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“Mia! I’m glad everyone is safe!”
“Ares! That’s my line, you disappeared so suddenly… we were worried!”
“Brother Ares!”
I take Mia and the kids home. The kids follow behind me timidly, happy to see Ares in the living room.
“… Mmm!”
“…(gulp)”
“Look. All three of you, Gray-san, we’re also working…”
“Yeah, yeah”
“…”
And over here, the situation is a bit chaotic with Nina and Stella showing their displeasure because I didn’t come home yesterday, and Fio and Iska following Ratz, who is stuck to me and won’t leave me.
Ariamel is checking the food inventory. She says that if there’s anything missing, I’ll go out and buy it, but… can I go?
Nina puffed her cheeks out in anger. She’s angry, but… she’s an angel by all accounts.
.
“Mmmm!”
“…”
Humans are patient creatures.
It is only through self-discipline and a strong will not to give in to desire that one can become a person.
That’s why I won’t lose. If I lose here, you will definitely get angry… so
I gently poked Nina’s puffy cheek with my index finger.
A puffy sound comes out.
…I’m sorry, I just did that.
Perhaps embarrassed, Nina trembled with tears in her eyes.
“Boo! Hey, Oto-san! Boo!”
whoosh whoosh
“I’m sorry…”
I knew you were angry….
“Papa, Papa. Me too.”
(singing)
Now Stella and Ratz, who were watching, puff out their cheeks and bring their faces closer together. It’s an angel, there’s an angel.
I gently poke their soft cheeks with my left and right index fingers.
“Oto-shan, Nina too, Nina too muu-muu!”
Nina puffed up her cheeks again when she saw the two of them laughing as if they were tickled. … the purpose has changed.
However, if you don’t mind, I will.
“…All three of them seem to be in a much better mood.”
“I guess so. Why don’t you do it too, Iska?”
Fio responds to Iska’s mutterings with a smirk.
“Why, I don’t care. I’m not that young.”
“You’ve been looking at them with envy for a while now. Besides, at our age, it’s not funny to want to be spoiled by your father.”
“No way, I don’t want to be spoiled…”
Iska was embarrassed by Fio’s words.
“… I’m fine after all. Anyways…”
Iska looks at Ares, who seems happy to see Mia and the others again. His expression seems somewhat relieved.
Iska and Ares seem to have minimal conversation as far as I can see, but it doesn’t seem like they are on bad terms.
“Do they look happy?”
As I was looking at Iska and the others, Nina, who was next to me on my knees, looked at Ares and said so.
“Oh, yeah. He was able to meet the family he’s always wanted to see. They must be happy.”
“Oto-san too?”
“Hmm?”
“Does the oto-san feel happy about Nina and the others?”
What a natural thing to say.
“Oh”
If I had never met these children, I wouldn’t have thought about it. There is no need for such assumptions. I am happy now that I have met them.
“Um, Gray-san.”
As I am called by Ares, when I turn around, Ares and Mia bow their heads.
“I asked Mia what happened. Thank you so much for saving everyone…and me.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about it. It’s natural to help your family when they’re in trouble.”
When I say this, Ares smiles happily.
What kind of life did these children originally lead in “Bright Fantasy”? Perhaps they may have a tremendously harsh future ahead of them.
But I’ll wipe off all the sparks that fall on these kids. I want to spend the rest of my life with these children.
Even if that future lies beyond mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.
After that, Ariamel enters the living room with a note in her hand. The note included the number of missing ingredients and bedding.
As expected of Ariamel, I didn’t expect her to know the number of beddings we had…
I decided to go shopping based on the note I received. I also had to return the carriage I had rented from the “War Maiden” party house. I should apologize to her for the damage…it was pretty big.
However, there was something strange about Ariamel when she was trying to give me the note earlier. She seemed spaced out or …… what’s troubling her?
―――――
The living room after Gray went out shopping.
“…”
“…Sister Aria, what are you doing? Puffing out your cheeks and all.”
“What? Uh, this is… well…”
Ariamel panics when Fio calls out to her.
“Hey, it’s nothing. I’m going to prepare dinner for a while.”
With that, Ariamel walks out of the living room.
“What do you mean… you don’t have enough ingredients?”
Fio muttered to herself, thought for a moment, and then came up with an idea.
(Aria-nee, could it be that you saw Gray-san poke Nina and the others on the cheek? If so… hmm)