◆
I had just finished eating the lunch that Ichihime had prepared for me, and was about to swing my spear around to work off the meal when it happened.
It was Hikobei's sister, who had become Naotsune's adopted daughter and now goes by the name Hisa Endo, who came to visit the mansion.
"Oh, my lord! Just a moment ago, just a moment ago, Osan asked me to deliver a message!"養父tower
Watching the flustered and panicked figure of a girl who looked to be about nine years old, I was amazed at how much she had changed since I last saw her.
The only time I had a proper relationship with Hisa was when I introduced her to Masamoto and Naotsune took her in as his adopted daughter.
Since then, I'd heard rumors that Naotsune had been giving him a rigorous, Spartan education—but I'd been too busy to have a proper conversation with him.
In short, this will be our first face-to-face meeting in quite some time.
That's probably why she's so incredibly nervous.
"Well, first of all, calm down."
When I said that, Ichihime smiled and began to prepare the tea.
When I beckoned her in from the veranda into the room, Hisa seemed as restless as a borrowed cat.
In my memory, Hisashi had very messy hair, but now it's completely transformed, with shiny, healthy hair.
Her bangs are styled in a princess cut, which is probably Naotsune's personal preference or something.
Her hair, which had grown longer than before, was tied up at her shoulders and flowed smoothly, following gravity.
Her kimono is simple but sturdy, suggesting that she is well supported by Naotsune.
"Drink, we'll talk afterwards."
After receiving the tea from Ichihime and confirming that a teacup had also been placed in front of Hisa, she began to speak.
The still-young girl was left speechless, and soon a look of shame appeared on her face.
He must have realized how stressed he was and that I was trying to be considerate of him.
"So, what message did Naotsune leave? Actually, I was talking with him until just now, and I thought we had conveyed most of the necessary information..."
"Y-yes! Actually, my adoptive father told me that there was something he forgot to tell you, so I asked you to come over, lord!"言伝Message
Saying that, Hisashi straightened his back.
"Well, my adoptive father asked me to do three things! First, the Takamine Party members will be brought over in about four days, so in the meantime, I'd like you to at least prepare a roof. Second, the provisions at Sugawa Castle alone won't be enough, so I'd like you to supply some from other bases. And finally, third, I'd like you to consider a place for the Takamine Party to settle!"
Indeed, her tone was completely free of any hesitation, making it easy to see that she had accurately memorized Naotsune's words.
There is nothing more difficult to remember than someone else's words. The game of telephone is a satirical portrayal of this difficulty, highlighting just how hard it is to accurately convey something that has been passed on to someone else.
It seems this girl is quite naturally intelligent.
"I see, I understand. It was a noble cause, Hisashi."
"Eh...hehe..."
When praised, she looks pleased and shows a shy expression.
Indeed, it's a cute gesture befitting her age.
(Because, if you think about it, nine years old—in my original world, that would be the third or fourth grade of elementary school. It's the age when you're carrying a schoolbag and playing the recorder or melodica on your way to and from school...)
I beckoned her over, pulled her into my arms as she sat down in front of me, and sat her on top of me as I sat cross-legged.
To defend myself, it was unconscious. My body was moving on its own without me even realizing it.
I don't have a fetish for children, and I don't want to get arrested, so I have no intention of laying a hand on them.
However, the desire to adore a cute girl is probably a universal emotion shared by both men and women.
Feeling Ichihime's intensely cold, piercing gaze and Haruhime's gaze, which seemed to be trying to gauge my intentions, I unconsciously stroked Hisa's head.
"I...Ichi..."
"yes"
As I stroked Hisa's silky hair, I spoke to my wife, who, like a snow woman, continued to lower the temperature of the surroundings.
"W-when the baby is born...is this how I should do it?"
I unconsciously start using polite language.
I know this sounds like self-justification again, but there was simply nothing I could do about it.
I felt a greater sense of fear towards Ichihime than I had ever felt when facing a hawk on the battlefield.
"...I think that's fine."
Ichihime seemed somewhat convinced by my explanation, a slight warmth returning to her voice—but she still stared at me with cold, jealous eyes.
"Even if Lord Nagamasa had a preference for innocent girls, I don't think it would be a problem for the city."童Warawa
No, I'm sure you don't think that perspective is "good." I understand that perfectly, because you're married.
"Let me make this clear... I don't harbor any such wicked thoughts, okay?"
"Is that really true...?"
"Hey! ...Osamu, say something too!"
