The second child, Stella, grew up faster than expected.
Of course, that doesn’t mean she suddenly became as tall as her sister Charlotte.
“Ueeeh… Uuuuh…”
“Are you hungry?”
“Uuuuh…”
On top of that, she had quite the appetite compared to Charlotte, so she was drinking a lot of breast milk.
Thanks to that, Corbin hadn’t been able to express his desire for breast milk at all.
When he was feeding Charlotte, he would always say he wanted some too, but this time he really couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“Hoo hoo…”
“Chirp… chirp…”
I was spending some quality time at home with Stella, just the two of us.
Even though I had given birth, she was still a really tiny baby since only a month had passed.
It just felt wrong to randomly send her to kindergarten.
Even though it was a place to take care of kids and spend time, there were quite a few children around.
I thought it was better for her to stay with me at home until she got a little bigger rather than risk something happening unnecessarily.
“Stella.”
“Uunng…”
It had been a while since I had taken care of a newborn, and honestly, there was something enjoyable about it.
Stella felt a bit more… well-behaved, I guess?
Charlotte wasn’t totally wild as a kid, but Stella seemed calmer compared to her.
Even now, Stella really loved being held in Corbin’s and my arms.
Unlike Stella, Charlotte liked being held differently, but she much preferred being rocked around in that state.
I rocked Stella too, but she didn’t seem to enjoy it as much.
She didn’t like strolling around the park in her stroller as much as Charlotte did.
“Waaah…”
“Did you pee?”
“Uuuaaaah…”
Suddenly, Stella started crying. I had just fed her breast milk and burped her, so what could be wrong?
Her diaper wasn’t wet…
“Hmm…”
…Could it be a big one instead of a little one?
*
“Steeellaa~”
“Uuuh…”
“Tellaaaa~”
“Uuuuuuu…”
One thing was for sure: the eldest, Charlotte, really liked her younger sister.
Her hair was starting to grow in, and she was cuter in every way compared to when she was just born.
The exact reason didn’t matter, but it was just nice that Charlotte liked Stella.
Watching her keep trying to touch Stella’s cheeks while she was sleeping in the cradle was just so lovely.
“Rindera, what did you do with the blanket that Mom sent?”
“I put it in the washing machine. It smells a bit weird since it’s brand new.”
“Oh, got it.”
Recently, Corbin had been focusing a bit more on housework than before.
It was challenging to handle normal housework like I used to since I was pregnant with Stella.
Of course, I did some simple chores, but Corbin ended up helping out more.
Even after giving birth, Corbin was still helping with the housework.
“Rindera, are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s been a month since I gave birth, so there shouldn’t be any problems now, right?”
“…That’s a relief.”
Corbin, wearing an apron and doing household chores, suddenly asked me that.
There wasn’t really any need for such a question.
I already had enough postpartum care, and my body felt like it had recovered well.
It’s just that with Stella being so little, I felt more protective.
Honestly, my body had healed enough that I could go back to work right now if I wanted.
Of course, I wouldn’t just yet.
Anyway, Corbin was still pretty worried about me.
To be frank, I felt like he could ease up on the worrying by now, but he had really worried a lot since my pregnancy, and I had gotten used to it.
“By the way, Corbin, you look pretty good in that apron.”
“…That’s a bit much.”
“Why? You look kind of cute in a mismatched way.”
“It’s not really cute for a guy to wear an apron…”
“Really?”
Sure, it was quite different from how I felt looking at babies or girls.
It was just that strange kind of cuteness that looked out of place but somehow fit, if that makes sense?
If I told Corbin this, even though I knew he wouldn’t like it, I couldn’t help but think it suited him strangely well.
I couldn’t understand why he didn’t get that.
Wasn’t it funny seeing someone over 180 cm tall wearing an apron and cooking?
“Hmm…”
“What?”
“How about trying on one of those headbands from the room next time?”
“…What?”
“You know, cat, bunny, puppy. There are a lot, right? Just trying one on could look quite good.”
“…….”
Corbin stared at me with a look of true disgust.
Hmm… Did he find that so unbearable?
He had made me wear so many embarrassing outfits before.
Honestly, I couldn’t even keep track of how many costumes I had worn because of Corbin.
“What do you think? Is it really that bad?”
“Yep.”
“Wow…”
Wasn’t that a bit too blunt?
When he asked me to wear a costume, I didn’t refuse like this before.
I felt a little wronged.
