Chapter 153 - End of Year
The noble families are busy at the end of the year.
As the new year is full of events, the end of the year is inevitably hectic with preparations.
Usually, a few days after the new year, all the knights in the territory gather in New Nelly City.
They come to greet their masters for the New Year.
Of course, the knights do not come alone. The knight's companion, children, attendants, baggage handlers, and so on, there are many people accompanying the family alone.
Since all the knights serving the Quardenze family come to the castle, the number of guests is quite large.
Moreover, this New Year's greeting is not something that ends with a single word, "Happy New Year," as it should.
The knights would be staying at New Nelly Castle or in New Nelly City for about half a month, and this would be taken care of by the Quardenze family.
So the civil servants at New Nellie's Castle were busy making arrangements for lodging, preparing for the banquet, coordinating the schedule for the knights' visit, and arranging souvenirs to give them when they left.
I'm not that busy, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.
This is because one of the New Year's events is a performance of one's art.
It was customary for the son of the head of the family to do this, and Fanny and I were asked to perform a trick in front of the family and the knights.
It's kind of like a New Year's party.
Well, even though it was a one-shot performance, we didn't put our dicks on Fanny's head and perform "chonmage".
It was more like a presentation of the results of dance, musical instruments, and singing. To be honest, it's not a very fun event.
If I were going to do it, I'd like to perform a pleasant trick like lining up the maids on the stage and ejaculating into their vaginas one after the other.
With that thought in the back of my mind, I continued practicing my trick.
"...... like leaves swaying in a great river......"
I played the lines as if I were singing and danced, waving the dagger in my hand.
The more the latter part of the song, the more disordered his breathing became, but he gathered his strength to raise his voice, saying, "I have one more breath.
"...... I am the serpent ...... of Quardenze."
He then tightens his face as he turns his gaze to the audience.
He swung the dagger high in the air in a straight line and spat out his final words.
"Well done."
The man in charge of teaching me bowed his head.
"It's been a while since I've shown anyone. Hasn't it gotten dull?"
"Your entire body language has been refined. I'm glad to see you've been practicing."
This year's one-shot performance was a play, with only one performer, me, playing multiple roles and cutting out a scene from a long story. The show will last about ten minutes.
While catching my breath, I listened to my instructor's general comments and suggestions for improvement.
He is a member of an actual theater company in New Nellie, and he has taken full advantage of his aristocratic power to invite professionals as teachers.
They are paid according to the number of times they come here, so they practice very diligently.
The theaters in the city are of a certain size, but not big enough to be called grand theaters. It must be hard to make ends meet with just the usual salary.
This time, I was going to perform a part of a popular play, "The Red Devil and the Princess of Goryo," based on my grandfather and grandmother's old story.
As a child of a noble family, it is standard for me to perform a play that has been handed down as a classic, but I chose this one as an irregularity.
There was no way that there would be a knight in the Quadrant who didn't know about his grandmother, so it wouldn't be badly received.
Speaking of being popular, Fanny's one trick is dancing. Her movements are so cute that she is sure to be well received by the men.
Sometimes you can see her practicing in the garden, and the way she moves her hips is irresistible. I couldn't help but want to shake my hips as well.
After a while of practicing for fine tuning, I had the instructor step back.
After a few moments of practicing the fine adjustments, I had the instructor step back, and Tesh came up to him as if to replace him.
"Young master, what are your plans for the afternoon, ......?"
Tesh says, wiping my forehead with a handkerchief.
It had been a long time since I had practiced in this cold, sweat-soaked weather.
"We're going to the villa."
Minith, who is suspected of being pregnant, is currently living in a villa.
She's a citizen of New Nellie, so it seems like she could go back to her parents' house, but for safety reasons, she's being forced to live in a villa.
She'll probably end up as my concubine.
Yesterday, I couldn't go to the villa because it was late at night, but since I had impregnated her with my seed, I wanted to go check on her as soon as possible.
I wanted to check on her as soon as possible.
When I insisted that I wanted to go check on Minith, Tesh immediately nodded.
Another servant who was waiting nearby bowed lightly and left the room. He must have gone to give them a heads-up.
When he opened the window, the cool winter air felt good as it caressed his body, which was burning from the exercise.
The villa, which had been my late uncle Gardakul's mansion, was the same as usual.
The knight and his family would not be staying at the mansion, so there were no special preparations for the new year.
