Today is a sunny day, and my uncle invited me to go out with Anastasia. We've become quite close over the past few days, and I'm excited about our shopping trip! Although we have some knights guarding us, only two of them can be seen behind us; the others are hiding somewhere nearby.
I'm currently holding Anastasia's small, soft hand. She tends to get embarrassed around people, so I'm holding her hand to comfort her and let her know she's not alone. I want her to feel that she has me as an older sibling. "Where do you want to go first, Anastasia?"
Anastasia pondered for a moment, looking around before pointing at the toy shop. "You want to go there first?" She gave me a slight, cute smile and nodded.
"Okay then! Let's gooo!" Inside the store, it was quite spacious—not as big as the toy store in the mall from my past life, but still sizable. Shelves were filled with toys of all kinds.
Anastasia's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the toys. She suddenly started to run while holding my hand. I was surprised at first but quickly followed her, chuckling at her excitement.
I wanted to tell her not to run, but she seemed to be having so much fun, and I didn't want to ruin that, so I just kept up with her. After running and exploring the shop, I turned to her with a smile. "So, have you decided what you want to get yet?"
Anastasia bit her lower lip and looked down, clearly struggling with her choice. "Not yet…"
"Hmmm… How about we buy everything you want?" I suggested, blinking twice. Anastasia shook her head, looking flustered.
"No, brother Oliver! Father said that people shouldn't be greedy. I know I can buy more, but still… I think getting one for myself and another one for you is enough!"
I paused for a moment, impressed by her thoughtful nature. I smiled and gently patted her head; being a head taller than her made it easy.
"You're such a good kid, sister. How about this: I don't really want any toys at the moment, so why don't we both get one? You can pick another toy and consider it my gift." I noticed the hesitation on her face but chuckled softly.
She really is a kind child. "How about this… Accept that as a gift and do me a favor in return. Will that be okay?" Anastasia tilted her head to the side, deep in thought, blinking twice. This little sister of mine is just too cute!
I calmed myself down and gave her a warm smile. "In exchange for the gift, I want you to accompany me next weekend to buy a book. I heard there's a newly opened coffee shop that sells delicious sweets. Come visit with me, okay?"
Anastasia's eyes sparkled, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, brother Oliver!" I patted her head again as she smiled adorably. She kind of reminds me of a bunny. It seems like she's slowly opening up to me, which makes me really happy.
Anastasia chose a cute white bunny stuffed toy with a pink ribbon on its head. She also picked a stuffed tiger cub wearing a red ribbon around its neck.
As we continued holding hands, I carried the tiger cub for her while she held onto the bunny. "These toys are cute, especially the bunny," I said.
Anastasia nodded joyfully. "This bunny is me, and the cub is brother Oliver! I chose the tiger cub because it reminds me of you."
I paused for a moment, curious. "Hey sister… Do you find brother Oliver scary, that I remind you of a tiger?" I pretended to look sad, which immediately flustered her.
"No!" Anastasia looked down, embarrassed. "At first, I thought brother was scary, but I was wrong…" She looked up at me, still shy.
"Brother Oliver is very kind, and I'm happy that you are my brother! The tiger just reminds me of you because of its smile. It looks cute, just like brother Oliver's smile…" Anastasia glanced down, blushing. For some reason, her words touched my heart. I felt warm in my chest and couldn't help but give her a sincere smile.
"Thank you, Anastasia. I think you're a very kind and cute child too. I'm really happy to hear that, and I'm glad you became my sister." I let go of her hand and hugged her tightly. "I'm so lucky to have a cute little sister like you!"
Anastasia was shocked for a moment but quickly smiled and hugged me back. We embraced for a while before deciding to let go and head to our next destination—the clothing shop.
As we entered the shop, we spotted Aeryn chatting with the clerk, smiling. She turned to us and approached. "It's been a while, Sir Oliver." She chuckled, then looked at our joined hands and finally at Anastasia, who let go of my hand and hid behind my back, tugging at my clothes.
Aeryn laughed. "If Sir Oliver doesn't mind, could you introduce your cute companion?" I blinked twice, then smiled and nodded.
