A Serene World

Chapter 17

The pen glides across the paper.

As my standard of living improved with my career advancement, I came to understand firsthand just how low-quality the items I used in my daily life were.

A fountain pen with an excellent writing feel, ink that spreads smoothly without even a color of unevenness, a stamp with intricate craftsmanship.

I can understand why nobles likes take pride in their Apparatus .

If one has to do a job they don't want to do, it's only human to devise ways to reduce stress as much as possible.

I thought about such things while looking at the pile of documents in front of me.

My brother and I were buried in document sorting again today in the office of our mansion.

The Bartfault territory is still developing, so there are issues everywhere and at that every action requires the lord's approval.

Moreover, the issues arising from the war with the duchy need to be addressed immediately, so the number of documents has increased more than usual.

Even with Angie scrutinizing the documents, reducing them significantly, the pile on the desk still makes me sigh.

Today, apart from the household staff, only my brother, the children, and I are left in the Bartfault mansion.

My parents and sisters have gone to a hot spring facility under the pretext of an inspection, Colin is out handling errands within the territory, and Angie is conducting a meeting with the citizens.

The mansion, with fewer residents, was very quiet.

I reviewed each document in hand, marking it as 'rejected' if the content was unsatisfactory, 'reconsider' if there were points for improvement, and signing and stamping it if it was approved.

Though it looks like a simple task, it requires brainpower and is just as exhausting as physical labor.

In fact, I would say physical labor is easier because, once you understand the pace, you can see the end.

In the room, the only sounds were the rustling of paper and the ticking of the clock.

Feeling a pang of hunger, I looked at the clock and saw that several hours had passed since lunch.

It's about time for a break.

I rang the bell to signal the household staff.

I stretched slowly, moved my neck from side to side, and rolled my shoulders, producing sounds from my stiff body.

Hearing a knock on the door, I gave permission to enter.

The household staff came in carrying a platter with a tea set and snacks.

Although I could have them make the tea, I always prepare it myself as a change of pace.

I want to do something I enjoy, at least during these tedious document sorting.

I put tea leaves in a pot of preheated water and let it steep for about a hundred seconds before pouring it through a strainer into a cup.

For a formal tea party, this would be quite improper, but for a break, it's more than enough.

The aroma of the steaming tea soothes my heart.

Today's snack is cookies.

I can't take a long break.

Just as I was about to bite into a cookie,

"Uwa~~~~~~n"

I heard a child crying.

...No, it's probably just my imagination.

As I tried to compose myself and sip in my tea, 

"A~~~~~~n"

I heard the crying again.

I looked at my brother sitting next to me.

It's just my imagination, right? It has to be a trick of the ear.

My faint hope was shattered as my brother turned his face towards the door.

It seemed a child was really crying.

There was only one person it could be.

Why do troubles keep happening even though I dislike dealing with them?

I stood up from my chair and left the room.

Why do I have to resolve this?

Am I not the lord of this place? The head of the Bartfault family? I should be the most important person, right?

It seems there's a this goddamn world have tendency to push troublesome matters onto me.

I moved my feet towards the direction of the voice.

As I descended the stairs, opened the door, and stepped into the garden, the source of the voice was there.

"Give it baaaack!"

"Noooo!"

There were the twins, pulling at each other's clothes.

The young nursemaid in charge of taking care of the children was frantically trying to separate them.

The Aya, relieved to see me there, steps back as I approached the two of them.

"Get along, you two."

As I approached with a sigh, Lionel came running to me, crying.

"Daaaddy!"

He hugged me as I bent down to meet his gaze.

My son, while I welcome the physical affection, please wipe your face.

Your tears, snot, and drool are dirtying my clothes.

Lionel is brought to tears , as always it was handiwork of Ariel.

They fight at least once a day, and either I or Angie end up having to mediate.

Is Lionel too gentle, or is Ariel too assertive?

In any case, it's not good that these polar opposites twins don't get along.

I picked up Lionel.

As I patted his head and rubbed his back, he finally seemed to calm down.

"So, what happened?"

"She took it~~~!"

Lionel pointed behind Ariel, where a stuffed toy lay on the ground.

It's the stuffed toy I gave to Lionel.

