As far as Nathan knew, Alexander von Aegis was supposed to be the only child of House Aegis.
His sister had drilled that much into his head while rambling endlessly about the novel she loved. Yet here he was, being called Theo.
His full name, as the servants repeated time and again, was Theodore von Aegis—the younger brother of the hero who was never supposed to exist.
To make things stranger, Alexander himself wasn't the grown warrior Nathan remembered from the book.
The Alexander here was still a boy, barely twelve at most, though already showing glimpses of the dignified hero he would one day become.
'So not only did I get dropped into the story, but I've completely messed up the family tree,' Nathan thought in disbelief. 'And if Alex is younger right now… then that means the whole timeline is earlier than the novel too.'
It didn't take him long to accept that he had been reborn into the very world his sister adored.
And not just anywhere—he was now the youngest son of House Aegis, a ducal family known for their wealth, prestige, and military might.
Every time he thought about it, his mind buzzed. 'A ducal house. Rich, noble, powerful… I'm literally swimming in luxury! I could get used to this.'
Back in his old life, the biggest room he had ever lived in was barely large enough for a bed, a desk, and some shelves.
But here, his chamber alone was bigger than his entire house. Golden drapes framed tall windows, sunlight bouncing off the polished marble floors.
Crystal chandeliers glittered above his cradle, their delicate drops of light casting rainbow glimmers across the ceiling.
The wooden crib he lay in was carved with intricate floral patterns and cushioned with silk bedding. It was the kind of room you'd expect to see in a palace museum, not as a baby's nursery.
'Forget the hero, forget demons—just let me enjoy this rich life. This is the true cheat skill.'
Whenever the nurses whispered about the "young master" or "His Lordship's precious child," he couldn't stop himself from grinning inwardly.
He was finally living a life where people bowed when they entered the room.
Still, a part of him wondered what kind of insane twist of fate had landed him here. 'Of all people… why me? And why the little brother? Couldn't I at least have been some prodigy knight or a hidden prince?'
Life as a baby, however, wasn't as glamorous as it seemed. For every moment of luxury, there was an equally humiliating one.
His chamber was filled with servants who tended to his every need, but that also meant they were present for things he would rather have kept private.
Every time his uncontrollable baby body betrayed him, servants would swoop in, cleaning him with practiced hands and completely straight faces.
Theo wanted to cry from embarrassment, but all that came out were actual baby tears.
'This is torture. Being treated like royalty while being totally helpless—it's like being a spoiled potato!'
And as if that weren't bad enough, there were moments that made his embarrassment skyrocket.
His older brother, Alexander von Aegis, sometimes visited him personally.
The same Alexander—the hero his sister adored, the one whose face had been plastered on the cover of the novel she owned.
The first time Alex picked him up, Theo nearly had a heart attack. Alex's youthful features were softer than the cover illustration, still touched with boyhood, but there was no mistaking the resemblance.
The sharp ocean blue eyes and a glowing golden hair, the confident brow, the warm smile—it was him.
'Crap… It really is him. That's the hero. That's the guy who's supposed to save the kingdom in the near future. And I'm… his baby brother. What the hell kind of cosmic joke is this?'
Whenever Alex was there, it wasn't just a casual visit. He would smile softly, hold Theo in his arms, and act as if nothing else in the world mattered but his little brother.
One afternoon, Alex entered the nursery, still dressed in training clothes, sweat clinging to his brow.
His wooden practice sword hung from his belt, and his white shirt was stained with dirt and dust from sparring.
Instead of resting, the first thing he did was scoop Theo up into his arms.
"How's my little brother today?" Alex asked warmly, bouncing him gently. "Did you miss me?"
Theo stared at him with wide baby eyes, thinking, 'Why is he treating me like I'm a lost puppy?'
When Theo drooled a little, Alex chuckled and wiped his mouth carefully with a cloth. "Even when you drool, you're adorable. Don't worry, I'll protect you from everything."
'Protect me? I just sneezed, not fought off a demon horde!' Theo thought furiously, but all his mouth could manage was a bubbly gurgle.
Another time, Theo woke in the middle of the night crying—his baby body couldn't help it. To his horror, it wasn't just servants who came rushing in, but Alex himself, hair disheveled, panic in his eyes.
"Is he alright? Did something happen?" Alex demanded, grabbing Theo from the maid's arms before she could even explain.
He rocked him until the crying stopped, whispering soothingly, "Shh, it's okay. I'm here, Theo. I'll always be here."
Theo's tears dried, but his dignity crumbled. 'Seriously? Does he need to come running every time I sneeze? What's next, him spoon-feeding me mashed carrots with knightly vows?'
Another day, Alex skipped his training session entirely, sitting beside the cradle just to watch Theo sleep.
He absentmindedly stroked Theo's tiny hand, whispering, "You're my treasure, Theo. As long as I live, nothing will touch you."
Theo wanted to scream, but all that came out was a baby's coo. 'This isn't normal brotherly affection! This is next-level obsession! This is… a brother complex!'
And the worst part? Everyone around them just smiled fondly, as if this was perfectly natural.
The maids whispered things like, "Young Master Alexander will be such a dependable heir," and "How sweet that he loves the little lord so much." Not one of them found it even remotely strange.
Holding his younger brother in his hands, Alex couldn't help but feel his chest swell with warmth.
Theo's tiny fingers curled around his thumb, and even though the baby barely understood the world around him, Alex felt as though his little brother was already the most important person in his life.
His mind drifted back to a year ago, when everything had changed.
Back then, their family had gone to one of the ducal villas for vacation. It was supposed to be a peaceful trip, a chance for his mother to rest before giving birth.
Her due date was still a week away, and the family believed they had time. But fate was cruel.
Without warning, the villa was attacked in the dead of night. Not by ordinary bandits or rebellious peasants, but by humans who had given up their souls to the abyss.
Demon worshipers—summoners of foul creatures that reeked of blood and shadow.
The tranquility of the villa was shattered in an instant. Flames spread across the walls as summoning circles carved into the ground glowed with sinister light.
Servants screamed, guards clashed steel against the unnatural beasts pouring through the portals, and the once-serene halls became a battlefield drenched in fear.
Alex, only eleven at the time, remembered gripping a sword with trembling hands. His father had ordered him to stay hidden, but he couldn't.
The shouts of dying men, the sight of his mother's pale face as labor struck early amidst the chaos—it burned itself into his soul.
He could still recall the moment his father cut down a monstrous, horned beast that had lunged for the birthing chamber.
Blood sprayed across the walls, mixing with the cries of a newborn. That was the night his younger brother, Theodore von Aegis, came into the world.
And Alex, seeing his brother's tiny form swaddled in his mother's weak arms, had sworn silently: he would never let harm touch Theo, not while he still drew breath.
Even now, as Theo blinked up at him with baby-blue eyes that seemed oddly perceptive, Alex tightened his embrace.
"You don't have to worry about anything," Alex whispered. "I'll fight, I'll bleed, I'll become stronger than anyone—for you."
Theo blinked, drooled, and promptly sneezed in his brother's face.
The servants gasped, some hiding their smiles behind their hands. Alex only laughed, wiping his face with his sleeve. "Even your sneeze is perfect. You really are my little treasure."
'Perfect? I just slimed you!' Theo screamed internally, but outwardly, all that escaped his mouth was a giggle.
And thus, life in House Aegis continued: one brother spiraling deeper into doting obsession, the other trapped in a baby's body, despairing at how far from the original novel things had already gone.