"No... I mean... as long as you are happy, that's all that matters to me... No matter what your preferences may be, I'm not in a position to offer any advice..."
"Osamu, you too?!"
This is probably how false accusations of groping are born.
Groping is a shameful act. It is an act that should never be done unless it is done with the prior consent of the woman involved.
However, while gropers inflict emotional trauma on many women, there are also many fathers who are falsely accused—and they too must have been shocked to be told that they "did it!" or "must have done it!" when they didn't.
Incidentally, my friend, who was engaging in groping on a train running through Marunouchi in Tokyo, was taken away by station staff along with his girlfriend, given a long lecture, and subsequently suspended from school for a period of time.
The last thing he said was, "I should have done it on a local train line with no passengers," which is just so disheartening.
--Well, let's put that aside for now.
My situation was nothing less than being falsely accused of molestation.
As a Japanese man who is a gentleman to begin with and possesses a sound mind, there is no way I would ever openly display my sexual desires towards an innocent girl like Hisa.
The fact that my big dick isn't reacting at all to the lack of curves visible through the kimono is good proof of that.
(YES Lolita NO Naughty!)
Touching is permissible depending on the time and situation. It should be.
I strongly believe I must resist the trend of "yes to lolita, no to touching."
If we're told to avoid touching our children, we won't even be able to ruffle their hair anymore.
"Anyway, I have no intention of taking advantage of Hisa! She's the sister of my benefactor, so I would never harbor such wicked thoughts!"
I shouted to my wives, who were looking a little taken aback.
Damn it, remember this. Tonight I'm going to torment you to the bitter end.
"Forced...?"
I could hear Hisashi's voice from above where I was sitting cross-legged.
She seemed unaware of the meaning of the word "hand-rape."
But even so, cold sweat poured down my face and I shivered. This is exactly what it means to feel chilled to the bone.
"That's foolish... I would never do such a thing. And don't you dare say those words to Naotsune..."
"Hmm? ...Yes! I understand!"
She responded by raising her hand while sitting cross-legged on me.
If Naotsune were to hear any news about me assaulting Hisa, it would be a terrible situation.
Such risks absolutely cannot be overlooked.
"Absolutely not, you must never tell your adoptive father."
"yes!"
"There, there, good boy."
It somehow turned into a creepy conversation where I was trying to silence the parents—but this was unavoidable in order to protect my own peace of mind.
"..."
However, the jealous gaze directed at me by Ichihime in particular shows no sign of stopping.
Well, I suppose a man's glory days are when he can make women jealous or envious of him.
"Hisashi, how have you been lately? Is there anything that's been bothering you?"
When asked that question, she responds by shaking her head.
"Well, my adoptive father is kind, Lord Masamoto is kind, and I can learn a lot of things, so it's fun!"
Hisashi's response made it clear that Haruhime was beginning to show genuine interest.
Apparently, when the name of Masamoto, the chief financial official of the Asai family, comes up, it piques their interest in various ways.
"My adoptive father teaches me how to use swords and spears, and Lord Masamoto teaches me all sorts of things, like how to calculate various financial calculations, how to calculate the yield of land, how to prepare documents, and how to issue documents!"
A girl who, with a cheerful face, will blurt out some pretty outrageous things.
While it's understandable that girls might learn swordsmanship and spearmanship, I had no idea that Masamoto provided such in-depth education... I've never heard of it before.
Well, I was the one who asked for her to be made a proper bureaucrat, but I never imagined they would actually be seriously involved in talent development.
"I see... I understand, so it's fun..."
"Yes! The other day, I had the opportunity to create the tax ledger for Tomokuni Village for the first time, and it was so much fun! It was really interesting to see how many people there are and how much tax they collect!"
"Of course, Masamoto-sama was watching over me!" Hisa said.
I was simply stunned by what she said.
It seemed that both Ichihime and Haruhime felt the same way; in Ichihime's eyes, the look of jealousy had vanished, replaced only by a wide, utterly astonished expression.
Indeed, Princess Osamu looked surprised, but also very happy.
"Hisashi is just like a fine administrator."
As I praised her and stroked Hisa's head, she squirmed and squirmed happily.
Out of the corner of my eye, Haruhime is still fidgeting. It seems she wants to talk to me, but doesn't know when the right time is.
I let out a sigh and spoke to Hisa.
