Chapter 447: Mother's Feelings

Pardon the intrusion.」

I open the door of the temporarily borrowed house without waiting for a response after knocking and excusing myself.

My eyes dart at the two spearmen standing guard in front of the house to relieve them off their duties.

「Ah......」

Baroness Escaote rose from her chair inside the room as I entered.

This is the place where she and her son are using as an address until a permanent home is found. Seika, her son who I beat up badly, was sent to a doctor and, as such, she is here by herself.

「I guess I was being a little rude. Well, please understand that I cannot be too polite in front of the soldiers.」

A soft smile forms on my face as I urge the woman to sit back down and I find a convenient box lying around to sit on.

Because she didn't have much time to organize, the room was still a mess and the only things set up were the chair she's occupying and a bed.

「No, you were not......」

In her current mental state, I'm sure conversing won't have much effect.

I speak over her and get straight to the point.

「I first want to say that you and your son will be pardoned as promised. However, since you communicated with the enemy, you will not be freed. At the very least, until the war is over, you and your son will be monitored closely.」

This is an important decision regarding her life, so I make sure to tell her the truth, no matter how harsh it might sound.

The Baroness sits up straight like her body was pulled up with a wire.

「Next, if you are seen contacting the enemy or behaving in any manner that would cause doubt――you would immediately and unconditionally executed. I will not yield on this point so I advise you to refrain from doing anything suspicious.」

I stare into the Baroness's eyes and speak in a cold tone.

She nervously looks back and continues listening.

Alright, that should take care of all of Erich's mandatory directives.

I break the tense atmosphere with a grin.

「――that's it for the Military Commissioner's warnings. Man, he shouted at me, telling me not to act disgracefully in front of his men.」

「F-fueh?」

I smile at her after finishing the serious topic and inch the box I'm sitting on closer to the Baroness's chair.

「Who would have thought he would shove it in my ass. Carelessness is really man's greatest enemy.」

I chuckle, jokingly slapping my ass a few times.

「M-my sincerest apologies...... I will scold that child――」

She begs for forgiveness unnecessarily, her face somewhat relaxed.

There's no way she doesn't find it funny for a man to faint from getting a stick up his ass.

I inch closer to the Baroness.

「No, no, he was literally fighting for his life. It's natural that he did whatever he could to win, in fact, I should be praising him for his efforts.」

I nonchalantly take out a bottle of sweet fruit alcohol and two glasses from my pocket, then hand one of them to the Baroness.

Taking advantage of the need to give her the glass, I close the distance even more until I am within arm's reach.

I fill the bewildered woman's glass to the brim and lightly tap my glass against hers.

「Of course I will take responsibility to watch over you and have you stay beside me, however, that doesn't mean you are restricted in any way. Please be at ease. I'd appreciate if you don't try colluding secretly with the enemy though.」

I maintain a casual tone and stop her from bowing her head in response to the part about colluding.

「Hahaha, I was kidding, don't worry. More importantly, please have some of this delicious fruit alcohol.」

Partially due to her nervousness, she quickly empties the glass.

Despite the gentle aftertaste, the alcohol is actually rather strong...... well, I'm sure one glass is fine.

「What I'm more concerned about is your son. Our fight wasn't exactly a fair one. It wasn't very mature of me to pummel him enough to send him to the doctor.」

This is a very critical part for me.

Mothers value their children more than anything.

It won't be easy for her to excuse what I did to her cute son.

To be honest, I couldn't bear hearing her pained screams during the match.

Admitting to her that it was all an act wouldn't reflect well on me either.

「......」

Sure enough, she's speechless.

Right when I was about to say sorry again, the Baroness suddenly stands up from her chair, lowers both knees and hands plus her forehead to the floor. I couldn't help freezing from the unexpected gesture.

「Thank you very much for saving me and Seika.」

I sigh and take a sip of the overly sweet alcohol.

「You realized?」

「It was clear when I calmed down not too long ago.」

I help the Baroness up and have her sit on the bed.

Then I sit beside her.

「Thinking logically, you could have easily killed us on the spot if you got upset at the fact a knife was pointed at you. Considering you only moderately beat Seika through a staff match, I could tell you were trying to get everyone else to agree with the result......」

I was certain my acting was perfect.

This means Erich could plainly see what I was doing too.

「In the first place, Seika could never hope to compete against Hardlett-sama, the infamous demon of war. His poor showing was also due to Hardlett-sama's skill, right?」

「Hahaha.」

I smile confidently, trying to hide the faint seriousness during his fourth thrust.

My initial impression of her was someone who is susceptible to becoming flustered, but she's actually pretty intelligent and observant.

It would be embarrassing to have her see through me so simply, that's why I'll tease her a little.

「I'm grateful that you evaluate me so highly, but I might have enjoyed tormenting the young man, you know?」

Seika has a fairly ambiguous appearance and could be mistaken as a girl.

The Baroness giggles and quips back.

