"Mmm, you've really outdone yourself, Lune!" Mom praised my DIY cooking skills.

"Right? And he got a fire safely started inside the barn just like that! Even I have no idea how he pulled that off." Dad then nudged me with a wry grin, "C'mon, son! At least share with your old man the secret to your success? Just between us, was it a campfire, or did you secretly bring a grill with you here?"

Mn, I can already guess how you did it..." Cecily smirked as she fed Cene, "You used your-"

"Don't say it!" I stopped her, "I-It's... a trade secret! Yeah, I'd get in trouble with the guy that taught me."

"You would?" Mom and dad didn't question it too much, "Well alright. It's not good to anger anyone you don't need to."

Glancing at me with a raised Eyebrow, Cecily could already guess I was up to some mischief with how adamant I am about hiding my Iro Abilities from mom and dad. Add to the fact that Latham is the only one out of them who's seen it, and I'm sure she can piece it together from there. Still, she chose to let me go this time with a single shrug as she continued cutting up the pig meat into tinier, more manageable sized bites so Cene doesn't accidentally choke on anything.

"Is the meat good, boy?" Dad looked happy that Cene was enjoying his food.

"Mhm, it's supew tasty!" He returned a bright smile.

"Well, of course! That's the finest meat in the continent, y'know!" Dad didn't hesitate to take all the credit for my cooking, "It's thanks to the Grimhearts' long and proud line of butchers that we can say with certainty that that's the case!"

"You say that when you haven't even visited all the other countries of Entropa..." I got slightly annoyed by that unverified bravado of his.

"Oi, it's the best in Whitehood, the best in Haggles, and now we know for certain from a kid born and raised in Cardina that it's the best as well!" Dad smirked as he gave us his reasoning, "Which means as far as I'm concerned, our meat is the best in the world! Bahaha!"

"Ah, Cene wasn't born in Cardina though." Cecily let slip a detail I warned her not to, "He was born in Tertis, actually. Not even a day from here, I'd say."

Her revealing this was met with two different reactions. Mine was that of a tired sigh, because I already knew what was coming, and my parents' was that of bewildered and shocked Eyebrow raises. Yep, here it comes...

"So he's a Trivinumerian as well!?" Both their Eyes lit up as they shouted to reaffirm.

"Y-Yeah, what's the big deal?" Cecily smirked awkwardly, glancing over at me with a guilty expression, though it was met with a deadpanned face that silently returned the message of "I told you not to, but you didn't listen to me."

"Honey, this means...!" Mom could barely contain her excitement.

"Yep, it's assured!" Dad smiled back, "The family business still has a fighting chance, and it's none other than that boy himself!"

"What about me?" Cene still didn't understand anything.

"Cene, sweetie, do you like the meat we prepare here?" Mom tried coaxing him towards the dark side.

"Mhm, it's de~licious!" He nodded innocently enough.

"Great, so what do you say?" Dad shamelessly gave him a rose tinted offer in front of us, "Wanna spend the summer with your grandparents? We can teach you all about how to make the exact same meat for you and countless people around you to enjoy! Plus, you'll get some good money out of it!"

"What!?" Cecily interrupted our son's surprise scouting, "Sorry, but we can't allow that."

"Just think about it, Cene!" Mom ignored her as she maintained Eye contact with Cene, "You'll get to eat even tastier meat than this every day if you're with us, plus we really want to spend time with you!"

"Mm, but..." Cene looked torn, "Then I won't be able to play with my fwiends in a long time..."

"Among other issues, there's that as well..." I chuckled a bit, "Seriously guys, we're not just gonna leave our son all the way across the sea. That's just irresponsible and dangerous."

"Are you calling your parents dangerous!?" Mom and dad both yelled, "Besides, like you'd know anything about responsibility..."

Oof, that one stung. I'm trying my best to improve in that regard, okay? Geez, hearing that from your parents really cuts deep...

"Come on, Cene, you don't mind, right~?" They immediately sweetened their tone back up when they turned over to him, "Even your uncle Latham's gonna be there, so it's double the fun!"

"Huh?" Cene completely lost any shred of interest the moment he heard his uncle's name uttered, "If he's hewe, then I don't wanna."

"Ooooh, you flubbed it~!" I jeered at them as they desperately wondered why.

"Huh!? B-But why don't you wanna be with your uncle?!" They asked all panicked.

"He almost killed dad." Cene said without batting an Eyelid, "I hate him."

Surprised out of their minds and left in an utterly flabbergasted state, mom and dad could do nothing but simply glance over at each other in disbelief before sighing and ultimately letting it go. Phew, thank goodness Cene witnessed Latham's so called "prank" this morning, otherwise he might've just agreed to stay back with them and take on the family business. Of course, I don't mind him doing so later on if he wishes to, but I just don't want to be absent for any more of his childhood if I don't have to. But wait, he saw me get my face smashed in by a ball of books and still isn't fazed? Dude, my son's hardcore...

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***

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"Well then, I guess we'll leave this topic for when you're older..." Mom sighed before putting on her usual bright smile, "Then, Cecily, shall we return to our own business?"

