A week after arriving in the Perseita Empire, I met my mother and siblings.

Even after my mother left, I cried alone for a long time before calming myself down.

My mind was set, and I was Gennes. My mother had cried, saying she didn’t know how much she had waited for this moment, but I had no intention of looking towards Caletta.

“Make sure no one enters the fortress carelessly. This must never happen again. However, only the people of the Plache Count’s house can enter by royal decree.”

“Yes!”

After the morning incident, Imperialle guarded Belfort more strictly.

I observed my playful siblings in a strange place and sorted my thoughts.

An extremely unpleasant notification had been sent to the Caletta embassy that I was here. A statement was added that they would personally witness the monster subjugation, essentially telling them, ‘I’m showing you everything you want to see, so just shut up.’

Of course, the people of the Caletta embassy could not get close to Caletta by any means.

The defense of Belfort had been tremendously strengthened because of the guests staying here.

In addition to the two young counts of Plache who arrived unexpectedly in the morning, news that there was actually one more young count meant that no one dared to come to Belfort.

“Bella, don’t you want to eat carrots?”

“Uh, yeah.”

After washing her face, I looked at Hayden, who started a late lunch with the children.

“I don’t like beans.”

The more I looked, the more Bella and Sia resembled me, chillingly so.

Of course, the sisters resembled their mother and father in different proportions, but sneaking carrots and beans with their tiny forks was exactly like my childhood.

Usually, that would have resulted in a scolding from mother. But here, there was no mother, only a grandfather who would do anything the children wanted.

“Then give it to me.”

Hayden held out his fork and brought his plate close to Bella’s.

“Um, Mom will scold you!”

Mom said not to give it to Grandfather! Bella protested eagerly. Hayden winked.

“It’s a secret from Mom.”

A secret! Bella quickly scraped off the carrot. Sia also happily passed over the beans. As the children handed over the vegetables they hated, he looked up at me.

“You should eat, Countess. Lunch is already too late.”

Would Hayden, who was desperately taking care of meals, know this? Naturally, my share was already prepared on the table at his direction. I sat next to Bella, who was kicking her legs.

“If Countess Gennes dislikes any vegetables, give them to me. I’ll eat them instead.”

“No thanks. Your Highness is trying to grow taller by eating them all, aren’t you?”

My elder sister spoke firmly and bit into a roasted green bean, and the children’s eyes widened.

“Ah, you caught me.”

Was that it? Bella’s red, plump lips opened wide.

She wanted to grow taller like her elder sister Sia, who was quite a bit older, and now a fully grown sister like me had appeared.

She had to grow quickly, not just riding a hobbyhorse, but riding a real horse. Grandfather was monopolizing the carrots to grow taller himself!

“I, I’m okay without growing any taller!”

Sia shook her head as if she’d rather die than eat beans.

“Really? Then let’s leave it at that.”

I only cared about emptying my plate, indifferent. Watching her elder sister anxiously, and then her even older sister, Bella timidly extended her fork toward Grandfather’s plate.

“Shall I give it back?”

When Grandfather asked kindly, Bella hesitated and replied.

“Just a little bit…….”

“Yes, just a little. Bella will eat carrots and grow a bit taller.”

At Hayden’s gentle words, even Sia, with ears perked up, took back just one bean, closed her eyes, and ate.

Hayden, who had been watching quietly, stroked Sia’s head. It seemed they had known Hayden quite a while.

He was especially informal with the children. Eventually, he ate the carrots and beans pushed aside by Bella and Sia and confirmed they had finished eating.

“Have you finished eating? Come here, let’s wipe your mouth.”

“Your Highness, I will do that…….”
Anyway, the younger siblings were there, so she thought she should take care of them, but Hayden extended his hand.

“Let the Duchess finish her meal.”

Her plate, brought out late due to cooking, was still half full. The children who stood before the master wiped their mouths and went to brush their teeth. The dining table suddenly felt empty as the children who were talking left.

“Congratulations on reuniting with your family.”

Hayden said, sitting back down in his seat. He was large in stature, and had an unavoidably heavy presence, no matter how much he tried to restrain it.

Therefore, the previously empty dining table not only felt filled again but also seemed to lean towards where he was sitting.

“Thank you.”

That thank you included gratitude for reuniting them and for telling Rue the truth.

“Congratulations on having siblings. It must be a bit shocking.”

“Parents having a good relationship is a good thing for the children too.”

Hayden chuckled.

“So, what happens to me now?”