"By the way, besides practice and studying, does Hisashi have enough time to play? It seems like he's only hanging out with adults, but is he spending time with kids his own age? If he doesn't, he's going to run into a lot of trouble in the future. I mean, he'll have a hard time when it comes to work because he won't have the necessary connections with people his own age..."
The girl's head shook from side to side.
"But I find playing with swords and paper more fun..."
In response to that, I stared intently at Haruhime.
Then, perhaps not having fully grasped my intentions, Haruhime tilted her head slightly and looked back at me. So cute.
"Now that you mention it, Osamu had a wife named Naoko, didn't he? How is she doing now? Is she still at Bodaiyama Castle?"
"Y-yes..."
"Then summon her to Sugawa Castle. She should be able to adapt here."
When she lived in the castle of Princess Haruhime, Shigeko, who was Shigeharu's wife, was an extremely cheerful girl who was uplifting to be around.
What I get from talking to Hisa is that this girl has a somewhat introverted personality.
Incidentally, if we look back at history, one of the important elements of a highly competent administrator is not so much paperwork, but rather interpersonal communication.
No matter how capable a person is, they will inevitably make mistakes.
At that moment , it all comes down to how much you can bow your head to the people around you, speak to them, and respond quickly.
(And, it's good to have at least one child of the same gender around a shy child who has a personality that allows them to take the lead.)
To be honest, I don't know what kind of personalities the children of the soldiers stationed at Sugawa Castle have, or what kind of lives they lead.
However, and this is probably just a hunch, I can't help but feel that Hisashi is somewhat out of place among those around him.
"Hisashi, a girl who is close to Princess Osamu will be coming to this castle soon. She's roughly the same age as you. You'll be her senior in this castle, so please be nice to her."
"...yes!"
After a brief moment of hesitation, Hisashi still replied cheerfully.
I then asked Hisashi another question.
"Hisashi, now that you mention it, I hear you've been receiving a lot of instruction from Naotsune and Masamoto... but they're both absent right now. Do you have any plans, at least until Naotsune returns?"
"Um, well... I was thinking I should do some preparation and review..."
It seems my intuition was right after all.
Clearly, the idea of playing with children her own age simply doesn't exist in her mind.
Her somewhat introverted personality seems to influence her relationships with those around her.
However, let's put that aside for now—
"Hisashi...are you not interested in things like military tactics or strategy in battle?"
"Yohei?"
"It's about how to direct soldiers in war, in other words, how to take command."
Hisashi's face brightened up instantly.
"there is!"
I smiled at Princess Chihime.
Haruhime's eyes were shining brightly, as if she were about to pounce on Hisa at any moment.
By the way, Haruhime is also quite the skier, on par with me .薀蓄Trivia
But sadly, Princess Haruhime has no one to whom she can share her extensive knowledge.
I still vividly remember the time when I tried to tell her about what Haruhime had said during my stay at Bodaiyama Castle, but her younger brothers, Shigenori and Naruhiko, had run away.
I moved Hisa from her cross-legged position so that she could face Haruhime, and after giving her a brief introduction, I decided to ask Haruhime a question.
"If Osamu doesn't mind, I'd like you to teach Hisashi what you know. Of course, it will only be for a short period until Naotsune returns—but I think that's fine too. If Osamu and Hisashi are on the same wavelength, they can continue their teacher-student relationship indefinitely, and if not, it can be dissolved in four days or less."
"There's no way I'd say no! In fact, I'd welcome it! I'll always accept motivated kids!"
With sparkling eyes, she spouted lines that sounded like something out of an advertisement for a cram school or something similar.
Hisashi's face also lit up brightly as he gazed at Haruhime's radiant smile.
Ichihime watched the two of them with a wry smile.
"...Princess Haruhime looks so happy. This might be the first time I've seen her smile like that outside of something involving Lord Nagamasa."
As Haruhime and Hisa began chatting excitedly about something, Ichihime, who had moved to my side and was brewing a new cup of matcha, murmured.
"Well, I suppose that can't be helped... After all, you are the principal wife, and Osamu is the concubine. Regardless of what I think, that's how it is outwardly."
"Even so... Ichi would like to become a little closer to Princess Osamu..."
"Then you should try to be a little more relaxed."
When I gently slapped Ichihime's head, she let out a cute little "hyau."
"Let me tell you—you're pretty scary, you know? Just like when I was holding Hisashi a moment ago—just the mere presence of me with Osamu, you give off such dark, sinister emotions with just your gaze that it feels like you could kill someone. It's no wonder Osamu is holding back."
"Th-that's not true..."
