Chapter 197
Vol. 2 Chapter 197
Recuperation
Translated by Raizu
[Wait.]
I said so and let one hand swim in the air.
The words and gestures were not addressed to Mimon, but the maids in the room.
The girls, who were waiting in the corner of the room, sensed that they had missed the timing to scold her, and straightened their posture by pulling their chins up.
[Hmm? Ah…]
Seeing that brief exchange, Mimon seemed to understand her mistake.
Mimon’s words just now were too straightforward of a request.
Even though she is a concubine who entered the mansion, it is by no means an act of praise for a commoner to ask a Noble for something.
Of course, that is by no means synonymous with [Do not ask for anything].
In fact, I’m trying to accommodate Mimon’s biological son and have him find a job. It depends on the content and the number of times, but if the request is conveyed in an implied or euphemistic way, it won’t stand out so much, and conversely, if this side, the Noble side, asks for a request, there is no problem answering it.
However, this is also not something that can be said one-sidedly. There is also the atmosphere of the place and the flow of the story.
At first, when Mimon asked for a favor, the maids didn’t seem to be particularly careful. This was partly because we were in the middle of a chat, so it was ignored in the air.
But, things didn’t go well after that.
Taking Eve to the Royal Capital was a type of request that cannot be completed by Mimon alone. In the first place, Eve is nominally my property, so it’s a form of interfering with the master’s property.
And most of all, my going to the Royal Capital is me acting as a Noble, and it’s highly political in nature. It’s not a good topic for commoners to talk about.
I think it’s probably because of the keyword “Kingdom” that crossed the final line of the maids.
[…Just now wasn’t the right way to say it.]
[Ye, yes…! U, umm…]
The servants are always on the lookout to prevent the commoner woman from deceiving her lord. Above all, they’re wary of favoritism.
It can be said that Mimon just stepped through a landmine.
The maid who was in charge of her education will surely receive long lectures later. The same goes for Mimon.
I touched both of her hands as she tried to explain herself in a hurry.
[Calm down. I’m not angry. It’s still not long since you entered the mansion, so you should be more careful from now on… Are you happy to see me after a long time and that’s why you let your guard down?]
[Y, yes…..Yes, it is. I have a lot of things I want to talk to you about, so I’m a little flustered…]
When I sent out a rescue boat, Mimon immediately sensed my intentions and accept it.
If I poorly defend her here, the sermon by the maids will be prolonged and more troublesome.
It’s better to admit the mistake early and create a solution. It would be useless to tell them not to preach to her with my authority here, as it will strengthen the theory of me taking a favorite.
Mimon quietly spoke the words of apology that were close to the ideal that I wanted.
I posed to accept it and appealed to the maids who were staring at us with sharp eyes.
They got the message that Mimon was so excited that she accidentally said that because she liked me so much. Besides, since I already gave her a complaint, the preaching time won’t be that long.
However, it feels like something is still stuck in my throat if I end the story here.
I decided to ask for the continuation of the story while pretending that it was nothing.
[So, why do you ask me to bring Eve to the Royal Capital? For Eve, I don’t think she holds good memories regarding the Royal Capital…or rather, to the Levios family.]
I don’t think there’s much to it.
Mimon glanced sideways at the maids to see if there was any problem answering my question, but before long she made up her mind and opened her mouth.
[…..It seems that she wants to find her mother.]
Well, I actually expected that kind of answer.
According to Mimon, Eve seems to think that Raeve is still in the Royal Capital’s slave market.
It is possible that before being sold to the slave trader Doran, they were all held captive together in the Royal Capital’s slave market.
In reality, Raeve is living a leisurely life in Nambonan City. But, the Raeve in Eve’s mind is still at the bottom of hell in a slave shop in the Royal Capital.
[That’s saddening… I also want to help in some way…]
The sad eyes that she occasionally showed during their conversations, and the fake smile that she used to cover it up by force were unbearable for Mimon.
[Eve’s mother?]
I’m sorry for Mimon, but at the moment I didn’t have the slightest intention of letting Eve and Raeve meet.
However, I thought that taking Eve to the Royal Capital wasn’t a bad idea.
I had made various preparations for my departure to the Royal Capital, but I had hardly prepared for the woman that I’m gonna have sex with while there.
