Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi

Breakfast in the royal palace……apparently the previous king ate it by himself or just with Rosario.

Servants holding a pitcher of water, replacement utensils, and a cloth to wipe one's mouth, line up by the wall and act before they are called when I show a behavior that needs something.

I wondered how they would respond if I made a meaningless pose but chose not to try in case I provoked unnecessary enmity.

Behind the scenes, several chefs continue to cook constantly.

On the surface, it was so a hot meal would be served whenever I asked, but in fact it was to have fresh food immediately brought to me in order to reduce the chances of it being poisoned.

Close to a hundred people are on standby when the king eats.

As someone who wasn't born a king, I can't seem to feel comfortable and even think it's rather pointless.

Or that's what is supposed to happen――

「Hamghagh! More please!!」

Irijina bellows after finishing her soup and chicken.

「At least swallow what's in your mouth before asking! It's flying everywhere!」

Celia pokes Irijina in the side as she gently stacks her own plate on top.

「Speaking up itself is rude! Didn't I tell you the polite thing to do is to place your knife like this and wait!?」

Carla uses the opening created when Nonna flares up to move the vegetables she hates off her plate, inducing further screeching.

「E-everyone, please quiet down……yelling while eating is not polite……see, be quiet like Claudia-sama.」

Like the reserved Sophia said, Claudia was using her knife with grace and posture, as if she was detached from the bustle around her.

「……being graceful is fine, but I don't know about her stomach and mouth. She ate a half-kilo piece of meat in two bites. And isn't that her sixth plate?」

A peeved Sekrit comments, resting her elbow on the table and vulgarly grabbing a piece of meat to eat with her bare hand.

It's not like she doesn't know what manners are, it's that she purposely chooses not to use utensils a lot of the time.

If she wasn't so cocky, I'd think she was trying to copy me.

Getting back on topic.

Having a large number of servants surround the king's dining table would normally make me feel suffocated.

「More steak! And tell the chefs more soup is needed!」

「There aren't enough plates! In this case, put the food on jeweled plates! Of course they will be served to His Majesty――no, serve them to the madam and Mel-sama. Make sure not to incorrectly give them to Irijina-sama or Carla-sama!」

「Water! Napkin! Food! Clean the broken plates and the carpet! Washing plates is not part of your job? I'll overlook it, just do it!」

Cries of "More please" ring out in between the flying instructions.

The servants who should be aligned quietly by the wall are running back and forth between the dining hall and the kitchen without pause, supplying additional water and napkins. Servants who should be like air……are nowhere to be seen, as they pick up the ends of their skirts and scurry around, sweat dripping from their brows. They don't have the luxury to make inferences of their lord's gestures.

「It's become like a restaurant in the city.」

「Everyone is eating together after all.」

Celia moves her chair next to me while Nonna is busy pointing out everybody's lack of manners.

Of course, changing seats is inexcusable during mealtime, but nobody pays any mind to it.

「Everyone would want to eat together if we're all here.」

Normally, the only ones who can eat with the king are the legal wife and the eldest son, and even that is not an everyday occurrence.

It is unheard of for the king to eat with mistresses and concubines.

「Fufufu, I'm the king now. I am the law, I am justice.」

「That's right. Whatever Aegir-sama says is absolute!」

I stick out my chest and smile as Celia praises me.

「Here is the soup.」

That's when a servant nervously brings more food.

Unlike the rest, she clearly looks unwell.

「It's probably because of that incident. It's well known that not only did you crush a distinguished family, you massacred the head and all the heirs.」

I have noticed that ever since then, the servants and people coming for an audience are trembling more.

It's not like I would flare at them unless they hit me.

Her hand is shaking so much in fear that soup will spill.

「Ah.」

The girl's hand slips, tilting the plate of soup.

See? This is the scene where a drop of soup will splash on me and I'll have a chance to be kind to the scared girl.

「Kyaa!」

Or so I thought but rather than spilling a bit of the soup, the entire plate comes flying at me.

「Watch out!」

Celia sticks out her hand instantly to knock down the plate.

What superb reaction speed.

But Celia, it would have been fine if the plate hit me.

Hot soup, an even bigger problem, spills out of the plate and toward my face.

「Guooo!」

「Aegir-samaaaa!!」

「Shouting during mealtime again!? Kiiiih!」

「……there's a limit to how loud you can be.」

「More please!!!」

Giggles and laughter can be heard mixed in with the already rowdy atmosphere of the dining hall in the morning.

「Hah! Defensive stance!」

Brought back to her senses, Nonna signals the clamoring girls to gather around me.

Their attention is then directed at the corner of the table where Lucy is chuckling.

「W-what's so funny!? Are you thinking of using your position as mother to get Aegir-sama!?」

「Fufu, it's just……」

She's wearing a black dress that accentuates her body like usual, but its material seems thinner than usual, perhaps because it is an indoor dress.