Unlike the castle, where the atmosphere was somewhat unsettled, the villa was enveloped in a calm atmosphere.
"Young master. This way, please."
"Oh."
For some reason, it was not Tesh who led me, but the head maid.
After we talked about going to the villa, I thought it was taking a strange amount of time to get ready, but then the head maid came.
I couldn't even ask her why, because she said she was accompanying me today, with or without saying anything.
"Come in."
After knocking several times on the door, the head maid walked into the room.
I followed her through the door, and there stood Minith, Eve, and a middle-aged woman who appeared to be a healer.
On the carpet on the floor, there were three of my cousin's babies that Lupetta had picked up. They seemed to be sleeping soundly.
They are five short, but they must be in a separate room since they will be given up for adoption at the beginning of the year.
"Welcome back, young master."
When Minith spotted me, she gave a flowing, polished bow.
I'm not sure if it was because I was in front of the head maid, but there was no sweet gesture towards me in that bow, only a form of master-servant relationship.
"Ah ......, master, welcome back ......."
Then Eve greeted Minith awkwardly.
Because of her large eyes, I can see the way her emotions fluctuate.
I can clearly see that she is not even a little bit happy about my return.
When I glanced at Eve's chest, my gaze was caught by a bulge that had grown well for her age.
It looks like it's getting even bigger again. That's good.
It's not good to stare at Eve's tits too much, so I step closer, keeping my eyes on Minith.
"Minith?"
"Yes?"
I said gently, but the reply was that of a servant.
I exhaled and looked at the head maid.
"..... Minith. You don't need to worry about me. You've been looking forward to the young master's return for a long time, haven't you?"
"Yes, but..."
Minith is the type of person who is serious about her work, so it must be awkward for her to flirt with her boss in front of him.
I don't think she's so thick-skinned that she wouldn't mind being told not to worry about it.
There was no point in exchanging pleasantries here, so I walked closer to Minith.
"Minith, he's back."
"Oh, ......."
I hugged Minith, who was standing upright with her hands on her crotch, slowly wrapping my arms around her.
This is the first time in a long time that I've tasted her flesh and body odor, and it sweetly stimulates my brain.
My woman.
It was a sweet sensation that forced me to be aware of that.
"......♡"
I could feel Minith's breath as if it were melting.
I placed my hands on her shoulders as I hugged her close and gradually lowered them, moving them from her arms to her elbows and from there to her hips.
"Can I touch you?"
I asked, showing Minith the palm of my other hand, which was now free.
Of course, she didn't want me to touch her cunt or ass, but her stomach.
She might be carrying my child in her belly.
"Y- yes."
Her voice was a little shaky, but I pretended not to notice and touched her belly over her clothes.
It was the stomach of a normal girl of her age, not pudgy or with six-pack abs.
But I've been pouring a lot of semen into it over and over again. I can only imagine what it would be like to have a child.
I had repeatedly ejaculated into her vagina with the intention of impregnating her every time, but I hadn't thought too much about becoming a father at my age.
It's your father. ......"
I lightly called out to the being who might be there.
In my previous life, I was not involved in marriage or childbirth, so I wanted to try this kind of at-home behavior at least once.
I felt a little embarrassed, but now I had fulfilled the regrets of my previous life.
However, Minith's body trembled greatly in response to my action.
"Young Master, ......."
Tears began to spill from her eyes as she called out for me.
She turned her head to hide her face from me, and the tears fell on her chest, staining her white clothes darkly.
"....., what's wrong?"
"Young master, ......."
After saying that, Minute hugged me as if leaning against me.
What a bold move, even though the head maid was right in front of me.
"Gusu......Wilk-sama......I like......I like......"
Minith clung to me, calling out, "I like, I like, I like."
I'm genuinely happy to see her do that, but I don't understand why she suddenly became so emotional.
I wonder if she's having maternity blues and is mentally unstable.
I glanced at the head maid, but she just looked annoyed.
Eve was staring at Minith with her hands on her cheeks.
"All right, all right, Minith. What's the matter?"
I stroked her trembling back and waited for her to speak.
"I'm happy ...... young master, ugh ......."
Minute's sobbing words were difficult to understand, but what she wanted to say was simple.
She was very happy that I hadn't suspected anything about her pregnancy.
Minith had been questioned by the servants every day since her pregnancy was suspected.
They always asked her if the child was really his, or if it was not the result of her playing with a man in the city.
