Chapter: 713
Spring had finally sprung, shaking off the chill of winter.
Flowers began to peek out, and the cool breeze transformed into a soothing warmth that embraced us. Waking up to warm sunlight rather than a cold floor became our new norm.
The kids, thrilled by the change in weather, were rolling around in the flower beds rather than the mansion. I worried about them catching poison ivy or getting bitten by bugs, but with Trixie’s magic and the gardeners’ diligent care, I’m sure they’d be fine.
“How have you been?”
“Woof!”
As I delighted in the sight of Titi frolicking with the kids and the sacred beasts, I casually asked Jangsaeng, who was next to me.
“I managed to survive.”
Jangsaeng replied monotonously to my question.
It didn’t sound like a polite reply though; he wasn’t the type to bother with niceties, and his expression was much brighter compared to Titi’s a few weeks back.
It seemed that dealing with one instance instead of seven made things easier for him. No matter how closely you stick to one, you don’t have to worry about the rest as long as you keep one entertained. Plus, whenever Teresa falls asleep, he could sneak out.
“If you’re tired, just say so. I won’t send you again—”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Do you have any idea how much my master’s younger sibling adores me? If I don’t go, my master will earn their wrath!”
Desperate not to lose his vacation, Jangsaeng spoke quickly.
His expression reflected sheer panic, so I gently patted him. If I joke about this too many times, Jangsaeng might just drop dead on me!
“If you’re okay, I’ll keep sending you, so don’t worry. There are plenty of others who need to go, so it’ll be a while before your turn comes around.”
At my words, Jangsaeng lowered his head gloomily.
Titi and the eleven sacred beasts. Even if each gets two weeks off, that’s still a whopping 24 weeks! We wouldn’t wrap up the full rotation for nearly half a year!
…
‘Actually, that doesn’t seem too bad, does it?’
Thinking about it, vacations every six months for two weeks is beyond fair! If you base it on a year, that’s at least four weeks off, which easily overshadows what most civil servants get.
‘What kind of owner am I?’
I felt a swell of pride. A master who goes above and beyond for his pet’s welfare? Someone could call me the father of all pets!
Not to mention, the sacred beasts were able to verbalize their wishes, allowing me to cater to their cravings immediately. If they ever got hurt or sick, I could help them right away. It felt like a perfect pet ownership environment.
“Jangsaeng.”
“What is it?”
“You’d enjoy this way more than being a god.”
I bit my index and middle fingers.
It didn’t hurt, but since that day, there was something eerily menacing in Jangsaeng’s gaze. If he couldn’t speak, he would likely bark fiercely at me whenever I showed up.
Sorry, I admit that was a bit much.
Just like the warm spring breeze approached us, the northern one nestled in the arms of Pina was gearing up to visit us.
Pina’s belly had grown round enough to signal that delivery could happen any time. Keeping the delivery date in mind, it could happen in the coming days. You could see her struggling to move.
All signs pointed to the birth of the Northern one. The day when all my wives could finally enjoy a tea time with their own children was drawing near.
‘Pina was feeling a bit anxious since she didn’t have any kids yet.’
Given the timing of their marriage, she couldn’t have a child any sooner than this, but as a wife, it was only natural to feel a bit lonely being the only one without a child among them. No matter how rationally she understood it, it could still tug at her heartstrings.
Thus, I always felt sorry toward Pina and often wondered if I should’ve expedited the wedding cycle—
At least now, that guilt should ease up a bit.
“Will the northern one be a son or a daughter?”
“If they take after us, they’ll grow up beautifully and healthily, no matter which it is.”
Pina’s words brought a smile to my face.
Yes, she was right. Whether son or daughter, if they inherited my blood, they would grow up to be strong kids. If they resembled Pina, they’d be cute and adorable.
Thankfully, my Pina carried strong genes to pass down to our child. The first gift parents can give to their offspring.
“But I’m a bit sad. Pedi won’t get to see the northern one enroll in the Academy before graduation.”
I stroked Pina’s belly as I said this.
Pedi was born in 1379, and it was now the year 1382. Once the northern one was born, they’d have a three-year gap, so when Pedi was in his third year at the Academy, the northern one wouldn’t even be old enough to set foot in there.
Of course, there were triplets and Friedrich, Alina, and Ferentz who came after Pedi. Plenty of younger siblings awaited to be born after the northern one, so they wouldn’t be alone in the Academy. Still, it felt a bit sad that the first children of Mar and Pina wouldn’t see each other during their school years. The firstborns should see one another more!
‘…But I can’t ask Pedi to take a year back.’
