Something's not right...
Little Ayato suddenly felt like there was a huge problem.
When did his beloved little sister end up sitting on that middle-aged man's lap?
And why was his own mother chatting so happily?
Moreover, when did he himself get so close and cozy over here?
This isn't right. This is very, very wrong.
Little Ayato went over to his father's side.
As the heir of the Kamisato family, they had their own special way of checking if someone was drunk...
He pinched the clan head's wrist, and little Ayato immediately confirmed one fact.
His father, who usually boasted of being able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, had successfully managed to get himself completely wasted.
No, wait—has the world somehow changed in ways he didn't know about?
His father was actually this at ease passing out drunk right next to this middle-aged man?
Although this middle-aged man really did tell great stories, really was capable, had a genuinely good personality, and was a good person...
Little Ayato suddenly felt numb. The more he thought about it, the more he realized this uncle really was pretty great—so what was he supposed to say next?
Although earlier this middle-aged man could be quite intimidating and far from simple.
But after spending this time together, he could see certain things.
As long as topics like profit and such—things he personally disliked—weren't brought up, this middle-aged man was actually very easy to talk to.
In most ways, little Ayato actually found him quite good: someone who knew the true face of the world, yet still enjoyed coaxing children and creating an illusory, beautiful world for them...
At present, there was only one single point that made him dislike the man.
And that was how much he also appealed to his own adorable little sister.
Mmm...
Having received proper education, little Ayato was very clear on what this feeling was.
This was the unpleasant sensation an older brother feels when it seems like his little sister is being taken away.
But he knew she actually wasn't being taken away—yet he still felt unhappy about it.
Little Ayato knew this was just his childish temper, but right now he really couldn't overcome it on his own.
His mind was completely filled with the image of his cute little sister obediently sitting on that middle-aged man's lap...
At this point, the middle-aged man had also gotten tired of talking, so Lady Kamisato took over the storytelling.
Lady Kamisato pulled a light novel from Yae Publishing House out of her sleeve...
"Let me tell you, I'm super into the second female lead and the supporting character in this book—the pure love between the duke and the noble lady...!"
"I think that sounds nice, but I'm more into the female lead and the second female lead. There's this beautiful opposition formed by the gentleness of light and the longing of darkness..."
Little Ayaka, at a complete loss, simply sat on Uncle's lap and started flipping through her mother's leisure reading, directly opening the door to a brand-new world...
Ayato's father was still snoring away soundly.
Little Ayato couldn't resist his curiosity about what his mother was reading, so he scooted over next to the middle-aged man, standing there to look at Mother's miscellaneous book together with his little sister...
What they were looking at happened to be the scene where the female lead disguises herself as a man to dance with the second female lead...
"But honestly, cross-dressing as a woman can actually work too. Boys' leg shapes are often better-looking than girls'..."
"Mr. Cid, you actually have some knowledge in this area?"
"A little bit, I guess. I've never worn it myself—my male pride wouldn't allow me to cross-dress, and an old guy like me isn't suited for it anyway. Just thinking about it feels blindingly awkward."
"That's a shame... But speaking of which, when Ayato was even smaller, I actually dressed him up in girls' clothes once, and it suited him unbelievably well..."
"Oh my god, for real?"
It could only be said that the conversation between the middle-aged man—while holding little Ayaka—and Lady Kamisato was unexpectedly harmonious.
When the middle-aged man finally left, Lady Kamisato and little Ayaka both seemed a little reluctant to see him go...
Meanwhile, little Ayato grabbed his mother's hand, as if he had made up his mind about something.
The Head of the Kamisato Clan was still snoring away soundly.