It was undoubtedly a hospitality unprecedented.

Handing over a golden medal to my daughter, allowing her to share a room with the princess, and even bringing an elephant to host a grand feast.

The emperor slightly nodded his head and whispered softly close to Hugo. It was a low voice that only Hugo could hear.

“I would have liked to say this earlier, but this lavish hospitality, actually, I did it because the author threatened to decapitate me.”

Without shifting his gaze following the Emperor’s chin gesture, Hugo quickly realized who the ‘author’ was referring to.

Who else could there be who can confidently say that they would decapitate the emperor?

“…I apologize instead.”

“I didn’t want to hear such words. Your daughter, I heard she’s deeply versed in spirit arts, isn’t she actually a tamer? It seems like she turns every being she touches into a wagging puppy.”

This time, Hugo’s gaze followed the emperor’s gaze to the right.

“Ahhh everyone my friend is leaving me!”

Ashrathhen was still clinging to Evelia’s hem and sobbing,

“Eve, don’t go. I’ll give you this. Look, it’s as big as your head.”

Adniel was swinging two kingsized madeleines in one hand in front of Evelia’s eyes.

Is it my head that’s big, or is it that the madeleine is as big as my head? Even though Evelia was sobbing, she tilted her head.

“Dry your tears, little one. I’ll bring you back, okay?”

The devil, who had threatened to decapitate the emperor, didn’t know what to do and was constantly wiping away tears. He looked just like a dog abandoned by its owner.

“Awooo.”

When his sister cried, Enlil, who bristled his fur, didn’t dare to growl at Ashrathhen, who had played with him all this time, but was threatening Adniel, who was easier to deal with, by grinding his teeth.

“……”

“……”

Hugo let out a big sigh he had never taken before.

Even with the mind of a duke overlooking an empire, it was hard to understand what the situation was and why they were behaving like that.

Ruling a territory, sweeping a battlefield, raising a daughter was far more complicated.

Evelia on the way back to the country was quite quiet.

After filling the bundle with various gifts bought with the money borrowed, or rather halfforced from Hugo, she was as silent as a scolded spinach.

She knew well that Ashrathhen and Adniel, who she had finally befriended, were not easily accessible children, and thus it was more heartbreaking.

A few days had passed since the return journey, but she still missed the fun times playing together.

Agares repeatedly handed out all the snack foods he could find to the whining little girl who looked pitiful with her lower lip sticking out.

Thus, the only little girl who was depressed while everyone else was excited on the return journey, arrived at the capital of the Arcadia Empire late at nine in the evening.

It was rude to barge into the palace at this hour, so the delegation decided to pay their respects to the emperor the next morning and scattered to their respective homes.

Only then did Evelia’s mood perk up a bit at the thought of finally meeting her family and the Knights after a long time.

“Sob… it’s our house!”

“Does that make you feel a bit better? I can take you to the Eastern Continent anytime, so stop being upset.”

Seeing the little girl’s expression brighten up, Agares leaned down and whispered softly.

“Come play with me at the secret base. I’ll be waiting.”

Although it was a pity that the first trip with a little friend had ended, it was a relief that there was a place called a secret base. Agares patted Evelia’s head and turned around.

A horn sound resonated, cutting through the cool night air of the duchy, welcoming the owner who had returned after a long fortnight.

Arkhan and Cedric had swung the mansion’s door open and rushed out even before Hugo could open it.

“Eve!”

“Our baby!”

Evelia’s small nose twitched with the familiar smell of her brothers rushing towards her, and her shoulders, which had been down, rose sharply.

“Brother!”

Without any hesitation, Evelia ran towards Arkhan and bodyslammed him.

Arkhan, who had now turned fifteen and had grown tall and sturdy like Hugo, picked up Evelia without even a slight wobble.

“Did you have a good trip, our youngest?”

The Harventa Empire was nice, but the duchy, where she had her warm brothers, was the best. Evelia nodded affirmatively, her face buried in Arkhan’s chest.

“You did great, our Eve. You’ve done something big.”

Elysia, who had rushed out in one breath, also patted Evelia’s buttocks.

Evelia was tense in case the Emperor of Harventa had told her mother about the accident, but considering the softness of the patting hand, it didn’t seem so. Evelia secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Thud.

Crash.

“Oh my, our little lady!!”

“The young lady is back!!”

The Artina Knights, who had been wandering around wondering when our young lady would come back, all gathered in a flock.

The large knights came rushing in like a herd of buffalo, knocking over various utensils placed here and there in the front yard, causing a loud noise.

“Knights!!”

When Evelia, in Arkhan’s arms, got down and ran towards the knights with her short arms stretched out, Caron, who was running ahead of everyone, knelt on one knee and caught her.

They knew she would come back safe and sound since she was with the master, but Caron and the rest of the Artina Knights had sleepless nights for a fortnight.

If she was on this continent, they could rush to her in case of any problem and save our young lady.

But the considerable distance felt from the term “another continent” made them quite uneasy.

“Our young lady has grown up while she was away!”

“Oh my, look how sturdy she has become!”

The Artina Knights, who were weak only in front of their young lady, despite their nickname “Mad Dog,” dabbed their teary eyes and devoted all their strength to the welcoming ceremony. They couldn’t have been prouder.

At that moment, Hugo, who had been glancing at the knights, acknowledged the greetings from his two sons with a nod, and gave a light bird kiss on the lips of his longawaited wife.

He heard his daughter bragging over his shoulder.

“That’s right! I caught a big snake!”

Hugo’s smooth motions stopped abruptly.

Right. He had an issue to settle with those bastards.

The sound of his cracking finger joints was eerie.

The knights, who were excited to see their young lady after a long time, didn’t notice the fierce energy of their lord, which they would usually detect swiftly. They shouted, praising their young lady for her wonderful achievement.

They were truly naive, not knowing what was right in front of them.

“Good heavens, our young lady has caught a snake that’s good for the body and tastes good!!”

“……”

Hugo’s eyes narrowed.

I caught you, you bastard.