That was a cruel thought plain and simple. I quickly dismissed it.
Having the firstborn stay back a year after the unqualified second-born? Just thinking about that made my heart clench.
“It’s fine. The three years at the Academy will be but a fleeting moment compared to the time our children will spend together. I don’t think either Pedi or the northern one will feel awkward over just three years.”
And unlike my worries, Pina smiled gently.
She had faith in Pedi, the eldest son of the Krasius family, and trust in her soon-to-be firstborn.
“Well, that’s true.”
That statement made perfect sense, causing me to smile back.
Although our kids may be young toddlers now, they’ll grow into mature adults over time. It was embarrassing to fret over them like they were still babies.
Still, I had six wives to keep me grounded. Even if I had a meltdown or weird parenting ideas, I could count on my wives to talk me down.
‘So just come out healthy.’
We prepared everything for you already.
*
Suddenly, a message from the Judicial Minister came through.
“Call me once Penelia goes into labor.”
“Excuse me?”
That unexpected request took me by surprise.
Why would the Minister want to be informed when Pina goes into labor? Are he and Pina long-lost relatives sharing an ancestor? Or did Pina secretly become his adopted daughter when I wasn’t looking?
This was confusing. Sure, if they wanted to be informed once the northern one was born, I’d get it, but why during the labor?
“…Why’s that?”
“Because Penelia will have no one at her side, right? The Duke lost his parents long ago, but at least he had years of loyal retainers around him. However, Penelia had just received her title, so she has no one.”
“Ah.”
Having been unable to suppress my curiosity, I got a rather persuasive answer in return.
When Mar, Trixie, Rizie, Lynn, and Eri gave birth, family and people came rushing to be at their sides. They were there to comfort them after their struggle, to shed tears of joy over the newborn.
Yet for Pina, as the minister said, there was no one. Her family had already passed on, and she had barely built strong bonds with the retainers. The former Mukgwangdae were swamped with work and couldn’t help.
Sure, the servants in the mansion were akin to family to Pina, but the servants hadn’t celebrated the childbirth of the other wives either. It felt a bit unfair to consider them as solely hers.
‘The Minister always cared for Pina, after all.’
Fortunately, like how I had an affinity for the Fourth Division, the Minister had looked after the Fourth Division during the time that Pina was the Section Chief. Thanks to that, the Minister remained a good person in Pina’s eyes. If he were to come celebrate her first childbirth, she would genuinely appreciate it.
“I’ll call right away, so you mustn’t be late.”
“Had it not been me, you probably wouldn’t have called until the very end.”
I could only chuckle awkwardly at his pointed remark. If the Minister hadn’t brought it up, I wouldn’t have thought to ease Pina’s loneliness during her first labor.
‘Is this what experience means?’
It was a surprising revelation. Normally, he just seemed like an old fogey, but moments like this showed a true elder’s wisdom.
It was assuring to see that a seasoned man of over fifty had wisdom that wasn’t wasted.
*
Lately, I hadn’t been able to grab onto anything with my hands.
“Lady! If you need anything, we’ll bring it to you!”
Yuris would dash away with sparkling eyes whenever something was needed.
“Lady, here!”
Sofia would quickly serve tea if I so much as looked towards the teapot.
To be honest, it was starting to feel a tad overwhelming. It felt odd to be called Lady by these younger kids, but I understood it was for the sake of order in the family and the mansion. The kids might have merely changed my title, but in their hearts, they still saw me as an older sister.
Yet being completely reserved felt too weird. It felt like a sandcastle ready to collapse at the slightest movement or bubbles ready to burst with a little poke.
“Thank you.”
But I couldn’t cruelly tell the kids, “I don’t need this, so go away.” Knowing this was their expression of affection, particularly for the northern one nestled in my arms, warmed my heart.
“…Both of you, sit down. It’s lonely drinking alone, so let’s enjoy this together.”
Thus, I invited Yuris and Sofia to take a seat.
After all, until I give birth to the northern one, these kids would only cater to me without doing any further chores in the mansion. A small tea time like this wouldn’t hurt.
“I’ll bring cookies! Sofia, you stay here with the Lady!”
“This time, I…”
Sofia’s sentence barely finished before Yuris zoomed out the door.
Her enthusiasm made me smile. Maybe Yuris was secretly looking forward to tea time too!
“Sofia.”
“Yes?”
“Just sit down. You’re not planning to stand until Yuris comes back, are you?”
Only then did Sofia timidly take her seat. Seeing her, my heart warmed, and I couldn’t help but pat her head.
With kids like these, I’m sure they’ll become great aunts to our northern one.
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