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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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(This is an ‘if’ story based on the premise that May Plov’s line from Chapter 124 of the main story, “We’d already be living happily with two kids by now? At this time, we’d be putting the kids to sleep and making a third one!” was actually true.)
[T/N: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ idfk either boys maybe the author is demented but i dont think that ever happened.]
In life, I came to understand at a slightly earlier age than others how responsible, burdensome, and heavy it was to be in charge of someone else’s life.
However, if asked whether I regretted it, I did not at all.
Happiness beyond responsibility, satisfaction beyond burden, and strength beyond weight always welled up.
“Daniel! Now that training is over, you’ll be going home after a long time, right?”
At Harry’s words, who worked with me, I couldn’t hide my smile and nodded vigorously.
As I recalled again that I could go home after a long time, my body tensed up with excitement.
My steps became lighter, and my heart floated.
“You’re lucky. You have a beautiful wife, a son, and a daughter waiting for you at home. When I go back, there’s no one. When I enter the empty house with the wind blowing through, I sometimes think it was better when I was training.”
“Ugh, are you lying?”
“Of course. Sleeping at home with your legs stretched out is the best. Why do we train in the first place? We’re just gate guards even if a war breaks out anyway.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Why did they make us participate in large-scale training when we’re just city guards or gatekeepers who check the identities of people coming in?
I envied my colleagues who were lucky enough to skip the training.
I put on my sword at my waist and slung my leather bag over my shoulder.
As I said goodbye to Harry and went outside, the captain leaned against the corridor wall and called me.
“Daniel, come here for a moment.”
A woman who proved herself solely through her skills despite being female.
Personally, she was one of the people I respected as I had received a lot of guidance on swordsmanship from her.
“Yes, is there something wrong?”
Her expression was serious, so I approached her nervously, and the captain hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.
“Actually, I’ve been assigned to the royal palace. My position isn’t certain yet, but it’s still a promotion.”
“Really? Wow! That’s amazing! Congratulations!”
“……So, about that.”
It was quite different from her usual charismatic and confident appearance as a female warrior.
She slightly twisted her body and leaned forward subtly.
“I can bring one adjutant with my authority, what do you think? Would you like to come with me?”
“Are you talking about me?”
When I asked again at the unexpected offer, she blushed and started rambling.
“Well, you seem to have talent for the sword. You acquire everything I teach you! You seem to have the most growth potential among our guards!”
The captain’s offer was very much appreciated, but I answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that would be difficult.”
At such a firm answer, the captain quickly made a bitter expression and awkwardly raised the corners of her mouth.
“Because of your family?”
“My second child is now 2 years old. I don’t want to move or live apart from them unnecessarily.”
“……I see. I understand. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“No, thank you very much for the offer, and I’m sorry.”
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From far away, a savory smell tickled my nose and stimulated my hunger.
Was it stew today?
It was the perfect menu to relieve the fatigue from the grueling training.
Putting a candy I bought as a gift in my mouth, I knocked on the warm wooden door.
Then I heard hurried footsteps coming towards me from inside, and I couldn’t help but smile.
The door opened gently.
With her reddish-brown hair flying, my wife immediately rushed to me.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and, without even greeting me, first planted her lips on mine – a spirited woman.
May McLean.
The kiss that seemed like it would last forever ended abruptly because of our 4-year-old son pulling on his mother’s pants, saying he wanted to kiss daddy too.
“Hmm? Lemon flavor?”
“I thought you should eat a milder flavor since it’s been a while.”
May took the candy from my mouth and rolled it around with her tongue.
I lifted our son, who was waiting for his turn below, and patted his head.
“Kyaaa!”
The sound of a child’s happy laughter.
Just that alone made me feel like all the fatigue from a week of training was melting away.
“Where’s our second child?”
“She’s sleeping. It’s her usual bedtime.”
“I guess I’ll have to see her tomorrow then.”
As I entered the house, I smiled awkwardly at the food laid out on the dining table.
“I’ll wash up first before eating. I must smell of sweat from walking.”
As I was taking off my bag and sword, May sat at the table and said,
“Eat first, then wash. Our firstborn needs to eat and sleep too.”
