Chapter 107: Chapter 1 Wrapped in Gentleness
Please support me on Patreon, where you can read a bunch of extra chapters, not just for this novel, but for all the novels I'm translating. I upload at least 2 times daily for each novel.
Patreon.com/ThatGreatStuff
******
Maria has always had a gentle nature since we first met.
She displayed some youthful sweetness early on, but as she matured through marriage, childbirth, and raising our children, those tendencies faded away. Naturally, there were times when she scolded the kids. In fact, they saw her as both kind and intimidating. What I mean to say is, almost never have I seen her truly angry.
Almost never means not zero, right...?
Well, almost never means not quite zero...
"Lord Ain?"
"Yes, um...you see..."
"Lord Ain."
"Sorry..."
"What on earth are you doing?"
"I'm sorry."
"You haven't answered my question yet."
"W-work..."
The air grew heavy.
I couldn't bring myself to look at the face of the wife I loved so dearly. It was terrifying. Scary. Too much.
"I—"
My mouth felt dry. My vision spun. Ahh, but it wasn't just fear that caused this reaction.
"I asked you to rest, didn't I?"
Maybe because I had caught a cold?
"Honestly!"
"But...it's not too severe of a cold."
"Go back to bed!"
"...Yes, dear."
Magic is convenient, but it isn't omnipotent.
A prime example is this cold. While magic can heal wounds and neutralize poisons, it's powerless against common illnesses like these. I don't know why that is; it's not as if I was a doctor in my previous life or a magical researcher here. All I know for certain is that spells simply cannot cure them.
With Vigor Magic, I could increase my physical strength temporarily, which might count as treatment to some extent, but it doesn't address the root cause. Ultimately, rest remains the best approach.
This must be the result of playing a snowball fight with the kids yesterday—the first time I've caught a cold since arriving in this land. At least everyone else seems fine, though. Maybe it's finally time for me to acknowledge my age...
My wife noticed something was off before I did.
The moment she saw my face, she knew I was sick and instructed me to stay in bed all day.
Well, technically, she just said...
"I'm bored..."
Life on the frontier is fun but busy.
It's not the soul-crushing kind of busyness from my previous life, but rather a fulfilling sort of hectic schedule that leaves no time for idleness. Between work at the church, duties as a priest, tending to the fields, and caring for the children, there's always something to do.
So even though I've been accustomed to this nonstop lifestyle, suddenly being told to sit quietly and rest isn't easy to accept. Besides, it's hardly a debilitating cold.
I glance at the clock.
I thought maybe an hour had passed, but it turns out only twenty minutes have gone by since Maria dragged me back here. Ideally, I should probably sleep, but I'm not remotely tired.
"Right. I might as well do whatever work I can from this room."
Obviously, farm labor is out of the question. And it's probably best to avoid seeing people, too. But doing some simple paperwork should be fine for killing time.
"All righty then..."
Once you know what needs to be done, it gives you energy to tackle it.
Even normally tedious administrative tasks don't seem so bad when approached with enthusiasm!
Shhhk.
"...Oh."
Feeling inspired, I eagerly opened my desk drawer only to utter a stupid sound at the sight that greeted me. All the documents I'd stored there up until yesterday were gone, replaced by...
—Please get some rest.
A note from my beloved wife lay inside.
"I'm boooored..."
I flop around on the bed.
I know it's bad manners, but I'm so bored that I don't care. The weather is absurdly nice today, too, which only adds insult to injury. Outside, birds are chirping, and even through the curtains, the winter chill feels softened by the sun.
"There's...nothing to do..."
Maybe it's because of my cold? For some reason, I feel slightly disheartened.
Ever since being reborn in this world, I've been relentlessly striving toward my goals. When Maria and I married and started having children, there was always something right in front of me to focus on, so despite any difficulties we faced, we kept moving forward together. But now, with just one day without those responsibilities, I feel as though I have nothing left at all. That can't be true, though. Our kids are still young, after all. As their father, husband, and priest of these lands, there's plenty more for me to accomplish. Plus, I'd like to keep having more children with Maria.