"..."
"...Yes, I do..."
My beloved wife, defeated by my silence, stops brewing the matcha and looks dejected.
Those gestures are just so adorable.
"But... I'm still worried. I'm afraid Lord Nagamasa might forget about me and go somewhere far away..."
"That's why I'm telling you to be a little more relaxed."
I slapped her head again and said:
"Since I took you as my wife, my heart has been captivated by you. No matter what happens, I will never leave you... In fact, I'm incredibly sad right now. To put it simply, it means that my beloved wife doesn't trust love itself at all."
"N-no! The city never intended to do that...!"
Seeing Ichihime begin to panic and become flustered, I thought to myself, "Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I've seen her like this."
However, it seems that Ichihime has been working too hard lately.
Starting with the Otani Incident, then Princess Osamu came to visit, and then I went on a falconry trip without permission—all these events have piled up, and I'm trying harder than ever to be "Asai Nagamasa's wife."
Perhaps that kind of stress manifests itself in the form of jealousy or envy.
"I know. But while I like the dignified you you are now, I also liked the gentle you you used to be."
"Ah... ahh..."
As I pulled her close, her face bright red and her head bowed, I whispered in the lowest voice I could muster, right beside her beautiful ear.
"There's no need to rush. The fact that you are my wife and I am your husband is unshakeable. No matter what happens, I will never divorce you, and you can rest assured that I will never let you go—I love you, and I will always love you."
I had no idea that Haruhime and Hisa, with their faces bright red, were hearing such cheesy lines—it seemed I didn't have the makings of a strategist.
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With the excited cheers of Haruhime and Hisa behind me, I fled the mansion in embarrassment and ran to the horse training grounds located outside Sugawa Castle.
There, surrounded by many stallions, lay languidly on the hay, but as soon as she saw me, she jumped up and let out a welcoming cry.
I led her out of the stable, basking in the envious gazes of the stallions, and then I leaned over her as she lay on the ground.
I can feel the warmth of Indra's moon hair all over my body.
As I touched and buried myself in her smooth skin, I was able to forget some of the shame I had felt earlier.
"Kyuoooon"
Taishakutsukimo, with an expression that seemed to say, "You're such a hopeless case," rubbed her nose against my body.
I felt utterly pathetic, and I hugged her smooth body tightly.
"Ah... yeah, it seems like my body is completely fine now."
After about 20 minutes of feeling pampered by Taishakutsukimo, I suddenly came back to my senses and said something like that to cover up my embarrassment.
She had been injured in a battle with a hawk, but now she had fully recovered and seemed to be enjoying a reverse harem with stallions.
Apparently, every night she drains about 50 stallions until they're practically empty, like a succubus in the form of a horse.
However, her outward appearance is the epitome of purity, so the contrast is tremendous. I'm sure there are people who really like that kind of woman—even though Taishakutsukige is a horse.
"Kyuoooon"
As Taishakutsukimo stood up, he skillfully used his neck to lift my body onto his back, and then slowly began to walk.
Indeed, when they reached the vicinity of the castle gate , they became very loud and began signaling to the gatekeepers to open the gate.嘶()
As the castle gate slowly opened, Taishakutsukimo stepped forward and set foot on the land of northern Omi.
It was a truly refined, fluid movement—all I had to do was simply stand on her back.
Indeed, Taishakutsukimo is quite intelligent—or, to put it another way, he has a very good understanding of human society.
Ultimately, they know very well how to manipulate people and how they will react to those actions.
"You really are amazing, Taishakutsukimo."
It's almost as if they were human in a past life or something.
But she said nothing, stopped for a moment, turned her head, and glanced at me.
"Ah... a destination, huh... well, I'd like to see some rural areas. We're expecting about 300 customers, and we need to secure a place to accommodate them..."
Then Taishakutsukimo let out a small neigh, raised his upper body, and began to gallop westward with the same momentum.
We have no idea where his destination is, or what Taishakutsukimo is thinking as he runs. However—
(There's no need to be worried about what Taishakutsukimo is doing.)
She's always thinking of me.
In a way, she was my greatest confidante, someone I could expose my most embarrassing and pathetic sides to without any problems.
"—I don't care where you go."
As he murmured this, Taishakutsukimo let out a joyful cry and increased his speed even further.
Incidentally, Taishakutsukimo is not wearing any horse tack at all right now.
And so, inevitably, I clung to her body—and once again, I was captivated by the maternal scent emanating from her entire being.