Chapter 240: Aftermath – Family
“I’m sorry.”
Here I was, kneeling in a corner of the inn, repeatedly apologizing.
“I made a mistake.”
Somehow, the inn’s “wives,” including Elsie, already knew what had transpired in the Ice Valley.
Elsie even started guessing the details and rattling them off.
Of course, she also seemed surprised that it was all true.
“I apologize. I’m a scoundrel and trash.”
“Well, you know that well enough.”
Still, thankfully, I could eventually receive their forgiveness.
“Well, I expected something like this would happen eventually.”
“I’m starting to feel indifferent about it.”
“But with Ruel and Lucy, well…”
Was I really relieved though?
I felt a bit sad since it seemed my image had already solidified.
I couldn’t really make excuses, given the harsh truth.
But besides that, there was still something uneasy gnawing at me.
‘Isn’t this ending too easily?’
No matter how bad my reputation might be, this seemed too simple.
I had thought about the possibility of being caught, and all my expectations of punishment were brutal.
Even if my reason was lost due to the hot spring…
The affair with the twin sisters during a trip without my wives’ permission.
Wait, saying it like that makes me sound like the lowest scum!
Which is true.
‘In any case, I was at least expecting three knife stabs…’
Something felt off.
That it would end so easily.
Good for me, of course.
Then it happened.
Creak
With the sound of a door opening, someone appeared.
With hair as transparent as ice and white skin.
It was Miss Weiss.
“Um…”
She peeked into the room slightly and gasped before retreating her head back.
“Oh, it’s not over yet.”
I hurriedly called her back.
“No, Miss Weiss! It’s all done now!”
That should be the case.
First and foremost, I needed to escape this awkward space.
“Is that so?”
Then Miss Weiss smiled and leaned her upper body back in.
I asked her.
“But what brings you here?”
“Oh, Rose kept nagging to see her daddy… So I came to check when it might be over.”
Rose.
The daughter born between Gwen and me, my precious firstborn.
The second one was expected to be with Elsie.
“Please tell Rose that Daddy will come to see her soon!”
Then Weiss nodded brightly and went out, closing the door.
Watching her leave, I thought.
‘She really is a kind person.’
After the innkeeper stepped down, I had become the owner of the inn.
However, due to my inability to always stay at the inn, Miss Weiss primarily took charge of managing it.
Moreover, I owed her a lot, like when she cared for Rose in Gwen’s busy times.
‘I should somehow repay her later.’
With that thought in mind, I shifted my gaze back to my wives.
But for some reason, their stares were colder than before.
‘What’s going on?’
When I showed my confusion, Elsie spoke.
“We can’t let Miss Weiss suffer like us.”
“What do you mean, can’t?”
“We can’t let such a good person bear the same pain we endure.”
“What’s the big deal…”
“Anyway, we won’t allow it. We’ll do everything we can to stop it, so keep that in mind.”
It was puzzling for me to understand.
For some strange reason, Gwen and Sara were also nodding in agreement.
Then, Gwen, who had been nodding, said.
“Let’s go see Rose first. She’s been looking for you every single day.”
Right, that should be the priority.
*
“Peekaboo, it’s peekaboo!”
In Gwen’s arms was a little girl with red hair.
However, despite Gwen’s efforts, the child’s blue eyes just stared blankly.
Well, Rose had always been like that.
“Peekaboo!”
“Gah! Hah!”
She liked me more than Gwen.
Not that she didn’t like Gwen, but when the two of us were together, she would usually pick me.
Even her first word had been “Daddy” instead of “Mommy.”
“Cheh.”
Seeing my daughter’s unchanged reaction made Gwen pout.
Moreover, the jealous gaze she directed toward other wives like Elsie and Sara glistened with fury.
“Oh, haha…”
Feeling a bit scared, I chuckled awkwardly.
Rose then giggled back.
I couldn’t expect a four-year-old to grasp the situation with me, could I?
‘I’m sorry. This dad is no good.’
If it were usual times, I might have given Gwen a light kiss to cheer her up, but I knew that staying quiet was the best course of action now.
After all, I was an inadequate dad who had caused a mess during the trip.
“If you like Daddy so much, why not come and snuggle with him for a bit?”
Ultimately, Gwen tried to hand Rose over to me, but Rose clung to her mom and wouldn’t let go.
Seeing that, Gwen raised an eyebrow in disbelief, but warmth radiated from her gaze.
‘She’s definitely become a mother now.’
That much was obvious.
But seeing her expression reminded me all too clearly.
The female knight who continuously swung her sword to overcome her fate… was now living a normal life as a mother, fulfilling her wish.
‘I’m so relieved.’
I too wore a satisfied smile.
Yet part of me felt a sting in my heart.
Freira.
I had confirmed she had found satisfaction when we parted, but still, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness.
Whenever I saw Gwen as a mother, Freira’s image naturally came to mind, which was distressing.
But I couldn’t let that show.
I had to hold back my emotions, as I shouldn’t grieve too deeply for her, not wanting my mother, Freira, to sense my struggle to bear her absence.
A moment’s melancholy for her was enough.
“Come on, Rose. Come to Daddy.”
In the end, I reached out first to Rose.
It was almost bedtime for her anyway.
And tonight, I planned to tuck her in myself.
“Let’s sleep together with Daddy tonight.”
Then Rose hesitated for a moment before finally loosening her grip on Gwen and waddling over to me.
With a slightly disappointed expression, she said.
“Daddy. More play.”
Her vocabulary was still limited, but Rose had started making short conversations.
“Nope. If you do that, Daddy can’t sleep with you.”
“Boo.”
She still looked disappointed.
Worried Rose might throw a tantrum, I was relieved she reluctantly bowed her head and hugged me.
