Let’s Think Before Addressing the Situation

Imagine a man and a woman who love each other and have promised to spend their lives together.

Their relationship is harmonious and full of affection, unbroken and unwavering.

However, other women start approaching the man, and due to various circumstances, the woman ends up having to accept them as well.

Even so, the woman insists she is always the man’s number one priority, and the man respects her, lavishing her with love.

Over time, even as the man gains other lovers, the woman grows indifferent, choosing to tolerate it.

At this point, from an outsider’s perspective, the man might seem like nothing more than a complete scoundrel—one with three or more lovers, no less.

That said, it’s not unheard of for men to take on mistresses. Even now, nobles and kings who keep concubines can be found across many places.

In fact, kings often take numerous consorts under the pretext of needing to produce many heirs.

Think about why Friedrich of the Terse Kingdom was called a romanticist. Whether someone is branded a scoundrel depends on their position and circumstances.

Regardless, it’s fortunate that the woman in this case understands the situation. If the man had thoughtlessly kept adding lovers, their relationship would have crumbled.

But that’s not the end. What if the woman suddenly discovers a child she never knew about—a child the man fathered?

And what if the child is not a newborn but three or four years old, appearing alongside another woman?

Without a doubt, the man would go from being a scoundrel to the worst kind of jerk, and the woman’s patience would reach its limit.

“So, let me get this straight…”

Mary, sitting on the bed, pressed her fingers against her temples as she trailed off.

She clearly had plenty to say, but her thoughts seemed too tangled to articulate.

I stood across from her, silently waiting for her to gather her words.

Finally, she let out a deep sigh, extended her index finger, and began organizing her thoughts.

“You went to see the World Tree, met Hirt herself—or rather, her avatar—and received her blessing. Afterward, a coconut-sized seed of the World Tree appeared, and from that seed, Ariel, an angel, was born. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s exactly it.”
“...She’s not an illegitimate child, then. With those wings, suspecting otherwise would be blasphemous.”

If Ariel were my biological child, that would mean I fathered her when I was at least fifteen years old. No matter how you spin it, it doesn’t add up.

Of course, there were people who had children at that age due to the societal norms of this world, especially those who came to understand physical relationships too early or received poor guidance.

It was often the path taken by delinquents, but not me. If I had, I would have taken responsibility long ago.

In summary, this entire situation stemmed from a rather peculiar favor from the gods.

“Squishy~ So soft~”
“Do you like it?”
“Yes! Softer than a bed!”

Meanwhile, the root of this entire situation, Ariel, was nestled in Cecily’s arms. She was practically buried in Cecily’s ample chest, using it as a pillow.

Cecily’s black dress, which exposed much of her chest, only made her impressive figure stand out more with Ariel snuggled against her.

Perhaps finding Ariel endearing, Cecily gently stroked her head.

“And where are you looking? Not over here?”

Just as I found myself envious of Ariel’s position, Mary’s icy voice pierced my ears.

I quickly whipped my head around with an audible snap.

Her expression suggested she had plenty to say but was choosing to hold back. I couldn’t blame her; if I were in her shoes, I’d probably feel the same way.

“Well, at least it’s not another woman’s child.”
“Uh… Mary?”
“Yes, Your Majesty? Please, go ahead.”

Arwen, who stood next to me, cautiously spoke up. Given her quasi-complicit position, she stood by my side during the exchange.

She hesitated, glancing at Mary’s mood before timidly posing a question.

“This is highly unlikely, but… what if another woman were to have Isaac’s child before you? What would you do?”
“And what, Your Majesty, are you planning to be the first?”

Mary crossed her arms and responded in a sharp tone, her words brimming with tension.

Even the queen of Alvenheim couldn’t hide her discomfort, flinching slightly under Mary’s fierce glare and shaking her head to deny the implication.

It might have been rude, but Arwen seemed to understand Mary’s feelings, maintaining a polite demeanor despite the aggression.

“N-no, of course not! I would never! I only asked out of curiosity. Someone else might, after all…”
“Well, at least we wouldn’t divorce. Don’t worry about that. Who’d I be giving my spot to with this sly fox constantly eyeing it?”
“Hm? Surely you’re not talking about me?”
“Who else could it be?”

Cecily, caught in the crossfire, simply shrugged nonchalantly, not bothering to deny it.

Naturally, Mary’s expression twisted in irritation. Her situation was undeniably stressful.

“Anyway, even if something like that happens, I won’t resort to forcing an abortion or kicking anyone out. Isaac would be heartbroken if I did.”
“I… see.”
“But! This only applies to women who’ve reached a mutual understanding, like Her Majesty here. If Isaac gets involved with someone we don’t know about and ends up having a child, there will be no mercy.”

