Arc-7 Ch-22

 "Yes, attention! Let's all pay attention~!"

My voice, lacking any real vigor, echoed through the room. Considering the current situation, I should normally be panicking much more, but since this was such a sudden emergency, my mind simply could not keep up with sorting everything out. Also, the children in our household were far too energetic.

"Come on, everyone, take a seat."

"This thing only says infuriating stuff! I really want to punch it hard!"

"It went over there! Don't try to run!"

"…If we sold it, it would probably fetch a pretty good price."

"Can we take it apart?"

"So~ interesting~"

You lot, do you realize that thing is apparently some kind of terminal for an airship plotting the extermination of new humans?

Stop snatching it and fiddling with it like a toy I bought you for your birthday. There is such a thing as being too fearless.

"Lionel Fou Bartfort, use a slightly stronger tone when cautioning your younger brothers and sisters."

"Ariel Fou Bartfort, I am merely pointing out your shallow knowledge that makes it difficult to believe you are a noble lady."

"Leah Fou Bartfort, keeping distance from someone showing hostility is tactically correct."

"Roxanne Fou Bartfort, please keep in mind that I am not your father's possession."

"Melanie Fou Bartfort, acting solely on curiosity could lead to irreversible consequences."

"Dylan Fou Bartfort, immediately stop touching the lens area with hands that have just eaten sweets."

Except for Lionel, all five of them swarmed around the little sphere and toyed with it. Or rather, the little sphere had apparently memorized every single one of our children. I had honestly thought it was only interested in exterminating new humans.

Lionel and I desperately tried to get the five of them to behave, but the effect was minimal.

I already knew that because I was usually busy and often left the territory, my dignity as a father within the household was rather low. I also knew that Lionel, with his gentle personality, was not very good at coming down hard on his younger siblings.

However, the biggest cause of this chaotic situation was the adorable girl who refused to leave my side.

"……"

"…Hey, Angie."

"What is it, Leon?"

"Please, could you move away just a little?"

"No."

"Having my suddenly child-sized wife right next to me like this is really bad in front of the kids."

"No way."

"Come on, do something about it."

"No. Way."

My displeased wife Angelica refused to listen to my pleas. She stuck tightly to my side on the sofa and showed no intention of moving away.

Even though I had gone to the trouble of borrowing cute nightclothes from Roxanne, who had the closest build to her, the fact that the person herself was sulking completely ruined the effect.

She was not using her usual polite tone; instead, her speech was curt and blunt. Exposing emotions so openly was unsightly according to her beliefs, yet she made no attempt to hide her sullen expression.

And above all, she pressed against me at such close range, as though declaring to everyone around that I belonged to her, while glaring to ward others off. She was not even trying to conceal the side of herself that she feared most being known to others.

The possibility that this was a cleverly crafted fake created by that bizarre ruin said to have been made by the old humans still could not be completely erased from my mind.

While holding that doubt—whether this girl was truly Angie herself—I looked at the face of the girl clinging to me.

The photograph I had been shown when I visited the Redgrave ducal house in the past.

The young Angie in that picture and the girl before me were so alike that there was no mistaking they were the same person.

Moreover, our real daughters—Ariel, Roxanne, and Melanie.

The features of the three children Angie had borne were unmistakably present in this girl as well. To someone unaware of the circumstances, it would be understandable if they mistook them not for three sisters but four.

And above all else, both my mind and body were drawn to this girl in a way that was utterly beyond my control.

I had met her in my teens, spent nearly twenty years together, embraced her dozens or hundreds of times, and she had borne me six children.

There was a definite conviction within me that this girl truly was Angie.

Meanwhile, the children continued to enthusiastically fight over the little sphere as before.

After all, their mother Angie—who was normally so strict about manners and etiquette—was in this state. Once the scary mother was gone, children would naturally become as noisy and rowdy as they pleased.

As for our family's educational policy, corporal punishment was basically prohibited.

Both Angue and I trusted our children, and we did not want them to grow up covering up mistakes through excessive scolding or taking out frustrations on those weaker than themselves. Also, quite simply, since we had many daughters, leaving lasting marks from physical punishment would be problematic.