Since I came back so late, our firstborn was indeed nodding off.
Additionally, May whispered,
“And let’s wash up together later.”
“……”
As always, I could never win against her.
I sat down at the dining table, dejectedly agreeing.
The stew was already warmed up, along with bread, meat, and other dishes.
She had prepared quite a luxurious meal.
Our family had dinner together for the first time in a week.
Our firstborn was so tired that he fell sound asleep in his chair as soon as his stomach was full, so we moved him to the bed.
I was about to wash up right away, but once we started eating, we began pouring wine and talking about various things.
The story of a cousin who was good at magic getting a job recently.
News about childhood friends who graduated from Aios Academy.
What was difficult during this training, and so on.
As we talked like that, the conversation naturally shifted to the captain’s offer from earlier.
I had intended to boast about how I was being recognized at work, but May’s expression changed drastically.
“She asked you to go to the royal palace with her?”
“……Yeah.”
This was dangerous.
It was the same look in May’s eyes from back when she used to roam the village, beating up all the delinquents regardless of age and protecting the peace of the young children.
“Isn’t she crazy? Making such an offer to a married man? Ha, I can’t believe it.”
“No! The captain didn’t mean it like that, she just said I work well……”
“Are you defending that woman?”
‘Ah, I’m screwed.’
I inwardly sighed and started looking for some excuse, but my head wasn’t working properly.
May gulped down her wine, then rested her chin on her hand and sneered.
Her expression said, “Let’s hear your excuse if you have one.”
Having lived together for several years, my answer was clear.
“I’m sorry.”
“Phew.”
May popped one of the candies from the glass jar I had bought as a gift into her mouth and crunched it.
“When’s your next shift?”
“……Three days from now.”
Since the training was over, I got a reward vacation and could rest at home for three days.
At my answer, May nodded her head emphatically and said,
“I’ll come visit you during lunch time on your next shift. I’ll bring a packed lunch and dress up really pretty. I’ll show her the full charm of a married woman. So she won’t even dare to drool over you.”
Honestly, I didn’t think she had the voluptuous charm of a married woman yet, being only in her early 20s, but if I said I didn’t like it or denied it here, I didn’t know what kind of situation would unfold.
I nodded my head vigorously like a flag fluttering in the wind.
“……Ah, I don’t like this.”
Was she still not satisfied?
May finally sprang up from her chair and pushed me over, chair and all.
“W-Wait a minute!”
“I think I need to remind you of the old days.”
May started taking off one layer at a time.
Judging by how quickly her clothes came off when she just undid the knots……
“You! You! This was your plan all along! You were prepared for this!”
“……No, I wasn’t.”
I tried to escape backward while protesting somehow.
“I’m all sweaty! I need to wash up first!”
“It’s okay. I like your smell.”
Watching May approach one step at a time, a trauma came back to me.
This had happened before, exactly 4 years ago from now.
It was the day our lovely firstborn was created, but unfortunately, I hadn’t agreed to the birth of our firstborn at that time.
“I clearly said I didn’t like this kind of thing! Even the night before we went to Aios, you pounced on me……”
The words didn’t continue any further.
May, who had climbed on top of me as I was pushed against the wall, covered my mouth with her hand and smiled.
“For the third child, do you want a boy or a girl?”
Tweet tweet
Tweet tweet
Warm sunlight and bird chirping came through the window.
May ‘Plov’ forced her eyes open, which didn’t want to open, and groaned, not wanting to get up.
Suddenly, she remembered the dream she had just had.
“May McLean……”
No.
She didn’t have such a surname.
She hadn’t failed to come to Aios Academy either.
This was the 4th floor of the girls’ dormitory at Aios Academy.
Daniel McLean had gone to the royal palace with Tana now.
It had already been three days without any contact, heartlessly.
May finally realized that everything had been a dream and muttered, putting her hand on her forehead.
“Ah, shit.”
Then, as if trying to go back to the dream, she buried her face in the pillow again, wrapped her legs around the blanket, and sighed.
“Damn it.”
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I love these side stories
THANK GOD FOR BLESSING THIS CHAPTER WITH MAY’S WHOLESOMENESS!!
And damn, May really didn’t hold back when the time comes.