Chapter 6

"…That concludes the situation in each country."

"Hmm…."

Orpheus, deeply seated in his chair, nodded slightly at the young butler's report.

Receiving various reports at the end of the day had become one of his routines since his retirement.

A maid pushed a cart with drinks and poured tea into Orpheus's teacup. It was tea made from tea leaves he had recently obtained from a distant eastern country. The pale green, translucent liquid filled the teacup.

"Hmm…?"

The tea leaves floated upright in the cup.

"Oh… In the country of Kyō, it is said that when the tea leaves stand up like this, it is a good omen."

"Hmm… Indeed."

While listening to the maid, Orpheus lifted the cup, cooled it to avoid burning himself, and sipped the tea. The slight astringency and sweetness filled his mouth. It was a taste he had not experienced much in Filfarria, but he did not dislike it.

(I'm getting a craving for something sweet…)

Just as Orpheus was thinking this, the maid placed a plate with sweets from the same country of Kyō on the table for a palate cleanser. Orpheus took a bite, savored it, and then sipped the tea. The sweetness of the sweets and the astringency of the tea complemented each other perfectly, making Orpheus smile involuntarily.

"This is good… There should be a special cup for Kyō tea… I think it's called a yunomi. I'll look for one next time…"

Satisfied, Orpheus grunted, and the young butler, Regis, continued his report.

"Lastly, the events of the day at the Turkis household…"

(Come to think of it, Sir Shiro said that Will would start practicing magic soon…)

Thinking of his youngest grandson, Orpheus took a sip from his teacup.

"…Master Wilber has mastered multiple barriers."

"Wha…! Ow!!"

Orpheus spat out the tea, which splashed onto his face. The maid hurriedly handed him a cold towel.

"Wh-what are you saying, Regis!?"

"No, sir. That's what the report says…"

Orpheus snatched the report from Regis and glared at it as if about to headbutt it.

'Today, Master Wilber started his magic practice.

When trying to teach him a physical barrier, he also learned a magical barrier and ended up mastering multiple barriers.'

"Ended up…?"

After reading the sentence, Orpheus sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair. He handed the report to the maid, who read it and smiled wryly.

"This is quite something… Those girls must be having a hard time."

"What do you think, Elise?"

In response to Orpheus's question, the maid placed her finger on her cheek and thought.

"I haven't seen Master Wilber much recently, so I can't say for sure…"

"Ah, I see…"

Orpheus leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He was happy about his grandson's growth, but in Will's case, it was a bit too hasty. It was understandable to be worried.

"Also, sir…"

"Is there more?"

With his eyes still closed, Orpheus listened as Regis, who had taken the report from Elise, continued.

"One of the maids, excited by Master Wilber's growth, tried to hug him and ended up hitting her head on the barrier, sustaining a minor injury. What should we do?"

"I don't care…"

Orpheus groaned weakly, and Regis responded, "Understood," ending the day's report.

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"Here it is…"

Elise stood in front of a large gate and looked up at the mansion a short distance away. She then turned her gaze to the guardhouse by the gate.

"Excuse me."

"Oh… I thought you were someone else, Elise."

A man in his forties with kind, narrow eyes smiled.

"You're as good with flattery as ever, John."

"Your casual outfit threw me off. It's a pleasure to see you."

John stood up, left the guardhouse, and looked at Elise waiting by the gate. Her beautiful face and white dress suited her well.

"You should take a break from watching for suspicious people and enjoy the view of a beautiful woman once in a while."

"Stop it… The girls would be angry if they heard you."

"They're still just girls… Besides, they're head over heels for the prince."

John shrugged, and Elise chuckled softly. Elise was escorted by John to the entrance of the mansion.

"Hey, is anyone there?"

John opened the door and peered into the entrance hall. Nina, who was running, stopped in front of him.

"Uncle John! Oh, ah!?"

Seeing Elise standing next to John, Nina ran over with a smile.

"Elise! !"

Nina jumped and hugged Elise, who gently caught her.

"Oh, oh, that's not proper for a lady…"

"Hehehe…"

Nina blushed and laughed. Soon, Aika appeared in the entrance hall, having heard the commotion.

"Hey, maid, we have a guest."

"Elise-senpai! I'm so sorry!"

Aika rushed over, flustered.

"It's fine, Aika. I just happened to be in the area…."

It was a lie. In truth, she had been worried about Will for a long time, and when Orpheus started writhing in anxiety, she was finally persuaded to visit on her day off.

"John could have called me sooner…"

"I did. Don't be so cold to your father."