Children are creatures highly sensitive to changes in atmosphere.

Especially when they are physically weak and small, they instinctively detect danger and flee. That is why they innately understand who the leader of their group is and to what extent various behaviors are permitted.

In other words, while I was supposed to be the head of the Bartfort Earl family, they sensed that the true ruler was Angie. But now that Angie was in a weakened state, they seemed to have realized that even if they did not obey unreliable me, there would be no punishment.

The little brats had concluded they did not need to follow instructions and were happily messing around with their new toy, the little sphere.

Lacking any dignity as a father, my children refused to listen to me. Maybe it would be fine to go cry somewhere else for a bit?

"What exactly is with that attitude of yours?"

―――― Shiiii～～～～n ――――

A particularly high-pitched female voice rang out, and the previous clamor vanished as though it had been a lie.

It was not a roar forcing obedience through sheer power. It was the voice that only a noble person endowed with intellect that explained reason and unshakable will could produce.

My entire life had been tossed around by women capable of making such a voice.

Even now, the queen who held real political power in the capital, the saint who offered prayers in the temple and was revered by the people.

And my wife, the former Redgrave ducal daughter and current Countess Bartfort.

Why did the three most dangerous women in the Holfort Kingdom—who should never be made enemies—always gather around me?

It was so terrifying I wanted to cry. All the children instantly held their breath and froze in place. It seemed they had instinctively realized that the girl was their mother.

Or perhaps, because my cowardly nature had been passed down genetically, they had been conditioned to believe that no matter how much they struggled, they could never win against their mother Angie?

That thought somehow felt really unpleasant.

"…Are you really our mother?"

"I have already said it multiple times. For what reason do you refuse to honestly accept my words?"

"It's impossible to accept that a girl younger than us is the same person as our mother."

Ariel began to argue head-on against Angie without any hesitation. Among the children born between us, the two who had spent the longest time together with us were the eldest son Lionel and the eldest daughter Ariel.

Moreover, Ariel had been scolded by Angie the most times. Because their principles and personalities clashed, and both were strong-willed and refused to yield even an inch, their arguments tended to drag on. It was a familiar sight in the Bartfort count household, practically a specialty.

It was not that Angie and Ariel genuinely hated each other. Precisely because they were so aware of each other, it turned into a stubborn clash of wills between mother and daughter who were too alike. They were simply at a difficult age and could not be honest. Deep down, Ariel adored Angie as her mother.

"I always warn you that refusing to listen to my words will only cause you to panic later, don't I?"

"…Well, um."

"Having half-hearted studies and lady's education is the most dangerous state. Do not entertain the naive idea that you can master anything instantly once you get serious."

"…I-I'm the kind of kid who can do it if I try!"

"In just a few more years, you will inevitably have your social debut. And yet here you are, completely absorbed in enjoying the present. Why don't you take an example from Roxanne and Melanie, who seriously consider their futures?"

"I am thinking about it properly!!"

"A few days ago, when several marriage proposals were brought to you, you ran away without even looking at the photographs. If you have a reason to refuse, then say it. If there is someone you are interested in, I might consider it."

"…Right now there isn't anyone like that, so could we please stop this depressing talk?"

She often dodges the issue by saying things like "The saint is unmarried too!" and so on, but she was enrolled in the advanced class at the Royal Academy as a special student. Her grades were always at the top or very close to it. For someone as diligent and intelligent as the saint, having her laziness used as an excuse would surely be the greatest humiliation.

"Guh, guu…"

"If you have no complaints, then produce achievements that justify them. If you do, I might consider it. As things stand now, I will not approve an increase in your allowance. On the contrary, I will reduce it and make you focus solely on your studies."

"I get it! I get it already! This way of interrogating me is definitely how Mother would do it!"

This merciless venomous tongue was unmistakably Angie. Rather, because she had become a child and no longer had to act as a mother, she showed no mercy and thoroughly crushed Ariel without holding back at all.

If the same thing were done to me, I would cry. I would go back to my room, bury my face in the bed, and keep sobbing.

Look, the children were completely terrified now.

The only one not scared was Dylan, who still did not grasp the situation.

