The Main Family Is About to Die Out, so I, from a Branch Family, Am a Seed Provider (WN): Chapter 16

 

Episode 16: Birthday Celebration 2

 First of all, as it turned out, the flying footwear belonged to Brigitte Aiz.

 In the dispute with Lady Ritia, each other finally got into a fight, and somehow Aiz's footwear slipped out, and it just hit the back of my head.

 The only thing is that it was the wrong place, and the surrounding nobles, not to mention Lady Ritia, in front of the royalty, watched Prince Lim's words and actions with pale faces...... No, I'm not angry, but I'm the biggest victim, right?

"U-um Prince Lim. This is..."

 As Lady Ritia was about to say some excuses in order to mend the situation as quickly as possible, Prince Lim stopped her with one hand.

"It's been a long time, Ritia."

 Somehow, the tone of his voice was specialized in dominating others, a tone that showed that he is royalty.

 Flaming red hair and crimson eyes. He had a dignified face and a magnificent physique for a seventeen-year-old. It is evident that he has been improving himself without being conceited because he is royalty.

"......But isn't it a little ungraceful for a woman of your stature?"

"I-I'm sorry."

 Like a young child who had been scolded by her parents, Lady Ritia is depressed. I was a little surprised to see her like that for the first time.

"I wonder if she's a person who can reflect on it properly..."

"What do you mean!"

 She heard me. I mean, if you yell at me like that, the prince will get mad at you again.

 Lady Ritia looked horrified and bowed her head to Prince Lim once more.

"Good, I forgive you."

 The prince said and shifted his gaze from Lady Ritia to me.

"By the way, are you the stallion I've heard so much about?"

"Eh... ah, yes."

 Apparently, I am widely known in noble circles as the stallion of the Fregrance family. I guess the head of the family spread the word behind my back.

 I wonder what kind of a parent idiot he is, making it widely known that his daughter is having sex with a man for the sake of an heir.

 I was actually the one who was talked about, and they looked at Lady Ritia as though they pitied her for having sex with a man she didn't want to. The usually strong Lady Ritia looked uncomfortable and her face was looking down.

"I was also concerned about it. What kind of a man would be the partner of a beautiful girl like Ritia?

 The Prince stared at me from head to toe as though he is trying to evaluate me.

 Well, I can understand the prince's interest in me. From the prince's point of view, it's the same as though his fiancée, Lady Ritia, had suddenly cuckolded him.

"I believe it was a nobleman guarding the border on the empire's side? Before coming here, he had fought a battle with the empire."

"Haa..."

 As one might expect, it's not good to be unresponsive when someone is talking to you, so I lightly nodded my head while holding a plate of bacon that was sticking out.

"I heard that you have been defending the kingdom from the empire's invasion. I thank you."

 As he approached me one step at a time from the chair, Prince Lim looked at me and praised me as though he were complimenting me.

 And when we are finally close enough to shake hands, Prince Lim grabbed me by the shoulders with a firm grip.

"I hope you will lend me your strength for the sake of the kingdom, no matter what happens from now on."

"......!!"

 Just for a moment. For a brief moment, I almost brushed off Prince Lim's hand on my shoulder with all my might.

 The reason for this is the crimson eyes that are cleverly hidden from the surroundings around us and directed only at me. The true nature of the prince had faintly revealed in the depths of those eyes.

 The traitor deserved his retribution.

 Before I could say anything else, Prince Lim turned around and turned his usual character on Lady Ritia.

"I was relieved that it was a good man. You have found a good match, Ritia."

"Y-yes, thank you......"

 At the words of her former fiancée, whom she had been longing for, Lady Ritia looked just a little disappointed. No, that reaction is disrespectful to me, isn't it?

 However, Prince Lim, as though he didn't care about such things, dared to tell not only Lady Ritia but also everyone in the hall to hear him.

"But it's a shame for me. I would have married her off, would have given her a son and heir to the house of Fregrance."

"T-hat's...!"

 The young lady tried to make an excuse from Prince Lim's sudden announcement of the succession issue, but the prince's words did not stop.

"No, it's all right. The Fregrance family has its own circumstances. I have no right to interfere."

 Prince Lim said it with a beaming smile. The surrounding nobles also seemed moved by the future king's generosity.

 Normally, they would have complained after the engagement was unilaterally broken off. And if they were royalty, that would be even more so.

 However, Prince Lim forgave Lady Ritia and the Fregrance family by saying so.

 But behind those words, it was horrifying.

 If Prince Lim and Lady Ritia got married, the child born will be the head of the Fregrance family.

 I see. That is a very generous offer, and if that were to happen, the Fregrance family would become a member of the royal family, and their position in the kingdom would be secure.

 But in exchange, the house of Fregrance would get destroyed.

 Instead of one of the five great nobles who was called the sword of the kingdom, they will become nobles who are relatives of the royal family, and most of their current territory will belong to the kingdom, making them a weak noble family no different from my family.

"Or how about it? Now is not too late. Will you approach your father, the head of the Fregrance family, and become my queen once again?"

"But my sister is already going to marry Prince Lim......"

