HGOS – Chapter 51

“…Huh?”

“I heard she acquired it when she went to Ruberno this time. Apparently, she asked the doctor about the herbs used in the contraceptives and whether it was harmful to take. Naturally, the doctor never imagined that Madam would be the one taking them.”

“R-right.”

A surprised Zester agreed with the doctor’s thought. In a territory that was currently without an heir, a normal lord and lady would be desperate to have a child. It would be make more sense for them to be searching far and wide for herbs that aid in conception, rather than contraceptives.

So, not only was there no reason to actively prevent pregnancy, but Cassia had also mentioned wanting children a few times.

『Someday, we’re going to have children, right?』

『Can you show them love?』

『I want my children to grow up showered in love from their father.』

She had said such things even when they were still awkward with each other.

『I’d like the first to be a boy and the second, a girl. And I want the boy to look like you.』

『A son who looks like you, and a daughter who looks like me.』

That was how she had responded when he said he wanted a child.

“At first, I thought the same. The doctor said the contraceptives Madam brought were quite groundbreaking. I wondered if she was planning to get into the medicinal herb distribution business, just like she did with wigs.”

“Th-That must be it, right?”

“No. The more I thought about it, the more strange things seemed. Up until now, Madam has always discussed even the smallest details of such matters with me. But when the doctor returned with the contraceptives to make his report, she personally set a separate date to summon him. Usually, the Madam goes through me when she wants to summon people. It was almost as if she is deliberately keeping me from knowing.”

Zester swallowed dryly at Paul’s sharp deduction.

“If I hadn’t accidentally discovered the doctor’s entry log and looked into it, I might never have known. I was going to ask Madam directly, but I thought it was more proper to first ask you, Master, even if it was rude. Are you, by any chance, intentionally delaying the plan for an heir?”

The look in Paul’s eyes suggested that if Zester said yes, he would hear a scolding.

An heir was extremely important. Their very existence was symbolic, capable of stabilizing the territory and gaining the support of the people.

Moreover, Zester had no other relatives to whom he could pass the territory to in the absence of an heir. Paul was a loyal servant of Greze, so it was understandable he was anxious.

The idea that Cassia might be taking contraceptives had never crossed Zester’s mind but he couldn’t shake his head in front of Paul and say he knew nothing. He just fumbled out an excuse.

“Uh, well, that’s right. It hasn’t been long since we married. Cassia and I are both busy. It’s not a big deal if we take our time. You’re worrying too much. Don’t mind it.”

Seeing Zester wave his hand dismissively, Paul’s expression turned strange. The moment he brought up contraceptives, he noticed Zester’s face change. He wasn’t head butler for nothing.

Paul started to think. If Cassia decided to use contraceptives without discussing it with Zester, then the reason would be…

‘Is it because she has many things she wants to do?’

Like the wig business, Cassia was someone who found satisfaction in getting things done in the territory.

Perhaps she decided that pregnancy and childbirth would only interfere. If that was her reasoning, Paul had no intention of disrespecting Cassia’s choice. However…

‘It would be better if she confided honestly in Master. Does she think he wouldn’t understand? Or did Master act in a way that made her see him like that?’

Paul’s narrowed eyes stared at Zester’s dazed face.

***

It had been three months since she was sold off to Greze, and a new year had come in that time.

When she died, it had been a cold winter, just like when she first came to Greze. So, for Cassia, who had memories of her past life, it was as if she was now living her 28th year. Of course, no one in Greze knew that fact.

To others, she was just a young baroness of eighteen, but these days she had no time to breathe. After securing a wig patent from the imperial family, her mornings and afternoons were consumed with preparing samples for distribution, and by nightfall, she buried herself in study.

《Imperial War History》

《Unprecedented Tactics: A History of Heroes》

The books she had fetched from Zester’s study were heavy titles for a noblewoman who supposedly had no connection war. She even spread a continental map and strained over it, which must have looked odd.

When Zester came into her room and asked what she was doing, she simply said, “Studying.” After that, he didn’t pry further and just kept her company.

Even past midnight, Cassia showed no sign of tidying up. Zester, who had been sitting on the bed, got up and walked carefully so as not to disturb her.

Looking down from behind Cassia, he saw she had marked the locations of several territories on the spread-out continental map with ink. They were almost all northern territories. Axios, Varnan, Viche, and so on.

“…Wife.”

“Yeah?”

Cassia, too engrossed in flipping through the book, answered without turning around, even with his voice coming from right behind her.

“I didn’t want to disturb you, but I’m curious. Why are you reading these books, and why the map? Are you planning to travel?”

“Mm, no.”

Cassia, who had been ducking her head so low she was almost burying her nose, lifted it slightly and scratched her cheek.

Good question. Why was she studying war history and tactics, and staring at maps?

The answer was simple. Because she was the type that couldn’t sit still once something was on her mind.

Even though she had vowed to just eat, sleep, shit, and toss aside all the duties of a lady of the house, in the end she couldn’t. Right now, she was studying how to solve the problem of the territorial war that was fast approaching in two months.

She knew the future where Greze, which was already poor and barren, would be devastated by a territory war, and she intended to do everything she could to prevent it.

