Ch.81Uh, It’s Okay. You Guys Have Fun (4)

Riano stood frozen in place.

Her expression was close to shock, and her hands were trembling slightly.

She must be shocked that I had been intimate with Lael.

She didn’t say anything.

From her expression, it’s clear she wants to say something but is holding back, perhaps thinking it couldn’t be helped.

But I want her to say something.

I know better than anyone what happens when you don’t honestly pour out your feelings.

They twist and twist until finally, only broken pieces remain.

So even if it’s difficult, it’s better to let it out.

Of course, anything I say now would only hurt her, so I kept quiet.

I just waited for her.

This is awkward…

Even though I knew this would happen, now that I’m actually in this situation, it’s harder than I thought.

Then, Riano broke the silence and opened her mouth.

“Idiot. Fool.”

“Yeah.”

I don’t apologize.

I may have hurt her, but I didn’t do anything wrong.

“Why, why did you do it with Lael before me? How long have we lived under the same roof?! You never laid a hand on me, but you did it after spending just one day with her?!”

Riano glared at me with eyes full of anger.

I had already expected her to be angry.

Of course she’d be upset learning the person she loves was intimate with another woman.

But I didn’t expect her to be angry for this reason.

Is this really something to be so angry about…?

Thinking about it carefully, I suppose it is somewhat upsetting.

Now that we’ve confirmed our feelings for each other, she must have been frustrated.

As a woman, she might have hesitated to make the first move, and since I didn’t take the initiative either, she might have been waiting expectantly every night.

“I-I’m sorry…”

This was definitely my fault, so I had no choice but to apologize.

“No, it’s fine! Don’t apologize! Since it felt good anyway… Instead…”

“Instead?”

“Do it with me tonight! And maybe…”

“Maybe?”

“Did… did you…”

Did you…?

Based on our conversation, there’s only one thing that could start with “did you.”

I’m not sure why she’s asking, but I should answer her.

“I didn’t. No matter what, she’s a duke’s daughter… I can’t handle the consequences yet.”

Just imagine if rumors spread that an Academy professor got a student pregnant, and a duke’s daughter at that.

The Duchy of Gideon would certainly find out, and I’d be a dead man walking.

Of course I want the woman I love to have my child, but maintaining our relationship comes first.

So, well… I finished outside.

“R-really? G-good job!”

Riano said that while grabbing my hand.

I could feel her trembling through her hand.

She doesn’t seem anxious.

Is she embarrassed?

“Um… Crow, I have a request…”

“Hmm? What kind of request?”

I should try to grant it as much as possible.

It’s true that she’s upset because of me.

I should at least try to make her feel better.

She let out a deep sigh before speaking.

“I want… to have a baby.”

“Huh…?”

That’s her request…?

For a moment, my mind went completely blank, as if someone had wiped away all my thoughts with water.

As I stared at her blankly, she hurriedly waved her hands and made excuses.

“No! That’s not it! They say it gets harder to have babies as you get older, right? And there’s also talk that the younger the mother, the more likely the baby will inherit talent! So…”

“So?”

Her fist lightly touched my chest.

“J-just try it! Come on!”

Her words were quite disorderly, but it wasn’t difficult to understand what she meant.

In a word, she’s asking me to get her pregnant.

But I couldn’t easily give an answer.

My feelings for Riano are somewhat different.

That’s not to say I don’t love her.

If anything, with the added familial affection, I could say I love her more than Lael, Elin, or Derin.

The problem is that I can’t easily lay hands on Riano.

I want to cherish her, or rather, I want to protect her purity.

She sacrificed her youth to raise me, so it’s natural to feel this way.

Some might say that’s nonsense after we’ve already kissed, but that and this are completely different matters.

Once purity is lost, it doesn’t come back…

As I was pondering this, Riano embraced me.

I could feel her soft skin through the thin clothes, and naturally, my body responded.

I’ll have to permanently seal away that outfit of hers.

“Crow, isn’t there a way…?”

Her eyes were dripping with desperation.

Seeing that, I sighed and said quietly:

“Alright. A baby… well, we can try.”

If my desire to protect her only makes her sad, then that’s certainly a contradiction.

So it’s right to move in the direction that makes her happy.

Besides…

What man wouldn’t want to be with the woman he loves?

I’ve just been holding back.

As I was thinking this, Riano buried her face in my chest and giggled.

Anyway, the outfit Riano is wearing now is permanently sealed.

I just can’t calm down.

* * * * *

The lunch Lael prepared was barbecue.

Riano and I, who had arrived at the villa, returned to where everyone was with ingredients and firewood for the barbecue.

The women, who had been exhausted before we left, had recovered in that short time and were bickering again.

Lael said with her hands on her hips:

“I’m telling you, I’m sitting next to Crow!”

“You were with him all day yesterday. And you’re together all day at the Academy too. Do you still want more?”

Don’t they ever get tired of fighting all day?

Anyway, we need to prepare lunch now, and I can’t just leave them like this.

They shouldn’t be hindering if they can’t help.

I roughly threw the firewood on the ground and stepped between them.

They seemed surprised by my sudden appearance, opening their eyes wide before averting their gaze.

They seem to know they’re in the wrong.

“Both of you, stop it. Why are you fighting on a trip?”

“Well… I want to sit next to you during meals…”

“I feel the same as Derin…”

Ah, at times like this, I wish I could split into four bodies, or at least two.

“Just help prepare lunch.”

At my words, they sighed deeply and began helping Elin and Riano, who were already preparing the meal.

Watching from a distance as these women who like me and whom I like, I couldn’t help but smile.

It’s amazing.

It feels like my heart is so full it’s overflowing.

I hope this happiness lasts a long time.

With that thought, I approached them and helped prepare the meal.

I lit the firewood with fire magic and grilled meat and various vegetables over the direct flame.

When I took a bite while looking at the sea, I couldn’t help but exclaim:

“Wow…!”

The cooking method was the same as usual.

Since what we could do outdoors was limited, we just seasoned it slightly and cooked it over the fire.

But the taste was on another level.

Indeed, when eating outdoors with others, everything tastes a bit better.

When I put a piece of meat in my mouth and chewed, it melted away.

This must be paradise on earth.

The enjoyable meal didn’t last long, unfortunately.

Everyone must have been very hungry from the long water play, as they gobbled down their food.

Still, seeing them enjoy the food made me feel good.

Anyway, now that we’ve recharged our energy, there’s only one thing left to do.

Round two of water play!

Led by me, Lael, Derin, and Elin entered the sea one after another.

The cold seawater enveloped our bodies, cooling us down after sweating.

But Riano was hiding in the shade of the tent, just watching us, with no intention of coming into the sea.

Since she had been playing happily just this morning, I went back to shore and approached her.

I wondered if there might be some problem.

“Riano, why are you here? Let’s play together.”

“Ah… It’s okay. You all play.”

“Are you sure that’s alright?”

“Yes, it’s fine. Go play. I’ll wait for the kids.”

She said this with a smile.

That smile was filled with composure.

* * * * *

After playing in the water for a long time, both in the morning and afternoon, we returned to the villa, washed up, and everyone was so tired they fell asleep without even eating dinner.

Of course, I’m fine.

I left in the middle and spent time with Riano.

Though that’s just a secondary reason; the real reason is different.

Didn’t Riano ask me for something tonight?

Honestly, I’m so excited that I don’t think I could sleep even if told to.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Creeeeak—

With a somewhat creepy sound, the door opened, and Riano came to my room.

“H-h-hello!”

She was extremely nervous.