The Walking Egg Yokai Comes to Pick a Fight
A few days after granting Xiao and Mao permission to exchange letters. As long as the contents weren't problematic, I allowed them through regardless of whether they tried to hide the writing or not. There were a few risky lines like "Lady Perpena is in danger," but nothing beyond that, so they passed.
"…This is annoying."
"Suddenly, my lord?"
One of my retainers reacted to the words I'd muttered while handling paperwork.
"Which part is bothering you?"
"Not the conversation we're having now. I'm talking about the Xiao-Mao sisters."
"Eh, they're good girls, aren't they?"
"Despite their cool appearance, they greet everyone properly… and I've heard they keep their letters appropriately restrained."
"That's only because they know we're checking the letters."
"What's the problem, then?"
"They've reported that they're safe, and the Chang Kingdom has even started sending artisans to help build the hot spring village. Honestly, there shouldn't be any issues…"
"That's not it. I mean it's uncomfortable having them around."
"………?"
The retainers' hands stopped as they turned to look at me, blinking in confusion.
"Ah… how should I put this… Every woman I've kept so far has been that type, right? Cock rest, exhibitionist, masochist, cum-dump……"
"You're spouting rather vulgar words first thing in the morning."
"What, you're only complaining now…? Anyway, having proper women in the house makes it hard to stay calm. But if I ignore them, they keep coming up to me, worried they might get discarded. And with how attractive they are, if I carelessly pounce on them they'll probably end up corrupted like the others… and then I won't be able to face Princess Sunho."
"That doesn't sound like you, my lord."
"While saying that, the part where you confidently claim you could corrupt them if you embraced them is very much like you…"
"……Do you think I couldn't?"
"No, that much, none of us retainers doubt."
Everyone glanced to my side. There stood yet another woman.
"Huuu~♡ Hoo♡ Ngh♡ Huuuu~♡"
My girlfriend, Clit Bunny Tania. The princess of Chapel stood there wearing her clit-bunny outfit, blindfold and gag in place, holding drinks in both hands. She'd been stationed as a decorative toy and eye-candy mannequin while I worked.
"Because Princess Tania is in that state…"
"How could we possibly doubt it?"
Even while watching that, my retainers remained calm. Someone raised a hand and asked again amid the atmosphere of "they've really gotten used to this."
"In that case, how about assigning them some sexual duties soon? From what I've heard, they were sent here for exactly that kind of work, and I don't think you need to hold back, my lord."
"They'll get corrupted."
"No, sexual duties don't only mean sex. I think broadening the range of play would be good at this point. I myself have resolved things that way during my sexless period with my wife, so I believe it's an effective method."
"Broadening the range of play, huh…"
Come to think of it, I'd mostly just been pounding away whenever the mood struck. Even with this many women, the only things I'd ordered were simple acts like pussy-drinking, semen-drinking, fellatio, paizuri, and rimjobs. It felt like there was still a brake on, even though I could live like an emperor.
"But even letting them touch it barehanded is dangerous… and letting them suck bodily fluids seems dangerous too…"
"…Is it really that bad?"
"I'm not doubting your skill, my lord, but… aren't you exaggerating a little…"
"I'm saying it because it's genuinely dangerous."
"You've tested it, then?"
"I have."
More precisely, Sadat had started corrupting just from touching my cock with her bare feet, and the women I'd recently taken in as pussy attendants had gone crazy from the smell alone. So even if I could do something about the smell, direct contact was out of the question.
"To think you'd be carrying around something that dangerous…"
"Then how about gloved play?"
That didn't sound bad either, but I waved it off for now.
"Enough. Let's drop the topic of my sexual walls. Thinking about it again, this isn't the kind of conversation to have while working."
"Understood. We're all men here, so feel free to ask for advice anytime. If you think of anything, please let us know."
I nodded and changed the subject.
"If we're talking about things that feel uncomfortable, there's also the internal situation with those girls."
"Are you referring to the power struggle between the eunuchs and Princess Sunho inside the Chang Kingdom?"
"If we leave that alone, they'll get dragged into it too. At first I thought it was a good thing, but now I'm wondering if they just dumped a bomb on our family…"
"If the eunuch faction—especially the Sahwan side—wins, not only Princess Sunho but the twins' lives will be in danger as well. They might even interfere from the Chang Kingdom, so I believe it would be wise to stay vigilant or offer assistance."
"Back then I thought Princess Sunho wouldn't resort to assassination or anything, but maybe I'm wrong?"
"…………"
"Ahem…"
"…Say something."
