「It looks ready to burst at any moment . It’s so big . 」
I stroke Melissa’s belly . Knowing this inflated stomach contains my child makes me feel emotional .
「Ahaha, the doctor said it won’t be strange if our child was born soon . 」
Melissa also strokes her stomach, though she seems a little gloomy .
「……maybe my stomach really is weird after all, I don’t know what to think……」
Melissa’s insides were damaged in the past by a violent incident . She was later healed by the dragon’s blood and was able to get pregnant again, but her worries hasn’t gone away .
「Don’t be ridiculous, everything should be fine considering how big it’s gotten . Plus, you can feel lots of movement, right?」
「I felt movement today too . However I was apparently supposed to give birth last month……」
I pat Melissa’s head .
Pregnant women can easily become emotionally unstable . Nonna tends to go on a shopping spree for expensive items, Carla gets angry at other girls and argues with them .
「You don’t have to worry about anything . I’ll be here with you at all times . 」
Melissa buries her face into my chest and lets out a big sigh of relief .
「Thank you…… fufu, I’m sorry . I felt scared just now . 」
Melissa’s warm smile soon changes into a mischievous grin and then she fiddles with my pants .
「Hey now, you sure about this?」 「Mhm . I can’t fuck you right now, but I can still use my mouth . 」
Melissa sits in a chair while I stand in front of her . This way, she won’t put any burden on her stomach .
「You’re going to be sucked off by a pregnant woman . 」 「Hearing you say it like that turns me on . 」
Melissa drops a kiss on my already erect dick and then takes the tip into her mouth . She was about to take me deeper after looking up at me and hearing me groan, but then something happened .
「Ah!?」 「What’s wrong? Did it stink?」
I already used it once today, however it should be clean now .
「No! I-it hurts! My stomach hurts……! Oww!」
Melissa holds her stomach . Giving me a blowjob must have triggered her labor pains .
「I’ll go get someone right away . 」
I rush out of the room as soon as I finish my sentence and grab the first maid I see walking in the corridor .
「Kyaa! G-go ahead……」
The maid screams in surprise but then, seeing it was me who grabbed her, turns around and flips up her skirt .
「I’m not here for that . Melissa is going into labor so I want you to make preparations!」
That reaction must be because I hurried outside with my dick sticking out . There’s no time to worry about that though .
「After ten minutes, the midwife should come too . Hold on for a bit longer . 」 「I-I can try…… but it hurts…… I might not be able……」
Melissa groans and holds her belly at the signs of her first birth . I know little about how it feels, but Nonna has described it as “pain like the world is ending”, so I’m sure it is incredibly painful .
「I-I can’t, I’m dying! If I die, at least cut my stomach open and save the baby――!」 「Don’t say that . Here, grab onto me . I don’t mind if you scratch . 」
Melissa squeezes the hand I hold out with all of her might . Her nails dig into my skin and draws blood, but that’s nothing compared to what she is feeling at this moment .
「The midwife is coming soon! Hang in there!」 「Women are made to bear children so you’ll be fine!」 「You were embraced by the feudal lord-sama, so you should have a safe delivery!」
Hearing the commotion, maids call out to encourage Melissa, though the pain seems to be overwhelming her senses . I can’t blame the normally composed Melissa for acting this way .
「I-I can’t――!!」
Melissa bites down on my arm . If that will help to ease her pain, she can bite me as much as she wants .
「Ah, she gave birth!」 「Wait, you’re kidding . Already?」 「It hasn’t even been five minutes……」
All of a sudden, I hear the sound of a baby crying and Melissa panting heavily .
「Sorry to keep you waiting! Wait, the baby has already been born!?」
The midwife let out a disappointed sigh . Well either way, I’m glad both the mother and child made it through safely .
「Baby…… a baby girl…… so cute……」
Tears drip from Melissa’s eyes as she cradles her crying baby .
「I thought I would never give birth…… now a baby…… my baby……」
She looks truly happy . She won’t make this face even if she climaxes ten times consecutively .
The other girls of the family come running into the room late . It happened so fast after she felt the contractions that they couldn’t make it in time .
「Oh my, how cute!」 「You’re right…… her face is so similar to Melissa’s . 」 「She has Aegir’s eyes . 」
I don’t think I’m needed here anymore . I’ll leave the rest to the girls .
「Everyone, please move! We need to get the baby in warm water . 」
「Ah, I’ll do it . 」
When the midwife was about to let the baby have her first bath, Melissa unexpectedly stands up .
「Uwah! Melissa-san, you mustn’t stand!」
「You can stand already!?」
「Yes, my stomach did hurt so badly I thought I was going to die . It was really painful . 」
「As a midwife, I assure you that a delivery in five minutes is the most uncomplicated birth I’ve seen, the quickest of the quick . Normally, women would struggle a hundred times more than you did during labor!」
「As expected, it’s all because of Aegir . 」
「Aegir-san’s thing is honestly even larger than the baby’s head…… right?」
After they chat noisily, everyone looks over at me . Are they praising me?
