After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 156
**Episode 156: Festival**
I’m eager to try out Beatrice’s Gretel fertility plan soon.
But Ayaka, the key person, is currently on standby in Baden, so it’s impossible for now. It can’t be helped; I’ll just enjoy the foundation festival in the capital city first.
Although I’ll have to attend the main festival in a few days as one of the royals, I have no official duties until then. The city has already started the festivities, with the main street in the capital lined with various stalls, and in the square, citizens dressed in various costumes are cheerfully dancing something like folk dance to the bright rhythm of string instruments. Events this lively were rare even in the old world… so it’s a must-see.
The female imperial mages I brought from Baden seem captivated by the bustling city. The imperial festivals are usually rather subdued, and there seems to be no festival of this grand scale with people gathering from all over the country for ten days. Since they will need to work more in the future, I’d like to let them enjoy themselves a bit. Although it’s a hassle for the dark clan’s guards who haven’t shown themselves, I’ll make it up to them later. Maybe I’ll write their names on a scroll or perhaps… give them some attention.
“Wow, this is amazing! I’ve never seen such a lively festival before! I can’t believe it lasts for days!”
The cheerful, animated voice is pleasant to the ears. Her purple eyes dart around, and each time she sees something, she exclaims in surprise and delight.
While the Berzenbrück foundation festival is indeed one of the largest on the continent, Michaela’s excitement seems quite exaggerated. The fact that she’s this happy means… she probably never participated in any festivals back in the empire. It seems she didn’t have a kind family who would take her to such events… It’s not hard to imagine how she was treated at home.
The savory smell of animal fat sizzling on charcoal wafts through the air. Although she doesn’t say anything, seeing her fixated on the skewers of pork at the food stall means I can’t not buy them for her. It feels a bit like feeding a puppy.
“Yum, mmm… This is the best!”
The puppy, struggling with the heat of the freshly grilled meat, is still grinning widely as she chomps down on it. It’s quite a relief to see her so happy over something so simple. Beatrice and Gretel, being accustomed to the refined behavior of nobles, would never eat while walking. So, it’s very refreshing to be with someone like her.
Gretel is now surrounded by the imperial sisters a little further back. Always at the forefront in the Baden territory, leading in both manual labor and combat, she is an object of awe and admiration for the war slaves, but seems to be an object of admiration for the women.
The women buy hair ornaments at the stalls and decorate Gretel’s strawberry blonde hair, joyfully celebrating. Of course, since it’s something that can be bought with the pocket money of the war slaves, it’s extremely cheap and only children would be delighted with it. But Gretel seems happy that the older sisters are showing her affection, and her cheeks are relaxed and her mouth is upturned.
It seems Gretel has taken on the role of guiding the older sisters so that Michaela and I can naturally walk side by side. After learning about her background, I’ve developed a protective instinct, treating her like a younger sister… It seems she genuinely likes this child. Perhaps she’s even thinking of pairing me up with her… Maybe she can tolerate her younger sister’s partner even with her jealous nature.
Well, spending the festival with Michaela is undeniably enjoyable.
Since coming to this world, all the girls around me have treated me more like “the young master of the count’s family” rather than as just a boy. They keep a polite distance, and sometimes it feels like there’s an invisible wall between us. But she talks to me with a candor like a real little sister, offering smiles and friendliness. It’s quite rare to have a friend of the opposite s3x with whom I don’t have to be so guarded.
Wandering from the main street into an alley, the stalls change to more subdued ones like precious stones, fortune-telling, and antiques. As the crowds thin out, a barely audible whisper reaches my ears, a technique that Adele also excels at, where a wind mage delivers a message to a specific person.
‘Suspicious presence from both directions, likely targeting Lord Lutz.’
I see, it’s finally here… as expected. Michaela, walking beside me, furrows her brow and tenses up.