Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi

Translator: Nat

Royal Palace – Late Night.

「I pushed everything till tomorrow so I could head to the bedroom.」

I was walking with Celia in the inner palace.

This area, located deeper in the palace than the throne room, is quiet at best and lonely at worst.

「This is the place where the king’s family lives, but the former king didn’t have any family and I heard only the minimum amount of cleaning was done.」

The king only kept Rosario close.

And because he wanted her to be near every night, the inner palace wasn’t used.

「I have to talk to Rosario too.」

Apparently she has never set one step outside the room adjacent to the former king’s quarters.

「Well, that can also wait till tomorrow. For now――」

「Not there. Over here.」

Celia guides me to a different path.

The inner palace of Goldonia’s royal palace is really huge.

Each of the three corridors has a name, with the most lavishly decorated corridor being reserved for the queen and her children, the second most lavish corridor being reserved for the concubines and their families, and the least lavish corridor being reserved for the mistresses and girls of interest at the time.

There are almost a hundred rooms in total and the inner palace alone is as big as the mansion in Rafen.

「I’m sure the girls would feel bad with such a blatant distinction though.」

I told the girls to pick whichever room they wanted, so each of them moved to the room that suited their tastes.

By the way, it seems as soon as Nonna and the others arrived at the inner palace, Nonna made a mad dash with her maids, tripping twice along the way, to the most gorgeous room thought to be for the queen consort, jumped onto the bed, and then stuck a sign on the entrance that said 『Legal☆Nonna☆Wife』,occupying the room.

「It looks like this has to do with inheritance rights. Aegir-sama is going to have it hard down the road. You can’t be carelessly returning home like you did before.」

I went back to my house after exiting the throne room like I usually do.

It’s because Celia wasn’t there to remind me.

Dorothea and the orphans are in Rafen, and the other girls are in the inner palace so of course the house will be empty.

I misinterpreted the dark house as having been attacked and charged in with my sword drawn, but a neighbor misunderstood me to be an intruder and reported it to the guards, whom upon arrival I mistook as a group of assassins……

「If Celia’s toilet break was ten seconds longer, blood would have been shed fruitlessly.」

「Why do you assume I was going to the toilet!? Though that’s where I went this time!」

I can tell because you waddled off while pressing against your bladder.

「Anyways, it’s this way! This is the reception room of the inner palace!!」

Celia’s face reddens as she points to a grand door.

For some reason, Casie is clutching her knees and shaking by the door.

（I don’t like it here. There are a bunch of them, women with terrifying faces still bearing a grudge.）

「This room is the meeting place of those in the inner palace. Tristan told me that during the heyday of the royal court’s history, apparently there were suicides every month, attempts at suicide, and banishments for being suspected of infidelity.」

Celia also shivers.

「It’s sad, but we can’t do anything about the past. If they’re going to haunt us, all we can do is try to comfort them.」

All the ghosts in the inner palace are probably female, so it won’t be unpleasant if they appear.

Nonna will likely be scared though, don’t mention it to her.

When I entered the room, Nonna and the others were busy checking their new rooms.

「I thought the wallpaper was pure white but it’s actually silk. Uwa……I wouldn’t even want to sneeze in here.」

「The chairs are so soft despite being wood……what’s this crest?」

「It’s the crest of the Goldonian royal family. Normally, the conqueror would have it shaved off first……Hardlett-sama is sloppy in that area……I mean, magnanimous.」

「Does this table look tilted? For a while now, the knives and forks were moving on their own.」

「Mmm, I might have caught a cold. I’ve been hearing some disturbing sounds in my head……」

「Mom, just put down the knife for now. Why are you holding it with the blade pointing down?」

Everybody gathered around when they saw me.

I also happened to see Lucy walking at the end of the corridor.

I grab her by the shoulder and proceed to introduce her to everyone.

「This is Lucy. She became my woman today. I want you all to get along.」

I bask in the lingering sound of those words I said.

“My woman”. That’s right, Lucy became my woman.

Those words alone fill my heart with warmth from the feeling of achievement and also cause my crotch to bulge.

「Oh yes. Another one……wait, what!?」

Nonna squeaks strangely as she takes one look at Lucy’s face.

「If you’re going to do an introduction, do it earlier~ I’m sleepy and can’t say anything――geh.」

Carla rubs her eyes and is left at a loss for words.

「Err, so you’re going to be a mistress? Let’s get along as fellow lovers of Aegir-sama……wah!」

Mel’s smile freezes and she drops her knife.

……why was she holding a knife in the first place?

An unsettling feeling and astonishment spreads to everybody.

Curious if Lucy did anything, I peeked at her face, but she’s just smiling and her eyes are blue with no murderous intent leaking out.

There’s nothing weird about her at all.

That’s when Leah put a hand to her mouth and muttered.

「What an unbelievably beautiful woman……I thought I stopped breathing for a second.」

Maria continues with her jaw still hanging open.

