Count Goran And The Chocolate-Covered Cherries (3)

At that moment, my cheeks flushed red.

What on earth was this man saying?

I turned my face away from his gaze, hoping he wouldn’t notice how flustered I was.

“P-please don’t tease me, Alvin-sama.”

“I’m not teasing you. I’m quite serious about asking you to marry me.”

“Alvin-sama…”

When I turned to face him, Alvin met my gaze with earnest eyes.

“But I won’t force you. I intend to respect your wishes, Lydia. You want a child but don’t want a husband. So let’s start by making a baby.”

“What?”

Seriously, what on earth was this man saying?

Alvin stood up and looked down at me.

“You want a child, don’t you?”

“Well, yes, I suppose…”

If I might say so myself, I’d been a highly capable magic knight. I’d always put my duties first and had never once wanted to get married. Having a child, which would come after marriage, was also something I’d never even considered until I’d reached this age.

I was bewildered by the changes in myself.

But Alvin said,

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. What you’re feeling is perfectly natural.”

“…Is it?”

“According to our country’s medical knowledge, the age at which a woman can safely give birth to her first child is around thirty. Beyond that age, the risks increase considerably. The same applies to men. Their seed begins to deteriorate, making it harder to father children. You and I are both at an age where we have very little time left to have children. You’re a healthy woman who is capable of bearing children. The environment here is probably also well suited to raising a family. That’s why your body and mind are longing for a child now.”

Since I’d always thought it had absolutely nothing to do with me, I hadn’t remembered it until this very moment, but now that he mentioned it, I recalled hearing something along those lines.

“I see…”

Apparently, my body was seeking an opportunity to bear a child.

“Then it’s settled. I’ll stay here tonight. May I come to your room, or would you prefer to come to mine?”

“Excuse me?”

What exactly had we just settled?

“If we’re going to have a child, the sooner we start, the better for both of us.”

Alvin’s reasoning was perfectly sound.

It was perfectly sound, but still!

“Yes, but you see…”

“Is there a problem? Ah, knights belonging to the Goran Knight Order undergo regular medical examinations, including tests for sexually transmitted diseases. I’m healthy.”

“Ah, I see.”

Well, that was certainly important.

“I’d like you to allow me to acknowledge myself as the child’s father, but I promise I won’t do anything to take the child away from you. I also want to provide as much support as possible for the child’s future.”

“…Thank you.”

I had no intention of accepting financial assistance at present, but one never knew what might happen in life.

If I were to die young, having a father to rely on would certainly be reassuring for the child.

“I want my child to be free to live as they please, too. However…”

There was such sincerity in Alvin’s voice as he murmured those words that I couldn’t help looking up at him.

“However, if our child were to express a desire to succeed me of their own free will, would you at least be willing to listen?”

“I wouldn’t mind that much. It would be the child’s own life, after all…”

If our child wanted to become a knight, I would have no right to stand in the way.

“Then there’s no problem.”

“No, but you see…”

Alvin’s expression suddenly turned sorrowful.

“…Lydia, what is it about me that you dislike? I suppose that, in your eyes, men from Goran must seem like unsophisticated country bumpkins.”

“No, that’s not it at all…”

The people of Goran, who had some ancestry from the neighboring country, tended to be larger and more rugged than the average person in our country.

Some nobles from the central region disparaged people from the frontier as barbarians, but personally, it didn’t bother me in the slightest.

Alvin had handsome features, though there was something distinctly wild about his appearance. He was tall and powerfully built, and his hair was black, an unusual color in our country.

The blood of our country and its neighbor blended harmoniously within him.

…In fact, I found him rather attractive.

“Then is it my personality? If there’s anything about me you dislike, I’ll do my best to change it. Please, tell me.”

“No, there’s nothing about you that I dislike.”

I didn’t know much about Alvin beyond the fact that he was an occasional regular customer, but even with such limited acquaintance, there were some people I immediately found difficult to get along with.

Alvin was a good man.

There was nothing objectionable about either his appearance or his personality, and everything else about him was favorable, too. He was probably more than I could have hoped for as the father of my child… but that wasn’t the problem.

“Um, could you give me a little time? I need to prepare myself mentally…”

“We’re both getting on in years, Lydia. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that we’ll conceive after having intercourse just once or twice. We’d be better off starting now and making as many attempts as possible.”

…He delivered that perfectly reasonable argument with an utterly serious expression.

Oh, I see. He was one of those people who would never understand unless I spelled things out explicitly.

I glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then summoned my courage and confessed.

“You see, Alvin-sama, I’m a virgin.”

“What?”

“I’m still a virgin at my age. I’ve never done it before. So doing it all of a sudden would be a little…”

“…………”

There was no reply.

Alvin had frozen in place with one hand pressed against his forehead.

Was he appalled?

“Alvin-sama?”

“…It’s nothing. I’m merely trembling at my extraordinary good fortune. To think that you’re still a virgin…”

“Uh…”

What did he mean by good fortune?

