Being Loved for the First Time Chapter 11

Unfortunately, my baby babbling was still at the stage where I could barely distinguish between vowels.

To be honest, even my pronunciation of “you” sounded more like “uh.”

But—

“You don’t like me?”

Hearing him understand me so accurately made me strangely irritated.

Mikhail Leventis possessed the ability to interpret my babbling, something even my family and the maids who were always by my side couldn’t do.

‘And that’s why my sister and brother were so upset.’

Those two, who should have had nothing but reasons to smile.

“Shasha is… Shasha is my little sister…”

“You can really understand what Anastasia is saying…?”

Even Mother and Father had looked terribly serious.

“It seems we haven’t studied enough as parents.”

“It’s because I’m lacking, my lady. I should have listened more carefully to Anastasia’s voice.”

It was such a trivial thing, yet my entire family had been shocked.

That was why I couldn’t bring myself to look favorably upon Mikhail.

Even though I knew he’d saved me and that everything he did for me came from goodwill.

‘It’s hard to think of him as entirely likable.’

And it absolutely, positively wasn’t just because he kept calling me small!

‘My family gets upset over something so insignificant.’

Of course, this young boy had no idea.

‘They’re the first family that’s ever treated me well.’

I waved my hands, adding my resentment over him making me fall, and spoke again.

“Awaiya.”

“You’re telling me to go away? I know I was wrong. Okay? Baby, I just thought you’d look cute holding a big ruby because you’re so small…”

“Eeya.”

“Don’t say you don’t like me.”

As we went back and forth, the maids holding me murmured in amazement, with a hint of jealousy.

“It’s still amazing. How does he understand our young lady so well?”

“We’ve been by her side much longer!”

I don’t think this is the time to compete over something like that.

When I turned around with all my might, Mikhail followed and appeared in front of me again. Even when I turned away once more, he chased after me.

“Don’t be like that. I’ll help you walk. You want to stand up, don’t you?”

“Eeyo-eoo.”

“Don’t say you don’t need it. But baby, you’re really good at talking. It’s amazing. How can you speak so well when your mouth is so tiny?”

You little bastard. Hearing that from someone who can pronounce everything perfectly and speak properly doesn’t make me happy at all.

Nothing you say will win me over.

‘I don’t want to see my family looking sad again!’

But then—

“I really can help you. I’m exceptional, you know. I started walking before I was even six months old.”

What?

You walked before you were six months old?

No, I know you’re an overpowered character, but isn’t that going a bit too far?

“There are even pictures of it. I was the best at walking when I was a baby. Are you sure you don’t need my help?”

Then he suddenly held out his hand.

It was absurd, but I had to admit that I was tempted.

I wanted to stop spending my days rolling around on the floor.

‘More importantly… this is my first time growing up like an ordinary baby.’

I didn’t have any experience with being a baby in the normal sense.

Could that be why I couldn’t walk?

Before I knew it, I was considering such a ridiculous explanation.

While I hesitated, Mikhail waved his hand once more.

As though he were tempting me with a delicious cookie.

“Hm? I can teach you really well.”

Are you really Mikhail Leventis?

Why are you suddenly talking so cutely?!

For a moment, I thought it was my brother speaking.

Just listening to Mikhail sometimes made him sound less like a child and more like an adult who had spent years in high society.

‘Especially when he was going on about having a prior appointment with the young lady.’

Mikhail Leventis usually spoke in a somewhat blunt, curt manner.

But right now…

‘And what’s with that smile?’

He’s deliberately copying my brother, isn’t he?

He was making an effort to look at me the way my brother usually did.

It was such an unusually adorable expression that even the maids holding me let out small sighs.

‘Well, I’ve joined hands with people before, even knowing they’d betray me when the time came.’

And it absolutely wasn’t because he resembled my brother.

Mikhail couldn’t even compare to the tips of my brother’s toes.

‘It should be fine as long as my sister and brother don’t see, right…?’

I tried to ignore the uneasiness creeping into my heart.

Fortunately, it was my sister’s nap time, and my brother should have been in class.

‘Come to think of it, he should be in class too.’

Was he skipping lessons?

He always seemed to arrive in my room before my brother.

Feeling as though I were joining hands with a traitor for the sake of some plan centuries ago, I reached out toward Mikhail.

But then—

‘…Seriously, what’s gotten into him today?’

I could hardly believe my eyes.

His earlier smile had been an imitation of Brother Damian’s.

But now…

‘I’ve never seen that expression before.’

Perhaps he was surprised that I’d actually reached out, or perhaps he was moved.

Mikhail paused slightly before revealing a triumphant smile, like someone who had achieved his goal.

