While cradled in Alexander's arms, Theo noticed the glowing panel in the corner of his vision updating.
The system had registered his latest interactions with his brother and tallied the points he had gained.
⟪Status Window⟫
Name: Theodore von Aegis
Age: 1 year old
Strength: 1
Agility: 1
Endurance: 1
Magic: 1
Affection Points: 8
Theo blinked at the numbers.
Eight points.
All from his brother.
He glanced at the servants moving around him, all diligently attending to his needs.
Their movements were precise, fluid, and almost choreographed.
Each servant carried trays, cleaned surfaces, or adjusted blankets with meticulous care, their eyes occasionally flicking toward him as though checking for signs of discomfort.
Their affection levels were surprisingly high, hovering around sixty to seventy, yet none of them had contributed a single point.
'Wait… why am I only getting points from Alex?' he thought, frowning. 'The servants clearly care about me. This has to be legitimate. Maybe the points aren't coming because it's not… genuine?'
He shook his head. 'No, that can't be it. They fuss over me, feed me, change me… we're constantly in contact. It's obvious they care!'
Theo leaned back slightly, curiosity overcoming his embarrassment, and whispered toward the system. "Why am I not earning points from the servants?"
The floating text appeared instantly, bright and precise.
⟪Minimum requirement for Affection Points: only individuals with Affection level 75 and above can contribute to AP⟫
Theo's eyes widened. He looked around at the servants, realizing none of them had reached that threshold yet. He sighed, a mix of relief and exasperation.
'So that's why… I guess it makes sense. Alex is over the top, so he hits max affection. The rest… not quite enough yet.'
Amidst the chaos of being carried around by Alex and fussed over by the servants, Theo's curiosity got the better of him.
He swiveled his gaze toward the system and opened the skill shop, hoping to spend his precious Affection Points.
⟪Skill Shop⟫
1. Innocent Charmer – 30 AP
⟪Effect: Makes adults more lenient or cooperative for a short time⟫
2. Baby Intuition – 75 AP
⟪Effect: Can sense minor hazards (hot objects, small drops, loose items)⟫
3. Tiny Grab – 30 AP
⟪Effect: Can hold small objects firmly (bottles, toys, tools) and retrieve items slightly out of reach⟫
Theo blinked at the prices, his tiny brow furrowing. 'Thirty? Seventy-five? Are you kidding me? I've only got eight points from Alex.... I need dozens more just to buy one skill!'
He poked at the floating panels, muttering under his breath. 'Innocent Charmer… that could make the servants even more helpful, but it costs thirty… Tiny Grab… I barely have the strength to grab a bottle, let alone things slightly out of reach…'
Theo groaned audibly in his thoughts. 'Baby Intuition… seventy-five? That's insane. I can't even dream of that. I need to farm AP like my life depends on it, or I'll be stuck helpless forever!'
He squirmed slightly in Alex's arms, pretending to be extra clingy. The soft warmth of Alex's embrace enveloped him completely, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and the faint scent of leather and sweat from training filling his senses.
'If one forehead touch gives me points… maybe I can… get more without moving too much.'
He babbled softly, reaching out his tiny hands toward Alex's face, then wriggled closer to nuzzle against his chest. Alex froze, then beamed, his arms tightening instinctively.
"You're so adorable… my little brother," Alex murmured, rocking him gently. "You always make me proud."
⟪Affection Points +1⟫
Theo's eyes widened. One point just like that.
He leaned back slightly and tried a different tactic, flailing his tiny hands in playful desperation, as if he might fall if Alex didn't hold him.
"Hold on, Theo! Don't slip!" Alex exclaimed, his voice filled with concern. "I'll always protect you!"
⟪Affection Points +1⟫
Theo's mind raced. 'This is… too easy. I just have to act helpless, cute, and clingy, and Alex does the rest. Farming AP has never been simpler.'
He tried another move, letting out a muffled babble while looking up at Alex with wide, innocent eyes.
The sunlight streaming through the tall windows caught in Alex's golden hair, making him look almost divine in Theo's baby-blurred perception.
Alex's gaze softened further, lips twitching into a proud smile.
"You're growing stronger, little brother," Alex said. "I'll always be by your side. No one can hurt you while I'm here."
⟪Affection Points +1⟫
Theo let out a silent groan, realizing he was being trained in the art of AP farming without even needing to try.
At the same time, he couldn't deny the warm, fuzzy feeling of being doted on so intensely—it was overwhelming, embarrassing, and strangely satisfying all at once.
'Okay… fine,' Theo thought, squirming in Alex's arms again. 'If this is how I get stronger, I guess I'll just… endure it. Brother complex or not, I'll milk it for every point I can.'
Theo blinked at the system panel again.
⟪Status Window⟫
Name: Theodore von Aegis
Age: 1 year old
Strength: 1
Agility: 1
Endurance: 1
Magic: 1
Affection Points: 12
'Twelve points already… not bad,' he thought, still wiggling slightly in Alex's arms. 'But I need more if I want to afford even one skill.'
The servants, busy with their chores around the room, whispered among themselves while stealing glances at Theo.
"Young Master Theodore seems so cheerful today," one maid said quietly, smiling.
"Yes, Young Master Theodore really brightens up the room," another replied. "It's hard not to adore him."
Alex, still holding Theo, looked over at the servants with a faintly sharp gaze. "Make sure he's comfortable at all times. Don't let him be left wanting."
The servants immediately straightened and bowed slightly. "Yes, Young Master Alexander," they said in unison, their voices careful but warm.
Theo's eyes twitched slightly, realizing that Alex's presence alone kept the servants attentive and careful. He furrowed his brow.
'So… if I want Affection Points from them, I first need their affection level to rise above seventy-five. But how?' he thought. 'They care already, but it's not enough. I have to… increase it somehow.'
He glanced around the room, considering his options.
'Maybe I can play cute a little more, or interact with them directly instead of relying on Alex…'
Theo's mind raced as he started planning small strategies, testing ways to encourage the servants to grow closer to him while still being aware of his baby body's limitations.
'Okay… think, Theo. If I want AP from them, I need to raise their affection. And if Alex is always around, maybe I can… use that too?'
He let out a tiny sigh, realizing that farming Affection Points was going to be a long, awkward, and embarrassing journey.
Theo shifted slightly in Alex's arms, careful not to slip, and looked at the maid more intently.
'If I can get even one servant over seventy-five affection… just like the system said, maybe I can start earning AP from them too,' he thought.
He reached out with his tiny hands toward the maid, babbling in his baby voice, waving as if asking for attention.
The maid froze for a second, then smiled warmly. "Young Master Theodore… do you want me to help you with your toys?"
Theo's mind raced. 'Yes! That's a start!' He gurgled happily, letting out soft, playful sounds, leaning toward her.
Alex, noticing the interaction, gently tightened his hold around Theo. "Be careful, Theo. Don't tumble. She'll help you, but I'll always be here too."
The maid bowed slightly, eyes flicking to Alex out of respect. "Of course, Young Master Theodore. I'll be very careful."
⟪Affection: 61+1 (62) | Hostility: 0⟫
Theo blinked at the system panel. The maid's affection level had increased slightly from the attention, but it was still below 75.
'Okay… so it's true that interacting with the servants alone won't give me AP yet,' he thought.
He wriggled playfully in Alex's arms again, planning how to gradually increase the maid's affection, knowing that only then would he start earning AP from anyone else besides Alex.
⟪Affection Points +1⟫
Theo let out a long, resigned sigh, but deep down, a spark of excitement burned within him. This was just the beginning.
His path to power, while humiliating and awkward, was now mapped—one Affection Point at a time.