Of course, I can’t afford to plant my seeds in the maids of other territories. It might be possible to solve by paying up some courtesans in the commoner area. But in my meeting with my father, it has been decided that I will go with the Pure Wilk mode. That’s why I can’t mess around like that.
However, even if I bring someone along, it is difficult to select the person.
First of all, I can’t bring Koharii and others with me. Or rather, I don’t want to take them with me. It’s because they’re serfs.
The Royal Capital is like the wild west, and I don’t know what will happen there. At least the woman needs to be able to fight in order for me to bring her along, and I want her to be someone who won’t become a burden…in other words, I want a female Lord.
Although it is important to handle sexual desires, I would like to avoid becoming a risk to the Quordenze family. I want to have a safe and secure sex life.
Oddie and some others cleared these requirements, but are currently pregnant and cannot travel to the Royal Capital.
In that respect, Eve may just be the right person.
Judging only by the amount of mana, Eve is at a level where she can compete with an adult knight. Because of the difference in combat experience, she probably won’t be able to win in the first place, but the more mana she has, the more tenaciously she can fight.
With simple detection magic, one can only determine the amount of her magic power, and if we’re inside a carriage or a mansion, one won’t be able to distinguish her from a military officer.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Eve’s trip to the capital wasn’t a bad option.
Ever since I bought Eve, my life as a Noble has changed dramatically. Starting with the Nambonan City capture battle as my first battle, it has been erratic.
This time, if I include this travel, I should be spending time with Eve for quite some time.
It might be a good idea to have a slow conversation while we are together, and if I pretend to help her find Raeve, I’ll be able to deceive her and become even more intimate than we are now.
Come to think of it, does Eve know about Mimon’s story? I asked her the question that came to mind.
[No, Eve-chan doesn’t know I’m going to talk about this. She said she’d ask you to do it herself someday. But…]
At that point, Mimon stammered as if it was difficult to say, and ended the conversation with vaguely muddy words.
In short, it seemed that Eve was frightened of me, and if Mimon left her alone, she would never be able to start talking, so the older woman decided to ask me in her stead.
[Well, if Eve wants to ask me directly, I can consider taking her with me…]
But, there was one thing that bothered me.
[By the way, I’m curious what she will be planning to do after finding her mother… Do you think she will raid the store and run away?]
The only way to save Eve’s mental Raeve in the slave shop is to purchase her legally or to raid the shop and take her by force.
Moreover, Eve is penniless.
I provide all the food, clothing and shelter, so that she can live without having to worry about money. But, she basically has no money of her own to buy Raeve.
Which is higher, the probability of her offering erotic services to her master and begging him to [Please pay for me ♡] or her suggesting me to help her raid the market?
In Eve’s case, if she had a lot of mana, she would be able to make an assault with plenty of time to spare, which was strangely realistic and scary.
[She seemed to be thinking about how to make money. Eve-chan can use magic after all…]
Theoretically, all the money she earned from doing that is my money. Eve is my property, so I can use it as much as I want except for the purchase cost and daily living expenses.
[Mimon may not know it, but even if she is lucky enough to find her mother, the price will be much higher than Eve’s pocket money can afford.]
[Yes. Buying a slave is expensive, I at least know that.]
She didn’t seem to know for sure.
[It’s even more so when the slave is not human….. Let’s take Eve as an example.]
Then, I talked about Eve’s purchase price. By the way, when I bought her, I also included a false story that the servant objected to the excessively high price.
Mimon’s eyes widened in astonishment when I told her how many gold coins it cost me.
From the point of view of a commoner woman, the amount is not very realistic.
[Tha…that much…!?]
[Since they are from the same race, I think her mother should be at about the same price.]
In fact, Raeve was also expensive.
Even though Doran made various arrangements, it was still a really expensive purchase. It’s fine because I don’t regret buying her.
[………O-oh…..]
Mimon then closed her eyes with a sorrowful expression and spilled out her sadness for Eve, who was not even here at the moment.
She couldn’t ask me to buy Eve’s mother for her. Because now that she knows the exact price, she understood how selfish it is to request that.
[And in fact, I don’t think she’ll be easy to find. The Levios army is used to turning captured local minorities into money. It would make sense to think that she’s already sold somewhere.]
For example, to the Quordenze family.
[No way…]
Mimon was shocked, but that’s the way things are in the world.
The Levios family regularly goes on expeditions to the Mist Land, so they are used to selling the humans or elves they have abducted.
