Before we delve into the situation, let’s take a moment to think.
Here, we have a man and a woman who have found harmony and promised a future together. Their relationship is steady, unbroken, and thriving in mutual affection.
However, as time passes, numerous women start approaching the man.
The woman, facing the overlapping circumstances, has no choice but to accept it reluctantly.
Despite this, the woman emphasizes that she remains his top priority, and the man respects her by showering her with unwavering love.
As time goes by, even when the man finds other romantic partners, the woman reaches a point of indifference, simply letting it pass.
To others, this makes the man appear no better than a shameless jerk, juggling relationships with over three partners.
Historically, it wasn’t uncommon for nobles and kings to have mistresses or concubines, especially kings, who were expected to produce numerous heirs.
Take Friedrich of the Kingdom of Teres as an example—let’s consider why he was called a romanticist.
Being labeled a scoundrel varies depending on status and context.
In any case, it’s fortunate the woman understood the situation.
If the man had recklessly increased the number of his lovers without consideration, a significant fracture in their relationship would have been inevitable.
But that’s not the end.
What if the man’s child, completely unknown to the woman, suddenly appeared?
Worse still, what if this child, not a newborn but around three or four years old, arrived with another woman?
Needless to say, the man would escalate from being labeled a jerk to being called an utter scoundrel, and the woman’s patience would wear thin.
“Therefore…”
Marie, seated on the bed, pressed her fingers against her furrowed brows as her voice trailed off.
It seemed she had much to say but struggled to organize her thoughts, leaving her with a headache.
I stood silently across from her, waiting for her to speak.
After a long sigh, she extended her index finger and began to lay out the situation slowly.
“So, you went to the World Tree, met Lord Hirt’s incarnation, and received their blessing. Upon receiving the blessing, you found a seed the size of a coconut at the base of the tree, and from that seed, an angel named Ariel was born?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“A child born outside marriage… well, considering she has wings, doubting that would be blasphemy.”
If I had a child Ariel’s age, it would mean I became a father at fifteen.
That doesn’t make sense no matter how you look at it.
Still, given the era we’re in, it’s not entirely unheard of. People who awaken to their desires too early or receive poor education sometimes end up that way.
Typically, such a trajectory is associated with scoundrels, but I wasn’t one of them.
And if it had happened, I’d have taken responsibility from the start.
In summary, it’s a situation born from the favor—or so-called favor—of the gods.
“Oooh~ So soft and comfy!”
“Do you like it?”
“Yes! It’s softer than a bed!”
Meanwhile, Ariel, the root of all this commotion, was nestled in Cecily’s arms.
She had practically buried her face in Cecily’s ample bosom, using it as a pillow.
Cecily, wearing a black dress that exposed much of her chest, seemed even more voluptuous with Ariel leaning on her.
She gently stroked Ariel’s head, finding her adorable.
“Where are you looking? Not over here?”
As a fleeting sense of envy passed through me, Marie’s cold voice pierced my ears.
Startled, I whipped my head around sharply.
Her expression showed restraint, though I could tell she had plenty she wanted to say.
I’d likely feel the same if our roles were reversed.
“At least it’s a relief… that she’s not another woman’s child.”
“Marie?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Please, speak.”
Arwen, standing by my side as a sort of accomplice, hesitantly broke the silence.
She cautiously glanced at Marie before asking in a small voice,
“This is purely hypothetical, but if another woman were to bear Isaac’s child… what would you do?”
“Why? Are you planning to make that hypothetical a reality?”
Marie, folding her arms, responded in a sharp tone, her voice brimming with edge and intensity.
Her presence was so commanding that Arwen, the Queen of Alvenheim, flinched visibly and shook her head vigorously in denial.
Though Marie’s reaction could be seen as rude, Arwen maintained her respectful demeanor, likely understanding Marie’s feelings.
“Of course not! I’d never do such a thing. I was simply curious. After all, it could happen with someone else…”
“For now, there’s no plan to separate, so you can rest assured. With a fox eyeing my position at every turn, why would I make it easy for her?”
“Are you referring to me, by any chance?”
“Who else would I mean?”
Unexpectedly targeted, Cecily shrugged nonchalantly, as if unbothered by the accusation.
Marie’s expression, however, slightly contorted, her stress evident.
“Anyway, even if such an event were to occur, I wouldn’t go as far as forcing an abortion or kicking them out. Isaac would be heartbroken, after all.”
“I-I see.”
“But!” Marie’s voice sharpened. “Only if the woman involved has reached an agreement, like Queen Arwen here.
If Isaac were to secretly father a child with someone else, I wouldn’t show any mercy.”
Although the words “That would never happen” rose in my throat, I swallowed them back.
I wasn’t oblivious enough to miss how saying that could make things worse.
For now, silence was the best response.
Simultaneously, a sense of guilt welled up within me.
Marie and I usually got along well, rarely having conflicts.
The fact that she brought this up showed how much inner turmoil she had endured.
Accepting Cecily was already a major decision for her.
“So, Your Majesty, you can rest easy. Just focus on the matter at hand for now, all right?”
“I appreciate your generosity.”
“As Xenon’s fiancée, I should have this much magnanimity. And Isaac?”
“Y-yes?”
Marie called my name, and I straightened up, meeting her gaze.
With her arms crossed and her legs elegantly crossed, she exuded poise and authority.
Looking at her now, I realized how much she had grown from a lively girl into a mature young woman.
“When I think about it, this incident isn’t entirely your fault, so I’ll let it slide. It’s not like you could reject a gift from Lord Hirt, could you?”
“That’s… true.”
“I even considered locking you up with a chastity belt, but on second thought, that’s a bit too much.”
Her lips smiled, but her eyes didn’t. She was lovely even in this prickly state, like a rose with thorns.
