It seemed like a little brother or sister was on the way.
The family's growing. Hooray for little
Zenith had been troubled these past few years.
She'd been worried that she couldn't have any more children after me.
She'd even sighed and muttered that maybe she'd never be able to bear a child again.
Then, about a month ago, it started with changes in taste, followed by nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.
The classic symptoms of morning sickness had begun.
Since it was a familiar feeling, she went to the doctor.
They told her it was almost certainly a pregnancy.
The
What to name it if it's a boy? What to name it if it's a girl?
There's still room in the house, right? We could use Rudy's hand-me-downs for baby clothes.
The topics of conversation were endless.
That day was lively from start to finish, filled with laughter.
I was genuinely happy too, and I argued that I wanted a little sister. Little brothers just go around breaking your precious stuff (with a bat).
And then.
The problem surfaced another month later.
--- Lillia's pregnancy was discovered.
"I'm sorry to report, but I'm with child."
Seated at a family gathering, Lillia delivered the news of her pregnancy in a flat tone.
In that instant, the Greyrat household froze solid.
Who was the father...?
There was no atmosphere where anyone could ask that question.
Everyone had a vague suspicion already.
Lillia was a diligent maid.
She sent most of her wages back to her hometown.
Unlike
There were no rumors of her being particularly close to anyone either.
Still, I'd briefly wondered if maybe it was some passing stranger...
But I knew.
I knew about Paul being forced into abstinence after Zenith got pregnant.
I knew about how he, with pent-up desires, had sneaked into Lillia's room in the middle of the night.
If I were really just a child, I'd have assumed the two of them were just playing cards or something.
But unfortunately, I knew.
It wasn't "Old Maid"—it was "Remove the Mother" that was going on in there.
Still, I wished he'd been a little more careful. Those two—reference material included—always say it, don't they?
"Dear readers!
'If you try, you can do it!' Truly inspiring words.
They teach us the importance of contraception!"
I'd love to make Paul hear those words while his face is pale blue.
Well, I have no idea if the concept of contraception even exists in this world.
Of course.
I had no intention of exposing the truth and causing the family to fall apart.
Hitting on the maid—if it were anyone else, I'd say unforgivable.
But Paul had helped me out with the
Being an attractive man is tough, you know.
So if anyone got suspicious, I'd cover for him. I'd even fabricate a fake alibi if I had to.
Having made that decision, I shot Paul a reassuring look.
At the same time, Zenith turned to Paul with an expression of disbelief.
And so, by some cruel twist, both my gaze and Zenith's landed on Paul simultaneously.
"S-sorry. It's... it's probably my kid..."
The man confessed immediately.
How pathetic...
Or maybe I should commend him for being honest.
Then again, this was the same guy who always sat me down at family gatherings and lectured me about being honest, being manly, protecting girls, and never being deceitful.
Maybe he just couldn't bring himself to lie.
I don't mind that, actually. I don't dislike that about him.
(The situation is terrible, though...)
Watching Zenith rise to her feet like a wrathful statue and raise her hand, I thought as much.
And thus, with Lillia mixed into the equation, an emergency family meeting erupted.
--- Zenith was the first to break the silence.
She held the reins of this meeting.
"So, what are you planning to do?"
From my perspective, Zenith was remarkably calm.
She wasn't throwing a hysterical fit at her cheating husband.
She'd only slapped him once.
A red maple-leaf imprint decorated Paul's cheek.
"After assisting with the mistress's delivery, I was thinking of taking my leave from the household."
Lillia answered.
She was remarkably calm too.
Perhaps in this world, this sort of thing happened often.
A maid seduced by her employer.
It becomes a problem, and she leaves the house.
Hmm.
Normally, I'd get worked up over such a pitiful story.
But honestly, under this atmosphere, not even a flicker of excitement stirred in me.
I had standards, after all.
Unlike Paul.
For the record, Paul was huddled in the corner, shrunk into himself.
A father's dignity? Yeah, right.
"What about the child?"
"I was thinking of giving birth within the Fittoa territory and then raising the child back in my hometown."
"Your hometown is to the south, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"After giving birth, when your body is weakened, you wouldn't be able to endure a long journey."
"...Perhaps not, but I have no one else to turn to."
The Fittoa territory was northeast of the
From what I knew, traveling to what was considered "the south" in the Asura Kingdom would take nearly a month even by stagecoach.
But that said, the Asura Kingdom had the best public safety in the world.
By stagecoach, the journey wouldn't be unbearably harsh.
