"Just like trying it out, maybe I will succeed and become a genius... I'm sorry, Your Grace, I was wrong! I won't dare to do it again!" Noticing the bishop's increasingly displeased expression, Johannes quickly lowered his head and apologized. Despite his seemingly friendly appearance, this bishop was quite brutal when he got angry.

Heinrich didn't follow the traditional path of a bishop and gradually ascended as a divine mage. He used to be the Grand Knight Commander of the Holy Knights Order, holding the title of a ninth-level knight. It wasn't until he sustained serious injuries during a battle against demons that he retreated to the sidelines.

Johannes had witnessed Heinrich's fights before. That heavy staff of his was wielded like a giant club, and when combined with the powerful holy Chi, it was incredibly formidable. One swing could easily shatter dragon scales, which was terrifying.

"Enough, I'll let you off this time." Heinrich snorted, looking at the ruins on the ground. "Clean up by yourself and prepare the magic circle properly. Don't cause this kind of thing again."

"Yes..." Johannes weakly replied, feeling drained. Clean up all by himself? Well, it looked like he wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

...

In the courtyard, a huge fish, about one meter long and weighing dozens of jin, had been completely devoured. The main forces were the chirps and Aya. Aya didn't say anything, and Dragon Form had quite the appetite too. But the fact that the chirps alone easily devoured a third of the grilled fish surprised everyone.

"What kind of race is this child?" Aya stared at the chirps, who had eaten their fill and curled up in her arms to sleep.

"Ah..." Tiran let out a comfortable sigh, pushing the empty soup bowl forward and resting their entire body on the table like rubber after being heated. "Onee-chan, one more bowl..."

"You seem so relaxed, and what's with that strange nickname?"

After cleaning up the empty pots, pans, and utensils on the table, Blade took off the apron and hung it aside before taking the soup bowl and heading back to the pot to refill it for Tiran.

His Majesty, the King, had already been forcefully brought back to the palace by the bespectacled female chamberlain who had chased him all the way out. Poor king didn't even have the chance to take a bite of the freshly grilled and fragrant fish meat.

Aya felt that His Majesty had suffered blood loss from this wave, and the crown prince definitely had some skills misplaced.

Fish could actually taste so delicious. Aya realized this for the first time. When they used to live in the wilderness, they would catch fish, but at most, they would just roast them over a fire. In their dragon form, they would swallow them whole, feeling only the fishy taste and nothing more.

Even the head maid had fallen for it. It seemed that gourmet food really could conquer all.

Speaking of which, why was the difference between them, both being of direct royal lineage, so big? One was occasionally absent-minded but seemingly gentle and capable of cooking good dishes, much better than a certain violent, black-hearted, and flat-chested princess.

The chirps fell asleep after eating their fill, so Mimi volunteered to take them back to the palace. In the courtyard, there were only the royal siblings and Aya left.

The East District at night was not as noisy as the commercial and civilian districts. Under the clear night sky, there was a sense of tranquility.

In the courtyard, the chilly wind of early winter blew, bringing a slight coldness. In the pot, which was kept warm by a small flame, the milky white fish soup bubbled and rolled, and after the steam rose and dissipated in the wind, it had a gentle fragrance.

"I heard you were attacked in the Hesse family territory?" Blade also held a bowl of soup and drank it slowly. Then, he suddenly looked up and asked.

"You know about it? I thought father had sealed the information." Tiran replied.

"Regardless, I am your brother. It's impossible for me not to be informed about such things, right?" Blade exhaled a breath of hot air, helplessly saying, "Moreover, the New Year festival is approaching, and the fact that the father of Barifurya, as the patriarch of one of the Pillar Families, and all the family members have left the capital can't be kept a secret. It's natural to be able to figure it out with a little bit of thought, right?"

"I suppose so. So why bring up this matter all of a sudden?" Tiran finished another bowl of fish soup.

"Of course, I just wanted to ask if you were injured. After all, I am your brother, and it's normal for me to show concern for my little sister, right?" Blade sighed.

"Hmph, this lady has already set foot in the legendary level, I don't need a certain brother who doesn't even have the title of a Grand Knight to worry about me." Tiran glanced at her elder brother mockingly.

"Hey, at least show some mercy, Miss Aya is still here. And I've already signed up for the Grand Knight Qualification Exam next month, I'll pass it sooner or later." Blade felt a bit uncomfortable, wishing his sister could be a bit more gentle and less sarcastic.

"Ah, well, I apologize for that." Tiran pulled Aya into his arms and put his arm around his shoulder. "Besides, my maid is not an outsider, she definitely won't say anything. Right, Aya?"

"I told you, I'm not a maid anymore!" Aya blushed and covered her face as she was forcefully hugged, dealing ten thousand points of critical damage to Blade. Hold on a second, wait, what happened to the iron-blooded man? Have you completely transformed into a girl?!

"Hey, are you two being all lovey-dovey in front of me? Although I've heard about your scandalous lifestyle, I never imagined it would come to this," Blade's eye twitched.

"What? Jealous?" Tiran rolled his eyes at him. "If you're not satisfied, find someone yourself. With your qualities, it shouldn't be difficult, right? Of course, don't even think about me, I don't accept orthopedic patients."

"...Enough, stop diverting the topic into weird directions," Blade sighed, pressing his hand against his face. From childhood chats, it was always easy for his sister to steer the conversation into strange places, but he never expected it would still be like this.

"Tsk, who told you not to get straight to the point, must you always be so tangential?"

"Fine, fine, no more tangents. Let's just get straight to the point," Blade sighed, "Aren't you worried at all? The attack on you was no simple matter if they could bring someone as powerful as Seno to attack you."

"It doesn't matter. Leave it to father, alright?" Tiran seemed nonchalant.

"At least you're the princess of the kingdom, and still likely to become the queen. Can't you be a bit more concerned?" Blade patted Tiran's head.

"I don't want to be a queen, it's too troublesome," Tiran pouted. "You should do it instead, older brother."

"But father has chosen you," Blade smiled wryly. "'Let the daughter inherit the throne,' that's what father said on my sixteenth birthday..."

Well, the Ellis Royal Family was indeed abnormal. In any other country, whether it's the king or the ministers, in a situation where there are other choices, they probably wouldn't choose to let a girl inherit the throne, right?

"Why not choose you..." Tiran rested her head on the table and buried her face in her arms, suddenly indignant. "If it were you as the heir, I wouldn't have to learn all those weird things!"

"So that's what you're concerned about?" Aya looked dumbfounded. How could Princess Tiran, who has always been carefree, disregard the centuries of bloodshed and life-threatening upheavals caused by those vying for power?

"Who knows. Maybe father doesn't like boys? How could we guess his weird train of thought?"

To be honest, you guys are also weird. Aya really wanted to say that.

"But if that's the reason, why did he make you observe how he handles political affairs since you were little? I remember when you were young, he demanded that of you with the status of the heir," Aya asked.

"You still remember that..."

"Of course, every time he wanted to play with you, weren't you always in father's study?"

"Geez, how could you call it playing? He always used different excuses to beat me!" Blade remembered the scenes of his younger self being pinned down and beaten on the ground by his sister's dual wooden swords in the arena, tears of bitterness welled up.

Aya deeply sympathized. So the Crown Prince had a tough life too. No wonder he left once he grew up, probably to escape from this Princess.

"Who else can you blame if you're weak?" Tiran looked a bit guilty and looked away.

The Crown Prince didn't say a word for a full thirty seconds, not able to come up with a response.

"Never mind, let's not dwell on this. Just be careful during the New Year celebration. With those restless fellows around, I have a feeling that something might happen," Blade said.

"If it's targeted at the heir, aren't you also in danger?" Tiran supported her head with her right hand. "How about this, should I protect you?"

"No need." Blade shook his head. "It'll be a miracle if you just stop bothering me, younger sister."

...

The dinner where the siblings expressed their feelings ended in a harmonious atmosphere. Blade was still quite satisfied, but after seeing the fish scales and bloodstains left unattended on the desk after seeing off Tiran, the expression of the Crown Prince became once again filled with suffering.

Well, it's something to be proud of as a chef to be able to complete a meal from start to finish all by yourself, but the cleaning afterwards is such a hassle...

What's even worse is, when my butler asked if I needed someone to help with the cleaning this afternoon, I confidently declined. Now I really regret it.

What on earth did I do, Brad, you idiot! The esteemed Crown Prince, with a gloomy look in his eyes, is clearing the kitchen waste with a broom, and he just wants to slap himself. What's the point of pretending to be strong when you find it troublesome!

"Indeed... I should hire someone to clean next time..."

At that moment, footsteps could be heard at the entrance of the annex.

"Prince Brad is quite enthusiastic, actually cleaning the courtyard himself." The guest, in a flowing robe, stared at Brad for a while, with a slightly strange expression.

"Tsk... it's you." Brad glanced at him and didn't bother to talk anymore, focusing on sweeping the floor seriously.