Oh, I'm not busy.
　One day off, I was sitting in my room with nothing better to do.

　I had nothing to do with my study group with Hermann and his friends, and I had decided not to do any adventurer's requests with Belle for the time being.

"Why don't you go play with your friends?

That's why we're both back home.
　We both go home for the holidays. .......

'I see. ....... Why don't you go home to your parents, Leo-sama?
　You know, I haven't been home for a while now.
　It's been a while since I've seen you.

I guess so: ....... It's been a while. I'll be in transition soon enough.

Yes, I do.

All right, let's go. Do you want to come with me, Belle?
　Then I held out my hand to Belle.

"What?　Me too?

Yeah, you're coming with me.
　I don't like the idea of leaving the bell on the table.

Okay, but you can go to ......

So it's settled then. It's been a long time since I've seen my parents.
　I took Belle's hand in mine and made the transition to Forster Territory.

''Feng, it's been a long time...''
　I love this little rural feel.

Hey!　Master Leo!　Where am I?!
　I was looking at my parents' house, which I hadn't been back to in a long time, when Belle let out a cry of surprise.

'Here?　This is a mansion in Forster territory.

"Whoa, Forster Realm!

What's up with you being so surprised?
　Bell suggested I go back to my parents' house, you know?

''No, no, I thought I was going back to my parents' house in the Imperial City: ......

'Oh, sure, you could have gone to ...... grandma's house. ......
　I mean, you'd normally go there.
　Well, now that I'm here, I'm coming to you.

Yeah, let's go inside. Let's go inside.

'Yes, yes ......'
　I walked in, pulling on a nervous Belle's hand.

I'm home.

Leleo?
　As soon as he heard my voice, Sebastian jumped out at me.

"Oh, Sebastian. Long time no see!

Long time no see. What are you doing here all of a sudden?

It was my free time.

'So it was: ....... What's in the back?

She's my personal maid. Belle, this is Sebastian, the house's head butler.
　I introduced Sebastian to Belle while introducing Belle to Sebastian.

'Shh, Chief Steward!　It's nice to meet you. My name is Belle.
　When she heard that she was the head butler, she immediately greeted him politely.

'So you were Master Leo's personal maid. Amelie did a good job. But I didn't know that Master Leo and Master Kent really liked each other: ......
　Oh, that story: .......

'Maybe it's about me and my grandfather liking the beast people?　Amelie said the head maid told her about it.

'I see, she also knew that Master Kent had doted on the former head maid.
　From Sebastian's point of view, Grandpa was doting on the beastly maid: .......

''Grandpa doted on them that much?''

Yes. Enough to make Master Carina jealous.
　Grandma is jealous!

I did. ....... That grandmother is so jealous. ......
　I can't imagine my grandma's personality: .......
　Maybe that's how much Grandpa was into that maid.


'Oh, Leo!

Hmm?　Wow!
　I thought I heard voices and then my mom came running in and hugged me.



'Why are you here?　What about school?
　She hugged me and asked me questions.

It's my day off. I thought I'd come over because it was my day off.

"Yeah. That's good to hear. Sebastian, go tell Alex and the others that Leo is home.

Yes, sir.
　Sebastian thanked him and went to the room where his brothers were.

　I understand that your brother graduated from witchcraft school and is now working for your father.
　I see that Fiona is living here too, and I'm looking forward to meeting her. .......

You should come home more often, if you can come so easily. Mom, we miss you.
　As I was thinking about my brothers, my mom, who was still holding me, complained.

"I've been busy. I haven't had anything going on today for a long time.
　I've been so busy on my recent holidays, teaching magic tools at my master's place, taking requests from Belle and the adventurers, and so many other things .
　Well, I could have gone as many times as I wanted to .

''I see. What do you usually do?

I've been trying to help my friends with their schoolwork lately. To prepare for next year's placement test.

Oh, good girl. Hey, I heard that. Did you win first place in your test last time?
　Mom said that and started patting my head in praise.

'Yeah, that was first place.'

Great. Good job.
　It's nice to be treated like a child for the first time in a long time.
　It kind of calms me down.

Oh, there you are. Leo, it's good to see you. You're a big boy again.
　I heard my dad's voice as she patted me on the head.

Long time. It's been a while.
　I put my hand on my head.
　You never know if you've grown up, do you?

Yeah, I think I'm bigger now than I was at the wedding.
　Now I heard my brother Alex's voice.

Oh, brother!　Long time no see!

Good to see you. Good to see you.

I'm fine. How's your brother?　How hard is it to be a lord?

