The Main Family Is About to Die Out, so I, from a Branch Family, Am a Seed Provider (WN): Chapter 31

 

Episode 31: When One's Role is Over

 Originally, Gruve City was used by the Imperial Army as a supply base for the frontlines against the Kingdom, and its logistic capabilities are hard to describe.

 There are countless horse-drawn wagons for transporting goods, and the horses are so fast that it would be a shame to simply have them carry goods.

 The standard of living is so high that when we occupied the city, we thought it might as well be the capital of the empire.

 Moreover, the Imperial Army quickly vacated this place, and it is obvious that we were able to acquire Gruve City without any damage. The fact that we were able to easily take down Jubelia Castle, which can be seen in the distance in the night sky, may have been thanks to the fact that we were able to obtain the city's functions as they were.

"Ah, welcome back!"

 In the center of Gruve City is a large mansion that is used as a waiting area for the kingdom's army. The room in the corner is my room, and for some reason, Armes, Elfie, Lady Ritia, and Glass are there. And there was a female doctor, probably sent by the head of the Fregrance family.

 The sweet scent of the girls tickled my nose as I stepped into a man's room with five females inside, even though it was late at night.

 ......There is only one person who is old enough to be a girl, but let's not worry about it. For now, this one comes first.

"Elfie, did you know?"

 I take a step closer to the old knight who was standing right next to the door.

"......I'm not sure I understand the content of your question, young master."

"You knew, didn't you?"

 I take one more step closer. If my father knows, there's no way this guy, who is my father's knight, doesn't know.

 On the other hand, the young lady was the only one who was taken aback by my brazenness.

 I wondered if Armes knew about it....... I'll have to talk to her later in another way. Damn it.

"I knew something was wrong. The night before we left, you didn't show up to stop us."

"......"

 Elfie said nothing while standing silently.

 But the first night I did it with Mashiro. I had always been wary in the corner of my mind that Elfie was going to come and stop us at some point.

 Of course, I had no intention of stopping, but I'd been wondering what was going on.

 But Elfie didn't come after all, and I was somewhat caught off guard. I didn't expect to hear the reason directly from the head of the Fregrance family just now, though.

"Are you going to follow my instructions when I stopped the young master?"

"...I wouldn't stop."

"Then it is meaningless, young master. I will not say anything you wouldn't listen to."

"You……!"

 Normally, I would laugh at this level of sarcasm and pretend it never happened. But today, I was severely lacking in composure.

"Y-young master!"

 At Armes's voice, I stopped walking and loosened my clenched fist a little.

"I was the one who stopped Elfie-sama. Then, it should be me who should receive Young master's scolding!"

"...Armes."

 Armes stood in front of me and said so. But her eyes are shaking uneasily. Somehow, the room is filled with a heavy atmosphere.

"That's enough, stop."

 In the midst of all that, Lady Ritia, who was sitting on the bed, clapped her hands and interceded by saying so.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, but you should leave it at that."

 With a gesture of brushing her long golden hair with her hand, the young lady looked firmly at me. The words she continued to speak were not those of a sweet girl she was showing recently, but the voice of a daughter of a great noble family.

"And whatever you do, don't ever lash out in anger at someone below you. That is not the behavior of a noble."

 The young lady admonishes me on how to be and behave like a noble. As one who is born to rule, it easily entered my mind.

 But that's that, and this is that. I am in an angry state, and I turn a cold eye toward the young lady.

"...W-what?"

 The young lady shuddered in surprise. And before I can do anything, Glass and the female doctor immediately move simultaneously to intervene.

 While everyone is trying to get caught up in the tense atmosphere, I try to take a breath and regain my composure.

 I'm not going to take my anger out on these girls who are here in the first place.

"My bad."

 The tense atmosphere turns somewhat relaxed as I, the source of it, calmed down.

"I'm sorry about that."

"N-no! That's."

 When I turned around and apologized to Armes and Elfie, Armes hurriedly said that, and Elfie replied.

"......I think it was due to the alcohol, so I don't mind."

 With that said, she accepted my apology with her usual blank expression. Apparently, Elfie had noticed that I had been drinking. I don't know if I stink that bad but I'll take a bath later.

"I'm sorry, Ojousama."

"I-It's just nothing, I'm just......"

 I gently patted the head of the young lady, who was still mumbling, a complete change from before, a few times and she said, "Don't treat me like a child!". She is angry with me.

"So what are you going to do?"

 Glass, the person at the young lady's side, looked at me and muttered.

 She must have sensed that the reason for my anger was about the marriage. Should I tell the young lady about the marriage or not? I really didn't like the fact that I have to make that decision for her.

 Lady Ritia asked, "What are you talking about?". But that will come later.

"But first, you have to ask me something, right?"

