After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 195
Chapter 195: Departure for the Royal Capital
“Well then, I’m off, Gretel.”
“Yeah. Say hello to Beato-nee for me.”
It has already been nearly two months since I cleaned up the nobles of the royal capital. Or rather, it feels like it’s only been two months, and yet, I am once again about to leave for a journey to the royal capital.
Of course… it’s because my important Beato is about to give birth soon. If I make sure to be there for Clara, my lover’s delivery, but only give a casual “good luck” to my lawful wife, my honor as a man would be in question.
“I’m sorry for being away so often, but I’ll leave it to you, Max.”
“Well, I’ve already come to terms with it. Take your time until the baptism of the new princess. You can leave the territory to me for now.”
Max, who used to nag me to return quickly, has now become surprisingly lenient, as if he has attained some kind of enlightenment. Well, after being away from the territory so many times, I suppose he’s gotten used to it.
“Alright, I’m leaving it to you, Baron-sama!”
“Hey, I’ve told you not to call me that so many times…”
That’s right. Max’s title has been upgraded to Baron recently.
To visit Beato and Clara in the royal capital, I wanted to leave Baden without any issues, but if I didn’t leave a person with some rank as a steward, the people around me would make a fuss. For this selfish reason, I asked Her Majesty the Queen for a noble title.
In this world, for a man to receive a noble title other than a knight’s title, he would normally have to be some sort of outstanding stud, but the Queen, although she had a somewhat sour expression, granted my request. Many high-ranking nobles who would have fiercely opposed it had already lost their positions, and on top of that, there were many noble titles she had taken away from them that remained unused. I guess these circumstances worked out in my favor, and the Queen reluctantly issued a decree to grant Baron Maximilian the title of Baron of the Baden estate.
“Well, I’m grateful. I understand that as a man… especially a prisoner, this treatment is excessive. Thanks to this, managing the territory has become much easier… but the way the people treat me as if I’m the lord of the land feels uncomfortable.”
Yeah. The citizens of Stuttgart and the war prisoners don’t rely on me, the nominal lord, who is often absent or just watching young women’s legs when I am around. If something concerns safety, they report it to “Lady” Gretel, and if it involves land or money, they report it to “Steward” Max. That’s all they need to do.
The only ones who report to me are Michaela and Nicole, the appraisal lady.
By the way, I recently received pregnancy news from Nicole in a cute anime-like voice. She’s going to have a child who seems to take after her mother and is good at being spoiled. I’m already looking forward to pampering the child. Also… since Nicole is carrying my child, it means that she, an imperial citizen, will settle down in this country. I’m happy about that.
Nicole didn’t come to approach me as I was about to leave; instead, she was waving her hand from the edge of the farewell group. I understand her feelings—she’s scared of “Lady” Gretel… The past misdeeds where lightning would strike when Gretel got jealous have already become common knowledge in Baden. Originally, I was the only one who would get struck by the lightning, but even I haven’t been hit with it recently. She’s become more tolerant of me being with other women, so she shouldn’t be worried… but apparently, bad rumors stick in people’s ears.
Well, I guess I’ll wave back at Nicole and at least show my appreciation.
“Have you said your goodbyes? Then, I will depart!”
The leader of the imperial magic guard, Cornelia, who is very military-like, prompts the departure. She proudly wears a golden lilac pin on her chest.
Among them, Michaela has the highest combat ability, but when a young girl is the leader, things tend to get disorganized. So, we made Cornelia the leader, since she knows each member well and doesn’t get rattled by small things. As a reward for her role, our “Lady” gave her the gold brooch she had always wanted, albeit somewhat reluctantly.
We haven’t… yet, but this means another woman has been added to the list of my lovers, due to Gretel’s will, not mine.
“She’s already over thirty, so you should reward her soon. Showing that she’s happy and has a fine child will motivate the members of the Lilac Society, you understand?”
My “Lady” whispers this in my ear. I let out a deep sigh in response.