Not really interested in normal food, Lucy is eating a small portion of rice porridge while laughing with a hand over her mouth.

「Block. And also, cold water!」

Before I can be enamored by her gesture filled with charm and cuteness, Pipi clings to my face and robs my vision.

Simultaneously, Celia pours cold water on my face to cool me down.

It's amusing how Pipi's nipples become erect from the sudden change in temperature.

I pat Celia's head to thank her and stroke her soft cheeks.

A gentle smile naturally forms.

「I don't get what's going on, but we're protecting right!?」

（Ugyaa! Some help! I'm dying! I'm being squished!）

Irijina, still holding a plate in one hand, kicks the chair next to her and stands imposingly.

Of course, she couldn't see that Casie was sitting on that chair, and had stepped on her after knocking her to the floor.

I grab Casie's arm and try pulling, but it's already too late and she is flattened.

She'll return to normal in half a day, I guess.

「W-why is someone who usually sleeps at this time here today――?」

「I called her.」

It's because what happened the other day was kind of half-hearted.

Losing her basis to attack, Nonna vents her anger by pounding her fists on my chest.

I comfort her by rubbing her head and boobs.

「Calm down. The more graceful and dignified you are in troubled times, the closer you reach the pinnacle of being a woman.」

Claudia, who determined Nonna's behavior to be unfit for a legal wife, stood up elegantly after finishing nearly 10 kg of meat.

It might be the difference in age, but her gesture has gravity despite how slow it is.

Her aura is so powerful that it flips up her dress and the tablecloth……and is accompanied by a weird sound.

「Wait-!? Uwa, it stinks!」

「Direct hit……my eyes!」

Maria and Sofia, who were behind Claudia, cover their faces and evacuate.

The poor maids whose positions are fixed, have to shut their eyes and pinch their noses, and some even start crying.

「Hohoho. I would like to give a lecture, but I just remembered an urgent business I must attend to. I beg your pardon, Your Majesty and ladies.」

As she said herself, Claudia leaves the room with grace and dignity, even in the face of the stinging stares of the family and servants. I ducked my head between my shoulders and saw her off with a wry smile.

「M-mother, it's scary.」

Frightened by the bizarre atmosphere, Bartolome clings to Nonna's waist.

This kid is terribly faint-hearted and tends to seek out Nonna rather than me.

「Father, it stinks. I want to open the window.」

Conversely, Anastasia is the one who goes to me.

She is the opposite of cowardly and is more inclined toward me than Nonna who fusses about the details.

Also, I don't stink.

When I open the window, Anastasia points in another direction.

「What is it?」

The moment I turn my head, the girl takes something hidden under her skirt――an assortment of vegetables from today's meal she didn't like――and throws them out the window.

I'm glad you're making such a bold move to destroy evidence in the confusion, but you're developing a little dark side quite early.

「Ah.」

Gilbard, Mel's oldest son, coincidentally witnesses the incident, but Anastasia gestures to keep quiet and jogs over to slip a copper coin in his pocket.

As I watch with a conflicted face, Catherine clings to me.

Her mood and breathing seems different to the other girls. I wonder if she's already aroused in the morning,

My first thought was to test the theory by caressing her ass, but I couldn't carry it out.

「Your Majesty, your clothes have gotten dirty.」

Speaking in respectful speech not matching the childish voice is Antonio.

He wedges between me and Catherine, kneels, and offers me a handkerchief.

「Oh, thanks.」

After I accept the handkerchief, Antonio bows politely enough to put knights to shame and slowly……backs away behind his mother.

This kid is undoubtedly avoiding me, but he's harder to deal with because he doesn't whine or cry like a typical child. His sister, Rose, on the other hand sticks to me more than necessary.

As I contemplate how to handle the awkward situation, Lucy approaches with a smile.

「Six variations. I saw that many expressions in a mere few minutes.」

Lucy parts the defensive wall of women, and tosses Celia, who resists until the end, away, hooking her on the chandelier. How am I supposed to get her down?

Lucy tilts my chin up with a finger and peers into my eyes.

「It's a little frustrating for me as a mother, but if you had stayed in the forest with me all those years, you wouldn't have become so colorful. If the Aegir of then and the Aegir of now were standing side by side, I would choose the Aegir of now.」

「Can I be happy about that?」

Does that mean I wasn't very attractive in the past?

No, but she said I'm the best now, I should be happy.

Lucy spins on her heel and bows deeply to Nonna and the others.

「Thank you for nurturing my Aegir. He has become attractive because of you.」

「Eh, errr……」

「Y-yes. You're welcome.」

「Somehow this throws me off……」

A bewildered Nonna and Carla reciprocate her feelings……meanwhile-

「Don't let her fool you! She nonchalantly said "My Aegir"! She's asserting her ownership!! Aegir-sama belongs to me.」

Celia yells as she flails helplessly from the chandelier.