"Father and daughter are strictly prohibited during work hours, I told you!"

"Alright, alright…"

Elise gently intervened, and Nina looked up at the two of them, puzzled.

"So, where are Lady Selena and Master Wilber?"

"Lady Selena is at the school, and Misha went to pick her up. Master Wilber is with Lady Cecilia, I believe."

Aika, who had straightened up, informed them of their whereabouts.

"Then let's go greet Lady Cecilia."

Leaving John at the guardhouse, the three of them headed to the living room where Cecilia was.

"Oh, welcome. Elise."

Cecilia, sitting on the sofa, smiled warmly at Elise.

"It's been a while. Lady Cecilia."

Elise bowed politely. Cecilia's smile turned slightly awkward.

"It feels strange to be so formal with someone who's like family."

"Hehehe…"

They had known each other for a long time, and to Cecilia, Elise was like a younger sister. Elise knew this well and understood that Cecilia didn't care for formalities. However, etiquette was important.

"Who's there?"

Will, who had been hiding behind the sofa, peeked out with a puzzled look. Elise bent down.

"Good to see you, Master Wilber. I'm Elise, who serves Lord Orpheus. Do you remember me?"

"Huh?"

Elise and Will had met before, but it had been during the New Year's greetings. It was unlikely that the young Will remembered her.

Thinking about it, Elise gently stroked Will's head. Not wanting to trouble him further, she asked a different question.

"What were you doing, Master Wilber?"

"Cough, I was reading a story."

Will showed her the picture book he had been holding.

"Another Spirit King story? You really like the Spirit King, don't you, Will?"

Nina's exasperated voice made Cecilia chuckle.

The Spirit King was a popular title in folklore. No one knew when the story began, but it had spread across the world, and many authors had written stories about the Spirit King in various genres, including picture books, novels, and plays.

"Will, are you going to become the Spirit King in the future?"

Cecilia joked, and Will raised both hands and said, "I'll be a king!"

Then, as if remembering something, he stood up.

"Magic practice!"

Cecilia smiled and said, "Wait a bit. Let's wait for Selena to come back."

"Selena-sama?"

Realizing he had been caught, Will sat back down.

"I'll wait."

He flipped through the picture book and started humming a tune. Elise, watching him with a smile, turned to Cecilia.

"Are you going to start the magic training now?"

"Yes. Recently, we've been waiting for all three of them to gather before starting."

Cecilia answered and stroked Will's head.

"Lady Cecilia, may I observe the children's training?"

"Of course, you're welcome to."

It was a sudden request, but for Cecilia, having someone she trusted watch over her children was a good thing.

"Lady, Elise-senpai, I've brought tea."

Mina appeared in the living room and placed tea in front of Cecilia and Elise, and juice in front of Will and Nina.

"Mina, how is your head?"

"Umm…"

Mina hesitated at Elise's concerned question.

"It's good to be energetic, but try to be a bit more composed."

"Yes…"

Mina's shoulders drooped at Elise's advice. Seeing this, Will stood up and clung to Mina's skirt.

"Mina, does it still hurt? Let me pet you?"

"It's fine, Master Wilber."

Mina squatted down and stroked Will's head, and Will reciprocated by petting Mina's head. The heartwarming scene relaxed the atmosphere in the living room. Just then, Selena and Misha returned from the school with Ren and Tomason.

"Selena-sama! Selena-sama, welcome back!"

Will, who had jumped up, ran to Selena and jumped into her arms.

"Welcome back, Will."

Selena smiled and hugged Will tightly. Will, delighted, hugged her back. Nina also ran to Selena and greeted her brightly.

"Selena-sama, welcome back!"

"Alright, Will! Are you ready?"

"Ready as ever!"

Nina's words made Will respond enthusiastically and raise his hand.

"Alright. I'll get ready too."

Selena, amused by Will's excitement, took his hand. She held Nina's hand with her other hand, and the three of them left the living room together.

"They really get along well…"

"Thanks to that, it makes things easier for us."

Watching the children leave, Elise murmured, and Cecilia smiled happily. Normally, children of their age would have some arguments, but not these three.

"I've never seen them argue."

Tomason nodded in agreement.

"They always bring a smile to our hearts, such a wonderful brother and sister."

Misha's gentle tone made Elise turn and look at her closely.

"Misha… Are you not getting enough sleep?"

"No, no…"

Elise knew Misha was a laid-back person, but that wasn't the issue. Misha's eyes were slightly dark under them.

"You have dark circles."

"No, no…"

Misha's tone remained the same, but her gentle face was filled with confidence.