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It's still a bit chilly, but spring is just around the corner, and we'll soon be enjoying warmer days.
With those thoughts in mind, I tiptoed silently and quietly opened the door to Ichihime's room.襖Fusuma (sliding doors)
It was supposed to be a covert operation, mimicking the members of the Takamine Party—but,
"Oh, sir. Are you finished with work for today?"
It seems that it didn't work on Princess Osamu after all.
An iron pot placed over the fire in the hearth.
As she stirred the simmering rice porridge with a rice paddle, Haruhime wore a smile that was both mature and seductive.
"Oh, Lord Nagamasa..."
And then, in a chain reaction, my existence is revealed to Ichihime as well.
She was holding two babies and rocking them gently, but when she saw me, she gave me a bright, sunflower-like smile.
"Ah, that's enough for now. It's getting so dark I can't really get any writing done. Besides, I could hear the children crying in the middle of the night... I figured it was about time for dinner so I came out. From the looks of it, Ichi has finished breastfeeding, right? It must be tough holding both of them, so I'll hold one of them."
"Uh, oh... yes...!"
As I approached her saying this, Ichihime offered Chacha to me.
Almost every night, I take turns holding and looking after one of the children, but basically, Ichihime would offer me a different child each time.
If I held Chacha, the next day it would be Manpukumaru, and the day after that it would be Chacha—something like that.
Ichihime probably wants me to love all the children equally.
"Ah, ah, ah"
"Oh, Chacha seems to be in a good mood today."
The babies, who will soon be three months old, have grown quite a bit.
Lately, she has become much more expressive of her emotions, and she even laughs out loud now.喃語Nango
It seemed like they were starting to understand who their father was and who their mother was, and they would flail their arms and legs whenever they saw me.
Simply put, she's incredibly cute.
"Ahhh, ah, ahhhhh"
Chacha seems happy just by looking at my face, and she expresses her emotions by flailing her chubby little limbs.
This child is extremely shy around strangers.
She acts incredibly charmingly towards me, Ichihime, and Haruhime, but...
However, when it came to Shuko or Kyoko, she would start crying hysterically and wouldn't stop unless either Ichihime or Haruhime held and comforted her.
(But Manpukumaru isn't like that...)
Incidentally, in contrast to Chacha, Manpukumaru becomes attached to everyone.
No, it might be more accurate to say they "don't mind" rather than that they're attached to you.
He exudes an air of regal confidence, as if to say that it doesn't matter who's by his side as long as they don't harm him.
Incidentally, Manpukumaru's favorite was strangely Takatora.
With these two around, the future head of the Asai family is in a very good mood.
"Oh dear, is Manpukumaru already sleepy?"
Ichihime gently laid Manpukumaru down on a silken child's mattress, speaking in a soft voice.
"Lord Nagamasa, how is Chacha doing?"
"Ah, I feel really energetic."
"Hehe... She's probably happy to be held by her beloved father."
After returning a smile to Ichihime, who smiled as she said that, I gently laid Chacha down beside Manpukumaru.
At first, she was flapping her limbs as if to say, "Hold me more!", but as she was being watched intently by me and Ichihime, her excitement subsided and she seemed to relax, and before we knew it, she was fast asleep, dreaming.
The sleeping faces of children are adorable, and it's hard not to smile when you see them.
"My lord, my wife, have your children fallen asleep?"
Then, with a wry smile, Haruhime called out to us.
"Well then, shall we have dinner? The porridge is just right..."
"...Ah, yes, that's right."
I said that, and smiled at Haruhime as I helped Ichihime get up.
"Tonight we're all sleeping together, so we need to eat well and build up our strength."
"Huh? Oh, um... I wasn't really saying anything like that..."
"Hmm? ...Oh, I see."
"Th-that's obvious, isn't it... Oh, you..."
An awkward atmosphere hung between me and Haruhime.
Ichihime's cheeks also turned bright red, and she lowered her head.
It seems I've gotten a little too far ahead of the plot.
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It's just me and the kids in the room.
Ichihime and Haruhime entered the bathhouse just as I got out of the bath.
I could go in with them, but I'd be worried if there wasn't an adult with the kids—and more than anything, I love watching Manpukumaru and Chacha sleep.
Incidentally, recently Manpukumaru and Chacha's daily routines had become much more stable than before.
In the morning, I strolled around the Nagahama Palace grounds, being carried by Ichihime, her ladies-in-waiting, and also by Shuko and Kyoko.
At noon, she drinks breast milk and then takes a nap.
In the evening, she would wake up, cry while watching the sunset, and then find peace of mind when she sought out Ichihime's breast milk and drank it.
酉birdAt that time (around 6 PM), he would be led by Ichihime and Haruhime to take a bath in lukewarm water in a tub.
Then , around 8 PM, she drinks plenty of breast milk and falls asleep exhausted from breastfeeding—that's her routine.戌dog
Since she no longer has to repeatedly fall asleep and wake up intermittently as before, Ichihime seems to be feeling much more comfortable.
Incidentally, right now Manpukumaru and Chacha are sleeping in something resembling a baby crib, woven from straw and lined with silk .駕籠basket
Seeing my son and daughter sleeping side-by-side was truly a happy thing for me as a parent.
"Lord Nagamasa, um, I've come up..."
"Hmm, I see."
Ichihime and Haruhime quietly open the sliding door and enter the room.
Both of them are wearing pure white nightgowns. Perhaps because they have just come out of the bath, their skin is faintly tinged with red, making them look very alluring.
"The kids don't look like they're going to wake up at all."
When he spoke to them meaningfully, Ichihime and Haruhime blushed and nodded without saying a word.
The room was already dimly lit to begin with.
Even if the children were to wake up, the crib would block their view, so they wouldn't be able to see what their parents were doing.
When I sat down on the futon, Ichihime and Haruhime sat down on either side of me.
"...Um, Lord Nagamasa."
"What is it?"
"Will you be doing it again today...?"
Ichihime gently clung to my left arm and whispered.
Her voice clearly contained—lust for her husband.
I want to love, and I want to be loved.
I want to make others feel good, and I want to be made to feel good.
As if responding to that voice filled with such a wish, I gently kissed Ichihime.
Those plump, juicy lips feel so good.
But I deliberately didn't prolong it, and without intertwining our tongues, I quickly pulled my lips away.
Because Princess Chihime was watching us nervously from beside my right arm.
"Osamu... what's wrong? Are you holding back?"
"Well, that is... I can't get in the way of you and your wife... and besides..."
"And what about that?"
"Ugh..."
Haruhime was sitting in a formal kneeling position, with both hands resting on her thighs, fidgeting nervously.
Her eyes were downcast, and her face was bright red.
When I pull her close in that girlish mood, her face plops down onto my right chest.
On her left breast was Ichihime's face, looking happy yet a little embarrassed.
If you stroke their heads, they'll give you a soft, gentle smile.
Her face looked so peaceful. Seeing that is the greatest happiness for me as a husband.
But even more than that—
"Let's make lots of love tonight. The kids probably won't wake up until morning..."
—And for her husband, it is also his pleasure to see that soft, pliable face contorted with lust.
Three months since birth.
I'm grateful to my filial children who are starting to stay awake until bedtime (around 6 AM) ...卯cormorant
I hugged the beautiful flowers in my arms tightly.