That was assuming you were an ordinary traveler, though.
Lillia had no money.
She couldn't afford a stagecoach, so the journey would be on foot.
Even if the Greyrats paid for her travel and she could take a stagecoach, the danger wouldn't change.
A mother traveling alone right after giving birth.
If I were a bad person and I saw that? Of course I'd attack. She'd be the perfect target.
Take the child hostage, use some empty promises to restrain the mother.
Steal what money there is, strip her of everything.
Since this world apparently had a slave system, he'd sell off both mother and child, and that'd be that.
Even if the Asura Kingdom was the safest country in this world, that didn't mean bad people were nonexistent.
I couldn't say for certain, but the probability of being attacked was high.
Zenith was right about the physical toll too.
Even if Lillia could endure it, what about the child?
Could a newborn survive a month-long journey? No way.
And if Lillia collapsed, the child would be done for too.
If she fell ill and had no money to see a doctor, they'd both perish.
I could picture it vividly—Lillia collapsed in a heavy snowstorm, clutching a baby.
I didn't want Lillia to die like that.
"Um, Mother, that's really too—"
"You stay quiet!"
Paul tried to timidly open his mouth, but Zenith shut him down with a sharp retort, and he cowered like a child.
On this matter, he had no right to speak.
Hmm... Paul was useless.
"............"
Zenith looked troubled, biting her nails.
It seemed she was conflicted too.
She didn't hate Lillia enough to want her dead.
Quite the opposite—they were on good terms. After six years of working together on household chores, they could practically be called best friends.
If the child Lillia was carrying hadn't been Paul's...
If, say, it had been the result of a rape in some back alley...
Zenith would have protected Lillia without hesitation and would have permitted—no, forced—her to raise the child in their home.
From the flow of the conversation, it seemed this world didn't have the concept of abortion.
Right now, I believed two emotions were at war inside Zenith.
Her love for Lillia, and her sense of betrayal.
The fact that the latter emotion hadn't completely taken over in this situation was, frankly, impressive.
If it were me, jealousy would have had me kicking her out immediately.
Zenith's ability to stay calm probably also had to do with Lillia's attitude.
Lillia hadn't tried to dodge responsibility at all. She was prepared to take the blame—for betraying the household she'd served.
But in my opinion, the one who should be taking responsibility was Paul.
Lillia bearing the blame alone was wrong.
Absolutely wrong.
It shouldn't end with this kind of twisted farewell.
I decided to help Lillia.
I owed Lillia. We hadn't interacted much—she'd rarely spoken to me directly. But she'd always taken care of me properly.
After I worked up a sweat from sword practice, she'd have a cloth ready for me.
If I got caught in the rain, she'd have hot water prepared.
On cold nights, she'd lay out a blanket for me.
If I forgot to put a book back on the shelf, she'd tidy it up for me.
And above all.
Above all.
...Above all, she— She knew about the Sacred Object, and she kept quiet about it.
Yes, Lillia knew.
It was back when Sylphie was still thought to be a boy. It had been raining. I was in my room reading a botanical encyclopedia, partly as review.
Lillia came in and started cleaning.
I was so absorbed in the encyclopedia that I didn't notice Lillia cleaning near the household shrine.
By the time I noticed, it was too late. The Sacred Object was in Lillia's hand.
I thought I was done for.
Sure, I'd been a shut-in for nearly twenty years.
I'd been sloppy, leaving things out in the open without a care.
My desktop even had a folder called "ero-pics."
Maybe my concealment skills had rusted shut from disuse.
But to think it would be found so easily... I'd actually hidden it pretty well, too.
Was this what it meant to be a maid?
Something inside me collapsed, and I heard the sound of blood draining from the crown of my head.
The interrogation began.
Lillia asked, "What is this?"
I answered, "Wh-what could that be? Beats me, ha ha ha ha."
Lillia said, "It smells."
I answered, "C-could it be some kind of sesame oil fragrance or something?"
Lillia said, "Whose is it?"
I answered, "...I'm sorry. It's
Lillia said, "Shouldn't you wash it?"
I answered, "Wash that?! Absolutely not!"
Lillia silently returned the Sacred Object to the household shrine.
Then, with my trembling back to her, she left the room.
That night, I steeled myself for a family meeting.
But nothing happened.
I spent the small hours shivering under my blankets.
The next morning, nothing happened either.
She hadn't told anyone.
Now it was time to repay that kindness.
"Mother, now that we have two new siblings on the way at once, why is the atmosphere so heavy?"
