The fourth son of the Baron Cano family, Hermes Cano.

　The family outcast, a disgrace.
　That's what I've always been called, and today I'm still basking in the garden.

　The house on the outskirts of the city that was given to my fourth son, who had never taken over the house.
　It's a big house, and it's not very convenient, but once you live there, it's a city.

　I was flipping through the newly ordered erotic books as I basked in the sun.

''Hoho........well, well........''

　In an erotic book made with the latest in projection magic, glamorous ladies are posing s*xily as they compete with each other.

''...................Mm.
"Mm, no!

　He was suddenly struck on the back of the head.
　I held my head and turned around to see a lady in a dress.

　She looks like a lady, but she's only a little older than me in real life.
　She's not even twenty years old, so she still has a girlish smell on her face.

　Solar Cano.
　As you can tell from her name, my--.

What are you doing, sister?
Not what you're doing, sir. Look at that stuff again.
'Don't worry, I won't look at it again. No more erotic books with shadowy magic, right? I'm pretty sure they've fixed that. I mean, there's this one right here, right around the face.
Ta-da!

　He unfolded the erotic book and showed it to his sister, but she slapped his wrist and the erotic book fell to the ground.

'That's not what I'm talking about. What I'm trying to say, Hermes, is that you need to put your mind to it better than that.
Seriously?
'Yes, aren't you a child who can do it if you try? And now you're wasting your life in a place like this.
That's bullshit. I'm always ready to be serious.
Hermes!
Hey, sis, look what I found.

　I took something out of my pocket and handed it to my sister.
　She took it and stared at it seriously.

'What is this?'
"Aphrodisiacs, both genders, one for each gender, last half a day, so I'll give you a dozen as a gift on your way to your sister's wedding--
Yeah!

　My sister threw down the aphrodisiac I had given her with a bold form that was completely unbecoming of her dress.

''Ooh, that flew quite a bit!''
Stop making all this stuff and be a better man.
Yeah, it's the latest thing from the capital.
You didn't even make it!

　She was angry.

'I know, sis, that's called a flippant comment.
"Who would do that?!

　Her sister's momentum was at its peak there.
　Like an over-inflated paper bag with a hole in it, her anger soured in the process.

'Oh, please, Hermes. I know you are a can-do girl. So for the sake of the Cano family--

　That's what she was about to say.

"You're in a place like this?

　I heard a man's voice and saw him immediately.
　A tall, skinny, middle-aged man with a fine beard, his name is Mimis.

　Mimis Collars.
　He's the head of the Cano family's so-called vassalage.

　He's not looking at me, he's looking at his sister.

"Mimis, how can I help you?
The master wants to see you, sir.
Your brother?　Okay, lead the way.
Ha!

　I thought, "Okay, okay, now there's going to be no more nagging - but I thought.

'Think about what I said, Hermes.
Hey.

　I responded appropriately, and my sister walked away with a formidable scowl.

　The usual.
　My sister would come over to me a little bit, flippantly tweeting and blasting away.
　It's the usual thing, so I usually just let it pass.

　Sis left, but Mimis, who was supposed to show her around, stayed behind.

'What's the matter, don't you have to go after your sister?'
Lady Hermes.

　Mimis's voice had a thoreness to it, no, nothing but thorns.
　She calls him by his nickname, but her tone is condescending.

"I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from asking the master for money a bit longer.
I can't ask you that. I don't know what's wrong with my brother asking for pocket money. I've got no right to blame you for that.
'Not so. Your husband is a necessary member of the Cano family and this is an important time. I ask you to refrain from making such a difficult decision.
So you're gonna give it to me?
If you tell me.
Oh, really? Give me 100 pieces of silver. If you were a man, you'd be listening.　Rumor of a beautiful prostitute from the city, I wanted to have some fun with her once.
I'll send it to you later.
Oh, yeah.

　I pose lightly in the gut.
　Mimi's face becomes more and more condescending when she sees that.

　Finally.

"You live in your room,

　I spat out a swear in an audible voice and then walked away after my sister.

　I was the only one left.
　I was the only one left in the house that was built to contain the fourth son's boy in the suburbs.

''Huh....

　After they were both gone, I snickered.
　I'll learn to deal with my share of being a fourth son.
　And...

"It's no use trying to be serious. I mean, who cares?

　That's about as good as it gets for me.

　With that in mind, I thought of the funds that would arrive today and the beautiful and famous prostitute.

　The fourth son of a nobleman, carefree days with no responsibilities or anything.

　The end of those days has come to an end without my knowing it.

　　　　　★

Tell me more, sister.
'You're going to take over the Cano family. That's what I said.

　The day after that, my sister, who had come as usual, suddenly said something like that to me.

　My sister and I face each other in the garden just like yesterday.
　I'm still sitting in my basking chair and she's still standing there, dressed as a lady, as usual.
　The dress is perfect, but so is her demeanor.

　You'll be able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.

Is this some kind of joke?
No.
No, you're kidding. I'm the fourth son. There's no way I'm going to take over the Cano family.
Brother Milos, Brother Meros, Brother Koros.

　The first son, the second son, and the third son.
　My sister read out the names of the three men who were born before me as if she were counting them.

'They were pronounced dead last night.
What?

　Pow!　He knocked over a chair and stood up.

'Dead?　All three of them?
Yeah.
What do you mean?
"There was a party hosted by His Majesty the King last night. All three of your brothers were present.
I didn't know there was such a thing.
There was a meteorite that hit you.
What is this a joke?

　If I had a mirror, I'd see how pokey and dumb-faced I was.
　That's how far-fetched it was.

'No. There could be a war coming.
An assassination... or what country?

　For some reason, she smiled back at me as I asked back.
　Sheesh.

'See, I told you. I always thought you were a girl who could do it if you tried.
You played your sister.
You're thinking too fast, sir. And by the way, you're giving up too soon.

　I sighed.
　Fortunately, my sister is the only one here.
　Even if I reacted carelessly, my sister has been buying me unnecessarily for a long time, and no one would trust me if I told anyone about this episode now.

　So there's no problem - so I had a serious conversation with my sister.

In other words, since the top three are gone, your sister has come to tell me to take over the house, that's what you're saying.
Yes, that's what I mean.
It's a pity. There's still plenty of blood left in the Cano family. You, my sister, the daughter of my rightful wife.
Then it's already taken care of.
If you're going to get out of here you're going to have to roll your head back.

　I know that my sister likes her shiny, long hair.
　If you get ordained, you'll never take over the house, and you'll never be able to, but your sister will never do that.
　Not even if it's dead.

Here you go.

　The sister takes out a sealed envelope with a smile on her face.
　The one she received was a royal seal.

　She looks at her sister, her eyes prompting her to cut the seal and look inside.

　I cut the seal as I was told and take out the document inside and unfold it.
　I was astonished.

''This,''
'I have already filed a report with the royal family. I am Hermes, and I will be your adopted daughter.
You're my adopted daughter?
'The succession is now automatically under you. Or rather, Hermes, you're at the top.
Nice work, sis.

　I feel like I've been beaten...

　It's your sister who got my permission right away...
　Normally this kind of move is not something I would have thought of.

　But since the content of the request is "let a boy take over the family", the royal permission must have been easily granted.

　I sighed even more.
　My sister looked more serious than ever.

'Get serious, Hermes.
Huh?

　I sigh again.
　It looks like the escape route is blocked, and if I refuse to do so, it's going to be more trouble here.

'Okay, I'll take over.'

　I'm not going to take it seriously, though.
　I'd like to say it, but I've decided not to right now.