"At this point, there's nothing we can do except make predictions…"
"Honestly, it's common sense to wonder why eunuchs even receive favor in the first place…"
Eunuchs were nothing more than the king's attendants and slaves. The moment a eunuch like Sahwan gained favor and a title, the kingdom was already showing signs of ruin. For example, if I told my retainers in front of Nigilia that I was going to have a child with her and make that child the next head of the family, that would be a sign of our house's decline. The current situation in the Chang Kingdom was exactly like that example.
"The five great nations are planning a large-scale expedition. We still have plenty of time, right?"
"Yes. There's still quite a while left."
"The women locked underground are still keeping their mouths shut, so once we've cleared out the backlog, I should make time to visit the Chang Kingdom, meet with Princess Sunho, and return. Using 'little sister' as an excuse feels awkward, so I'll bring some reply gifts under the pretext of strengthening Princess Sunho's faction and expressing gratitude for the personnel support. That should help."
"Crops would make good gifts. I've heard they're being sold at extremely high prices wherever they appear."
"There's nothing better as a barter item."
"Really? Our family's rice is practically omnipotent, isn't it?"
"A magical crop that shows effects the moment you eat it. The effects keep getting stronger too—it's almost to the point where it feels dangerous."
"Rice water can even heal cut surfaces."
"What kind of elixir is that?"
Just as we'd decided on that and were about to discuss the current state of the hot spring village construction and how to handle the pussy attendants in detail, there came a knock.
"Who is it?"
『Lord Roman. It's Nigilia.』
Another unexpected visitor. The retainers and servants disliked her, so she usually wouldn't come near this area…
"We're in a meeting right now. I'm busy."
『I'm sorry. A guest has arrived from the Chang Kingdom… The maids are currently receiving them in the reception room, so I came to report it.』
From the Chang Kingdom?
"…Why are they approaching us?"
"Who knows."
"Should we go check first?"
"Sorry. Clean this up for me instead. If there's anything that needs my approval, I'll look through it later, so just leave it on my desk."
"Understood."
After my retainers saw me off as if this were routine, I stepped out into the hallway. Naturally, I grabbed Tania's clit leash and dragged her along, then handed my cock over to Nigilia.
"Hngh… Hoo… Uuuuung~?"
"You heard, right? A guest came, so I'm taking you too. You need to behave there as well, got it?"
"Mmmuuuung~♡ Ung~♡"
Even with the blindfold and gag on, my girlfriend was still adorable. She followed along briskly, showing no particular complaints about being used as a cock sheath for display. Even when I deliberately tugged hard on the leash, she just perked up her nipples in delight, and she didn't hesitate at all even when the maids started appearing.
"Everyone move aside, the head of the family has arrived!"
"Lord Roman!"
"Lady Tania too… Eek, they're still as close as ever…"
"More like they have no choice but to be close."
The reception room was nearby, and everyone seemed to be making a fuss, wondering if the guest was important. Among them was Lady Perpena as well.
"Are they inside?"
"Yes. They're occupying a seat in the reception room and making all sorts of demands. Quite arrogant fellows."
"Arrogant, you say. Then Princess Sunho didn't come, did she?"
"Then it must be the eunuchs. Who else?"
Sahwan at this timing? Was it a check, or some other proposal? It didn't seem like a pleasant meeting.
"……"
"Uuu……"
It wasn't just me—the Xiao-Mao sisters seemed to feel the same way, peeking out from around the corner of the hallway with uncomfortable expressions. After all, the man who had pushed out their older sister and might have even tried to trap them had come all the way here, so of course they were uneasy.
"…What should we do?"
"Could you tell the maids to step back and let Xiao and Mao eavesdrop?"
"Mm. I'll do that."
After Lady Perpena shouted loudly to dismiss the maids, I opened the door. Come to think of it, this was my first time using the reception room? There were still many rooms in my own house I didn't know. When I entered, the first things I saw were some greasy pigs.
"Oh…"
"The Great Spirit Master, Roman Cornelius!"
"Making us wait like this—how truly sinful a man you are~!"
Ah, fuck. What the hell are these bastards?
Four fat, bald men wrapped in dazzling golden silk clothes… They wore crowns that looked like something an emperor would wear, had red dots painted on their foreheads, and even wore unpleasant makeup. Just looking at them made me feel physiological disgust. These were the eunuchs?
They were nothing more than the emperor's errand boys and slaves, so why were they dressed so extravagantly?
"I'm Roman Cornelius. What business do the eunuchs of the Chang Kingdom have coming all the way here?"
"Myo ho~?"
Normally my basic stance was "first meeting = speak politely and respectfully," but today that was impossible. On top of that, they were sitting in the seat of honor while I had to stand awkwardly—it was extremely unpleasant.
