A few days after Wifey became the Emperor, we returned to the Kamishiro Main House.\n\nThey told us the Imperial Capital was a security nightmare. This place was starting to feel like the actual capital...\n\nActually, the rest of the galaxy seemed to agree. We were bombarded with more development applications than we could possibly process—shopping centers, logistics hubs, reconstruction projects for various ducal estates, zoning initiatives, industrial parks, farms, hydroponic facilities, tourist attractions... it was too much to handle.\n\nFor now, we were putting everything on hold, citing concerns over potential assassination attempts. It was certainly true that the Kamishiro Main House was the safest place in the galaxy, given that we'd already finished purging the idiots from our ranks.\n\nFollowing the Mother AI's suggestion—or "Fairy-san," as we called her—the members of the Kamishiro clan headed off to their respective territories. They were all Counts now, after all. It was high time they saw their lands with their own eyes.\n\nAlong with that, the marriage hunting squad headed to their partners' home worlds. Good luck, boys!\n\nEdge and his group, Melissa, Ren, Nina, and Kyoko also planned to stop by their family homes.\n\nClaire—or rather, Lady Claire—was staying in the Imperial Capital to help run her family's new company. Wifey and I had invested heavily, securing a majority stake. We'd also brought in trading companies and banks, centralizing the supply chain for Kamishiro Industries under that one roof.\n\nBy establishing logistics hubs and factories in the capital and prioritizing the hiring of those who’d lost their jobs, Wifey's approval rating had skyrocketed. She wanted to stimulate the economy by outsourcing work to other firms as well, though that depended on the tide of the war.\n\nBack at the main house, things were finally quiet enough for just Wifey and me... or so I thought.\n\n"I'm hungry, sir!"\n\n"Leo, give us something to eat!"\n\nRight. One-oh-one and Tatiana were still here.\n\n"Here, eat these military nutritional blocks. They're chocolate-flavored, so they actually taste decent."\n\n"I want more!"\n\n"I'm still hungry, sir!"\n\n"I've got some rice crackers."\n\n"Thank you, sir! Captain! I'm gonna go play with Luna-chan!"\n\n"We can use the games, right?"\n\n"Go ahead."\n\nAnd with that, they vanished.\n\nSilence at last. After the evening party, Wifey's Personal Guard had built their barracks, so I decided to have some constructed for my own unit too.\n\nIt sounded like Raven was coming along. Who would have predicted a future where the youngest son of a Marquis House had an active Duke serving in his Personal Guard?\n\nRaven didn't seem to hold any hostility toward me. Aside from Lady Marma—who was family—he was the first Duke I'd met who didn't look down on a member of the Kamishiro family for being "incompetent."\n\nI went to find Wifey while she was working. She was usually tied up in online meetings with politicians or tycoons. If you're wondering why I'd interrupt her work, it's because she actually appreciated it. It was a job in itself, framed as a spontaneous visit.\n\nThe steward met me at the elevator. Instead of my usual Officer Academy tracksuit, I was wearing a crisp military uniform meant for internal service.\n\nGuided by the steward, I entered Wifey's office and met up with a maid along the way.\n\n"Your Majesty, the Grand Duke has arrived."\n\n"Let him in."\n\n"My beloved Majesty, you mustn't overwork yourself. It will affect your health."\n\nI kept a steady smile plastered on my face as I delivered the line. Hah. I'd practiced that enough times.\n\n"Ah, my beloved Grand Duke. You're right. Let's take a short break. Allow me to introduce him: my consort, Leo Kamishiro."\n\nWifey was a natural at putting on airs. My face, on the other hand, felt like it was going to twitch with every word.\n\n"Lord Grand Duke! It is an honor! I am Borji, president of the Imperial Capital Trading Company!"\n\nThe man before me was an old fellow with thinning hair who, for some reason, stood at rigid attention as he greeted me. A trading company, huh? If I remembered correctly, they were the biggest in the business and aligned with the military faction.\n\n"A pleasure to meet you," I said, flashing a winning smile.\n\nApparently, my only job was to be charming. No one called me an idiot to my face anymore. People seemed genuinely thrilled just to see me. It felt like being a world-class athlete invited to a publicity event.\n\n"Um... Lord Grand Duke... my grandson is a huge fan. If I could possibly get an autograph..."\n\n"Of course. I'll have one sent over. What's his name?"\n\nAfter a bit more small talk, I took my leave once I saw Wifey finish her tea.\n\nLater, she stopped by my office.\n\n"Lord Groom, that was a huge help. We reached a very harmonious agreement."\n\nHonestly, I had no idea what they’d been discussing, but I was glad to be useful. My own work was wrapping up, too. I might have been making the final calls, but the civil officials from the former Sato Ducal House were so competent that it was a cakewalk. My actual workload was practically nonexistent!\n\nHahahaha!\n\n"What are you smirking at?" she asked.\n\n"Nothing. Just thinking about how far we've come."\n\n"Hehe. I feel the same. I never truly expected the day would come when I would be Emperor."\n\nShe laughed, looking perfectly comfortable in a tracksuit she'd bought at a discount store back in the capital. I was in my Officer Academy tracksuit too. It was a good sign; we were finally starting to feel like a real married couple. Even Tatiana and One-oh-one were rocking discount store tracksuits.\n\nThe intercom buzzed.\n\n"I'm home!" Kevin called out.\n\n"Oh, you're back early. Something wrong?"\n\nKevin gave a bashful laugh. "Nah, everything's quiet. My citizens are mostly female-type Zorks, so they're all busy building stuff together."\n\nKevin had been granted an uninhabited planet that the Duke Association had been sitting on. It wasn't quite a "Duke-class" world, but it was safe, profitable, and ripe for development. He was building a new society from scratch. Once they were cut off from the network, the female-types were just normal people. As long as there were no ideological hang-ups, they were planning to start their lives over there. Many had brought families. It was a young population with a bright future.\n\nI'm sure there were a million other complications, but I decided to stop worrying about it.\n\nWe settled into a lazy afternoon.\n\n"Kevin-chan spotted!"\n\n"Ah, Kevin! Play with us!"\n\nThe two girls, who were supposed to be playing with the Mother AI, came charging in. They were clearly here to shake me down for snacks.\n\n"Alright, alright. Snack time."\n\nI rummaged through the food box. I'd forgotten to go shopping; all we had were dried sardines.\n\n"Here, have some sardines."\n\n"I want something sweet, sir!"\n\n"She's right," Kevin added. "You've got hotcake mix, don't you? I'll whip something up."\n\n"Yay!"\n\nIt was a heartwarming scene. Looking at Kevin and One-oh-one side by side, they looked exactly like sisters. The quiet days drifted by. Leaving aside Wifey's official status, life without the constant threat of death was wonderful.\n\n"...It really is great, isn't it? Peace."\n\n"Give it up, Lord Groom," Wifey sighed. "For you... there is no such thing as peace."\n\n"Nooooo!"