Yeah, I've been feeling good too. Is it hard work being a lord? The Forster Domain is next to the Demon Forest, so you have to worry about that as well, and there's a lot to learn, so it's tough.
　Ah~ The Devil's Forest... It's true that this place is more dangerous than normal territory.

That sounds awful. I'll help you when the dragons come in my brother's stead.
　I can't take out a herd, but I can take out one of them.

Ha-haha ...... Haha, I don't like that ......
　My brother sighed and became depressed.

'Don't be so depressed. Worrying about it doesn't help, does it?

I can't help it, so I sigh. ......
　Dad encouraged him, but he remained depressed.
　Well, if you can't do anything about it, it's easier to be as optimistic as Dad. .......

You two can't just sit here and talk about it. Why don't we go to your room and have a long talk with Leo?
　Mom's words put an end to our talk.

Yeah, all right. It's a little early, but I think we'll have lunch.

Yeah. Okay, I'll go get Fiona.
　Oh, Fiona is here. I haven't seen her since the wedding. .......


　Then my brother brought Fiona over and we all started eating lunch together.
"Yes, it's good to eat at home.
　It's partly because the food here is good, but it's always better to have a meal with your family.

I know. You have to eat alone in the dorms, don't you feel lonely?

That's not true. I've got Bell.


　I've been eating with you every day since the day you made me cry.

Now that you mention it, you wrote me a letter from Amélie. You said Leo was very fond of the beastman's maid.
　Amelie's letter?

'What?　Have you been exchanging letters with Miss Amelie?

Isn't it obvious?　If you're a parent, you're going to be wondering how your kids are doing . Especially since Leo is a child who can't be quiet.

Oh, really?

'Yes. . When you can crawl, move around the house and talk, you're forever asking me questions that even adults would have trouble with: ....... You've always been curious, even when you were little.
　My memory is fuzzy, but that happened to me: .......
　I'm pretty sure I was desperate to be able to use magic back then. .......

'It's been a long time ago . After all, Sebastian was the only one who survived Leo's questioning attack, wasn't he?

Yeah. You know, Leo eventually asked only Sebastian a question.

Maybe it was: ......
　You've been a great help to Sebastian: .......

'Well, it's still the same now.

I know. He rescued a kidnapped princess with his own hands, and owned the best trade association in the empire... You don't seem like a child, do you?
　Is that so?

'It's no big deal . When I saved Shelley, I was able to get Mr. Cliff to tell me where it was, and as far as the Fermor Chamber of Commerce is concerned, I just got behind it, and we have a proper chairman, right?
　As for the Fermor Trading Company, I'm just a guy who comes up with product ideas .

No, no, they're both great things, you know?

Hmm. Leo-kun, I think you should have more confidence in yourself.
　Fiona laughed a little and warned me.

'Oh, really?'
　Confidence. .......

'No, take it. You became one of the few dungeon treaders in this world, got engaged to a princess of a big country, and got the Great Chamber of Commerce on your side?　If you're so humble, you're going to lose some friends in return, aren't you?

Umm, yeah, ...... yeah.
　My dad's amazingly convincing words convinced me.

"Yeah, Leo's awesome. I can't believe he's my brother.
　There you go, brother Alex's negative comments.
　I've found out recently that my brother has a tendency to think negative thoughts easily .

"No, no, you're classified as a genius. It's not normal for you to graduate from a magic school at the top of your class, right?

'Really?　Leo could easily be the master of the house, couldn't he?
　No, no. It's not going to be that easy.
　The reason I can study at school now is because I have memories of my past life and not because I'm smart.

"Mm-hmm. I don't need to be good, but I'm happy as long as my kids are healthy.
　That's what I'm talking about, Mom. You're like a good mother.

You're right. The kids are healthy enough.

Yeah, sure. So, back to the point, I read in Amelie's letter that Leo has a buddy in his personal maid.
　Huh?　Do you want to go back to that?

We were talking about that, weren't we? Oh, that beastly girl?　Surely, I'd dote on you if you had the same personality as my dad.
　As I was saying this, my dad was nodding at the bell standing behind me .
　Don't everyone say the same thing: ....... I guess you really liked the beastmen, Grandpa.

I asked Amelie to do it. I asked Amelie to help me get away from my parents when I was eight years old?　So I've decided to always have a personal maid by my side who I think Leo will like so that he won't be lonely.
　It was: .......

'If you ask me, maybe I didn't feel lonely.
　I've always had Belle by my side.
　She talked to me, trained my magic with me, helped me to make magic tools, ...... and she's been really good to me.

You know.　You can thank Belle for that, right?

Yeah, okay.
　I'll have to thank you later.