There was a hint of arrogance and bluntness in that smile, and it suited his face so perfectly that, for some reason, it almost took my breath away.

Especially because he was a boy who rarely smiled.

“Wow—”

Even the maid who had been watching quietly let out a soft exclamation.

‘His face really is pretty, I’ll give him that.’

In another ten years, that description probably wouldn’t suit him anymore.

By then, I’d have to call him handsome, or perhaps find an even stronger word.

Even compared with all the people I’d seen over my long existence, Mikhail was easily among the most beautiful.

If someone wasn’t immune to good looks, a single smile from him would probably be enough to make them grant his requests.

‘I hope you grow up ugly.’

Harboring a slightly spiteful wish that would never come true, I patted Mikhail’s palm.

“Heoe heo.”

“I’ll help you stand. I promised, didn’t I? I said I’d help you walk too.”

Mikhail took my other hand firmly as he spoke.

‘This isn’t much different from what the maids or my family have done.’

That was why I wasn’t expecting anything.

After all, until now, I hadn’t been able to put much strength into my legs—

‘Huh?’

What’s going on?

The moment Mikhail held my hands and pulled gently on my arms, I felt a completely different sensation in my legs.

‘How did I not know this?’

So this was how I was supposed to put strength into my legs.

Come to think of it, even though I’d inhabited different bodies over nearly two thousand years, I’d always walked naturally.

And yet it was as though I’d forgotten that sensation completely and had only just remembered it.

“Gasp… The young lady… She’s properly putting strength into her legs.”

“Until now, she always stood as though she were just dangling from our arms…”

The maids whispered in astonishment.

“See? I told you I could help you stand.”

‘Seriously, what are you?’

I stared at Mikhail as though I’d been bewitched.

He possessed magical power but couldn’t use a single spell, and there was no sign that he was using any special ability.

Mikhail had simply taken my hands, just as my family and the maids had done countless times.

If strength were the issue, surely my adult parents would have been better suited for the task.

So why…?

While I was still bewildered, Mikhail took a step backward.

“Now that you’re standing, you can probably walk too. Here—”

‘I’ve only just managed to put weight on my legs for the first time! What are you—!’

I tried to shout that I couldn’t.

However…

‘Huh?’

I’m… walking?

Once I took that first step, I found myself able to follow him, putting real strength into my legs and walking properly while holding his hands, even though his steps seemed a little fast.

‘What on earth?’

I’d worked so hard without success, and now I’d actually managed to walk!

It wasn’t simply because Mikhail was pulling me along. My own legs were supporting my weight as I followed him.

“My lady… My lady has taken her first steps…!”

“To think we witnessed it! I saw her first steps with my very own eyes! How fortunate we are to be serving the young lady at this very moment!”

The maids sounded as though they might faint from joy.

And because I was so focused on their excited voices and the fact that I’d truly taken my first steps, I failed to notice something.

“Ana… stasia…?”

My brother’s lesson had already ended.

Along with his disbelieving voice came the heavy thud of a book falling to the floor.

‘B-Brother?’

Like a child caught doing something naughty, I hurriedly tried to let go of Mikhail’s hands.

But—

“No, baby. You’ll fall.”

This bastard really couldn’t read the room.

My brother is in shock right now!

Yet Mikhail, wearing nothing but a proud and triumphant expression, made things even worse by showing off to my brother.

“Look at this. The little princess is walking so well while holding my hands, isn’t she?”

Hey! Are you deliberately teasing my brother?!

I immediately shook my hands, trying to pull them free of Mikhail’s grasp.

“If you do that, you’ll go bang again, baby.”

It wasn’t a bang! It was a little bump!

I protested inwardly at his exaggerated description.

Besides, the only reason I fell in the first place was because of you!

Just then, my brother rushed toward us in alarm.

“Anastasia, you fell?”

He hurriedly gathered me into his arms, almost snatching me away from Mikhail.

“Where? Did it hurt? Didn’t you cry?”

“She didn’t cry, young master. It wasn’t a serious fall.”

“How did she fall?”

My brother questioned the maids in an unusually cold voice.

Mikhail spoke up in their defense.

“It was my fault. I was trying to give the little princess—”

“What? Anastasia fell because of you?”

My brother’s expression hardened instantly.

“It wasn’t a bad fall. I caught her head in time, so—”

“She almost hit her head too?”

My brother was even more shocked and hugged me tightly.

Then he spoke to Mikhail in a cold, warning tone.

“You. Don’t come to see Anastasia anymore.”

Huh…? Brother?

His voice was so cold and distant that it was nothing like my normally gentle brother.