I pull up a chair in the corner of the room and sit down .
「I’ll be here for the day . Let me know if you need anything . I could go if you think I’m in the……」 「No, stay! Please stay!」
When Melissa raises her body, the maids quickly hold her down .
Alright then . It isn’t like I can do anything, I just want to thank her for giving birth to my child . I’ll stay beside her when she sleeps and talk with her when she’s bored .
Reading the atmosphere, the girls not required to stay, essentially everyone except the midwife and maids, take their leave .
Even Celia, who was sitting beside me, was taken away by Myla and Carla, each of them holding one of her arms . Seeing Celia pout as she gets carried out makes me laugh a little .
「Anyways, I gotta say Melissa, you’re really energetic . 」
Nonna was out for a whole day after she gave birth, and even Carla and Mel who had safe deliveries felt so tired they stayed in bed for a while . Yet, Melissa is caressing her baby and would be out of bed if not for the maids .
「Mhm, I’m completely fine . More importantly, why don’t you give the baby some more attention . 」
The midwife stops Melissa from getting up again .
「Hmm, she’s a baby alright . 」
Melissa laughs, asking me “what kind of comment is that?” Even if she asks me…… I mean I’m used to praising beautiful women, it’s just babies are different .
「Look, it’s Papa, isn’t he big~」
Melissa prompts the baby in a sweet tone, although having been born not too long ago, her eyes are still closed .
When I try to touch the baby, the midwife grabs my hand and wipes it thoroughly .
「I haven’t touched anything dirty today . 」 「What about other girls?」
I did touch them . A lot of them . When I said that, my hands were wiped once more .
「Look, Papa’s finger is big too . 」
The baby grabs my finger, feeling around it before letting go as if it wasn’t what she wanted .
「Ahaha, this is what you want, right?」
Melissa gives the baby her mother’s milk . The baby sucks on her juicy tits .
「So your boobs belong to this child from now on?」
I don’t think she’ll let her baby have the right breast while I take the left one .
「Ufu, I’ll be sure to share with Aegir-san if I have some to spare . 」
The midwife watches closely for any issues during the breastfeeding, then after determining there is nothing to worry about, decides to take a rest .
「The mother and baby both seem healthy and lots of milk is coming out . I think you’ll be fine for now, but call me if anything happens . After that, you just need to take it easy on your body…… having sex immediately is absolutely not allowed, even if it’s a mistake! It is prohibited for a month . 」
「Understood . 」
I’m not some fiend who fucks women who have just given birth . What does the midwife think I am?
「――the back hole isn’t allowed either . 」
The midwife stares at me right before leaving the room .
「I know!」
The impression people have of me is strange . I need to do an investigation around Rafen .
The baby fell asleep after drinking her fill of milk . Now we’re the only ones in the room .
「Finally…… you gave birth to a baby . 」
I pull my chair up beside the bed and chat with Melissa .
「The family I lost…… I can make another . 」
Tears fall from Melissa’s eyes as she strokes her baby . One teardrop falls on the baby’s forehead, causing her to stir .
「Yeah . This is our child . 」
I brush away Melissa’s tears with a finger .
「I’m cruel, aren’t I . Maria and Carla-san have been treating me well and here I am saying “I made a family” . 」
I can only rub Melissa’s hand in comfort .
「Everyone is my precious family . I mean that…… everyone is more precious than anything…… but Aegir-san and this child are special even among them . I feel like I can understand what Mel-san feels . 」
Melissa grips my hand in return .
「It really hurt when my insides were messed up, however the hardest part was the time after standing up . That was when I digested the meaning of the words “not able to give birth anymore”…… and that was when I thought I would forever be alone . 」
“It’s over now . You have me and the kid now . ” Those were the feelings I was trying to convey through the patting of her head .
They must have gotten through as Melissa responds by interlocking her fingers with mine .
「Papa, Mama, big brother, I can’t meet any of them anymore, but now I have a new family . 」
Melissa grew up in a merchant family . That family went bankrupt and was torn apart, Melissa herself being sold to a slave dealer . It happened a long time ago, so not only is it hard to search for her family now, there isn’t much point to do so . I’m sure neither party desires a reunion after Melissa was sold off .
「That’s right . You’re not alone . 」
I let go of her hand, then hug Melissa before she could make a sad face .
「I will protect this child even if I have to sacrifice my own life . I also don’t want Aegir-san to die . I don’t want to lose anymore family . I can’t bear to watch them go . 」
I don’t reply . Dying is something I don’t want to do either, but a stray arrow on the battlefield is all it takes .
Still, it makes me a little relieved . Even though something might happen to me, Melissa will have her child . She won’t be alone .
