「Arg-sama.」
「I’m home, Noie.」
「Welcome back.」
The moment I stepped into the bedroom after returning home, Noie greeted me eagerly, almost cutting me off.
Because of that, it became harder for me to bring up the topic myself.
Honestly… what exactly did I do to Noie? Just because her own chest is horizon-level flat, that leftover spinster has way too strong a victim complex.
Noie walked over with light steps and reached out, gently guiding my head into her embrace.
What waited ahead was a soft, yielding fwnyuu against my face.
「N-No-Noie!」
「Arg-sama.」
「Y-Yes?」
「How do you make breast milk come out? Does it come out if you suck?」
「……」
I want to insist that Noie saying weird things isn’t my fault, it’s the bad influence of her surroundings!
Who was it? Who put strange ideas in my wife’s head?!
「First, let’s calm down, okay?」
「……」
「Can you let go?」
She hugged me even tighter.
That’s why my face is sandwiched in the valley and I’m about to die of happiness!
「If it comes out, I can hold a baby.」
「You can hold one even if it doesn’t!」
「Really?」
「Really, really. Even men can hold babies! And you said you held one once before, right, Noie?」
「…No.」
「Huh?」
「I want to hold it and feed it.」
「…You mean you want to breastfeed?」
I imagine she gave a tiny nod, the faint vibration I felt against my cheek told me so.
The soft sensation pressing against my face is making me imagine all sorts of inappropriate things, though!
「Okay, I understand. …If you let go of your arms, I’ll explain.」
「……」
With obvious reluctance, she finally released me.
It tugs at my heartstrings, but… it’s fine. The move is happening soon.
「Listen carefully, Noie?」
「Yes.」
「How much do you know about breasts?」
「I heard. They make baby food come out.」
She puffed out her chest a little, answering proudly.
What does it mean when her ahoge curls around like that?
「Well… you see, women? When they have a baby, breast milk comes out.」
「When they have one?」
「Yes. Um… in Noie terms, reproductive activity? You know that when that happens, a child is made, right?」
「Yes.」
「Then the woman becomes a ‘mother’, and her body starts producing breast milk for the baby’s food.」
「……」
The bed’s edge creaked softly as I sat down and explained everything as carefully and gently as I could… but did she really understand?
「Arg-sama」
「Yes?」
「Will I produce it too?」
「…If we have a baby, then yes.」
That’s how it’s supposed to work.
At least according to the health and sex-ed lessons we learned back then.
「Arg-sama」
「Yes」
「Move sooner」
「……」
Her face stayed completely blank, but the air around her felt intensely serious.
Thinking of it as my wife wanting me this much is flattering, but… is my stubborn refusal really the right thing? If she’s asking for it, shouldn’t I just ignore the maids and go for it?
「Noie」
「Yes」
「…Right now?」
「?」
Her silly little ahoge tilted slightly. Please tilt your whole head if you’re going to do that!
「Um… reproductive activity?」
「Arg-sama said after we move.」
「Yeah」
「So, we do it after we move. Promises are meant to be kept.」
That’s right. Noie actually has a surprisingly stubborn side.
It’s not that I’m giving in to her whims… but she might be interpreting it that way.
I feel like I’ve done something terribly wrong.
「So Arg-sama should keep his promise too」
「Yeah. I’ll definitely keep it.」
「Yes」
She leaned her head gently against my shoulder with a soft poof. I pressed a tender kiss to that adorable ahoge.
「Hmm」
…Does this ahoge seriously have nerves running through it?
-0-
Noie suddenly sat up and turned to check on the person sleeping beside her.
He must trust her completely… because not even a hint of tension showed in his peaceful sleeping face.
She exhaled slowly and slipped out of bed.
She walked over to the mirror hanging on the wall.
In this world, highly polished copper mirrors are considered rare treasures, but when it comes to practicality, glass mirrors are far superior.
Noie stared intently into the reflection of her own red eyes.
「Is this really okay?」
「He’s exactly the one she wants, isn’t he?」
「But…」
「At the very least, that man won’t ever hurt Noie.」
「True.」
「Glodia’s been so dissatisfied lately she hasn’t shown up at all, has she?」
「Probably. She and Camieu used to dote on Noie like crazy.」
「Dote on her… honestly, the way those two went at it was kind of terrifying.」
「Kyaha～ Right? They once fought for half a day over who got to dress Noie.」
「That kind of nonsense was totally normal for them.」
「Whatever. It doesn’t matter now.」
「Exactly. So, what’s the real issue?」
「……」
「You know what everyone’s worried about. There’s only one thing.」
「Whether Noie will finally be able to smile and live happily…」
「Right. If that doesn’t happen, then all of us died for nothing.」
「Even if we’re alive, it’s just delaying the inevitable death, isn’t it? That’s why we all accepted Camieu’s proposal in the first place.」
「Enough with the complicated stuff. The question is, can we trust him?」
「Noie herself trusts him.」
「……」
「Then that’s enough, isn’t it? All we have to do is watch over her future.」
「Yeah.」
「But if he ever tries anything bad toward Noie…」
The red eyes reflected in the mirror flickered eerily as they gazed at the young man sleeping on the bed.
「Then we use every ounce of power we have. We’ll make him taste living hell and kill him in the cruelest, most merciless way possible.」
「…You finally show up and you’re already terrifying, Glodia～」
The figure standing before the mirror moved… and placed a hand around the sleeping boy’s throat.
「I’m dead serious. If seeing this child sad is the alternative, I’ll kill everything. Especially if he’s of Univance blood, there’s no need to hold back… right?」
「Ahaha. Kill them all… kill everyone～」
「Shut up, Fashi. And when the time comes to kill, I go first.」
The hand around his throat never tightened… instead, Noie, still seated, quietly slipped back into sleep.
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