Around the time we had our tenth child, I began to wonder if we should stop having more. Even in this "be fruitful and multiply" kind of world, there has to be a limit, right? All it would take is using contraception while enjoying a loving sex life with Maria.
"What do you think?"
This wasn't something I could decide on my own, so I immediately consulted with her. It was a matter for both of us to consider together.
"Indeed, this church is becoming quite cramped... But..."
"But?"
"I want...more of Lord Ain's children..."
That night, I held Maria until dawn. And she became pregnant with twins once again.
So, barring any health issues, we decided to keep going at it full throttle. Naturally, since money isn't a concern, we contacted the royal capital to fully utilize their support programs. The officials responsible for handling such matters must have been pulling their hair out by now.
"There's no time to be weak now. Okay! I gotta get over this cold ASAP!"
Knock knock... Click.
"Lord Ain? Are you resting quietly?"
"Am I a child or something?"
"Our baby has caught my cold, but that doesn't mean we're naughty enough to go wandering about on our own."
"My apologies."
Maria chuckled softly, holding a tray with a small pot emitting sweet steam. It was so fickle; just smelling its aroma made me hungry. When my stomach rumbled audibly, she smiled again.
"It sounds like your appetite is fine, then."
"As I've been saying from the start."
"I don't trust it, since Lord Ain often neglects himself."
"That's not true."
Maria sat down on the bed. As her ample rear settled, the mattress creaked loudly.
"I brought you some milk porridge. Can you sit up?"
"Are you going to feed me?"
"Oh...you're such a baby."
"Well, I am sick."
"How can you say that with a straight face?"
Okay.
As someone who typically enjoys a very erotic sex life, let me make this declaration:
Today! Sex!
Is not happening!!
Yes, yes. You might think I'm just pretending, but it's true. Honestly, if our positions were reversed and I could assess her stamina first, there'd be no stopping me. But things change when I'm the one under the weather. After all, if we weren't careful, I could give Maria my cold. And I couldn't live with myself if that happened!
So, despite the tempting rear end right before my eyes, I won't reach out for it; nor will she feed me mouth-to-mouth or reveal that the milk is actually breast milk. No, none of those things will happen—because I'm only feigning illness as an excuse.
"Phew...phew..."
Honestly, just having this beautiful wife feed me soup is enough to make me feel incredibly lucky.
Maria scoops up some gruel with her spoon and holds it near my mouth, gently blowing on it. With her full, soft lips pursed, she cools down the hot porridge with each breath.
"Here you go."
"Ahh..."
"Open wide."
Just sitting beside Maria as she feeds me, all I have to do is open my mouth.
"It's such a gentle flavor."
"You like it?"
"Oh, definitely."
"Well then, I'll let Lucia know later."
"Huh? Oh...I guess I worried her unnecessarily."
"She didn't even realize you were making your own food!"
"Yes, it seems about time for her to find a husband..."
"I hope someone will take her off our hands soon."
"I've noticed several young men trying to court her, including the mayor's grandson."
"Please stop snooping around like that... And it doesn't seem as if she has any interest in them anyway."
"Well, we can hardly force her to marry someone, I suppose."
"..."
Maria seemed slightly distracted, perhaps preoccupied with something else.
"Thank you for the meal."
"It's good to see you eating so well now. But please get some rest today, okay?"
"Yes, of course."
"Did you read the letter I left in your desk drawer?"
"Oh, there was a letter there?"
"For goodness' sake..."
I hastily burrowed under the covers, feeling like I was making my escape.
I hear Maria clearing away my empty dishes. With my belly full and someone I love dearly by my side, my worries gradually fade.
"Lord Ain?"
"Yes..."
My eyelids feel heavy.
She gently touches my cheek, her sweet scent tickling my nose.
Silently, softly, she begins to hum a lullaby...
Inviting me into dreams.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone