Roxy froze.

Rudy was sitting next to her, fidgeting in his seat while doing his best to avoid looking at her. But try as he might, Rudy kept glancing over with his pure green eyes. Not only that though, his face was red with embarrassment.

Cute. Super cute.

And then there were his words.

Rudy's day was brighter when he was with her. His heart raced a bit faster. He felt happy when he saw Roxy's smiling face.

It was different.

That prince in the Shirone Kingdom proclaimed his love for Roxy all the time when she was there, but his gaze was always lustful. Because of that, Roxy felt disgusted whenever that child spouted out about how he loved her.

But hearing Rudy say it was different.

That child had always been intelligent. Mature beyond his age. A genuine genius. And not just in magic, but in terms of understanding the world around him.

So his words weren't light. They weren't something trivial that a child would say and grow out of. And Rudy wasn't a person like that anyway.

So when he said that he liked Roxy, Rudy meant it.

And... if Roxy was being honest, she felt the same way with Rudy. Her days were more fun and they could talk to each other on equal terms without judgment or prejudice. She enjoyed seeing Rudy's cute face light up in understanding whenever he learned something new. She was sad whenever he was frustrated with himself... and when he didn't take pride in the skill that was rightfully earned from hard work.

Roxy remembered the thought she had back during his graduation. That if she had just met Rudy when he was a bit older...

She cut it off then before that thought got any further. But now hearing Rudy's words, she couldn't help but think on it more.

If Rudy was a little older. If he was a teenager maybe. If Roxy had met him then... Wouldn't she have completely fallen in love?

Someone skilled with magic. Someone who was intelligent and talented but remained humble. Someone who not only worked on his own path, but made sure to take meticulous notes to spread that knowledge for others. And furthermore, someone who cared a great deal for his family.

Perfect. She was sure of it. Rudy would be perfect. The man she dreamed of.

Except... He wasn't.

Rudy was a child. He was still just a child. A seven year old child who was more mature than most, talented, and capable. But still a child.

Not only that, but there was the age difference to consider.

Roxy was already a woman and had been a woman for a long time. In fact, she was 41 this year. While her body was still youthful and petite due to her being a member of the Migurd Magic Race, she was far from a child. In truth, she was almost old enough to be Paul's mother.

So this was bad.

Roxy was well aware of her emotions. And she was aware of what it meant to fall for someone else. She had experienced it countless times in the past, only to be turned down due to her apparent youth.

And she remembered the heartache that brought when she learned it was impossible. When she realized it was a one-sided love with the other side only seeing a strong friendship.

This time was different.

Roxy was sure of it. Rudy liked her. And... she liked him.

But that couldn't be.

She could see Paul, Zenith, and Lilia staring at her. Smiling and teasing, as if waiting for her to point out how ridiculous it was.

Friendly smiles and expressions.

Of course. They were her precious friends. Her peers.

...So what would they think if they knew that she was starting to fall for a child? Their child? Or worse, if she started lusting after him?

No. She couldn't allow that.

Rudy glanced up at Roxy, embarrassed but also secretly hopeful. Genuine affection and emotion.

Just like her in the past when she fell in love.

So it would be painful for him. And it would be painful for her too. But...

Roxy laughed and ruffled Rudy's head. "That's cute, Rudy. But I can't accept your feelings you know? Your Master's a bit too old for you."

A casual but light-hearted dismissal.

It was easy to do because she had experienced them countless times before.

And as expected, Rudy looked crushed. But also as expected, he quickly gathered himself and laughed. "I know, Master. You're out of my league anyway."

A brave face. While he tried to keep his composure, his voice wavered a bit at the end there.

Enough to where Roxy wanted to say that wasn't true.

But thankfully before she could say that and make things awkward, Paul chuckled and said, "Well. I guess that's fine." He looked at Rudy and said, "You're still a bit too young to be thinking about that sort of thing anyway."

Rudy glared at Paul and said, "Then why the hell did you bring it up?!"

"Rudy!" Zenith crossed her arms and said, "Language!"

"Ah. Sorry, Mom." Rudy nodded and then looked back at Paul. "What, did you just want to embarrass me to make up for getting smacked around earlier?"

"A little, yeah."

"You're a completely grown adult! Why am I the mature one?!"

Paul waved his hand and said, "Oh lighten up, Rudy. At this rate, your hair will turn gray before- Oh wait."

Rudy jumped out of his chair, growling.

Before he could go too far though, Roxy grabbed his shirt and held him back. As she did, she frowned. "Rudy. Calm down."

"I AM!" Rudy paused and then took a deep breath. After that, he slowly sat back down and said, "I am calm. At least, I'm calm now...?" He trailed off, mumbling under his breath.

Roxy frowned, carefully staring at Rudy.

It was odd. He had always been level-headed. But recently...

At that time, a baby girl's cry echoed. And shortly after, another one did as well.

Zenith sighed and said, "And now your sisters are awake."

Rudy winced, suddenly looking guilty. Lowering his head, he mumbled, "Sorry, Mom. Sorry, Mama Lily."

Lilia smiled and said, "It's fine, Rudy. You haven't played with Aisha in a while, have you? How about we all spend a bit of time together?"

