The wife has given birth safely, and a legitimate heir has been born into the Asai family.
The news spread rapidly not only throughout Omi Province but also to surrounding areas.
The imperial court in Kyoto sent congratulatory gifts along with a congratulatory message from the emperor, and the Oda family also donated a vast amount of money and goods as a congratulatory gift.
An envoy from the Tokugawa family also arrived, but that couldn't possibly be the end of it.
From the Kinki region, the Miyoshi and Tsutsui families sent envoys, from Ise, the Kitabatake family and other families, and from Kai Province, the Takeda family also sent envoys. People were also pouring in from various families in the Chugoku region.
Because of that, the end of the year and the beginning of the new year were extremely hectic—to be honest, I don't even clearly remember what I was doing.
During the day, he would receive messengers, and in the evening, he would embrace Princess Chihime to extinguish his sexual desires...
As I spent my days visiting the birthing room where Ichihime was at night and sleeping beside her, time flew by.
Incidentally, during the Sengoku period, various superstitions were prevalent, and Princess Ichihime was forbidden from getting out of bed for seven days.
Moreover, you have to keep your body upright at all times and you're not allowed to sleep, which is quite extreme.
However, while I was lying beside her, I subtly let Ichihime sleep.
Thus, on January 3rd, 1668 (Eiroku 11).
The last day of the first three days of the New Year—the day when Princess Ichi is allowed to leave her bed and the baby is named on the "Oshichiya" ceremony.
Nagahama was in an uproar due to the sudden arrival of one person.
The person was wearing clothing that is normally only worn when bathing , and had a flashy women's uchikake (outer robe) wrapped around their waist like a loincloth.湯帷子Yukatabira
Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and then tied up with brightly colored thread.茶筅Chasen
With a large sword slung over his shoulder and mounted on a gigantic black horse with silver horns, he—
"..."
I rubbed my eyes vigorously, but it seems my eyes are correct.
Indeed, it is my brother-in-law, Oda Nobunaga.
"What's with that face? You look like a hawk that's been shot with a pea shooter."
"...Are you... are you my real brother-in-law?"
"No, today I'm not your brother-in-law... I'm just a passing fool."
Nobunaga is munching away in front of the east gate of the Nagahama Palace.和林檎Waringo
The area around the east gate was a samurai district densely packed with samurai residences—and the members of the Asai family's retainers, who were spending New Year's there, watched my encounter with Nobunaga from a distance, looking stunned.
On Nobunaga's back was a beautiful blonde lady...
Actually, it was his sister-in-law, Kicho, clinging to him, her face looking somewhat mischievous and devilish.
Perhaps she finds the bewildered reactions of me and those around us to my husband's attire incredibly amusing.傾奇者Kabuki
"...Want some?"
"Um... I'll take it."
"Yes"
As I was catching the small, five-centimeter-long Japanese apple that had been tossed at me, Kicho skillfully dismounted from her greave-haired eagle.
Japanese apples are a rare fruit in the world I came from, but in the Sengoku period, when people said "apple," they meant this.
When you bite into it, it's very sour. It tastes like an apple that's been drenched in an excessive amount of lemon juice.
When I winced at the sourness, Kicho bowed deeply and apologized.
"I apologize, Lieutenant General. Lord Nobunaga said he could no longer bear it, so I have come here knowing it is disrespectful."
"Ah... no, that's fine, but... what about the attendants?"
"You fool, I'm right here!"
As Nobunaga dismounted from his dappled gray horse, he grabbed Kicho's shoulders and pulled her closer, grinning.
"Today I am a complete fool and know nothing of common sense. Therefore, I have decided to visit my sister as my whim dictates, and have my nephew and niece get to know her face."
"No, that's fine... but why the sudden change...?"
Even so, receiving a sudden visit without prior notice can be surprisingly stressful.
Up until now, I've visited Nobunaga whenever I pleased, but perhaps he was just as troubled inside as I was.
With those thoughts in mind, I hurriedly invited my brother-in-law and his wife into the Nagahama Imperial Palace.
◆
"Actually, I was supposed to have a meeting with Lord Ieyasu today. But that fellow...he got food poisoning from the tempura that was served to him on New Year's Day."
"Food poisoning..."
"Yes. An envoy has come from Mikawa to apologize for the rudeness, but there's nothing we can do about it now. However, that means all of today's plans are cancelled. I could stay at the mansion, but troublesome people often show up there...so I've taken Kicho on this leisurely trip to escape."
"That being said, ever since Lord Ieyasu's illness was reported, Lord Nobunaga has been preoccupied with thoughts of the Lieutenant General..."
"Kicho, don't say unnecessary things."
