The Main Family Is About to Die Out, so I, from a Branch Family, Am a Seed Provider (WN): Chapter 17

 

Episode 17: Payback in Royal Capital 1

 The prince's birthday party ended after the announcement of the expedition to the Empire with a slight sense of elation and anticipation in the hall.

 Afterward, the invited nobles spend the night at their own separate residences in the royal capital.

"So? What was that?"

"No, I don't think that's the point, though, is it?"

 In the midst of all that, I was called into Lady Ritia's room and made to sit directly on the floor.

 Lady Ritia, dressed in her pajamas, was standing up and looking down at me. She silenced my arguments and added a few words as she remembered them.

"You seemed to be on good terms with that opportunist woman, didn't you? If you're from a branch of the Fregrance family, it's common sense not to be friendly with the Brigittes."

 I don't know anything about that kind of common sense. I stopped because she might beat me up even more if I told her that.

"Was Ojousama in the hall at that time?"

"I was there. Is there any problem?"

"Then you know about the Imperial Expeditionary Force announced by that prince?"

"I heard it."

 Lady Ritia said with a look that said she didn't really care and continued like that with a smirk.

"My father got an imperial decree around the last week or so. It said, "We are going on an expedition and I'm looking forward to it.", So I knew from the beginning.

"What? I didn't hear anything about it."

 The week before the last was the day the young lady and I had sex for the first time. If that old man knew about it, please tell me about it.

 My shoulders slumped. Then the young lady looked at me with a doubtful expression.

"H-hey, what's wrong?"

"No, nothing."

 I just thought that everyone was kind of living as they please. The head of the Fregrance family, the prince, and so on.

 It's always us, the people below them, who get in trouble when our superiors are reckless.

 In addition to that, I am getting tired of dealing with the unfamiliar noble society and thinking about the expeditionary force to the Empire.

"......Things are getting a lot of trouble."

 Particularly troublesome is the sudden announcement of the Imperial Expeditionary Force.

 I am sure that I will be deployed to the frontline, and the lack of time for preparation is a problem, but there is something more than that.

"What is so troublesome?"

"Ah, no. I'm just talking to myself."

 However, even I know that it is not a good idea to talk about it in the middle of the Royal Capital and in the house of the Fregrance family.

"What is it? If you have something on your mind, just say it."

"No, it's okay, it doesn't have anything to do about us."

 I said it was okay, but Lady Ritia didn't care about that and moved her face so close to mine that the tips of our noses were almost touching.

"Just say it."

 She looked at me in the eye and said in a firm tone.

"...Ojousama is the most troublesome, isn't it? It hurts!"

"You are the most troublesome. You're usually so perceptive, but at times like this you're so insensitive, I don't get it."

 As she pinched my cheek, the young lady blushed a little as if she remembered and gently looked away.

"......Don't carry it alone."

"Eh?"

 When I looked up at her words, while still embarrassed, the young lady continued.

"I mean, it's too late for you and me to be keeping secrets from each other! We don't have to hide anything anymore!"

 It is a harsh line, or perhaps she is implying that we have that kind of relationship, even having sex with each other. The young lady's face is turning redder and redder.

 Gradually, even her ears turned bright red and tears slightly showed on her eyes.

 Even so, the young lady was not embarrassed to stop pursuing the matter and kept coming up to me and repeating the question and answer, asking me to just say it.

"It's not a big deal. Just another problem......"

 I knew that it would be bad if anyone asked me about it here in the Royal Capital. Then, I looked out the window briefly.

"Mmm, that's true."

 Then the young lady finally understood what I mean, and she moved away from me a little.

"Well, then, I don't blame you! It's special just for today!"

"What's with that weird way of talking...... wait, whoa!!?"

 As I took a sigh of relief. In a somewhat or rather highly acting tone of voice, Lady Ritia pushed me down on the floor and lay down on top of me, overlapping her body on top.

"Ojousama? In case you're wondering, for my part, I thought we were having a serious conversation?"

"T-that's so annoying. I mean, this is still different!"

"I-I understand, please don't talk that loud in my ear."

 I can feel the warmth of her body against mine through my clothes.

 Is it safe to assume that this is an invitation? Saying, "Let's have sex already!".

 As I was thinking that, the young lady suddenly put her mouth to my ear, and I could feel the touch of her lips on mine and the gesture of covering it with her hand.

"Look, no one can hear it. Just say what you want to say."

"Eh?"

 I thought that ear licking was an advanced play...... but it seems that it was a camouflage to avoid being heard, and the young lady urged me to continue.

"Y-you know, if we're in the middle of having sex, we can make a good excuse...... Come on, get on with it. Chu."

"I-I see......"

 Indeed, with that kind of pretense, it would be okay in case it was leaked. But I don't think she had to go as far as kissing my ear.

 But now, while thanking the young lady for her kindness, I said what I was thinking besides the short preparation time.

"Why are we seriously picking a fight with the empire now?"

"Nhh, you don't have to do it... ah, it's okay!"

"You're the one who wanted to discuss it first."

 I also imitated the young lady and bit her ear sweetly, but I was a little surprised at the unexpected reaction.

"It's not that, it's the way you're caressing my back!"

"All I can say about that is that you'll just have to put up with it."

 Mashiro, Armes, and the young lady said that the way I touch them is erotic. Since everyone I touched already told me, so I decided to do it more.

"So, what's bothering you......?"