"Ooh!" Zenith clapped her hands together and said, "That sounds great! We can even read Rudy's favorite story together!"

"Perugius's story isn't my favorite story, Mom... But okay. Um... Can I take turns holding Norn too, Mom?"

"Of course!"

Watching all of that unfold, Paul slowly raised his hand and said, "Er... What about me?"

Zenith looked at Paul and hummed before saying, "You can come after you clean the dishes."

Norn started crying harder. And because of that, Aisha started crying harder too.

Zenith started walking off to the bedroom. "Don't cry, Sweetie! Mommy's coming!"

Lilia followed after her and said, "Calm yourself, Aisha. I'm almost there."

Rudy walked after Lilia and said, "Um. Mama Lily. I don't think Aisha understands you yet. Telling her to calm down-"

Aisha's cries suddenly cut off, replaced by a soft sniffle.

Rudy blinked.

Lilia looked proud and said, "Your baby sister is quite intelligent as well, Rudy."

Zenith pouted and said, "Well, Norn's cuter!"

Lilia sighed and said, "They are both cute, Zenny. It won't do to compare them. Sibling rivalry is no good."

"A-Ah. That's right..."

Rudy hopped forward and stood between Lilia and Zenith. "Well, it doesn't matter. I love both of my sisters just the same."

Zenith smiled and then pulled Rudy into a one-armed hug. "You're sweet, Rudy. But be careful not to spoil your sisters too much, okay?"

"Um. I-I'll try?"

After that, the trio entered the bedroom, leaving just Paul and Roxy at the dining table.

Roxy sighed and went back to eating her food.

Paul noticed and laughed. "Jealous that your cute disciple got stolen away, Roxy?"

Roxy waved her hand and said, "No. Just... a bit envious. You, Zenith, Lilia... all of you have such a close relationship with your children. Even though Rudy was so different, you loved him all the same." She paused and then said, "...Perhaps I may be a bit jealous."

It was different for her. Because she didn't inherit the natural ability to use the magical telepathy spell to communicate with the other Migurd in her village, she grew up in silence. Her parents raised her with kindness, but love... They would always give her a strange look. They supported her, but there was never any warmth. No kind words spoken or shared...

Paul shrugged. "It's only natural. Even if your kid turns out weird, that's still your kid. And also... There's something magical about it, you know?" He turned to look towards the bedroom and said, "When you become a parent, all you want is the best for your kid. And it changes you too." He laughed and looked at Roxy. "I mean, look at me."

Roxy nodded. "I suppose that's true. If an inconsiderate and shameless flirt like yourself can settle down, there must be something to it. But even so..." She rubbed her arm and muttered, "I wish that my parents had been as warm as you all are to Rudy and his sisters."

Paul liked messing with Rudy. Take a few moments ago for example. But even so, he always made sure to not go too far and assure Rudy with that warm and supportive smile.

...Though it always seemed a bit smug as well, but that was Paul's natural looks, so it couldn't be helped.

Anyway, Paul made his affection clear. And both Zenith and Lilia were even more explicit in that with how they hugged and cheered Rudy up.

It wasn't like her home. Not like that eerily silent place where everyone seemed to barely have any emotions.

"Mm." Paul stood up and stretched. "I don't know your parents, Roxy. But you shouldn't blame them too much. Especially if you're the first child. I mean, you've seen us raise Rudy, right? Zenith's been a great mom, but I've been a terrible Dad."

"You have."

"You aren't suppose to agree!"

Roxy chuckled.

Paul shook his head and then said, "Anyway... I'm sure your parents love you just as much as we love Rudy, Norn, and Lilia. Maybe more. So cheer up a bit, okay?" He paused and then said, "Actually... They're probably really worried about their teenaged daughter running around the country by herself."

"Ah." Roxy spoke up. "That's not true."

Paul blinked. "You mean they're not worried?"

Roxy felt her face heat up. "N-No. I... They probably are worried."

After all, it had been decades since she last returned home. And decades without her sending a single letter as well.

...And now Roxy felt guilty. Maybe she should head home to pay a visit? After all, with <Mage Sight> and her new research, she might be able to finally communicate with everyone.

But that was later.

Roxy shook her head and said, "Not that. I meant that it isn't true that I'm a teenager."

"...Huh?"

Roxy gave Paul a blank stare. "Did... I never mention it? This year, I turned 41."

"...You definitely didn't mention it."

"Oh."

"...Man. Zenith is going to be *so* jealous."

Roxy blushed and mumbled. "I-I could have sworn it was mentioned when you hired me...?"

"To be fair, we were distracted by Rudy and it never really came up again."

"...True."

Paul shook his head and walked over to the kitchen. "Anyway... Um. Could you give me a hand? It's cold and I really don't want to have to pump and melt water just to wash the dishes..."

Roxy rolled her eyes and then waved her hand, conjuring up a metal bucket filled with water.

"Thanks, Roxy!"

"Thank me by not doing anything reckless and involving your entire family in cleaning up your mess again."

"Cross my heart and hope to die!"

"...I'll prepare a eulogy."

"...Fair."