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Hm, were you two doing something?" I turned to a nervous Cecily.

"No..." She elongated the 'o' at the end, "I'm just... killing time while I'm here."

She's hiding something, the secretive sidelong glance is giving her away completely. Well, I know it can't be anything bad, cause she's usually a way better liar if there really is something serious she doesn't want us to find out about. Like the time she accidentally broke off a tree sapling in Anna's garden and masterfully took it to our own yard to bury the evidence. Hell, the only reason I know that is because Ed told me after finding out with Analyze. Basically what I'm getting at is that this cutesy act of hers is her way of being torn between eagerly wanting to show me and simultaneously not wanting to ruin the surprise, I'll bet.

"Is that so?" Mom looked sad after hearing that from her daughter-in-law, "I didn't know it wasn't fun for you. Sorry, you don't have to..."

"No!" Cecily interrupted her with a flustered shout, "It's fun, but..."

"But what?" Mom looked at her confused.

"It's... embarrassing for me." She squirmed about in her seat, her cheeks slightly flushed and her Eyes looking away.

Okay, whatever it is that she's doing, I hope to the Gods she never stops! If it's something that allows my wife's meek teenage self to shine through even now, then I can only wish her and my mom the very best! Seriously though, is there anything in this house that a woman like her could consider embarrassing to show off, or even do for that matter? My imagination's running wild, but in the end nothing comes to mind. Guess I'll wait for the inevitable reveal, and until then I'll at least have something to look forward to in the near future.

"Ah, I see." Mom teased her a bit once she figured it out, "My daughter-in-law is just so cute! Don't worry, I won't spoil any surprises then!"

"Thank you." Cecily nodded as they got up to leave the room, leaving Cene, dad and me to be the only one's left.

"......So." I blinked at him.

"So." Dad blinked back.

Looks like the carefree and natural air around the room was taken from us the moment the girls left. Dad and I really didn't have any issues conversing up until now, but with their whole business training vacation they were so vehemently pitching to Cene, it kinda made the mood sour again. Cene, on the other hand, was still happily picking the savory meat from the roasts and munching away.

"Why don't you want Cene to take on the family business?" Dad angrily inquired.

"He'll choose his own path, without anyone grooming him into their own." I explained with equally furrowed brows, "Besides, you've got Latham for that."

"That kid has only been causing us trouble recently." Dad immediately wrote him off, "With his recent antics, I'm sure he'll be just as immature and unwilling to become a butcher as you."

Ah, did I shoot myself in the foot with that one? I was so hellbent on giving Latham a bad rep in our parents' Eyes that dad actually gave up on him succeeding the family business. I... might have to think of a way to steer things back on their rightful track, lest my father pester my son to join him on his animal cutting adventures forever more.

"Can Nelly come too?" Cene suggested.

"No, Nelly's definitely a no-go." I shook my head.

"Oh yeah, we have her too. Not Trivinumerian, but desperate times call for desperate measures." Dad figured, "Come on, son. Don't tell me someone who claims to be as progressive as you still thinks women aren't cut out to become butchers? Hell, your mother's a prime example of a fine butcher no matter how you slice it."

"Can you stop with the butchering puns, it's suffocating!" I yelled, "And it's not that. She once had a... rather traumatic experience with finding out the meat in her burger comes from a chopped up cow, so she'd definitely be against it. Honestly, even the last time I saw her, I still had to put the ham on her sandwiches cause she disliked touching any form of raw meat."

Well, I say that, but that was back when Nelly was still 10. Right, I still haven't seen her even after I revived, so maybe my claims are a tad outdated, but my point still stands. If I want Cene to decide for himself when he's of age, then I want the same for Nelly. I'll teach them as much as I can until they're legally considered adults at 17, and after that it's all up to them. Their actions, and the responsibilities that stem from said actions, will entirely rest on them, but I will DEFINITELY not hold them back after that. I'd say that's fair.

"Oh." Dad looked down for a sec before getting a second wind moment, "So then maybe you're...?"

"No."

"Oh." He once again deflated, "......."

"...Yeah."

"........This meat's pretty good." Dad reverted back to the start of the entire conversation.

"Yep."

"Mhm." Cene nodded, "Mom makes bettew meat though."

"Haha, nice one, boy!" Dad burst out laughing at that one, "There's no way there's a single butcher in the world better than me!"

"Oof..." I made an uncomfortable face.

"What's the matter, Lune?" Dad grunted, "You saying there's a place in fancy-schmancy Cardina where the meat is better than what your old man has? Then go on, what's the name of the butcher, then?"

"Actually..." I awkwardly broke it to him, "We usually buy our meat from the supermarket."

"...What?"

"Yeah. It's all store bought." I added, "Cecily just defrosts it in hot water before cooking it normally."

"...Tch, then isn't it your wife that does the magic and not the actual meat?" Dad snarled.

"Nah, she just plops it in the oven. Most of the time she forgets to even season it." I shrugged.

"......Shut up and eat your food, son." Dad warned.

"Don't gotta tell me twice." I took yet another serving, "And Cene?"

"Yes, dad?" He looked up.

"Don't tell your mother I said any of this."