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No matter how much you wish it would stop, time relentlessly marches on.
As I gazed out at the now completely bright outside, I couldn't help but sigh.
My lower body still feels wet.
Even though the house had been thoroughly "cleaned," I sat down on the veranda, swinging my legs aimlessly, still feeling a sense of unease.苛()
Just moments ago, I had been spending a pleasant and intimate time with Haruhime, but she had gone into another room to fix her disheveled hair and put on makeup to cover the marks on her neck from where I had kissed her.
By the way, I offered to help, but I was gently turned down.
(That took about 3 hours...)
Approximately that much time had passed since I entered Princess Osamu's room.
In Japanese love hotels, this is the time when the type of stay changes from a short-time stay to a longer rest stay.
Alternatively, it was a time when the fee would jump from roughly 4,000 yen to 7,000 yen, and Professor Noguchi would be mercilessly stripped from your wallet.
Incidentally, my friend and his girlfriend fell fast asleep when they were planning to leave after a short stay, and ended up running out of money, so he had to send an SOS to his friend from the love hotel. I hope all you gentlemen and ladies will be extra careful about this.
We humans must never forget that trouble at a love hotel can instantly lead to the end of a relationship.
Of course, he was no exception.
My friend didn't say much about the reason for their breakup, but considering that she broke up with him four days after the "love hotel incident," it's hard to deny that there was a causal relationship between the breakup and the incident.
"Um... I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
It was because I was thinking about such trivial things that I didn't notice Haruhime approaching, and my body flinched when she suddenly called out to me from behind.
I instinctively turned around and there stood Princess Osamu, neatly dressed in a kimono.
Just moments ago, she was moaning and writhing wildly beneath my arms, but now there's no trace of that left.
"Ah... As expected, it's beautiful today too."
"N-no... I don't want to..."
Taking her hand as she blushed and her cheeks turned crimson, he squeezed it tightly and returned to the mansion where Princess Ichihime was.
As expected, Ichihime was sitting in front of the hearth.
While humming a tune and slowly stirring the pot—but...
Just to avoid any misunderstanding, I should mention that the pot is not empty; it's full of food, and the room is filled with a delicious aroma.
"Welcome back, Lord Nagamasa. And good morning, Princess Haruhime. We'll be ready soon, so please wait just a little longer."
As I sat in front of the hearth, a pot filled with ingredients that were simmering well was placed before me.
It turns out to be a hot pot dish with miso as the basic seasoning, containing wild vegetables, seafood, and mushrooms.
The flavor of miso is enhanced by the unique aroma of seafood, and then the umami of mushrooms seeps in—it's a truly sublime dish.
"I'm so sorry, madam. I haven't been able to help at all..."
"No, no, it's alright. Princess Haruhime was with Lord Nagamasa, wasn't she? It was a commendable service."
Well, I suppose so.
In reality, we didn't spend all three hours in the annex on sexual activity.
At least an hour was spent purifying Haruhime or resting to recover her strength, so the actual sexual activity lasted less than two hours.
However, humans are creatures that become more motivated the more time is limited.
The bliss of embracing each other fully within a limited time, exchanging bodily fluids, and intertwining until you're a messy, gooey sliver.
I used to be constantly haunted by guilt over sleeping with another woman besides Ichihime, but lately I've come to think that there's no point in dwelling on it forever.
If she worries too much, not only will Ichihime suffer, but Haruhime will too, and more importantly, it would defeat the purpose of consulting her brother-in-law, Nobunaga.
A fool repeats the same mistake, but a wise person does not.
That was one way to survive successfully in the world.
Then the meal began, and Ichihime and Haruhime started a conversation that was extremely feminine—in short, a conversation that I, a man, couldn't really understand.
But that's fine. As my two wives deepen their friendship, I can remain a bystander, contemplating what I need to do today.
Lately, I've been preoccupied with dealing with the zashiki-warashi (house spirits) that originated with the Takamine group, but there are still many other problems that need to be resolved.