"Lady Aeryn, this cute child is Anastasia, my cousin and little sister. She's quite shy around people, so I hope you don't mind." I smiled and gently patted Anastasia's head.
Aeryn's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, so she's your cousin! She's very cute, so I don't mind at all." Aeryn chuckled softly. "Hello, Anastasia! I'm Aeryn Chrysalis. Feel free to call me Sister Aeryn."
Anastasia peeked out and gave a small nod.
"Why don't we shop for clothes together? I've never tried shopping with friends before. What do you think?" Aeryn suggested, leaning slightly to look up at me with a smile.
I turned to Anastasia. "Lady Aeryn wants to shop with us. Are you okay with that?" Anastasia thought for a moment but then nodded, a smile lighting up her face. Seriously, this little sister of mine is adorable! I sighed inwardly, patting her head with a soft smile.
Aeryn clapped her hands. "Great! Let's start looking for clothes, shall we?" she said with a chuckle.
I nodded, and we began browsing the store while I continued holding Anastasia's hand. I spotted a few dresses that I thought would look cute on her. "I think this one would look good on you. Why don't you give it a try, sister?"
Anastasia's eyes sparkled as she nodded excitedly, her head bobbing like a little chick.
She left me with the bunny stuffed toy while she ran to try on the dress I suggested. I smiled as I watched her hop away like a bunny carrying her new outfit.
"You have such good taste, Sir Oliver," Aeryn said, suddenly appearing beside me.
"Really?" I asked, surprised.
"Of course! Do I look like a liar to you? If I did, that would make me sad," Aeryn pretended to sulk. I found her antics amusing and couldn't help but laugh.
Aeryn then stopped acting and smiled. "Say, Sir Oliver…" She leaned closer, closing the distance between us. "Why don't you pick a dress for me, and I'll pick a suit for you? How does that sound?"
I considered her suggestion for a moment. There's really nothing wrong with it, so I agreed. We looked around for each other's clothes, and I picked out a green dress with a golden lining design.
"Here, I think green suits your blonde hair. What do you think?" I asked, handing it to her. In return, she presented me with a white and golden casual outfit paired with white pants, which I thought looked sharp and clean.
Aeryn looked at the dress and smiled. "I think it's beautiful, but you said it suits my hair? Hmm… I think red suits me better. Don't you think so?" She had a playful smirk on her face.
I pondered her words for a moment. Is red her favorite color? I could picture Aeryn wearing a red ribbon in her hair. "Well, if Lady Aeryn likes red, then I think it would suit you. Do you want me to look for a red dress for you?"
Aeryn was quiet for a moment, hugging the green dress. "No need. I like this one, so I'll buy it. Thank you, hehe!"
After a few moments, Anastasia finally emerged wearing the dress I suggested. I rushed to her and lifted her up in the air. "Wahhh~ My little sister is so cute! I'm gonna cry, huhu~!"
Anastasia, feeling the embarrassment wash over her, turned red. "Brother Oliver… Calm down…" I hugged her again, unable to resist her preciousness.
After we finished buying our clothes and were about to head home, Aeryn stopped us. "Do you guys have any plans for next weekend?"
I nodded, remembering my promise to Anastasia. "Well, Anastasia and I will be going to the bookstore, and we'll also visit that new coffee shop I've been hearing about."
"Ohhh! Perfect timing! Meredith, Alexandria, and Alejandro are planning to go there too! Would you like to join us after your bookstore visit?" Aeryn asked.
Anastasia is shy and apprehensive around new people, but I think it would be good for her to make some friends.
"What do you think, sister? Do you want to join them?" I asked. Anastasia looked embarrassed and flustered as she considered my question. After a moment, she nodded. "I think it'll be fun, and brother will also have fun, so I'm okay with it!"
I blinked in surprise. "Are you sure? It's okay if you don't want to. For me, just being with my cute little sister is enough."
Anastasia shook her head and looked at me with determination in her eyes. "It's okay, brother Oliver! Let's join them." With such a resolute look in my little sister's eyes, how could I refuse?
I smiled at Aeryn and nodded. "We'll go." Aeryn beamed and waved as she started to walk away. "Okay then! And remember to wear the clothes I picked out for you!"
"Alright!" I replied, smiling as I decided to head home with Anastasia.