第５６０堀：束の間の休みと早すぎる仕事の再開 (Part2)
It’s not that Kirue or Sasari aren’t taking good care of them, of course.
Regardless, worrying about it here won’t reduce the workload. Procrastinating any further is becoming impossible.
So, I have no choice but to say it.
After finishing my meal, I went to find my husband, only to see him smiling as he watched over our daughters, who were taking their afternoon nap.
Well, that’s to be expected.
They are angels, sleeping with such adorable expressions on their faces.
Even I couldn’t help but soften my expression.
"They’re all asleep, aren't they?"
"Yeah. They just drifted off. They’re all doing great. I’ve been so busy with work lately that I haven't been able to spend much time with them, but they’ve really gotten heavier. They’re growing up so well."
"Yes. They really are."
"Milly and her daughter, Yumi, are doing just fine, too."
"That’s a relief."
Milly’s daughter was named Yumi.
A girl, of course.
The name didn't come from the word for "bow," but rather by taking one character each from Yuki and Milly’s names.
In terms of kanji, it’s written as "Yumi" (優美), meaning gentle and beautiful.
We stood in silence for a while, watching the angels sleeping soundly.
We are working hard to protect this peace.
That is precisely why I have to say it.
"Hey, dear."
"What is it?"
"…Things have finally settled down in Haiden. So, regarding the intercontinental exchange…"
"I’ve decided that I’m going to stay with our daughters in place of you busy wives."
"…I understand how you feel, but if you aren't there… you know?"
"No. I don’t want to work anymore. We have enough savings to raise the children properly, don't we? I don't care about magic or gods or whatever. If they get in my way, can't we just wipe them out?"
"Sigh. Calm down. With your current strength, that doesn't sound like a joke."
"It’s no joke. Anyone who disturbs my time with my children—be it a god, a demon, or an entire nation—will be annihilated."
"…For the record, I wouldn't forgive anyone who disturbed our family time either, but this is unavoidable, isn't it?"
"No, I don't want to! I promised the girls I’d play with them. I’m not going to be one of those dirty adults who breaks their promises!!"
Honestly, you’re a man of a thousand lies and a silver tongue…
If anything, aren't you the very definition of a "dirty adult"?
Regardless, talking to him any further right now is a waste of time.
The children will wake up soon, so we should withdraw for now.
"I’m not working! I’ve worked hard enough up until now!"
I couldn't argue with my husband when he said that, because it was the truth.
Sigh. I’ll have to consult with everyone else; if there’s no other strategy, we’ll have to use our final resort.
Holding my head in my hands, I decided to summon everyone.
It didn't take long for them to gather.
Some of them have work to do in Weed and need to get to bed early, so let's get straight to the point.
"…And that’s the situation."
"Big brother is showing his bad habits again, isn't he?"
"However, what he’s saying is logical, which makes it troublesome."
Everyone gave a bitter smile when I told them about my husband’s refusal to return to work.
As Ratz said, it is a bad habit. Even when we were having children while investigating the If Continent, he said the same thing—that he wanted to live a quiet, peaceful life.
But as Deryu pointed out, when he asks, "What’s wrong with taking a break after working so hard until now?" we have no rebuttal. It would be difficult to name anyone in this world who has worked harder than my husband.
"To proceed with the intercontinental exchange smoothly, Yuki’s cooperation is indispensable."
"Jessica is right. Yuki-sama is renowned as a hero on the If Continent, and since he is part of the royal family of the two great nations—even if he lacks the right of succession—it will be difficult to move forward without him."
"Mhm. If Yuki doesn't show his face, it could actually cause trouble. Currently, he’s the only one the kings of both continents respect. If he doesn't appear, they might start suspecting he’s being hidden away."
As Jessica, Samantha, and Cleena said, Yuki’s presence is the absolute lubricant for our exchanges with the If Continent.
We could handle things to a certain extent, but Yuki, who rampaged across the If Continent as the leader of a mercenary group, is the best man for the job.
In a sense, he is also a deterrent.
The fools who opposed Yuki were crushed in an instant, and as Samantha said, Zilba and Enaria only agreed to a ceasefire to keep Yuki in check. We even went with the wild setup that he is a blood relative of the royal family.
So, as Cleena said, it wouldn't be strange if the balance collapsed and war broke out just because Yuki wasn't there.
If that happens, we’ll definitely be even busier.
"We’ve worked so hard to get this far, we can’t let it all go to waste. We have no choice but to make Yuki-san work for us somehow…"
"But big brother won't listen, he just keeps saying he wants to play with Sakura-chan and the others!"
"Sigh, what should we do?"
Eris, Aslin, and Labyris all looked troubled.
But then, Kirue and Sasari spoke up.
"…Normally, I would not want to resort to such methods."
"…Indeed. But since Yuki-sama must move, we have no choice."
"Do you have a good plan?"
"You do?"
Shera and Firia tilted their heads at the two of them.
It seems Kirue and Sasari had reached the same conclusion as I did.
Well, from here on, it’s up to me, the Queen, to speak.
"It’s simple. If we can’t get through to him, we’ll have the children do it."
" " "Ah." " "
That’s right.
My husband’s weakness is his children.
Last time, the children couldn't speak yet, so he felt reluctant, but now they are three years old.
In other words, they can express their opinions directly.
"It’s not good to make Mama and the others do all the work, Papa."
"Mama said that if Papa helps, they can rest too."
" " "Papa! Do your best at work!" " "
"Alright!! Papa will do his best!!"
Watching that scene, we were all struck by a tremendous sense of guilt.