“Oh dear, my Rose listens so well.”
She probably took after Gwen.
I gently laid Rose down on the bed, covering her with a blanket.
Then I stroked her head.
Her soft red hair.
If only she grows up healthy like this, she would become a beautiful lady, resembling her mother.
‘I bet many boys will be after her.’
The thought of sending her off to marry someday made my stomach churn.
But for Rose’s happiness, I knew it was unavoidable.
In the end, all I could do was strictly select her future suitors.
‘Of course, as long as he sincerely loves Rose, that’d be enough, regardless of family background or looks.’
But one thing was for sure; I wouldn’t let a scoundrel like me be the one to marry her off.
I know how shameful that is.
If you want to criticize me for hypocrisy, go ahead.
But marrying my daughter to a rogue is a different story.
Nod.
Lost in those thoughts, I noticed Rose had started breathing softly.
It seemed she had tired herself out playing with me all day.
“Well then…”
Honestly, I was tired too.
I had rushed back from my journey to the inn.
Now, I just wanted to sleep.
Carefully, I moved my feet to leave Rose’s room.
And headed toward my own.
Creak.
It felt slightly different returning to my room in the inn after so long.
But exhaustion led me to pay no mind and I collapsed onto the bed.
My eyes were already half-closed.
“Phew…”
As I tried to fall asleep, I regretted it a little.
The ease with which my wives forgave me earlier was still nagging at me.
“Should I have brought a gift or something?”
At that moment.
“No, that’s not necessary.”
“Elsie?”
I heard Elsie’s voice from somewhere.
“I don’t need it either.”
“I don’t particularly need a gift…”
Then I heard Gwen and Sara’s voices join in.
The room was dark, so I couldn’t see them.
But why were they in my room?
‘Huh?’
A sense of foreboding washed over me.
The unease I had felt until now might just be real.
‘Damn it.’
I decided to sleep outside tonight.
I hurriedly got up and opened the window.
“Catch me!”
However, my attempt was thwarted by the two quickly moving to restrain me, faster than Elsie’s command.
“Uh, excuse me? Can we talk about this first…”
“A talk is plenty with our bodies.”
“A talk with our bodies?”
That was their intention, wasn’t it? To beat me up?
That’s right, they wouldn’t just let me off so easily.
‘But…’
Why do they feel so strange?
Bare skin?
“Why are you all undressed?”
They were all stripped down.
And while Gwen and Sara held me, Elsie was quickly pulling my pants down.
“Wait, you don’t mean right now…!”
“You did it with two at once on your trip, so what’s the difference with three?”
There is a difference.
But if I brought that up, I’d have no way to argue back.
Arguing would make me the ultimate trash.
There’s a difference between plain trash and utmost trash.
‘Guess there’s no helping it?’
These ladies meant business.
I had no right to refuse.
From here on out, my only remaining task was to be drained of energy by them all night.
‘Ruel, I think I’m starting to worry about my lifespan now.’
As I was quietly resigning myself to reality, suddenly…
Squeak.
The door opened unexpectedly.
“Huh?”
All eyes turned towards that direction.
More precisely, towards the tiny figure beyond the door.
“Mommy, Daddy, Sisters?”
She was someone who absolutely should not be here.
An innocent, precious being with no knowledge of anything.
My daughter, Rose.
“What are you doing?”
Fortunately, the room was practically pitch black, so it seemed Rose could only hear and knew we were present but could not see what we were doing.
She hadn’t caught on to what was going on.
“Rose, freeze!”
I halted her to regroup.
And while pulling up my pants, I hurried over to Rose.
“Freeze?”
“Gotcha!”
I lifted her playfully, and Rose burst into laughter.
I was relieved she seemed happy and asked her.
“But what’s up? Did you have a scary dream?”
“Nope.”
“Then?”
“You said we would sleep together!”
“Oh.”
It seemed she had come looking for me after realizing I wasn’t beside her.
“Sorry, Daddy had some things to take care of for a moment.”
“Ah ha.”
“I’m not breaking the promise to sleep with Rose, okay?”
“Yep!”
Fortunately, Rose accepted the situation well.
In a way, from my perspective, she was a savior.
If she hadn’t come in…
“Guess there’s no helping it…”
“…”
In the dark, my wives were licking their lips… Behind them, I returned to Rose’s room.
“Well then, let’s sleep again.”
I laid Rose back on her bed and lay down beside her.
Rose’s bed wasn’t different from a normal adult bed, so there was enough space for two.
“Sleep tight, sleep tight…”
I sang a lullaby while gently stroking her to put her back to sleep.
As I did so, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
I was already tired, and now with the earlier commotion, it was understandable.
Just as I was about to drift half asleep… I suddenly felt the bed subtly sink down.
As I opened my eyes, I saw red hair in front of me.
‘Rose?’
No, it wasn’t Rose.
Of course, Rose was there, but across from her, Gwen had come to lie down as well.
“Gwen?”
I called her quietly.
Not that it was because there wasn’t space in the bed.
But I was a bit fearful.
“Now that Rose is here, let’s just…”
“Allen, I’m not that much of a beast.”
“I’m sorry.”
With my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could faintly see her mischievous smile.
“It’s just been a while since I wanted to sleep with Rose and you.”
“Ah.”
Now that I thought about it, that was true.
When Rose was really little, Gwen and I used to share a bed, with Rose in between us.
But after Rose got her own bed, that had become a rarity.
“And… I’m sorry for earlier.”
She didn’t even need to apologize for this.
After all, it all started with me.
I had no words.
Instead, I held her hand tightly.
“Good night, then.”
She too held my hand firmly.
“Sweet dreams to you too.”
In this moment.
It was the happiest night I could imagine.
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