Chapter 554: The Stamp(3)
Chapter 554: The Stamp(3)
There is a term called "speeding." It’s slang for an unplanned pregnancy—specifically, a premarital one.
While it was a common expression in my previous life, this world has no such slang. How could there be "speeding" when automobiles haven't even been invented yet?
Most people here would simply scold you, saying you’ve finally "caused an accident" and asking why you weren't more careful.
Of course, that only applies to people like me who are in a relationship. Other cases vary depending on the situation.
Furthermore, the majority of people only realize they are pregnant quite late. They start by feeling unwell and only catch on once their bellies begin to swell.
Public education is being implemented, but it’s not yet on par with what the nobility receives. Because of this, cases like Kate’s occasionally occur.
That’s not to say there’s no way to confirm a pregnancy early. One simply needs to visit a temple, which serves as a hospital.
It can be confirmed through Holy Power, though most priests notice immediately just by hearing the symptoms. They’ve seen it countless times, after all.
Still, just to be sure, they tend to perform a thorough check. The method is quite simple.
After scanning the mother's body with Holy Power, if two or more souls are detected, she is pregnant.
I assumed Ariel had discovered Mari’s pregnancy in a similar fashion.
"Mari is pregnant."
"..."
"..."
"..."
I had returned to the dormitory after receiving final confirmation from Luminous himself.
I gathered all my lovers and announced Mari’s pregnancy in a calm voice.
Cecile, Adelia, Leona, and finally Arwen, who had arrived at my request.
Seeing them all sitting in a row made me realize just how many there were. It hit me once again what a complete scoundrel I was.
"Pregnant? Mari is carrying Isaac’s cub?"
In the heavy silence, Leona was the first to speak. It was a reaction typical of her, being slightly slow on the uptake in these matters.
However, seeing her golden eyes go wide, she was clearly shocked. The fact that she said "cub" instead of "child" was a giveaway too.
Regardless, Leona’s outburst broke the silence one by one. First was Cecile.
"...When?"
"It must have been yesterday. I went to her after hearing what Ariel said."
"......What about contraception? You’re usually so diligent about it."
Cecile tried her best to remain calm while asking about the circumstances.
But judging by her trembling eyes and voice, it seemed difficult for her to hide her true feelings.
"Well... as you all know, I consumed divinity. Lord Luminous said that no mortal medicine could possibly block divinity."
"......I-I see. Co... congratulations?"
Cecile offered her congratulations to Mari with an expression that was impossible to define.
Even though she had readily conceded the "first" position to Mari, she must have harbored her own secret desires, leaving her heart in a state of flux.
Still, I didn't think the kind of drama I feared would happen. It was just a mix of healthy rivalry and greed; she wasn't without a conscience.
"How are you going to tell your family? I can already see a future where Nicole beats you to death."
"Um... I'm sure it'll work out somehow?"
"Good grief. But congratulations. You have one more person to protect now. You’ll have to train even harder."
Adelia shook her head but then gave a refreshing smile and offered her sincere congratulations.
Adelia was someone satisfied with the simple wish of being by my side. She didn't seem to mind whether Mari was pregnant or not.
She says she’s fine with not having children herself, but we’ll see. I’ll be watching to see how long that resolve lasts.
"Come to think of it, I heard that the fertile periods for humans and beastkin have short cycles. Is the gestation period twelve months as well?"
"It’s usually ten months. It’s twelve for Elves and Demons."
"I see. Regardless, you have my congratulations. I shall send a fine gift for the mother soon."
Arwen also showed a surprisingly cool side. She seemed to find the fact of Mari’s pregnancy fascinating, even asking for permission to touch her belly.
For Elves, pregnancy is extremely difficult due to their abysmal cycles. It’s no different for Half-elves.
Of course, it had only been a day, so nothing was showing yet. She was just genuinely curious.
"Hm? But when did you change your ring again?"
Arwen, who was sitting next to Mari and looking at her with curiosity, noticed something.
She seemed to have spotted the ring on the ring finger of Mari’s left hand.
At the words of the ever-observant Arwen, the other women all turned their gaze toward Mari’s hand.
Then, Mari gave a bright smile and dropped a bombshell as she proudly showed off the ring.
"Isaac proposed to me."
"..."
"..."
Once again, a heavy silence swallowed the room. For some reason, this silence felt even weightier than the last.
Usually, one would announce a pregnancy after a proposal, but the order had been reversed.
"......He even proposed?"
Cecile, the first to regain her senses, spoke in a low, grounded voice. Her gaze was fixed precisely on Mari’s ring finger.
As if sensing Cecile’s mood, Mari puffed out her chest and spoke in a confident voice.
"Yes. I didn't know either, but apparently, two days ago was our anniversary. Isaac proposed to me then."
"How did he do it?"
"He knelt like a knight, opened the ring box to show me the ring, and then... heehee."
Unable to control the corners of her mouth as they twitched upward, Mari finally burst into a giggle. She looked like she was about to fly into the sky.
Seeing that expression, Cecile clicked her tongue and gave a blunt reaction. Her annoyance was palpable.
