/
At the same time, someone burst into the conversation.
“My little kid knows what she’s talking about!”
It was Kirios, who was somehow overjoyed.
“I did not interrupt because the kid was paying special attention to His Highness the First Prince. Because I don’t mind Lakius at all,” Kirios said, emphasizing the word ‘not’.
‘But I thought you were interrupting because you care?’
I felt a little despondent. Either way, Kirios kept talking.
“Rudolph, that damned little

 No, I was reacting to the way the Second Prince treated our Tati.”
“Kirios, please.” Siegfried patted Kirios on the back, then looked back at Lakius.
“Anyway, I think Tatiana is right, too.”
“Duke of Orleans.”
“As a nobleman of the Empire, you should not bow your head to an enemy of the Crown

 if I may say so.” Siegfried offered a blunt but welcome comment. “Still, it’s good to see you reflecting on your mistakes and apologizing.”
“

.”
“I think you have what it takes to be a monarch,” Siegfried concluded with a shrug.
“Well, the First Prince hasn’t really done anything wrong in this case.” At the same time, Cesar made a casual appeal to Lakius. “There are refreshments and tea in the living room, if you’d like to come and sit down.”
“Cesar, one would think you owned this townhouse.”
“What’s between us now, what’s yours and what’s mine? You’re being a little too rude to a comrade-in-arms who once slew a demon together,” Cesar added dryly.
“Still, what’s mine is mine.” Siegfried glared at Cesar in annoyance.
“Ha, really, you guys

.”
You really

 don’t have any dignity as heroes who saved humanity. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, sulking like that in front of an eight-year-old prince?
I watched both of them with cold eyes.
Kirios leaned down and whispered to me, “Kid.”
“What?”
“All men are wolves.”
“

.”
I remembered.
He’s one of those cranky, pouty people, too, isn’t he

.
Meanwhile, regardless of whether or not I made an incredulous face, Kirios repeatedly assured me.
“Although the First Prince does appear to be quite polite as far as I can tell, but still, you never know.”
“

.”
“You shouldn’t be getting into any trouble. You understand?”
Only after a firm glance did Kirios relax again.
I gave him a quick glance, then grabbed Lakius’s hand.
“Why don’t you and Tati get a snack?”
“

.”
“

.”
“

.”
At that moment, the three warriors looked at me with shocked eyes. I ignored their stares, of course.
What are real grown-ups doing being so childish?
“Nora, ah, Nora is my nanny, and she made me a cherry pie.”
“Oh, you mean the cherry pie that has my eye color?” Lakius smiled faintly.
It was the first innocent smile I’d ever seen on the face of this eight-year-old boy. I instantly relaxed a little.
Well, at least I got to see him smile like that.
I guess everything’s okay for now.
***
After saving mankind from the threat of the five demon lords, these three heroes earned the respect and affection of not only their own people, but the entire world.
The three heroes, who seem to have nothing to worry about, were now faced with the conundrum of the century.
Why does Tati not have a dad?!
The conundrum was the issue of Tatiana’s adoption.
Having recently witnessed Rudolph’s openly threatening behavior towards Tatiana, the three heroes agreed that she needed to be given legal protection.
The most efficient way to do this is to take her in as their legal daughter.
The only question was under whose name she would be adopted

.
“Under the Duke of Orleans, of course,” Siegfried declared proudly. “The priests are forbidden to marry in the first place, so that rules out Cesar.”
“Only marriage is forbidden, but you can always adopt?” Cesar protested meekly,
“So, you’re going to raise a half-human, half-demon child who can’t even control her magic, in a holy temple brimming with holy power?”
“

.”
He was silenced by one of Siegfried’s bone-crunching attacks.
“I am not forbidden to be married, and I can always adopt?” Kirios countered ambitiously.
“Don’t you think I know there are magical experimental accidents every single day in the tower? What if the child is in danger?”
“

.”
It was argued relentlessly.
Kirios glared at Siegfried in exasperation.
“At least be fair with the dad title. I refuse to let you be the only one called Dad!”
“Well, that’s fine, by me.”
Siegfried had managed to tidy up that last outburst.
So Cesar and Kirios cried and ate mustard, and agreed to let Tatiana become an adopted daughter of the Duke of Orleans.
The problem is, the biggest hurdle was still to come.
“

How do we present Tatiana with the adoption offer?”
Siegfried muttered under his breath.
Actually, the adoption itself wasn’t that difficult. Even if Siegfried himself was clumsy with children, there were plenty of other people who could help with childcare.
There were no shortage of places to raise a child.
And while he might not be as good as her biological parents, Siegfried would do his best to give the child the love and care she deserved.
The only thing that bothered him was.
“I don’t want to be the one to push my own agenda 

 and end up hurting Tatiana.”
“But we can’t just leave her like this,” Kirios retorted, his tone somewhat sharp. “I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about the last time Rudolph raised his hands on my little kid.”
He had a murderous look on his face and was ready to punch Rudolph in the face if he saw him.
Afterwards, the Emperor himself sent a letter of apology. The three warriors simply ignored the letter.
They couldn’t forgive Rudolph.
“In order to reduce such unreasonable things a little, don’t you think it would be best to give the kid a clear identity?”
“I’m inclined to agree 

 but the most important thing is Miss Tatiana’s heart.”
Cesar glanced up and saw Tatiana in the distance, eating a snack under the watchful eye of the maids.
Her cheeks, rounded by the madeleine she’d crammed into it, bounced as she chewed.
“

She looks like a squirrel.”
At Cesar’s comment, the men chuckled softly.
One of the maids carefully stroked Tatiana’s cheek.
“Miss, you have cookie crumbs on your cheeks.”
“Oh, thank you!” Tatiana giggled.
For a moment, the maid’s gaze went blank as she looked at the child, then she tapped the shoulder of another maid standing next to her.
“Oh my God, I finally got to touch the young miss’s cheeks

!”
“Don’t make such a fuss about it. I’ve hugged the young lady before.”
The other maid replied with a snort.
Siegfried rolled his eyes.
Why is it that whenever Tatiana is around, everyone acts like they have a screw loose

.
‘I hope I don’t look as foolish as they do.’
The three warriors took a moment of self-reflection as they watched the maids squirm.
And then.
Tatiana glanced over and jumped to her feet. Holding onto the madeleine plate with both hands, she rushed over.
“These are delicious, you should eat with me.”
“Eat more, kid,” Kirios replied gruffly.
Then Tatiana picked up a madeleine and held it out to him.
“Ahh,” she cooed, opening her mouth as an example. “Have some!”
“Huh?” Kirios, rarely embarrassed, blinked his eyes.
Tatiana smiled fondly.
“They say good things taste better when you share them.”
Ah, so this is what it’s like to raise a daughter?
At this moment, Kirios understood perfectly why so many fathers in this world were fools for their daughters.
“Hmmm.”
Feeling a pang in his chest, Kirios gave a short, forced cough. Sweeping a strand of red hair behind his ear, he leaned in toward Tatiana.
“Well, if that is what you want to give me.”
Kirios took the madeleine from the child’s hand with a proud expression.
“

.”
“

.”
Siegfried and Cesar looked at Kirios with disbelief, then exchanged glances.
‘How odd, Kirios.’
‘Looks like you’ve been perfectly tamed by Miss Tatiana, right?’