Chapter 369: Side Story — Pregnancy (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 369: Side Story — Pregnancy (2)
[Finally! My grandchildren have been conceived!]
Lately, Galia had been wearing a bright smile quite often.
He spent his days flitting about in his small, crow-like form, chattering incessantly near me while I worked.
[First Dorothy, and now Luce! Everything is going perfectly—absolutely perfectly!]
“How many times are you going to say that?”
[Isaac, do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this? These days, the anticipation of meeting my grandchildren is the only thing keeping me going.]
Galia flapped his wings by the window as he spoke, looking every bit the grandfather eager to meet his kin.
Of course, I understood why he was so worked up, despite usually being so reserved. Ever since our graduation from Märchen Academy, he had been subtly dropping hints—mostly to himself—about "when he would finally get to see his grandchildren."
“Yeah, yeah.”
I chuckled softly.
With Dorothy and Luce confirmed to be pregnant, Kaya would likely be next. It seemed the number of children for me—and grandchildren for the Thunderbird—was steadily growing.
It was a deeply joyful realization. To be with those I cherished and to see the fruits of our love come to life... it was a dream I once thought only possible in my imagination, yet now it was becoming reality.
[You’re making quite a fuss, Galia.]
Hilde, the Frost Dragon, settled her small white body atop my head. Her voice sounded drowsy.
[You’re acting exactly like a child. Well, I suppose it can’t be helped, considering how young you still are.]
[Are you talking to me? I’m hardly young enough to be spoken to like that...!]
[Hmm?]
[...Never mind. From your perspective, I suppose that’s true.]
An unexpected hierarchy was being established right before my eyes.
[Good, as long as you understand. As the saying goes, the more the grain ripens, the lower it bows its head... Hmm?]
Smiling, I reached up and petted Hilde.
[Hehe! Petting me all of a sudden...!]
“Talking about age again? You’re quite the character, Hilde.”
[More, more! Keep petting me...!]
Hilde let out a delighted squeal from atop my head. Suddenly, a playful urge took hold of me. I moved Hilde from my head to the desk and leaned down, bringing my face close to her belly. Then...
Pfft!
I blew a raspberry against her stomach, startling her out of her wits.
[Ahh! M-Master! What are you...!?]
Pffft!
[Hehe! S-stop it! Not that I mind... I mean, you’re my master, so you can do whatever you want with my body...!]
As I continued to pet and tease her, Hilde kicked her little legs and burst into laughter. Her pride seemed a bit wounded for a moment, and she huffed in irritation, but the second I petted her again, she happily leaned her head into my palm.
[Hmph.]
Galia narrowed his eyes, watching the display with disbelief.
At that moment, a white cat with a pink ribbon tied to its tail rose from the sofa.
[Yawn...]
Ella, the magic beast, let out a long stretch and a yawn.
“Ah, Ella. Did we wake you up?”
[Yeah. Hilde seems to be having a lot of fun.]
Ella gracefully leapt onto my lap, curled into a ball, and settled down.
“Ella?”
She opened one eye slightly and glanced up at me.
[Can’t I be pampered for once, too?]
I smiled and stroked Ella’s back. She closed her eyes, quietly leaning into my touch.
[...Not bad.]
Ella offered her thoughts in a nonchalant tone. When I tried to reach for Hilde again, Ella placed a firm front paw on my arm. Left with no choice, I petted Hilde with one hand and Ella with the other.
So cute...
Being surrounded by these small, adorable magic beasts was healing for the soul.
[Haa.]
The "elder" Galia sighed again, looking deeply uncomfortable.
“Do you want me to pet you, too?”
[I’ll pass...]
Galia shook his head, looking utterly reluctant.
*
I spent my days balancing various commitments and schedules while looking after the girls, enjoying the peaceful routine.
Once Kaya’s pregnancy was confirmed, I decided to move the wedding date forward. Since Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya were all staying at the Düpfendorf Palace, I was able to discuss it with them in person.
They all agreed. It seemed they wanted to hold the ceremony before their baby bumps became even slightly noticeable.
I sent the news via letter to White and Alice, who were currently far away. The replies arrived quickly. White said she would come immediately after finishing her end-of-semester evaluations, and Alice mentioned that the reorganization of the kingdom was ahead of schedule, so the timing worked for her.
Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya had no objections to the schedule either.
Then, one day.
“Um...”
“What’s wrong, Isaac?”
“Luce, could you come here for a second?”
I called out to Luce after spending the entire day thinking about how much I wanted to see her. She closed the book she was reading and approached me without a word.
Plop.
“Ta-da. Luce is here,” she said in a calm voice, sitting sideways on my lap.
She draped her arms over my shoulders. I wrapped my arms around her waist, rested my cheek on her shoulder, and let out a long, deep sigh. Luce gently stroked my hair, her soft fingers grazing my ear.
“Are you tired?”
“I suddenly lost all motivation to work. I just can’t focus on anything.”
It was just one of those days. A sudden wave of lethargy where I didn't want to do anything—not work, not hobbies, nothing.
“It’s okay to rest. Let’s go to the bedroom. I’ll take good care of you,” Luce whispered intimately, her voice almost seductive. “My Isaac, I have to look after you.”
“This is enough for me to recover.”
“You don’t have to settle for just this. Why not leave everything to me and rest completely?”
“...?”
I was intentionally not reading Luce’s thoughts, but I had a nagging feeling that her version of "resting" might involve stripping away my freedom of movement.
I deliberately ignored the suggestion. After a brief moment of thought, I spoke. “...I think there’s something I need to prioritize more than work right now.”
“And what’s that?”
“I’ll be back.”
“Isaac?”
I gave Luce a quick kiss on the cheek and stood up. Then, I summoned Hilde and soared into the sky, heading toward Märchen Academy.
*
“Marriage...”
At Märchen Academy, Snow White murmured softly to herself while training at the practice field.
“Ugh...”
White’s hands trembled violently. The surrounding students felt an eerie surge of mana and, without realizing it, broke into a cold sweat, stealing nervous glances at her.
Whoosh!
Mana fueled by White’s turbulent emotions erupted. It was wind magic, infused with the blessings of the spirits. She unleashed it recklessly at her target.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of terrifying explosions echoed through the air.
Ugh!! You traitors!!
White screamed in fury—internally. Her eyes were welling with tears, on the verge of a breakdown. The surrounding students, unaware of her inner turmoil, stared in awe at her magic, letting out gasps of admiration.
We all agreed not to touch Senior Isaac until the wedding...! Why am I the only one who kept the promise?!
White recalled the night she had planned to share an "important event" with Isaac. But how had that ended? She had ended up having the most refreshing sleep of her life instead.
Meanwhile, Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya had already conceived Isaac’s children.
I.
Still.
Senior Isaac’s.
Child.
Have not.
Conceived.
Yet!
Uwaaaahhh!!
White’s internal cry of frustration manifested as a pitiful wail.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The slicing blades of the night wind fiercely shredded the training targets.
“Princess White is on fire...!”
Merlin, White’s escort knight, stood in the corner, watching the elemental magic with genuine admiration. She felt like giving a standing ovation.
Whoosh.
The wind magic finally dispersed, and the air gradually returned to a calm state.
“Haah... haah...”
White panted heavily, trying to catch her breath.
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
Cheers and applause erupted from the nearby students. White looked around in embarrassment, her face turning bright red. She quickly fled the training field as if she were being chased.
*
Dusk was slowly settling over the academy.
White finished her training and returned to her dorm. She hadn't even washed up yet. Leaning her arms on the windowsill, she stared blankly at the moon rising in the sky.
“Senior Isaac... You’re probably having a wonderful time with your other wives right now, not even thinking about someone like me...”
They were surely happy. There had even been a festival held in Düpfendorf to celebrate the news of Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya’s pregnancies. This year was undoubtedly a historic one for the territory.
And soon, Senior Alice will be back, too...
Given the order of the pregnancies, Isaac probably wouldn’t have time to turn his attention to White anytime soon. She couldn't help but feel a mounting sense of crisis.
“Ugh, if only I had been born a year earlier...!”
White clenched her fists, trembling with frustration as tears pricked her eyes. Wasn't she the "weakest" of Isaac’s five wives? If only she had been in the same year as Isaac and graduated already, things might have been different. But now, she was stuck here at the academy.
Neither she nor Isaac wanted her to drop out, but the distance was painful.
“Haaaa.”
White let out a deep sigh and lowered her head.
“Senior Isaac... I miss you.”
“I missed you, too.”
“Huh?”
A familiar voice suddenly rang in her ears. Startled, White snapped her head up. There, right in front of her, was Isaac—hanging upside down outside her window.
“Ahhh!!”
Thud!
White fell backward in fright, as if she’d seen a ghost. Isaac gracefully vaulted through the window and stepped into her room.
Bang!
Merlin burst through the door a second later, alerted by the commotion.
“Princess White! What happened—!? Oh?”
Merlin froze in shock at the sight of the visitor.
Snap.
She immediately snapped into a salute.
“We meet again. Should I say it’s been a while?”
Isaac smiled, looking between White and Merlin. He had gone through the official visitor procedures for graduates before coming up.
“I heard this room had excellent soundproofing?”
At Isaac’s playful remark, Merlin flinched.
“Loud noises can still be heard...! I am responsible for Princess White’s safety, so I have no choice but to stay alert.”
“Is that so?”
Isaac didn't need to say more. He knew Merlin would take the hint and leave them alone.
“Ah, Senior Isaac...? H-how did you get here so suddenly...?”
Isaac reached out to White. She took his hand and let him pull her to her feet.
“You said you missed me, right? I missed you, too.”
“Well, that’s true, but still...”
“So I came to see my beloved wife.”
Isaac gently brushed a stray lock of hair from White’s face. Looking at the man she loved standing before her so unexpectedly, White’s eyes, once wide with surprise, softened with deep affection.
“White.”
“Yes...?”
Isaac smiled, gazing deeply into her eyes. Then, he spoke with a tone that was both tender and firm.
“Give me a child.”
“...What?”
White’s face went blank with confusion.
“I want a child.”
He smiled gently. White processed his words for a moment, slowly connecting the dots.
Then...
“Whaaaat!?”
White’s startled scream echoed throughout the entire dormitory.