The baby cries out when we hug . Melissa once again gives her milk .
Our daughter was named Jennifer .
The Next Day .
The celebratory mood in the mansion has yet to clear . Family and servants show up in Melissa’s room one after the other to congratulate her . There were so many visitors that the midwife had to stand in front of the door and block people from entering to allow Melissa and the baby to rest .
That’s how much Melissa is loved . I don’t think I’ve seen anybody, man or woman, hate her .
「Lord Hardlett, I have something to discuss . 」
That ends my time of relaxation . Adolph comes to the office with a serious expression .
When we head to his workplace…… the head of domestic affairs department room, Claire and Laurie also happen to be there . Now then, Adolph and the girls should have a tense relationship seeing how one is the tax collector and the other is the taxpayer .
「I received notice from the head office of the Flitch company . 」
「Heeeh, what company was that again?」 「Claire-san’s company . The one located in Stura . 」
Oh, that one? I forgot because I thought it was Claire’s company all this time .
「Hm? I swear I wrote it down as Claire’s company though . 」 「Celia and I have been correcting it . 」 「Pardon me, is it a good time to begin?」
Claire smiles before continuing . If she’s interrupting our banter, she must have something serious to talk about .
「The head office of the Flitch company―― they have decided ……to withdraw from the northeast region of the Central plains hereafter . 」
「What?」
That’s surprising .
「They will be selling off all their assets and interests as well as dismissing all employees . 」
I nudge Adolph .
「Isn’t it because too much was squeezed out from them and they ended up in the red? Maybe someone should have held back a little . 」
Claire shakes her head .
「The details are secret, but please be assured that their profit was at a level where withdrawing was out of the question . 」
「Then why are they withdrawing? Isn’t it too sudden?」
They aren’t peddlers, plus they could have said something in advance .
「The head office did not consult with anyone . That includes me, the person in charge of the region!」
Anger can be seen in Claire’s expression for a split second .
「As long as they weren’t too unprofitable, they wouldn’t do something like liquidating the entire district . 」
Claire drinks some tea and her tone of voice returns to normal .
「With that said though, I’m not an idiot . I already grasped the course of events . 」
Let’s hear it .
「The head office received from Queen Wilhelmina―― from the newly founded South Yuguria Empire, a request to provide a huge sum of money . Of course, a suitable…… no, an excessively large compensation was presented in return . 」
Wilhelmina’s name has come up again .
「In order to not let other companies take the opportunity, the head office needed to get as much money as possible . Even if that meant liquidating the branch in my region, which was completely in the black!」
Adolph folds his arms .
「A new nation was just created . No amount of money will be enough . Even Goldonia, which was once rich, fell victim to a shortage of funds after the rapid expansion of domain…… however, won’t they be worried about getting repaid if they loan such a large sum?」
「Supposing they are anxious about getting money back, they could get promises to other collateral . It can range from exclusive commercial rights to a designated area or exclusive rights to agricultural produce . 」
Adolph and Claire start talking back and forth…… with nothing for me to do, I call Laurie over, but she rejects me saying it’s a serious discussion .
「The South Yuguria Empire certainly has a large territory now…… so you’re saying they have more to take than just money?」
「Yes . Besides, that country will need a lot more money in the future . If they fail to pay back the debt, their reputation will drop and they won’t be able to procure funds from not just that company, but all the other companies . 」
I’m bored so I casually peel one document off the top of Adolph’s stack and glance over it . I return it when my head starts to hurt . Seeing such a jumble of letters and numbers will give me nightmares .
「……so in the end, they have no choice but to believe in Queen Wilhelmina . Don’t you think it’s unnatural for such trust to be placed in a newly founded nation?」
「Yes . In ideal conditions, the Flitch company would judge this as a high risk investment, and even if they were to lend money, they would start small and increase the amount in stages . At the very least, they would not loan an amount which would empty their safe . However they don’t have a choice at the moment . The company’s sales are in the black just because of me and that is slowly decreasing…… with not much prospect of recovery . They must want to try their luck on the appearance of a new nation in the south . 」
Please Laurie . Entertain me, I’m feeling lonely here .
「……fuu . 」
She comes over while maintaining her focus on Claire . I pat her head and rub her ass with a smile .
「Still, I have something I don’t understand . The head office has many people on the careful side, people who want to wait and see . And yet, they switch their stance after receiving one invitation from Queen Wilhelmina, now wanting to send as much money as possible to her . 」
It’s because Wilhelmina is beautiful . I’m sure of it .
「Aaah, nnh……」
I move my finger more when I hear a cute moan escape Laurie’s lips .