At the same time, she looked somewhat relieved. Perhaps she had resolved to finally let go of her lingering greed.
"I'm jealous. A proposal and a pregnancy. If this isn't 'stamping' your territory, I don't know what is."
"Heh. Jealous? Since I'm human, I'll probably be able to have more children than you, Cecile."
Judging that she had completely secured her position as the primary wife, Mari provoked Cecile. Cecile flinched, her body trembling with a surge of emotion.
She froze for a moment, then let the corners of her mouth, which had been a straight line, curl upward.
"True. But since I'm a Demon, I can maintain my beauty even after decades have passed, right? I'll just take my time and aim for the long game."
"..."
"Now that he’s gained divinity, Isaac’s lifespan must have increased as well... It’s a win-win for both of us in many ways, isn't it?"
Classic Cecile. She was definitely not an easy woman to deal with.
In fact, I suspected my lifespan had increased significantly along with the divinity. I hadn't asked specifically, but it was something I needed to check.
Mari paused for a moment at Cecile’s counterattack, then pouted her lips and grumbled. Since she was the one who started the teasing, she seemed to have nothing to say in return.
"Anyway, congratulations. I want to be proposed to, too."
"..."
As she said that, Cecile shot a subtle glance my way. I knew exactly what she wanted without her having to say a word.
When I gave her an awkward smile, she beamed back at me. At the same time, she mouthed the words:
‘I’ll be waiting.’
Did I have to propose to the others as well? Or should I only do it for the women who were officially known as my lovers?
Just as I was wrestling with these internal dilemmas, Mari, who had been sulking from Cecile’s retort, cleared her throat.
Her cough drew everyone's attention, and I also turned my head to look at her.
"Since things have turned out like this, I'm going to be honest. To tell you the truth, I’ve been very anxious until now."
"..."
She started calmly, but her words carried a lot of weight. The anxiety Mari had harbored from the past until now.
Yesterday, today, and even occasionally in the past, Mari had expressed those feelings.
Every time, I had reassured her that it was okay and that I would never neglect her.
"Just look around. There are so many women here who are much better than me. Beauty? Body? Status? Ability? They’re all much better than me. There was only one thing I could claim for myself: that I confessed to Isaac before I knew he was Xenon. That was the only thing."
But trust is built through doubt, and love is a feeling confirmed as two people adjust to each other.
For Mari, both of those things must have felt precarious. She must have been terrified of when I might leave.
"As time passed, I realized I couldn't keep Isaac all to myself. I felt relieved once I accepted that, but I was still anxious."
"..."
"But not anymore. He’s given me two 'stamps,' after all."
Mari raised her left hand to show her engagement ring while gently stroking her belly with her right.
Stamps that could be called symbols of trust and love, respectively. All the elements of anxiety she had kept bottled up in her heart must have vanished.
Of course, even those weren't perfect. They were merely tokens of a promise to spend our lives together; there would still be times when things might waver.
If we could understand each other's positions every time that happened, she would achieve the happiness she desired.
"So, what I'm trying to say is... I'm about to say something that might sound obnoxious, or make you angry, or be rude. Is that okay?"
Mari asked for permission with a very polite attitude. First, from Cecile, Adelia, and Leona, who were close enough to speak informally.
They nodded and gave their consent. Next, Mari sought permission from Arwen.
"Is it okay if I do, Your Majesty?"
"I do not mind. And I think it is fine for us to speak informally now. We are all Isaac’s women, after all."
"Is that really okay?"
"Of course."
Fortunately, this event seemed like it would be a catalyst for them to become closer. It was a situation that naturally brought a smile to my face.
In the meantime, Mari tapped her chest a couple of times as if to ease her nerves and slowly stood up from her seat.
Since she hadn't fully recovered yet, I stepped forward to support her, but she declined, saying she was fine.
"Whew..."
Finding it hard to relax, Mari let out a series of sighs. Judging by her trembling lips, she seemed to be hesitating.
I gently took her hand to encourage her. A soft, supple hand that was far removed from any kind of hard labor.
As I held her hand, Mari seemed to calm down, and her trembling gradually stopped. Then, she met my eyes and gave a wide grin.
'What on earth is she going to say?'
Just as I was wondering if she really needed to be this nervous, Mari began to act.
Thump—
First, she stepped up onto her chair. Then, she actually placed one foot onto the table where everyone was sitting.
It was an incredibly rude gesture, but because she had warned us beforehand, it only resulted in mild surprise.
Then, she thrust her left hand, adorned with the engagement ring, high into the air, planted her right hand on her hip, and shouted for the whole world to hear.
So that all the lumps that had been clogging her heart could be expelled through her lips.
"I am Isaac’s primary wife!"
The sight of her venting all the pent-up resentment she had been harboring...
"I'm the first one, you bitches!"
...was, honestly, so cute and lovely I thought I might go crazy.
Ah, of course.
"......I'm sorry."
"It’s okay, it’s okay. Everyone has feelings they want to hide, right? You let it all out today, so you can be proud of yourself."
"Uuuugh..."
It was also an undeniable reality that she had just added one more "dark history" to the collection she would carry for the rest of her life.