* * *

“Water is so white! The steam is rising!”

My sisters laughed at my exclamation.

“Is this your first time at a hot spring?”

“Yes.”

“It’s amazing, isn’t it? Hot, white water coming out of the ground. It’s fascinating.”

“It should be effective in melting away all the tension in your body.”

As I dipped my toes in the water, it stung.

“It’s hot!”

“Take it slow and get in.”

I slowly eased my way into the water, soothing the heart of a child who wanted to jump in recklessly.

As the hot water enveloped my body, it sent shivers down my spine.

The texture of the water was fascinatingly soft.

‘Ahh…this feels good….’

As I leaned back, Anna handed me a glass of ice-cold juice.

‘I thought I’d never be able to visit a hot spring like this in my lifetime.’

It was hard enough to make ends meet, so I never even considered going to a hot spring.

“Wow, you’re really good at bathing in hot springs.”

“You’re doing well despite the heat!”

“Our duck and whale friends came to play here! And our turtle friend too!”

My sisters played with the duck, whale, and turtle toys in the water.

They seemed worried that I might catch a cold if I got out before my body was completely relaxed.

Why would I leave such a wonderful place?

‘Oh, right. I’ve been a total baby before and jumped out because I didn’t want to take a bath….’

I used to be obedient when it came to bathing, but now I understand why my sisters are acting like this.

“Is it warm?”

“Yeah!”

“That’s a relief. The Duke’s Castle is warm, so you won’t have any discomfort staying there.”

“Yes.”

While I focused on catching the quacking duck, my sisters chatted.

“Still, it would have been much easier if we had traveled after spring arrived.”

“Maybe His Excellency got annoyed because Duke Iskamil kept sending invitations.”

“And I heard that Duke Delvatren and Marquis Sherdel also sent invitations.”

At the familiar names, I looked up from my playtime with the duck and whale.

“Is there a problem between Dad and the nobles?”

To get annoyed at the mere sending of invitations and would rather go to the mainland…

“Well, it’s not that simple… It’s not because of bad relations between the families.”

“It’s not His Excellency who was invited.”

“Huh? Then who was?”

Was there someone else besides Dad who was invited?

“You, miss.”

“Me?”

Anna nodded her head when she pointed at me.

“Yes, all three of them invited you.”

“Why me?”

“I don’t know. No one has seen the contents of the letters.”

“His Excellency has been burning all letters from those three families lately.”

“If he burns them with magic, there won’t be any trace left behind.”

“Amazing!”

The power of a magnificent, mysterious fantasy!

My sisters chuckled at my words.

“You’re the only one who can say that, Youngest Miss.”

“At first, I thought you were just an ordinary person, but you’re really a Phaeraton.”

“Well then! I’m Daddy’s daughter!”

I put my hands on my waist and posed, causing water to splash everywhere and my bath friends to run away.

My sisters laughed and brought my friends closer.

“That’s right. Our miss is the youngest lady of Phaeraton.”

“Yes!”

Hehe.

* * *

After finishing my bath, I went to the tea room.

It was because my brothers told me to come and eat snacks with them.

“Ruatisha.”

When I opened the door to the tea room, Ares smiled at me. It was a gentle smile with his eyes forming a soft smile.

‘Wow…’

Sitting with his legs crossed, holding a teacup, he looked as refreshing as a spring breeze.

Despite being a boy still, Ares had long arms and legs.

His neatly-arranged black hair and red eyes were just like Dad’s, but his slightly drooping eyes made his impression softer.

“Hello!”

I greeted him as I learned to do, and Ares patted the seat next to him.

“Come on, sit down.”

I sat down next to him without hesitation.

Across from us was Ixion, who was staring off into space with a face that said he was bored to death.

“Hello.”

I greeted him again as a polite and kind child, but Ixion turned his head as if he heard a dog barking somewhere.

What a bad kid! Hmph!

“I was surprised.”

Then, a gentle voice came from next to me.

Ares brushed aside my hair that had fallen in front of my face and said,

“I never thought I’d have such a cute and lovely little sister like you.”

His slightly smiling eyes were as sweet as honey.

