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The old district in the non-human sanctuary area was just as quiet as expected. As we waited absentmindedly for the Wise Duchess, a carriage escorted by knights arrived. Judging by the Salon ducal family crest on the carriage, it was definitely the Wise Duchess.

I ignored Erich, who closed his eyes dejectedly as soon as he saw the crest, and approached the carriage. The carriage door flew open on its own before the knights could even touch it.

“Yaaay! Nepheeeew!”

The Wise Duchess practically exploded out of the carriage, flinging the door open with enough force to almost break it. Meanwhile, the knights showed no change in expression, seemingly used to the Wise Duchess’s eccentricities.

It was a pitiful sight. These knights must’ve been chosen for their skill, character, and lineage, but they were stuck guarding her. Rather than feeling pride in their duty, they must spend each day simply praying to survive it.

“It’s been a while, Aunt.”

“Hehe! Long time no see, nephew! Yaaay! Seeing you in person is better than through the communication crystal!”

“Yes. I think so, too.”

I nodded and responded to the Wise Duchess, who kept slapping my arm as if delighted. Her gaze was already directed behind me anyway. She’d move on quickly as long as I didn’t give an answer that would upset her.

“Little nepheeeew!”

As expected, the Wise Duchess immediately rushed towards her next prey. It made sense—she had seen me just a few months ago at the New Year’s Ball, but it had been years since she’d seen Erich.

Thank goodness. I had never felt so glad about being obligated to attend the New Year’s Ball. Thank you so much, imperial law.

“Erich has grown so much, too. He’s a full-fledged adult now.”

Uncle’s amused voice reached my ears as I watched the Wise Duchess shower Erich with relentless kisses.

It seemed like he was just expressing happiness at seeing him after a long time, but saying such things while Erich was being miserably smothered made it sound like teasing. If Erich heard, he’d probably ask what kind of adult had to endure that.

“To her, he’s still a child.”

“That can’t be helped. Just as parents always see their children as kids, it’s no different for us nieces and aunts.”

In other words, this excessive affection wouldn’t change until either the Wise Duchess or Erich died. What a terrifying thought.

Hang in there.

Erich was now having his cheeks sucked beyond mere kisses, while Sarah didn’t seem to know what to do, unable to bring herself to push away her crush’s aunt, who was also a duke.

Meanwhile, the Mage Duchess was rubbing her forehead at a fellow duke’s antics. I looked away, afraid that my own mental state might be damaged if I kept watching.

Endure it, Erich. You need to keep the Wise Duchess occupied for me to survive.

“Oh, come on. Why are you hiding when you’ve come all this way?”

“Pardon?”

I turned to Uncle at the sudden words.

“I-I’m not hiding.”

Then, I quickly lowered my head at the young voice coming from below.

Only then did I notice the young girl peeking out from behind Uncle. She had brown hair, much like his, and striking golden eyes like the Wise Duchess’s. But unlike the Wise Duchess’s eyes, which were clouded with drunkenness, these eyes sparkled brightly.

...Ah.

Is this the young duke?

It was my first time seeing her in person, so I wasn’t entirely sure, but everything pointed to that conclusion. She had clearly inherited her parents’ features, and the only child who could be sticking so close to Uncle would be their heir.

She’s still a child.

It was a bit embarrassing. I thought she was a gloomy kid forced into being a hikikomori due to work, but she was just a child in her growing years. Not even knowing my cousin’s age really showed how little interest I had in my extended family.

The young duke trembled as I stared blankly at her, but she soon bravely stepped out from behind Uncle to greet me.

“I am Liliana Salon of the Salon ducal family. It’s an honor to meet the renowned Prosecutors’ Office’s Executive Manager.”

Such a simple greeting, yet it gave me hope for the future of the Salon ducal family. Her bold eyes avoided mine only briefly, while her voice was clear and steady for her age. Her tone was also polite and proper. Most importantly, unlike a certain someone else, she wasn’t drunk.

What truly warmed my heart, though, was how she struggled to maintain composure despite trembling slightly in this unfamiliar situation. She was clearly nervous but doing her best to act poised.

It’s a miracle.

I couldn’t help but be amazed at the fact that such a normal daughter came from that Wise Duchess. Of course, the Wise Duchess herself was a once-in-a-generation mutation within the Salon ducal family, and Uncle’s blood was mixed in too, but some people were worried that the mutant genes might be so strong they’d be passed on to the child.

“Nice to meet you, young duke. I’m Carl Krasius of the Krasius family.”

Anyway, impressed by the young child’s efforts, I politely offered a handshake. I saw her flinch as I bent my knees slightly to match her height, but I pretended not to notice.

Based on her speech, I could see she was trying hard to appear mature. Treating her like a child would only upset her.

“It’s reassuring to see your cousin treating you so kindly, Lily. I was worried you might feel lonely, but with him around, you’ll be in good hands.”

However, my consideration was rendered meaningless as Uncle gently stroked the young duke’s head while speaking softly. She started trembling again, this time for a different reason, at the obvious child-like treatment.

But it couldn’t be helped. For my uncle, she wasn’t just his niece—she was his beloved, adorable daughter. To him, she’d still be a precious baby even when she turned twenty or thirty.