I hear that the slave market in the Royal Capital has matured as an industry to the extent that even barbarian tribes that don’t even understand the Eruo language can be turned into commodities. Even the elves, who are difficult for commoners to deal with, will have no trouble finding a buyer.
If it weren’t for the man named Doran, who has a good reputation in the Royal Capital’s slave market, I wouldn’t have been able to obtain Raeve so easily.
…..Well, let’s stop making Mimon feel bad for now.
I’ll have to consult with the servants later, but I don’t think there’s any problem with taking Eve to the Royal Capital.
If I were to take Eve with me, she would have to remain cooped up in the Quordenze family’s mansion in the Royal Capital. It would be a problem if some Noble boy fell in love with her at first sight just because she came outside without me.
It would be nice to invite some slave traders to the mansion and pretend to be looking for her mother seriously.
[I will consider taking Eve to the Royal Capital. I just want to let you know that the chances of finding her mother are low. It’s just sad if I end up giving you and her a false hope]
[…..Yes. Still, I think Eve will be happy nonetheless if she can go to find her mother…]
So, Mimon paused for a moment, stared at me once, and then continued.
[If Wilk-sama can help find her mother… I believe Eve will be very happy. The shadow that she always has will surely disappear…and she’ll be able to show her true smile…for sure.]
[I’ll keep that in mind.]
After leaving Mimon’s room, I temporarily moved to my room in the mansion.
It seemed that Mimon’s affection for Eve had deepened, probably because she interacted with Eve often.
[…..Then, are there no signs that Eve is doing anything in particular?]
[Yes. It’s probably something that spreads the magical power of favor with a natural gesture like a light smile….. Based on what happened in Nambonan, it is thought that only the person who was the target can sense it.]
The theory that Eve was a devious woman popped into my mind, so I decided to ask the servants of the mansion just in case.
As the maid spoke vaguely without mentioning Raeve’s name, it was evident that information was properly shared among the servants.
[If it is a high-output magic that has a strong effect on the mind, you can tell by the movement of the magic power. You should have noticed. The fact that no one has sensed it until now, I think it’s just a faint favor with a low amount of magical power.]
As soon as those words ended, the middle-aged maid who supervised the mansion’s maids made a troubled face.
[It would be fine if it was just goodwill…but it would be a problem if she were to direct malicious feelings toward the pregnant couple. Would it be alright if I have a talk with Eve-sama once to confirm her intentions? If it’s to the extent that we can’t sense it out here, I don’t think it will have much of an impact, even if it’s malicious, but…just in case.]
[Alright, I’ll leave it to you. But, don’t be too hard on her.]
When I tried to ask if the influence of malicious emotions was large, the middle-aged maid answered as if she was anticipating that question.
[Don’t worry. It depends on the degree, but malice from the outside has almost no effect on the fetus.]
If anything, the biggest concern is that the mother’s body will be surprised by the malice’s magical power and the child will be washed away.
The middle-aged maid said that neither Minith nor Mimon had a miscarriage so far, so there should be no problem. It’s a rough judgment, but I guess it’s okay because the girls who have a basic style of worrying don’t think it’s a problem.
[Good then.]
Then, I told her to call the other pregnant woman, Minith.
At first, I was going to meet Minith, but the maid who was on standby went ahead and immediately called Minith to come.
I might like to do whatever I want, especially in Newnelly city. But, I’m still a Noble. Calling even a pregnant woman to come over is still considered normal.
[Excuse me.]
While waiting over while drinking a cup of tea, the door opened after a knock.
Standing there was Minith in an apron-like garment. Because of the pose where both hands are put together in the lower abdomen, the bulge on her stomach was emphasized and can be clearly seen.
Perhaps because it was a maternity garment with a whitish fabric, and maybe because I just thought of salt daifuku, her figure looks like salt daifuku. Looks simple and delicious.
[Young Master.]
Her words, with her face slightly downward, made it seem like she’s trembling.
As Mimon said earlier, it seems that she’s emotionally unstable. It’s not Marriage Blues, it’s Pregnancy Blues.
[Wait. Now I shall use magic to calm your mind.]
Pointing one hand at Minith as she entered the room, I stood up and snapped my fingers, causing light particles to shine all over the room.
