***
At that moment, I also realized that there were armed people nearby.
Although, because I’m still young, the range where I could feel the presence of others was small.
“It’s him!”
“The youngest lady is there!”
The man had to run without breathing properly, because he heard the voices of the knights chasing after him.
“What, how are you chasing me so fast! It hasn’t been that long since I left the mansion–!”
“Where do you think you are that you dare blurt out that filthy voice?”
After saying that, the boy violently swung the scabbard in his other hand at the man.
Even at first glance, he looked young, but his movements were skillful for his age.
‘I think he’s about the same age as my brother.’
No, now was not the time for me to appreciate it.
No matter how strong a child is, a child is a child, because there was a difference in the body size, so I knew it could be dangerous with the slightest mistake.
‘If it doesn’t work, I’ll protect you.’
I can tell from the voices of the running knights from behind that this boy is not my enemy.
“If you don’t want to have something fly off, put the lady down quietly.”
“That, I can’t do that. I, I too……..!”
“If you try to give excuses for a trivial reason, I will really do it.”
Even though you’re a just a young child, you’re speaking so savagely.
But I could tell it was not just a simple bluff, just by looking at his gestures a while ago.
His posture with the sword was very stable.
On top of that……
‘Hey you, you have magic power.’
Quite a lot, too.
It was obviously small compared to what I had accumulated over the past 2,000 years, but I thought that he could rise to the level of an Archmage depending on his efforts.
And truthfully, that wasn’t the only thing I was concerned about, but–.
“P, please let me go just this once. I’m desperate, too!”
Before I could look any further, the man holding me turned around and started running.
‘Idiot.’
Even if it’s a child, the opponent has a sword, even the knights behind him, were chasing him, showing his back like that was just like asking to be killed.
Hit–!
The boy generously slashed the man’s shin with the scabbard instead of cutting it with a sword.
“Cough–.”
At the shock, the man lost his balance and fell forward.
Naturally, I thought that I would also be stuck in front.
But the boy’s movements were faster.
The boy hugged me tightly with a frightened expression on his face.
[–direct tl is actually ‘freaked out’ just changed it a bit]
“I’m sorry, baby.”
He even apologized as if he had been careless.
The boy was busy checking if I was hurt anywhere.
Because of that, it was a little late to notice that the man who fell was attacking us.
“My lady!”
“Young Master!”
I could hear the shouts of the chasing knights, who were startled.
However, the situation they feared did not happen.
“Heup!”
Just before the man hit us, he fell backwards as if he fainted.
“Cough, cough.”
In return, I had to taste the pain of a crushed lungs.
‘Aa expected, it’s still not easy to use my power properly with this body.’
When the boy grabbed his sword to face the man, I drew all my strength.
If it was to make the opponent faint, this was more effective than magic.
‘I don’t quite think so, though.’
That’s why it’s still troublesome to use my powers with this body.
“B, baby? Were you surprised? Are you cold?
As I continued to cough, the boy panicked, not knowing what to do.
Even though he was so calm in front of the man.
The boy tried to cover me with his cloak by pulling it tight somehow.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s not scary.”
The gestures to comfort me were clumsy, but I felt his sincerity.
The boy was holding me like a precious treasure, refusing to let me be held by one of the knights who were chasing after us.
“Anastasia, Mikhail!”
It was then that reinforcements arrived, both for him and for me.
“Why are you so late, Damian.”
“Sorry, and thank you……..”
It was none other than my brother who arrived one step late.
The knights subdued the man, tied him up, and circled around us.
The boy complained that he was late, but I had no choice but to acknowledge how much my brother did his best.
How worried must he have been that he ran around, my brother’s hair, which had always been neat, was drenched in sweat.
Not only that, but his eyes were also tearing up.
‘……I didn’t expect you to worry so much in that short amount of time.’
My brother took me from the boy, then
hugged me and patted me.
“Our Anastasia must have been scared right, I’m sorry. Because brother is late.”
‘I wasn’t scared…. I was only thinking about the enemy’s base….’
The hand of my brother, who asked me if I was scared, was shaking.
“It’s okay, brother is here.”
He looked as if he was about to cry.
My older brother, who was still a young child, but was like a symbol of calmness.
I automatically regretted my actions.
‘I guess it wasn’t……… just for a few days.’
I thought that it was a time that would pass by quickly.
[–time here is tl-ed as in like ‘moments’ or ‘period of time’]
When I remembered what the man said, it was clear that I had just been kidnapped from the mansion.
However, just by looking at my young brother’s face, or the duke’s knights following him, I could tell how worried they were.
I intentionally whined a little for my worried brother.
For some reason, the fact that I didn’t look surprised seemed to make him more worried.
