy who can save anyone.

He may have changed since he was reincarnated, but that’s probably not it.

Anyway, that’s why I wanted to know about Mikhail.

My brother muttered a bit bitterly at my answer.

“Mikhail bewitched my little sister….”

He also spoke in a cold tone that didn’t really suit him.

It was a voice in a vocabulary that an ordinary baby wouldn’t understand, but unfortunately I heard it clearly.

As my body grows little by little, the senses naturally become more sensitive.

‘I was just curious.’

Anyway, it seemed that my brother was not happy to remember the little duke Mikhail,  whom I met briefly.

“A promise is a promise, so it can’t be helped……..”

My brother muttered as he stroked my head.

Promise?

I wondered but I couldn’t ask.

Because I couldn’t talk.

“Then, Anastasia, will you take a look at brother’s friend this once?”

“Woo!”

I immediately answered.

My brother looked strangely disappointed at the words.

It was definitely a six-year-old, no, because the year has changed, a seven-year-old child……

‘Why do you look like a brother who’s sending his little sister to get married?’

* * *

“I finally see your face, youngest lady.”

The little duke entered my room with my brother and greeted me happily.

Looking back, it was really a face I couldn’t forget.

Even though his features were not clear yet because he is a child, he looked like a little duke.

His sharp nose and sharp eyes hidden behind a smile, with a posture that was as good as my brother, created a childish yet mature atmosphere.

“I haven’t even introduced you yet, how rude. Mikhail.”

“She’s still a baby.”

“A baby you say, our Anastasia is definitely a lady of our ducal family. Be polite.”

As my brother quarrelled with him, he looked like a child of his age.

The boy faced me at my brother’s rebuke

-for your information, I was sitting in a baby chair- then he politely bowed and talked.

“It’s not the first time, but nice to meet you. Youngest lady.”

The boy’s tone was slightly mischievous.

Despite my brother’s disapproving gaze, the boy opened his mouth with a deep yet soft gaze.

“I am Mikhail from the Grand Duke of Leventis. Let’s get along well.”

He said so, holding my tiny hand very carefully and kissing the back of my hand.

“Mikhail!”

My brother was startled by that action and called him.

“Why? You told me to be polite to the lady.”

Mikhail made a face as if asking if he did something wrong.