To The Royal Capital Research Institute

At my manor, I often ended up eating meals with people you might not expect.

Shia was there for dinner, of course, but Tanya and the other maids and butlers also ate in the same room with us.

So I didn’t eat lunch alone either. Gill-san, Tanya, and the other servants joined me.

Naturally, that excluded servants who had to eat earlier or later because of their work.

“The food is as delicious as ever. I’m a little worried I’ll get sleepy during my afternoon reading.”

The one who said that with a wry smile was Gill-san, who handled most of my work on my behalf.

Though he was taking care of my duties for me, there wasn’t much work to begin with, so apparently he had plenty of free time in the afternoon as well.

“I’m glad to hear you say that. It makes catching that highly skilled chef in town worthwhile.”

As I watched Tanya looking rather proud of herself, I felt something vibrating inside my pocket.

When I took it out and placed it on the table, words were appearing on the pink sheet of stationery sandwiched between the black-bordered sheet and the pure white one.

“…Aurora-chan?”

I slipped the other two sheets back into my pocket so I could see hers more clearly.

There were already about two lines written on Aurora-chan’s stationery.

“What does she say?”

“…Apparently Shia wants to show me around the Royal Capital Research Institute. Aurora-chan is coming too.”

“Oh, the Royal Capital Research Institute.”

Surprisingly, Gill-san was the one who reacted.

He took a sip of coffee, then exhaled.

“It’s an institution that develops all kinds of equipment and weapons. If I remember correctly, they research a wide range of technologies, from things that improve everyday life to things intended for warfare that were supposedly developed in secret.”

“You know a lot about it, Gill-san.”

“Well, I’ve lived several times longer than Tanya-jou, after all.”

Gill-san threw his head back and laughed heartily.

After hearing his explanation, I figured that if it was such a major institution, it only made sense for House Ark Gate to have connections with it.

If Shia wanted to show me a place like that, did she have something in particular she wanted me to see?

“…Perhaps they’ll introduce you to a sword made especially for you, Master.”

“Huh? No, there’s no way…”

She’d guessed part of what I was thinking, but surely they wouldn’t mobilize such a large institution just for me… or at least, I didn’t think they would.

“You never know. Maybe they’ll bring out a sword that can cut through time and space.”

“That’s already the stuff of fairy tales.”

I responded to Tanya with a wry smile, then took a pen from her and began writing my reply on the designated sheet.

I had no plans that afternoon, so naturally, I agreed.

I wrote a brief response and stamped the House Ark Gate crest three times. As usual, the stationery disappeared.

I hadn’t seen that happen recently, but no matter how many times I witnessed it, I still thought it was incredible.

“When you get back, please tell us what kinds of things you saw!”

“I’m curious as well. Cutting-edge technology… a man’s romance…”

“Haha… I probably won’t be able to explain it very well, but leave it to me.”

I smiled when I saw the maids and butlers eating with us nod in agreement.

There had once been only one person willing to listen to my stories.

I was happy that there were now so many.

Having something to look forward to even after coming home was a wonderful thing.

And I had nothing but gratitude for Tanya, who had created an environment like this for me.

After finishing lunch and changing into clothes suitable for going out, I stood in front of the manor gates.

As I waited at our usual meeting place, a familiar golden light entered my field of vision.

When I looked over, Shia was stepping out of an oval-shaped gate.

Her long, night-black hair fluttered in the wind as Shia lightly set her feet on the ground.

She had merely walked through a gate, yet somehow every one of her movements seemed elegant.

When she spotted me, she smiled brightly.

“I’m back, Nova-san.”

“Yeah, welcome home, Shia.”

“I’m back” and “welcome home.”

Something as simple as being able to exchange those words made me absurdly happy.

As I naturally found myself smiling, a small blonde girl with her hair gathered to one side appeared behind Shia.

It was Aurora-chan.

Seeing her come through the gate without holding Shia’s hand once again reminded me that there really was no need to hold hands with Shia when two people used a gate together.

After passing through, Aurora-chan spotted me as well and gave me a smile like a blooming flower.

“Nova-onii-sama! It’s been a while!”

“Yeah, it has.”

We’d exchanged letters, but the last time we’d actually met was probably when Shia and I formally announced that we’d married.

Looking at Aurora-chan now, I felt as though she might have grown just a little taller.

“So we’re going to the Royal Capital Research Institute today…?”

“Yes. There’s something we want to show you, Onii-sama.”

“Huh? Really?”

My eyes widened as I wondered whether Tanya’s fairy-tale sword idea was actually about to come true.

The one who continued was Shia, who had closed the gate and was preparing to open another.

“And there’s also something we’d be happy if you could help us with… There… The person on the other side of the gate will explain the details, so we’ll talk there.”

“Sure. Just tell me what you need.”

Nothing would make me happier than being able to help Shia, so I intended to cooperate with whatever she asked.

When I said that, Shia smiled, stepped to my right, and intertwined her hand with mine.

The gentle look in her slightly narrowed eyes made my heart skip a beat.

“Ah, Nova-onii-sama, can I hold your hand too?”

“Huh? Sure.”

Aurora-chan asked from my left, and when I agreed, I felt her small hand slip into mine.

Was this what people meant by having a flower in each hand?

Though the one on my right was my wife, and the one on my left was my wife’s younger sister.

“All right, let’s go.”

“Okay.”

I nodded at Shia’s words, and the three of us stepped through the gate together.

Golden light filled my vision, and after just one more step, the scenery changed completely.

When I looked down, my feet had landed on a floor, so we were apparently indoors.

At the same moment, I felt someone staring at us.

When I raised my head, I saw that we were in a small room, and directly in front of us sat a woman in a chair, staring wide-eyed in our direction.

She had fluffy purple hair tied in a ponytail and somehow reminded me of Yuti-san, though she seemed much more lively than Yuti-san.

It was my first time meeting her, yet she somehow looked familiar.

She continued staring at us.

No, more precisely, she seemed to be staring intently at the hands Shia and I had linked together.

Reluctantly, Shia and Aurora-chan let go of my hands. The unfamiliar woman’s gaze then rose until her eyes met mine.

“Nova-san, allow me to introduce you. This is Natasha Wilder. She’s a genius affiliated with this research institution and provides technical assistance to House Ark Gate. Natasha, this is my husband, Nova-san, whom I mentioned before.”

“Ah…”

Natasha Wilder.

The moment I heard that family name, I realized who she was.

The reason she had seemed familiar was because I knew her older sister.

Her name was Cecilia Wilder.

She was the woman engaged to my older brother, Zeroad Fols.