After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 110
Chapter 110 Unexpected Company
That night, Gretel and I sighed as we gazed at the letter sprawled out on the table.
“Ah…”
Ayaka-san efficiently prepared to receive guests with the butler Hans.
“Hey, Ayaka-san, are Kaori and Honoka okay?”
“Yes, I have entrusted them to the nursemaids. Thanks to Master Lutz, we have secured four nursemaids.”
In the customs of Akitsushima, it’s common for noble mothers to entrust their children’s upbringing to nursemaids. Of course, the “education” is done by the mother.
Four… Well, yeah. Ayaka-san had begged the royal family to impregnate me with four Dark Clan women, and they had been giving birth one after another lately. Their daughters also had magical powers of Class A… Their mothers were originally supposed to be of Class C or B, but while carrying their children, they all became magically powerful at the Class A level. Without such high magical power, they wouldn’t be able to withstand Honoka’s “charm,” so inevitably, they ended up serving Honoka and Kaori.
Although I felt a momentary chill in the air at the phrase “thanks to Master Lutz,” it must be my imagination. Yeah, it must be.
“More importantly, please greet the guests properly, Master Lutz.”
“Y-Yeah…”
As I shrunk under Ayaka-san’s invisible pressure, the butler Hans quietly appeared.
“The guests have arrived. If I may say so, they are the adventurers from earlier today.”
Ah, here they come. That letter was undoubtedly written by Beato. The contents written there can only be trusted… Which means, that young female thief…
“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Princess Clara, the eldest daughter of Queen Elizabeth.”
Clara, the first princess, performed a graceful curtsy in her all-brown thief attire, even though she wasn’t wearing a skirt, exuding a certain elegance. The woman Beato asked me to embrace turned out to be Princess Clara. I felt a sense of déjà vu in her face, perhaps because she resembled Queen Elizabeth… But wait, wasn’t this woman supposed to be a rival candidate?
—
“Princess, it’s quite surprising to see you dressed as an adventurer. It took me by surprise.”
“I apologize, Master Lutz. I mustn’t risk being recognized by the nobles.”
Princess Clara deeply lowered her chestnut head.
“Oh, um, you’re a princess, so you shouldn’t bow to your subjects.”
“Oh… I tend to do that. Even Her Majesty often scolds me for it…”
The princess sighed. Somehow, I couldn’t help but think, both during the day and now, if there was any way to change this timid behavior. Being a royal, it’s their job to maintain a firm stance in front of the people.
“Um, well… Do you know the contents of Beato’s letter?”
“Yes. My goal is to receive your seed here, Master Lutz, there’s no mistake about it.”
Her cheeks, as white as snow and soft as marshmallows, turned pink. Oh no, when she’s so bashful like this, it feels like I’m harassing her.
“Most of what was written in Beato’s letter was known… Could you explain again why you seek my seed?”
At my question, the princess began to speak hesitantly. Her modest demeanor almost makes me want to ask if she’s really royalty, but her speech is clear and coherent, without wavering. As complicated as it sounds, summarizing it:
Firstly, the high-ranking nobles who are considered supporters of the first princess are still determined to overthrow Beato with some pretext and install Princess Clara as the next queen. It all boils down to the fact that they believe Beato would become a difficult monarch to manipulate.
Beato, who shows no emotion like a porcelain doll, and somehow evades verbal traps, respects the king from a distance, making it difficult for the high-ranking nobles who want to wield real power to control her. In contrast, Princess Clara easily shows her agitation, and if pressured, she’s easily swayed, making her a weak figure. For the major nobles, she fits perfectly as a puppet monarch.
And there is also a certain logic in supporting Princess Clara against the queen’s intentions. The Belzenbrück royal family is not based on primogeniture, but it’s easier for the older person to be accepted as the heir, regardless of the succession system. And above all, Princess Clara is the only offspring of the late King Consort who perished in the war with the empire. While the offspring of a stallion are nominally treated as the husband’s children, for nobles who value bloodline legitimacy, Princess Clara, who is the daughter of the late King Consort, is considered of higher “rank” than Beato, who is the offspring of a stallion.
So, in short, the majority of the major nobles want to push Princess Clara forward whenever they get the chance.
“Princess Clara, don’t you want to become queen?”
“Yes. Lord Ludwig can attest to this. I lack the necessary dignity and strong will required of a monarch. I need those who want to make me queen to give up.”
Well, I understand what she’s saying. With the timidity of this princess, she wouldn’t be suitable to rule a totalitarian kingdom. Being manipulated by the major nobles, she wouldn’t be able to make important decisions on her own.
“But… how does your reluctance to become queen connect to asking me for seed?”
I have absolutely no idea about that part?