Since there was no such fact, Minith replied that she was not unfaithful, but it was unbearable to be asked such unpleasant questions every time.
Not that I'm defending the servants, but there is a scary part of Minith's pregnancy from an aristocratic point of view.
If she is really pregnant with my child, there is nothing wrong with it. It's just a happy ending.
But what if this is a child born from an affair with a commoner man?
As a rule, a child born between a slave ancestor and a slave ancestor can only become a slave ancestor. In other words, the affair would be exposed immediately.
Basically, aristocratic men are very sensitive about sex. They would be shocked to find out that their first pregnancy was the seed of another man.
If Minith had been unfaithful, the sexually active young lady might have become impotent. ...... It was understandable that my father and the servants would think so.
The servants were desperate to hear what he had to say, but it was inevitable, if I may say so. It must have been hard for Minith, though.
"Young master......Wilk-sama......"
Minith said she thought it would be unbearable if she was suspected by me too.
He didn't know that, but she was very happy that I said, "I'm your father!"
He was not even thinking of Minith potential cheating on him, and the way he said it in a trusting and carefree way really touched her.
In fact, I hadn't even the faintest thought that she would cheat on me.
"Well, ...... that was hard ......."
"It's okay,...... that young master, young master believed in you,...... that's all,......."
Minith's arms were quite strong as she hugged me.
I could directly feel her passionate desire to not let go and not let go.
I was genuinely happy that she was thinking of me this much, and I just loved her.
And when I thought that my baby seed was sprouting inside this lovely body, I felt madly in love with it.
"How could I doubt it?"
"Young Master ......"
The passion drew out the words I had been too embarrassed to say to anyone.
"Minith. I love you. ......"
"Oh!"
There are several expressions of fondness in Luo language.
I think I've whispered the Japanese translation of the word "love" to many women, but I've been too embarrassed to say the word "love" to any of them.
It's a strange thing to be embarrassed by a single word when you've hugged so many.
"...... I love you too! Oh, I love you ......, young master ......! Oh ......♡"
Minith slumped down, her head hanging limply.
Her body was like melted cheese.
"It's a little embarrassing ......."
I pressed my nose into Minith's hair and covered my face.
I was excited to see the head maid, Tesh, and even Eve here.
If it wasn't for the fact that I suspected she was pregnant, I would have started mating her right then and there.
Minith and I stood there in the embrace for a while in silence.
We felt each other's heartbeats, and the presence of our beloved there.
"Young master!"
They stood there for a while in silence, feeling each other's heartbeats, feeling each other's presence.
"I'm sorry, but I can't take much more of this. Please, ......."
The maidservant, who had been standing beside me for some time, looked at me with a worried expression.
"Yes, I know."
The reason why the head maid went to the trouble of following me was to interrupt the lovemaking time between me and Minute.
I'm sure she thought that a half-hearted servant would not be able to stop me, and that's why the maidservant talked instead.
Since science is still underdeveloped in the continent of Eruo, there are many unfamiliar customs and superstitions.
The fact that earthworms are thought to be related to snakes probably has something to do with that.
There are many such superstitions in pregnancy, and what the head maid just said is widely believed.
It is the jealousy of the baby.
I don't know what it is, but it is said that when a pregnant woman is close to her husband, the fetus gets jealous and comes out.
To put it simply, it means that the baby will miscarry.
Befriending ...... means that you should not kiss, hug, or engage in any other sexual behavior with your husband during your pregnancy.
It is said that if you are too close to your husband, the baby inside your belly will get jealous and come out, saying, "Don't be too close to your daddy all the time, mommy.
It's a superstition that makes babies seem like a kind of monster, but it's widely believed in the Eruo continent.
Odie, who thinks I'm a boob-loving man, once verbally warned me not to rub Minith's tits.
After the maidservant's words, Minith regained her composure and slid away from me, hugging her stomach and talking to herself.
"It's okay. It's okay. ......"
She was trying to calm her jealousy by taking care of the baby in her belly.
If I insisted that such superstitions were wrong, the head maid would probably back down, but there was no reason to dare.
And since Minith also believes in this superstition, forcing my idea on her will only cause her stress.
"Chief maid, you've done well to stop me."
The head maid only gave a small nod in response to my words.
"If I just want to come and check on her from now on, is there a problem?"
"No. I'm sure Minute would feel more at ease if he could see the young master."
