As the days passed, Theo began to wonder if transmigration came with some kind of bonus. Surely there had to be a perk for waking up in this world.
He raised his tiny arms and waved them around dramatically, as if imitating some kind of spellcasting.
The only result was the muffled laughter of the maids nearby as they covered their mouths, whispering about how adorable he looked.
He puffed out his cheeks and tried again, this time muttering something incomprehensible, like the gibberish chants from fantasy games.
Once more, the servants giggled, one even daring to pinch his cheek lightly before bowing in apology.
All he achieved was being branded as cute rather than powerful.
'Seriously? I'm trying to see if I have powers, not audition for a baby mascot role…'
Eventually, he gave up on acting like some kind of toddler wizard and sighed inwardly. By now, Theo had already come to terms with his fate.
He was Theodore von Aegis, the adored Youngest Master of the great House Aegis.
It wasn't so bad—well, if he ignored the constant humiliation of being changed, bathed, and coddled every single day.
He reminded himself that it was natural.
His body was only a year old, and there was no way he could protest too much without blowing his cover.
Still, every time someone cooed at him or carried him around like a doll, the teenage boy inside him wanted to scream.
At the same time, he couldn't deny the perks of being spoiled.
Warm blankets, soft pillows, endless care—this was a far cry from his old life where he had to do everything himself.
Even if it was embarrassing, a part of him liked the comfort.
It was surreal, though. The life of luxury, the title of Youngest Master, the noble servants… all of it was a dreamlike reversal of his ordinary existence as Nathan.
And the strangest part was how naturally everyone adored him, as if the entire world had decided he was too precious to ignore.
'Guess this is my reality now,' Theo thought, watching the servants bustle about. 'But perks… there has to be something else, right? Some kind of cheat? I mean, transmigration stories always come with one.'
After countless failed attempts with random gestures and silly chants, he was ready to give up—until a thought struck him.
The system.
In so many webnovel stories, the protagonist gained one after transmigrating.
He hesitated for a moment, then decided to try.
"System," Theo whispered in the faintest baby babble, half-joking to himself.
And then, to his utter shock—
⟪System initializing…⟫
⟪Welcome, Host.⟫
Theo's eyes widened slightly as glowing words hovered before him. For a moment he thought it was a dream, but the letters stayed, bright and sharp against the air itself.
The system had actually answered him.
⟪Status Window⟫
Name: Theodore von Aegis
Age: 1 year old
Strength: 1
Agility: 1
Endurance: 1
Magic: 1
Affection Points: 0
Theo nearly choked on his own spit. Every single stat was rock-bottom, pitifully low.
He wanted to scream, but then he remembered—he was only a baby. Of course his stats were downgraded to nothing.
It would be strange if they weren't.
Taking a breath, he willed the screen to shift. The display changed smoothly, showing another window.
⟪Affection System Activated⟫
⟪This system allows Host to view Affection and Hostility levels of individuals. Maximum value: 100.⟫
'Affection…?' Theo blinked at the words.
This wasn't a normal system. Instead of leveling through battles or training, it was built on emotions.
Another prompt appeared, confirming his suspicion.
⟪To gain skills, Host must collect Affection Points. Affection Points are earned when an individual shows genuine affection toward Host.⟫
Theo stared at the glowing window in silence. He had no points, no skills, and his only path to power was through making people genuinely care for him.
'So I really need to win hearts to get stronger… this is going to be embarrassing.'
Theo's gaze shifted to the servants tending to his chamber. Out of curiosity, he willed the system to show their details.
Instantly, glowing panels appeared above their heads one by one.
⟪Affection: 65 | Hostility: 0⟫
⟪Affection: 70 | Hostility: 0⟫
⟪Affection: 62 | Hostility: 0⟫
⟪Affection: 68 | Hostility: 0⟫
Each of the servants had numbers floating around sixty to seventy, all marked with zero hostility.
Theo blinked, almost dazed by the sight.
It wasn't just a random gimmick—the system really worked.
As he studied the panels with wide eyes, the heavy wooden doors creaked open. A familiar voice called warmly, and in walked Alexander.
The moment Alex appeared, the system screen flashed brighter than before.
