~~ Author Note ~~
https://discord.gg/6PBf4ccNCT
Hello, readers.
I have nothing important to note. Have a great day!
As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
~~ End Author Note ~~
***
"Hey, papa, what was in that bag you gave to them?" Shiro asked as they arrived in a familiar field of flowers.
"It contained shards of some worthless jewel," Dianthus shrugged.
"Oh," Shiro immediately dismissed her curiosity. As far as she was concerned, if it wasn't valuable to her father, then it wasn't worth mentioning. Of course, this is despite the Shikon Jewel being the most sought-after item for residents of this world.
The father-daughter duo stepped into the luxurious wooden cabin to rest after spending the day traveling together. Dianthus sat down on a sofa, placing his daughter comfortably on his lap. Shiro relaxed almost immediately and began to nod off.
Dianthus warmly smiled at his adorable daughter as she rested peacefully. He cast magic that could prevent outside noise from interfering with her rest. The reason for doing so was a rambunctious cheetah was currently en route to his location.
"Boss!" Eruza yelled as she entered the parlor.
Dianthus sighed yet didn't lose his warm smile. "I really wish you would consider your surroundings before yelling."
Eruza curiously walked around the sofa and noticed the sleeping Shiro nestled on his lap. Eruza gave an apologetic smile as she shyly rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, boss."
Dianthus shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Your energy is what makes you so endearing." His words caused a light blush to spread across her cheeks. "Though I do wonder, why do you still call me boss? Aren't we in a more intimate relationship?"
"I-I'm just used to addressing you as boss," Eruza stammered, caught off guard by his question.
His smile changed from one of warmth to a teasing grin. "Come on. Call me something more intimate. How about addressing me as Semi does?"
Eruza's face reddened much further. "Yes, d-dear." Her voice was hardly audible as she whispered the last part. The embarrassment was too much for her to handle.
Dianthus chuckled lightly. "So, what did you need, honey?" He purposefully emphasized the last word, knowing that it would also get to her.
As expected, she hung her head in an attempt to hide her blushing face from being seen. However, it didn't last long as she remembered what she came here for. Eruza looked up and glared at Dianthus. "It's not fair!"
Dianthus smiled wryly. "What's not fair?"
"Every night, you do it with Semiramis." Eruza pointed at herself. "When is it going to be my turn?"
Dianthus stared at Eruza blankly for several moments. He started to break into laughter upon seeing how serious she was. It took him sheer willpower not to lose it completely. After all, he didn't wish to wake his precious daughter through his movements. Eruza was frowning as she watched him take several minutes to calm down. Dianthus took several deep breaths to calm himself down fully.
"What's so funny," she said as she crossed her arms.
After taking one final breath, Dianthus fully regained his composure. "You brought this on yourself, you know. You and Ui decided to wait for Hitomi to be ready. Even going as far as saying she can be first."
"I didn't think it would take such a long time," Eruza huffed. "Why don't you just plow her already?"
Dianthus shook his head. "We agreed I'd give her a month to make a move on her own first. If you want it to happen faster, you should be attempting to persuade her."
Eruza looked unhappy that Dianthus refused to cooperate. Though suddenly, her face brightened, and she smiled wide. "You're right; I should just persuade her." She let out a sinister yet cute laugh and walked out of the room.
Dianthus noticed that Eruza was scheming something but didn't bother worrying about it. Instead, he focused his attention on his next guest. Two slender arms wrapped around him from behind and pulled him into a hug. His head was pressed against two soft mounds as a set of lips landed upon his cheek.
"You seem to be in a good mood today, Semi," Dianthus said as he smiled.
Semiramis disappeared and reappeared on the couch directly beside Dianthus. She leaned against him carefully so as not to disturb Shiro's rest. "I'm always in a good mood whenever I'm with you."
Dianthus was happy to hear those words from her. He leaned slightly and kissed her beautiful lips.
He pulled away from the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. "I feel the same way, but that certainly can't be the reason why you're this happy."
"Fufufu," the goddess chuckled. "I can't hide anything from you, can I, dear?"
"So, are you going to let me in on the secret?" Dianthus asked. However, he had a good guess as to what the cause of her jubilance was.
"I'm pregnant!" Semiramis declared, showing Dianthus her brightest smile.
Though he had guessed as much, Dianthus was happy to know for sure. He couldn't contain his joy and bolted towards Semiramis, pulling her up and embracing her. He spun her around as he laughed cheerfully. "That's great!"
In the heat of the moment, Dianthus forgot about his daughter, who had been resting on his lap. Thankfully, his realm reacted on its own and created flowers that caught his daughter before she fell to the ground.
Although she was unhurt, it caused her to wake up from the sudden movement. "Papa?" She looked questioningly at her father as he twirled around Semiramis in joy.
Hearing Shiro's voice, Dianthus was brought back to his senses. He rushed over and picked up his daughter. "I'm so sorry, princess. Papa received some happy news and couldn't control himself."
Instead of getting angry that she had almost hit the floor, Shiro curiously questioned her father. "What news did papa hear?" She knew that it must be important; otherwise, he wouldn't have neglected to take her into consideration. After all, Shiro was aware that her father was at the extreme end of being a doting parent.
Dianthus smiled at his daughter. "You're going to be a big sister!"