/
I saw Leon’s back shrinking and approached Cheshire.
“Are you okay? It hurts, right?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry. This happened as soon as you came to my house…I promised you they would never do it for you.”
“Why are you sorry? And I deserve getting hit.”
“What?”
“I think he misunderstood me.”
“What are you talking about?”
Cheshire stared at me and continued with a sigh.
“He came to me and asked if I was really friends with you.”
“Then?”
“I said we weren’t friends.”
“Then what did you say?”
Cheshire hesitated for a moment, then he answered in a low voice.
“I said—I’m a toy.”
“What?”
I was shocked and just blinked my eyes.
“I thought he would hate it if I called myself your friend. I meant to say I’m your toy, not your friend.”
“….”
“I think he understood that the other way around.”
“The other way around? Ah!”
So Leon—.
He seemed to have misunderstood Cheshire’s words, “It’s my toy, not a friend.”
“No…”
“I thought he misunderstood, so I tried to explain, but he didn’t give me a chance.”
The hot-tempered Leon would have punched out of nowhere, and I came before he could clear up the misunderstanding.
Now that I understand the whole situation, I tear my hair out.
“Whaa!”
“I said something weird. I’m sorry.”
“No, no… This is my fault…”
It was just a joke because Cheshire was uncomfortable with the favor.
“Cheshire, you know.”
“If anyone asks again.”
Now I’m going to correct him not to talk about toys, but Cheshire cuts me off.
“If I say we’re friends, is it okay?”
“….”
Cheshire asked, avoiding my gaze.
It seemed like a thoughtless statement, but he felt a little worried.
What if he gets rejected—.
“Ung! Please!”
I smiled brightly and nodded.
“…Okay.”
“Your lips are chapped again….”
“I’m okay. I think it would be better to go see him earlier.”
“Ah, yes.”
I sighed as I remembered Leon, who seemed to have been properly hurt.
The blows were brutal, so he must have been angry thinking of me—.
* * *
“My sister!! It’s my sister!”
“Why is he really acting like a child! I can’t stop it!”
As soon as I arrived in front of Leon’s room, I closed my eyes tightly at the noise leaking out of the door.
Leon, who got hurt, seemed angry with Aunt.
“Brother.”
As I carefully opened the door, my aunt turned around.
“Oh my, Lilith?”
“….”
Leon, who didn’t expect me to return so quickly, widened his eyes in surprise when he saw me and immediately turned his head away.
Aunt came running happily to greet me.
“Is it true that you had a fight with Leon? Can you two talk? Aunt will go out.”
“Yees.”
After my aunt left, I cautiously approached Leon, who was sitting on the bed.
“Brother.”
“What?”
“I heard the reason why you hit Cheshire.”
“….”
“Are you mad that Cheshire called me a toy?”
“Yeah. He’s a bad guy. What does he mean toy for a person?”
“It’s a misunderstanding…Cheshire said he was my toy. It’s not that I’m Cheshire’s toy.”
“What?”
“Actually, I asked Cheshire to play a toy.”
Leon opened his mouth wide.
“Of course, it was a joke. He shouldn’t joke around like that. He was bad.”
“….”
“Anyway, Cheshire… He said so because he thought brother wouldn’t like it if he said he was my friend.”
“It’s ridiculous. Why do I hate it?”
“Brother didn’t like Cheshire. You were staring at him yesterday, too—”
“It’s not because I don’t like him!”
“It’s not?”
Leon added, shaking his head.
“Because you seem to be closer to him.”
“…What?”
“If you bring him home and say you live with him, you must be really like him.”
“….”
“You decided to go catch a spider only with me, but why do you suddenly ask me to take him with you? I was annoyed because you seemed to like him more.”
I stared blankly at Leon, who was sulky.
That’s why I never really thought about it.
Because he talked about his status, I thought he was disgusted by the fact that he was a commoner.
‘So you’re saying you’re jealous, right?’
When I realized it, I climbed up to Leon’s side and sat down.
“Phew, brother…Cheshire is a friend, but Brother is family.”
“….”
“Look at me…ung?”
As I whimpered and pulled his arm, Leon looked back with a still, sullen expression.
I stomped my feet under the bed and started talking.
“I thought my dad was the only family I had. So when I lived in Xenon, I was jealous of the kids who had older sisters and older brothers….”
“….”
“After coming here, I also have older brothers, right? It’s also very very handsome and… Um, good at catching spiders, too, and nice….”
When I turned around, Leon listened to me with wide eyes open.
“Hihi. ‘m so happy these days. I thought it would be nice to have Dad already, but having a brother and playing together is so nice.”
I hugged Leon by the waist. Leon, who hesitated, patted my head.
