Being Loved for the First Time Chapter 15

On the day of the martial arts tournament, I sat in a baby chair wearing my chick-like dress.

“Our young lady is eating so well today too.”

“She never fusses about her meals. How can anyone be so mature and well-behaved?”

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

“And her loveliness is just like Lady Laurencia’s!”

The maids fed me baby food while listing all the ways I resembled my older siblings.

‘I wonder when I’ll be able to eat on my own.’

I’d attempted it two weeks earlier, only to end up thoroughly staining my indoor clothes.

‘My fine motor skills…’

Naturally, I wasn’t planning to try again today.

I had absolutely no intention of ruining a dress the designer had poured her heart into, and for which Mother had paid twice the usual price.

Just then, the door opened.

‘Is it Brother? Or perhaps…’

A few days ago, my brother had told me something with a serious expression.

‘I’d really like to be your escort for Anastasia’s first outing…’

The problem, however, was that my sister Laurencia was rather shy around strangers.

My sister had smiled at his words and said something slightly beside the point.

‘I wanna, I wanna be Shasha’s partner!’

My brother had merely smiled awkwardly.

Even though we were still children, I assumed there must be some kind of etiquette involved, given that we belonged to a ducal family.

And the person who entered the room wasn’t my brother, but the other possibility.

“Hello, baby.”

Mikhail Leventis kept his promises with remarkable precision.

He really had returned from the grand duchy after exactly one month.

“Welcome back, Young Lord.”

“Mm.”

At Mikhail’s appearance, the maids immediately secured my bowl of baby food.

“…I won’t ask to feed her today.”

Seeing their reaction, Mikhail scratched his cheek as though acknowledging his past mistakes.

After learning from my brother how to play with a younger sibling, Mikhail had confidently attempted to feed me.

The problem was that more than half the food had ended up on my collar rather than in my mouth.

The results had been even more disastrous than when I’d tried to feed myself with my underdeveloped fine motor skills.

Even afterward, Mikhail had failed several more times, earning me several unnecessary early baths.

‘When the maids feed me, I don’t spill anything at all…’

I was so good at being fed that I hardly needed a bib.

So the maids’ wariness was perfectly understandable.

They couldn’t let him ruin the beautiful dress I’d been dressed in for this special occasion.

‘Come to think of it, that brat is dressed up nicely today too.’

His hair, which usually looked as though he’d casually combed it with his fingers, was particularly neat today.

Of course, his hair was naturally so beautiful that even running his fingers through it made it look professionally styled.

He wore a dark navy jacket with a vest one shade lighter underneath, and a ribbon-shaped tie around his neck.

It was quite different from the shirts and tunics he usually wore during lessons with my brother.

In other words, Mikhail looked rather like a little gentleman today.

He waited patiently until I’d finished my baby food and the maids had wiped my mouth before approaching me.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Then he cleared his throat with a strangely pleased expression, bent one knee in front of me, and extended his hand.

“Would you permit me to escort you today, Your Ladyship?”

The maids let out soft exclamations at Mikhail’s unusually elegant, adult-like behavior.

Why did they look exactly as they had when discussing the handkerchiefs they wanted to give the knights?

Surely I was imagining things.

The martial arts tournament grounds weren’t particularly far away.

Including the short carriage ride and the walk inside after getting out, the journey took only about thirty minutes.

I dearly hoped I could walk on my own feet for the portions that didn’t involve the carriage.

However…

“Walking up stairs is difficult, right? I’ll carry you.”

“Aiya, geouu ieo.”

I protested as strongly as possible, trying to communicate my intentions to Mikhail.

Especially since I had you, my human walking aid, right here…!

“You can walk? But your legs will hurt.”

“Geaaa.”

“You’re fine? Come on, you don’t have to be so considerate already.”

“Shayaaya!”

I’m not being considerate!

I protested once again.

But Mikhail Leventis, the leading authority on interpreting my babbling, ignored my wishes.

‘Why are you so confident when you’re this bad at carrying me?!’

Couldn’t he just leave it to one of my guards, who had offered to carry me instead?

“Escorting the youngest princess is my responsibility today. Damian asked me to.”

Mikhail insisted on fulfilling that unnecessary sense of responsibility.

Should I… resent my brother?

But I couldn’t.

He’d probably decided that if he entrusted our shy, clumsy sister to Mikhail, at least one of them would end up falling over.

‘I’d rather be the one who suffers.’

For my sister’s sake, this much discomfort was nothing.

In any case, despite my minor inconveniences, we arrived safely at the tournament grounds.

The ground shook with thunderous cheers.