"Once you become my queen, all such things will disappear. Originally, she was just a substitute for you."

"That's……"

 Prince Lim intervened firmly, saying that the Fregrance family may have their own reasons.

 Lady Ritia is at a loss for words at his offer, which is not from her true intentions. She must know what it meant to accept the offer.

 If she accepted the offer, the Fregrance family will be destroyed.

 Before long, an atmosphere was brewing in the hall that was slowly driving the young lady away.

 But the atmosphere created by Prince Lim's words earlier would not allow her to refuse.

 The royal family we serve has shown a forgiving heart and even made a concession to offer her a reconciliation.

 In the hall's atmosphere, which was like peer pressure, Lady Ritia's usual strong attitude was nowhere to be seen and she was about to be swallowed by the atmosphere of the place.

"Um~. Can I have a minute?"

"Hmm? What?"

 I put the plate with the bacon on the table and turned to Prince Lim again.

"I was very grateful for the prince's offer, but unfortunately, Lady Ritia is already infatuated with me"

"What!?"

"What?"

 Prince Lim and Lady Ritia were surprised at my emphasis on the word "infatuated".

"Is that true?"

"N-no! What are you talking about suddenly, mghh!?"

 Lady Ritia, tried to say something unnecessary, so I hurriedly covered her mouth with a kiss.

"Wai... nhh, chu, churu, this is, noo..."

 A deep kiss while entangling my tongue with Lady Ritia's tongue. Then, the surrounding nobles who were watching, especially the girls, let out a squeal.

 Perhaps Prince Lim was not expecting it, but for the first time, he showed an expression tinged with surprise. Well, I guess a prince would not be able to go to a brothel or have a woman give him a kiss. Apparently, it was a bit too much for a virgin.

"Nn...... well, since Ojousama and I have this kind of relationship, I'd like to decline your offer."

 After kissing the young lady, I told that to Prince Lim.

 Next to me, the young lady's cheeks were unexpectedly blushing, and she was making an obscene face she always showed during seeding work.

 Seeing that, the boys around the Brigitte family leaned forward a little, worrying about their lower body, and picking up Aiz's footwear, which had been left on the floor.

"......I see, even without the succession situation and all that, Ritia and you were lovers, huh. This is a wild thing to say. Forgive me."

 Prince Lim said regretfully. But behind those crimson eyes, I could see the prince's frustrating feeling at failing to inflict damage on Lady Ritia and the Fregrance family.

 I mean, from the other end of the line, there is no way that I and Lady Ritia are lovers. If there is, it's just the main family young lady and her cronies. I am no different from those guys in Brigitte's family.

"Now, enough of this topic."

 Prince Lim changed the atmosphere of the hall by clapping his hands. With that, the eyes that had been focused on us are now peeled off.

"......Remember this."

 I heard an angry tone next to me but I ignored it. I mean, I helped her out, but that's terrible. Well, from the proud Lady Ritia's point of view, I guess she doesn't want to be saved by someone like me.

"It was a good spur-of-the-moment decision, don't you think?"

"It's not good! A good thing? I'll have you explain it properly at night. Don't run away and come to my room."

 The young lady, who was completely in my arms, said a resentful word and walked away from me.

"What do you mean by explain......?"

 In the end, my doubts were drowned out by the bustling hall and did not reach Lady Ritia.

 Prince Lim's birthday party went on without a hitch for a while after that, with the children of the nobility individually wishing the prince a happy birthday in an appropriate manner.

"Prince Lim. Congratulations on your seventeenth birthday."

 Meanwhile, Brigitte Aiz, who had put back on the footwear that had been thrown off earlier, walked up to the prince and called out to him.

 ......Come to think of it, she was making just as much noise as the young lady earlier, but she wasn't blamed for it.

"Umu. I'm glad to see you. I have particularly high hopes for the Brigitte family. For my sake, I'm counting on you from now on.

"Yes. I, Brigitte Aiz, will continue to work hard for His Highness to live up to your expectations."

 It's still a sickening conversation exchange. I mean, seriously, he didn't blame her?

 After that, I observed their exchange until it was time to go, but the rudeness of the footwear flying was not brought up, and the discussion between Prince Lim and Aiz ended uneventfully.

 From time to time, Aiz would whisper something in Prince Lim's ear, and they would both smile secretly. I couldn't understand what they were talking about, so I nibbled on a piece of bacon that was sticking out of my plate, thinking that there was no point in watching any longer.

"...Delish."

 As I was tucking into the bacon that I had been so reluctant to eat, my eyes meet those of Aiz, who had just finished greeting the Prince.

"Good day."

"……Good day."

 I've only had one bite and I'm not going to give it up again. I mean, she's got a lot of free time, doesn't she? She talked to me again. I guess she doesn't have any friends?

"Fufu, If you're looking for my companions, they're over there."

"Ohh~, then, excuse me."

 The way she read thoughts, she is indeed a great noble who specialized in diplomacy. She must be a master at reading the mind, bluffing, cheating, smooth-talking, bargaining, and all sorts of other tricks.

"Don't be so cautious. I am not even that good compared to my father and brother."

