The three adults looked at her with adoration.
"I want her as my daughter!"
"No!"
Nera laughed at their argument but interjected immediately to avoid them continuing even further.
"So, what's the reason I never knew of your friendship with Duke Vanderwale, father?"
"Uncle Ian, for now!" Ian shouted with a wide grin on his face.
Namilde groaned and face palmed.
"It's because the moment you were born he told me that..." He glared at the Duke, "You should get married to his son."
"Ew." Nera suddenly spoke with an obviously disgusted face.
Namilde held a laugh but air went out of his nose as well as Peryani, and she immediately covered her face with a fan. Ian was just dumbfounded and stared at Nera.
"Oh, I'm sorry for that, Duke Vanderwale. I suddenly misspoke." Nera bowed her head.
"Never mind that! You met him today, right? Aren't you attracted?" Ian still had a stupidly huge grin on his face, which made Namilde annoyed and slapped him.
"I swear-!" Ian stood up and pulled Namilde's collar yet again.
Nera found the question weird, but she adapted the resilience from family gatherings back in her past world, nothing can phase her now.
"I didn't find him attractive, he kept glaring at me," Nera confessed, smiling, which made Peryani smile as well. Namilde saw his wife and daughter have the same smile, directed at his friend. Unfortunately, it wasn't a kind one.
Ian's jaw dropped and he sat back down on the chair. Namilde covered his mouth to force himself not to laugh again.
"I told you to get someone to teach that brat some manners." Namilde sneered at his friend.
"I did!"
"Who did you get?"
"Me."
"That's why you're exactly the same."
Ian sighed, "I know."
'Exact carbon copies in physical appearance but also personalities? Was the Duke that rude as the Young Master before?' Nera thought in her head but then continued to listen to them banter.
Nera smiled at their talk and for a few more minutes, her brothers arrived.
"Oh, Greetings, Duke Vanderwale." Noel bowed as Noah did. Their synchronized movements were seen which made it obvious that they were trained in the same place, the Ponterise household.
"Oh please, did you tell them to call me that too?"
Noel tilted his head. "Father didn't tell anything about you, Duke Vanderwale."
Ian turned his head to his friend with watery eyes.
"...Am I really your friend, Nami?"
"No," Namilde answered immediately.
"I hate you."
"Good."
"...Is this really our father talking?" Noah whispered to Nera to which she replied with a nod.
"They're best friends apparently."
"Get out."
"I mean it. Why don't you guys know it too?"
Noah shrugged. "Did he explain to you?"
Nera whispered to her brothers the reason why their father didn't let her meet Duke Vanderwale.
Noel blinked a few times and Noah laughed quietly.
"You getting married to the 'Genius of the Century' would be the biggest joke of the millennia," Noah said in between his laughs.
Nera hit him with her elbow and Noah did the same to her.
Noel commented, "I didn't know Father is that protective of you."
"Me neither. It's okay if I went out to simple reconnaissance exercises with you but apparently getting married to his best friend's son is worse... Although, I do understand since I was literally just born that time."
Noah laughed louder.
"But father, why don't we know that Duke Vanderwale is your best friend?" Noel directly asked.
"Noel, my kind boy!" Duke Ian stood up and patted Noel's head.
"Because I didn't want you to be exposed to his stupidity."
"HAHAHAHA!" Noah finally bursted out of laughter, not being able to hold it back any longer, "Father, why would you hide something like this? This is gold!"
Nera then realized where Noah got this personality where he has snarky remarks about everything she says.
Noel lightly laughed, "You don't mean that, do you, Father?"
Namilde looked away from his son's eyes.
Ian smiled at his friend.
"I'll cut off the act and introduce myself properly."
He stood up straight and tall, proud and confident, "I am Duke Ian de Vanderwale, your father's best friend!"
"Wow, that was an act?" Noah asked.
"Most of it," Ian answered but Namilde was shaking his head at the back.
Noah laughed which made Ian look back to Namilde, "Well, I only act like this in front of people I trust." Ian smiled.
"But we only met." Noel raised his eyebrow.
"You guys only met me today, but I've seen you all as babies and sometimes as children. Of course, you wouldn't remember."
The three Ponterise children had their own shocked expressions.
"I wasn't able to visit much often after you two were born because I was busy going around the Empire, but then when Nera was born, Namlide really closed me off!"
"Because of the nonsense, you speak."
"Hey, if they get married, they would be powerful."
"If Nera doesn't want it then no."
Nera couldn't help but grin at her father's words.
'So that's why he just lets me do whatever I want...'
Ian beamed at his friend's words.
"I'm not forcing them to... maybe friends would have been nice." Ian sighed and shrugged. "Well, it's fine now that I can see you three as strong and beautiful young adults. It makes me happy."
"Thank you, Duke Vanderwale. It's an honor." Noel bowed his head.
"Call me Uncle!"
Nera snickered.
"He's been telling me that since we met. He's a persistent uncle."
Ian covered his mouth and his eyes were wide open.
"Sure, why not, uncle? Can't call the other dukes like this after all." Noah chuckled.
Noel nodded,
"Alright then, thank you, Uncle Ian. But I'll only call you this in informal meetings."
"How strict, unlike his father."
"I've changed, if you didn't know."
Ian chuckled before settling into a warm smile, "It's nice meeting the whole family like this."
"Well, now that you're here, eat dinner with us." Peryani stood up and gestured to the dining room.
"I'd love to. But my two other children are waiting for me back in our house. I'd love to eat with all of us together someday."
Namilde nodded. "Just put us somewhere on your busy schedule."
Ian chuckled, "Yeah, yeah. Well, goodbye for now!"
The three Ponterise children and Marchioness said their goodbyes, then Namilde guided him out to his carriage.
"Nice to see you're energetic after all these years." Ian said before going in.
"Nice to see you still like barging in on other people's property." Namilde replied.
Ian laughed out loud and he held his friend's shoulder.
"See, that sharp tongue of yours still hasn't gotten dull."
Namilde rolled his eyes.
"Congratulations on having a great family, Nami. I really am happy." Ian hugged his friend wherein Namilde slowly did as well.
"...Thanks, Ian."