After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 41
Chapter 41: First Assignment… Maybe?
“What? Seed planting, and not with Beatrice?”
“N-no. Lutz and I will join after he comes of age and we have the wedding. The one I’m asking for seed planting is a different woman… the bride from a merchant family.”
Even though we just shared our feelings a moment ago, I’m already being asked to plant seeds with a completely unknown woman. I wonder if Beatrice won’t be sad no matter who I have children with. A bit disappointed, I meet her eyes, and I see a glistening film of tears in her emerald eyes.
“This seed planting is not a political matter. It’s my way of repaying a favor to someone who took care of me when I was young.”
She explains bit by bit, and it turns out the woman is the second daughter of a viscount. She served as Beatrice’s tutor from the age of five to ten. Recognizing her talent, she married the only son of a rising merchant family and entered their household as a rare “bride” in this world. However, recently, her husband and only daughter were attacked by bandits while traveling by carriage and lost their lives.
“She’s excellent even as the head of the merchant family. So her in-laws have been urging her to stay as their daughter. But the problem is… there’s no successor, and due to complicated circumstances, she needs to have a daughter soon.”
“So… a stud?”
“Yes. She has done a great deal for me. My heart, which awakened the ‘Eyes of the Spirits’ ability, didn’t break because of her. If she needs a stud, I want to introduce the kingdom’s best man. There’s only Lutz.”
I see, she’s a benefactor. But I don’t quite understand why she’s willing to go so far as to let me be the stud. Is it really necessary to go this far?
“From now on, I’ll be assigning various women as seed planting partners for Lutz. It’s very sad, truly sad… but it’s necessary for the kingdom. I thought if the first person I introduced was an important woman to me, I could face that sadness.”
The earnestness, dedication, and unexpected clumsiness of this girl tighten my chest. I hug her slender body that seems about to break again.
—
“We apologize for imposing on Princess Beatricerice. We never expected to receive the esteemed Count Ludwig, referred to as the ‘God’s Seed.'”
A woman in her late twenties with a gentle expression greets me, performing a graceful curtsy. Indeed, entrusted with the education of the princess, her posture is beautiful, flawless. My in-laws are commoners, so we don’t follow aristocratic etiquette, but they deeply bow, expressing respect. I’m just a fourteen-year-old kid, and it would be troublesome to be treated with such high regard, but in reality, they are probably bowing to the invisible Princess Beatricerice behind me.
Still, being called by the name of that Wolfsburg family makes me feel a bit itchy. I feel like “Fourth Son of the Freudenstadt Family” would be more appropriate… Maybe it’s because my mentality is still that of a Showa-era Japanese person, not accustomed to this hierarchical society.
“I have come at the command of Princess Beatricerice. Until the lady’s pregnancy is confirmed, I have been instructed to visit here.”
I intended to greet her in a professional manner, trying not to be crude, but the purpose is what it is, and it inevitably becomes vivid. The lady’s cheeks blush a bit… Maybe I shouldn’t have discussed such matters in front of the parents-in-law.
“We appreciate your kindness. For a while, our daughter-in-law Susanna will live in the detached house rather than the main house. Feel free to visit anytime without prior notice. Please don’t hesitate to instruct the staff. We, the members of the Altner Merchant Company, sincerely appreciate your visit this time.”
The elderly current head of the family bows deeply once again while speaking. Essentially, this child-making is the unanimous decision of the entire family, including the in-laws.
“Count… please stop. It feels awkward to show respect for something gained without one’s own effort… I am still a child. You can call me Lutz.”
“Thank you. Then, I shall call you Mr. Lutz. First, I would like to have dinner together and hear more about Mr. Lutz. Although we are newcomers, we have confidence in our sourcing of ingredients. I hope you will be satisfied.”
As the lady says that, the older sister named Susanna straightens her back proudly.
—
Dinner was indeed incredibly delicious. While I sometimes accompany Beatrice to the royal dinners, this is clearly tastier. Maybe they put extra effort into it because the future royal consort is coming, but both the quality and freshness of the ingredients surpass those of the royal dinners. I feel like I caught a glimpse of the power of the merchant company, which has been steadily growing in performance every year.
Since the family had recently lost their loved ones, I was prepared for a somber dinner. However, the Altner family, true to their status as merchants, skillfully avoided making the atmosphere too heavy. They were considerate enough to introduce conversation at appropriate times. The relationship between me, Beatrice, and Gretel seemed to be challenging for ordinary citizens to grasp. As I shared the general outline of how we came to be engaged between bites, they found it quite fascinating. When I casually mentioned the everyday interactions between Beatrice and me, Susanna’s eyes widened in surprise.
“So, Princess Beatricerice has already opened her heart like that…”
The Beatrice she knew seemed to be a troublesome girl who hadn’t quite come to terms with the ‘Eyes of the Spirits’ yet, wary of approaching others and keeping her heart closed. Well, even now, except for a few close individuals, she doesn’t show any emotions to anyone.
With this and that, it seemed like we could get along well with the people from the Altner family. Coming here to impregnate a newly widowed bride felt like being an outsider, somewhat like a homewrecker, but I was relieved that my in-laws turned out to be good people.
And finally, the night arrived.