“Yes, Yes. Anastasia, everything’s fine now.”
It was a more relieved voice compared to when I didn’t make any noise.
‘…….It seems that I really don’t know anymore.’
What family is like and…. That it’s not all about returning safely.
As expected, I didn’t want the people who were nice to me to be worried and sad.
It’s enough for me to bear that kind of feeling and overcome it alone.
My brother, who had comforted me who was whining, sighed lightly and turned his head to the man who had been caught.
“Y, young master. Please have m, mercy.”
Maybe it’s because I was in my brother’s arms that I felt safe.
I was dazed by the slowly rising fever, but I thought that my brother would give the usual friendly treatment.
However.
“Take him away, and investigate thoroughly until my father returns.”
“Yes, Young Master Damian!”
“Y, Young Master! I, I was, I was wrong!”
Even with my hazy consciousness, I thought, in surprise at the words.
I didn’t know because he was always kind in front of family.
I mean, it was to the point everyone complimented brother because he was kind to the employees.
‘Brother too…. Is father’s son.’
That was my last thought before I lost consciousness.
* * *
When I opened my eyes, I could see the worried faces of my mother and father.
I wonder how long I slept.
To lose consciousness like this just because I used that power……
A sigh came out.
It was used without preparation, so the rebound was bigger, but…..
“Anastasia, my baby. You were very surprised, weren’t you?”
“Dad should have at least stayed home. What was so important about His Majesty the King’s command that I left.”
No, it’s important. Father, you’re the Duke.
It’s annoying to be watched by the royal family for nothing.
Anyway, my parents held me tight and kept patting me as if they were the one’s who were more surprised.
“Our Anastasia, your body feels very hot right? You’ll be fine soon.”
“I’m sorry, Anastasia, Dad is sorry.”
At the sound of their wet voices, I reflected for the second time.
The hand that patted me was also filled with tension and worry, unlike usual.
‘Really…. I can’t wait to grow up.’
That way, there won’t be a lot of things to worry about.
I didn’t want to hurt these rare people who did me a favor.
‘So really, quickly…..’
When my body gets strong, I will be able to make a clone so that they won’t worry and I would be able to move around.
I couldn’t help it.
As long as I’m me.
‘…….Because I can’t help but move when I see a way to stop the danger.’
So, it would be good if I could use my power to my heart’s content, I thought so as I was in my parent’s arms.
As if to comfort them, with a little whimper, perhaps from my heart.
* * *
My attempted kidnapping had a very cliché story.
Their son had an accident and they owed large gambling debts.
‘There were no forces behind it, it was just a simple kidnapping…?’
It was money they couldn’t afford, even if two people who worked at the duke’s mansion poured out the money they had diligently collected.
In the meantime, seeing my parents throwing a big party for me and giving bonuses to their employees, they had a foolish idea.
Kidnap me just this once and get the money then quietly return me.
As an employee, he was well aware of his colleagues’ daily lives and patterns, pretending to be on vacation, he was able to escape the mansion by disguising me as a bundle.
[– like a package or smth]
They were kicked out of the duke’s residence after several broken places.
No severance pay, no letter of recommendation.
Since it was only an attempt, my parents were lenient with their disposal.
“If you had really kidnapped my youngest child, I would have taken your life with my own hands.”
My father spoke in a low fierce tone, as if growling.
“And the Knights seem to be relaxed, too. Seeing that they couldn’t stop this.”
My father said he had to train them properly and left to work.
Even though I was abducted for only two hours.
Poor knights, they will be rolling around from the start of the new year.
But it’s true that they didn’t do a good job.
My parents praised my brother for moving fast after the maid informed him about it.
But my brother shook his head.
“It’s not something to be praised for, I wouldn’t have made it on time if I had been alone.”
My brother looked very upset.
It was a relief that the boy, Mikhail, found me first, but it was true that he was late.
For a few days, after that, he would feel depressed whenever he saw me.
Anyway, my parents made one decision after this incident.
“I did think it was a little early because they’re still young, but now that it’s like this, I’m going to have to put an escort knight on the kids.”
Up to that point, I thought that it was a good decision.
To be honest, even if I’m kidnapped or if someone tries to kill me, I can escape from it, but not my older brother and the older sister.
The reason I was their target that day was thanks to their humble conscience.
They didn’t think about my brother in the first place, and my sister was ill with a cold, so they chose me carefully in their own way.
‘I was really lucky because I was the target, but there is no guarantee that the special forces behind it will only target me.’
However.
‘Father……. Isn’t it too much to assign 20 escort knights to a baby?’
I thought as I looked at the knights lined up in front of me, as if I was tired of them.