⟪Alexander von Aegis⟫
Affection: ?#!*!#? | Hostility: 0
Theo froze, his mouth hanging open. Unlike the servants, his brother's affection wasn't even a number.
The bar stretched full, overflowing with strange symbols as if the system itself couldn't measure it properly.
For a second he was stunned. Then, with a long sigh, he slumped back against his pillow.
'Of course… brother complex. Figures.'
But then something struck him.
No names appeared on the panels with the servants except his brother. Only bare numbers. After a moment of thought, he realized why.
He didn't actually know their names, so the system had nothing to attach the numbers to.
'So it depends on my own knowledge too… if I don't know someone, they'll stay as a faceless status.'
Alexander strode across the room with steady steps, the faint smile on his face softening as his eyes fell on Theo.
Without hesitation, he reached down and scooped his little brother into his arms as though he were the most precious treasure in existence.
"There you are, little brother," Alex whispered, his voice brimming with warmth. "Did you miss me?"
Theo felt his brother's arms tighten protectively around him.
The system's unreadable symbols still lingered in the corner of his vision, proof of affection so absurdly high it couldn't even be measured.
As if to confirm it, Alex nuzzled his cheek lightly against Theo's soft hair, ignoring the amused looks from the servants nearby.
"You're growing stronger every day, Theo," Alex said with a proud smile, as though the baby in his arms had already achieved some great feat.
Theo, trapped in his baby body, could only blink up at his older brother's glowing expression.
He tried to wriggle, but Alex simply held him closer, his eyes filled with unwavering devotion.
'This is unreal,' Theo thought helplessly.
'The system was right. His affection really is maxed out. This isn't just brotherly love—it's an actual brother complex.'
As Alex continued to cradle him, Theo's curiosity stirred. The system had said that genuine affection could be converted into points.
If Alex's affection was this overwhelming, wouldn't that mean he could earn something right away?
Theo glanced at the glowing panel in the corner of his vision. At first, nothing changed.
But then, as Alex leaned down and gently pressed his forehead against Theo's, whispering words of reassurance, the panel flickered.
⟪Affection Points +1⟫
Theo's eyes widened. Just like that, a single point had appeared at the bottom of his status screen.
'It really works!' he thought, stunned. 'All that doting, all that excessive love—it actually translates into points.'
He almost laughed, but the sound came out as a small babble. Alex's face lit up instantly at the noise.
"See? You're happy, aren't you?" Alex said, his smile soft and triumphant as though he had just won a battle. "Don't worry, little brother. I'll always make sure you have everything you want."
⟪Affection Points +1⟫
Another point blinked into existence. Theo stared at the screen in disbelief.
Theo blinked at the floating message, then at his brother's glowing smile. For a moment, he hesitated. Then an idea struck him.
'Wait… if one forehead touch gave me a point… what if I do something cute on purpose?'
Without thinking, Theo reached out his tiny hand and patted Alex's cheek, letting out the most innocent-sounding babble he could manage.
Alex froze, his eyes going wide before his entire expression melted into pure joy.
"You—You just reached for me!" he exclaimed, hugging Theo tighter. "You really do love me, don't you?"
⟪Affection Points +2⟫
Theo nearly choked. Two points. Just like that.
'Oh no… this might actually work too well.'
Encouraged by the result, he tried again. This time he flashed the most awkward baby smile he could muster. Alex's reaction was immediate.
"My brother smiled at me…!" Alex's voice cracked with emotion as he turned toward the servants. "Did you see that? He smiled at me!"
The servants chuckled politely, but Alex didn't care. His entire world was centered on Theo.
⟪Affection Points +3⟫
Theo almost broke down laughing in his head. Every little gesture he made was like pulling coins from a slot machine. He was swimming in affection points just from existing.
'This is ridiculous… I don't even need to grind battles, I just need to sit here and be cute! I'm literally farming my brother's affection!'
Alex, meanwhile, was already rocking him gently, his voice thick with devotion. "Don't worry, Theo. I'll always be here. Always."
Another flicker.
⟪Affection Points +1⟫
Theo let out a long sigh in his mind.
'Yep. Definitely a brother complex. I'm doomed.'