Though I wanted to say, “That’ll never happen,” I wisely kept my mouth shut. Saying it aloud would only worsen the atmosphere.

At the same time, guilt gnawed at me. Mary and I rarely argued due to our playful, compatible personalities.

The fact that she voiced such concerns now showed how much she had endured. Accepting Cecily in itself had been a monumental decision for her.

“So, Your Majesty, please rest assured. Just focus on what’s important right now, understood?”
“I appreciate your generosity.”
“A proper fiancée of Zenon should at least have this much grace. And Isaac?”
“Y-yes?”

At her call, I straightened up and met her gaze. Mary sat with her arms crossed and legs elegantly folded, exuding a dignified air.

Looking at her now, I realized how much she had matured since we first met.

Back then, she was more like a spirited young girl. Now, much like Cecily, she radiated an air of refined womanhood.

“I’ll let this slide because I’m sure you feel wronged too. After all, it’s a gift from Hirt; you couldn’t exactly refuse, could you?”
“R-right.”
“I even considered putting you in a chastity belt, but then I thought, no, that’s going too far.”
“…”

She was smiling, but her eyes weren’t. It was a smile sharp enough to cut, making her look like a rose bristling with thorns.

I could understand why she felt anxious. There were far too many women around me, and now Ariel had appeared to turn her fears into a potential reality.

“Still, doing it nonstop for a week without precautions is exhausting for me. Maybe I should’ve started working out with you.”
“…”
“If—and I mean if—you get someone else pregnant before me, I’ll follow through on everything I just said. Understand?”
“Of course.”
“And to be clear, if you’re ever forced into something, like Cecily said, with all the lunatics in the world, that’s a different story.”

Her warning was shockingly realistic. It wasn’t a sarcastic comment—two people came to mind immediately: Cherry and Kate.

Considering how many dangerous women existed in this fantasy world, including warriors like Nicole, Adelia, and Kate, it was a valid concern.

These women, despite being human, possess incredible strength. Kate, for instance, is a High Inquisitor.

Cecily and Arwen are no exception. Born as members of exceptional races, they naturally require caution.

‘Come to think of it, aside from Mary and Cherry, every woman around me is stronger than me.’

I’m not sure about Leona, but considering her mention of undergoing training, she’s undoubtedly strong. Beastkin are naturally built for physical superiority.

At this rate, I’d better start working on improving my own physical abilities, if only to keep up with them.

“Now, that leaves Ariel…”
“Yes?”

Mary turned her head, bringing up Ariel’s name. Ariel, hearing her name mentioned, widened her eyes and looked at Mary.

The two stared at each other for a moment—Mary with her golden eyes, and Ariel with her lake-clear gaze.

Just as a subtle tension filled the air, Ariel was the first to speak.

“Cute? Want to have one like me?”

Having read Mary’s mind, Ariel blurted it out without hesitation.

Under normal circumstances, Mary might have been flustered, but instead, she simply stared back at Ariel.

“If they all turn out like this, I… I think… I’d be happy. How many… should I have? Five?”
“Ahem.”

Mary cleared her throat, clearly embarrassed by her honest thoughts being exposed. Words, once spoken, can’t be taken back.

Cecily, catching onto Mary’s true feelings, chuckled and decided to tease her.

“Five children, huh… This is when I envy humans. I’d like to have that many myself.”
“Then how many do you want?”
“I think five would be perfect. What about you, Your Majesty?”
“M-me? I’d say three…”

What about asking my opinion? Just listening to this is making me feel enlightened.

If I truly ended up having that many children, I feel like history would record me as the man with the most offspring in the world.

While it might sound like an honor, the person involved wouldn’t find it as delightful. Child-rearing aside, my back wouldn’t survive.

“We should be cautious on the way back. Is there a way to conceal Ariel with magic?”
“Ariel is highly sensitive to magic and resistant to it. Most spells won’t work on her.”
“Didn’t you use magic to make her fly before?”

That happened right after my conversation with Luminous. At the time, I had seen Arwen use magic to let Ariel float in the air.

“That was different. I asked her not to resist the mana and to accept it willingly.”
“I see. She woke up even before the sleeping spell could take effect, didn’t she?”

Arwen nodded at my question. Ever since Ariel was born, there hasn’t been a single moment where Arwen and I had any privacy.

Mary, quick to pick up on the situation, asked in a tone of disbelief.

“Wait a minute. So, after the first night, you haven’t…?”
“We did on the second night. But on the third day, Ariel was born, so…”
“Me?”

Yes, you. My cute and lovable sprout of an angel.

If there’s anyone here who deserves to feel as wronged as Mary, it’s Arwen.

