The Collapse of the Harem, Twelve Years Later - Chapter 4

“Ain, Bian, Cade, Digi, Erik, Faya, Galada—it’s snack time!”

“Yaaaay!!”

As always, I, Nelly the Witch, thirty-one years old, devoted myself to taking care of my children.
After all, my darling was at work.
My beloved, beloved, beloved darling! ♪

The one thing a notorious yandere like me could do when my darling wasn’t around was…

(Taking care of our children!)

Naturally, when my darling was home, he was the only thing on my mind.
Nothing else existed for me but him—so much so that he had to forbid me from obsessing over him while he was away.

“That’s why, when my darling isn’t here, I pour all my love into our children!”

“Mom’s acting weird again.”

“Aren’t you going to bring some snacks to Dad?”

“He’d get mad at me, so… sniff.”

“Mom, why do you call Dad ‘darling’?”

“Oh, Erik, that’s because Darling is Darling! It’s that simple!”

Yes, there is only one person in my life whom I will ever call darling!

“What about Grandpa upstairs? Isn’t he Darling too?”

“No, no, Faya. Darling’s father is Father!”

“Then what about Grandma?”

“Darling’s mother is Mother!”

Four-year-old Galada spilled his snack.

“Oh dear, oh dear, I really must be here to take care of you all!”

“Dad’s sister said you were kobonno—what does that mean?”

“It means being a devoted mother! I even write a diary about my children every day!”

Those diaries, spanning countless volumes, were my most precious treasures.
I could no longer bear children after giving birth to Galada, my seventh.
So those diaries were a sacred bond between me and Darling, meant for us to read together!

♪Ding doooong♪

“Oh my, could it be? Did Darling come home to see me?!”

I knew that wasn’t the case.
But imagining it made me happy as I skipped toward the entrance.

“Yes~? Who is it~?”

“…You are Lady Nelly, former party member of Hero Laslo?”

“Yes, and what of it?”

Could this be news about an increase in my demon-slaying pension?

“By royal decree, I have come from the capital.”

“My, my, what business does the royal palace have in this remote magical city?”

“Hero Laslo has safely returned to the castle.”

“…Huh?”

I pinched my own cheek.

“Laslo-sama melted into lava, though?”

“It was an illusion created by the Demon King. Laslo-sama spent twelve years battling in the demon realm,
defeating every last Demon King before finally returning.”

I stared at the royal crest pinned to the messenger’s chest.

“Is this the truth?”

“Yes. If you wish, we can escort you to the royal capital immediately.”

“Understood~! Please wait a moment~!”

I retrieved only the bare essentials from my room and returned to my children.

“Gather round, everyone~!”

This was how I always called them for important family discussions.
And this would be the last time—if the news was true.

“Yeees!”

Ah, such perfect responses. My years of training paid off.

“Ah, I misspoke. You were my children until just now. Forget about me.”

“???????”

My children blinked at me, confused.

“I am returning to my rightful husband. From now on, you will be cared for by Lord Zabel—yes, the man I used to call ‘Darling’—
his parents upstairs, and Aunt Gisla. My belongings are yours to do with as you please.
Even my diaries—you may burn them if you wish. Now, farewell~!”

I bowed deeply, then turned to leave.
I could hear my eldest—no, Ain’s voice calling me—
but that didn’t matter anymore.

Because, because, becauseeeee—!!!

“Laslo-samaLaslo-samaLaslo-samaLaslo-samaLaslo-samaLaslo-samaLaslo-sama!!”

“Eek!”

“Off to the capital we goooooo! LAAASLOOO-SAMAAAAA!!!!”

(Laslo-sama’s Nelly is back, and she will love him so deeply that it’ll make him shudder once moreeeee!! Hoo-hoo-hooo!!)

△▼△

“It’s been a while, big brother. Or should I call you uncle instead?”

“Hami-chan? Nelly’s niece, right?”

“Yes. I was an apprentice royal mage in the palace… was.”

Nelly had been nineteen when her older sister, Sati, had given birth at eighteen.
That baby girl, who had been eight when I last saw her, was now twenty.

“I don’t mind being the fourth wife. Please take care of me.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“I insist on it!”

Just how far was this going to go…?

“And what about Nelly?”

“The moment she thought you were dead, she immediately switched her obsessive devotion to someone else,
moved to a magical city in the far east, and happily raised seven children. She was truly, deeply content.”

…Well, I felt relieved.
For many reasons.

(Her kind of love was terrifying. I would’ve liked for her to wait for me, but… no, let’s not go there.)

As long as she was happy, that was enough.

“Now then,”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Permission has been granted for you to meet Alina, your intended first wife.”

“…I want to see her.”

“I will lend you a royal dragon. You know how to control one, don’t you?”

Taming wild dark dragons in the demon realm had been part of my daily routine.

“I am deeply grateful!”

“And once you return, we’ll discuss the other matter. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!!”

…What would happen next?