“It’s nothing short of a miracle that a woman as intelligent and beautiful as you has remained untouched. Surely any man would want to make you his.”

Alvin was saying some rather exaggerated things, but the reality was quite different.

“In the royal capital, women who are somewhat petite and delicately built, as though they might snap in two, are considered beautiful. I’m about as far removed from the capital’s standards of feminine beauty as you can get.”

Besides…

“Most men don’t like women who are stronger than they are.”

Lydia Venesca had been the strongest knight right up until her retirement.

I wasn’t boasting, but although I’d been feared and envied plenty of times, I’d never been popular with men.

Upon hearing this, Alvin tilted his head in puzzlement.

“Really? Personally, I think a woman who’s stronger than me would be very reassuring.”

“Alvin-sama…”

I was actually rather touched by that, but then Alvin added,

“Well, I doubt there’s a woman alive who could defeat me.”

He said it with infuriating confidence.

…Damn him.

Admittedly, I wouldn’t stand a chance against him in my current condition, but back when I was still on active duty, I could have given him a run for his money.

Dark magic was considered to possess greater combat capabilities than other attributes, but even taking that into account, my raw magical power was superior to his.

However, Alvin was an exceptionally skilled swordsman.

His physical abilities were extraordinary, and there wasn’t the slightest opening in any of his movements.

Defeating an opponent who surpassed me in both speed and strength would be difficult in a straightforward fight. My only option would be to catch him off guard, throw him off balance, and immediately unleash a barrage of offensive magic.

He also seemed exceptionally skilled at counterattacking, so I’d need to cast Gale and Defense beforehand to prepare for any retaliation…

“…………”

As I inadvertently began constructing a serious simulated battle in my head, Alvin spoke.

“Well, jokes aside, I understand your circumstances. It seems we need some time to get to know each other. I’ll stay here tonight.”

“Alvin-sama!”

Seeing me panic, Alvin spoke in the soothing voice one might use to reassure a small child.

“Don’t worry. I won’t lay a hand on you. I simply want to talk. Your favorite color, your favorite food, your hobbies… Well, I already know that last one. Your hobby is cooking. We can take our time talking about things like that.”

“Alvin-sama…”

The doorbell jingled, and Dennis, apparently having run out of patience, came to fetch him.

“Um, Alvin-sama, we really ought to be leaving soon.”

“I’ve decided to stay here tonight. I’ll return tomorrow morning. Dennis, go back to headquarters ahead of me.”

“What? But…”

Dennis was thrown into a panic by the sudden change of plans.

“Please. I have something important to discuss with Lydia. I promise I’ll return tomorrow morning. Tell everyone that.”

“Alvin-sama…”

Dennis drew a sharp breath and looked back and forth between Alvin and me before giving a small nod.

“Understood. Alvin-sama, I wish you the best of luck.”

When Noah and Mirei returned from the fields, they were delighted to see Alvin.

Until recently, the two children had been afraid of men, but they’d now grown quite attached to Alvin.

That evening, several other groups stayed at the inn in addition to Alvin, and when dinnertime arrived, a few more customers came looking for a meal.

During mealtimes, Cassie and I were busy cooking and serving customers.

Noah and Mirei helped us in the mornings and at lunchtime, but since I didn’t want them staying up late, I had the children eat an early dinner on their own.

Consequently, Noah and Mirei were usually the only ones sitting at the kitchen table, but today, with Alvin joining them, things were much livelier.

Although Alvin was a paying guest, he preferred to eat in the kitchen.

“You know, Alvin-sama, today we pulled weeds in the wheat field!”

“We did!”

Noah and Mirei were eagerly telling Alvin about their day.

Perhaps because they understood that Alvin was a man of considerable status, both the things they said and the way they spoke sounded much like children reporting to their teacher at school.

“I see. You’re both very admirable for helping your family.”

Alvin’s response, in turn, sounded exactly like something a schoolteacher would say.

Listening to their conversation from nearby, I couldn’t help laughing.

Once dinner was over, it was time to clean up and prepare ingredients for the following day.

Since our establishment wasn’t a tavern, we closed for business as soon as dinner service ended.

For guests who wanted to continue drinking, we provided snacks to accompany their drinks and asked them to move to either their guest rooms or the separate common room.

“I’ll help, too.”

Alvin began cleaning the dining room.

The brownies also appeared and joined in the cleanup. Apparently, they’d grown accustomed to Alvin’s presence, because they paid him no attention.

What the brownies were really after, of course, were cookies. I quietly placed a batch of freshly baked, delicious cookies on the windowsill, making sure there were enough for everyone.

Once the cleanup and preparations for the next day were finished, it was time for me to go to bed as well.

After taking a bath, I rummaged through my wardrobe and changed into a dress instead of my nightclothes.

Having made myself reasonably presentable, I went to the guest room where Alvin was staying and knocked on the door.