âI donât need anyone else as a playmate except for Lei!â
Nico felt better, but I was taken home by my worried Otou-sama, so I couldnât play with him that day. He got a little angry the next day.
âYour Highness. Heâs not going to be your playmate. Heâs still a student, but heâs going to be your teacher,â Linus said unnecessary things to Nico.
âI donât need a teacher either! Odds-sensei is annoying enough.â
Ah, thereâs someone else who says unnecessary things here! But, of course, three-year-olds would throw tantrums. And both Odds-sensei and Linus are annoying people.
âNico, Nii-syama ish a good pershon.â
âI donât need a Nii-sama, either!â
âButh, heâww read picthure boowsh tho ush.â (But, heâll read picture books to us.)
âI can read them myself!â
I see. Then, what would be a good reason for Nii-sama to be here? I thought.
âNii-syama, wiww give you hugsh.â
âHmm, hugs?â
Thatâs something you canât do by yourself. This seemed to have moved him. Now, what else?
âAnd, heâww pway withh ush.â
âSo he is a playmate after all!â
âHeâsh fashth.â When I said that, Nico looked at me pitifully.
â... Lei canât run.â
âHah? Lei can run! Lei can run thogethher!â
âO-okay. Lei can run. Alright?â
I snorted at Nico, who was flustered. Of course, I can run. Iâve graduated from tottering.
âAnd, Nii-syama doeshnâth thawe napsh.â (And, Nii-sama doesnât take naps.)
âLei sleeps too much.â
âSweeping meansh growing!â
It was a bit frustrating that Nicoâs eyes seemed to be saying that Iâm still small even though I sleep a lot. No, I shouldnât stoop to a childâs level. Stay calm. Appeal Nii-samaâs good points.
âHeâsh awsho good ath thhe shword.â
âSword, you say?â
Nico folded his arms as if that was alright. Apparently, one can fold their arms when they reach three-years-old. I secretly tried to fold my arms. I canât do it.
âBuffo.â
Iâm sure thatâs Hans.
âListen carefully, Your Highness and Leila-sama. Luke-sama will be coming to teach you how to handle your magic. Heâs not coming here to play.â
I know that. I know, but weâre talking about how Nii-sama can take a break between teaching us, arenât we? Nico and I looked at each other and sighed in amazement.
âLinus, no good.â
âNo.â
Linus looked stunned for a second, then spoke, âYour Highness and Leila-sama, what is no, huh? No?â
âNico.â
âYeah, letâs go.â
We left Linus and went up to the second floor. Nico was a little ahead of me because his legs were longer. Itâs not because I couldnât run. But, Iâm troubled that the adults are dull-witted.
âHuh? Whatâs no? Was it about Luke-sama? Huh?â
Well, itâs time to study. Finish it as soon as possible, so we can go outside to play.
I thought Nii-sama was going to come in the morning, but he came in the afternoon after weâd finished with lunch. Also, he only came once a week, so he taught Nico over dinner since he wonât be here for a while.
âNo way.â
âLei?â
Iâll fall asleep if we practice magic after lunch. Thatâs boring. I tried to tell Nii-sama this, and he cautioned me while looking happy, âLei, donât swing the fork. Thatâs right.â
âEither way, you have to study in the morning, and you wonât be able to concentrate if Iâm there.â
âHmph.â
âDonât pout. Nii-sama has to study in the mornings too.â
I know.
But, I had been waiting for Nii-sama to come and he was finally here.
After lunch, I went out with Nico to the garden, and we saw a carriage.
âIsnât that the Albans carriage?â
âNico, you know?â
âYeah. Because of the pattern on the carriage.â
âAmazing.â
I looked at Nico in admiration.
âYouâll learn about it someday, Lei.â
âWeww, I donâth wnow.â
I donât really feel that itâs necessary.
âThen, shall we add that to the morning studies?â
âNo.â
Linus says a lot of things. Before long, the carriage slowly stopped. Nii-sama is coming. Both Nico and I were waiting in excitement.
âHey, Lei.â
âGiww?â
But, the person who descended was Gill.
âWhereâsh Nii-syama?â
âLei, youâre so cold even though we havenât seen each other in a long time. You can call me Gill-niisama.â
âWonâth.â
Heâs a little annoying. But, I didnât have time to say that, because Nii-sama got off the carriage.
âNii-syama!â
âLei,â Nii-sama called out to me happily, then he tightened his expression and immediately turned to Nico. Gill, who was joking around, also looked at Nico.
âYour Highness, Nicholas. I am Luke Albans.â
âMy name is Gilbert Lisburn.â
âHmm. Iâm the eldest son of Lambert, Nicholas Manfred Kingdom.â
As expected of Nii-sama. He was able to say hello.
âWeâre equal. Father said you didnât need to kneel.â
Nico was also pretty good.
âWe wanted to make eye contact with you.â
Nii-sama narrowed his eyes gently. The first impression seems to be good so far.
âThen, up.â
Nico reached out to Nii-sama.
âHah? What?â
Nii-sama was confused, and I stood behind Nico. Nii-sama usually hugs me first, but Iâll give this to Nico since itâs his first time.
âHuh? Lei, why are you lining up behind him? What the heck is going on?â
âI heard that you were good. Iâm telling you to pick me, arenât I?â
âEh, okay.â
Nii-sama didnât know what was going on, but he probably concluded that the Prince wanted to be picked up from the words he heard. He picked Nico and put him on his hips. Then, he said in a surprised tone, âYour Highness, youâre a little bigger than Lei.â
âOf course, I am. Isnât Lei too small?â Nico said anxiously to Nii-sama. Rude. And, Gill, who was laughing is also rude.
âLei is younger than Your Highness. Itâs the same as me being smaller than Gill.â
âHm. Lisburn is certainly big.â
Gill took Nico from Nii-sama.
âOh, youâre not as big as father, but youâre big, Gill.â
âWell, isnât that normal? Here.â
âHahaha! How high! Haha.â
Nico looked happy to be raised high. I got Nii-sama to hold me next.
âNii-syama.â
âWhat is it, Lei?â
Itâs nothing. The two of us laughed. Then, we heard the bell ring.
âNow, you two didnât come here to play, Luke-sama and Gilbert-sama. Itâs time for His Highness to study.â
Thatâs right. He has to study magic diligently. Letâs go inside the castle first.