Of course, I gave Ariel a similar one too.

To avoid conflict, I make sure their toys and sweets are the same, but for some reason, Ariel always wants Lionel's things.

Despite envying Lionel's possessions, Ariel has little attachment to the things given to her.

[T/N- I soooooooooo relate to Ariel]

In the past, twins were frowned upon among nobles due to succession issues, but seeing these twins of different genders get along so poorly makes me worry about the future of the Bartfault family.

"Ariel, give it back to him."

"............"

Ariel glared at me as I urged her to return it.

Unlike Lionel, who easily clings to me, Ariel is quite harsh towards me.

Don't look at me like that, Daddy might start crying.

I sighed and tried to pat Ariel, but she evaded me.

The stuffed toy she took remained on the ground.

I dusted it off lightly and handed it to Lionel, who finally stopped crying.

Ariel stared intently at Lionel and me.

So what do you want, Ariel?

"What are you doing?"

I turned around to see Angie standing there.

"Welcome back, Angie."

"Mommaaaa~~~!"

The moment he saw Angie, Lionel left my side and ran towards her.

Can't you be a little kinder to Daddy too?

Why do our children treat me so lightly?

"I am home!."

Angie was soothing Lionel, she had become quite adept at it.

Right after giving birth, she had been tentative but awkward, having no experience with babysitting.

"So, Leon, what were you doing in the garden instead of working?"

"I'm on a break now. I am following up with my work properly ! Don't worry."

It wasn't that he was slacking off.

He handled the tasks he was given diligently.

It would be unjust to think that he was just signing and stamping documents given by his wife.

"Ariel made Lionel cry again. I couldn't just leave him be."

"Again? Oh well, it can't be helped."

Angie lifted Lionel up.

"Lionel, one day you will govern the Bartfault domain. If you cry like this now, people will doubt your ability as a ruler."

"That's not something you say to a child who isn't even two years old yet."

I don't particularly want Lionel to become the lord.

If he wants to, I’ll let him, but talent and motivation are different matters.

I didn’t choose to become a noble, so I want to give him the freedom to choose.

"Ariel still doesn't warm up to me. She even picks fights with Lionel. I'm worried about the future."

I love my daughter , she is cutest but I don't plan to raise her to be unsociable or selfish.

Angie, perhaps because of her own background, is particularly attentive to Ariel’s education.

The fact that Ariel is so obedient to Angie while being harsh to me makes me worried about my future.

"What's this? You don't even understand your own daughter's heart?"

Angie looked at me with genuine exasperation.

I've taken care of my younger siblings, but raising a child is different.

"Ariel is just jealous of Lionel."

I tilted my head, not understanding what Angie was saying.

"She's can't be jealous. She even runs away when I approach."

"She is just flustered that's why runs away. It's your fault for not chasing after her."

"I think I'm treating Lionel and Ariel equally though."

"Yes , That equality is the problem. Children want to monopolize their parents' love. Trying to be fair makes them sulk."

I couldn't quite agree with Angié's opinion.

Even if she was right, I couldn't believe that Ariel sought my affection that much.

"When you were away on military duty, it was tough on her too. She often seemed restless and cried at night."

"Really? She didn't seem like that to me at all."

"And when they fight, you always side with Lionel. That can't sit well with Ariel."

"But it's always Ariel who makes Lionel cry first. It's only natural to calm Lionel down first, right?"

"But ignoring Ariel's side of the story isn't good either. It's no wonder she thinks you're favoring Lionel."

I see, I understood now.

My daughter can be quite challenging and exhibits signs of being a bit spoiled.

I looked around the garden and saw Ariel watching us from a distance.

To avoid alarming her, I intentionally relaxed and approached slowly.

I felt like a hunter stalking its prey, and couldn't help but smile wryly.

When I got close enough to reach Ariel in a few more steps, I sat down on the spot.

I didn't approach her further, waiting to see what she would do.

Ariel, with a puzzled look, cautiously approached me.

As I confirmed her approach out of the corner of my eye, I waited for her to come closer.

When she was within arm's reach, I turned towards her.

Ariel flinched and tensed up, so I beckoned her with my hand.