「Fufu, if you weren't aware, I am a feudal lord of a domain in the eastern region. I've heard countless rumors regarding Hardlett-sama. While plenty are...... um, interesting...... I have not heard of anything that cruel.」

She smiles beautifully and elegantly tips her glass.

The sweet alcohol's palatability made it easy to drink.

「I'm curious about those rumors. What's being said about me?」

I add more liquid to her glass and reduce what little distance was left between me and the red-faced woman.

「Err...... things like leaving the territory to punish bandits personally or routing monsters by yourself and saving the citizens......」

「Hooh, hooh. What else?」

As I get closer to her, my thigh touches hers.

「I hear rumors about you keeping a dragon as a pet, that you're growing a plant that moves in your garden, and that you fool around with young girls......」

「Hahaha, that's outrageous. Anything else?」

I casually lean my shoulder against hers and rest my hand on her lap.

「......and there's also-」

She turns toward me.

Our heights are different, so she inevitably has to look up at me.

I don't know if it's the alcohol or because she feels safe, but her eyes are somewhat moist.

「There are rumors of how much you love women...... that you keep several hundreds of them, laying your hands on any pretty girls you find in city...... and that you are matchless in bed......taking possession of them instantly......」

Our gazes intersect.

「The reason you saved us...... was for 'that', right?」

The Baroness carefully lifts my hand off her leg and separates from me.

Shyly, she looks down and begins to unbutton her shirt.

「I'm not very proud of my body.」

After her shirt fell to the floor, she removed her skirt.

Next, her plain underwear came off, exposing her modest but shapely breasts.

There was a brief moment of hesitation before she resolved to strip the last piece of clothing covering her most precious place, baring her entire body to me.

「T-this might not even be worth the price of my life, but please relish this humble offering......」

Being embarrassed, like I thought she was, her hands were still shielding her chest and crotch.

Moreover, she was trembling.

「Fumu.」

I approach her and throw my clothes off.

Unsurprisingly, the Baroness did not say anything, almost like she was mentally prepared for me to get naked, until I peeled off my underwear and she let out a gasp, her eyes reflecting fear.

When I put my hand on her shoulder, she flinched.

I ignore it and proceed to wrap my arm around her shoulder and her waist. And then......

「Hup.」

「Kyaaaa!!」

I push her onto the bed and, while embracing the Baroness, roll twice on the dusty sheets.

「W-what was that!?」

「Hahaha, did I scare you?」

I wrap her body with sheets as she protests the abrupt impact.

「Let's talk for a bit.」

「Talk? Wah! Kyaa!」

I pull the enveloped woman toward me and slide her on top of my arm.

Our bodies are stuck together, but the sheets protect skin-to-skin contact, and thus eliminate her previous trembling.

I'll delay intercourse for now.

She will obviously accept if I ask for it, but that would be no more than thanks for saving her son's life.

Sex out of obligation is no fun, and the relationship that follows will be dull.

Rather than treating her as a feudal lord or a mother, I need to bring out the female within her and love her as such. That's how I will capture her heart.

「Yes, that's right. Although I still don't know much about you, I don't believe you're someone who would turn traitor just to attain a high-ranking position. I would like to hear more about your circumstances.」

I tighten my arms around the sheet-covered Baroness.

The dusty sheets aren't the most pleasant, but at least I can feel her warmth.

「Where...... should I start......」

My body temperature should also be transmitting to her.

It's cute how she's glancing repeatedly at my body.

「Start wherever you want. Ah, before that, could you tell me your name?」

Escaote is merely her family name after all.

「Rukino. My name is Rukino Escaote.」

「Rukino. That's a nice name. It has a sense of nobility, purity and overflowing love.」

I pour praise onto her, casually addressing her without honorifics.

She doesn't seem like a person who dislikes deliberate flattery. That's more true especially as a person with status.

「Alright, then――」

Uncomfortably, she retells her story.

It turns out that her husband, in other words Baron Escaote, was formerly a noble of the royal palace without a job and was essentially being used by other nobles.

Coincidentally, and also luckily, he increased his achievements enough to become recognized by the king and was given territory in the newly acquired eastern region.

The Baron did not particularly excel in any area nor did he seem foolish in any area, and somehow managed to compete with his neighboring feudal lords socially, politically and territorially.

One day, perhaps feeling too stressed, he suddenly fell ill and went on to die from sickness.

He left behind Rukino, a daughter and his yet-to-mature son, Seika.

As Baroness, Rukino was supposed to protect the house until Seika grew up, but things did not go smoothly.

「When I took over the household, the merchant families who lent money to my husband during the time he was healthy and the neighboring feudal lords he kept a good relationship with turned around and gave me the cold treatment.」

Upkeep of the territory became difficult, debts piled up and conflicts on the border occurred more frequently.

「Our dispute reached the royal palace, which resulted in the royal family sending a messenger to warn us...... it was a matter of time before our territory would be confiscated.」

In all probability, other feudal lords tattled on them.

