That night, when I invited my beloved wife into my bedchamber...
After finishing the dinner that Haruhime had prepared for me, in a somewhat awkward atmosphere, she quickly went back to her room.
It seems they are being quite reserved.
However, the problem was probably that Ichihime was acting so suspiciously that it made Haruhime feel uneasy.
The wife is flustered in various ways, tripping over the hem of her kimono and dropping her chopsticks multiple times.
Seeing this, Shuko, Kyoko, and Myo, who usually observe the babies without getting bored, are not in the room tonight.
However, Myo is currently out on a reconnaissance mission in the territory of the Echizen Asakura family with skilled members of the Takamine clan—so she's not even in Nagahama right now.
(Well... I guess it can't be helped.)
I thought to myself as I watched Manpukumaru and Chacha sleeping peacefully side by side.
(The last time I interacted with the city was around the beginning of March, which means it was almost a year ago...)
It's still fresh in our memories how they were surrounded by four families—the Rokkaku, the Wakasa Takeda, the Asakura, and the Saito—and engaged in a fierce battle.
It's almost been a year since that incident when Ichihime's pregnancy was discovered and Osamuhime joined the Asai family.
(Time flies like an arrow...)
As I watched the children sleeping peacefully in front of me, their faces showing such contentment and complete peace of mind, I thought to myself:
My eldest son and daughter, now two months old, still don't have full head control, but their bodies are finally starting to stabilize.
It's a stage where they start to smile when you try to soothe them, and when they're in a good mood, they even laugh out loud, "Ahhh."
And this might just be the opinion of a doting parent, but Manpukumaru and Chacha are quite intelligent.
Even when he's in a good mood, he only lets out simple sounds like "ah" when talking to his children...
When I or Ichihime called out to her, she would flail her little limbs and make a sound like "Uaaah," a mixture of several vowels.喃語Nango
In short, the children were able to accurately determine who their parents were by the time they were two months old.
Ichihime was delighted, saying, "If Manpukumaru is given a competent teacher, he will surely become a fine general."
(So, what exactly is that city doing...?)
I couldn't help but let out a wry smile as I watched the babies sleeping.
My beloved wife is not in the room at this time.
I'm in the bathhouse with my two maidservants, ready for my second bath of the day.
According to Ichihime, in order to have sex with me, she needs to purify her body first.
I wanted to pull her into bed right away, but she was quite shy and stubbornly refused to comply with my demands.
Although there was no penetration, considering she provided oral and breast services during her pregnancy, I don't think there's anything to worry about...
Apparently, as a woman, Ichihime has a desire to show her husband her most beautiful self, since this is their first time having sex since giving birth.
I can understand that feeling, but—
"—But it's long."
Yes, it's too long. The bath time is far too long.
I feel like I've been holed up in the bath for about another hour now.
I appreciate that they're going to such lengths for me, but it's quite tough for me to be the one who has to wait.
(Perhaps something happened in the bathhouse...?)
Such anxieties also cross my mind.
However, even though Myo is absent, the Nagahama Palace has ninjas from the Takamine clan stationed there as garden guards, so the security is not so lax that intruders could easily sneak in and cause trouble.
But even so, I'm still anxious. Especially when it comes to the woman I love.
"But I can't leave Manpukumaru and Chacha's side..."
In the end, all I could do was wait—I couldn't help but sigh.
Just then, the sliding door slid open with a whoosh.
"...Ah, you're too late."
"I'm so sorry, Lord Nagamasa..."
Illuminated by the faint light of the lantern, Ichihime was bundled up in a thick nightgown to avoid catching a chill after her bath.
The kimono's colors are predominantly crimson, creating a strong visual effect.
So, she's trying to get my attention with her kimono, I guess.
"That kimono suits you very well."
"Oh, thank you so much...!"
Perhaps pleased by the compliment, she lowered her head but still scurried over to me.
But it doesn't cling to me or anything like that.
When I sit down in a seiza position, maintaining a perfect distance that's neither too close nor too far, it stares intently at me.
"...What's wrong? You should come closer."
"No, well..."
I felt kind of embarrassed.
Ichihime said so in a whisper.
"Why? Even though we didn't have physical intimacy, I... I loved Lord Nagamasa..."
It goes without saying that when she says "love" in this context, she means sexual intercourse.
The fact that she feels embarrassed despite all this suggests that Ichihime sees tonight as something different from before, and as a fresh start for their marriage.
"I'm embarrassed too."
He stood up, sat down beside Ichihime, and gently put his arm around her shoulders.
Then, instead of running away, she surrendered herself to me, as if she had wanted this to happen.
"...I'm so sorry. I... I said something strange, didn't I?"
Ichihime offered that apology.
I knew the reason without even asking, but I can't help but feel that there's no need for me to apologize.
"No... don't worry about it. Since Manpukumaru and Chacha were born, you've changed more than you can imagine—physically and mentally."
"..."
Without a word, Ichihime gently placed her hand on my chest and exhaled.
I suppose they're questioning the truthfulness of what I said.
Her beautiful eyes are obscured by her eyelids, and her breathing is calm, as if she were meditating.
"Have I... changed?"
"Well, that's probably true."
As she murmured to herself, I gently stroked her shoulder and whispered to her.
"The children you were carrying inside your belly have come out of your body, so of course they're not going to change, right? For example, you're now producing breast milk, so at the very least, your body has changed."
"Yes...it is strange, though."
Ichihime gently gripped my chest.