"Such an attitude toward us… What exactly is the matter~?"
"No matter how famous your family is, isn't this too arrogant~?"
Even their way of speaking was grating. Should I just kill them? Just kill them and let Lady Perpena clean up the mess???
"…It's not a famous family. It's the family I built, and it's my own reputation. Compared to that, what right do the emperor's lapdog slaves have to speak down to me?"
"Nyo ho ho ho!! It's because you don't know about us that you're acting this way~!"
"We were worried that those little girls might have put some nonsense into your head~! It seems they were afraid their own disgrace would be exposed and didn't tell you about us~!"
"We're Sahwan—surely you've at least heard the name~?"
Goddamn, that "nyo nyo" is so fucking annoying.
"I've heard of you. A bunch of disloyal eunuchs who are supposed to serve Princess Sunho but instead oppose her. I've heard you're eating away at the Chang Kingdom."
"Myo hooo~?"
When I crossed my arms and looked down at them while speaking, they flared up.
"That's completely wrong~! We're the top contributors supporting the Chang Kingdom~!"
"Even though Princess Sunho is a pitiful woman clinging to power, why don't you understand that fact!"
"If it weren't for us, His Majesty would have long since fallen for that vixen’s schemes and met with disaster~!"
I just stared at them, wondering what they wanted me to do about it. Then they finally noticed Nigilia and Tania, and seemed particularly taken with the bunny girl, their lips curling upward.
"Nyo ho hot, judging by what you've got on the side, you're far more~ depraved, aren't you~?"
"To treat the princess of Chapel like that—how truly vicious!"
"As expected, our eye for people is never wrong~!"
They were supposed to be eunuchs, yet they were staring at Tania and drooling—it was fascinating that they still had sexual desire. When I'd shown her to the royal family it had been enjoyable, but now it was the complete opposite. There was something mismatched, an oily, unpleasant feeling.
"Showing her off to you was the worst mistake of my life."
I pulled Tania and Nigilia behind me and stepped forward, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm busy. State your business."
"How impatient~ We've come to offer you a very sweet deal~!"
These bastards must have been born low-class—they seemed to have learned fancy speech in a very sloppy way. I held back the urge to ask "Where the hell did you learn that from?" and they continued speaking in circles, as if testing my patience.
"You contacted Princess Sunho this time and took people from our Chang Kingdom without permission, didn't you~?"
"'Took people'—don't phrase it so unpleasantly. I properly requested it and they agreed, so don't say weird things."
"That's not the important part. The issue is that you took our kingdom's technicians without going through us first~!"
"So I got permission from Princess Sunho and borrowed them. I even explained why in a letter to her, and she understood, so what the hell are you talking about?"
"That's the problem~! Going through a woman~! Thanks to that, the perception that Princess Sunho's faction is close with the Cornelius family will spread through the palace, and we've come to stop that!!"
"You currently hold great influence in our palace thanks to the Great Spirit and the holy land! For someone like you to interfere at this timing~!!"
So what did they want me to do? I shrugged my shoulders to convey that meaning, and they answered with triumphant smiles.
"Therefore, won't you join our side~?"
"Rather than that collapsing ship called Princess Sunho~? You'll gain far more by siding with us, don't you think~?"
"The emperor is also on our side, so it's practically a victory already~!"
"Being able to receive our favor in this situation—it's the perfect timing, isn't it~?"
"…What exactly can you do for me?"
"Isn't it obvious~! Once we take control of the Chang Kingdom, Princess Sunho will be useless, so we'll hand that woman over to you~!"
"You seem to like women quite a lot, judging by the princess beside you~?"
"That woman may have a slender figure, but we think she'll be useful in many ways~?"
Liking women was true, and I did like royal pussy, but to think I'd receive this kind of proposal from these bastards. Even as a deal, it was obvious they planned to use one woman to squeeze all sorts of things out of our family.
"You can't even use your lower halves anymore, so you're just passing women to others while acting generous about it?"
"We still enjoy playing with women too~!"
"They were definitely broken, but after eating your crops they revived~! Nyo ho ho hot!!"
"…Aang?"
"The premium crops you sent last time—we used them for a few days of nourishment and they really did revive~!"
'Ah, fuck…'
I pressed my fingers against my temples.
'Right… our family's crops are elixir-grade… so something like this could happen…'
To think I'd ended up granting favors even to these bastards. Still, what were they planning to do by reviving their lower halves as eunuchs?
"…………"
My head hurt. I'd expected to get involved in something because of the twins, but I never thought they'd come so openly. But if I ignored them, I was worried Princess Sunho would get hurt.
