“Prepare to open the gift boxes the nobles sent when the kids arrive.”

Moments later, I caught Poppy, who was hopping around, disrupting my focus.

And a few hours later, in the afternoon.

“Has everyone arrived?”

The usual gathering place was under renovation, so a temporary meeting room was set up in one of the remaining rooms of Bowellian Castle.

“Yes!”

Hearing that the kids were still digesting their carriage snacks, I instructed the maids to only serve drinks.

“I’m so happy that the princess called me!”

The child was like a fish in water, reminiscent of a pet dog I once raised.

With Beris cupping her cheeks and her eyes shining, I was momentarily reminded of pets I had raised in my various past lives as a hunter.

Seeing her felt like she had invisible ears and a tail.

It looked like she was ready to chase after a ball if thrown one.

“Alright, have a seat.”

Suppressing my urge to outright say she looked like a dog, I calmed the excited Beris down.

“Today, I’ve called you here for a special mission.”

I spoke solemnly with a grave expression. Sasha and Beris quietly nodded, but the twins raised their hands in unison, causing a commotion.

“I think I know!”

“Eating lots of cake!”

They interrupted before I finished speaking. Frustrated but wanting to avoid a chill in the atmosphere, I quickly corrected them.

“That’s not it.”

If a special mission was merely about eating dessert, I would’ve warned them in a letter. I was irked, momentarily remembering how frustrating it was to get sense into kids who misunderstood during my time as a knight.

But I maintained my composure, attributing my hardened face to being taken aback by their unexpected answer.

‘Is food all they think about?’

It’s been seven years, and the only change was that they now spoke without lisping. The twins’ naivety was cascading like a waterfall, enough to form a lake and possibly an ocean.

‘I’ve lived for hundreds of years; I can endure this.’

Getting upset and throwing a tantrum at their immaturity would be a significant blow to my self-esteem.
So, unlike such fools, I proceed with intelligence.

Ever since I was publicly declared the heir to the throne, the number of gifts sent from each domain of the empire had been overwhelmingly immense, to the point where I couldn’t open them myself. It was timely that these kids visited, so I planned to use them as labor.

That’s why I told Miranda and Hailey that we’d open the nobles’ gifts together in the morning.

If you ask why I had to bother with these kids, I don’t have a specific answer, but they are easy to persuade and convenient to boss around.

I clearly saw that they would obediently follow if I simply offered a carrot, saying let’s open the conventionally sent gifts together.

“Everyone, follow me.”

So, lend me a hand, you brats.

I stood from my chair and spoke tersely.

“I won’t send anyone home until this special task is completed.”

Life had become much easier; once upon a time, I had to rotate my body to land feet-first on the ground to avoid falling when getting off the chair.

“Are we being detained?”

Meanwhile, Sasha, who followed from behind, spewed nonsense half-jokingly, causing me to be alarmed.

No matter how cruelly I might act, treating them as cheap labor, I wouldn’t confine them in a sealed room.

“Of course not!”

Sasha, you rascal!

For a while, he had been quiet, making me think he had become more docile, but then he spouted deceptively innocent, irritating remarks, accompanied by a glint in his eye, making me sigh.

“That’s a relief.”

“For a moment, I thought the princess was really going to lock us up.”

“I said no!”

It’s frustrating that they’re dense when they need to be smart and only sharp when unnecessary. I decided not to waste any more words.

Sometimes, just as we seem to be communicating, I feel an insurmountable wall blocking us, making my heart sink.

“Wow!”

So, if you ask whether the atmosphere had gone cold, no. I’d just gotten a little angry but kept it to myself. There was no need to drain my emotions over every little thing; it was inefficient.

“Now, all of you just need to open these boxes one by one.”

Then, the mood-makers among us let out cheers at the sight of the various gift boxes that filled half of the large reception room. The various colors of wrapping paper—gold, silver, white, red—reflected the sunlight, and I realized that they were stamped with each family’s crest in what seemed to be a combination of specialized ink and wax.

“And let me know what’s inside. Whoever opens the most will be rewarded by me.”

Metaphorically speaking, I was also greasing and maintaining the wheels. I smirked as even Sasha, who had recently become enthusiastic, seemed interested.

No matter how clever they are, kids have a simple side; if you offer them something, they try hard.

In fact, this technique had worked on Jeff and Hecate when they were young; seeing it still effective decades later, I imagined it would work a hundred years from now on other kids.

Now all that was left for me was to leisurely open one or two gift boxes while others fiercely competed.

“As I said earlier, you won’t be sent home until all of those are opened.”

I confidently pointed at the pile of specially segregated gift boxes with my index finger and smiled brightly.