Chapter 202: The Mermaid Princess and the Perverted Prince (10)
Chapter 202: The Mermaid Princess and the Perverted Prince (10)
I had told Laura to call me "Oppa," but honestly, just having her call me that carried a lot of risks.
—Young Lord Ruji is a noble, and you’re a commoner!
Even if I was fine with it, those around us would likely throw a fit—or rather, show their "true colors."
Since Laura was still a commoner and not a noble, calling a nobleman "Oppa" so casually was a good way to get a sword held to her throat.
"Then you can just become a noble."
"Huh?"
"Fine. If you become my wife, you become a noble. Simple, right?"
"A-Ah, ahh…?!"
"Who’s going to care if my wife calls me Oppa in private? Don't you agree?"
Laura was plunged into confusion!
It wasn't surprising.
Up until now, I had mostly just been having sex with her, but now that I was bringing up "marriage," even the others nearby began to panic.
"Y-Young Lord. Marriage? Did I hear that correctly?"
"You didn't hear wrong. What? Will I drop dead if I get married?"
I would.
They say marriage is the graveyard of life, don't they?
People say that as a joke, but for Ruji Fermaton, marriage was a direct path to a literal grave.
Getting married meant there would be a Countess, and having a Countess meant I intended to get that woman pregnant.
And that meant a new child carrying the Fermaton blood would be born.
Being single and being married were two different things.
When I’m single, no matter how many women I take to bed, people perceive it as, "He’s just enjoying himself; he’ll eat them up and toss them away."
But marriage is different.
Even if this was a fantasy world, it was still based on the Middle Ages. Getting married was the same as declaring, "I am going to get this woman pregnant and have her bear my child."
"Y-Young Lord. Please, calm down. Why are you suddenly bringing up marriage?"
"It’s not sudden. I’ve been looking for someone to marry from the very beginning."
From the moment I entered this world.
From the moment I became Ruji Fermaton, I had been searching for my partner.
And now.
Now that the direction of Fermaton’s business had been established and was slowly expanding beyond our borders, it was the perfect time to get married.
"Laura. Me getting married isn't just a simple wedding. It means I’m getting married as the 'Count' of Fermaton."
"Ah…!"
"It’s about time I stopped being the Young Lord."
With these kinds of achievements...
It’s about time I 'ranked up' too.
I had developed Penisilin, created the Breast-Shaped Magic Stones, and secured two Mythstones. I had established a more than sufficient foundation of power.
If I had spent my time as the "Young Lord" until now, it was time to step forward in earnest as the Count of Fermaton.
"Once I become the Count, I’ll be called 'Count' in official settings, but in private, I’ll get to hear Laura call me 'Oppa.' It’s worth becoming the Count just for that."
I had been thinking about it for a while, and this felt like the perfect opportunity.
"Y-Young Lord. Please, stay calm. W-Why did you bring up marriage so suddenly?"
"I get that you’re flustered, but we’re starting to go in circles. Laura."
I grabbed Laura by the shoulders.
"I. Want to become the Count and get married."
"......."
"I want to thickly pump my seed into you and get you pregnant. I’ve felt that way since the moment I met you, I feel that way now, and I will continue to feel that way in the future."
"T-That’s..."
"Are you flustered because the proposal was so sudden?"
I patted her shoulder while stroking her hair as she stood there in a daze.
"I’m joking, Laura."
"......."
"If I’m going to propose, I should prepare properly first. Today’s doesn't count."
Where in the world would you find a proposal like this?
"I’ll prepare properly and propose later."
"......Um."
Laura fidgeted with her fingers and gave a faint smile.
"Please... don't make me wait too long."
* * *
A short while later.
What I had said to Laura spread through all of Fermaton in an instant.
"Young Lord."
"What is it, Amy?"
"May I ask a question on Nero’s behalf?"
"Tell Nero to ask me herself. Why?"
While I was in the middle of processing some territorial affairs, Amy and Nero filled the Ark's Chalice with milk tea and handed it to me before asking their question.
"What’s the question?"
"It’s about the topic currently causing a stir in Fermaton Castle."
"Ah, the marriage?"
What was there to be so surprised about?
"I felt like getting married. Isn't that reason enough?"
"Usually, doesn't something like that require a major change of heart? The, uh, process leading up to you mentioning marriage was a bit…."
"What about the process?"
"...You were preparing things regarding Pure Love Adult Videos, and then you suddenly brought up marriage. To be honest, we are genuinely bewildered."
Even Amy couldn't hold back and came to ask why I had decided to get married.
—I mean, why are you trying to jump into the graveyard of life so early?
That was essentially how bewildered they were.