I did my best to sound like a child.
Lillia's pregnant too? Wow, so many family members! But why does everyone look so sad?
Putting on that act, I ventured in.
"Because your father did something he shouldn't have," Zenith said with a sigh.
Underneath her voice lurked a bottomless anger.
But the target of that anger wasn't Lillia.
Zenith knew that too.
Who was the most to blame.
"I see. But can Lillia really go against Father?"
"What do you mean?"
Fine then. Sorry, Paul, but you brought this on yourself. Let's pin all the blame on you this time.
My bad—what I owe you for the Sylphie thing, I'll collect next round.
"I know that Father has something on Lillia."
"Eh? Really?!"
Believing my fabrication, Zenith turned to look at Lillia in surprise.
Lillia was expressionless as always, but something must have hit home—her eyebrow twitched slightly.
Did Paul really have leverage over her?
Judging by their usual behavior, it actually looked more like Lillia had something on Paul...
Well. That worked in my favor.
"The other night, I was going to the bathroom and passed by Lillia's room, and Father was saying something like, 'Spread your legs quietly if you don't want me to spread the word about—'"
"W-what! Rudy, what nonsense are you—"
"You stay quiet!!!"
Zenith shrieked and shut Paul down.
"Lillia, is what he said true?"
"That's... not what happened..."
Lillia's gaze wavered.
Did she really have something to worry about? Or maybe that was actually one of their little games.
"Well, I suppose you wouldn't put it that way yourself..." Zenith accepted the explanation on her own terms.
Paul's eyes were rolling back in his head. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out—he looked like a gasping goldfish.
Good. Time to press the attack.
"Mother, I don't think Lillia is at fault."
"That's true."
"Father is the one who's wrong."
"...That's true."
"It's wrong for Lillia to suffer when Father is the one who did something wrong."
"...That's true."
Was I getting through...?
No, I needed one more push.
"I have fun every day with Sylphie, but wouldn't it be good for my soon-to-be brother or sister to have a friend around the same age too?"
"...Y-yes, I suppose so."
"And besides, Mother—to me, they're both my siblings."
"...Fine. You win, Rudy. I just can't beat you."
Zenith let out a deep sigh.
You're making it tough on me, Mom.
"Lillia, stay. You're family now! I won't allow you to just leave on your own!"
The decree came like a crane's cry from on high.
Paul's eyes went wide, and Lillia pressed a hand to her mouth, tears welling up.
And with that, the matter was settled.
--- Thus, by dumping all the blame onto Paul, the crisis was averted.
In the end, Zenith gave Paul a look so cold it was like she was staring at a pig moments from slaughter.
In some circles, that might count as a reward, but my pride took a hit.
With that expression, she turned and walked back to the bedroom alone.
Lillia was crying.
Her face remained as expressionless as ever, but tears rolled down freely from her eyes.
Paul hovered nearby, wanting to put a hand on her shoulder but hesitating.
For now, I'd leave the playboy to handle this.
I followed Zenith toward the bedroom.
If this incident led to Paul and Zenith getting divorced, that would be a whole different problem.
When I knocked on the bedroom door, Zenith opened it right away.
"Mother. What I said just now was a lie I made up.
Please don't come to hate Father."
Without a beat of hesitation, without any preamble, I said it straight.
Zenith looked momentarily stunned, then smiled wryly and gently ruffled my hair.
"I know. It's not like I intended to fall in love with such a terrible man.
He's an idiot who can't take his eyes off women—I'd always known something like this would happen eventually.
I was just surprised because it came so suddenly."
"...Father can't take his eyes off women?"
I asked, pretending not to know.
"That's right. Not so much lately, but he used to have no discretion whatsoever. For all you know, you might have an older brother or sister out there somewhere."
As she said this, her hand on my head grew heavier.
"You mustn't become that kind of adult, Rudy."
Her hand—no, her grip—on my head tightened, pressing harder and harder...
"You have to treasure Sylphie, okay?"
"Ow, ow—of course, Mother, that hurts!"
I felt like I'd been nailed down hard regarding my future behavior.
But things were looking okay for now.
From here on, it depended on Paul's efforts.
Even so, our old man was incorrigible.
Don't do it a second time, senor.
The next day.
Sword practice was brutal.
I covered for you and everything—lay off the venting, would you?
--- —Lillia's Perspective— Let me be clear.
The pregnancy was my fault.
I was the one who seduced Paul.
When I first came to this household, I hadn't intended anything like that.
