Ch.361Wronged (2)

Before thinking through the situation, let me consider this. Here’s a man and woman who have promised each other a future because their hearts align.

Their relationship hasn’t soured or broken at all, and they continue their sweet life together.

But then numerous women start approaching the man, and due to various overlapping circumstances, the woman had no choice but to accept it.

Nevertheless, the woman emphasized that she would always be his first priority, and the man respected her and showered her with boundless love.

As time passed, even when the man got other lovers, the woman didn’t mind and simply accepted it as normal.

Up to this point, in others’ eyes, the man is nothing but a scoundrel. A scoundrel with three or more lovers.

However, it’s not unheard of to have mistresses rather than wives. Without looking far, there are nobles and kings everywhere who keep concubines.

Especially kings, who often take numerous concubines under the ideology of needing to produce many heirs.

Think about why Friedrich of the Kingdom of Teres was called a romantic. Whether someone is called a scoundrel depends on their status and circumstances.

Anyway, it’s fortunate the woman understood the situation well. If the man had thoughtlessly increased his lovers, a major rift would have occurred.

But that’s not the end. What if a child of the man that the woman knew nothing about suddenly appears?

And not a newborn, but a 3-4 year old child appearing with another woman?

Without question, the man would evolve from a scoundrel to a complete bastard, and the woman’s patience would run out.

“So……”

Marie, sitting on the bed, pressed her fingers between her eyebrows and trailed off.

She had so much to say, but her thoughts weren’t organized, making her head ache.

I stood across from her, waiting silently until she spoke.

After that, Marie let out a long sigh, then extended her index finger and slowly began to organize the situation.

“So you went to the World Tree, met Lord Hirt, even his avatar, and received his blessing. After receiving the blessing, a coconut-sized seed of the World Tree fell, and from that seed, an angel named Ariel was born?”

“Yes. Very accurate.”

“She’s not… an illegitimate child, right? With wings and all, it would be blasphemy to doubt.”

If I had a child Ariel’s age, it would mean I had her when I was at least 15. No matter how many times I think about it, it doesn’t make sense.

However, given the era, it’s not unheard of for people to have children at that age. If one becomes aware of sexuality early and receives improper education, it could happen.

Usually, it’s scoundrels who follow that path, but I didn’t. If I had, I would have taken responsibility long ago.

In summary, this situation arose from the gods’ favor, or lack thereof.

“Mmm~ So fluffy.”

“Do you like it?”

“Yes! Fluffier than a bed!”

Meanwhile, Ariel, the cause of all this commotion, is nestled in Cecilly’s arms. Currently, she’s using Cecilly’s large chest as a pillow, practically resting her face against it.

The black dress that reveals half of her chest makes her already large bosom even more prominent because of Ariel.

Cecilly, finding Ariel cute, gently caressed her head.

“Where are you looking? Not looking this way?”

Just as I was thinking how envious I was, Marie’s chilly voice pierced my ears.

Upon hearing her words, I turned my head sharply with a whoosh.

Her expression, holding back many words, came into view. Indeed, I would feel the same in her position.

“Phew…… At least it’s fortunate. That she’s not another woman’s child.”

“Um… Marie?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Speak.”

Arwen, who was standing beside me, cautiously opened her mouth. She’s in a position somewhat like an accomplice(?), which is why she’s standing by my side.

Then, Arwen glanced at Marie and asked in a small voice.

“It’s unlikely, but if another woman were to bear Issac’s child before you… what would you do?”

“Why? Don’t tell me you’re planning to be the first to do it now that things have come to this?”

Marie, with her arms crossed, retorted with a somewhat aggressive tone. Her voice was sharp, and the spirit behind it was extremely fierce.

Even Arwen, the Queen of Alfheim, seemed overwhelmed by that spirit, flinching and shaking her head vigorously. A gesture of strong denial.

Though it might be considered rude, Arwen maintained a respectful attitude, understanding Marie’s feelings.