“I think it would look good…”
“That’s a bit…”
“What about a puppy?”
“Hmm…”
He really seemed to hate the idea.
Honestly, I thought it would be fun, but Corbin didn’t seem to like it…
Well, I wasn’t going to force him to do something he didn’t want to do.
“What if I just ask you to do it a little…?”
“…I think it’s just a little too much for me.”
“But you’ve made me wear so many weird things…”
“Cough.”
Corbin couldn’t argue with that.
Because it was true!
Bunny girl, sailor uniform, maid outfit… What else was there?
I felt like there were a ton of them.
One thing was for sure; those were all just scandalous outfits.
“Ugh.”
“Why?”
“I was just thinking about what I’ve worn because of you until now.”
“Oh…”
I really had worn quite a lot because of Corbin…
I sighed inwardly.
“Charlotte, you can’t just do whatever you want like Dad when you grow up, okay?”
“Mm? Okay?”
“Yeah, good girl. You’re way too nice compared to Dad.”
“Hehe…”
“…No.”
Anyway, we spent our time chatting about trivial things.
Corbin was diligently doing the chores, while I was taking care of Charlotte and Stella.
It was an ordinary time, but I still enjoyed moments like these.
Personally, I found it incredibly pleasing to see Corbin doing housework while wearing that apron.
“Ueeh…”
“Mom, Stella’s crying!”
“…Charlotte, it’s because you’re poking her cheeks so much.”
“Eh.”
“Do you think she isn’t tired of being poked and not able to sleep?”
“Aha…!”
Only then did Charlotte finally take her hands off Stella’s cheeks.
Hmm… Maybe because she had been playing so hard with the other kids at kindergarten, Charlotte had been a bit too energetic.
It seemed like Stella would find it hard to escape Charlotte’s grasp.
“Stella, you don’t like being teased by your sister, do you?”
“Uunng…”
“Huh…”
“She says she doesn’t like it, Charlotte?”
Actually, I asked Stella, but it wasn’t a proper answer.
Stella’s response wasn’t a real reply; it was just a sound indicating she was annoyed by the two of us interfering with her sleep.
“Uuuh… So…”
Of course, our innocent Charlotte would never know that.
*
“Corbin.”
“What, Rindera?”
It had been a while since it’s just been the two of us in our personal room.
Originally, I had come to see Corbin working and to watch Charlotte playing in kindergarten, but somehow, we ended up alone here.
Naturally, Stella came aboard as well, but I had temporarily left her with some colleagues who really liked our daughter, so we could have this private moment.
“It’s kind of nice being here after a long time, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, it sure has. It’s been… about four years, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. We’ve been living at home since just before Charlotte was born. That’s probably it.”
“Wow, it really has been a long time.”
“Yeah, it really has.”
So much had changed from then to now.
When I first spent time in my personal room, I could never have predicted I would end up like this.
How did it even come to this…?
“Puhaha…”
“Why are you laughing?”
“I’m just happy and smiling a bit. Is that a problem?”
“Not really, but it’s just out of nowhere.”
“I’m smiling because I enjoy being with you.”
Lying back on the bed, which had been left unattended for quite a while, I said that to Corbin.
I really meant it.
I enjoyed lying down and just spending time with Corbin like this.
Honestly, the past me never thought I’d feel this way, but so much time had passed since then.
“Corbin.”
“Yes?”
“Do you still like me these days?”
“If I didn’t, we wouldn’t be together like this.”
“Is that so?”
Well, that was true.
If he really disliked me, there’s no way we would be co-parenting our two daughters and enjoying our time together like this.
I had asked that question knowing the answer, just… wondering?
“What do you think of it when I used to stay here alone?”
“What was it like?”
“It was boring. Really boring. I didn’t have any hobbies or anything, so I just lay there watching the news.”
I was seriously bored back then.
I didn’t even realize at the time that I was feeling so bored, but looking back now… it really was mundane.
I had spent those repetitively dull days until I started working in the office with Corbin, leading me to live as Rindera.
When it came to spending time in my personal room, I always ended up doing work I brought from the office to my personal room, and I’d drink a bit while working…
That’s how my days went.
Thinking back now, it felt like those were really stifling days.
I hadn’t wandered outside, nor had I gone on any trips.
Really…
“I still don’t understand why I spent my days like that.”
“Maybe you were just a normal working person?”
“Is that so? It could be, but… I was really bored back then. I had nothing to do in my room, and no one to meet either.”