I guess it's safe to assume that I've been granted permission to visit
"I'll keep coming back to check on you, but I don't think I can do it every day. If you want to meet with my parents, you can tell them. I'll have them make arrangements."
"Thank you."
Minith expressed her gratitude, but apparently the head maid had arranged for her to see his parents every now and then.
She was more than happy to hear that I would continue to visit them.
Minith was really adorable when her affection for me was on full display. I wish Eve would learn a little from her.
"...... Speaking of which, why is Eve here?"
When I turned to the subject, Eve gave a small shudder and hugged my arm.
"Because the pioneer society is closed. ...... Its ......"
Eve goes to the pioneer society to practice her manuscript writing, but if it's closed, she probably has nowhere to go.
"Eve is taking care of the babies."
Minute added, as if to help Eve with her slurred speech.
Apparently, Eve has quickly become friends with Minith, the new resident of the villa, and on her days off they knit together and take care of the babies.
I've been thinking ...... for a while now, but I think Eve has great communication skills. I've always thought that Eve is a good communicator.
I've been friends with Mimmon, and I've been friends with Minith. It's a situation where my women have been conquered by Eve.
She's not getting along with me at all.
If this happens, we'll have to make out in bed tonight.
"My Lord. ......"
"What is it?"
When I looked at her, Eve's face turned into a scowl.
"The potter's uncle said he had something he wanted to show Master. ......"
"The potter? ...... Ah, the production department. I wonder what it is."
The production department of the pioneer society makes a wide variety of things, from silk and soap to guns, books, and arithmetics.
Some of them are even craftsmen who make pottery and porcelain.
If they have something to show us, they must have succeeded or made progress in some project.
But there are so many projects going on in parallel in the pioneer society that it's hard to guess which one they are talking about.
"They told me to say white plates."
"Oh, that."
The Eruo continent had an excellent ceramic culture.
This is in the past tense.
The holy city of Maguaose was once known as the city of ceramics.
The priests of the Holy High Society of the Zess had their own workshops and potters, and they produced a number of unique ceramics to meet the demands of the entire continent.
However, all of this was lost in the war that broke out 200 years ago.
Today, St. Navenpos seems to have the idea of the Rebirth Principle, and there are many movements to reclaim the former glory of the Holy City.
This movement included the revival of ceramic culture.
However, once a technique is lost, it cannot be regained overnight.
Although the ceramics produced in the Holy City today are numerous, the quality is far lower than it was in its heyday.
Even I, a person who does not know much about pottery, can easily distinguish between plates from before and after the war.
Just as pure white silk is revered, pure white porcelain is also revered and in demand by the nobility and wealthy.
However, the current demand is not being met in the continent of Eruo.
It is said that the production areas of the clay and stone used to make porcelain were severely damaged by mature magical beasts that appeared in the midst of the war.
It is said that the production areas of clay and stone, which are used to make ceramics, were severely damaged by the appearance of mature demonic beasts.
That is why most of the "pure white porcelain" that is now being sold in the world was made before the war. Because of their limited numbers, they are very rare and valuable.
When I first started the pioneer society, I bought some potters from slavers to make my favorite plates and cups.
One of the tasks I gave to the potters was to make white porcelain.
I had heard that white porcelain could be made from cow bones in the previous Earth, so I thought it would be possible to make something similar on the Eruo continent.
It was probably about five or six years ago. If the results were positive, it was a good decision to spare the money for development and research.
I would like to go check it out as soon as possible.
If the product is good, we can appeal to the public as a new specialty of Quardenze in the spring in the royal capital.
Minith clapped her hands together and opened her mouth, as if the mention of the pioneer society had stimulated her memory.
"I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that the new underwear that Young Master ordered has arrived. They are for me and Eve."
I had asked my good friend at the clothing store to make some bras for us.
I ordered them in addition to a set of outfits for the spring social, but they seemed to be finished quite quickly.
The reason why I bothered to have such a thing made was because I wanted to hold a woman who wore both top and bottom underwear exactly the same way. It's just my obsession.
"I didn't wear it out of respect, but ......"
She said that the current minidress didn't wear it because she felt it was too tight.
Her own mother and the head maid stopped her from wearing it, saying that it would make her breast milk flow worse.
That's why Eve was the only tester of the prototype.
I moved my gaze to Eve's chest.
Her breasts seemed to have grown larger somehow, perhaps due to the effect of the underwear.