"Leah, the same goes for you. I hear you have been claiming that since you want to enroll in the military academy, you do not need to study."

"I am thinking about my future, unlike my older sister."

"Don't drag me into this!"

"I can understand to some extent the feeling of admiring a father who achieved military accomplishments. However, Leon received almost no proper education in his childhood and suffered greatly after being ennobled. The amount of hardship I went through just to get Leon to the point where he could behave at the minimum level expected of a lord is beyond what words can express."

"You do not have to go that far…"

I wished she would spare me from having the lecture spill over onto me as well.

After all, while I had learned reading, writing, and arithmetic, the poor Bartfalt baronial house did not have the resources to provide a full noble education even to a third son.

Until the management of the Bartfort territory got on track, Angie had stayed by my side the whole time, personally teaching me. I never wanted to go through that again.

Angie was so outstanding that she could effortlessly handle not only lady's education but also instruction as the next queen consort, so she could not understand the feelings of someone who was bad at studying.

Yet precisely because she was so good at gauging limits, she always pushed right up to the point where the person being taught was about to give up.

I could well understand why study-hating Ariel and Liah kept finding excuses to run away.

"All of the children born to me and Leon will enroll in the Royal Academy, not the military academy. That is decided. At the very least, you will be made capable of conducting yourselves in a manner befitting sons and daughters of high-ranking nobility. If you dislike that, then show the same determination as the young Leon and stand on your own without relying on the family."

"Mother, that is far too tyrannical no matter how you look at it."

"A soldier is not someone who can simply run wild as he pleases without restraint. Leon may be a little cynical, but he is a man of strict integrity and honesty. It is precisely because he endured considerable hardship that he attained his current position. The situation is fundamentally different from yours, where you would receive special treatment in both armies simply because you are the son of a lord."

What Angie was saying was perfectly logical, which made it all the worse.

Humans are creatures whose judgment is dulled by emotion, and the more correct a statement of pure reason is, the more it angers people.

Most people understand that pure reason is correct. Precisely because they understand, it is difficult to argue against.

Yet those who spout pure reason are full of contradictions themselves, and in most cases they bring it up simply to silence the other party unilaterally.

I am not wrong. Right actions should not be denied. The world is full of villains and is filthy.

People who say such things have always been disliked in every era and every country.

Probably the reason her engagement was broken off was because of this aspect of Angie.

When I first met her, Angie's personality was considerably harsher than it is now. It was only after nearly twenty years of being married that I finally became able to correctly interpret the true intent behind her words.

"Roxanne, it is fine to be sociable, but you chase trends too much. If you do not have core values of your own, no matter how much you dress up the outside, the anxiety will never disappear."

"…!"

"On the other hand, Melanie, your interests are somewhat overly concentrated. Increase your opportunities to interact with others in order to gain different perspectives."

"Ehh~…"

My wife showed no mercy at all.

If it were only about appearance, she was unilaterally lecturing girls of the same age.

This was probably accumulated dissatisfaction she had been holding in for a long time.

Almost everyone in the family present had lost any will to argue back against Angie's words. If they carelessly interjected, they would likely get it returned twice as hard.

The only exception was Dylan, whose judgment had not yet fully developed.

He showed no interest in his thoroughly cowed older siblings and continued playing with the little sphere as before.

"Dylan."

"Yes!"

When the small Angie called his name, Dylan responded energetically.

'She's even going to complain to the youngest, who is smiling so innocently?'

Everyone in the room except Angie and Dylan was thinking something along those lines while watching the two.

If they carelessly tried to defend him, they had no idea what Angie might say, so they could only watch the flow of the conversation with trepidation.

It was painfully clear that my cowardly nature had been inherited by all the children, which made me feel a little depressed.

Surely even Angie would not say anything harsh enough to make a child not yet ten years old cry.

But because it was Angie, and her speech and behavior had become even sharper than when we first met, I could not be certain.

"Release the lost item right now."

"Ehh~~?"

"We are going to discuss things together from now on. If you keep playing with it, everyone will be troubled."

"Uu~..."

"Dylan is a good boy, so he would not do anything to trouble everyone, right?"