She was almost misunderstood by Mary, and her peaceful life with me was upended by Ariel’s sudden appearance.

Still, she can’t hold a grudge. After all, Ariel is a gift directly bestowed by Hirt. Complaining about her could invite unknown divine consequences.

“Hmm… That’s certainly unfortunate. But we can’t just take her along either.”
“Let me ask. Ariel?”
“Yes, Daddy?”
“Can you be okay without Daddy?”

At my question, Ariel tilted her head, the sprout on her head leaning with her.

She seemed to have trouble understanding what I meant, so I elaborated.

“Would you be fine if you couldn’t see Daddy’s face? Daddy has work to do, you see.”
“And Mommies?”
“Huh?”
“Mommies won’t be there too?”

Ariel responded using the plural form instead of singular. Now that I think about it, she had been referring to Mary and Cecily as “Mommy” since the first time she met them.

To confirm, I decided to ask a follow-up question.

“Uh, Ariel?”
“Yes?”
“Are these ladies your mommies too?”
“Yes! Mommy! So many mommies!”

Whether she liked having many “mommies” or there was another reason, Ariel nodded energetically.

Even her wings flapped in sync, making her delight evident to everyone.

It’s not too surprising that she considers Arwen, the first person she met, her mommy. But Mary and Cecily, too?

I decided to get to the bottom of this, asking step by step.

“Why do you call them Mommy? Didn’t you read in the book earlier? There are other words to address people who aren’t your mom.”
“Yes, but I can feel Daddy in my mommies.”
“You can feel me in them?”
“Yes! Daddy’s feeling is there in the mommies too.”

Her answer left me even more confused. What does she mean by “feeling me”?

The others seemed equally baffled, their expressions showing they were just as lost.

“Maybe Ariel considers every woman who’s been with Isaac as a mommy?”

Mary proposed a theory. It seemed plausible enough that everyone, myself included, nodded in agreement.

Of course, it was still just a theory and didn’t need immediate testing.

For now, the important thing was figuring out if Ariel could handle being apart from me. I softened my voice as I asked again.

“So, Ariel, would you be okay without Daddy?”
“I don’t like it if Daddy isn’t there…”

Understanding my question, Ariel’s expression turned gloomy. The sprout on her head drooped as if mirroring her feelings.

Seeing her reaction made my chest ache, but I couldn’t back down. Ariel was precious, but Arwen was just as important.

If I didn’t settle this now, who knew when I’d have another chance to create meaningful memories with Arwen?

“It’s only for a few nights. If it’s too hard, you can ask the mommies for help. Or you can come find Daddy yourself.”
“Okay…”
“Oh, and if you listen to Daddy, I’ll give you something you love the most. What does Ariel love the most?”
“Daddy.”

Her answer was heart-wrenching. Separation anxiety is dangerous for children; maybe I should abandon this plan.

Arwen seemed to have reached the same conclusion, speaking up with a resigned tone.

“Perhaps it’s better to let things be.”
“But…”
“I’ll be fine. Knowing that I’ve connected with you is enough to make me happy. You don’t need to worry too much.”

Despite her words, her silver-gray eyes betrayed her deep regret. No doubt this was hard for her.

However, it wasn’t like we could just ignore a gift from Hirt. No matter how bittersweet, this was something we’d have to endure.

As the situation seemed to be wrapping up, Ariel, who had been quietly watching Arwen, suddenly spoke.

“I’ll go.”
“What?”
“I’ll go without Daddy.”

Ariel abruptly changed her stance. Everyone, myself included, widened their eyes in surprise and stared at her.

Leaning against Cecily’s chest, Ariel nervously fidgeted with her hands before looking at Arwen and saying,

“I love Daddy, but I don’t want Mommy to be sad.”
“Ariel?”
“How many nights will it be?”

Perhaps it’s because she’s an angel, but Ariel, without being taught, understood the concepts of “selflessness” and “consideration.”

What a pure and good soul she is. It made me feel ashamed of my own greed.

Moved by her words, I approached her slowly, lifting her into my arms before nuzzling my face against hers.

“Oh, who did you take after to be so sweet? My Ariel is such a good girl.”
“Hehehe.”
“Even your smile is adorable. Daddy will come back as soon as possible, okay? Make sure to listen to the mommies in the meantime, all right?”
“Yes!”

This must be what it feels like to be a parent. No matter what chaos children cause, parents can’t help but love them.

Just as everyone was basking in the heartwarming moment, Ariel, basking in my affection, suddenly exclaimed,

“Yay.”
“...?”
“Now you can spend more time with Isaac?”

What? Who are you looking at while saying that…

“...Arwen?”
“Ah, um, this is…”

It’s amazing how quickly she can make someone look like a complete scoundrel.