I had said for a long time that I was looking for a woman to marry or a woman to bear my child, but since I had been focused solely on collecting women, they must have thought it was just talk.
"A reason. I don't know if I really need to explain it in great detail."
"If you tell me the reason why you want to get married, I will make sure to explain it well to the others."
"...Oh."
In that case, it was worth explaining.
After all, having rumors spread was much more effective than me having to explain it to every single person individually.
"That’s much better than answering every person who asks why I’m getting married. Go ahead, spread the rumors as much as you like."
"I will spread it to every nook and cranny so everyone in Fermaton hears it. To all my close acquaintances as well."
In other words.
She was going to put in a good word for me with Yoanna.
"Before the main question, I’ll ask this first. Do you intend to marry only one person?"
"No. Of course not."
I spread both my hands wide.
"As many as I can."
"......If you get them all pregnant, Fermaton will grow by that much."
"Me, my wives, and our children will be more than capable of handling the aftermath. There’s no rule saying only one person has to inherit the Fermaton blood."
In history, having many heirs always led to bloodshed, but I would make sure that didn't happen.
Power struggles between my children?
I would never let such a thing occur.
"If I’m going to take in that many women, shouldn't I at least be the true master of Fermaton? There’s a world of difference between getting married as the Count versus the Young Lord."
The status was different.
So that my women wouldn't be treated as "Ruji's Dick Houses" but as the Countesses of Fermaton, I would make it so they could walk proudly through the territory.
When people came from the Kingdom or the Empire, alongside people like the Sirjosias, I intended to introduce them proudly.
As my wives.
"I told you I’ve been thinking about marriage for a long time, right? It’s because I finally have enough 'combat power' now. Since I’ve gathered the minimum number of people I felt I needed to manage things, I figured I could finally get married."
"Combat power...?"
Nero’s expression shifted subtly.
"When you say combat power, what do you mean?"
"Naturally, I mean the power to protect Fermaton as its people. Well, for example, if the Infinite Labyrinth goes berserk and monsters pour out from below, or if the Empire over there starts a war against Fermaton."
"...Do you intend to use your wives as combatants?"
"That is the plan. Since I can only move within the inner castle of Fermaton, I’ll obviously need the help of trustworthy people to protect the citizens outside the inner castle, won't I?"
One could argue: Can't you trust people now?
The answer was: No.
Right now, I couldn't.
Just look at the maids currently locked in the underground dungeon.
"There are too many parasites inside Fermaton. I want to clear them all out, but the problem is that those parasites have been clinging to the pillars of Fermaton and gnawing away at them for far too long."
Whether they were maids.
Or butlers.
Or knights.
There were too many people hidden within Fermaton who were not truly of Fermaton.
"I’m not going to wipe them out all at once; I’m going to clear the pillars one by one and renovate them."
If there were four pillars, I would destroy one, rebuild it, and then move on to the next.
"I’ll tear down the worm-eaten pillars one by one and make them new. Then, a new Fermaton led by me, Ruji Fermaton, will be created."
"...There’s more meaning behind this marriage than I thought."
"Of course. But it’s not exactly a new sentiment, is it? I recall saying something similar the first time I lifted your skirt."
"...That you were looking for child-bearing hips capable of easy birth."
"Right. I said I was looking for a woman to bear my child. Constantly."
I lightly raised the Ark's Chalice toward Amy and Nero.
"If she’s the woman who’s going to bear my child, of course I should marry her and take her as my wife. Ah, did I get the order backward? Anyway."
Marriage.
It wasn't Ruji’s grave.
"To get married, I will soon formally request the Kingdom’s approval for the succession of the Earldom. If the Kingdom approves, then I will truly become Count Ruji Fermaton... the Lord of Fermaton."
It would be the new beginning for Ruji Fermaton, the start of his second life.
"A chronicle of managing the Fermaton territory with my wives. How does that sound?"
"What will you do about Countess Zenith?"
"That, of course."
There was no need for a second thought.
"If she accepts, she will naturally become the Countess again."
"Maintaining her position as Countess...?"
"It’s not 'maintaining.'"
Nuance is everything.
"She will become the Countess anew."
Not as the wife of a dead, gay Count, but as the wife of a young, vigorous man.
"Though if she says she hates the idea of being the Countess, there’s nothing I can do."
"...Young Lord. I will ask just one last thing."
Nero took a stance with an incredibly serious face.
"Are you truly seeking to become the Count just for the sake of marriage?"
"......."
Since she asked seriously, I had no choice but to answer seriously.
"I’ve done everything else there is to do in life."
This was a fantasy world.
"But I’ve never been able to marry the woman I love."
If this was a world where I could achieve what I desired, then I was going to do exactly what I wanted.