"Boring..." Yunyu complained.

"Pupa, what's the current Fatemeter?" Yunyu asked.

​​

"25% for both Raphael and Maximillien, Breakmeter is still 0%," Pupa informed.

"Hm, it's so slow…."

Two weeks had passed since Raphael's last visit, and his Big brother, Maximillien, signed the engagement contract between Raphael and Little Jean.

But after that, Maximillien was just too busy with many things and only visited Little Jean perfunctorily. He only checked whether Jean was eating well and gave him so many toys.

It was a peaceful life, of course, but this wasn't what Jean expected. He didn't want a peaceful but stagnant life without any Fatemeter progression. He wanted something fun!

Pupa seemed to have guessed what was in Yunyu's head. Thus he commented, "You can't just do some reckless stuff. You're still four years old, innocent little boy. There's still an OOC limit, you know."

Yunyu sighed after Pupa's warn. He thought it would be fun if he was a toddler. But all he did was to be caged in this huge palace with his busy Big brother.

Little Jean jumped out of bed, took something from his treasure box, and walked to the door.

Pupa turned invisible again, it didn't know what Yunyu would do, but it was a lot better than being holed up in this room forever.

The guard opened the door, and Little Jean hopped and skipped in the corridor. He went to the Duke's office, and the guards automatically opened the door for him.

Little Jean saw Big brother Maximillien was busy with his documents as usual. There was a gardenia on the table, a gift from Little Jean in the morning. Maximillien glanced at Little Jean and asked, "What do you want, Jean?"

"Nothing, Big brother, I just want to accompany you!"

Little Jean entered, and he sat on the sofa. He looked around the Duke's office for a while and then frowned.

"Big brother, your office is boring," Little Jean commented.

"Boring?" Maximillien looked around the office and found nothing wrong with it.

"I see nothing wrong," Maximillien replied.

"It's boring!" Little jean then opened his drawing book and his pack of coloring pencils.

"What do you want to do?" Maximillien sighed. "You know that I'm busy with many things, Jean."

"Sshh! Big brother, just stay still. Jean wants to draw!"

Maximillien frowned. He knew that his little brother always had an overactive imagination. The last time he remembered, his little brother had an imaginary friend called Pupa. When Maximillien asked the look of Pupa, Jean only said it's super ugly. Maximillien asked him to draw Pupa, but he said Pupa was so ugly, it's better not to waste his precious colored pencils.

Soon, Jean became busy with his drawing. He used one colored pencil after another and then glanced at his Big brother from time to time as if he was making sure on something.

In the end, after it was done, Little jean ripped the paper from his drawing book and walked towards his Big brother.

"Big brother, this is for you!" Little Jean offered his drawing to Maximillien.

"For me?" Maximillien took the drawing. He thought it was just a random doodle from a kid. But it was actually a very good drawing. In fact, Jean was actually very talented for his age.

But that wasn't the most important part. Jean drew two people, him and Maximillien. They were holding hands, and at the bottom, there was a writing.

'Jean loves Big brother forever.'

"Forever?" Maximillien chuckled as he raised his brow. "Do you know what that means?"

"Um…"

"That means you will remember me forever. All your dreams and thought will be filled with me. Do you want that?" Maximillien teased his simple little brother.

"Yes!" Jean nodded without hesitation. "Jean will leave Big brother after Jean is eighteen. But Big brother will always live in Jean's dream!"

"That—"

"Big brother, please tell Jean that you won't leave Jean's dream, okay?" Little Jean requested, then he hugged his Big brother's leg like a koala.

[Pupa: Ding! Maximillien Eau Saumont's Fatemeter increases to 30%.]

Maximillien said nothing, but he stared at his adopted little brother. Truly, he didn't know what to do next. The more he liked Jean, the more that fortune-telling appeared in his head.

It was a nightmare that filled his dream almost every night. The same nightmare showed him dying, killed by a dark creature, while Jean only sat and watched from afar.

The sensation of a knife piercing his heart slowly was too realistic, so every time Maximillien woke up, he would clench his heart.

But he didn't think that Little Jean had any knowledge about this. He was really just a little kid who liked to play with his toys, skip and hop around like a bunny, and hang out with his Big brother.

Maximillien sighed. He didn't think it would be this hard to just let go of an adopted kid.

He should have throw Little Jean away right after his parent's death, so it wouldn't be as troublesome.

Now that Jean was engaged to Raphael, there was nothing he could do.

'And I don't think I have the heart to kick him now, knowing how innocent he is….'

Maximillien patted Little Jean's head and then decided to lift Jean up and let him sat on his thigh.

"Uwa!" Little Jean struggled a bit, he was afraid that he did something bad, and he was confused when his Big brother allowed him to sit on his lap.

"Big brother, why am I here?"

"Hm?"

"A—Am I allowed to sit here?"

Little Jean looked uncomfortable as he struggled a bit, trying to jump out of the chair. But Maximillien held him and said, "From now on, you're allowed to sit on my lap. You can accompany me while I'm working."

"Uwa…. Jean can help Big brother?"

"You can help me by not moving around when you sit on my lap, understand?"

"Yes!"

Little Jean requested his Big brother bring him the drawing book and coloring pencils. He obediently sat on Maximillien's lap while drawing many things, including animals and flowers.

They were in this harmonious position until the maid came in with an evening snack, tea, and cookies for the Duke.

She paused for a moment when she saw Little Jean was sitting peacefully on Archduke Maximillien's lap. The Duke was reading his document as usual. While Little Jean was drawing something on his drawing book, he took colored pencils and began coloring.

"Your Highness, here's your requested cookies and evening tea," the maid said.

"Good," Duke Maximillien nodded once. His eyes were still on the document, and he said, "Put the evening tea on my side, and give the cookie for Jean."

"… Yes, Your Highness."

The maid put the cookies on Little Jean's side. Before she left, Duke Maximillien called her again, "You, take this with you."

Maximillien waved Jean's drawing before, and the maid thought Archduke Maximillien wanted her to throw it out.

"Yes, Your Highness, I will throw it—"

"Throw?" Maximillien frowned. "Who said you can throw it? I want you to put it in a frame. I want it to sit on this desk tomorrow morning."