Final Chapter: With Grat.i.tude
Volume 2 — The Honeymoon of the Northern n.o.bleman and the Raptor Wife
Visiting after a long time, the remote land was now completely summer. By now, the village women must be putting their effort into picking berries.
It was a long two day’s trip, but it ended without much trouble.
“Sieg, you must be tired.”
“No, I’m alright.”
“That’s good to hear.”
My wife was dependable as always. My newborn son also did not cry except for milk and diapers.
My son, Arno, was staying still in my arms. His hard and gleaming gaze was sharp for a baby. That’s indeed the child of the Crimson Eagle. His eyes, which opened about a week after his birth, are blue like mine. With those blue eyes, he gazed at us.
“Arno, at the village, grandpa and grandma are waiting for you~”
It’s also pleasant to imagine just how my parents would react at seeing their grandson.
The carriage stopped in front of the fortress, and the coachman opened the door.
“The luggage will be moved to the mansion.”
“Thank you.”
Since the bag full of gold was hard to move, I requested for the servant to accompany us on the carriage. It was someone who was from the marquisate, so we trusted the servant.
While carrying Arno in my arms, we went into the fortress.
“Ah, my lord!?”
There was a relatively young soldier at the reception desk. With his shout as a signal, people flooded out from the room behind him.
“Oh, your lordship has returned!”
“Please say that you won’t leave us now!?”
“We’ve been waiting for youuu~~”
Because of their mysterious greeting, Sieg and I stared at each other and tilted our head.
“Aa, it’s been a while.”
A little later than the rowdy soldiers, Captain Artonen came.
“Wow, how cute.”
Captain Artonen stared at Arno, and had a smile as if he was melting. Then, he glanced at Sieg and asked, “Girl?” with a serious expression.
“A boy. The name’s Artonen.”
“Ah, I see. Ah, no, he just looked so like the Countess.”
As if to console Captain Artonen, Arno had a nihilistic smile. Rather, what’s with this smile that’s not like a baby. When I asked Sieg, she said that she didn’t know how to teach people to smile, while having a smile similar to her son’s.
“By the way, how’s the village?”
“Eh!? Ah, erm, right. Peaceful.”
What is this. What is this report that feels incomplete.
“Erm, could it be that, father did something?”
“His lordship has been doing his work perfectly.”
“Really?”
“……R-Really.”
The captain responded without looking at me.
“Ritz, let’s get going soon. We’re disturbing their work.”
“Ah, right.”
Hearing that, Captain Artonen offered, “Why don’t you have some tea?” with a dismayed look. However, I politely declined, saying that my parents were waiting. We exited the fortress and proceeded into town.
As I had my attention drawn to the village surrounded in greenery, I came across a villager.
“Ah!”
“?”
The young man who met my eyes shouted, “The lord is back——!”
“What!?”
We were surrounded by the villagers in an instant, and were warmly received.
There were even elderly people. They joyfully looked at Arno.
“My lord, you will keep being the lord here, yes!?”
“The lord is back, thank goodness~”
“Please be a lord again quickly!”
Maybe it’s because I have a baby. It seems a bit too much.
“Erm, did father do something?”
When I asked that, everyone’s faces grew grim. When Sieg said, “Father-in-law and mother-in-law are waiting for us,” people quickly dispersed.
Just what happened. I was curious, so I went to shop lady to learn what happened.
“Waa~ Haru-kun, Sieglinde-san, welcome ba~ck.”
The person in question was relaxedly sketching plants in the front yard. Hearing that, mother also came out.
“My, welcome back, Ritchan, Linde-chan~!”
Of course, ‘Linde-chan’ refers to Sieg.
Father said, “so cute~” while looking at Arno, while mother was teary-eyed.
“Father, will you explain what happened?”
“Pardon?”
I questioned my father, who stopped sketching plants and was about to start sketching Arno. For now, mother suggested that we come inside, so we moved to the living room.
“So?”
Sieg, Father and I, the three of us talked together. I left Arno to mother.
“It’s not ‘so’. Why did you act as you wished?”