When it was announced that my sister and I would present flowers to the winner, the knights erupted in excitement.

“Youngest Lady! We’ll definitely be the ones to receive your flowers!”

“What nonsense! Victory belongs to us, Lady Lara!”

“Ahem. Don’t worry, Young Master. We’ll win and present the flowers to you!”

Their embarrassing battle of pride was an added bonus.

But then—

“Lara’ll cheer for you! You gotta do your best!”

My sister jumped up and down as she cheered for the knights.

And even—

“I trust that you’ll keep your word. I hope you won’t betray my trust.”

My brother smiled gently as he spoke, though there was something strangely intimidating about his tone.

Which naturally meant…

‘M-me too?’

Does everyone realize I’m only nine months old?

I’ve barely entered my tenth month!

Even if I tried speaking, all that would come out would be some unsightly babbling.

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

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

No, that’s not the problem—

I was concerned about the knights’ morale, and then I realized that my knights were watching not only me, but Mikhail’s mouth as well.

Sigh. It can’t be helped.

If they want it that badly…

“Iyeoa—”

“You all heard the youngest princess, right? She says to come back victorious.”

“Yes, Your Ladyship! We’ll do our very best!”

For some reason, that single sentence delighted my knights so much that they shouted with renewed determination.

I thought that would be the end of it.

But—

“Will you say something to me too?”

“Uuh?”

“I’m participating as well.”

What?

You are?

You’re going to jump into that arena among those enormous, intimidating knights?

Of course, during the kidnapping incident, I’d realized Mikhail’s abilities were far beyond those of children his age.

In fact, he was probably better than some inexperienced apprentice knights.

‘But there’s still a difference in strength and size.’

My first thought was that he might get hurt.

Even though I found Mikhail somewhat irritating, I didn’t want him injured.

He was still only a six-year-old child.

But Mikhail lowered himself onto one knee, bringing his face closer to mine, and spoke again with a strangely adorable expression.

“Won’t you cheer for me? I feel like I won’t even be able to win once unless you cheer for me.”

Sigh. I couldn’t help letting out a little sigh.

“Such a tiny baby, and you’re sighing again.”

I told you to stop calling me tiny!

I need to grow up quickly, and you’re making me feel like I’ll never get any taller!

Mikhail carefully took my little hand and gently shook it.

“Hm? Baby, just say one thing.”

“Dya-ii ma.”

“Don’t get hurt? You’re not telling me to come back victorious?”

“Uuh.”

I nodded firmly.

Not getting hurt was the most important thing.

It wasn’t as though winning this tournament would earn him any money—well, actually, there was prize money.

But in any case, there wasn’t a prize waiting for Mikhail that would be particularly useful to him.

“I suppose I’ll have to work even harder to show you how impressive I am. You always say Damian is the only one who’s impressive.”

‘What?’

Don’t tell me he’s still holding on to something I said before.

‘-Ppa, meoieo.’

That day, Damian had seemed rather gloomy, so I’d repeated something my sister often said.

Then Mikhail, who was standing nearby, had asked me with an expectant expression.

‘Am I not impressive? I sparred with the duke today and managed to land a hit on him.’

Naturally, I’d told him he wasn’t impressive.

After all, Father had been standing right beside us.

What kind of daughter would call someone impressive for hitting her father?

Things might have been different in my previous ninety-nine worlds, but definitely not here.

“It can’t be helped. I’ll come back without getting hurt. But in exchange, baby…”

“Uuh?”

“If I manage to win even once, you have to tell me I’m impressive.”

At those words, I simply turned my head away as though I hadn’t understood.

Just like a baby losing interest in something.

Mikhail chuckled softly.

“The youngest princess is pretending not to understand again.”

That brat was strangely perceptive.

I was so surprised to hear that Mikhail would be participating in the martial arts tournament that I assumed nothing else could possibly shock me.

Even if someone were injured or blood were spilled, it wouldn’t be particularly surprising to me.

Besides, everyone was using weapons that weren’t capable of killing, so serious injuries weren’t expected.

There were quite a few children among the spectators, so this was really more of a sparring competition than anything else.

“Win! Win! The winner’s on Lara’s team!”

Unlike my sister, who was jumping around and cheering excitedly, I watched the tournament with relatively little interest.

I even dozed off from time to time.

But then—

“Laurencia! Anastasia!”

For some reason, Father’s voice, which I hadn’t heard all day, rang out from the arena.

“Your daddy will be the one receiving your flowers!”

What? No, Father…

I looked at the opposing knight, whose face had gone pale, and felt a tremendous amount of sympathy.

Isn’t this like an adult barging into a children’s fight…?