"Let's see. I just don't understand the point of starting a serious fight with the empire now."

 The hand around Lady Ritia's back gently stroked back and forth, and Lady Ritia's sweet sigh fell on my ear.

"It's... probably that."

"That?"

 I slipped it inside her pajamas and touched the young lady's skin directly.

 I wonder if she took a bath first, the feeling of softness and the faint scent of sweet shampoo that I can smell while we're this close.

"The Kingdom's funds are running out, right? Well, it costs a ridiculous amount of money to maintain the frontlines so, ah, there."

"Are you saying we're going to war because we are running out of money?"

 If so, aren't we going to be strangling ourselves even more?

 However, the young lady continued by saying that the core of the problem is not there.

"The Kingdom wants land from which to borrow money."

"...Eh, what's that? In other words, they want a debt contract?"

 Borrow money by pledging something of value as collateral. I remember seeing moneylenders often borrow money by using land, houses, jewelry, etc., using documents. So, this time, they sought land in the empire to do it on a national level.

"So this war is about cutting the land to the target line, then keeping it there, and that's it. They say it's for us, but it's really for the kingdom."

"I can't help but say that the imperial expedition is exaggerated."

"Don't ever say that unless you're alone with me, okay? It would be a big problem if they find out...... hey, wait, my neck...... don't lick it, ahh!"

"I'm surprised you can notice a lot of things, Ojousama."

"Of course, as the eldest daughter of the fregrance family...... nhh, chuu."

 As though to get back at me for licking her neck, she put her tongue in my ear and licked it with the tip of her tongue.

 However, she was modest and looked really good. Is she really the young lady of the main family?

"I'm done saying what I want to say...... ah, nhh."

"Ah, yes. For the time being..."

 Some things didn't add up, but I got the point. Or perhaps the kingdom is a bunch of idiots?

 We've been fighting the empire for over a hundred years and now they're talking about the cost of maintaining the frontlines. And they are just stupid for not getting any support from their allies, the Western Federation and the Northern Principality. Well, I don't care as long as I'm not harmed.

"If that's the case, it's my turn now...... nhh, chu."

 With that said, Lady Ritia raised only her upper body.

 Looking down at me, her complexion was serious, although her lust didn't dissipate…… Dangerous, she is probably angry because of my interaction with the prince.

"Why did you help me at that time...?"

"Eh?"

 Unexpectedly, however, Lady Ritia turned her gaze away slightly and cuts off the conversation in a strange manner. The way she asked the question was somehow different from what I had imagined.

"You're not mad at me?"

 Because of the discrepancy, I ended up saying something I didn't need to say.

"I'm not angry anymore. I understand that I couldn't help it at the time. But, but! You could have done a little better!"

 Ah, I'm glad the last part was the usual young lady.

"I think that was for the best......"

"I mean, yes, but that's not what I meant! I'm asking why!"

 Somehow, Lady Ritia is getting more troublesome than usual. Why? It shouldn't matter why I helped her. If you want to put it in the young lady's way, you can think of it as for the sake of the main family.

"Say it quickly."

"......Um."

 However, in addition to being a pain in the ass, today's young lady is kind of, how should I say it, strangely coming to my mind, or cute. I can't express it well, but the way the young lady looked down at me wistfully made me a little nervous.

"S-somehow. If I had to say, it's because I personally don't like that prince."

"Eh?"

"That's right. I mean, his engaged to Ojousama's sister, for whatever reason, and now he wanted to get back together with the older sister?"

"......"

 If the young lady's sister is as happy to be the prince's wife as Lady Ritia was when they met, then what the prince said and did earlier was too much.

 For Prince Lim, it may be an act of revenge for the broken engagement, but if he wanted to hold a grudge, he should go to the head of the Fregrance family alone. Since he's a loser who can't give birth to a man.

 Well, at least the young lady's sister has nothing to do with that grudge due to the broken engagement. It's wrong to get hurt. That's what I'm thinking.

 I thought that I had conveyed it well that it was just a spur-of-the-moment excuse.

 However......

"After all, your sister......"

"What!?"

 I thought I had said some nice things, but the young lady's anger showed again.

"You lolicon! I told you my sister is only ten!"

"I'm not aiming for your younger sister, and I'm not a lolicon in the first place! You usually deal with me, so you know that much!"

 I mean, if I am a lolicon, I would be forcibly removed from the seeding candidates. It's a contradiction in terms of if one can only get an erection from young children.

 ......Well, if someone asked me if I like it or not, I like it.

"Mou! Fine!"

 With that, Lady Ritia, who was a little grumpy as well as angry, stood up and moved to the bed.

 She's kind of like a sulking child, or rather, strangely milder than when we first met.

 After a while, the young lady remained lying face down on the bed, and I fearfully approached her side.

"Um, Ojousama......?"

 I poke my finger on the cheek of the young lady who was lying down with her face buried in the pillow, pouting.

"What?"

"If there's nothing else, can I go back to my room?"

 After the party is over, I've been in this room for tens of minutes. It's already late at night, and even the faintly audible hustle and bustle of the town seemed somehow nostalgic. It's time for me to go to my room and rest.

"Of course not."

"Ehh..."

 But the young lady turned her face slightly toward me and grabbed my hand to prevent me from running away.

"And you're sleeping here tonight."

"Eh? I wasn't informed of that."

 I was surprised, but the young lady told me without any regard.

"Father's orders. You will sleep with me tonight."