Chapter 361: It's Unfair(2)
Chapter 361: It's Unfair(2)
Before we try to untangle this situation, let's think about it for a moment. Suppose there is a man and a woman who are in love and have promised each other a future.
Their relationship is perfectly fine—no cracks, no breakups—and they are living a sweet, happy life together.
But then, numerous other women start approaching the man. Due to a series of overlapping circumstances, the woman is forced to accept them.
Even so, the woman emphasizes that she must always be his number one priority, and the man respects her, showering her with unstinting love.
As time passes and the man gains even more lovers, the woman eventually reaches a point where she doesn't even care anymore, simply letting it slide.
Up to this point, in the eyes of others, the man is nothing short of a scumbag. A scumbag with three or more lovers, no less.
However, it’s not as if men taking mistresses instead of wives is unheard of. You don't have to look far to find nobles and kings with concubines everywhere.
Kings, in particular, often take numerous concubines under the ideology that they must produce many heirs.
Think about why Friedrich of the Kingdom of Ters was called a romantic. Whether someone is called a scumbag depends on their status and the situation.
Anyway, it’s a relief the woman is understanding. If the man had thoughtlessly increased his lovers, a massive rift would have surely formed.
But that’s not the end of it. What if a child the man never knew about suddenly appeared before the woman?
And what if it wasn't a newborn, but a three- or four-year-old child appearing alongside another woman?
Without question, the man would evolve from a mere scumbag into an absolute bastard, and the woman’s patience would hit rock bottom.
"So, what you're saying is..."
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Marie pressed her fingers firmly against her brow, her voice trailing off.
She clearly had a lot to say, but her thoughts were so jumbled it seemed to be giving her a headache.
I stood opposite her and waited quietly for her to speak.
Eventually, Marie let out a long, deep sigh, held up her index finger, and began to slowly summarize the situation.
"You went to the World Tree, met Lord Hirt—specifically His incarnation—and received a blessing from Him. After receiving the blessing, a World Tree seed the size of a coconut fell beneath it, and from that seed, an angel named Ariel was born?"
"Yes. Exactly."
"She's not... an illegitimate child, right? I suppose doubting it when she literally has wings would be sacrilege."
If I had a child Ariel's age, it would mean I’d fathered her when I was at least fifteen. No matter how you look at it, that makes no sense.
Then again, given the era, it’s not as if there are no people who have children at that age. It happens when people awaken to sex early, combined with a lack of proper education.
Usually, it’s the "trashy young master" types who follow that path, but I wasn't one of them. If I had, I would have taken responsibility long ago.
To sum it up, this was a situation born from the gods' "favor"—if you could even call it that.
"Ooh~ Squishy."
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah! It's squishier than a bed!"
Meanwhile, Ariel, the cause of this entire mess, was being held by Cecile. Currently, she was using Cecile’s ample chest as a pillow, practically burying her face in it.
Since Cecile was wearing a black dress that revealed half of her cleavage, her already large chest was emphasized even more by Ariel’s presence.
Cecile seemed to find Ariel adorable, as she gently stroked the girl's hair.
"Where are you looking now? Look over here."
Just as a fleeting thought of envy crossed my mind, Marie’s chilling voice pierced my ears.
The moment I heard it, I whipped my head back toward her so fast it practically made a sound.
I could see her expression—she clearly had much to say but was holding back. Well, I’d probably feel the same way if I were in her shoes.
"Whew... At least it’s a relief. That she’s not another woman’s child."
"Uh... Marie?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Please, go ahead."
Arwen, who was standing beside me, spoke up cautiously. She was standing by my side because she was essentially an accomplice in this.
Arwen glanced at Marie’s reaction before asking in a small voice.
"I'm sure it won't happen, but... if another woman were to have Isaac's child before you... what would you do?"
"Why? Are you planning to beat me to it since things have already turned out like this?"
Marie asked back with her arms crossed, her tone somewhat aggressive. Her voice was sharp, and the aura she projected was extremely fierce.
Even Arwen, the Queen of Albenheim, seemed overwhelmed by that spirit, flinching slightly and shaking her head. It was a gesture of strong denial.
It was a rude attitude, to say the least, but Arwen seemed to understand Marie’s feelings and maintained a polite demeanor.
"N-No, absolutely not! I have my own sense of propriety; how could I do such a thing? I was merely asking out of curiosity. Someone other than me might do so..."
"Well, I’m not going to break up with him, so you can rest easy. Why would I give up my spot when there’s a vixen right next to me constantly eyeing my position?"
"Huh? Are you talking about me?"
"Who else would it be?"
Cecile, suddenly targeted, didn't seem particularly inclined to deny it. She simply shrugged and handled it with ease.
Naturally, Marie’s expression crumpled slightly at that. She must be under a lot of stress in many ways.
"Sigh... Regardless, even if such a thing happened, I wouldn't make her get an abortion or kick her out. I know Isaac would be heartbroken."