「Well, the particulars are trivial . What’s important is whether you will be leaving or not . 」
To be honest, that would be troublesome . Claire conducts lots of business in Rafen and Lintbloom . Her activities aren’t limited to selling and transporting, she also takes care of providing fuel supply and arranging for workers . It will be a big blow to us if we need to look for her replacement . If her work gets thrown onto Adolph’s plate, he’ll become bald again .
Besides, having Claire leave is the same as losing a woman . If Claire leaves, Laurie goes with her, so that would mean losing two women . What a tragedy .
「I’m not going to leave! How much money do you think I invested in the development of Lintbloom’s mine and the establishment of a trade route! I won’t sell off what I worked hard for and withdraw!」
It’s been a while since Claire has yelled so loudly . It brings back memories .
「But instructions from the head office……」 「I’ll ignore them . Head office also knows this issue won’t be solved with a single letter in just one or two days…… I’ll hold out as long as I can . 」
「So what’s your end goal after drawing it out?」
Claire resolves herself before declaring .
「I will split from the company and go independent . I’m not going to hand over anything I earned to the south queen . Laurie and I will start our own company . 」
Laurie runs away from my hand and nods beside Claire . When I show her the sticky thread pulled from my finger, she looks down and blushes .
「I’m no merchant so it’s hard to ascertain, but is that something you can settle without fuss?」
Claire smiles in response to Adolph’s question .
「Of course not, it’ll be a war . 」
That’s dangerous .
「I say war, but it’s a war between merchants . We’ll be competing over suppliers and customers instead of territory, and using bribes instead of projectiles . 」
I don’t know if that sounds more or less dangerous .
「It goes without saying that I can’t help you . The domestic affairs official of a feudal lord must stay neutral . 」 「I’ll do everything I can to help . Ask me for whatever you need . 」
When I speak at the same time, Adolph sighs with an astounded face . You’re heartless, staying neutral is impossible when one choice is Claire and the other is the Flitch company which we’ve never met before .
「Fufu, it will be fine . Laurie and I aren’t going to lose so easily . 」
Of course, it may be entirely possible they don’t need help at all .
「However, going independent means we won’t know what method the head office will use . The battle may be between merchants, but it’s possible that someone will sneak up with a knife in the dark . When that happens…… could I ask for your help?」
「Sure . I’ll keep the public order in the territory…… as a pretense and actually guard you tightly . 」
When I look over at Adolph as if saying “that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”, he nods reluctantly .
「I can’t overlook assassination within the territory though . I pray that Claire-san doesn’t get jumped . If I see anything, I’ll contact Myla-san . 」 「And I’ll crush them . 」
Adolph once again looks at me, somewhat disgusted .
Then he clears his throat .
「To reiterate, I will ultimately stay neutral because of my position . However…… after knowing you for so long, I hope that you come out victorious . 」
「Fufu, thank you for your kind words . 」
Claire presents a box to Adolph . It looks heavy .
「Alright then, let’s finish up here . 」
It makes a pretty loud jingling sound .
「I’m not going to take a bribe!」
Adolph gets angry at Claire’s joke, while I laugh .
No matter what Adolph says, I’m going to protect Claire .
「Um…… it’s not much, but do you need to be bribed as well?」
Laurie presses her modest chest against me .
「Of course, I’ll gladly accept . 」
Tonight, I’ll pretend to be the corrupt feudal lord who was given a young innocent girl .
After Claire leaves, I stay in the room and think with my arms folded .
「Hmm, I can’t let things go on like this . 」
Lately, Wilhelmina has been involved in military and domestic affairs . On the other hand, I know nothing of her and the land she rules over .
「I should probably go check out the south at least once . I guess I’ll take a little trip . 」
「South? To a pioneer village? Or maybe border security?」
Adolph asks .
「No, to the South Yuguria Empire . 」
It took a while before a gasp of surprise was heard .
I want to see if the people are rich or poor, whether they are filled with hostile intent or easygoing…… I’m not the smartest so I won’t understand anything unless I see what’s going on with my own eyes .
If it is what Leopolt and Adolph are saying, then I will eventually clash with Wilhelmina . I have to confirm whether it’s the truth or whether there is some misunderstanding .
「In that case, preparations need to be made immediately . Let’s gather the luggage . 」 「Luggage…… you’re hunting for a place to stay? I will accompany you . 」
For some reason, Celia was there when I opened the door . It feels like she’s sticking to me more than usual these days .
「No, I’m going down to the South Yuguria Empire . I might meet Wilhelmina so I need to prepare a formal uniform and some contraceptives . 」 「Eeeehーーー!!?」
Celia’s loud scream attracts everyone . I wanted to go quietly and return quietly…… oh well .
Protagonist: Aegir Hardlett . 24 years old . Winter . Status: Goldonia Kingdom Margrave . Great Feudal Lord of Eastern Area . Mountain Legend . Friend of the Dwarves . Friend of the King of Aless . Dragon Slayer Hero . Elf Mediator . Sex King of White City .
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