 It sounded sarcastic even if she said it proudly like that. And her condescending attitude toward me is still strong, so I guess she is trying to pick a fight with the young lady again.

"If it's Ojousama, she had gone to the bathroom."

"I see. That was just great."

"Huh?"

 I was going to leave the troublesome person to the other troublesome person, but when Aiz said so and naturally lined up next to me, she smiled.

"Earlier, that was brilliant."

 With a tone of admiration in her voice, she poked my cheeks lightly with her index finger.

"Even I couldn't have dismissed His Highness's offer so lightly."

"Well, thanks......"

 Aiz sounded heartily happy and praised me for kissing Lady Ritia in front of the prince. I find that strangely uncomfortable and end up averting my gaze to the side.

"It's not a big deal, though."

"You don't have to be so humble. It's really amazing. I could never refuse His Highness' offer."

 That being said, I raised my face.

 Ahead of me is Prince Lim, who is being congratulated by another nobleman.

"......What is it?"

 Then I turned to Brigitte Aiz, who was standing next to me, and asked her about a possibility.

"......Have you been offered a marriage proposal? And that was not a long time ago."

"Why do you think so?"

 With a smile on her face, Aiz replied.

"When Prince Lim said, "It's not too late" ...... you know what he meant, don't you?"

"Heh. I guess the Fregrance family is well educated, even down to the stallion."

 When I said that, Aiz smiled at me, not with admiration, but with a sneer that said, "How could you be right, you fool?".

 I see. So the Prince didn't blame her because she was the new fiancée in place of Lady Ritia.

"Hmm? But as I recall, Ojousama's sister is the fiancée......"

 Suddenly, I thought of Lady Ritia's sister, whom I have not yet seen.

 I remember hearing that when I first had sex with Lady Ritia as a seed provider, her engagement to the prince had changed from the young lady to her sister. I don't think that the head of that main family broke off the engagement again......

"In that case, we are going to welcome her as a concubine."

 And Aiz answered my question.

"Concubine?"

"Yes. In the first place, even though it was a family matter, it was disrespectful to the royal family just to break the contract, but to have a sister as a regular wife instead. It would be a disgrace to the royal family."

 Nobles are creatures who put appearance first. It is fair to say that this is one of the reasons why the Fregrance family insists on male heirs. That's why I'm involved in the Fregrance family's succession issue.

 If it is the royal family that is the head of the noble families, it is not strange if they are more concerned about appearances than that.

"That's why the Brigitte family has nominated me to be his highness's queen."

 Aiz proudly stuck out her ample breasts. I would have let out an exclamation mark if it were just a few days ago, but I've just seen more amazing brown tits, so I'm just going to say, "They're a little bigger than the young lady's".

"......You're being vulgar while in the middle of an important conversation."

 I heard it in her voice. But as far as I'm concerned, I don't care about that kind of political exchange between nobles, and if it doesn't cause me any harm, I'll let it go.

"Well, I'm not interested in that conversation."

 To be honest, Aiz had a dubious look on her face, as though she was surprised for the first time on this day and didn't understand what I meant.

 But for a country noble like me, it doesn't matter who the prince marries.

 Even if it is an implied insinuation from the royal family against the Fregrances, it is none of my business.

"Heh...... you're an odd one, aren't you?"

 Brigitte Aiz has been speaking not to me, but to the Fregrance family...... rather to Lady Ritia.

 But for the first time, she looked straight at me and muttered.

"I wouldn't be a stallion if I wasn't different."

 Not wanting to get involved, I say as I see fit and nibble on my bacon.

"Hmm, I'll leave it at that. I've learned that there are some interesting people in the Fregrance family, and if we know that there are people like you, you can be of great help to our family...... right?"

"What does that mean......"

 I tried to ask her but after saying it, she walked away. While I was trying to figure out what she meant, I heard the sound of clapping twice from the chair.

 The nobles present again turned their attention to Prince Lim, the source of the sound.

"Everyone had gathered here to celebrate and congratulate me. I thank you again."

 Standing in front of the chair and spread out by his side are the butlers and maids who surround Prince Lim.

 Surrounded by them, Prince Lim raised a glass of wine high in the air and announced to the nobles.

"I have always wanted to repay everyone's loyalty. However, I have not had many opportunities to do so, and I have only been able to serve you meals like this, which I have been feeling sorry for."

 The prince's words impressed most of the nobles in the hall, as well as those around me.

 I'm grateful for the fact that they serve a delicious meal.

"But! Now, at last, I have the opportunity to repay everyone's loyalty."

 The contents of the glass, raised high, ripple loudly in proportion to the prince's feelings.

 I don't care what you say, but that's a long closing remark. Could you make it a little shorter?

"I hereby declare!"

 I didn't care, as I put the bacon in the bread and take a bite of my improvised sandwich.

"We, the Kingdom, hereby announce that in the coming month, we will launch the 26th Imperial Expeditionary Force to put an end to our long-running conflict with the hated Empire!"

"ーー!?"

 As Prince Lim said these words, the hall shook with cheers, drowning out my moan as I choked on my sandwich.