「T-those proportions too! Her boobs are that big and her butt is that plump, yet her waist is so slim……eerrgh……」

Melissa comments kindly, though her voice contains slight frustration.

「And her skin is like snow. I……can’t win against that. This kind of beauty actually exists?」

On the other hand, Nonna’s mood is gradually worsening.

「Gnngngg……it certainly makes me, as a woman, tremble……but……but still-!!」

Nonna starts fanning herself with a paper fan as if she suddenly felt hot.

「I’m taking off my top! Hold this!」

Nonna slides off her nightgown, leaving her in just underwear that is thin enough to see through her body, and then arches back, pushing her boobs out.

「At least Nonna-san’s breasts have her beat.」

Mel praises.

「She loses in the butt and waist, but her breasts win in size!!」

Irijina shows her support.

「But aren’t Nonna’s nipples and areola blacker. That woman looks like she’d have pretty pink ones. And also, Nonna’s been letting them sway a lot so they might be sagging a tiny bit.」

「You traitor――!!」

Lucy ignores Nonna as she pounces on Carla, and looks blankly at me.

「Hmm. Putting aside pretending to get along, it’s looking like they won’t even speak to each other.」

Lucy smiles at me.

Her eyes narrow for a split second.

「So who are those girls?」

The one who answered was Nonna.

「I am Aegir-sama’s legal wife!」

「I am his wife and will soon be replacing her.」

「I am a concubine. My daughters will soon be as well.」

The rest of the girls follow the lead of Nonna, Carla, and Mel, and introduce themselves one by one.

Lucy, without nodding once, asks me a question in a deep voice.

「Aegir, you’re married?」

「You could say that.」

Not good, her clear blue eyes are turning red.

I try to turn away, but she grabs my head firmly so I can’t move it an inch.

「You have multiple wives and surrounded yourself with many lovers. You came to see me thinking that you kept your promise?」

Crap, she’s pissed.

「Yes, but let me explain.」

「Aegir, sit.」

I reflexively sit when told to do so.

A small shriek and murmur escapes Nonna’s lips.

As expected, this is a bit too much and I have to stand up.

「Lay down. Aegir, you wanted to use me just for my body like your personal toy?」

I object with my head on the floor.

「That’s not it! I never thought of playing. I risked my life to see you――」

There isn’t an ounce of untruth to my words.

I face Lucy straight on and plead with my eyes locked on hers.

「Beg. Not like that, the standing one. Then I’m a precious being to Aegir?」

「Of course!!」

I pull up my pants and embrace Lucy’s shoulder.

If I am ambiguous here and Lucy loses interest, I’ll never recover.

As soon as Lucy’s face was hidden from the other women by my shadow, she grinned.

I didn’t even have time to think that I was defeated.

「Then you’ll make me your legal wife?」

「Hrrggh!!」

I hear a grunt from Nonna.

「You are an irreplaceable and important woman. That’s why, regardless of what social status you have――」

Lucy pushes my shoulder away.

「I understand. A promise is a promise and I will be your woman. However, if you aren’t bound to me then I guess I don’t have to be bound solely to you either. I’ll be going off to cheat then.」

「Wait a second!! I won’t allow that!」

I chase after Lucy and hug her from behind.

Just imagining another man caressing Lucy and mounting her makes me want to burn down the entire capital.

That’s knowing it’s a joke too.

「Then prove your intense love for me, Aegir. It’ll be trouble if you don’t properly cheer me up.」

Her coiling her arms around my neck is the signal for me to pick her up.

「Umm……the preparations for the welcome party are done.」

Miti says timidly.

「I’ll pass, since it’s a hassle. Please enjoy it without me.」

Lucy flatly refused.

She doesn’t openly detest humans like Brynhildr, but she doesn’t have much interest in them either.

I can’t picture her laughing with everyone like a happy family.

「How about this one time? I’ll be there with you.」

「Fufu, I wonder what kind of man I want. Perhaps someone who is good in bed.」

If she’s like this, I can’t do anything.

I carry Lucy to the bedroom and signal Celia to handle the rest.

「You’re asking too much……this kind of thing is Tristan’s job.」

While Celia appeases the women, Sekrit is the only one who dares to challenge Lucy.

「Hey. I’m not fond of mingling either, but if you get too cocky and――」

Lucy glances at Sekrit, her expression unchanged.

Sekrit immediately hops back instinctively and falls on her ass.

「――you, what did you bring back!? What is that!?」

「I’ll explain later, stay back for now.」

I respond apologetically to Sekrit and also send an apologetic gaze to Celia, who is doing her best to explain to everyone with gestures.

「How rough.」

Lucy strokes my chin.

「If you get it, then be a little forgiving.」

「Nope. A pervert who created a harem needs a harsh scolding.」

The movements of her hand stroking my chin become more sensual.

「Besides, Aegir wants to test it out quickly too, right? The skill you honed by sleeping with so many women that is, and how effective it is on me.」

My steps change into a skip.