She hesitantly came closer, and I patted her head.

Her golden hair, similar to Angie's, was even softer to the touch.

With her wariness gone, I picked up Ariel and stood up.

This time, she didn't resist, and I felt relieved.

Having successfully captured my difficult target, I headed back to Angie and Lionel.

"Alright, let's have a snack."

I was a bit hungry and thirsty.

My break time was gone due to mediating between the kids.

As I was about to enter the house with the children, someone tugged on my sleeve.

I turned around to see Angie glaring at me.

"What's wrong, Angie?"

"What about me?"　

Angie spread her arms wide.

"Won't you hug me?"

"Why would I hug you?"

"You held Lionel, you held Ariel. Naturally, I should be next."

"Don't be jealous of our kids."

"So, you prioritize our children over your wife?"

This is such a hassle, my wife is such a hassle.

Ariel definitely takes after her mother.

Well, if it makes Angie happy, there's no reason to refuse.

I wrapped my arms around Angie's back and held her close.

Seconds felt like minutes.

Hugging in front of our kids is really embarrassing.

It's like a punishment game.

"There, satisfied now?"

"There's no love in it. Do it over."

"Have mercy, Lady Angelica! This is utterly humiliating."

If anyone saw us, who knows what rumors would spread.

To hide my embarrassment, I quickly returned to the mansion.

***

"So, how was the meeting?"

"Mostly as expected. Besides the compensation from the state, it looks like the Bartfault family will have to cover living expenses for the time being. We'll also need to provide priority medical care and job placement support."

The Bartfault territory also suffered some damage from the recent war.

The territory itself was safe, but we lost several combat personnel, such as armor pilots and airship crew members.

We need to pay pensions to the war dead, provide medical treatment for the wounded, and take care of those who can no longer fight to prevent them from ending up on the streets.

It would be easier to just abandon them, but doing so would lead to immediate rebellion and the territory would fall into chaos.

The quickest way to extinguish these sparks is with money.

Money, money, and money.

Since becoming a lord, I've been doing nothing but financial calculations.

There's no way a newly risen noble like us has that much money.

"Are we going to borrow from the Redgrave family again...?"

"We have no choice. I'll speak to Father and Brother."

I really don't want to owe the Duke's family any more favors.

If we accept their loans, we'll be forced to follow their orders.

No matter what the Duke's intentions are, getting involved in the central power struggles is inevitable.

It's something I accepted when I married Angie.

But I don't want our children to be dragged into it.

I hated the fate of having no choice but to join the military, and I can't accept a life of being used as a pawn in the Duke's family in the political struggles of the capital.

The Duke may have some geniune love for his kin, but he wouldn't hesitate to use his children and grandchildren as tools.

I'm not cut out to be a noble who can do that.

As I stared at the surface of the tea in my cup, something touched my leg.

I looked down to see Ariel tugging at my pants.

"Ague."

My beloved daughter handed me a cookie.

It seems she was worried about my gloomy face.

Yes, being loved by my daughter is nice.

I don't care that the cookie is half-eaten.

"Thank you."

When I tried to pat her head in gratitude, she quickly ran off to Angie.

I think a little more kindness towards her father wouldn't hurt.

Lionel is always clinging to Angie, and Ariel is usually by her side too.

"Why do our kids prefer you over me?"

Children usually cling to the lenient father more than the strict mother.

"It can't be helped. I've been with them ten months longer than you."

A mother who carried and gave birth to them for ten months can't be outdone by a father who just watched.

Fathers are such a thankless existence.

When my dad comes home, I'll greet him a bit more kindly.

"But lately, they've been clinging to me more than ever."

"They weren't like that before, maybe it's a reaction to forgetting me during the war?"

"Even so, the number of times they cling has clearly increased. It's a bit tiring."

"Maybe you feel nicer to hug? You've definitely put on some..."

The moment I was about to say "weight," Angie's eyes narrowed.

If I had finished that sentence, she surely would have thrown the tea in my face.

"Do you have something to say, Leon?"

"... Angie, you are as beautiful as ever."

It's not much of a cover-up, but I complimented her anyway; I don't want to die yet.

Angie, ignoring my cold sweat, patted the twins' heads.

