Chapter 15

***

On the day of the martial arts competition, I was sitting in a baby chair wearing a chick-like dress.

“My lady, you’re eating really well today too.”

“My lady doesn’t complain even once, how can you be so mature and gentle!”

“She’s Young Master Damian’s little sister indeed.”

“This loveliness is expected as Lady Laurentia’s younger sister!”

The maids fed me baby food, telling me the similarities between me and my sister and brother.

‘Why can’t I still eat alone?’

I tried it two weeks ago and tasted the result of only getting my indoor clothes dirty.

[tn– can also be pajamas or anything comfortable to wear at home]

‘My small muscles….’

So, of course, I didn’t intend to do it today.

Because I didn’t want to ruin a dress that the designer put so much effort into, and my mother paid twice as much for.

Then, the door opened.

‘Is it my brother? Or…..’

A few days ago, my brother talked to me with a serious face.

“I really wanted to be Anastasia’s partner on her first outing……”

But, the problem was that my older sister Laurentia was secretly shy.

My sister laughed at my brother’s words and said, slightly out of focus.

“I, I’ll be Shasha’s partner!”

My brother just smiled embarrassedly at those words.

Even though they were still babies, I thought that they must have some manners because they grew up in a ducal house.

And it wasn’t my brother who came into the room, it was the one on the “Or” side.

“Hi, baby.”

Mikhail Leventis keeps his promises like a sword.

He really came back from the Grand Duchy after a month.

“You’ve arrived, Little Duke?”

“Yeah.”

The maids quickly defended the bowls of baby food when Mikhail appeared.

“……I won’t feed you today.”

At that reaction, Mikhail scratched his cheek as if he was reflecting.

After learning from my brother how to play with me, Mikhail proudly challenged himself to feed me my baby food.

The question is, did more than half of it enter my mouth or my collar?

Because he made an even more devastating result than when I was eating alone with my underdeveloped small muscles.

After that, Mikhail failed several times, only giving me an early bath.

‘If the maids feed me, I don’t spill anything at all like this……’

I was so good at taking it that I didn’t even need a bib.

So it was natural for the maids to be wary.

Because they can’t ruin the dress I’m prettily wearing after a while.

‘Come to think of it, that guy’s also dressed up today.’

His hair, which usually looked as if it had been combed by hand, was pretty neat today.

Although his hair was naturally nice that even though it was carelessly combed, it looked like it was styled.

Inside the dark blue jacket, he wore a tone brighter vest, and a tie in the shape of a ribbon was tied around his neck.

[tn– a tone brighter of dark blue btw]

It felt different from when he was always wearing a shirt or tunic in class with my brother.

So it meant that Mikhail was like a little gentleman today.

Mikhail patiently waited for me to finish my baby food and even waited till the maids cleaned my mouth before approaching.

“Hm, hm.”

Then, with a somewhat happy expression, he cleared his throat and bent one knee in front of me and held out his hand.

“Will you allow me to escort you today, youngest lady?”

There was a short exclamation from the maids at Mikhail’s unchildlike elegant behavior.

For some reason, they looked the same as when that other maid was talking about giving a handkerchief to the knight, it must be a misunderstanding right?

* * *

It wasn’t very far to the Martial Arts Arena.

It only took about 30 minutes to get off and go inside after we rode the carriage.

Excluding the carriage, I wished to walk on my own foot on the road.

However……

“Isn’t it difficult to walk on the stairs? I’ll hug you.”

“Aiya, geo uh woo iyo.”

I expressed my intention of fully denying to Mikhail.

Especially if I have a walking assistant like you…!

“You can walk? Your legs are going to hurt.”

“kae ah ah.”

“What do you mean it’s okay, it’s okay if I don’t have to give up already.”

[tn–this part was a bit confusing but i think it means not to give up on asking to hold her]

“Shaya aya!”

Not giving up was what I said, I denied it once again.

But Mikhail Leventis, the authority on my babbling interpretation, ignored my will.

‘Just why are you so confident when you are so bad at holding me like this!’

Can’t you just leave the hugging to my escort knight instead?

“Today, my role is the youngest lady’s escort. I was asked by Damian.”

Mikhail, however, presented a useless sense of responsibility.

Does brother………hate me?

But I couldn’t do anything.

Because I thought that If I left my clumsy and shy sister to Mikhail, one of them would surely fall over.

‘I’d rather suffer.’

For my sister, this pain is nothing.