“Honestly, I understand why she feels anxious. There are just too many women around me, and now Ariel has appeared to exacerbate her worries.”
“Still… if I’m being honest, not using protection all week is exhausting. Maybe we should’ve worked out together to build stamina for this…”
“… …”
“And remember this, Isaac. If you ever make another woman pregnant before me, everything I’ve said will come true. Understood?”
“Of course.”
“Oh, by the way, if you’re raped and the woman ends up pregnant, that’s an exception. Like Cecily said, the world is full of crazy people.”
“That’s actually a very realistic problem. Not to be sarcastic, but I can immediately think of two people: Cherry and Kate. They’re fanatics, though relatively mild ones.
And since this world has a fantasy setting, there are plenty of strong women.
You don’t have to look far—there’s Nicole, Adelia, and Kate.
They possess immense strength despite being human, and in Kate’s case, she’s the High Inquisitor.
Cecily and Arwen are similar.
Their race is inherently overpowered, so you need to be cautious.
‘Now that I think about it, aside from Marie and Cherry, every woman around me is stronger than me.’
I’m not sure about Leona, but since she said she’s been trained, she must be strong. Beastfolk have physical capabilities that are just unfair. I need to improve my own strength as quickly as possible so I won’t be a burden to them.
“Now, the only one left is Ariel.”
“Yes?”
Marie turned her head and brought up Ariel. Ariel, hearing her name mentioned, widened her eyes and looked at Marie.
For a moment, the two—Marie and Ariel—stared at each other. Golden eyes and crystal-clear eyes, like a serene lake, met.
As a subtle tension filled the air, Ariel was the first to break the silence.
“Am I cute? Do you want to have a baby like me?”
It seemed Ariel had read Marie’s mind and spoken her thoughts aloud.
Normally, Marie might have been flustered, but she was too engrossed in staring at Ariel.
“If they were all like you, I’d be… ha… happy. How many… should I have? Five?”
“Hmm. Hmm.”
Marie coughed awkwardly and looked away, embarrassed that her true feelings had slipped out.
But once spoken, words couldn’t be taken back.
Cecily, hearing Marie’s inner thoughts, chuckled and joined the conversation.
“Five, huh… Times like this, I envy humans. I wish I could have that many too.”
“How many would you want, then?”
“Five sounds good to me, too.”
“And you, Lady Arwen?”
“I-I’d say about three…”
Does no one care about my opinion?
Just hearing this conversation makes me feel like I’ve reached enlightenment.
If I really ended up with that many children, I’d probably go down in history as the man with the most kids ever born.
It could be seen as an honor (?), but I doubt I’d enjoy it much.
Childcare aside, my back wouldn’t survive.
“Anyway, we should be careful on our way back. Can’t you hide it with magic?”
“Ariel is very sensitive to magic. Plus, she has high resistance, so most spells won’t work on her.”
“Huh? Didn’t you make Ariel fly with magic last time?”
That was when we had just returned from speaking with Luminous. Back then, I clearly saw Arwen use magic to make Ariel fly around.
“That time, I directly asked her not to resist the mana and to accept it.”
“I see. Didn’t she also wake up before the sleep spell even activated?”
Arwen nodded at my question.
Since Ariel was born, Arwen and I hadn’t been intimate even once at night.
Marie, noticing this quickly, asked us in a suspicious tone.
“What? So you haven’t done it even once since the first night?”
“We did on the second night. But then Ariel was born on the third…”
“Me?”
Yes, you. Our adorable and precious little angel.
If anyone’s as frustrated as Marie, it’s Arwen.
Not only did she almost end up on Marie’s bad side, but her once-happy life was entirely upended by Ariel.
Still, she couldn’t resent her.
After all, Ariel was a gift directly from Lord Hirt. Who knows what kind of punishment would follow if she dared to hold a grudge?
“Hmm. That’s certainly frustrating. But you can’t just leave her behind either.”
“I’ll ask. Ariel?”
“Yes, Daddy?”
“Would you be okay without Daddy?”
Ariel tilted her head, the sprout atop her head leaning with her. She didn’t seem to understand my question, so I explained further.
“Would you be okay not seeing Daddy for a while? Daddy has work to do.”
“What about Mommy?”
“Huh?”
“What about Mommies?”
Ariel answered in the plural, not the singular.
Now that I think about it, she’s referred to Marie and Cecily as her mommies since she first met them.
To confirm, I asked another question.
“Um… Ariel?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think this lady is your mommy and this lady too?”
“Yes! Mommy! Lots of mommies!”
Was she happy to have so many mothers, or was there another reason? Ariel nodded vigorously, her wings flapping in excitement.
But how could she recognize Marie and Cecily as mothers when they weren’t even present at her birth?
Curious, I asked her step by step.
“Why do you call them Mommy? Remember the book we read earlier? It said there are other words for people who aren’t your mom.”
“Yes, but I can feel Daddy in them.”
“You can feel me?”
“Yes! Daddy’s feeling. It’s in them too.”
Her answer baffled me. How could she feel me in them?
Marie, seemingly on the same wavelength, suggested a hypothesis.
“Maybe Ariel thinks anyone who’s been intimate with Isaac is her mom?”
Her theory made sense, and everyone, myself included, nodded. But it was just a theory for now, nothing to take too seriously.
What mattered most was whether Ariel could handle being separated from me. Speaking gently, I asked again.
“So Ariel, would you be okay without Daddy?”
“I don’t want Daddy gone…”
Understanding my words, Ariel looked downcast, the sprout atop her head drooping.
Seeing her reaction hurt, but I couldn’t give up.
Both Ariel and Arwen were equally precious to me.
If I let this slide, I wouldn’t know when I’d have the chance to create good memories with Arwen again.
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