Wow… Really…

I’m so happy.

To think that such a kind, gentle, and handsome person is my brother!

This is the romance-fantasy world I’ve been dreaming of!

‘As expected, I did the right thing praying to the real god instead of that damn devil! Thank you, sir! I’m four years old. Please take care of me from now on!’

It was a little embarrassing, but as a child, I always judged people by their looks.

This can’t be helped. Oh well.

“Let’s get along since we haven’t seen each other in a while.”

“Yes!”

When I was sharing warm affection with Ares,

“Yuck.”

Ixion made a disgusted face, raised an eyebrow, and asked Ares,

“Did you eat something wrong?”

No, why is he picking a fight with my brother?

“What’s so great about that weakling.”

His red eyes turned towards me.

“She’s cute.”

“Cute? Looks like you finally have an eye problem.”

With a snap, Ixion sat on the sofa with a relaxed posture.

I stuck my lips out like a duck’s bill.

Don’t interrupt the fun time Ares and I are having!

“What?”

Ixion looked at me and twisted one corner of his mouth.

“Were you glaring at me?”

Yeah!

I was glaring at you!

So what!

“…I was just looking. I wasn’t glaring at you.”

Honestly, I was scared. Just a tiny bit though.

“Why?”

“Can’t I look?”

“Huh.”

“…Well, at least he’s good-looking.”

The words came out of my mouth without me realizing it.

‘Oh my god, what did I just say?’

But he’s kind of an asshole, he’s good-looking.

I mumbled to myself as a half-child.

“What?”

“I can’t help but like good-looking things. It’s human nature.”

Ixion looked at me as if he had forgotten what he was going to say. He had been calm and had a look of superiority since earlier.

What a loser, hmph!

“Did Ruatisha say Ixion is good-looking?”

Ares turned to me and asked.

“No!”

I vehemently denied it.

“To me, Ares is more handsome! Ares is the best! I want to play with Ares!”

“Huh. That guy, more than me?”

I heard Ixion’s cold laugh, but who cares?

“You siblings have a pair of blind eyes.”

Yeah, I can’t hear you!

Ares is my only brother!

Ruru doesn’t know about such a bad brother. He’s not here. He left the house.

That’s when it happened.

Ding–

[A new quest has arrived.]

?You Must First Manage Your Household (1)?

Dear reader!

There are those who dare to ignore and ridicule you, a contractor of Aphthanes!

This is unacceptable.

After all, the heavenly decree commands respect for the messenger.

If you want to rule the country, you must first manage your household!

No, I know you know the world well, but still, it’s a Western-style world, so those Chinese idioms are a bit…

And first of all, I don’t have any intention of ruling a country…

I just want to be a small building owner.

Conquer the Phaeraton Duchy!

Let the ignorant masses know who the true conqueror is and show off your majesty!

First, conquering Ixion will be the first step.

– Condition: Gain recognition from Ixion as a member of the family

– Reward: 3000 cash lottery ticket, increase of influence in the Duchy of Phaeraton, progress of linked quest?????

Well, it would be nice to get along with Ixion, but do I really have to?

He’s the brother who left home.

He’s completely lost his way.

There’s always someone in the family who’s gone astray.

That’s what family is for.

At that moment, the last line of the quest window caught my eye.

– Quest refusal penalty: Life drop

– Quest failure penalty: Life drop

‘Yeah, we should get along well as a family!’

What does it mean to have a good family!

Whether it’s good or bad, we’re family because we’re together!

‘Ahem. I thought so even before coming to the dukedom!’

I was originally planning on getting along with Ixion!

Haha, hahaha!

But why am I sweating…

[You have accepted the quest.]

You evil devil.

Hnngg.

* * *

Plop plop plop plop

“Ixion!”

Ixion was annoyed by the voice calling out to him.

He didn’t know how long the annoying fluffball had been doing this.

Even though he was ignoring her and taking steps, the plopping sound wouldn’t disappear.

Eventually, Ixion turned his body around.

“Ixion!”

When their eyes met, the fluffball giggled.

“What do you think you’re doing? You weakling.”

“I’m strong!”

The fluffball lifted both fists and shouted.