「Don't claim him in the confusion either.」

Sekrit pokes Celia with a pole from directly under her.

If you move around too much, the entire chandelier will fall.

Lucy continues on, ignoring the fuss.

「What does everyone think of me? Let's take this opportunity to make our feelings clear.」

「You're the source of our family conflicts! I don't like you! But if you're Aegir-sama's mother, to me that's very……grrrr!」

Celia responds promptly as she sways back and forth on the chandelier, followed by Nonna and the other girls.

「Ho, hohoho. Naturally, I will respect you like I would my own mother. But I would appreciate if you can be more cooperative……」

Nonna refrains from offending her to the end.

「I detest you. Obviously you are not just a mother. No woman would like another woman from a past relationship of the man she is in love with.」

Carla bluntly states her opinion.

「It's not a matter of like or dislike. How can I stay calm if a monster is beside the man I love?」

「The man you love, huh?」

When those words are repeated, Sekrit clicks her tongue.

Mel and Maria are scared of Lucy.

Sofia and Melissa think Lucy's actions are too egotistical.

Myla and Luna think Lucy is too strong and are cautious around her.

Catherine thinks Lucy milks me too much so I'm not hard enough when it's her turn.

Such unfavorable views are presented by the girls.

「……she's so beautiful that it scares me. When I'm near such a person, I fear that I'll be abandoned.」

Leah said, so I put her on my lap and hugged her.

Celia cries in discontent from the chandelier, and when Leah apologizes with a smile, her cries change to a frustrated scream.

Lucy nods, taking in all their words.

「I see, I understand. Now let me tell all of you how I feel.」

It's Lucy's time to counterattack.

If they start scuffling, I'll have to step in and stop them. Also, Celia will fall soon.

「I have no interest in humans. Though I don't hate humans as much as Brynhildr does.」

A chill runs up my spine.

There was no killing intent or threatening words. Lucy made it clear that she had no interest in humans.

Humans are like bugs to her, she would not go out of her way to squash them but she also isn't hesitant to do so.

「He is the only exception. My cute Aegir.」

A breath of relief escapes my lips as she scratches the underside of my chin.

But that's not the way to open up――

「I like you girls too. You're different from the royalty I know but you're warm and the way you clamor is funny. I don't want to destroy this family and I think I want to watch from the side.」

"And so"――Lucy continues.

「I'll make the changes you pointed out, if that's what it takes for you to be comfortable around me.」

Everyone sighs in relief.

I also smile.

However, being together is not the same as becoming family.

Lucy is fundamentally only interested in me.

Nobody should forget it.

「So everyone should pay attention to Aegir, play with Aegir, make love to Aegir……make him attractive. Fufu, saying it this way really makes me seem like his mother.」

Everyone's expression relaxes when Lucy smiles softly.

Some blush and some even apologize for misunderstanding her.

Lastly, Lucy glances at me.

Oh no. She could have ended her speech there and kept things peaceful.

「And then when he becomes the best man, I'll have you return him to me.」

There it is.

Friendly voices change to angry roars, Carla charges at Lucy, who leaves afterimages as she dodges, Sekrit reaches for garlic but it is eaten by Irijina, Nonna trips, Casie is stepped on, Bartolome sobs, Rose clings to me, and Celia finally falls down.

「Fufufu, I'm joking. It's a joke.」

I gave Lucy the biggest strained smile of the day as she ran away laughing without fighting back.

「Do you understand?」

「Yeah. Lucy is serious.」

Head-helmina crawls out of the pot in the midst of the confusion and chats with me as she eats with a knife and fork.

Well, it's not something to worry about today or tomorrow. I'll leave it for my future self.

「That might be the right choice. No matter how you plan, you might end up like me.」

「Spare me. I wouldn't want to live without a dick. Maybe if I was just a dick though-」

「Stop, I'm eating.」

I didn't expect a severed head to remind me about manners.

「Did you know? When Aegir sees another man with a girl he loves……」

「Eeeh!? N-no way! But that part certainly……」

「I'm not going to lose! When Aegir-sama is bitten in the neck……」

「I told you about that fetish. It's old news.」

「Actually Aegir-sama's ass……」

「Aah……no wonder……he hated it when I stuck a finger inside once before though.」

「Sometimes he would mistake a cute boy for……」

「Ueeh!? T-that's the first time I heard that……please tell me more.」

Before I knew it, the slapstick over there had turned into a disclosure of my fetishes.

And it's all nonsense, I don't have a fetish for guys or anal.

Further, I don't like seeing other men steal my women.

「Eeeh? Then would you like me to repeat my first experience and confirm it?」

「Please don't.」

At any rate, the girls have made peace on the surface.

That's good enough for now.