Elsa decided to ask a little more about her brother Moritz's work.
"...Um, what post does Moritz-niisama hold right now?"
"The Ministry of General Affairs. He's the Secretariat Director there. Apparently, that position ranks just below the minister of general affairs, the vice minister of general affairs, and the First Technology Bureau. This time of year, he seems busy checking on tax payment statuses."
Unlike the Ministry of Finance, which handled taxes directly, his work involved a great deal of analysis—evaluating crop yields and identifying regional issues based on tax payment trends.
Attaining such a position in his mid-thirties was proof that he was recognized as a remarkably capable man.
Just then, the butler came to make an announcement.
"Master Fritz and Lady Gloria have arrived."
"Huh, Fritz-nii-sama is here?"
"We don't have a pigeon post from our home to Avalon, but during the morning regular contact at the Royal Palace, I asked if they could pass a message along to Fritz."
Apparently, Avalon was in the process of building a system to handle such short messages for its residents.
"It seems they managed to let Fritz know for this occasion, at any rate."
With that, the door swung open vigorously, and two figures entered.
"Father, Mother. I'm home."
There was Fritz, reporting his return with a crisp salute, and—
"L-Long time no see."
—Gloria, looking slightly nervous.
"Mm, wel, come back. Gloria-san, welcome as well."
"Thank you very much."
Next, Elsa stood up to greet them.
"Fritz-nii-sama, it has been a long time. Sister-in-law Gloria, I hope you are well."
"Yeah, I'm back....Oh, Yuu and Mio are here too."
"Hullo—"
"Hello."
The twins also greeted them with boundless energy.
"Elsa-san, seeing that you and the twins are doing well is wonderful."
Gloria's expression seemed to soften as well upon seeing the twins.
Elsa was impressed by Fritz's swift arrival.
"It happened to be the time I could take my summer leave. The moment I heard the news, Gloria and I flew right over."
Literally speaking, they had "flown" over on a scheduled airship flight to the Shouro Empire.
While not on par with Jin's Konron 2, Avalon had also begun building airships.
Consequently, the World Security Guard possessed airships of their own, which proved useful for transnational operations.
Furthermore, a trial scheduled flight had begun operating along a route that toured from Avalon through the Celuroa Kingdom, the Shouro Empire, the Kingdom of Franz, the Klein Kingdom, the Kingdom of Egerea, the Kingdom of Elias, and back to Avalon over the course of three days.
This time, Fritz and Gloria had boarded that flight to return home.
Transportation methods are steadily advancing, Elsa thought.
Realizing that this too was thanks to the achievements of her husband, Jin...
"U-Um, have you seen the baby?"
She tried to change the subject, hoping they wouldn't notice her slightly flushed cheeks.
"Yeah, we met her just a moment ago. Ingrid seemed reasonably well too, so that's a relief."
"Indeed."
Gloria nodded with few words.
"Are things busy on your end, Fritz-nii-sama?"
"Mm. Every day is fulfilling."
Fritz answered with a refreshing smile.
Seeing that, Elsa thought such a lifestyle truly suited her brother.
Then, she decided to bring up the important matter regarding Ingrid right here in front of their father.
"...Fritz-nii-sama, what do you think about Ingrid-san becoming Moritz-niisama's wife?"
Elsa felt tense, wondering what sort of response she would get, but Fritz's answer was straightforward and clear.
"Hm? Isn't that fine?...If that Big Brother of ours has been able to move past Helena-ginesan, I think that in itself is a good thing."
Helena was Moritz's late wife. Though their married life had been brief, the two were said to have been deeply affectionate.
"...What about you, Father?"
Elsa asked her father with bated breath.
The current relationship between her brother Moritz and the lady's maid Ingrid was reminiscent of the past between her father Georg and her mother Mine.
However, Georg said:
"...I will abide by whatever you all decide."
Hearing him state this definitively, Elsa felt relief from the bottom of her heart.
With this, not a single person in Elsa's family opposed it.
All that remained were the wishes of Moritz himself and House Randol, but she wasn't particularly worried about those.
(Rai-nii won't object, and neither will my uncles...)
Elsa felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Though a bit late, it was time for lunch at her parents' home for the first time in a long while.
Naturally, it consisted of traditional Shouro Empire cuisine.
Barley risotto, Cowbull beef stew, wurst sausage, sautéed summer vegetables, and a gratin made with prawns caught in Lake Tosmo.
Elsa and Fritz were nearly moved to tears by the menu Marlene had personally prepared.
"...Such a nostalgic flavor. I just can never recreate this taste myself."
"It's delicious. I will have to ask for the seasoning recipe."
Elsa and Gloria voiced their respective impressions.
Fritz, on the other hand, merely ate away while repeating how good it was.
And as for Yuu and Mio, the two of them chimed in:
"It tastes like Grandma's house—"
"Yummy—"
happily devouring their food.
After lunch, as it was time for Yuu and Mio's nap, Marlene had the two of them lie down in Elsa's room.
"...It's just as it used to be."
Looking around what used to be—or rather, still was—her room, Elsa was filled with nostalgia.
It was the room where she had spent her sensitive adolescent years. Elsa had rarely shown her emotions openly back then, but perhaps that had been out of a sense of restraint born from knowing she only possessed half noble blood.
After laying the twins down on her bed, Elsa left Soleil, who had accompanied them, to watch over them.
The adults then moved to the living room to engage in an exchange of information disguised as casual conversation.
"So, the World Security Guard is becoming much more well-equipped now?"
"Yeah. The second cohort of Officer Candidates is developing nicely, after all."
"The dawning era of an organization is always tough, isn't it?"
"That's right."
Elsa spoke with Fritz.
"So, Gloria-san, you'll be continuing your duties through desk work, then?"
"Yes. Presumptuous as it may be, I wish to support him that way."
"I see. Every wife has her own way of supporting her husband."
"Indeed. Conversely, there are also couples where the wife works out in the field and the husband handles desk work."
"My, is that so?"
Gloria and Marlene were also having a lively conversation of their own.