Father tilted his head. It seemed that he did not know why he was getting scolded.
What I learned from the shop lady was my father’s tyranny.
He didn’t disrupt religion like grandfather, but he ordered the villagers to report every detail on the number of prey they hunted, acted harshly to the elderly people who disliked foreigners, and forced people to partic.i.p.ate in the spring farm work.
“But I did nothing wrong.”
“……”
Of course, the number of the animals in the forest nees to be tracked. If the balance collapses, some animals might even become extinct. However, the villagers know which animals are diminishing and which animals are increasing in number. Thus, we controlled what was hunted by ourselves.
Let the elderly people be free, that was something I decided on when I became a lord. Of course, fixing their xenophobia might be good for other people from foreign countries and Sieg. However, getting that scared is too much.
The farm work that is being done as an alternative to taxation is not forced. That was because not every family had a working man.
There were many people resistant to change, so I did my duties as a lord with the mindset that small changes will be better. However, like grandfather, father did not care for how the circ.u.mstances or the feelings of the villagers.
“Well, you are too soft, and there were problems because of that, so isn’t it all good?”
“Really?”
“Right. Plus, won’t it be easier to work after an evil lord ruled?”
“!”
Indeed, the elderly people were overjoyed at my return. It probably wasn’t just thanks to Arno.
“Father, could you have aimed for that?”
“No~ It just ultimately turned out like that~”
“……”
I heard from grandfather that father is shrewd man, but he was the usual fluffy. He might actually be cold-hearted, I had thought, but I soon regretted thinking that.
From there on, the five of us lived together peacefully.
I went out hunting, while Sieg worked indoors. Father devoted himself to research, and mother joyfully took care of Arno.
A month later, a letter from grandfather arrived, demanding father to come.
Even that aloof father seemed to like Arno, that he started mumbling that he didn’t want to leave.
However, the next month, an intimidating servant from the marquisate came and took him away.
I thought mother would of course accompany him, but she waved her hand to father, saying “I have to take care of Ar-chan~”
Father looked crestfallen as he left.
So, it became four, but the relaxing warm life did not change.
After having lunch with Sieg, I took Arno from mother to let her have some food as well.
Drinking milk properly every day, sleeping well every day, crying and living energetically, Arno was now a handsome baby. His cheeks were puffy that they looked as though they would be tasty.
When I hold out my finger, he holds tightly onto them. Even that feeble grip was lovely.
Sieg, sitting next to me, was also staring at Arno.
“Hey.”
“What is it?”
“How do I convey feelings of grat.i.tude.”
No matter how many times I said thanks, it never felt like it was enough. I couldn’t express this joy in words.
“Ritz, there’s this thing you do all the time, no?”
“Pardon?”
Showing grat.i.tude, what did I do last time.
“What was it?”
“……When we hunted wild reindeer together for the first time, when I gave you the bracelet I made, and when I accepted the marriage…… you still don’t know?”
“Ah!”
I remembered that I kissed her on the cheek when I was overjoyed and excited.
I put my lips to Sieg’s cheek, and also kissed Arno’s forehead with feelings of grat.i.tude.
A warm feeling filled my heart.
Arno made a nihilistic smile again, so Sieg and I ended up laughing.
In the following years, four more children were born after Arno.
The eldest son Arno took after Sieg, in both his appearance and his personality, growing into an honest and earnest boy.
The eldest daughter Veronica took after both his parents, growing into a relaxed girl.
The second son Ulrich was docile and liked reading.
The second daughter Crimhilde was wild and energetic.
The third son, Erenfried was spoiled and loved Sieg and mother.
Arno’s looks took after Sieg, but the other four looked just like me.
Before I realise it, I had the most children in the village.
The village was slowly changing, but it was still peaceful.
There were more permanent residents from foreign countries.
My parents were the same, the children were healthy, and Sieglinde was still a hard worker.
I really am a blessed one, I felt every day.
And this joyous life continued every day.
The Snow Country Life of the Northern n.o.bleman and the Raptor Wife — Extra — fin.