After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 229

Chapter 229: A Name I’ve Heard Somewhere Before

How many minutes had we spent checking each other’s body heat and the taste of each other’s saliva? It wasn’t until the midwife coughed politely that we finally came to our senses and pulled apart.

“Well, anyway. I’m sure that Vilhelmina will probably choose a life of fighting rather than serving the gods. So, I plan to teach her all the skills I know,” Gretel said.

“Y-yeah. I’m not good at that sort of thing, so I’m leaving it to you,” I replied.

Both of us were slightly embarrassed, thinking about our daughter Vilhelmina’s future. Her path in life would likely not be an easy one, but there’s no point in worrying about that now. Unlike my dependable childhood friend, I couldn’t protect this child or teach her how to fight. But at least I’ll love her with all my heart. Every time she learns a new fighting skill, even if it seems exaggerated, I’ll praise her.

“Funya…” At that moment, a boy who looked somewhat like me let out a pathetic sound like an abandoned kitten. Looking closely, I saw that the active Vilhelmina’s hand had slipped from her brother’s hand. As a natural siscon, the little boy seemed to be weakly pleading for his sister’s hand. I gently placed their hands together, and the boy stopped whining and settled down, his face softening as if he were sleeping. I couldn’t help but worry about his future.

“So, what about this child’s name?” Gretel asked.

“Hmmm, I didn’t expect a boy to be born. Lutz, do you want to come up with a name?” she asked.

“No, no, I’m not good at that,” I replied.

I’m really bad at naming things. I came up with a name for Ayaka’s daughter because of the circumstances, but since her family’s names are based on the character “ka,” it was easier for me as a former Japanese person. However, I don’t have a stock of German names in my head, so I couldn’t even make a suggestion.

“In this country, it’s customary for the mother to name the child, right? Naming this child is your right and responsibility, Gretel,” I said.

“You’re right, I guess I have to decide,” Gretel said.

I came up with a pretty good excuse, and I was hoping to get away with it.

“Well, let’s do this. You list the names you think are good, and I’ll decide on the one I like. That’s fine, right?” she said.

Oh no, I couldn’t get away with it. Reluctantly, I started listing German names, drawing from my limited knowledge.

“Helmut?”
“Too uncool.”
“How about Noah?”
“It sounds too much like a priest.”
“What about Otto?”
“The sound’s not good. Not poetic.”

Apparently, my childhood friend has pretty high standards. Every name I suggested was shot down with a single comment. She seemed to care a lot about the rhythm of the name, but I couldn’t quite grasp that subtle nuance.

The naming battle dragged on, and I had already suggested nearly thirty names, running out of ideas.

“…Karl?”
“Sounds like a dog. Let’s not do that.”
“…Reinhardt?”
“That’s perfect!”

Wait, after rejecting everything so thoroughly, she accepts such a common name?

“I like it, Reinhardt! It’s a wonderful name that feels both courageous and pure!” she said.

Hmm. The naming deathmatch had ended, but Reinhardt? It sounds like someone who’d engage in a deadly struggle with Yang Wenli, opening another page in the history of Legend of the Galactic Heroes. I used to collect the anime and books when I was younger. Wait, wasn’t Reinhardt a character who died young in that series? That’s not a good omen.

“Well… should we think about it a bit more?” I suggested.

“No, I’ve decided. This child’s name is Reinhardt von Stuttgart!” she declared.

Ah, once she makes a decision, she never changes her mind. It’s useless to argue… Well, Reinhardt is a pretty common name across the continent. I believe it won’t cause any problems.

“By the way… Reinhardt is from the Stuttgart family, huh? So, what about Vilhelmina?” I asked.

“That’s not the case. Vilhelmina will be the next Marquess of Hannover, so of course, she’ll take the Hannover family name,” Gretel said.

I didn’t really understand, but that seemed to be the way it worked. There’s no point in arguing about it; in our household, if Gretel says something is white, it’s white. If she says something is black, it’s black.

“Right. So you’re the heir to the Stuttgart Marquess family, Reinhardt,” I said.

“Funya…” The boy let out a weak sound.

Well, even his responses were unreliable. He was still clinging to his sister’s hand. I hope he doesn’t grow up to be a stalker.

“It’s fine. This child will be like Lutz, a boy who will make women happy. I didn’t want him to end up like you, attracting a bunch of girls, but at this rate, that’s probably what will happen. He’s already so good at being spoiled,” she sighed, poking Reinhardt’s cheek with her finger. The baby let out another “funya.”