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Evening crept in after we arrived at the mansion, unpacked, and finally got some rest on the bed. Then, we greeted the returning Patriarch.

“I hope the food is to your liking.”

Mother said gently at the dinner table where everyone had gathered.

“It’s perfect. I’ve never had such an enjoyable meal.”

The 4th Manager, who had been tense as if on night watch, replied swiftly. Mother nodded with satisfaction, seemingly pleased with her answer.

Honestly, there was no way anyone could complain with the feast in front of us. It felt like the embodiment of the phrase, ‘I didn’t know what you liked, so I prepared everything.’ I hadn’t been near the kitchen today, but I had a feeling the head chef was probably on the verge of collapse by now. Could we even eat all of this?

“If you need more, don’t hesitate to ask. We can prepare more.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”

The 4th Manager answered without a moment’s hesitation once more.

Was it just my imagination? Her behavior reminded me of a junior soldier meekly obeying a senior officer’s dining orders. It wouldn’t surprise me if she forced herself to eat more just to be polite.

“Dear, let the children eat at their own pace. It’s better for them to enjoy their meal comfortably.”

Then, the Patriarch quietly spoke from his seat at the head of the table.

It was a warm, considerate remark, likely meant to ease any pressure on the daughters-in-law. Still, I avoided looking at him, afraid I might burst out laughing if I did.

A treasure goblin…

I knew I shouldn’t, but the phrase had been stuck in my head all evening. The Patriarch was usually quite reserved, but he was draped in all kinds of gifts today. He looked so different from his usual self.

While Mother had only received matching necklaces, the Patriarch had been showered with an assortment of gifts—brooches, handkerchiefs, scarves, bracelets, and more. The gifts had no consistency, yet he wore them all without complaint.

I couldn’t tell if this was his way of accepting gifts as a noble or if it was the reaction of a father-in-law delighted by the attention from his daughters-in-law. Either way, it was a strange sight.

It’s still better than Mother.

At least it was more normal than Mother, who had eagerly put on all six necklaces the moment she received them. The givers had been more shocked than pleased.

“How could I possibly choose between such precious gifts? I want to wear them all, at least for today.”

But still, it would’ve been better if they had convinced her to wear them in shifts. The different gemstones on each necklace made her look like she was wearing a rainbow around her neck.

“It’s not a problem, Father. We’re actually grateful that Mother is so thoughtful.”

Marghetta said, smiling warmly.

At her words, Mother, who had momentarily faltered, smiled again. Her face brightened even more when her other daughters-in-law also nodded in agreement.

It might seem like she was overreacting to small things, but I understood why she was acting this way. The head maid had pulled me aside for a quiet word after we arrived at the mansion.

“Madam never had a harmonious relationship with her in-laws. The former lady of the house passed away early, and the previous Patriarch didn’t think highly of her. So, she likely hopes to experience the warm relationships she never had through her daughters-in-law.”

Since she had never received love from her in-laws, she wished to shower affection on her own daughters-in-law. Now, she wanted to create the loving relationship that she had never enjoyed.

Hearing this made me see Mother’s actions in a whole new light.

She’s a person starved for affection.

I would’ve never guessed. I always thought of her as someone quiet and emotionally reserved. Who would’ve imagined that she was carrying such a longing? Thinking about it, even her lack of attention towards us when we were growing up might’ve been because she hadn’t received proper affection from the Krasius family herself.

Also, she’d been making efforts to improve her relationship with me and Erich since last year. Maybe she wasn’t cold-hearted, just inexperienced in showing love.

At least her marriage is strong. That’s a relief.

I glanced toward the treasure gob—no, the Patriarch.

Despite her messy relationship with her in-laws and her lack of emotional connection with her children, it was probably thanks to the Patriarch that she managed to hold on. Even if her other relationships weren’t great, having a husband she could trust must have given her some stability.

Wait, why am I finding this heartwarming?

Suddenly, a thought struck me. If my inexperienced mother relied on the Patriarch for support, then did that mean they had some sort of connection? Did the stern, mechanical Patriarch really have that kind of bond with her? How did these two end up having such a good relationship?

That realization was a bit disorienting. Maybe the Patriarch was just as inexperienced as Mother and perhaps that was why they were so compatible. After all, he hadn’t done much to harm me aside from that one time he sold me out to the Prosecutors’ Office. His indifference toward his children was also similar to Mother’s.

Ah, nevermind.

This was too complicated to think about while eating.

But since it wasn’t an urgent issue, I should take my time thinking it over…

***Once the doubt took root, it poured out like a broken dam. I couldn’t shake the suspicion that perhaps the Patriarch wasn’t the strict, serious, mechanical figure I had always thought him to be.

“Young master, I apologize, but could you approve these documents for me?”

“I don’t mind, but isn’t the Patriarch around?”

That lingering suspicion was brought back to the surface the next morning thanks to the butler’s awkward visit.

“Well, my lord is having an important conversation with the lady…”

“A conversation?”

“Um…”

The butler hesitated for a moment, then dropped a bombshell.

“My lord said he was delayed by work matters yesterday, but I noticed his shoes had traces of dried grass and mud.”

“And?”

“Normally, there are similar traces when he returns from fishing.”