“N-No, absolutely not! I have principles, how could I do such a thing? I merely asked out of curiosity. It’s just that someone other than me might…”

“Well, I won’t break up with him, so you can rest assured. There’s already a vixen right beside me eyeing my position, so why would I?”

“Huh? Are you talking about me?”

“Who else would it be?”

Cecilly, unexpectedly targeted. However, she didn’t seem to have any intention of denying it, just shrugging her shoulders and handling it with composure.

Naturally, Marie’s expression slightly crumpled at that. She must be under a lot of stress in many ways.

“Sigh…… Anyway, even if such a thing happens, I won’t force an abortion or drive them away. Issac would surely be sad.”

“I-I see.”

“But! Only for women who have reached an agreement, like Queen Arwen. If Issac forms a relationship with a woman we don’t know about and even has a child, there will be no mercy.”

That would absolutely never happen. This thought rose to my throat, but I managed to suppress it.

I’m not a fool who can’t read the atmosphere, and the moment I mention this, the situation would worsen. For now, silence is the answer.

At the same time, I felt sorry. Usually, Marie and I joke around well, and our personalities match so well that we rarely fight.

Yet, the fact that she brought this up shows how much she’s been struggling mentally. Even accepting Cecilly was a big decision to begin with.

“So, Your Majesty can rest assured. Just focus on the current matter. Understood?”

“I am grateful for your broad-mindedness.”

“As Xenon’s fiancée, I should have this much generosity. And Issac?”

“Y-Yes?”

I straightened my posture at Marie’s call and faced her. She crossed her arms and legs, exuding an air of dignity.

Looking at her like this, I realized that Marie too was shedding her youthful appearance and moving towards adulthood.

When we first met, she was closer to a fresh young girl, but now she’s gradually exuding maturity like Cecilly beside her.

“I’ll let this incident slide since you must be feeling quite wronged too. It’s a gift from Lord Hirt, so we can’t refuse, right?”

“Y-Yes, that’s right.”

“I was thinking of making you wear a chastity belt, but on second thought, that doesn’t seem right.”

“…”

Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes weren’t smiling at all. Though she looked pretty even with her anger rising, she felt like a rose with thorns.

In truth, she must have felt some anxiety. There were too many women around me.

And now with Ariel’s appearance, she must be genuinely worried that her anxiety might become reality.

“Anyway, we should be careful when returning. Can’t we hide her with magic?”

“Ariel is very sensitive to magic. Plus, she has high resistance, so ordinary magic won’t affect her.”

“Huh? Didn’t you make Ariel fly with magic last time?”

It was right after we finished our conversation with Luminus. At that time, Ariel was definitely flying through the air with Arwen’s magic.

“At that time, I directly asked her to accept the mana, not reject it.”

“I see. She woke up even before sleep magic could be cast?”

Arwen nodded at my question. Since Ariel’s birth, I haven’t had a single night with Arwen.

Marie quickly noticed this and asked us in a voice of disbelief.

“Wait. So you haven’t done it even once except for the first day?”

“We did on the second day too. But on the third day, Ariel was born…”

“Me?”

Yes, you. This adorable and lovely little angel.

In fact, Arwen is just as wronged as Marie here.

She was almost wrongly accused by Marie, and because of Ariel, all their peaceful life together has come to naught.

Yet she can’t even resent it because Ariel is a gift directly from Lord Hirt. The moment she expresses resentment, who knows what punishment might befall her.

“Hmm…… That’s definitely unfair. But we can’t just take her away either.”

“Let me ask. Ariel?”

“What, Daddy?”

“Can Ariel be okay without Daddy?”

Ariel tilted her head at my question. The sprout on her head tilted along with it.

It seems she didn’t understand the meaning of my question. I started to give a more detailed explanation.

“Would Ariel be okay if she couldn’t see Daddy’s face? Daddy has something to do.”

“Mommies too?”

“Huh?”

“Mommies gone too?”