"Yes, that's right. I won't mention that the Lieutenant General consulted me about whether he should act like a complete fool, as he used to, as an excuse to go to you."
"You insolent fool... You won't get away with this if you return to the Mino mansion."
"Oh, how scary."
My brother-in-law and his wife are constantly flirting with each other right next to me.
No, they probably aren't aware of it themselves, but from my perspective as a third party, that's the only way it looked.
We are now walking towards the birthing hut.
There was a considerable distance from the east gate to the mansion where we lived.
Along the way, Nobunaga explained the reason for his visit that day—and it's been like this the whole time.
"Gyuoooon"
A dwarf croaker cried.
Seeing Nobunaga and Kicho conversing affectionately, the stallion's eyes burned with jealousy.
Judging from that, he seems to still be a virgin. The world is quite cruel.
"Hmm... It seems my brother-in-law lives in a rather nice place."
"This is truly a beautiful place..."
Leaving aside the greave gray horse shedding tears of blood...
Nobunaga and Kicho enjoyed their stroll, maintaining a perfect distance where their shoulders were almost touching.
As Nobunaga approached the birthing hut, which was bustling with women taking care of Princess Ichi, he tried to enter without hesitation.
Normally, there's a rule that you shouldn't go near a woman who has given birth for a month—but that seems to be useless for him today, as he's behaving like a complete fool.
"M-My lord?! Who are these people...?!"
"Ah... Lord Oda Kazusanosuke and his wife."
"...!?!?"
Naotsune's wife and the other women were wide-eyed with shock.
Some were so shocked that they fell over.
From their perspective, Oda Nobunaga was a "benefactor" who had saved the Asai family from the encirclement by the Asakura, Rokkaku, and Saito families.
And that person, of all people, has boldly entered a men-only space, dressed in the guise of a flamboyant, eccentric character.
It must be a tremendous shock for women.
"Oh, Lord Nagamasa! Look, look, this child is just curling his hands... huh?"
Ichihime, sitting in a chair with a backrest in the birthing room and holding two babies, blinked her eyes in surprise.
Then, after tilting her head, she squeezed her eyes shut, opened them again, and stared intently at the visitors.
"Squeeze your hands together"
Nobunaga repeated Ichihime's words and stood before her.
"...Something's wrong. Have I gone mad from sheer happiness...? Um, Lord Nagamasa."
"What's wrong, Ichi?"
"Well, I can see you, my brother and my sister-in-law..."
"Yeah, they really do exist. Your eyes aren't deceiving you."
Nobunaga slowly crouched down to meet Ichihime's gaze.
"It's been a long time, Ichi."
"Yes, it's been a long time, brother... wait, what, whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?"
A voice unlike that of the usual Ichihime echoed and echoed through the birthing room.
Startled by their mother's loud cry, the two babies began to cry, "Waaah, waaah!"
Coming back to her senses, Ichihime hastily began to soothe the child, but her eyes were fixed on her older brother and sister-in-law, and she was visibly shaken.
"Wh-why are you all here, brothers...?"
"It's because of food poisoning."
"F-food poisoning...?"
"Hmm. But... judging from the looks of it, your postpartum recovery seems to be going well. In fact, you even seem to be overflowing with energy."
Nobunaga nodded and stroked the head of Ichihime, who was holding the baby.
"Look, Kicho. This is the child of my brother-in-law and Ichi. He looks so healthy."
"Yes, that's right... I'm sorry to interrupt so suddenly, Oichi-san."
"Oh, no... I, I don't mind, but... uh, Lord Nagamasa..."
Ichihime looks at me with eyes that seem to be pleading for help.
I nodded with a wry smile and moved closer to her.
That alone seemed to calm my beloved wife down, and she let out a big sigh.
"I'm so sorry, brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Things haven't settled down in the city yet..."
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it."
Nobunaga, seeing Kicho looking at the child with envy, pulled her into his arms and said:
"For a first-time mother, there are bound to be many things she doesn't know. It's perfectly understandable to feel anxious..."
After saying those words—but with a truly happy expression on his face, he continued.
"But this is truly wonderful! The city has done a great job...!!"
"Brother...hehe"
Seeing his innocent, childlike expression, Ichihime chuckled.
Perhaps, as a mother, she had some degree of caution. It seems that this has finally crumbled.
Laughter brings good fortune. However, instead of good fortune, the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven arrived, but that's actually more reassuring.
When Ichihime proudly showed her children to her older brother and his wife, the babies started crying again when they saw Nobunaga's face.
To babies who are too young to understand anything, the seemingly reliable Demon Lord is nothing more than a frightening stranger.
"Oh, come on... hehe, there, there's nothing to be scared of, nothing to be scared of."