She couldn’t stop the territory war itself. This periodically occurring war was, unfortunately, a necessary evil. Part of the history of lords checking each other’s power to prevent the largest territories from consuming all others.

It had been a while since the last northern territory war. By now, the winds of war would be stirring again. She couldn’t understand why, in her previous life, that man hadn’t even considered it and was caught so completely off guard. Cassia thought of Count Axios, whom Zester praised so much, and clicked her tongue.

“Honey, there’s something I’m curious about. Can I ask?”

“What is it?”

“When a war breaks out, what can be done to minimize the damage to the public?”

Even as she asked, Cassia thought it a pointless question. As is the nature of war, the invading side never considers the situation of the defending side. Since even the innocent populace who don’t want war are treated as ‘the enemy’, minimizing damage would be a tall order.

Even Zester would likely swing his sword thinking of killing one more person, rather than saving one more person.

But Zester, who she thought would find it difficult to answer, considered it quite seriously. then slowly placed his hands on the table.. From behind Cassia, he planted both hands at her sides as if to trap her, then scanned the map spread on the table, and pointed to one place.

A mountain range.

“…The mountains? You mean, take the fight to the mountains?”

“If you want to prevent the land or the people from being harmed, wouldn’t that be best?”

It made sense. It would be better to confine the stage to just the soldiers if that was possible.

Conveniently, there was a long, large mountain range and gorge between the Varnan and Greze territories. If they clashed within that area without straying far, the damage to civilians would be very little.

“But if we’re talking about a territorial war… it’s common for the victor to invade all the way to the castle and receive the lord’s surrender and spoils of war, so they’ll probably follow the retreating army and push into the territory.”

“What about that tactic you used in the imperial war? The one that blocked their retreat. Couldn’t that work in the Varnan Gorge? Finish them off in the gorge while keeping the territory safe as much as possible, and settle the spoils through a treaty?”

Zester’s eyes widened while Cassia clapped her hands with excitement.

“What do you mean? Are you saying we should raid Viscount Varnan’s territory? You want to start a territory war?”

Ah, that’s one way to interpret it. She only meant to prepare for the war Varnan would start, but of course he wouldn’t know that.

“Mm, no. I was just wondering, while studying, if this might make for a more peaceful territory war.”

“Why are you studying things like this all of a sudden?”

“After hearing about your exploits in the imperial war, I got curious. It was impressive, so I wanted to learn a bit.”

It was a random excuse she made , but it must sounded like a huge compliment to Zester.

When she turned back, she found Zester still leaning with his hands on the table, staring at her. He blinked slowly, as if flustered by the compliment.

He was adorable when he didn’t know how to handle praise. Staring at his blank face at such a close distance, Cassia let out a small smile.

The atmosphere in the dimly lit room, with only a small lamp flickering, grew peculiar.

Cassia slowly raised her hand, gently brushing his cheek. Zester’s throat bobbed nervously at the touch. The contact of their skin and their mixing gazes intensified the surging emotions.

Unable to resist, Zester’s hand roughly grasped her own. Their faces naturally leaned closer. And just at that moment—.

『Master, the Madam has been taking contraceptives.』

Paul’s words struck Zester’s mind.

Feeling the sudden tension in the hand holding hers, Cassia tilted her head. Zester, who she had been gazing at with curious eyes, straightened his bent body and returned to the bed.

Startled, Cassia stared at him lying down with his back turned.

“H-Honey?”

“We should sleep. It’s late.”

She was confused. Just moments ago, he had looked ready to devour her with his burning gaze. Why the sudden restraint?

Cassia watched his back for a while, then quietly climbed onto the bed. When she sat beside him, he flinched.

“Is something wrong?”

“No.”

“Don’t lie. Why are you suddenly like this?”

Cassia reached out and gently stroked Zester’s shoulder while his back was turned to her. She could feel he was tense.

“No, I’m just tired.”

“Really? Your eyes didn’t look tired at all just a second ago.”

He flinched again. Just what was wrong with this man all of a sudden? Cassia pondered, then recalled how she had shut down this kind of ambiguous atmosphere a few times recently. Maybe he decided to be careful.

But since she was already taking the contraceptives from Raergo, there was nothing to worry about now. Cassia slid closer and tugged at Zester’s arm.

“Mmm, are you really that tired?”

“…Yes.”

Huh. She thought he would turn around at this point. Zester’s reaction, tensing his arm as she tried to turn him, was strange.

If he really was tired, she’d understand, but it didn’t seem like that…

“You’re really just tired, right? It’s not something else? You’re not mad at me, or…”

Again, only his shoulders flinched and he didn’t answer. He was definitely sulking. But why?

Frowning, Cassia pulled harder until he turned. Once his body turned, Zester avoided Cassia’s gaze, looking aimlessly into the empty air. Something was definitely strange.

“Tell me.”

“…”

“Honey.”

At her gentle insistence, Zester’s eyes, which had been rolling aimlessly, seemed to come to a decision and turned to her. =

“Y-you…”

“Yes?”

“…Do you, perhaps… not want to have children?”

Cassia flinched, startled by the unexpected question.

Zester, who had sat up, added with a pitiful expression, his gaze scattering.

“Or… do you not want to have my child?”

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