“Brother is my family and will be by my side for the rest of my life. Even if I make many friends in the future, brother is the most precious person to me.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah, really. From now on, let’s play a lot together and eat a lot of delicious food together.”
Leon grabbed my cheek, stared into his face, and grinned.
“Okay.”
Then, as if hugging a teddy bear, he hugged me again and asked.
“But do you like him or me?”
The age to be sensitive to such questions for a long time, twelve years old.
I held back a laugh and hugged Leon tighter.
“Brother!”
“Then do you like Theo or me?”
“Brother!”
“Puhaha! Do you like Uncle or do you like me?”
“Uhm. That’s a bit.”
I shook my head firmly.
Even Leon can’t beat Dad.
“Okay. I will let Uncle slide.”
Leon burst into laughter.
* * *
The next day.
Cheshire has been called to the twins’ room.
‘Is he trying to punish me for what happened yesterday?’
Leon was sitting in his chair with his legs crossed. His noble face and arrogant pose were typical of a noble boy.
“Hey.”
Cheshire looked at Leon.
“I’m sorry for hitting you yesterday.”
Unexpected words came out of Leon’s mouth. Cheshire, shocked for a moment, lost his words.
“I said I misunderstood. Anyway, violence is bad, so I’m sorry. I’m not saying sorry just because Lilith told me to, I really mean it.”
“…It’s okay. Because I said something strange.”
“Yeah, you can speak informally.”
“….”
“Speak informally?”
“Yeah.”
When he answered, Leon, smiled contentedly.
“Leon’s way of speaking is kind of bad, but he’s not a bad kid. Please understand.”
“What about me!”
When Theo, who was lying on the bed, said this, Leon became furious.
“You’re Cheshire, right? I’m Theo. Make yourself at home. It’s not my house, but—”
Theo was indeed different from Leon except for his face. A kind expression and even a way of talking.
But—.
‘Is he sick?’
He looked a little sick for some reason.  His pale face and blue lips caught his eyes.
“Hey! If you’re going to stay here from now on, I’ll have to sort the ranking out a bit.”
Cheshire, who took his eyes off Theo, looked at Leon.
Ranking?
It was an aristocratic remark, but—.
‘Is there any ranking to sort out? I’m just a commoner who ended up living in this house.’
Cheshire was puzzled, but Leon grinned.
“Lilith said she liked me better than you.”
“…What?”
“Hahaha! You punk, that expression is full of defeat!”
It’s just a ridiculous look—.
“And he said he liked me better than Theo.”
“Really!?”
Theo, who was groaning under the blanket, jumped up.
“Yeah, really. If you don’t believe it, go ask Lilith.”
Looking at Theo, who was seriously shocked, Leon sniffed his nose as if he was proud.
“I couldn’t beat Uncle, but how do I beat her Dad? Exceptions should be made, well. So I’m number 1 in the ranks. You don’t have any complaints, right?”
Was it that ranking? Cheshire was bewildered.
“Hey, Leon. Wait. Who does she like more—Cheshire or me?”
“I didn’t ask that. Could you be number three?”
“Ha.”
Cheshire, who was watching Theo’s serious expression, spoke quickly.
“I’ll take third place.”
“Huh? Are you giving way? You’re nice.”
“What are you saying, fools? That’s for Lilith to decide!”
Fighting for rank with something like this is stupid!
It’s stupid to fight for rank with this kind of course!
Cheshire held back his desire to shout so much.
“Ha, what is Lilith doing now?”
“She must be attending class. Cough, cough… Why? Are you going to ask? Are you confident you can beat me? You feel hurt for no reason.”
Theo grabbed his throbbing head and swung down from the bed.
However, he couldn’t walk properly and stumbled and fell over.
“Ugh.”
“Hey, Theo. Are you okay?”
“No… ugh.”
“Tsk. Again?”
Theo grabbed his collar. Suddenly, a cold sweat broke out.
“Hey, wait! I’ll bring the servants!”
Leon ran out of the room without looking back.
‘Is he not feeling well?’
Left alone with Theo, Cheshire didn’t know what to do. Theo’s condition, which seemed to be a little difficult to breathe, continued to worsen.
“U, ugh.”
Cheshire was startled and hesitated.
Pupils turning backwards. Twitching arms and legs.
Theo, who was lying on the floor, suddenly let out a scream.
“Aargh! Aagh!”
“….!”
The wriggling body crawled across the floor as if it had been thrown into a fire.
“Aaaaaargh!”
Theo scratched the nape of his neck. He scratched himself so hard that his skin tore, and blood came out.
“What—”
As if trying to endure the extreme pain, Theo continued hurting himself.
“Stop!”
Cheshire instinctively ran to Theo, weighed down his body, suppressed his arms and grabbed him.