I lightly explained to the maids that babies’ jealousy is a superstition, so don’t worry about it, but they aren’t convinced. I guess they’re thinking, [You’re lying because you want to flirt with the girl you impregnated, aren’t you? I understand].
However, even so, the maids did not go against my request and silently watched the lighting magic.
But of course, if I start doing strange things, they will stop me, so I have to be careful not to touch that line.
[These lights…?]
Minith seemed to be taken aback by the sudden activation of the magic, and shook her face slightly to the left and right to look at the bogus magic.
[It’s a magic that suppresses the baby’s jealousy. I wanted to talk slowly with Minith for the first time in a long time. Hey, why don’t you sit down?]
[Un, ah, yes.]
I sat down on the sofa and patted the area right next to it.
Following my words, Minith sat next to me.
I wanted to talk slowly. These are words that come from my heart.
It’s true that being with her is the most relaxing thing. As I turned to give her a reunion kiss, she responded,
[I’m happy, but I heard that the Young Master is busy. …..Umm, I’m happy…I’m very happy, but I heard that you won’t be able to stay for too long in Newnelly this time…but…umm….. Ah, Young Master… ♡]
I covered her lips with my own lips as she continued to taunt me.
She seemed to have been waiting for this for some reason, and her hot tongue immediately entwined with mine.
[Nn… ♡ Haa ♡ Nn ♡ Young Master… Mn, Chu… Young Master ♡]
[Chu. …..Phew, Minith, I’ve always wanted to see you.]
[Yes…♡]
Her lips were wet with saliva, and her ripe, unfocused eyes looked dazed, staring back at me with infatuation.
The atmosphere of a maiden in love and the essence of a married woman were mixed in an exquisite balance. It made my crotch get excited unintentionally.
However, the middle-aged maid would do anything to stop her if she said something like, [I’m in a stable period, so let’s do it].
While trying my best to stay calm, I put my arms around her waist and hugged her.
[Minith is so diligent. Did you take note of my schedule?]
[Because I don’t want to be a bother to you… I love you, so…]
She shyly said what she was thinking… I couldn’t help but love her when she showed such a gesture.
[Don’t you think it’s a nuisance? There’s nothing more important than the precious time when you can meet someone you love.]
I don’t know what it is, but it’s strange because when Minith is embarrassed, she just says embarrassing lines.
The feeling of being embarrassed to hear Minith’s sweet words outweigh the embarrassment of expressing her feelings. Men may not essentially grow up with the mentality of elementary school boys who are happy to tease the girl they like.
[Besides, I have some errands that I can do here today.]
[Errands?]
[Yeah. Isn’t it about time they arrived?]
When I looked at the middle-aged maid, she simply answered.
[They have been waiting in another room.]
It seems that I was so engrossed in flirting that I completely did not realize it.
I gave instructions to the maid and smiled at Minith.
[The costume that I will wear in the Royal Capital still has the final touch ups that need to be done. Since it’s a big deal, I’m thinking of doing it at the mansion.]
“Is that so?”, Minith gave a small response.
Thinking that it was time to say goodbye, she was visibly saddened. But of course, we’re not saying goodbye yet.
[It’s no fun if I put it on and take it off by myself. Would you like to see my new clothes with me?]
The change in Minith’s expression at this time was as if I was watching a double-speed video of flowers blooming.
That’s why, today, I invited the clothing company to come to my mansion.
During my stay at Reisleaf Castle, I was informed that the social gathering costumes I requested last year and the outdoor clothes were almost completed.
Because it’s a custom-made top-class item, it won’t be completed unless I try it on so that the craftsmen can make minor adjustments at the end.
[How does it feel when wearing it? Are there any parts that feel tight?]
The owner of the clothing company stood right next to me and asked how things were going.
The two craftsmen who would have actually made the costume were silently checking the length.
[It’s okay. It’s not difficult to move in.]
I tried rotating my arms lightly and doing some exercise on the spot, but there were no particular problems. If anything, it was easier to move than the clothes I was wearing earlier.
As the company has been preparing my costume for a long time, they apparently had considered my growth speed into the calculation.
[Thank you very much for that. This will be a piece of clothing when Young Master is outdoors, so it’s up to Young Master’s preference. We will adjust it accordingly to make it as easy to move in as possible.]
This was one of the costumes worn before moving from the Quordenze territory to the Royal Capital.