A female version of Erich.

Thinking of it that way made me feel sorry for her. Unlike Erich, though, she had to live with the Wise Duchess. That poor girl’s cheeks probably didn’t stand a chance.

Ah.

She’s crying.

***The sobbing voice of a young child echoed sadly.

“I-I... sniff... just wanted... hic... to make a good impression... hic... since it’s my first time... meeting my older cousins...”

Uncle gently patted her back with a somewhat awkward smile as she sobbed her heart out. Though her hiccuping made it hard to understand, it seemed she was upset that her ‘grand and dignified debut as a young duke’ had instantly devolved into ‘a little sister saying hello to her older brothers.’

No wonder she specifically called me Executive Manager. At first, I thought she’d simply picked up my title from somewhere, but she wanted to appear impressive because she was the younger sibling by blood relation.

She really is a child.

I swallowed the words that had risen to my throat.

“Huhuhu... Lilyyyy... If you cry like that, mommy’s heart hurts too...”

The Wise Duchess approached the young duke sobbing in Uncle’s arms, but the young duke desperately avoided her touch.

Strange. Uncle was clearly the one who upset her, but she was avoiding the Wise Duchess. Did she know that the Wise Duchess wasn’t normal...? Her cheeks must really be overworked at home.

“A lady’s age doesn’t matter. Treating her like a child—even as her parent—is quite rude.”

The Mage Duchess, who had been watching the commotion caused by the little girl with warm eyes, spoke up. It was a thoughtful remark, pointing out that if a little girl tries to act like a lady, her parents should support her rather than simply treating her as an adorable kid.

“Haha, I was short-sighted. Thanks to Your Grace, I’ve gained an important insight.”

Uncle nodded at the advice. He seemed genuinely reflective, as though he wouldn’t have teased her so much if he’d realized how deeply it affected her.

Still, it felt odd to hear this from the Mage Duchess. While she said that age didn’t determine whether someone was a lady, it also implied that even at a hundred, someone could still be considered one—

“Huh? Darling! Why are you being so formal with the Mage Duchess?”

The Wise Duchess’s words interrupted my thoughts.

What?

I was bewildered. Wasn’t it natural for my uncle to be formal with the Mage Duchess? If anything, it wouldn’t be strange for the Mage Duchess to speak casually to my uncle, but she also used formal speech out of respect for him being a duke’s consort...

“The Mage Duchess~ She’s our niece-in-law now! Who uses formal speech with their niece-in-law?!”

For a moment, I doubted my ears. Seeing Uncle’s eyes widen, he probably felt the same.

Sure, if the Mage Duchess was my fiancée, then she could technically be considered their niece-in-law. But expecting my uncle to casually drop all formalities? That seemed a bit much.

...Or is it?

Come to think of it, the Mage Duchess seemed to secretly hope for the Patriarch and Mother to speak to her more casually. In that case, she might actually be happy if someone called her their niece-in-law.

Nope, nevermind.

That idea crumbled the moment I saw her face. Suddenly targeted, she wore an incredibly complex expression.

On one hand, being addressed more casually by someone as important as my uncle, her future mother-in-law’s brother, was likely a welcome development. However, considering that particular brother’s wife was the Wise Duchess, she couldn’t be entirely happy about it.

If she allowed Uncle to speak casually, she’d have to allow the Wise Duchess that privilege, too. But banning it entirely would mean forcing Uncle to use formal speech forever. It was a perfect example of life’s cruel balancing act—you couldn’t gain something without losing something else.

“Hehe. Niece-in-law~ Can I speak casually to you from now on?”

“...”

At those words, the Mage Duchess had the expression of a mathematician witnessing an unprecedented problem.

***Thanks to Uncle’s mediation, we avoided the disaster of the Wise Duchess sucking on the Mage Duchess’s cheeks. Without him, things might have escalated to that point. Perhaps it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Uncle was the one upholding the empire’s peace.

“It’s not polite to speak casually when they’re not even officially married yet.”

“Aww, I get it...”

While his mediation was only temporary, it was enough to prevent an immediate catastrophe.

“Oh right! Nephew!”

The Wise Duchess spoke up just as we were about to part ways.

“Where are you headed now?”

“Since we’re here, we thought we’d look around the sanctuary area.”

Fortunately, it was a normal question, so I answered casually—

“Then take our Lily with you!”

Saying that, the Wise Duchess picked up the young duke who was clinging to Uncle and held her out to me.

...

“Pardon?”

“Our cute Lilyyy~ keeps reading books in her room every single day... It makes me worried!”

No, that’s a wholesome and good hobby, so why are you...?

Besides, was she in any position to worry about others?

“But now our reliableee~ nephew and nieces-in-law are here! We can leave her with peace of mind!”

At those words, the young duke’s eyes began to tremble.

“It’s about time for Lily to experience the outside world.”

The trembling in her eyes turned to full-blown despair as Uncle, the one person she had trusted implicitly, betrayed her.

Stop it, she’s going to cry again.

Even if we were cousins, it was too much to throw a ten-year-old child among strangers.