 So I turned to the other one, the female doctor who came in between me and the young lady.

"I was expecting you around tomorrow."

"The head of the family told me it was an emergency......"

 Apparently, she was deceived by the lies of her master and came here in a rush. But her expression that implied that it was a wasted trip made her feel relieved for the moment.

"Well, check on her again tomorrow. I'll send her home tomorrow anyway."

"I'm not leaving, I'm...... mghhh!"

 Now it would be troublesome if she acted against it, so I gently cover the young lady's mouth. The young lady glared at me with a snap, but when I sat down next to her and whispered in her ear, "Now, please be quiet," her face turned bright red and her body trembled.　

 The sweet little young lady easily quieted down with just that.

"So, how are you feeling, Ojousama? You've already had a checkup, right?"

 I asked her, as Armes came to my side and said, "Your coat please", and Armes shook her face.

"The doctor said it would be better if Ojousama is with you."

"I see."

 I found out why the percentage of women in my room is so high. Were they gathered here to hear the diagnosis?

"Then, let's hear it again. It's probably just a cold."

"Sigh*, I told you I don't have a cold!"

"It's a cold. You don't seem to have much energy these days, and your face is red."

"I-It's not red!"

 We were sitting together on the bed, the two of us, and the young lady and I were exchanging some kind of casual banter.

 Elfie looked at us with a blank expression, Armes had a smiling face, and Glass had a complicated look on her face.

"Then I will tell you."

 The female doctor, however, was awestruck in front of us, her face stiff, and the atmosphere made me turn to her with a serious posture once again.

"First of all, Ojousama is in perfect health. There is nothing wrong with her health."

"See? I told you so."

"Yes, yes. Good for you.... so what's the reason?"

 I urged her to go on, despite the triumphant look on the young lady's face.

 What kind of a person would give off such a heavy atmosphere when there is no problem. If this is just an act to tease us, this woman better go from doctor to actress soon.

 The doctor nodded quietly at my words, then took a breath.

"Ojousama is pregnant. The rough estimate is three months old."

 At that moment, all I could hear was some ringing in my ears.

 Everyone froze, unable to process what the doctor had just said, but I was the only one who opened my mouth.

"……………………………………………Seriously?"

 When I fearfully asked her about it, the doctor simply muttered, "It's true," with a serious look on her face.

"I thought it was a cold at first because her face was red and her body temperature was a little high, but from the interview, it seems that they are a sign."

 In addition, the female doctor continued.

"I'm serious about this, it is highly likely and one can feel some tension in her abdomen as well......"

 If you ask me, I don't remember being told during the stallion business that the young lady couldn't dot it because it was a girl's day. I had thought that she had avoided such days.

"We certainly made such considerations, but we left it up to Ojousama......"

 It was Glass, closest to the young lady that answered my questioning gaze.

"...I didn't know that. Ah, it was strange that that day never came."

 On the other hand, when I, a man, found out about her menstrual cycle, the young lady, who was blushing red up to her neck, muttered in a voice sounding like a mosquito buzzing.

"I mean, there was a time when I had one!"

"I-I understand, so stop right there, Ojousama."

 I'll stop her from saying any more because I feel sorry for her. I will hear about it later from this lady doctor, so don't bother saying it.

 However, I knew that the Fregrances were not familiar with sexual knowledge and had their own views, but this is indeed too ignorant. At that, Elfie put her hand to her temples and sighed.

"No, everyone's body changes in different ways, so it's not generally Ojousama's fault......"

 Seeing us like that, the female doctor followed up, but unfortunately, she would not be able to calm us down at that level.

"Anyway, Ojousama has a child in her belly. I would like her to refrain from excessive exercise from now on."

 The doctor's words, which intended to close the meeting for the time being, once again brought silence to the room.

 My room has become quiet. Even though there are many people inside, I could see from the corner of my eye that everyone was confused as to how to react to the report of the young lady's pregnancy, and were carefully choosing their words.

 Then it happened.

"Eh, wait, Ojousama?"

 Lady Ritia, who was sitting next to me, leaned her soft body against me, and I hurriedly supported her.

 She was moving slowly, but her hands were wrapped around my waist as if she was hugging me, and my heart unexpectedly skipped a beat.

"I……"

"I?"

"I'm glad~"

 In the midst of all that, what came out of the young lady's mouth was relief.

"I have a child with you, right?"

"Ah, yes, In a manner of speaking."

 The young lady asked me that while hugging me and looking up at me. I just nodded back at her. Well, it would be a different story if the young lady was cheating on me, but seeing the young lady now, that's impossible, so what the young lady is carrying is definitely our child.

 I mean, how can the young lady be so happy? Wouldn't she normally feel uneasy if she were told she was pregnant?

"Um, aren't you worried?"