"Lionel, Ariel. Why do you cling to me so much?"

Angela asked them straightforwardly.

Not that she's expecting a proper answer.

She's just testing if they can explain it logically.

Sometimes, she does this to gauge the children's talents, a habit ingrained by the Duke's family's education.

The two tilted their heads and clung to Angela.

Children at the age where they still want their mother's affection are truly adorable.

"Agu."

"Chai."

They said such words.

Understanding the meaning of children's babble requires language skills on par with decoding battlefield cryptography.

Angie was also puzzled by what they were trying to say.

I drank all the tea in my cup and poured another one.

Before me were my wife and my children, happily playing together.

If I can witness such a scene, then there was worth in struggling to survive the battlefield in my life.

As I watched the three of them, I noticed something.

Lionel and Ariel were mostly touching Angie's stomach.

They hardly touched her chest or lim

bs.

Even if the torso is easier to hug, why the stomach?

"Agu." 

"Chai."

I racked my brain to decode the words' meaning.

I saw Angie folding her fingers, counting something.

Our gazes met and focused on one point.

"No way..."

"Possibly..."

Eventually, I reached a conclusion.

Angie probably did too.

"Get the doctor! Call the doctor!"

"Wait! It's not certain yet! Calm down!"

The twins looked at us with surprised faces, wondering what was happening.

※

"It happened right?"

"It did."

We repeated these same words countless times on the bed. Encountering such a major life event without any preparation can indeed be overwhelming.

"We can't be certain, but it's almost certain that she's pregnant. Congratulations."

The doctor's answer was as we expected.

"Was it that day?"

"Yes, it was that day."

The most likely day for the conception was the day I embraced Angie after a long time.

"Was that day a fertile day?"

"Actually, it was a day when it's harder to conceive."

"I heard that the second pregnancy is more difficult than the first?"

"That's true. Despite being embraced so much before the deployment, I didn't get pregnant."

Good timing or bad, who knows. Just as we started to settle into our peaceful days, our family grew unexpectedly.

I touched Angie's still flat belly. Considering how intense our nights were, it would be strange if it didn't happen. Indeed, the rumors that the longer the separation, the more intense the reunion seemed true. I regretted jokingly telling Angie that I wanted her to bear as many of my children as possible. Whether it's physical compatibility, the number of times, or a psychological issue, I don't know. But we now had another serious issue to consider regarding our future.

"What do you want to do, Angie?"

"What do you mean?"

"Will you keep it?"

"Of course. Did you think I'd abort it?"

"I never said that, nor did I think it."

Angie glared at me while holding her belly. It's not that I disliked the idea of having more children. I was just anxious about having another one before I was mentally prepared.

"Why do problems keep arising one after another? Did I do something wrong?"

"This time, it's your responsibility. It's your fault for embracing me so many times without any contraception."

"But you're the one who always initiates. I was just responding to your desires."

"Are you calling me indecent? In that case, you're a perverted deviant."

We criticized each other. To an outsider, it might look like a marital quarrel, but we weren't seriously insulting each other. We were just venting our frustrations to remove our anxieties.

"...I'm tired."

I sprawled out on the bed, limbs splayed. Even after becoming a lord, a husband, and a father, nothing about me had changed. Despite my growing responsibilities, I was still the same cowardly, useless guy. Anje lay down beside me. Her scent, a mix of body odor and perfume, tickled my nose. Normally, we would cuddle and sleep, but I didn't feel like it this time. I hated how I always got flustered and stopped whenever something unexpected happened. I was no hero, despite what the world thought of me. I was just a coward who always needed my wife's comfort.

"You're trying to bear it all alone again."

A soft, warm touch enveloped my face. Angie always had a knack for sensing my mood, though it might just be that I'm too easy to read.

"Don't strain yourself. Just be your usual self with me."

"You're the last person I want to see me like this."

"Then there's no problem. I love all of you, the good and the bad."

I stroked Angie's belly. Thinking that a new life was growing there felt strange. I wondered if the unborn baby could hear our conversation.

"It'll be hard not to embrace you for a while."

I didn't want to risk a miscarriage by having sex during the early stages of pregnancy.

