Ch.BONUS390. A Day in Spring

“Kyaa-“

“Ugh. My heart…”

Aris, who had been staring at Blea with sparkling eyes, clutched her chest.

“I can’t take it anymore. She’s just too cute!”

Being someone who goes crazy for cute things, she immediately hugged Blea tightly and rubbed her face against her.

It was a somewhat aggressive display of affection, but of course, Blea was beaming with a broad smile.

Charlotte sighed deeply as she watched Aris, who seemed to have forgotten their original purpose.

“Geez. Sister Aris, really. We didn’t come here just to see Blea.”

“Leave her be, Charlotte. It might be better to just let Aris be like that and tell her later.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

As they were letting it go, refreshments and tea were gradually placed in front of the members.

But the pace was quite slow.

“I’ll do the rest. Sit down and take a break.”

“Mmm, no. As the hostess, I should be doing this, oppa.”

“No, I insist. You’re not alone in your body anymore.”

“You’re being overprotective. This won’t cause any problems for my body, you know?”

Just when it seemed like the tea and refreshments were being set out, that wasn’t quite the case.

Watching the couple sweetly bickering over whose job it was, it was like watching a romantic drama. If one kept watching, they might wonder if refreshments were even necessary.

But they couldn’t just keep watching this. That wouldn’t do.

“Would you two stop rubbing salt in our wounds and sit down?”

“I get that you’re dating, but are you going to start kissing right here too?”

“You think we’d stop at just kissing?”

“W-w-w-what are you saying…! Oppa, let’s go quickly!”

After exchanging a couple of suggestive remarks, his wife turned into a white rabbit mode, her face flushing red as she sat down.

“Sister Aris.”

“Huh? Oh, yes. I’m coming now.”

“Well, now it seems like we can finally get to the point.”

“So. What’s this about?”

“Well. There’s something we wanted to discuss. Right, everyone?”

As Senia shrugged her shoulders playfully, everyone nodded.

While the couple looked at them with puzzled expressions, Senia soon gave a signal counting one, two, and on three, they all brought something out.

“Oh my goodness.”

“This is…”

Each gift box contained something different. But it was clear where they would be used.

“I heard you’re having a second child. Congratulations.”

“Congratulations!”

A pair of shoes small enough to barely fit tiny feet. Toys small enough for tiny hands to play with. Fresh and vibrant clothes.

Every item was meant for a child.

***

Needless to say, Professor Dalia gave us a severe scolding afterward.

“How long has it been since you had a baby, and you’re already pregnant again? Huh?! Don’t you even think about postpartum care?”

Thwack-

“Hueeee.”

Renias made a tearful face after receiving a punch on the head from Dalia.

I wasn’t an exception either.

Thwack-

“Ugh!”

“And you too, Junon. I understand having a wife you cherish more than anything, but if you give in so easily, it leads to bigger problems!”

And so, with bumps on our heads, we had to listen to the angry Professor Dalia’s scolding.

…At least until Blea started getting hungry and pestering Renias.

When we shared this story with the members, they burst into laughter.

“That’s an unexpected reason. Worried about losing your husband to your daughter, so you seduced him, and ended up getting pregnant that night.”

“Pfft, hehehe. Se-Senia unnie, please stop…”

“Ahaha! Oh, my stomach hurts.”

“You two are… amazing. In many ways.”

Everyone was holding their stomachs laughing or even shedding tears; it must have been that funny.

“B-but… I had no choice!”

“I know, I know. Where else would you find a man like Junon? Of course you had to hold onto him. Renias, it’s normal to be jealous.”

Senia said, glancing at me teasingly.

Sigh. She seems to be enjoying this.

“But how did you find out? We hadn’t told anyone yet that Reni was pregnant with our second child.”

“Oh, that.”

Apparently, Michelle, who had been looking after children at the orphanage, had questions about Blea’s unusual behavior. From a child’s perspective, Blea rubbing Renias’s belly seemed like she was cherishing and protecting something.

It wasn’t an immediate conclusion, but it was a rather sharp guess.

And what turned this guess into certainty was, of course, Senia.

Since she often went for walks with her child, she frequently encountered Tembris, whose magic eyes had already noticed Blea’s magical energy.

She hadn’t mentioned this earlier because she thought it was too soon to share.

When Michelle brought this up, Blea’s magical energy and unusual behavior intersected, quickly leading to the conclusion about the second child.

Through this process, the Tembris members became convinced and came to meet us with gifts for the second child.

“…So that’s how it happened.”

No wonder packages for pregnant women arrived today with Kain and Lumia’s names on them.

While I was sighing, the lively atmosphere continued in the house.

I don’t know how many times I became the butt of jokes, or how many times Renias’s face turned red. The laughter never stopped, and as we lightly filled our stomachs with Renias’s cooking, I must have heard dozens of times to be a good husband.

I would have done that anyway, even without being told.

It was time for them to leave when, once again, Blea crawled over to her mother, showing her intent to protect her sibling.

“Oh, it’s already evening. When did it get so late?”

“I know. We didn’t drink alcohol, but the snacks were so sweet that I lost track of time.”

“I’ll be going now. Don’t rush to make a third child, okay?”

“A-a third child…!”

“…Hey.”

─Ahahahaha.

The laughter didn’t stop until they left the doorway. Their laughter, of course.

I took this opportunity to ask Renias.

“Reni. At that time… did you plan it?”

“At that time… Eh? No, that’s not it!”

After a short pause, she hesitated with “W-well…” and then looked into my eyes and answered honestly.

“I-it was during my period, so I was feeling a bit… wanting.”

They say women also have times when their desires explode.

Who would have thought the timing would coincide so perfectly.

“…Next time, if you really can’t hold back, just tell me.”

If this happens again, it could be serious trouble.

***

Time flowed endlessly.

By the time Blea could properly pronounce “Mama” and “Papa,” and this news spread, everyone offered their congratulations.

From the students I taught, to fellow faculty members, to the noble families connected to the Lantana duchy.

By the time we could feel the movement of one child and communicate by stroking the belly, it was confirmed that Blea’s sibling would be a baby brother.

And finally.

When the second child cried out and saw the outside world.

Our family became four.

“Ah, Junon, you idiot! The angle is tilted!”

“Should I stand like this?”

“No, senior. If you do that, the son you’re holding won’t be visible.”

“Oh, you frustrating people! Like this, pose like this!”

“Wait! That position, the composition Aris just set up might work!”

“That’s right! Now, Aris, step back and hold your breath. One, two, three!”

Swoosh-

“It came out well, oppa. Right?”

“…”

“Oppa?”

“It came out so well that I was lost in it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean~”

The lens had vividly captured our family.

“You two, you’re not just going to stand there staring, are you?”

“Huh?”

“We came to take pictures together, didn’t we? Right?”

Ah. So that’s it.

“Anyone who blinks gets a penalty!”

Swoosh-

It was a spring day when a perfect photo was taken of our colleagues and our family.