"I-I see."
"However! That only applies to women who have reached an agreement, like Queen Arwen. If Isaac has a relationship with a woman we don't even know and has a child, there will be no mercy."
That will never happen. The words were at the tip of my tongue, but I barely managed to suppress them.
I’m not an idiot who can't read the room; saying that would only make things worse. For now, silence was the best answer.
At the same time, I felt a wave of guilt. Usually, Marie and I joke around and get along so well that we hardly ever fight.
The fact that she even brought this up showed how much she had been worrying. Accepting Cecile in the first place was a huge decision for her.
"So, Your Majesty can rest easy. For now, just focus on the matter at hand. Understood?"
"I thank you for your broad-mindedness."
"As Xenon's fiancée, I should have at least this much grace. And Isaac?"
"Y-Yes?"
At Marie’s call, I straightened my posture and faced her. She sat there with her arms crossed and legs tucked, exuding an air of haughtiness.
Looking at her like this, I realized Marie was shedding her youthful innocence and stepping onto the path of adulthood.
When we first met, she was more like a fresh, budding girl, but now she was beginning to exude a mature beauty, much like Cecile beside her.
"I'll let it slide this time since you must be feeling pretty wronged too. It’s a gift from Lord Hirt, so it’s not like you could refuse it, right?"
"T-That's right."
"I did think about putting a chastity belt on you, but on second thought, I figured that might be going a bit too far."
"..."
She was definitely smiling, but her eyes weren't smiling at all. Her venomous look was beautiful, but she felt like a rose covered in thorns.
In truth, she must have felt insecure. There were simply too many women around me.
And now that Ariel had appeared, she couldn't help but be genuinely worried that her fears might become reality.
"But then again, doing it every single day for a week without contraception would be too exhausting for me... If I’d known this would happen, maybe I should have worked out with you."
"..."
"If—and I mean if—you get another woman pregnant before me, I will carry out everything I just mentioned, so listen well. Got it?"
"Of course."
"Oh. For the record, if you get raped and the woman gets pregnant, that’s an exception. Like Cecile said, the world is full of crazy people."
That was a very realistic concern. I wasn't being sarcastic; I could think of two people right off the top of my head.
Cherry and Kate. Strictly speaking, they were on the gentler side of the fanatic spectrum.
Furthermore, as expected of a fantasy world, there were many women with immense martial power. Without looking far, there were Nicole, Adelia, and Kate.
Despite being human, they possessed formidable strength, and in Kate’s case, she was a Grand Inquisitor.
The same went for Cecile and Arwen. Since their races were inherently overpowered, I needed to be careful.
Come to think of it, except for Marie and Cherry, all the women around me are stronger than I am.
I wasn't sure about Leona, but since she said she’d been trained, she was bound to be strong. Beastkin have cheat-like physical specs.
I felt like I needed to increase my own strength as soon as possible, if only to avoid being a hindrance to them.
"Now, all that's left is Ariel..."
"Hm?"
Marie turned her head and mentioned Ariel. Hearing her name, Ariel opened her eyes wide and looked at Marie.
The two of them stared at each other for a long time. Golden eyes met eyes as clear as a lake.
Just as a subtle tension began to flow, Ariel was the first to react.
"Cute? Do you wanna have a baby like me?"
Ariel spoke aloud, as if she had read Marie’s inner thoughts.
Normally, Marie would have been flustered, but she seemed too busy staring at Ariel to care.
"If I had a child like this, I think I’d be... so... happy. How many... should we have? Five?"
"Ahem. Ahem."
When her true feelings were unintentionally exposed, Marie looked embarrassed and turned her head away with a fake cough.
Of course, once words are spoken, they can't be taken back. Cecile chuckled at Marie’s inner thoughts and spoke playfully.
"Five, huh... Times like this, I envy humans. I want to have that many too."
"Then how many do you want to have?"
"I think five would be nice for me too. What about you, Lady Arwen?"
"I-I... about three..."
Does my opinion not matter? Just listening to this made me feel like I was reaching enlightenment.
If I really fathered that many children, I’d probably be recorded in history as the man who had the most children in the world.
In a way, it could be seen as an honor(?), but it wasn't exactly welcome news for the person involved. Childcare aside, my lower back wouldn't survive.
"Anyway, we should be careful when we go back. Can't we hide her with magic?"
"Ariel is very sensitive to magic. Moreover, her resistance is so high that most spells won't work on her."
"Huh? Didn't you use magic to make Ariel fly last time?"
That was right after I finished my conversation with Luminous. At that time, Ariel was definitely flying through the air thanks to Arwen’s magic.
"That was because I personally asked her. I told her not to reject the mana and to accept it."
"I see. And she woke up before the sleep magic could even take effect?"
Arwen nodded at my question. Since Ariel was born, Arwen and I hadn't had a single moment of intimacy.
Marie seemed to catch on to that quickly and asked us in a suspicious voice.