"......"

Reluctantly, Dylan let go of the little sphere. As if declaring it would never be caught again, the little sphere floated up into the air and moved to a corner of the room.

Was being treated like a toy by our children really that unpleasant for it?

Although Dylan obeyed obediently, his dissatisfied expression remained unchanged. Ange gently stroked his head as though to comfort such a son, and gradually his expression softened.

Everyone felt relieved at that sight. Indeed, while Angie's words and actions were harsh, she had not lost her kindness entirely.

The lectures she gave the children were born precisely out of concern for their futures. Because this was such an abnormal situation, her true feelings had probably slipped out unintentionally.

If one's body had suddenly reverted to childhood, anyone would be confused. It was only natural for there to be discrepancies between her current memories and her former body.

Feeling reassured, I slowly leaned back against the sofa and felt a weight on my thigh.

When I looked up, Angie—who had been sitting beside me until just now—was now perched on my lap.

The weight itself was nothing much. The problem was how unusually unwilling the current Angie was to leave my side.

Normally, at the very least, she would refrain from pressing her skin against me so openly in front of the children; on the contrary, she would be the one admonishing me.

"Angie."

"What is it, Leon?"

"Could you move?"

"I already refused earlier."

"Come on, it's embarrassing with the kids watching."

"My body and mind are both unstable right now. It is your duty as my husband, Leon, to actively comfort me."

"…Is that how it works?"

"Specifically, praise me for persuading Dylan, and then stroke my head with affection."

"…Got it. Angie, you did great."

"Mm."

For the time being, I praised her and then gently stroked her head. Angie, who never neglected hair care even normally, had golden hair with an exquisite texture, but now that she had rejuvenated, it felt even better.

It was smoother than the finest towel by several times over. Stroking it almost made my own palm feel more pleasant than hers.

Angie's face, with her cheeks flushed red and a deeply satisfied expression, looked terribly alluring.

Caressing a beautiful girl who combined the innocence of a child with the intellect of an adult gave me a strangely decadent feeling.

"…Father."

"Yeah?"

A voice called from the side. It was probably our eldest son, Lionel. When I turned, cold eyes were staring at me from beneath half-open eyelids.

What was with that look? What exactly did I do?

"Please restrain yourself, Father."

"What are you even talking about?"

"Please do not immerse yourself in your own little husband-and-wife world in front of everyone. Moreover, Mother is in this form right now."

"Angie was the one who told me to do it."

"This is an utterly decadent scene: a middle-aged man doting on a young girl who has barely reached maturity."

"You go that far!?"

Suddenly I received harsh verbal abuse from my own son. I was not lusting after the young Angie or anything. It was just a slightly perverse mood, that was all.

When I looked around, all the children except Dylan were sending reproachful glances at me and Angie. Incidentally, Angie herself remained oblivious.

"I really think this is going too far."

"So I keep saying, you're all just imagining things."

"No, no matter how you look at it, this is weird."

"You're only seeing it that way because you've started noticing the opposite sex."

"A suspicious middle-aged man pressing in on a little girl. It would not be strange if someone reported this to the authorities."

"You go that far!?"

"The way Father is looking at Mother right now is exactly the gaze of a lolicon."

"That's not—it's not like any little girl would do! The only one I'm in love with is Angie!"

"In other words, that means we who resemble Mother are also in danger. Please stay away from us for a while."

"You lot!!"

I had been labeled a pervert by my own children. I wanted to cry. This was all that ruin's fault. Once Angie was back to normal, I was definitely going to smash it to pieces.

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Authors Note

┻━⁠━━━━⁠━━⁠━━━⁠┻

The Earl Bartfalt (3● years old) being treated as a lolicon.  

Leon is a big-breast enthusiast in the original work, but according to the fortune-telling by the elven village chief, his fated partners are highly likely to be Marie or Heltrude, so there is also the possibility he awakens to flat chests...  

This chapter, which took on a somewhat comedic tone, ended up stretching longer than expected, so it has been split.  

The next chapter is planned to be more serious.

I would appreciate any opinions or impressions, as they would encourage me for the future.