/
It was dinner time and I sat Ray and Shasha in the chairs in turn.
Next to them was Speranza.
Looking at the children sitting next to me, I felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
As always, Kaneff sat on his usual seat with a languid face, and Andras was seated next to him.
Usually, Alfred or Lia would sit next to Andras, but today it was a little different.
“Uh-huh! I’ll have to sit next to Prince Barbatos today.”
“Huh? Really? Oh my, then, there’s still a seat vacant next to Andras.”
With their shabby acting Alfred and Lia made the seat next to Andras vacant.
Fortunately, Andras did not seem to have noticed anything strange.
“You should sit here today, Amy. Come quickly.”
“What? Oh… Yes!”
Amy hesitated to move to the seat next to Andras.
Lia clenched her two fists and showed them to Amy to convey her support.
After a big shuffle, when everyone took their seat, everyone began to eat in earnest.
Today’s dinner menu was Fried Rice made with various ingredients.
I looked around and looked at people’s reactions.
Fortunately, the food seemed to suit everyone’s taste.
Finally, I turned to the children.
“How is it, guys? Is the fried rice good?”
“It’s good.”
“Umu, it’s good.”
The twins moved the small spoons hard and took the fried rice to their mouths.
Since they were still bad at using the spoons, they often spilled food or got it in their mouths.
Whenever that happened, Speranza, who was next to them, took care of the twins as if she was taking care of her younger siblings.
The twins naturally accepted Speranza’s touch.
My heart warmed at the sight of the children who seemed to have become siblings.
If I had a wife, we would have really been discussing giving Speranza a younger sibling.
I also looked at the situation on the other side of the table while taking care of the children.
I could see Andras and Amy sitting side by side and eating.
Amy kept glancing sideways, smiling faintly whenever Andras enjoyed the fried rice.
The food on her plate was almost untouched as if she was full just seeing Andras eat.
‘Aww… it’s so cute!’
Just watching her affectionate appearance made my heart tickle.
However, Amy only kept glancing at the side, and she didn’t get a proper chance to speak to Andras.
Alfred and Lia, who gave her the opportunity using their shabby acting were also displeased by the situation unfolding.
I thought there won’t be any progress if it was left like this, so I stepped in.
“Andras. What do you think of the fried rice?”
“I don’t think it’s much different than usual. Like always it’s good.”
“That’s a relief. Today, it wasn’t me who made the dinner, it was Amy who prepared it.”
Fortunately, Amy wasn’t as bad as Lia when it came to cooking skills.
Her skills quickly improved just by teaching her and giving her proper advice.
“Did you make this Fried rice, Amy? It was as if eating Sihyeon’s dish.”
Andras looked at his side with a slight surprise.
At the same time, Amy trembled.
She asked in a trembling voice.
“Um, what do you think? The dish I made…”
“It’s excellent. You didn’t have a talent for just magic alone. If you had chosen to be a cook, you would have been very successful.”
“Really?”
A happy smile bloomed on Amy’s face at the praise that came out of Andras’ mouth.
Alfred and Lia also nodded satisfactorily as they watched the smooth flow.
“Shall I make you another dish next time?”
“I’d be happy if you could make me another delicious dish like this. But don’t force yourself….”
“That’s okay. Please show your face to the Wizardry often. Then, I can give it to you often.”
They didn’t make any huge progress in their relationship, but it seemed like a good start for a new relationship.
Looking at the two getting along, I suddenly remembered something and turned to the end of the table.
There, I saw Crosel who didn’t get along with anyone and just focused only on his meals.
After finishing the meal quickly, he quietly left the dining room with a short greeting.
He has been like this since he arrived at the farm.
At first, I thought it was because life on the farm felt awkward, but it was not that, Crosel was deliberately refusing to interact with people.
Since coming here, he worked hard and helped with farm work. It didn’t seem like he was shy because I got to talk to him sometimes during work.
I was lost in thought as I looked at the door of the dining room through which Crosel left.
The next day.
Baby Yakums and griffins huddled in the shade of a windy tree.
-Booo…Woow…Wooooooooo.
Tanduk closed his eyes comfortably at my soft combing and made a low cry.
Now, Tanduk was much bigger than Akum, so it took quite a while just to brush him.
I finished organizing his hair everywhere and patted his back.
“Yes, pal, it’s over. You can go now.”
-…….
“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me, get up quickly. I have to brush your brother and sister too.”
– Boooooo! Boooooo!
Tanduk wanted more brushing, so he began to grumble with his larger body.