Ichihime speaks to the crying baby with a face full of happiness.
It's often said that the first challenge of motherhood is dealing with a baby's crying, but she doesn't seem to mind it at all.
On the contrary, it seems that crying is the job of a baby boy, and he finds comfort in the fact that the crying makes him feel the presence of life in his arms.
"By the way, is my brother staying here tonight?"
"No, I can't stay long. I have a packed schedule for tomorrow as well. I must return to Gifu before evening."
"So, would you mind joining us for dinner as well...?"
"It's unfortunate, but there will be another opportunity in the future. Let's look forward to it and wait until then."
That's a very gentle voice.
Nobunaga stroked the baby's cheek with his fingertips and smiled as he watched the baby flap its arms up and down.
Historically, he would be the one to execute Nagamasa's child, but his expression showed absolutely no trace of that.
"Um, excuse me... Oichi-san. May I pet you as well?"
"Yes, please."
Kicho cautiously reaches out to the baby boy.
He must have seen many babies born to concubines by now, but perhaps things are different when it comes to his sister-in-law's child.
"...It's soft."
As she stroked the baby's cheek with her slender fingertips, she sighed and uttered those words.
Then, with a sad look on her face, she tried to pull her hand away—
"a..."
The baby tightly grasped Kicho's fingertips.
The little hand wouldn't let go of hers, and my sister-in-law was visibly flustered. She probably didn't know what to do.
Ichihime smiled at Kicho.
"It seems you've taken a liking to my sister-in-law."
"...warm"
"Yes, that's right. I just learned this, but baby babies have a high body temperature...hehe, in winter, you could probably get warm just by holding one."
Kicho stared at the baby holding her hand, half-stunned.
The baby's eyes remain closed and do not open.
From this child's perspective, they simply grabbed the finger that happened to be there; there was probably no particular reason behind it.
However, for Kicho, who has yet to have children, there seemed to be many things on her mind.
I gently pulled his hand and tightly gripped the hem of Nobunaga's kimono.
Sensing my wife's mood, my brother-in-law looked at me and Princess Ichi and said:
"I've seen my brother-in-law, Ichi, and my nephews. Now I'll take my leave...but before I do, there's something I must tell you, Ichi."
"Y-yes..."
"A boy has been born. Now Asai's family is secure...but don't think that. The more children the better. In fact, we can expect another child in about a month."
"Oh... Brother... I can't believe that..."
Ichihime's face suddenly turned bright red.
Seeing his sister like that, Nobunaga smiled and nodded, then asked:
"And finally, there's one more thing I'd like to ask. It must be the seventh day since the baby's birth, right? You must have already decided on the baby's name. I'd like to know it before I return to Mino, if possible..."
That's only natural.
Names like "Manpukumaru" and "Chacha," which are based on historical facts, don't quite suit my modern sensibilities.
Therefore, I had already made a list of potential baby names in advance.
By the way, I have absolutely no intention of giving my child a flashy name—or rather, a DQN name (a name considered ridiculous or inappropriate).所謂so-called
Giving a child a strange name will only make them laugh at their peers, and nothing good will come of it.
"Yes, it's decided."
But, oblivious to my thoughts, it was Ichihime who answered Nobunaga's question.
No, to begin with—the person Nobunaga was asking the question to wasn't me, but Ichihime.
"For the boy's name, I'm thinking of 'Manpukumaru,' hoping he'll have lots of good fortune. For the girl's name, I'm thinking of 'Chacha.'"
"...Huh?"
I involuntarily let out a strange sound.
"Manpukumaru and Chacha... That sounds good."
"Yes, I think it's a lovely name. Lord Nobunaga's concubines had rather elaborate names, but... I think a name like the one Oichi was given is the best."
My brother-in-law and his wife nodded with satisfaction.
From the way he spoke, it seemed that in this world, naming a child was the mother's prerogative.
"What do you think, Lord Nagamasa? Is it not strange?"
Ichihime asked hesitantly.
"Huh...? No, well..."
Are there any other options?
While it might be understandable for a boy, there are plenty of cute names for girls, like Mitsuki or Asuka.
That's what I was going to say, but—
"No... it's a truly heartfelt and beautiful name. Surely, my brother-in-law wouldn't raise any objections."
—I succumbed. I gave in. To peer pressure.
"Yeah, I think so too...it's a good name."
"Hehe, that's good... That's good, Manpukumaru, Ochacha. Hehe, hehehe."
No, I don't have any complaints. I don't have any complaints, but—
(—Why are the names the same as in historical fact...?)
Watching Ichihime happily speaking to the children, I couldn't help but think the same thing.