“Hmm.”

Ixion tilted his head with a skeptical expression. A sly smile appeared on his lips.

“Is that so? Then maybe you can withstand this as well?”

A dense and dark energy began to seep out around him.

Something that the direct descendants of Phaeraton were more familiar with than the oxygen in the air.

But for others, it was a dangerously fatal power.

Magic.

“A weakling who was handed over to another house because she couldn’t even endure the magic.”

The extended magic rushed towards Ruatisha.

The small child seemed unable to avoid that powerful force.

Just as the black energy was about to wrap around the child’s thin neck…

Boom!!

A loud thud echoed.

Even though it was a clash of energy, it sounded like metal hitting metal.

In the midst of the collapsing black energy, the face of a boy so beautiful that it seemed unreal appeared.

It was Ares.

“Ixion.”

The boy’s low voice echoed.

“Don’t torment your younger sister too much.”

Ixion smiled, revealing his true intention.

“Ah, but it’s also fun to deal with you.”

He pulled the magic even stronger.

In an instant, Ixion’s surroundings were dyed black like the night had been cut off.

The momentum of the magic was different from before.

Earlier, the darkness had expanded fiercely and ferociously as if it was just a joke.

“Haa, you really have nothing to say to your older brother.”

Ares let out a deep sigh.

Ruatisha, who had been staring at Ixion with a fixed gaze, looked at Ares with hope.

She was surprised when Ixion suddenly came out violently, but she knew who Ares was.

He was the kindest, most affectionate, and gentle boy in the world.

Of course, he wouldn’t be as hot-blooded or violent as Ixion.

He wouldn’t be excited about the approaching fight and would surely handle this situation well…

“I wonder if I should make the hierarchy clearer.”

A clear voice rang out.

What?

What did you say?

Ruatisha looked blankly at Ares.

The sweetest, sweetest and kindest boy in the world was laughing and burning up his wish to live.

His slightly shriveled eyes were prettily curved, and his lips drew a clean line.

The same face as usual.

But it was completely different.

It was a violent and cruel smile.

It seemed like he would really kill Ixion.

‘W-what kind of relationship is this between brothers?’

Ruatisha broke out in a cold sweat.

What should I do?

If this goes on, something really big will happen.

The magic that the two boys raised roared fiercely.

The wind blew like a typhoon, and the trees shook violently.

The ground trembled.

It was truly a situation of a spark causing an explosion.

‘Oh no.’

What should I do?

Ruatisha bit her lips while flipping her fluttering hair.

‘What if this really turns into a bloody incident?’

If someone gets seriously injured…

No, it wasn’t the time to worry about whether her brothers would get hurt.

It’s like a spectacular explosion of a whale fight, scattering in seven different directions like shrimp tails, and causing a commotion afterward.

‘No!’

She had finally just become a building ownder, a mine owner, a horse ranch owner, and a land owner.

Her happy real estate life was just beginning.

She couldn’t let it end like this without even checking her bank balance once!

“Hic.”

Tears welled up in Ruatisha’s big eyes.

The sight of a crying child was pitiful, but Ixion and Ares didn’t care, of course.

They only fueled their fighting spirit towards each other.

That’s when it happened.

“Ruru is sorry!”

Ruatisha shouted with a sobbing voice.

“It’s all because Ruru is too cute!”

What?

What did you say?

The two boys looked at Ruatisha with a bewildered expression, forgetting their fight.

Sha-la-la~

A sound effect like that was heard from somewhere.

A four-year-old child was crying with the most pitiful face in the world, with both hands attached to her chubby cheeks.

“Don’t fight over Ruru!”

What?

Fighting over who?

“I like both of you…! So stop now!”

Ixion and Ares were stunned.

If someone saw these two right now, they would have caused a stir with their expressions.

Anyway, Ruatisha disarmed the two boys in an instant.

The raging magic and the howling wind subsided in an instant.

It was all thanks to the earnest plea of their youngest sister to stop.

…in many ways.

“Ruru is sorry. Be a little cuter from now on.”

Ruatisha wiped away her tears with her still radiant face.

Her little finger was held up straight.