And in times like these, quickly tackling the minor issues is the shortcut to becoming a capable man.
"Hey, Ichi"
"Y-yes!"
Ichihime had been passionately discussing "Lord Nagamasa's upper arm muscles and collarbone" with Haruhime, but my voice must have brought her back to reality.
She replied hastily, then shyly lowered her head.
"Don't you think it's about time we acknowledged it?"
"...What are you referring to?"
"It's about Tsubaki, your former head maid, and the man she loves."
It wasn't that I suddenly remembered it this morning when I saw the ladies-in-waiting—it had been bothering me for some time.
I forgave their sins, but then I realized I hadn't given them permission to marry.
The idea that marriage isn't the greatest happiness for men and women is merely a perspective from my own era.
In the Sengoku period (Warring States period), marriage was undoubtedly an important matter for both men and women.
Furthermore, in this era, love marriages were not common and were considered very precious.
"What is Tsubaki doing right now?"
"Tsubaki...? She's currently living in the tenement with the maids. I've relieved her of her duties as my lady-in-waiting, but it seems Lord Naotsune has entrusted her with the responsibility of overseeing the maids..."
I was impressed by Naotsune's thoughtfulness.
Well, perhaps it was because Ichihime intervened on my behalf.
This is because if she were relieved of her duties as a lady-in-waiting, she would lose her salary, and under normal circumstances, she would have no choice but to return to her home province.
However, by giving her the job of managing the maids, she had a legitimate reason to stay at Sugawa Castle—and more importantly, it was a justification that allowed her to be by the side of the man she loved.
"It's been over a month since I pardoned Tsubaki and that foot soldier from the tenement, Heishiro... Even though it was a punishment, I can't just leave those two who love each other like that forever. If I leave them alone for too long, their feelings might shift from gratitude to resentment."
"...Yes, that's right."
Ichihime said this and sighed.
"However, I haven't quite come to terms with it yet... Because if I accept those two—I'd have to accept that Kaede and Sakura also have feelings of love..."
"Ah, I see..."
"I suppose I'll have to hire a new maid soon..."
When I muttered that softly, Ichihime looked at me and smiled.
"However, that is ultimately my problem. As Lord Nagamasa said, leaving Tsubaki as she is could become a breeding ground for discontent... I agree, I will approve of Tsubaki's marriage to that man."
"...Okay, I understand."
I took a sip of the porridge, put the bowl down, and nodded.
"However, even if I were to allow the marriage, a grand ceremony is impossible for Tsubaki and a Nagara foot soldier, and more importantly, they themselves probably wouldn't want one. But I also feel a personal obligation to Tsubaki because she took care of Ichi, and she did a great job at my and Haruhime's wedding..."
Saying that, I deliberately put on a thoughtful expression and looked at Ichihime.
"So, I suppose I could let them at least pretend to have a wedding ceremony. I could invite them to this mansion at night, pour them some sake into cups, and let them drink. After that, it's just a man and a woman; they'll do whatever they want."
"...Lord Nagamasa"
Ichihime said to me in a voice that sounded astonished, yet with a wide smile on her face—a contradictory expression.
"Surely no one would do such a thing to a mere lady-in-waiting, or a mere spearman, would they?"
"...It's not a matter of her being a lady-in-waiting or a spearman. It's simply that I want to reward Tsubaki for all the work she's done so far. Besides, that Heishiro guy...he's quite diligent and capable. There shouldn't be any problems."
"...If you insist..."
Ichihime said without losing her smile.
"Please take care of it."
Perhaps Ichihime was worried in her own way.
After all, Tsubaki was someone who served closely by her side. It was impossible that she wouldn't be concerned.
"Alright, then I'll have Kaede or Sakura convey that message. Around the hour of the rooster (18:00) should be fine."
"...As Lord Nagamasa wishes. I will convey that message to him."
"Okay... Osamu, what do you say...? Would you mind joining us there?"
