It probably didn’t take a week for me to get along with brother.
Brother came to visit me as if making up for the time we spent apart. I mean, he’s always in my room.
First, he brought in a small table, chair and sofa; and the room, which was bare with only a crib in it, became a little cosier. Brother welcomed me.
My brother wasn’t annoying. When he comes in the mornings, he holds me as long as I wasn’t asleep and let me on the floor. Because I was put on the floor, it now had carpet on it and was a lot cleaner than before.
And while brother was studying, I could roll on the floor to my heart’s content. Sometimes, I would sit and take a rest. Then, when my brother took a break from studying, he would put me on his knee and hug me tightly.
“Leila.”
“Niini, Aai.”
And he was thrilled at being called ‘Niini’. He would bring picture books that he’d read when he was younger, and the two of us would lie on our stomachs as he read me the book.
We also have lunch and snacks together. But, I was still drinking Martha’s milk, so I accompanied him while eating my baby food. Brother would feed me baby food with a spoon while he was eating his meal. At first, he would put too much food on the spoon, and he would thrust the spoon too deep in my mouth, and I would often yell out in anger, “Uurts!”
But recently, he has gotten better at feeding me. However, that was only during the day. Brother had meals with father in the morning and evening, and father who worked at the Royal Castle in the afternoon, was also home at night, so brother didn’t carelessly approach my room.
We continued to spend pleasant days like this until one day, as I was sitting on brother’s lap and we were reading a picture book together; he suddenly froze.
“Luke, what are you doing over there?” I had heard this voice once before half a year ago.
“Otou-sama……”
“What are you doing?” That person repeated his question.
“I was reading a book to Leila.”
“Leila?”
The person called father finally lowered his eyes to look at me. He had cold eyes with beautiful long blonde hair which was tied in a ponytail at the back. His eyes were the same violet as brother’s.
I’m sure that father, who was looking at me, was thinking the same thing as me.
“Claire’s……” he muttered, and he looked at me with even colder eyes. But, I averted his gaze. I’m just going to say this, but I didn’t lose.
“Daai.”
It couldn’t be helped that my voice was lower than usual. To father, I may have been the cause of mother’s death. But, that wasn’t true. If I had to say it, then it was the responsibility of father who made mother, who didn’t have a healthy body, pregnant with a baby.
I thought calmly. Moreover, someone who avoids his duties as a parent and hasn’t come to see his daughter even once. I pondered. If he’s a Marquis, then he must have money. He can acquire things that he wants to have and escape in just the right places. I have memories of my previous life, so I know that one couldn’t live without working hard. I’ll just be a parasite here until then.
“Daau. Niini.”
I don’t care about father anymore, so would you read the book already? I hit the book as I looked up at brother.
“That’s right, Leila,” Brother nodded.
“Otou-sama, what do you want? If it’s nothing, I’d like to read this book to Leila,” he said.
Father, without saying a word about me, said, “Do whatever you want as long as you’ve finished with your studies,” and left.
At that time, a young maid named Hannah muttered, “It’s his daughter, so why?”
This person seemed to be the exclusive maid attached to me since brother started coming to my room. I don’t know what to make of this situation since she was next to me day and night even though I’ve been left alone until now, but Sebas was happy that brother was interested in me and quickly assigned this maid to me. Apparently, she was a newly hired maid referred here by relatives. Thus, she didn’t understand how I was being treated at this mansion until now.
There were a lot of butlers in a Marquis’ mansion, but Sebas seemed to be in charge of personnel. The Marquis had declared that he had no interest in me, so I wasn’t assigned any servants.
“It’s an open secret that Luke-sama loves his little sister,” as usual, I felt why are they saying this to a baby?
I’m not interested in my father in this world. But, there was no reason for him to step up now since he had said, “If you weren’t born,” and left me alone for more than six months. It was fine as long as I worked a lot and paid for my own education.
“Leila. Leila, you have me.”
“Aai, Niini.”
Brother hugged me and the picture book. I’m telling you something’s going to come out. Help, Sebas!
During brother’s summer holidays, I was able to stand up. It probably wasn’t that fast since it has been eight months since I was born. And, I wasn’t just able to roll; I was finally able to crawl. My actions have increased quite a lot.
Although, I still wasn’t allowed out of my room yet. Brother and Sebas were happy that I was able to crawl and stand up. When Martha’s milking was reduced to twice a day, brother’s summer holiday ended and he went back to the academy.
“Leila probably doesn’t know that I’ll be leaving for school. What should I do if she feels abandoned again because I’ll suddenly disappear tomorrow?”
Brother was all shaken up and looked as if he would cry. I smiled and shook my head to the left and right.
“Niini, Daau.”
I know. Don’t worry. Then I patted his cheeks.
“Leila put up with it for a little.”
Yup, yup. Until the winter holidays, right? I wonder if I’ll be able to walk by then.
“I’ll come back on the weekends, okay?”
So fast! On the weekends?! I couldn’t help but retort in my mind. I looked at Hannah, and she explained it, “There are 10 days in a week, and two of them are holidays. So, err, he’ll be back after Leila-sama goes nightie-night for eight times.”
I see, so a week is 10 days. But, even if you do your best to explain this, a baby can’t understand how long eight days are. I smiled.
“Ah, Leila-sama, that expression.”
What is it?
“You sometimes smile like an adult. It seems like you know everything.”
Ooh, Hannah. Are you pretty sharp?”
“Even if you make that kind of face, my Leila is so cute.”
Without realising, my brother became a sis-con.
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