And it is said that there are about 5 pieces prepared for this purpose alone. As the eldest son of the Quordenze family, I understand that I am required to dress in a way that is not embarrassing, but from the bottom of my heart, I felt bored to be dressed up like a doll.
The reason why I invited Minith to see me trying on the clothes was partly due to the fact that girls usually like clothing stores, so it was an easy go. But, the main reason was that it’s too much trouble to go through this all by myself.
When I turned my gaze to the mirror stone prepared for the full-length viewing, the shop owner gave instructions to the young man who seemed to be in charge of heavy lifting, and turned it towards me.
[Very good.]
My reflection on the mirror stone was exactly that of a Noble son.
The jacket, which looks like the top half of a trench coat that has been cut off, is beautifully embroidered with gold thread. The belt with brass rivets hammered into it at regular intervals felt a little heavy, but it wasn’t that much of a concern. The lower garment was plain, but it was already finalized, and I could tell by my skin that it was made of fine silk.
I usually wear solid clothing, but I feel that this costume has more of the spirit of a craftsman than usual.
It’s probably not just my imagination, since I believe it is more expensive by about 30% than my normal clothing. The Quordenze family must have asked for quality beyond the limit so that the Nobles of other families would not look down on it.
It’s not like I hate cosplaying, although sometimes it felt like I was doing one with these costumes, but it’s a normal outfit for Nobles from the Eruo continent.
When I’m posing in front of the mirror like this, I really feel like I’m a “Noble”.
[I brought the cloak.]
When the shopkeeper reacted to the voice he heard from the other side of the screen, he quickly took the cloak and spread it out in front of me.
[It’s the season when the day starts to get warmer, so I made it a thin one.]
This is a gray cloak that doesn’t look particularly different. Except for the one point embroidered image of a snake baring its fangs, it has a plain finish with no patterns or designs in particular.
Some leather material is used from the shoulders to the neck, and the stand-up collar is very apparent.
Once I put on the cloak, the clothing set was finally completed.
[Take down the screen. I want Minith to see my new outfit.]
Right now, me, the shop owner, the craftsman aunt, and the person in charge of changing clothes were surrounded on all sides by tools like screens used for internal medical examinations.
Following my instructions, the owner lifted the screen with both hands and opened one side.
I made eye contact with Minith, who was sitting on the sofa waiting for me, and made the pose that I showed in front of the mirror just now.
[How is it?]
However, Minith just remained silent despite my words.
Then, she put her hands together like a praying maiden and let out a long sigh that seemed to well up from the bottom of her stomach.
[Very…very, wonderful…it suits Young Master….♡]
Minith tried hard to squeeze out words of praise in order to fulfill her assigned role.
However, whether it was because she didn’t have enough expressions of praise, or because her brain wasn’t working properly, her praise mostly revolved around [Nice], [Suitable], and [Wonderful].
Even so, perhaps because I was convinced that those words were coming from her heart, I didn’t feel any discomfort at all. Rather, I realized that I would be much happier to be told with simple, but full of emotions, praise saying that it suits me, rather than an empty praise that has been repeatedly expressed.
There was something in me that felt satisfied when receiving such frank praise.
[Okay, then let’s try the next outfit. Minith, you might get tired, with your weight and all, but please stay with me a little longer.]
[Yes! Leave it to me! I’ll be with you for as long as Young Master wants… ♡]
Minith moved her hands that had been put together on her chest to her mouth, and stared at me with a twinkle in her eyes.
It’s not a metaphorical expression. The grains of light from my bogus magic were reflected in her moist eyes.
For some reason, I wanted to live up to her expectations, so I felt like I was prolonging the fashion show pointlessly.
My original plan was to go to the Pioneering Association in the evening to give instructions and handle the errands that had piled up since my departure for the New Year.
[…..Then, let’s take a closer look. We have plenty of time.]
Enjoy what you can only do today. I’m a man who lives in the moment.
I sat on the sofa and put my hand on my shoulder, and when I said that, I cleared my mental schedule for the day.
This may be the first time I’ve succumbed to my desire for pure love, not my sexual desire.
From the next day onwards, I ended up scurrying around the castle and the castle town, but I didn’t regret it much.
Even though it made me busier than I should be, it healed my mind and it seems that Minith has also recovered from her gloomy moment. That’s the most important part.
Thus, my stay in Newnelly passed in the blink of an eye.