Richard made up his mind on the spot.
He would choose Neia!
"I have—"
"Since this is a special occasion, and it has a direct invitation, we must honor the Rouge Family to the best of our ability. I'll make the necessary arrangements for someone in the Branch Family to come over and serve as your plus one."
'E-eh?'
Richard was interrupted by the most unexpected response from his parents.
"We have a branch family?" He accidentally blurted out his thoughts, much to the shock of his parents. For a moment, the two adults stared at their child and wondered if he was mentally impaired in some way.
However, they suddenly broke into a smile.
Karl even chuckled for a moment.
"Your attempt at humor is rather unique. Indeed, we, the Main Family, treat the Branch Families as though they don't exist. However, this is simply due to succession matters. Do not make such crude jokes in public, is that understood?"
"Y-yes…"