"Then you should take a mistress? Many nobles have mistresses while their wives are pregnant."

"Would that really be okay?"

"I wouldn't like it, but if it's too hard for you, I'd hold back my jealousy."

"Don't lie."

Even I, who was usually clueless, could tell that much.

"I know better than anyone how jealous you can be, Angie. You even get jealous of your own children."

"..."

"I'll love you enough that you won't need to be jealous. So be prepared."

Angie's cheeks flushed at my unexpected retort. Even I could grow; I wouldn't always be on the receiving end.

"Two children and three children aren't much different. If we consider it as one more citizen, it's within the margin of error."

"True."

"So it'll be fine as always. As long as Angie is by my side, I'm happy."

Eat, work, bathe, embrace my wife, and sleep. It's a simple and mundane life, but it suits me perfectly. I'm neither a national dignitary nor a hero to be remembered in history. I'm satisfied being a country bumpkin lord. As long as my family is happy, that's enough. If I can give my children the freedom to choose their own paths without conflict, that's all I want.

"All's right with the world, then."

Leon Fou Bartfault, the rural lord. That's all I am, and it's a proud title. I kissed Angie's forehead.

"Thank you, my Lady."

"Same to you, my Lord."

Today, tomorrow, and the day after. A month later, a year later, and ten years later. We will surely be happy.

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Authors Note

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Here concludes the Leon arc. Since the story so far was from Angie’s perspective, writing this part was surprisingly challenging.

As a reincarnated person, Leon struggles to fit into the world of otome due to his modern knowledge from his past life. In this story, however, Leon, who has risen in status, is portrayed as a character troubled by the unfamiliar noble society and land management. Although he is just a background character whose name won't go down in history, the story will depict how his reputation gradually improves in the upcoming stories, so please wait until I can put my ideas together.

Additionally, based on the messages I received, there were requests such as "Please connect the story to the previous work, excluding the adult scenes" and "I want to see fan art of this story, but it’s bothersome to navigate from the previous work." Therefore, I plan to link this story, with its adult scenes edited out, to the previous work, significantly expanding it for readers who want to skip the erotic scenes. I will post it sequentially as soon as the edits are done, so please wait a little longer.

Postscript: At the request of the client, I had Tsukudani-sama draw illustration inserts. Thank you very much.

Tsukudani-sama: https://skeb.jp/@ore624/works/22

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Translator Note

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Hello your translator here , I have some things to tell you all , Most probably I will take break from this series or just post on Sundays for few weeks due to my semester exams or original translator of this series take over again, he is coming back in 18th , And I will hop onto a new series, we have our eyes on a yandere Isekai sister story! , I will take over this new series or he will and I will stick to Mobseka , it isn't decided yet. 

So about today's Chapter You can find more than out of place or straight up wrong translation due my negligence, Actually it's not my fault Translator of Modern Villainess(ah he might take a break too his exams too coming up), won't stop gushing about how Violet Evergarden , Bloom into You & yosuga no Sora are peakkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk.

So I Started today as it's a Holiday , and right he was Violet Evergarden such a good series loved it when realised it was already 2 pm (I started at 7 am ) So I had to finish my bath lunch everything and it's 4 pm already. And now I totally gonna start translating but Bloom into You was screaming at me watch meeeeeeeee , so I thought I will give it a try 1-2 ep then start the translation .

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Ep-4 Touko-sama stepp onnnnnnnn meeeeeeeeeeeeeee. , that eroi was ossosoossoosososos hottttt , 

Push me down in the clubroom or whatever that sports festival room were ahhhh I loved it I loved it I loved it it was goddamn peak peak I say here me it is peakkkkkkkkk. 

I might like woman now ! Well it was not a surprise to me , my whole childhood schooling was at home then I attended a all girls high , and now a all girls college, on top of that a Christian missionary type of thingy, I am not even a chirstian why am I here ????and top of that I live in the dormitory! Ofcourse down the line I will be on some other women's bed ! Yep yep that's totally natural course of action...

Things things happened & I finnally started at 10:30pm so you can tell it's a rushed job! But now the headache passed I will start the third anime ! 

It might be my last chapter of this series, I hope not though , this series was fan too translate!