But night after night, I heard the two of them moaning, and when I cleaned rooms thick with the scent of men and women, my own body was female—desire accumulated.
At first, I took care of myself.
But watching Paul practice swordplay in the yard every day, the embers I couldn't extinguish grew deeper and deeper inside me.
Watching Paul do his sword drills reminded me of the first time.
It was long ago, back when I was still very young, staying at a sword dojo.
The partner was Paul, and it was a forced liaison.
I didn't hate him, but it wasn't love either.
It couldn't be called romantic, so I'd shed tears at the time.
The next person to make advances was a greasy court minister.
I thought at least that might be better than Paul, but before long I didn't even care.
When I heard Paul was recruiting a maid, I figured I might use that past incident as bargaining leverage.
When we met again after so long, Paul was far more of a man than before.
The boyishness was gone. He had a sternness and toughness about him.
I'd endured being in front of such a man for six years.
At first, Paul didn't make advances toward me either.
So I held out.
If things had stayed that way, the heat would have eventually faded.
But his occasional harassment stoked the flames of desire.
I knew I was balanced on a knife's edge.
Zenith's pregnancy sent me tumbling over.
When I saw Paul with pent-up desire, I saw an opportunity.
I saw an opportunity, and I lured Paul into my room...
So it was my fault.
I thought the pregnancy was punishment.
Punishment for succumbing to desire and betraying Zenith.
But I was forgiven.
Rudeus forgave me.
That brilliant child understood exactly what had happened, guided the conversation with precision, and brought everything to a clean resolution.
His calmness was as if he'd experienced something similar before.
Unsettling... no, I should stop saying that.
I'd found Rudeus unsettling and avoided him for so long.
Rudeus was perceptive. He must have noticed I was keeping my distance.
And yet, that child saved me.
It must not have felt good for him at all.
He chose to save me and this child over his own feelings.
I was ashamed of having called him unsettling and kept him at arm's length.
He was my savior.
A person worthy of respect.
I should revere him.
I should pay him the utmost respect and serve him until my dying breath.
No... I'd been neglecting him all this time.
I could never repay him on my own.
That's it.
If this child in my belly is born safely and grows up...
I would have this child serve Rudeus...
Serve Master Rudeus.
--- —Rudeus's Perspective— Several months passed without incident.
Sylphie had learned to use chantless magic up to intermediate level.
She was gradually mastering finer control too.
Her growth was remarkable.
My swordsmanship, on the other hand, hadn't changed much.
I seemed to be getting better, but I still couldn't take a single point from Paul, so it was hard to tell.
Also, Lillia's attitude had softened.
She'd apparently been wary of me this whole time.
Well, fair enough—I'd been flinging around magic like crazy since I was a little kid, so that was only natural.
She was still basically expressionless, but now there was a sense of exaggerated respect in her words and mannerisms.
Being respected felt nice, but since Paul wasn't getting any respect, I wished she'd tone it down a bit.
Since that incident, Lillia and I had started talking more.
Mainly stories about Paul from the old days.
Apprently, Lillia had once trained at the same sword dojo as Paul.
Back then, Paul had talent but hated practice.
He'd skip training, go off into town, and just wander around having fun.
Lillia told me how Paul had snuck into her room one night and taken her virginity.
How Paul, terrified of being found out, had fled the dojo.
She related these things in her usual flat tone.
The more of Lillia's stories I heard, the lower Paul's stock plummeted in my mind.
Rape, infidelity.
Paul was scum.
No—he wasn't fundamentally a bad person.
He was free-spirited, childish, the type to trigger a woman's maternal instincts.
He tried to act like a father in front of me.
He was just a bit impulsive and couldn't keep it in his pants. But he wasn't a bad person.
"What's this, staring at me like that? Wanna be a cool guy like your old man?"
During sword practice, Paul noticed me watching and asked that.
What a joke.
"The kind of man who cheats and creates a family crisis—that's 'cool' to you?"
"Guh..."
Paul made a bitter face.
Seeing that expression, I made a mental note to be careful myself.
Then again, I was the dense type. I wouldn't cheat. Girls would just fight over me on their own.
I'd just... steer them that way.
"Well, if that experience taught you anything, try keeping your hands off anyone but Mother."
"L-Lillia's fine, right?"
This guy hadn't learned at all.
"Next time, Mother might just go home without a word, you know..."
"Guh, guh..."
Two women—one he thought he'd built himself a harem.
He'd landed a beautiful wife, had a maid he could bed anytime, taught his son swordsmanship, and was enjoying a dissipated early retirement in the countryside.
