Chapter 30
Although it was a little cool in early October, it was moderately warm during the day; perfect for playing outside.
My older sister, who was originally friendly, was not afraid of being with Mikhail now.
Well, he’s not an unfriendly child.
‘Though, he still doesn’t talk much with my sister.’
Still, my sister seemed to have realized that he was just not interested, it wasn’t that he disliked her.
Actually, isn’t that worse; not to be interested?
‘No, no. You decided not to look at Mikhail badly for no reason.’
Yeah, how can I force his interest or affection for others?
I don’t like everyone either.
Anyway, that’s why, around the afternoon, the four of us went out and played quite a lot.
Today’s activity was prepared by the knights.
“I’ve hidden treasures all over the duke’s garden.”
“Treeasuures?”
My sister’s eyes were sparkling.
“There will be 2 pairs and the one who finds the most treasures will win.”
“What will be the winning prize?”
Mikhail asked with a slightly indifferent face.
“If the little duke wins, the duke will spar with you.”
At the knight’s words, Mikhail’s eyes, which seemed bored, brightened at once.
Then Mikhail turned to me and said,
“Baby, if I succeed in attacking the duke 3 times, will you call me I’m cool?”
I mean, you still haven’t given up?
‘What daughter in the world would like it when her father is being hit…….’
After a moment of being speechless, I corrected my thoughts right away.
‘It’s the wish of a mere 6-year-old kid, of course I should grant it.’
If it were the usual, I would have pretended not to hear it, but I nodded because I was sorry for my previous actions.
“Woong.” [Yeah]
“………..Really?”
I thought you’d like it.….
Why do you look so surprised?
Meaninglessly making the person feel more sorry.
‘Did I act that mean towards Mikhail?’
As soon as my cheeks swelled up without me realizing it, Mikhail hurriedly checked again.
“Do you really promise?”
“Woong.” [Yeah]
When I answered with emphasis once again, He showed his very rare smile.
It didn’t feel slightly perverse and arrogant, it was an innocent smile just like a six-year-old child.
* * *
As if it were planned, Mikhail and I became a team.
My sister slightly inflated her cheeks as we were going to be separated.
“You don’t like hanging out with Brother, Laurentia?”
“No! Lara likes Brother! But I like Shasha too!”
“Do you like hanging out with both?”
“Yes! Absolutely, It’s absolutely not that I don’t want to hang out with you! It’s because Shasha is my younger sister, so I wanted to hang out together.”
“Then, are you okay with being on the same team with Brother?”
My sister nodded vigorously at those words.
Actually, from the beginning, I couldn’t become a team with my sister.
If my brother and Mikhail were to be on the same team, the outcome of the treasure hunt will be decided too easily.
“Baby, please treat me well.”
Looking at the color of the ball I had, Mikhail approached me.
“Woong.” [Yeah.]
“Since I’ll make sure I win for myself and for you.”
Mikhail said so, and reached out his hand to me with a confident smile.
Fortunately or unfortunately, he was not as clumsy as he used to be when walking while holding my hand.
When I grabbed his hands, Mikhail’s eyes slightly curved.
You look very happy.
‘I just answered once though.’
You don’t need to have an expression as if you received a great present for that.
Again, I felt how severe the symptoms of Mikhail’s ‘sibling complex’ were.
[tn: raws directly translate to ‘symptoms of Mikhail’s ‘wanting a younger sibling’]
“Should we start from there?”
Mikhail said so and lowered himself then whispered to me.
“Actually, during the morning training session, I saw the knights doing something there.”
When I nodded, Mikhail walked with a face feigning ignorance.
It’s possible that he saw the knights, but isn’t it a bit cunning to pretend not to know?
As I strangely felt like I was cheating, I walked holding Mikhail’s hand.
‘I thought you’d hurry.’
I thought you would be in a hurry because of the spar with my dad and I even made a promise to you.
But Mikhail adjusted his pace enough so that I could follow.
‘It’s really a bit like my older brother.’
Although I absolutely do not intend to say this.
“Baby, look at this. The flower is pretty.”
He didn’t even go straight towards the goal, but he occasionally stopped when he saw blooming flowers or a line of insects and so on, in the garden.
“Aw yo owkey…..?”
You really wanted to win.
The spar with my father, and me calling you ‘cool’, Mikhail wanted those so much.
Rather, when I asked with a worried face, Mikhail’s face brightened up again.