It's an underhanded tactic; something Leopolt would do.

「There was nothing I could do...... I had to depend on someone else with more power. With that in mind, I sought patronage from Count Hauraun, an influential feudal lord in the area...... and he willingly accepted my request. Upon doing so, disputes between the other feudal lords settled down, merchant families resumed conducting transactions with me, and various problems within my territory melted away.」

「And the price for that was――」

Rukino casts her eyes downward sadly.

「It was to present my daughter――Seika's elder sister, to the Count's mansion as a live-in apprentice, although she was effectively a sex worker.」

It is common for families who get along to send daughters as apprentices to learn, however, this seems to be completely for entertainment purposes.

The reason he didn't designate her as his concubine or mistress was likely so he can avoid taking responsibility if something happened to her while she's being handled roughly.

「If only you depended on me instead.」

Who is Count Hanran anyways? His name sounds very traitorous and yet I don't know him for how influential he is.

「I-I'm not surprised Lord Hardlett doesn't know about him with such a great difference in standing......he would not have met with you in very many social events.」

Neglecting the banquets and leaving it all to Nonna has backfired, I guess.

「And he was probably scared. Precisely at that time, there were rumors that Lord Hardlett would threaten any feudal lord who started conflicts with 3000 cavalry at their doorstep.」

Hmm, I don't remember that.

「I became a disgusting mother when I sold away my daughter, but I still had to protect the family until 14 year old Seika turns into an adult.」

Rukino starts to cry.

「This time as well, I only armed the citizens and spurred them to fight. There was no room for me to say a word or offer my opinion, and...... the house that I even sold my daughter to protect, the territory, everything...... everything......」

I hug the woman's shoulder.

「It was out of your control. It's not your fault. The bad guys are Count Hanran and his gang.」

I hold Rukino tightly until her crying ceases.

「Besides, there is some good that came from it.」

Rukino lifts her face, revealing her red eyes.

「If your daughter has become a wife, she can't escape execution since she has a social position. If she's merely an apprentice...... a servant girl, then it's possible she won't be executed. You can still reunite with her.」

Rukino lets out a short gasp.

Her tears dry up and a different type of emotion wells up in her eyes.

I can feel her body temperature rising.

「I will arrange for you to meet your daughter as soon as possible. There is one more thing.」

I look at Rukino with a serious expression.

She unconsciously braces herself.

「Excuse me for being rude, but how old are you?」

「I'm sorry?」

This is important.

I initially guessed she was in her mid-thirties.

That age matches her face and the fact her son is in his early teens.

From the quick glimpses of her naked body, her skin seems younger and more elastic than what I first expected.

Even without her underwear to support her breasts, they are holding up fine, and her nipples are pointing forward.

Her body simply seems to have aged from the stress and fatigue, and I don't think she is much older than her mid-thirties.

If that's the case, then something else is weird.

I was just told that Seika is 14 and he also has an elder sister.

Her age doesn't align.

Rukino bursts out laughing when she sees my puzzled face.

「Fufu, you're right. It mystifies everyone. I will be 28 this year, and my daughter, Rukue, is 17.」

「What!?」

This is where I shout the loudest. I mean, it makes sense if I judge based on her body and face.

But, 17 subtracted from 28 is 11.

Is my calculation wrong?

「No, you are correct. I was a daughter of a small merchant family and was raped by the head of the family at 10 years old―― ahem. I got pregnant and became a mother.」

「Andreis are everywhere, huh.」

Well, no use dwelling on it now.

「Fufu, I am not aware of who that individual is, but the family head is quite hardcore. He pursued me eagerly until I was 18, and once I passed 18, he stopped treating our relationship as a married couple.」

I smile wryly and tug on the sheets hiding Rukino's body.

She doesn't resist, but buries her face in the pillow in embarrassment.

I move in between Rukino's legs, place both hands on either side of her face and press my hips against her.

「Contraception wasn't used. Are you fine with that?」

I don't get a response. I'm guessing she's okay with it.

「Alright then......」

I grab her thigh, and position myself to thrust my hips forward to penetrate the vagina she hadn't used in 10 years.

「Mother! I'm back――」

The energetic voice was cut short.

At the same time, Rukino lets out a scream, which made him flinch

Seika returned home after receiving treatment.

「Y-you bastardddd!!!」

Seika picks up the broom propped by the entrance and charges at me with the stick directed at me.

「How dare you!! Get away from my mother! Get awaaaay!!」

For some reason, he lunges accurately for my ass again.

「Okay! I'll leave, so stop! I'm not going to suffer that for a second time!」

I yield to the wild swinging of the broom, gather my clothes, and run out of the house.

On leaving, I don't forget to wink at Rukino, telling her I'll take care of the matter with her daughter.

「Get ouuuuut!!」

What a crazy development.

I won't be able to play around like this for long though.

It's in the middle of war after all.