“Oh, my! You punk! Stop it. Now, I won’t stand a chance if you rush in like when you used to be a kid. That was once upon a time when you were a baby Yakum. Now, you’re all grown up.”
– Woooooo.
Fortunately, he soon stopped complaining, instead, he made a slightly sad cry.
I smiled and hugged him.
“Don’t be too disappointed. You’ll always be a baby for me. I’ll take care of you as long as you want, okay?.”
-Boo Wo woooo.
“Instead, reduce some rough pranks like headbutting, okay?”
When I hugged and patted for a while, Tanduk was satisfied and escaped from my arms.
Lia and Alfred, who were watching from the side, said in admiration.
“It’s always amazing how Yakum trusts and follows Sihyeon.”
“Tanduk is always like that… Maybe he likes Sihyeon more than his mom and Dad.”
These days, both of them are quite used to baby Yakums.
Even now, Lia and Alfred are combing Aara and Dora next to me.
Thinking about Alfred, who fainted just from seeing Akum in the past, this was a huge improvement.
“With a little more effort, it would be possible for you guys to brush the grown Yakums. Speaking of which, would you like to come with me to brush Bighorn in the afternoon?”
Lia shook her head with a bitter smile, and Alfred trembled as if he didn’t want to imagine it.
“Sihyeon, that’s a bit…”
“Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps, Senior.”
“Both of you are exaggerating…”
– Biip! Biip!
– Biip!
While talking to the two, Grify and Finny grabbed my clothes with their beaks.
“Okay okay, you guys are up next, come here.”
I picked up the comb again.
The two quick-witted guys settled down quietly in front of me.
Just as I was about to start brushing, I heard someone’s footsteps.
“My Lord, I just finished what you asked me to do.”
“Oh! Good work, Prince Barbatos.”
“Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“No. Why don’t you take a break and have a chat with us here?”
At my suggestion, Crosel hesitated for a moment.
“…I’m fine, my Lord. If you don’t have anything else for me to do, I’ll go back to my room and wait.”
He looked at the griffins in my arms for a moment, then turned and walked toward the farm building.
Looking at his back, I muttered regretfully.
“Hmm, Is Prince Barbatos still not comfortable with us?”
“Huh? Well… He might have his own reasons.”
Alfred seemed to know something, so I immediately asked him the reason he was talking about.
He hesitated for a moment to answer with a bewildered expression.
But he couldn’t stand my persistent gaze and eventually opened his mouth.
“I also found out recently. Prince Barbatos is in a pretty bad situation.”
“…?”
“The last time when Senior and Andras  visited the Barbatos family, something bad happened to you two, right?”
“Well, that was really a close one. What would have happened if I hadn’t cured the Lord in time…”
“Do you remember the person who troubled you two at that time?”
“Umm….”
A middle-aged Demon with dark eyebrows, a beard, and sharp eyes got pictured in my head.
It was Godmother Diana’s first son, he tried to take control of the Barbatos family when the Lord fell sick.
“Uh… what was his name…Ah, yes… YAIGER. Why are you asking that now, Alfred?”
“Well, that Yaiger’s son’s name is Crosel Lenik Barbatos.”
“…What?”
Crosel is Yaiger’s son?
I opened my eyes wide in amazement at the fact I heard for the first time.
When I looked at Lia, her reaction was similar to mine.
“So, they sent the son of the one who tried to take Lord’s place as a Successor candidate?”
“Yes.”
“Huh….”
Now, I understood why he was like that on the farm.
I don’t know exactly what kind of mindset he has now, but I’m sure he won’t be here with a comfortable mind.
“Elaine, why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”
“I too recently found this out. While working together with him, it didn’t seem like he was a bad person. Most of all, he didn’t seem interested in the position of Successor. I thought it would be more uncomfortable for you to talk to him if you knew that… I’m sorry, senior. I didn’t mean to hide it.”
“Ugh…”
I didn’t want to blame Alfred for what he did.
According to the circumstances, it was simply that he didn’t get the right time to talk about this.
More than that, there is a new problem.
Corsel was not interested in the Successor position.
‘What!? What the hell is happening?’
Amy looks like she’s more interested in Andras than the Successor position, and the twins look more interested in playing with Speranza than the Successor position.
If even Crosel was not interested in the successor position…Who are they asking me to select?
My head was in a mess at the increasingly strange situation.
At the time when Alfred and Lia were watching me roll my head in silence, an urgent sound of footsteps came toward us.
“Lord Cardis!”
“… Amy?”
“Help me!”
“……?”