"Ardent, can you look after Runa for me?" during the sole day without any lesson, his mother decided to have him look after his new little sister.
Well, not he complained much, considering how adorable she is.
"Okay." Ardent answered before heading towards the central room. There, a single crib was placed at the center of the room, housing one small baby.
"Eehh, eehh," Runa seem to have heard their mother and decided with her big brother, she can start whimpering.
She is not wrong though.
"Come on Runa, don't cry anymore. Big brother is here." he picked the baby up before rocking her. The baby stopped her whimpering before looking at him with her bright blue eyes, one the same color as his.
"That's a good baby. You a good baby right, yes you are." Ardent said as he rocked her faster, the Runa babbling in a happy tone.
Both him and his little sister have the same hair and eye color. Their eyes came from their mother while hair color was something they inherited from their father.
The child continue her cute babbling before another sad whimpering come out.
"Oh, someone's hungry." Ardent exclaimed before picking up a bottle. As it turns out, the Medieval time of Alternate Earth has access to baby bottles. Which is something he was absolutely grateful of as it make it easier for him to feed Runa.
The baby began sucking happily, enjoying her milk. Of course, the milk come straight from their mother, who pumped it in case she need to get out of the house and could not bring Runa.
As the baby began to stop suckling, Ardent pulled the bottle out of her mouth before burping the small child, removing the gas inside. Thankfully, the burping session did not transform into a barfing session, which save him the need of changing clothes, like the last three time.
He loved his baby sister but she can be a handful sometime.
"Time for you to sleep oh little one." Ardent swing his arms, the baby on it as she yawned. The slow motion put the baby into a drowsy state before she closed her eyes, sleeping like a ... well, baby.
"Let's put you bac-" he stopped, as Runa was able to sense him putting her back into the crib, which she retaliate by moving wildly and letting small sound out of her small mouth.
"Well, someone don't want to go back into the crib." Ardent huffed before taking a seat on the wooden couch. Putting her on his lap to not strain his arms for a while longer, he watched as the baby sleeped peacefully.
"You are really cute, oh little one." he brushed the little tuft of hair on her head, the baby moving slightly but remained sleeping.
Ardent smiled. If he become a Mage, he will make sure his parents and little sister will live a life of comfort.
-x-
"Ardent, we-" Grace shut her mouth quickly at the sight in front of her. Her eldest was on the couch, sleeping with her youngest joining him, sleeping on top her older brother.
"She don't want to sleep on the crib again." Grace could easily guessed what happen. For some reason, Runa loved to sleep on her older brother's, and will cry if the said older brother want to put her back on the crib.
"I should take her now." picking up Runa, it woke up Ardent who opened his eyes, rubbing the sleep off.
"Mother, you back." Ardent said, slightly surprised before his expression lighten up at the baby in the older woman's arm.
"Yes, I'm back. You should wash your face. We going to have dinner now." Ardent nodded as he head to his room. Grace smiled before putting her youngest into the crib. This time, she did not make any sound, prompting the brunette to smile wryly.
"I'm glad you two are close, but it hurt me how you don't even try to cry when I put you into the crib."
-x-
Ardent woke up, planning to start his routine when he heard a light whimper.
"She is a night waker." he grumbled, able to hear the sound she make. If she was not inside his parents' room, Ardent might have helped in making her go back to sleep, but unfortunately, he could not do so.
He also cannot start training as his parents always check up on him whenever Runa started to cry. Mostly because of how she once cried and their father decided to see if he was awake only to find him missing.
The only reason he was not punished is because he manage to return quickly and explained him leaving due to hearing something.
So, the birth of his baby sister have both its pros and cons. It's a good thing the pros far outweigh the cons.
"Looks like another day of not going to train." he plopped his head on the bed, planning to return to sleep. It's not like he can train or anything.
-x-
"So, your baby sister causing any trouble to you or anything?" Frank asked, in one of the few times they can meet up in the month.
"Not really. My parents take care of her while I play with her whenever she is awake." Ardent replied.
"Hhhmm, I wonder when I will have younger siblings?" Catlin muttered. She was the youngest child, and the sole girl among her 4 siblings. While she was happy with her older siblings, spending time with Ardent and Runa made her want a younger sibling of her own.
"I don't think your family will grow Catlin." Celine exclaimed, popping any hope of the blonde girl. "Your Father is a Mage, which allow him to take care of many children, but 5 should be the limit. Taking care of more will require him to go out more and earn more for your family."
Being the daughter of a merchant, Celine is the smartest regarding financial subject in the group, so she was able to guess certain things. Catlin began to pout, as the others shook their heads at the cute blonde's antic.