"Wait. So you haven't done it even once since the first night?"
"We did it until the second night. But Ariel was born on the third day..."
"Me?"
Yes, you. This cute and lovely little sprout angel.
Actually, the person who was just as wronged as Marie in this situation was Arwen.
Not only did she almost get on Marie’s bad side, but her peaceful life had been completely upended because of Ariel.
Yet, she couldn't even resent her, because Ariel was a gift directly from Lord Hirt. There was no telling what kind of punishment would follow if she showed resentment.
"Hmm... That definitely sounds a bit frustrating. But it’s not like we can just take her away."
"Let me ask her. Ariel?"
"Yeah, Daddy?"
"Ariel, can you get along okay without Daddy?"
Ariel tilted her head at my question. The sprout on top of her head tilted along with her.
It seemed she didn't quite understand what I meant. I began to explain in more detail.
"Is it okay if Ariel doesn't see Daddy's face for a bit? Daddy has some work to do."
"The mommies too?"
"Huh?"
"Are the mommies gone too?"
Ariel answered using the plural, not the singular. Come to think of it, she had referred to Marie and Cecile as "Mommy" from the moment she met them.
To confirm this, I asked another question.
"Uh... Ariel?"
"Mm-hmm?"
"Is this lady a mommy, and is this lady a mommy too?"
"Yeah! Mommy! Lots of mommies!"
Whether she liked having many mommies or for some other reason, Ariel answered with a vigorous nod.
The way her wings fluttered made it clear to anyone that she was in a good mood.
Still, I could understand her recognizing Arwen, whom she met first, but to recognize Marie and Cecile as "Mommy" too...
I asked step-by-step to find out the reason.
"Why do you call them Mommy? You saw it in the book earlier, didn't you? There are other words for people who aren't your mommy."
"Yeah. But I feel Daddy from Mommy."
"You feel me?"
"Yeah! Daddy's feeling. I feel it from the mommies too."
That was an even more puzzling answer. She felt "me" from the others? What on earth did that mean?
The other women seemed just as confused, their expressions showing they had no idea what she was talking about.
"Maybe she thinks any woman who has had a relationship with Isaac is a 'Mommy'?"
Marie threw out a hypothesis. It was a plausible enough idea that everyone, including myself, nodded.
Of course, it was just a hypothesis, so we shouldn't take it as gospel. There was no need to figure it out right now, anyway.
The important thing was whether Ariel would be okay being away from me. I spoke to her again in a gentle voice.
"So, is Ariel okay without Daddy?"
"I don't like it without Daddy..."
Having understood my meaning, Ariel’s expression turned gloomy. The sprout on her head drooped along with her emotions.
My heart ached the moment I saw that reaction, but I couldn't give up. Ariel was precious, but Arwen was precious too.
If things ended vaguely now, I didn't know when I’d be able to give Arwen good memories again.
"It’s only for a few nights. If it’s too hard, you can ask the mommies. You 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."
The only response was a heartbreaking one. I’d heard that separation anxiety is dangerous for children, so I thought it might be better to give up early.
Arwen seemed to have the same thought, as she spoke up as if she had no choice.
"I think it’s best if we just go back like this."
"But..."
"I am fine. Just being joined with you has made me happy enough. You don't need to worry too much."
Even as she said that, there was a deep sense of regret in her silver-gray eyes. Honestly, she must feel very wronged.
But we couldn't just ignore a gift from Lord Hirt. No matter how regrettable or unfair it felt, we had no choice but to back down.
Just as the situation was about to conclude, Ariel, who had been staring intently at Arwen, spoke up.
"...I'll go."
"Huh?"
"I'll go without Daddy."
Ariel had suddenly reversed her choice. Everyone, including myself, stared at her with wide eyes.
Ariel, who had been leaning her back against Cecile’s chest, fidgeted with her hands before looking at Arwen and speaking.
"I like Daddy. But I don't like Mommy being sad."
"Ariel?"
"How many nights do I have to sleep?"
Was it because she was born an angel? Even without being taught, Ariel was showing 'concession' and 'consideration.'
What a truly kind being she was. I felt ashamed of myself for being blinded by greed for Arwen’s sake.
I looked at her with a touched expression and slowly approached her. Then, I scooped her up and rubbed my cheek against hers.
"Oh my. Who do you take after to be so kind? Our Ariel is truly a good girl."
"Hehehe."
"Even your laugh is cute. Daddy will come as fast as he can. You have to listen to the mommies until then. Okay?"
"Yeah!"
So this is why people have children. I felt like I understood the hearts of parents who protect their children no matter what trouble they cause.
While everyone was lost in the heartwarming moment, Ariel, who was receiving all my affection, spoke up.
"Yay."
"...?"
"I can do it more with Isaac?"
Wait. Who is she looking at while saying...
"...Arwen?"
"N-No. I mean, this is..."
In an instant, she turned a person into total trash.