Was he originally the kind of kid who showed his emotions like this?
“Of course.”
Mikhail said so, and just in time, he caught a pretty leaf falling in the wind and put it in my hand.
“It’s been a while since I played with the youngest lady.”
“Woong.”
“Do you want to find the treasure quickly?”
How should I answer?
It’s not that I want to find it quickly, but I don’t want to be a hindrance.
While I was hesitating, Mikhail opened his mouth first.
“Damian said it before.”
He scratched his cheek as if he was embarrassed.
“That when Laurentia was young, it took 2 hours to go to the training grounds to see the duke.”
“Ae?”
“What do you mean by ‘why’, it’s your older sister.”
Ah, that one word explained everything.
Mikhail laughed at my expression with leaves hanging on his hands.
“It’s because if there are flowers, she would stop what she is doing and say that there are flowers, and when a butterfly is flying about, she would chase them around.”
I could imagine it.
When my sister was much smaller, how excitedly she ran around.
“Look at tis! Look at tis! Itsh the sheym ash Mom’s eyesh!”
“Brother! Butterfly! Lara wi wook at the butterfly!”
“Wow, there’s snow falling on the tree!”
I could vividly hear the sound my sister probably shouted in my ear.
A happy and joyful voice.
I’m sure brother Damian struggled not to lose sight of such a sister.
Since they needed to hurry up and go to the training grounds.
It was something that happened when I wasn’t there, but I could feel how cute it was just by imagining it.
As if he knew I was thinking about something else, Mikhail talked, tapping the back of my hand with his thumb.
“So, Damian asked me.”
“Uhh?” [What?]
“That you, Baby,”
Mikhail was saying so when he adjusted my cloak, which was slipping down my shoulder.
Even if it was not as neat as the maid’s, he firmly tied a knot so that it would never come off.
“Even if you want to see something or want to do something, you rarely say it.”
Mikhail checked the condition of my cloak with an ‘Is this okay?’ expression, then he grabbed my hands again and said.
“So he told me to take care of you when I play with you. Since Damian and Laurentia did it, he said it would be nice if I also took care of you.”
“Brother Daya.” [Brother Damian]
As expected of my brother……..
A touched feeling filled my heart.
When I called my brother’s name while looking at the side where my brother and sister went, Mikhail gripped my hand and talked as if he were determined.
“Even though I have to practice more to be a good brother like Damian.”
“Huh?”
“Can’t you call my name like that too?”
He looked as if he felt lonely at my search for my brother.
You’re already a person who is friendly and nice enough.
I had no choice but to admit it.
I could no longer accept continuously pushing away someone who has good intentions simply because I am still a young baby and younger than him.
Of course, Mikhail liked me on his own, but even though he was a child, he didn’t try to stubbornly cross the line I had drawn for him.
To the point where I wonder if it’s his second time in life.
[tn— like he’s being so polite/doing well even though no one taught him or even though it’s his first time.]
‘Although I don’t think this hateful feeling will disappear even in the future.’
That’s half because of your personality.
Still, I don’t appear to be so mean to continuously turn a blind eye to the good things and only try to see the bad things.
“Miyai.” [Mikhail.]
“Hm?”
“I….”
“Yes.”
It’s a little embarrassing to say, but people are originally supposed to take responsibility for their actions.
Besides, he quickly acknowledges when he is wrong and tries his best. I can’t be worse than a child, right?
“I dwon hae you.” [I don’t hate you.]
“You don’t hate me?”
“Yesh, Miyai.” [Yes, Mikhail.]
I called his name one more time in case he was confused with who.
‘……..This doesn’t make any sense.’
And the smile that the six-year-old boy showed at the next moment.
It was something I would never forget for the next thousand years.
The boy, who looked happy today, smiled as if he really had everything in the world.
In the late afternoon, the blonde hair dyed with the sunlight before the sunset, and eyes like amethyst shining brighter than usual.
To the mouth that drew a perfectly smooth crescent shape.
The young face earnestly asked with a more beautiful smile than usual.
“Then will you also be a younger sister to me?”
I turned my head because I was somehow embarrassed at those words.
I have been younger than you from the start. Silly.
***
[tn— so 동생 can be interpreted in 2 ways, 1st is a younger sibling and 2nd is someone who is just younger not necessarily a younger sibling by blood. The 2nd one is what Shasha used for the last line, saying that she was already younger than him from the start hence, she was already a younger sister to him.]