How Long Will This Adorable Wish Last?

I wondered how long that cute little wish of hers would last.

Mother smiled brightly.

Right now, we were enjoying a leisurely tea time before receiving the guests who would soon arrive at the duchy. Mother and Ester were both beautifully dressed, and I, neatly attired, was savoring this rare moment of peace.

Ester squirmed shyly, looking exactly like a happy little puppy. How adorable.

More importantly, even while talking to Mother, her eyes kept drifting back to me. It felt good to be the object of my little sister’s affection.

Mother couldn’t resist and began tickling the nape of Ester’s neck. Both their faces were filled with smiles. It was an incredibly heartwarming sight.

Lately, Ester had been learning magic from Mother. Mother was usually busy strengthening the duchy’s internal affairs, but she somehow carved out time to teach her twice a week.

Despite the short lessons, Ester was apparently absorbing knowledge like a sponge.

Mother was also famous as a tremendous genius. There had even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠been rumors that if she hadn’t married Father and continued training, she would have surpassed the Seventh Circle.

People said it was a shame her talent had been wasted, that the Leonhardt Duchy had swallowed up the Sylvania Duchy’s genius. Of course, Mother cared far more about her love for Father than for magic, so she never felt the slightest regret.

And as for those who spread negative rumors about Father… she tracked them down one by one…

Anyway, one could say it was the power of truly great love. After all, she had set aside the honor that mattered most to nobles.

Ester’s large eyes trembled. Well, she wasn’t wrong.

A Seventh Circle mage was called a human disaster. It was a superhuman realm that those without talent couldn’t even dream of. Like a Sword Master, it was strength that transcended human limits.

Even Mother had taken a long time to reach the Sixth Circle. Which meant her current age was…

Mother’s mouth was smiling, but her eyes were dead as she stared at me. An emergency siren blared inside my head. To emit this much killing intent with just her gaze…

It was definitely best not to think about her age. Could mages use mind-reading magic too? I had nearly lost my life at Mother’s hands.

Mother hugged Ester tightly and planted kisses on her chubby cheeks. Meanwhile, I had almost been murdered just now.

I used to be her precious son too, but now the treatment was completely different. It felt a little bitter. Was this the difference between sons and daughters?

Honestly, I also preferred daughters over sons. Among fifteen-year-olds, one son was plenty. Two at most?

And besides…

Ester was just so incredibly cute. Even if I were Mother, I would have favored her too.

More importantly, it seemed my little sister still hadn’t given up on marrying me. I wondered how long that adorable wish of hers would last.

If she gave up too soon, this frail old man would be terribly hurt. I hoped she would at least keep it until she turned ten.

The guests scheduled to visit today were Grandfather and Grandmother. They must have received a letter from my parents and come to see Ester.

Incidentally, Father had gone to the imperial palace. Since he was friends with the Emperor, he was summoned whenever His Majesty felt bored. If he refused, a letter would arrive saying things like, ‘The duchy dares reject the Emperor’s command? Is this rebellion? Disloyalty? Execution?’

Father would grumble ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that he had no choice but to go, but he was secretly smiling. He’d probably come back drunk again.

Thanks to that, Mother had stared at Father with those dead eyes. Father left without noticing, of course.

I simply hoped that on his final journey there, he would enjoy himself to the fullest.

After shaking off those pointless thoughts, we arrived at the main gate. Suddenly, I felt Ester’s soft cheek pressing against my arm.

She used to hold my hand, but ever since her marriage declaration, she always linked arms with me. It was incredibly adorable.

I gently stroked Ester’s hair.

Her cheeks, lightly flushed pink, rubbed against my arm. I really hoped my future wife would be healthy. After all, I was planning on having fifteen children.

Before I knew it, Grandfather and Grandmother had arrived.

Mother greeted them with perfect etiquette. Ester and I stood beside her and awkwardly bowed our heads.

Grandfather was a large man with faded blond hair and a well-groomed beard. He looked like a perfectly maintained elderly model.

Beside him stood Grandmother with her elegant gray hair. She gave off the aura of a gracefully aged foreign actress from my previous life.

I hoped I would age as beautifully as the two of them someday.

Ester, receiving their gazes, flinched and hugged my arm even tighter. She seemed startled by the imposing presence of these strangers.

Well, when I first met them, I had burst into tears too.

I whispered softly into Ester’s ear. She flinched cutely as I drew closer.

When Ester saw my serious eyes, she nodded.

Ester’s voice had come out much louder than expected. Her face turned bright red in surprise.

Ha, maybe seventeen children wasn’t too much after all. My greed was growing by the day.

Suddenly, Grandfather and Grandmother approached with tremendous momentum. The startled Ester clung tightly to my arm. Not bad at all.

The two of them began touching Ester’s cheeks and hair from every angle.

They mercilessly stroked Ester’s cheeks and hair. Mother watched the scene with a pleased expression, though a hint of jealousy lingered in her eyes. She probably wanted to join in and touch Ester herself.

Ester, being thoroughly petted, answered diligently.

That only made them pet her more intensely, and they even started tickling her on purpose. Both their faces had completely melted.

They truly were Father’s parents. Or perhaps Ester’s cuteness was simply too violent.

…

We all moved to the reception room and continued our conversation. There was so much to catch up on that the discussion was quite enjoyable.

Damn it. The enjoyment was officially canceled.

They still didn’t know I had changed. My parents occasionally missed the old me and threw tantrums about it. Whenever that happened, I used the Ester Shield.

In our house, bringing up Ester as a topic whenever things got difficult solved everything.

Fortunately, it worked on them too. I stroked Ester’s hair in gratitude for her cuteness.

It was obvious how pleased she was. As expected of Grandmother. A Seventh Circle mage was an extremely rare talent in the empire, yet she could casually arrange one. It was exactly what one would expect from someone from the Blenian Duchy, known as the Brain of the Empire.

It was probably through connections with a relative who worked as a financial officer in the imperial court.

Come to think of it, both Grandfather and Father seemed to have been very good at courting the young ladies of ducal families. I was only aiming for a count’s daughter at best. This was going to be difficult.

Still, since our lovely Ester was receiving the affection of such high-spec individuals, it should be fine. After all, if even one of your children succeeded in marriage, it was considered a solid foundation.

Grandfather watched the friendly interaction between Grandmother and Ester with a jealous gaze. I knew that look well.

These days, whenever Ester spotted me, she would run over and link arms with me. If I smiled warmly and stroked her hair, Father would glare at me with that exact same expression.

It really was like father, like son.

Grandfather finally looked satisfied as he watched Ester laugh brightly. He really was transparent—just like Father.

It was a very warm scene.

A bomb had been dropped.

The warm atmosphere froze solid. Grandfather and Grandmother wore expressions that asked what she meant, while Mother stiffened like a statue.

Pfft—

To me, this was an incredibly interesting situation. I still remembered how she hadn’t helped me last time and even interfered with me reclaiming my title as older brother. The sense of betrayal back then was indescribable.

Therefore, I absolutely would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not help in this situation. I deliberately avoided Mother’s desperate gaze.

‘No. Go away. I’m not helping you.’

After all, one reaps what one sows.