"Yes, of course I would be happy to do so. I don't know her very well, but it's true that she helped me when we held the wedding ceremony."
Haruhime also said this with a smile.
"Kaede, Sakura!"
As Ichihime clapped her hands and called out the names of her ladies-in-waiting, the sliding doors opened and two of the ladies-in-waiting quickly entered the room.
"I have something I'd like to talk to you both about. Is that alright?"
"Yes, but Princess Ichihime..."
Kaede glanced at me and said:
"Well, we were also asked by Mr. Endo to deliver a message to the Lord earlier..."
"...Naotsune, you want me to?"
"yes"
Since this is a message from Naotsune, we must listen carefully.
She stood up , straightened her hakama, and then sat cross-legged again, facing her ladies-in-waiting.皺wrinkles
However, it seems that the operation was not well done.
My lower body—though now subdued—had inadvertently entered the maids' field of vision.
And that apparently reminded me of what happened this morning.
Sakura keeps glancing at my crotch with suspicious movements, and Kaede's face is bright red as she covers her hot cheeks with both hands.
But Kaede quickly shook her head and slapped her cheeks with both hands, then, though her voice was slightly high-pitched, she spoke up clearly.
"I understand that Naotsune-sama has received word from Masamoto-sama, who is in Nagahama. Last night, the sericulture and spinning factory that Nagamasa-sama had been hoping for was finally completed. Also, as Masamoto-sama had ordered in advance, 75 reeling machines have been delivered to the factory. As for silkworms, they have purchased some from nearby farming villages and have secured a certain amount of larvae, so they would like Nagamasa-sama to come to Nagahama once..."
The fact that Kaede can recite this much information so fluently suggests she has a pretty good memory.
And as expected of my capable brother, judging by the number of machines he delivered, it seems he was quite serious about building the factory himself.
But even so... in addition to his main job of financial management, he is now also involved in the construction of the Grand Ceremonial Hall where ceremonies can be held, in addition to the construction of Nagahama Castle.
(Hmm, I'm working too much. At this rate.)
No matter what, humans are still humans.
If you don't get enough rest, the strain you put in will eventually come back to haunt you.
And it was also the manager's job to stop such overworked employees and make sure they got some rest.
A manager's job is not to burn out their employees.
Their mission is to explore ways to sustainably utilize human resources while prioritizing their health and well-being in their operations.
"Understood. Then, let's head to Nagahama now."
Saying that, I quickly stood up.
However, I had to do a lot of preparation before arriving in Nagahama.
I'm not too worried about money. Masamoto has set aside some cash for my unexpected expenses, so I'll use that as my starting point.
"Ichi, and Osamu... I'm leaving things in your hands while I'm gone. If anything comes up, please consult with Naotsune and handle it accordingly."
After saying that, I clapped my hands together and continued.
"Oh, that's right... Ichi, could you prepare what we were talking about earlier? It's nothing much. Just sake and a sake cup. I'll prepare everything else."
"Yes! Leave it to me, Lord Nagamasa."
As I watched Ichihime bow deeply, speaking clearly and distinctly, I thought to myself:
As the name suggests, the Sengoku period (Warring States period) was an era in which almost everything was decided by war.
However, war is not the only battlefield.
It's no exaggeration to say that even in our daily lives, everything is essentially in a state of war.
In such circumstances, having a woman like Ichihime who can skillfully manage household affairs makes a huge difference.
For example, regarding the "wedding ceremony" with Haruhime, it is precisely because of all the things that were done for them that the Takenaka clan, whose sphere of influence was Sekigahara, still pledge their loyalty to them, even while looking at the powerful Oda family from the sidelines.
They are probably making various other adjustments to the Asai family's practices that are not immediately visible .綻crack
Including the matter of the camellia, Ichihime really pays attention to even the smallest details.
(...I've truly met a wonderful woman. As a man, there's nothing happier than this.)
While savoring that happiness, I felt a little disheartened at the amount of work I had to do today, and headed straight for Taishakutsukimo.