"Worried? Why?"

"No, that's, you see...... there's a lot of things to think about in the future......"

 If the child born is a girl, there will be no problem, but if it is a boy, he will be taken over by the main family as a successor. The Fregrances originally wanted an heir, so they ordered me to be the stallion.

 Then we were already......

 Why is it that the young lady can throw her hands up in the air and rejoice when she is about to embark on a life full of first times?

 And, when I told Lady Ritia,

"I thought that's what you worked so hard for. If it's a boy, father will be pleased, and if it's a girl, why don't we do it again......?"

"That's true, but..."

"I'm certainly worried about what lies ahead, but I'll be fine. I'll ask my stepmother at home for advice."

 It seemed that she didn't really care about anything, but I was also taken aback by the atmosphere.

"Nii-san..."

 Only Armes muttered that while looking at me with sad eyes, but I couldn't think about such a trivial matter now.

 I could sense that the atmosphere in the room had changed and was filled with joy, and I finally saw the female doctor's tense face break down.

"Well then, I'll be off. After reporting to the master, I will visit you again."

"I'll send you on your way."

 Elfie then opened the door and left the room with the female doctor.

 As I saw them off, I and the young lady. The four of us, Armes and Glass, remain in the room.

"Then, I'm going to leave now. I will come and get you later.

 She bowed to the young lady who is still attached to me, and Glass turned around to leave the room.

"No, you stay here."

"...No, not today."

 She had not yet reported to the young lady that I and Glass are getting married. I guess she didn't want her to be overloaded with information.

 I hurriedly tried to stop her, but Glass refused, and quietly left.

"I will go and take a bath......"

"Eh, hey, Armes."

 Armes followed suit and left the room with a sad look on her face. My room, which had a high number of people, was quickly reduced to just the two of us, the young lady and I. It was deserted.

"......Didn't you promise not to be this intimate in public?"

 My room quieted down again.

 I muttered to myself as I stroked the head of the young lady who buried her face in my clothes.

"......We're alone right now."

"No, you clung to me when they were here."

 Aside from the female doctor, Armes and Glass would have dared to leave this place out of concern. It is blatantly a lie to leave just because it is the only time to leave.

 Well, I can't say anything, since we are the reason why they did it.

 I let the young lady do as she pleases for a while, and I continue to stroke her hair.

 Her silky hair gives off a nice scent of soap after taking a bath. She is also dressed in a white camisole, from which I can see her collarbone and cleavage. When I force my gaze away from her, which seems to be glued to me, a pretty blue ribbon dances at the edge of my vision in the middle of her plump twin hills.

 The temperature of the young lady's body, transmitted to me, seems strangely high. I have heard that girls who have conceived a child have a higher body temperature, and I wonder if the same is true for the young lady.

 Her soft breasts pressed against my arms change shape, and I can faintly hear her heartbeat.

 Thinking about it again, I can't believe that my child is in the belly of such a delicate girl.

"Hey."

"What?"

 When I put my hand around the young lady's waist to confirm the presence in her belly, Lady Ritia suddenly muttered to me.

"Are you not happy?"

 I swallow the word and look at Lady Ritia as she hugs me.

 It seemed that she could tell that I was not very happy with the atmosphere.

"I'm happy, of course. But......"

"But?"

 When I heard Lady Ritia's pregnancy report, I was more concerned about what to do than happy.

 It was not regret or anxiety, nor was it a feeling I could not clearly articulate, but I could say one thing.

"Strangely enough, I felt a little sad that this would be the end of our relationship......"

 The words came out naturally, without dressing up the feelings as they were. There were no lies or unnecessary enhancement of feelings.

 At first, I thought it was a job. I thought it was just something I had to wait patiently until the successor to the main family was born.

 I was neither moved nor pleased, but only wondered if I would be able to get rid of my virginity by having sex with a young lady who was not familiar with sexual affairs.

 She was arrogant, irreverent, and selfish. The hateful daughter of the main family, who naturally looked down on others. If I lived a normal life, I would never meet her.

 That was the correct and proper relationship between us, who was born into the branch of a branch family, and the daughter of the main family.

 And yet, here we are now, cuddling up, hugging each other, rejoicing over the birth of our child.

 When I thought that this was the end of my relationship with the young lady, I naturally felt a sense of sadness welling up from the bottom of my heart.

 I felt that it would be a shame to lose this warmth.

"……Fool."

"Eh?"

 A muffled voice can be heard from under my face, and I keep the young lady in my sights.

"I won't stay away."

 As soon as she muttered that, the young lady looked up. Her eyes caught me firmly and she gave me a slightly angry look.

"Do you really think you can just pretend it never happened and leave me alone?"

"No, because..."