Anyway, I safely arrived at the martial arts competition hall feeling a small inconvenience.

* * *

The ground rumbled.

When my sister and I said we would give flowers to the winner, cheers erupted from the knights.

“Our youngest lady! We’ll definitely receive your flowers!”

“What kind of, victory is ours. Lady Lara!”

“Hm, Hm. We’ll receive it and give it to you, so don’t worry, Young Master!”

The shameful fight for pride was an added bonus.

However.

“Lara, will cheew you on! Bwe Swong!”

[Lara, will cheer you on! Be strong!]

My sister excitedly ran to the knights and said.

Even.

“I believe you will keep what you said once, I hope you will protect my trust.”

My brother also smiled and spoke in a somewhat bloody atmosphere.

So then, naturally……

‘Me, me too?’

Does everyone know I’m a 9 months old baby?

It hasn’t been long since I entered my tenth month!

If I say anything, only an ugly babble will come out.

While I was wondering what to do, Mikhail whispered to me.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll tell everyone.”

No, that’s not the problem–

While I was thinking that it was about the morale of the knights, I realized that my knights were not only watching me but was also watching Mikhail’s mouth.

Phew, it can’t be helped.

If that’s what you want.

“iyeoya–.”

“You heard the youngest lady’s words right? Win for a long time.”

“Yes! Our youngest lady! We will do our best!”

What was so delightful about that single word, my knights shouted with a face full of spirit.

I thought that would be it.

“Can you say something to me too?”

“Woo?”

“Because I’m going out too.”

What?

You?

You’re gonna jump in between those big dark knights?

Of course, in the last kidnapping case, I knew that Mikhail’s skills were better than his peers, no, he was better than a trivial apprentice knight.

‘Still, there is a difference in physical strength and physique.’

The thought that he would get hurt came first.

Even though I looked at Mikhail with a little malice, I didn’t want him to get hurt.

Because he was only a six-year-old kid.

But Mikhail lowered himself with his knees on the floor, looked at me and spoke to me again with a somewhat cute look.

“Don’t you want to cheer me on? I think I can win at least once if you cheer me on.”

Phew, I let out a sigh without realizing it.

“The small baby sighed again.”

I told you not to say small!

I need to grow up quickly, but my height is not growing.

Mikhail carefully grabbed my tiny hand and shook it gently.

“Hm? Baby. Just say one word.”

“Dyai i ma.”

“Don’t get hurt? Not to win?”

“Woo.”

I nodded my head coldly.

It’s best not to get hurt, it’s not as if winning here will give you money, ah, they do give you money.

Anyway, for Mikhail, there was no prize waiting for him to win this martial arts competition.

“I’ll have to work harder to show the baby a cool look. You only always say Damian is cool.”

‘What?’

No way, did you take to heart what I said last time?

[tn–take to heart = take something seriously]

“–Bba, meo iyo.”

Damian was depressed that day, so I copied my sister.

Then, Mikhail, who was next to me, asked me with a look of anticipation.

“Am I not cool? I had a fight with the Duke today, and I succeeded in hitting him.”

Of course I said it wasn’t cool.

Because first of all, my father was next to me, and what daughter in the world would say it was cool when her father got hit.

It may have been so in the last 99 worlds, but anyway, not here.

“It can’t be helped, I won’t get hurt. Instead, baby.”

“Woo?”

“If I win even once, you have to say I’m cool.”

I just turned my head slightly as if I didn’t understand what he said.

Like how babies lose interest and turn away.

Then Mikhail smiled a little and said.

“The youngest lady is pretending not to know again.”

This guy strangely catches on like a ghost.

* * *

I was very surprised by Mikhail’s participation in the martial arts competition, so I thought there would be no more surprises.

Well, it wouldn’t surprise me even if there were any injuries or bloodshed.

In addition, today, all of them will use weapons that do not have the ability to kill, so it was expected that there won’t be cases of serious injuries.

In the first place, it was a competition that was close to a spar because there were quite a few children in the audience.

“Win! Win! Win! The winner is Lara Team!”

Unlike my sister, who was jumping excitedly and cheering, I was watching the competition rather unenthusiastically.

I even dozed off little by little.

However.

“Laurentia, Anastasia!”

For some reason, my father whom I haven’t seen all day, I think I heard his voice in the arena……?

“Your flowers will be received by this father!”

What? No, father………

I fully sympathized with the opponent knight, who had become pale.

This feels like an adult caught in a fight between kids….