"Surely you won't side with that girl~?"
"First, tell me everything. What kind of help you'll give, what you'll do, and where it ends."
"We can't tell you everything, but what we're asking of you is really nothing much~!"
"So what is it?"
"There will soon be a gathering where His Majesty selects the next successor~! All you need to do is attend and support us~!"
"More precisely, support the youngest princess we're backing~!"
"…And?"
"It would be even better if you brought some congratulatory crops while you're at it~! We used up everything you gave us last time, so our granary is completely empty~!"
"For a great house like the Cornelius family, that much should be nothing~?"
These bastards really were spouting bullshit… and on top of that, the ones I'd sent last time had been used for personal purposes…
"Don't you think demanding too much in exchange for handing over one princess?"
"It won't be just that~? Once we stabilize the Chang Kingdom, we'll promise plenty of support as well~? We'll have some requests for you then~!"
"From what we've heard, you receive rather poor treatment in Tevere. How about coming over to the Chang Kingdom this time~?"
"…And moving the holy land there as well~?"
"Nyo ho ho ho hot!! We have no such intentions, so rest assured~!"
Bullshit.
"What if I don't support you?"
"It doesn't matter~? There's no place in the palace our influence doesn't reach, so we'll simply restrict your access~!"
"The stage is already mostly set anyway, so recruiting you was only to make sure we finish off that woman~!"
"From now on we'll block your letters too, so you'd better think carefully~!"
So "practically a victory" wasn't just empty words—they could really do that much. It seemed they'd come today to deliver the finishing blow. Don't get involved in our country's affairs without knowing your place, Princess Sunho is finished soon, and while you're at it let us suck some honey from the Cornelius family too…… something like that?
"You said 'soon.' When exactly?"
"Right now there's no room for internal squabbling~? We think it'll be after the expedition ends~?"
"While Princess Sunho is away on the expedition, we'll solidify our position~?"
"By the time she returns, there won't be a place for her anymore~! Nyo ho ho ho!!"
Troublesome bastards… Even while speaking in that idiotic manner, they were very good at doing things that would make people dislike them. Or maybe they could harass people like this precisely because they knew it would be hated?
Tsk. I felt sorry for Princess Sunho, but I didn't want to get involved with these guys. I owed her a debt, but since I'd taken in the Xiao-Mao twins, I didn't see any need to interfere any further.
"I'll contact you soon."
"We can trust you, right~?"
"If you can't reach me, then do whatever you want. It's another country's affair anyway—there's no way I can do anything about it."
"Nyo ho ho… That's true too~!"
"From our perspective~? Just you watching from the sidelines is already plenty of benefit~? Nyo ho ho ho ho~!!"
With that, they heaved their heavy asses up. I'd been thinking about washing my hands of the Chang Kingdom, but at that moment they sneered.
"Come to think of it, the maids here seem rather poorly trained~?"
"Indeed~! Even though we came, not only did you not greet us yourself, but they even questioned our identities and threatened to chase us out~!"
"Especially that white-haired woman~? For the sake of the Cornelius family's dignity, we recommend replacing her~!"
"Her appearance is good, so if needed, we'll dispose of her ourselves. If you wish to punish that woman, please contact us first~!"
……White-haired?
…………
……Wait a second. There was only one white-haired maid in our household.
"We'll be going now~! Next time, please show us a warmer welcome~!"
"Then, we'll see you next time~!"
"Nyo ho ho ho ho hot!!!"
Before the heat could rise all the way to the top of my head, they left. Despite being so fat, their steps were quick. They'd said what they wanted to say and left…
"Lord Roman?"
"…………"
"Hiiik?!"
Nigilia carefully looked up at my face before falling backward. Was I making that kind of expression right now?
The last time I'd felt this way was when something major happened during my military service. Lately there had only been fun things, so the drop felt especially steep.
"Nigilia."
"Y-yes…"
"Go back to your room first. Tell them in the office that I'm going to rest."
"Yes…!"
"Take Tania with you too. I need to cool off alone for a bit."
"Ah, understood… E-excuse me, Lady Tania~?!"
"Uuuuung♡♡♡"
Nigilia grabbed Tania's clit leash and ran out. While I was venting my irritation in the reception room that still smelled of pigs, the two people at the center of this story peeked their heads through the slightly open door.
"Big brother?"
"Um…"
They had an anxious look, as if they'd overheard everything as ordered. Even from that position, they'd hidden skillfully enough not to run into the eunuchs.
…This worked out perfectly. I'd have them help relieve my stress.