 Because of the relationship between the main family and a branch of a branch family, we are not in a position to see each other that often. We meet because we need to. But we are not free to do so.

 And yet, the young lady squeezed my cheek and pulled it from side to side.

"I don't care about that. I said I won't leave you, so I won't! Generally, father would say that he wants another boy because he is not sure if a single boy can handle it."

 The young lady came so close to me that our noses touched, and she looked straight into my eyes as she continued.

"I don't like it if I was told to leave you. If that happens, I'll tell my father and I'll do something about it."

"No, that's a bit... wait, nhh!?"

 When Lady Ritia finished saying that, she kissed me.

 She also licked my lips with the tip of her tongue, and when I was wondering what to do, the young lady inserted her tongue halfway forcefully.

"Chu, chu... nfuu, chupu... chuu."

 Despite my surprise, our tongues collided, and gradually, though discreetly, our tongues entwined with each other.

 The mingling of our tongues was so warm that, to be honest, if the young lady had not been pregnant, I would have definitely pushed her down and tried to do her while we are in the middle of kissing. But we both know we can't do that, so we at least kiss each other longer than usual.

 Our hands, which had been held together without either of us knowing it, somehow entwined like a lover's hold, and we relaxed our bodies as I embraced the young lady who entrusted her body to me.

 Speaking of which, I had let the young lady say whatever she wanted in the flow of things up to this point, but after all she is...

"Um, can I just confirm one thing?"

"Nhh... what is it?"

 The young lady asked me with an ecstatic expression on her face as she wiped a string of clear saliva on the edge of her mouth with her fingertips.

"Does Ojousama like me by any chance?"

 In light of our exchange, but also in light of the recent pampering, I don't think I'm wrong. I was thinking that.......

"Of course not! You idiot!"

 Lady Ritia was so angry that she was almost shouting in rage.

 The sweet atmosphere that had been in the air just a moment ago quickly faded away, and the young lady, her face bright red, hit me with both fists.

"That's right! I'm sorry, my mistake!"

"O-of course! I was a little nice to you and you're misunderstanding it...... you, you!"

"I mean, if you said you are going to do a lot of things for me, I would normally think about it!"

 When I took out the theory that it's not good to say things that make people get carried away, the young lady still looks angry and continues to hit me with some serious punches that I don't think the reason is to try to hide her embarrassment.

"Yes, but that's just to make sure I can see you whenever I want, and I don't have any...... other intentions."

"P-please don't do that. The master will be angry with me."

"Why!"

"Why, you know......"

 Although there is room for doubt as to whether he cares for her or not, he is still the parent. If the daughter, Lady Ritia, rebelled in any way against such a head of the family, he would be shocked and his mind would go blank. Moreover, if the reason for her rebellion were to be known to be due to me, my life would be in jeopardy.

"Anyway, I don't want Ojousama to say anything to the master about me."

"......Haa, okay, I understand."

 After listening to my desperate attempts at persuasion, which continued as I repeated the explanation and soothed the angry young lady, she nodded her head reluctantly.

"Coward."

"That's right. For a bottom-of-the-barrel noble like me, it's a matter of life and death."

"Then why don't you just become someone great?"

"I'll be damned if I'm going to let Ojousama, who is said to be one of the five noble ladies in the kingdom, say that! If I want to be more than that, I have no choice but to become a king."

 I think you should re-evaluate your position for once. Besides, no matter how hard I try, my family will never be able to jump over the fence of the Fregrance family.

"......Just become like that."

"I'm not a fan of this "strange" approach. Yes, anyway, this conversation is over. I'm sorry for being weird too!"

"......It's not strange! Idiot!"

 And yet, the young lady, who does not understand the hardships of being in a branch family, cursed again with an angry expression on her face, and then nuzzled her face into my chest as she slumped over.

 This is why that kind of behavior made me think that the young lady like me, but, well, that's alright for today.

 And I guess Ojousama thinks that the time she has spent with me has been good to the extent that she would even go directly to the head of the family for me to be with her.

 She's really not being honest in the most important part. But maybe that's the charm of the young lady that Mashiro and Armes don't have. To the extent that I can think that way, I guess I can say that the time I've spent with the young lady hasn't been so bad.

 With this thought in mind, I continued stroking the young lady's hair and was thinking that we should sit together like this until Armes came back.

"Young Master!"

 At the door, which was roughly pushed open, Elfie, who rarely lost her blank expression, came straight in with a panicked look on her face.

 At the sight of her, Lady Ritia and I looked up and suddenly wondered.

 Why did she come back here when she was supposed to have left to escort the doctor who had just examined the young lady to Jubelia Castle, where the head of the Fregrance family was staying?

 But before I had time to ponder such a question, Elfie snuck up on me, brought her pale face close to mine.

"Jubelia Castle is on fire!"