I spent days repeating endlessly boring and dull times.
When I finished work in the office, the only thing I could remember from my time in my personal room was just lying there working mindlessly.
“…I just wanted to say thank you.”
“Suddenly…?”
“Well, is there a reason I can’t say thank you?”
“It’s just sudden, like… suddenly feeling thankful while lying down feels weird.”
“Is it? I just wanted to say it because it popped into my head.”
Honestly, I knew quite well that it was thanks to Corbin that my recent happy days were so enjoyable.
Most of the lovely moments I experienced were all because of Corbin.
If it hadn’t been for him… I would probably still be working monotonously, day in and day out, just like before, right?
“Because of you, Corbin… I’m living so happily?”
Lying behind Corbin who was sitting on the bed, I expressed that.
Ever since that time when Corbin suddenly invited me to his room to play games together, my life had changed dramatically.
Really… truly.
If I hadn’t asked Corbin about his hobbies back then, or if I hadn’t followed his suggestion to visit his room, I wonder what would have happened?
Honestly, I couldn’t tell.
Even if nothing happened at that moment… I probably would have ended up following Corbin someday to play games and spend time together.
“Thank you.”
“Well… I’m thankful too.”
“No, I’m more thankful.”
“I’m more…”
…It seemed fine to yield in this aspect.
It felt absurd to compete in something trivial like this.
Whether it was during games or at night.
Did he really want to win these little things like he did everything else?
“…Corbin.”
“Yes?”
“I like you. A lot.”
“……..”
“Um… Honestly, I don’t think I have much to offer as a romantic partner or wife aside from my looks, but still…”
“That’s not true. You have so many good qualities aside from your looks.”
“Is that so…?”
…I felt a bit flustered.
I expected he might nod or laugh because of my odd compliment, but I didn’t expect him to say the exact opposite.
But still… It wasn’t incorrect, right?
Even I thought my appearance was my best point, and aside from that, I honestly didn’t know.
“Your personality is cute too.”
“…I’m not that cute, though?”
“That’s how I see it.”
“…Is that so.”
…Hmm.
It was a little embarrassing, but I let it slide.
Unlike other compliments, calling someone cute felt strange and slightly embarrassing.
“Anyway… I’m saying thank you for liking me. I hope we continue to treat each other well in the future.”
“Me too.”
Before I knew it, we found ourselves lying facing each other on the bed.
Originally, I was the only one lying down, and Corbin was clearly sitting, but without saying anything else, we just lay there.
Having spent quite a bit of time together, there was no need for special words.
We started as vice commanders, but nowadays, we spent more time together as spouses.
All of this was because of Corbin, but still… There was no need to discuss each moment like this now.
At this point, I had spent more time being his wife than his subordinate.
“…Ah, Corbin.”
“What? You have something to say?”
“Um… It’s not exactly the time to bring this up right now…”
I hadn’t planned to speak about it at this moment, and it certainly wasn’t the right thing to say right now.
But it just popped into my head suddenly.
I felt like if I didn’t say it soon, Corbin might be unreasonably shocked, so I decided to just say it.
“I’ve scheduled a vasectomy for two weeks from now.”
“…What?”
“I feel like having two kids is enough, and using condoms every time is a hassle… And it must have been tough for you dealing with me being pregnant too, right?”
“Uh…?”
He looked quite shocked.
I anticipated that he’d be surprised, but his expression was one of complete disbelief.
…However.
“…How about we just go for it now?”
“Wait, Rindera…?”
“But if we do this, we won’t need to worry about using condoms anymore.”
As I said this, I picked up condom packaging with my mouth.
Honestly, I do enjoy having sex with Corbin, but the constant worry of pregnancy had played a huge role in holding me back.
Now was a perfect opportunity…
“If we do it, then you can do whatever you want whenever you like… No need to go to the convenience store to buy a condom like before…?”
I took the condom out of the wrapper and looked at Corbin as I spoke.
“But if we agree to this, I promise to wear whatever outfits you want me to next time.”
“…Okay.”
Corbin really was a pervert.
Of course, there were perks to having such a guy, but with his level of lust, I felt it was my duty to help him release it.
Considering he already had high libido, if I didn’t help him out, it would undoubtedly interfere with his work.
And assisting the commander was a vice commander’s job.
I was just doing what I always did.
But now that I was on leave as a vice commander, was I now working as a wife instead?
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