Ariel answered in plural, not singular. Come to think of it, she’s been calling Marie and Cecilly “mommy” since she first met them.

To confirm this, I asked another question.

“Um… Ariel?”

“Mmm?”

“Is this sister also mommy, and this sister also mommy?”

“Yes! Mommy! Many mommies!”

Whether it’s because she has many mommies or for some other reason, Ariel nodded her head vigorously as she answered.

Her wings fluttered behind her, making it clear to anyone that she was in a good mood.

By the way, it’s surprising that she recognizes not only Arwen, whom she met first after birth, but also Marie and Cecilly as mommies.

I asked step by step to understand the reason.

“Why do you call them mommy? You saw in the book earlier, right? There are words to call people who aren’t mommy.”

“Yes. But I feel Daddy from mommy.”

“You feel me?”

“Yes! Daddy’s feeling. I’m in mommies too.”

An even more puzzling answer. My feeling is in others too. What on earth does this mean?

The other women seemed to have similar thoughts, as they all wore expressions of incomprehension.

“Maybe she thinks all women who have had relations with Issac are mommies?”

Among them, Marie threw out a hypothesis. It was a reasonable suggestion, and everyone, including me, nodded.

Of course, it’s just a hypothesis, so we shouldn’t blindly believe it. And there’s no need to do it right now.

What’s important is whether Ariel would be okay without me. So I spoke once more in a gentle voice.

“Then, would Ariel be okay without Daddy?”

“I don’t want to be without Daddy…”

Understanding the meaning of my words, Ariel wore a dejected expression. The sprout on her head drooped like her emotions.

Seeing that reaction immediately made my heart ache, but I couldn’t give up. Ariel is precious, but so is Arwen.

If I let this slide now, I don’t know when I’ll be able to give Arwen good memories again.

“It’s just for a few nights. If it’s hard to bear, you can ask the mommies. Ariel can come find me first.”

“Mmm…”

“Oh, right. If you listen to Daddy, I’ll give you what Ariel likes most. What does Ariel like most?”

“Daddy.”

Only a heart-wrenching answer came back. Separation anxiety is dangerous for children, so it might be better to give up early.

Arwen seemed to have similar thoughts, as she opened her mouth as if there was no choice.

“I think it’s best to return as is.”

“But…”

“I’m fine. Just being connected with you is happiness enough. There’s no need to worry too much.”

Though she said that, her silver-gray eyes held deep regret. Honestly, she must feel very wronged.

However, we can’t ignore a gift from Lord Hirt. As regrettable and unfair as it is, we have no choice but to back down.

Just as the situation was about to conclude, Ariel, who had been gazing intently at Arwen, opened her mouth.

“…I’ll go.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll go without Daddy.”

Ariel suddenly reversed her decision. I, and everyone else, looked at her with wide eyes.

Ariel, leaning her back against Cecilly’s chest, fidgeted with her hands and then looked at Arwen and said.

“I love Daddy. But I don’t like mommy being sad.”

“Ariel?”

“How many nights to sleep?”

Perhaps it’s because she was born an angel. Without being taught, Ariel is showing “yielding” and “consideration.”

What a benevolent being. I feel ashamed for being blinded by greed, supposedly for Arwen’s sake.

I looked at her with a face full of emotion, then slowly approached. Then I picked her up and rubbed my face against her cheek.

“Oh my. Who did you take after to be so kind? Our Ariel is truly kind.”

“Hehe.”

“Your laugh is cute too. Daddy will come as soon as possible. Until then, you must listen to the mommies. Understand?”

“Yes!”

So this is why people have children. I think I understand the feelings of parents who embrace their children despite all the trouble they cause.

While everyone was immersed in this heartwarming situation, Ariel, who was receiving plenty of affection from me, opened her mouth.

“Yay.”

“…?”

“Can I do more with Issac?”

Wait, who is she looking at…

“…Arwen?”

“Ah, no. I mean, this is…”

In an instant, she’s made someone look like trash.