I was at a loss for words. In short, the butler was telling me that the Patriarch had made an excuse about work only to sneak off for a fishing trip and that Mother had found out and was giving him an earful.

I was stunned. This was so different from the Patriarch I thought I knew. Even the butler didn’t seem particularly surprised—he just seemed a bit sheepish, as if this sort of thing had happened before.

“It seems he did attend to work-related matters, but not alone. He went fishing with Count Vardon and the former Count Horfeld.”

Maybe the look on my face made me seem like a son shocked to find his father goofing off after bringing home a new daughter-in-law, because the butler hastily continued to explain.

It was true that I was shocked, but not for the reason the butler thought. As someone who worked in a high-ranking position, I understood that spending personal time with others could often be part of the job. I myself had been dragged on hunting trips with the Crown Prince before my academy deployment.

The shock now simply came from seeing an unexpected side of someone I thought I knew.

Having a ‘conversation’…

I nearly closed my eyes at the thought. They called it a conversation, but it was probably more like Mother giving Father an earful, and he had no idea how to respond. If it were a simple conversation, the butler wouldn’t have needed to come to me for approval. He could have slipped in, gotten the signature, and left quietly.

The fact that Mother figured it out by looking at his shoes was also hilarious. You’d need some serious experience to catch someone with such a small detail.

So, he must be a repeat offender.

Impressive.

It somehow felt like I had uncovered a hidden family secret…

Not that it made me particularly happy.

***I felt like I was sitting on a bed of thorns. I had never actually sat on one, but I was sure it would feel like this if I did. Why was I even here?

“I’m sorry, young master. This must have been quite sudden for you.”

“Oh, no. It’s fine.”

As I stared blankly at the dust floating in the air, Marghetta, who would soon become my first sister-in-law, spoke up.

Honestly, I wasn’t okay. It was all too sudden. But how could I say no when not just Marghetta but also my other soon-to-be sisters-in-law were surrounding me? I was especially afraid of what might happen if I upset my second sister-in-law. There was no way it would end well.

At least Sarah was with nanny, so it should be fine to leave her for a short while.

“So, what’s this about?”

I asked directly, hoping to get to the point as quickly as possible. If the conversation dragged on, Sarah might start wandering around the mansion while looking for me.

“We need your advice, young master.”

“My advice?”

I blinked in surprise. Advice? From me? Why me? They had the Mage Duchess, the greatest mage on the continent, and yet they wanted advice from an ordinary student like me?

…Why me…?

“It’s something only you, as Carl’s family, can answer.”

Marghetta added carefully, as if she had read the confusion and doubt in my eyes.

“It’s Carl’s birthday soon, right?”

Ah, that explained it.

At the mention of ‘birthday,’ I immediately understood. Since hyung’s birthday was just around the corner, his fiancées were asking me for advice.

It was obvious. They wanted to know what gift he would like. It did seem a bit late for them to be asking given that his birthday was just a few days away, but buying a gift doesn’t take that long.

“I don’t know.”

“Pardon?”

“I really don’t know his preferences. Hyung isn’t picky about anything.”

I decided to answer right away. This wasn’t the first time I’d been asked this kind of question. But honestly, I had no idea.

Hyung had never been the type to show any particular preferences. He accepted whatever he was given, and he used it until it wore out. That was just the kind of easy-going person he was.

“As predictable as it sounds, I think he’d be happy with anything—“

The Mage Duchess waved her hand before I could finish my sentence, and boxes upon boxes suddenly started appearing out of thin air, piling up in the room.

There was one box, then two, then ten, and soon dozens until there were easily over a hundred of them stacked up. It was quite a sight.

“We’ve already prepared gifts. But the thing is, we might have prepared… too many.”

“Oh, I see.”

I stared in shock at the boxes that were still stacking up. What on earth was this? Did they just buy everything because they didn’t know what he liked? Were they hoping that one of the gifts would land on the mark?

Well, it was certainly a strategy. There had to be at least one thing in that pile that matched hyung’s tastes.

“I just want to give him something he’ll really love. If I give him too many gifts, it might seem like I didn’t put any thought into it.”

Actually, wasn’t it a kind thoughtfulness in itself when the number of gifts exceeded a certain threshold? How could anyone top the effort of preparing over a hundred gifts just to get it right?

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to outright refuse or dismiss the efforts of the six pairs of earnest eyes staring at me.

Three of those pairs belonged to people I knew well, two belonged to seniors, and the last one was from someone so above me that I couldn’t even dream of refusing.

“Well, maybe… something he doesn’t already have?”

Irina chimed in as I mulled over the situation, glancing at the mountain of boxes.

That was a good approach. If we didn’t know what he liked, then maybe we could give him something he didn’t already have. After all, the best gifts were the ones you wouldn’t buy for yourself but would feel thrilled to receive from someone else.

What doesn’t he have?

But I couldn’t figure that out, either. I didn’t even know what he owned to begin with, so how could I know what he lacked?

…Wait.

“A vacation?”

I blurted out the first thing that came to mind without thinking.

Or maybe… not just a vacation. How about retirement?

If we were looking for something hyung desperately wanted but didn’t have, then some time off or retirement seemed like the best bets.