Hey, hey—aren't you jealous? Isn't that one of the best endings possible?
In light novel terms, it was like putting the moves on both Roux and Siesta and getting away with it.
Shouldn't I, who kept claiming to be the dense type, take a page from his book?
No. No, no. Calm down.
Remember the look Zenith gave him at the end of that family meeting.
Did I want that kind of look directed at me?
One wife was more than enough.
"You—you're a guy too, you understand, right?"
Paul kept pressing.
I understood, but I wouldn't agree.
"What would a six-year-old son understand?"
"Come on, you've got your eye on little Sylphie too, haven't you? That girl's gonna be a looker when she grows up."
I couldn't exactly disagree with that.
"That's true. I think she's already plenty cute as she is."
"See, you get it."
"Yeah."
Paul was a scumbag, but somehow we could talk.
I looked like a child, but my mind was over forty—a certified NEOT.
Well, within games anyway—I liked girls, and I loved harem endings.
On a fundamental level, I might have been the same kind of womanizer as Paul.
Or rather...
It was after the Sylphie incident that I'd started feeling like we could talk.
After that event, Paul had reached out to me, and we'd grown closer.
Whether it was because he'd seen my weak side, or because I'd been seen—he'd stopped forcing the stern-father act.
He was growing too.
"Hmmhmm..."
I glanced over and caught Paul grinning.
His gaze wasn't aimed at me—it was aimed behind me.
I turned around. Sylphie was standing there.
Rare for her to come all the way to our place.
Looking closely, her cheeks were faintly flushed and she was fidgeting.
She must have been listening.
"Come on—say those nice things again for her."
Paul's classic teasing.
I snorted through my nose.
Completely clueless.
Paul still had a long way to go.
Even pleasant words lose their impact if you hear them over and over. The trick was to act dense and then, every once in a while, let the truth slip out casually.
Once in a while.
Never twice in a row.
So I just smiled warmly and waved silently to Sylphie.
Besides, Sylphie was only six. Talking about that sort of thing was at least ten years too early.
If you spoiled her with compliments from this age, she'd never grow into a proper woman.
My older sister from my previous life was a perfect example.
"U-um. Rudy, you're also, um...cool, you know?"
"Thanks, Sylphie."
I flashed my brightest smile (or so I intended) and grinned.
Sure enough, Sylphie was good at social pleasantries.
That upward glance of hers almost made me think she was serious for a second.
I did think Sylphie was cute, but there were no romantic feelings behind it.
For now, at least.
"Well then, Father. I'm heading out."
"Don't go pushing anyone down in the grass."
As if I would. I'm not you.
"Mom! Dad is—"
"Hey, hey, stop, stop...!"
Today, too, our household was at peace.
--- Zenith's delivery was difficult.
The baby was in breech position.
Lillia was also expecting, so they'd brought in the village midwife as help.
The old woman threw her hands up and declared there was nothing she could do.
A baby in this position would most likely die.
Both mother and child were in danger.
Lillia threw everything she knew into action, working desperately.
I lent what meager support I could by continuously casting healing magic.
Thanks to that effort, the delivery was pulled off.
The baby was safely born into this world, letting out a healthy cry.
It was a girl.
A little sister.
Not a brother—thank goodness.
But my relief was short-lived. Lillia went into labor.
It happened at the moment everyone was exhausted and their guard was down.
The word "premature" danced in my mind.
This time, though, the midwife proved useful.
She might not have known what to do about a breech birth, but she had experience with premature deliveries.
Truly, there was no substitute for experience.
I followed the old woman's instructions immediately.
I kicked the dazed Paul in the rear and had him carry Lillia to my room.
In the meantime, I used magic to prepare fresh bathwater, gathered every clean cloth I could find, and returned to the midwife.
The midwife was reliable.
Lillia bravely called out Paul's name.
Paul, drenched in sweat, held Lillia's hand.
The baby was born.
Smaller than my little sister, but still letting out a vigorous cry.
This one was a girl too.
Both of them were girls.
Both girls, huh—Paul said with a dopey grin.
Pure idiocy on his face.
It was the second time I'd seen that expression.
Even so, I felt sorry for Paul.
After all, the female population of our household had just doubled.
In that situation, who ended up at the very bottom of the pecking order?
The father who'd cheated on the maid and fathered a child, of course.
I'd aim to be a cool, respected big brother.
Zenith's daughter was named Norne.
Lillia's daughter was named
That's how they were named.