Being Loved for the First Time Chapter 17

Chapter 4. A Year Passes Faster Than You Think

The April festival came to an end with the martial arts tournament.

Father was in such a good mood that he provided enormous amounts of meat and alcohol for the people of the duchy.

“We can’t simply let such a memorable festival pass without celebrating the fact that my lovely daughters presented the awards.”

“Long live His Grace!”

“Thank you, Your Ladyship!”

Who wouldn’t be happy to receive free meat and alcohol?

The knights cheered even louder than usual.

Father even went so far as to hold a parade in an open-top carriage.

“How could we let the occasion pass when our babies were so pretty and well-behaved and even presented flowers to the winners?!”

Haha. It seemed as though Father was just making excuses to celebrate, but as long as he was satisfied, I supposed it was fine.

“Lara feels like a princess!”

My sister was adorably delighted too.

Well, the embarrassment was left to my brother and me.

In any case, whenever we encountered the people of the duchy during the carriage parade, they greeted us with bright smiles and words of gratitude.

“I’ll work hard again this year!”

“Where else could we find a lord who looks after us so well every spring?”

“It’s because His Grace takes such good care of us that the young master and young ladies are so adorable.”

“Exactly! Where else would you find such lovely little children?”

It was all a fascinating sight.

‘I’ve never seen someone as important as a duke interact so casually with his people before.’

Although they probably didn’t have many opportunities to meet him normally, I couldn’t sense the slightest discomfort from them.

‘Well, it seems there are quite a few festivals in this duchy…’

If my parents made appearances at each of them, their familiarity was understandable.

Apparently, the festival was held around mid-April because it was generally the time when preparations for farming were nearly complete.

It was meant to give everyone a chance to catch their breath.

During summer, an encouragement festival was held to help people cool off and regain their energy.

Though that event was apparently less of a festival and more an opportunity to distribute refreshing ice and give everyone a holiday so they could rest, even if only briefly.

Naturally, there was also a harvest thanksgiving festival during the harvest season.

Aside from those, it seemed my parents arranged various small opportunities for their people to take a break throughout the year.

‘No wonder everyone looks so cheerful.’

After all, I’d learned all of this by listening to the people happily discussing the festivals they’d enjoyed last year and those they were looking forward to this year.

After the parade, I sat in the designated viewing area, fighting off sleep while waiting for the fireworks.

For some strange reason, the joyful faces of the people I’d seen from the carriage remained vividly in my mind.

Even when they saw the “youngest princess” for the first time, they’d looked at me with kindness and gratitude.

‘My parents really are people overflowing with affection.’

Though thanks to that, I still hadn’t completely abandoned my theory that Father might be an easy mark…

How long had it been since I’d met people in positions of power who actually did their jobs properly?

I felt as though I’d hardly ever encountered them unless I was the one in power being worked to the bone.

Feeling both happy and strangely conflicted, I absentmindedly rolled the milk bottle in my hands.

Then I heard a quiet laugh beside me.

“Why do you look so serious, baby?”

When did this brat get here?

Strangely enough, compared to other people, his presence was particularly difficult to detect.

I supposed I’d be able to notice him once my senses developed a little more.

“I won my first-round match today, you know.”

“Uuh?”

I pretended not to understand.

We hadn’t exactly made a proper promise anyway.

“Wasn’t I impressive today either?”

At those words, I put the milk bottle I’d been rolling around into my mouth.

As I sucked on it, Mikhail burst into laughter again.

“What do I have to do to make you say I’m as impressive as your real brother? I’ve been practicing feeding you baby food and carrying you too.”

What?

That was how good you were after practicing?!

I was so shocked that I accidentally dropped my milk bottle.

“Looks like you’re still a baby after all.”

But instead of rolling across the ground, the bottle landed neatly in Mikhail’s hand.

He carefully placed it back into my hands, then spoke with his familiar, slightly irritating smile.

“I’d like to hear you call me impressive too. Will you say it if I defeat His Grace, Your Ladyship?”

No, seriously, what kind of daughter would call someone impressive for defeating her own father?

I sighed softly and pretended not to hear him again.

The festival ended successfully, and before I knew it, time had passed until mid-May.

During that month, my sister Laurencia’s birthday party had been held, and there had also been a small change in the scenery of my room.

‘Ah, no, Your Ladyship!’

‘My liege, we would obey your orders, but how could we possibly show you such dreadful appearances?!’

After the festival, the knights must have undergone some kind of intense training, because many of them had injuries on their faces.

About half of those guarding my room regularly arrived with wounds.

When I reached toward their masks out of curiosity, the knights bowed their heads before me as though they’d committed an unforgivable act of disloyalty.

‘Are all knights of this ducal family so excessively loyal and serious…?’

Suddenly, I felt a little guilty about how casually I’d conducted myself as a knight in previous lives.

‘As long as you don’t betray anyone, isn’t that enough?’

Of course, I’d never once neglected my duties.

Nor had I ever failed to protect someone.

That was why, whenever I lived as a knight, many powerful people had wanted to keep me by their side despite fearing me.

‘Ah, come to think of it, there was someone who cried and insisted I couldn’t die when I told her my time had come.’

Although her reasons had been entirely selfish.

‘If you… if you die, who’s going to protect me?’

‘If I don’t die, you’ll end up dying instead. Are you all right with that?’

‘T-that’s… I-I’m scared, but…’

‘Hahaha, don’t worry. You’ll grow up well, Your Highness.’

I seemed to remember the princess pouting at my cheerful response.

As though she couldn’t tell whether I was being sincere or teasing her.

She had been grumpy and rather spiteful, but she was only a teenage princess, so I’d found her adorable.

To be honest, she was someone I’d grown rather attached to.

‘And because she cried at the end, saying she was afraid of dying, it was easier for me to resolve to die.’

Before my death, however, I’d cast a considerable number of protective spells on her to ensure she would remain safe until adulthood.

‘I wonder if the princess grew up safely and became an adult.’

Well, there was no point thinking about it now.

It had happened far too long ago, and there was no way to find out.

I ignored the faint, aching discomfort in my heart.

‘This really is strange. I’ve hardly ever remembered things from my past like this before.’

Why was I suddenly remembering the faces of people I’d worried about when I died?

How unpleasant.

‘Is it because this is my hundredth life?’

Well, variety shows sometimes did things like that.

They would put together special episodes featuring highlights from previous installments.

‘I really don’t need something like that.’

Having no memories worth dwelling on was much better for moving forward.

‘I really need to hurry up and find that bastard…’

Besides, it felt as though I’d soon be able to use my powers properly.

I could now walk nearly ten steps on my own.

‘Anastasia, both of your lower front teeth have come in!’

‘The upper ones are peeking through too!’

My teeth were finally beginning to appear, even if they were still tiny.

My gums felt itchy as a result, but I was familiar with the sensation and could bear it quietly.

No, I had to bear it.

“Here you are, Your Ladyship!”

“Look at this! When my second child was around this age, I gave him something very similar, and he loved playing with it.”

“We’ve made a leather toy suitable for Her Ladyship too!”

For some reason, both the maids and the knights—who had finally removed their masks—kept bringing me toys designed to be chewed.

Then they stared at me with expectant eyes.

Naturally, I didn’t pay attention to a single one of them.

About a week earlier, I’d casually glanced at a soft, pale-yellow toy without thinking.

‘I was genuinely just curious what it was!’

It looked far too soft to be a toy.

But after that, the entire ducal residence had once again erupted into excitement over something utterly trivial.

‘The young lady must like yellow!’

‘She was so adorable in that little chick dress too, wasn’t she?’

‘Do you think she’ll wear a puppy-themed dress next?’

‘A puppy? You don’t understand anything. A cat-themed dress would suit Her Ladyship perfectly!’

For some reason, the conversation had shifted from toys to dresses.

And the truly frightening part was—

‘What interesting ideas you’re all discussing. We dressed Laurencia in rabbit- and sheep-themed outfits, so perhaps cat and dog designs would suit Anastasia.’

Mother had been listening carefully to every word.

I’d thought she was nothing but graceful and composed.

But they say married couples become more alike…

Ignoring all those expectant gazes, I quietly reached for one of the paper books my brother had carefully selected.

No matter how much experience I had being a baby, how could I possibly sit there gnawing on toys just because my gums were itchy?!

This was my hundredth time being a baby!

It was the last night of May.

Listening to the sleepy breathing of the maid guarding me, I quietly sat up in my baby bed.

Today had been rather noisy as well.

‘Waaah, Shasha climbed up! She climbed up!! Did you see, Brother?!’

‘Isn’t Anastasia amazing?’

‘Uh-huh! She’s my little sister, Brother! My little sister is amazing!’

After waking from my afternoon nap with my brother and sister, I’d finally succeeded in climbing the sofa I’d been determined to conquer.

Naturally, another celebratory feast had been held that evening.

‘And that’s why the maid is nodding off like that now.’

Although she couldn’t drink because she was on duty guarding me, she’d certainly eaten her fill.

I’d now passed ten full months in this ducal residence and entered my eleventh month.

I still couldn’t understand my parents’ obsession with celebrations, but I knew their personalities well enough to plan the timing deliberately.

‘Because I can finally summon him.’

After working diligently, I’d finally reached the point where I could use the necessary amount of power with only a slight fever as a consequence.

Just in case, I concealed myself behind the lace curtain partially covering the baby bed and extended my hand.

A faint blue light gathered around my right hand.

Just as my still-soft little arm began to tremble slightly—

A Maltese dog with black-and-gold fur appeared, fluttering its wings.

“—Demon King! I missed you!”

It was my talkative information-gathering dog, whom I hadn’t seen in a very long time.