After a while, she let out a smile that seemed to indicate she was satisfied, and wrapped both her arms around my back, hugging me tightly.
"I certainly feel like my own feelings have changed in many ways."
"I see."
"yes...!"
Pressing her forehead against my chest, she said, as if biting down on the words.
"I... I've come to love Lord Nagamasa even more... I now understand that about myself very clearly."
Exuding an overwhelming maternal aura, Ichihime moved slightly away and looked directly into my eyes.
Her eyes narrowed, and a subtle, alluring charm radiated from them.
"Lord Nagamasa was always there for me when I was going through a tough time... Right after I gave birth to Manpukumaru and Chacha, he stayed by my side without hesitation, even though he was unclean... I can't express how grateful I was for that..."
Incidentally, that incident seems to have become a well-known story throughout Nagahama, but that's irrelevant.
With her affection clearly visible to anyone watching, my beloved wife expresses her feelings for me with great emotion.
"Strangely enough, every time I interact with Manpukumaru and Chacha, I can't help but feel an overwhelming affection for Lord Nagamasa. When I think that the blood of Lord Nagamasa, who devotedly supported Ichi, has mixed with my own and is living here... Hehe... It's strange, but perhaps Ichi sees Lord Nagamasa through the children... Or perhaps, it is because she adores Lord Nagamasa that she is able to love the children..."
"city..."
When he pulled Ichihime closer again, her body was trembling slightly.
It's probably not because she's nervous, but because her emotions are welling up inside her.
"...And so...the city..."
I gently patted my wife's shoulders and back as she trembled in my chest.
"Calm down... You don't have to tell me everything right now. Take your time... We can still continue walking together."
"...yes"
I stroked her shoulders and back, then gently rested my cheek on the top of Ichihime's head.
She smells nice, like she's just gotten out of the bath.
"Lord Nagamasa is indeed... so kind."
"No, I don't think so..."
"No, you're so kind... You could overpower me and pin me down, but you don't... You're just staying by my side..."
Furthermore, Ichihime continued.
"Even when the city official was away for a long time... she never left the children's side."
"That's only natural."
After saying that, I remember that in this day and age, it's actually quite unusual for a father to be constantly taking care of an infant.
In Japan, there has always been a deeply ingrained belief that children are the responsibility of their mothers.
Even today, there are many fathers who have practically abandoned their parenting responsibilities and left everything to their wives.
In a sense, that's a tradition in Japanese family history—I said with a wry smile, gazing at Ichihime.
"Both Manpukumaru and Chacha have your blood in them... If they're as prone to loneliness as you are... they might feel truly lonely if they wake up to find no one there..."
"W-wait, I'm a lonely person...?!"
"Is that wrong?"
"...I... I'm not like that..."
Ichihime lowered her head and traced .突Tsutsu
As I gently stroked her head, my wife nodded resignedly and said, "Yes."
"But it's all Lord Nagamasa's fault that I've ended up like this."
"He's just given up on trying to change his attitude."
"Yes, it's true..."
Ichihime twirled her fingertips around on my chest and said sulkily:
"I actually found it easier to be alone in Owari... But then I married Lord Nagamasa, was given expectations, and was loved all this time..."
"So, you get lonely?"
"That's only natural."
My wife, puffing up her cheeks, began to slap my chest.
"He had always loved me, and now that I'm pregnant—I'm happy, but also sad. The thought that Lord Nagamasa won't love me anymore leaves a gaping hole in my heart..."
"..."
"And yet, Princess Haruhime looks so happy and content to be loved by Lord Nagamasa night after night... Even though it was me who was treated that way until now... Oh, come on!"
Ichihime placed her hand on my chest and let out a deep sigh.
"Princess Osamu is getting more and more beautiful, while I'm still carrying a child in my belly... On top of that, there's the feeling that Lord Nagamasa might go far away because of the Mizuchi incident... Yet he has stayed by my side, and even after the baby was born, he hasn't distanced himself from me and has always been kind to me... Isn't it only natural that I miss Lord Nagamasa so much?!"
"Oh... there, there. Calm down, calm down."
I can't help but feel like the conversation is going off on a tangent, but even so, I'm sure these are all genuine emotions that are connected within Ichihime.
She is also a human being, and she has her own burdens and worries.
"So, what is it? It seems the city still harbors a sense of rivalry with the government."
"Well...isn't that obvious?"
With me holding her tightly and preventing her from moving, Ichihime said with a sulky expression:
"My starting point and Princess Osamu's were fundamentally different. My marriage was... well, a political marriage, so I think Lord Nagamasa accepted me in a passive manner..."
"..."
"On the other hand, regarding Princess Osamu... didn't Lord Nagamasa take the initiative himself and welcome her with a proactive attitude?"
"Ah... I see, I understand. What the city is trying to say is..."
In other words, she's trying to say that there should naturally be a difference in how I love and the degree of my attachment to the woman I had no choice but to accept (Ichihime) and the woman I wanted to accept (Haruhime).
Even if we know it's impossible in reality, as long as it remains a possibility, it's something that any person would still find unsettling.
"But, if you'll be honest... you're overthinking things."
"...Yes, that may be the case, but..."
"—I love you"
Seeing her still hesitating, I decided to be more direct.
Ichihime's body trembled, and she immediately became still.
"You are the first woman I ever loved, and the woman I still love. Nothing more, nothing less. You can feel insecure, but please remember that much."
"I am... Lord Nagamasa's number one..."
"Oh, that's right."
I hugged her even tighter and spoke to her.
"You were the first woman I ever loved, the first woman I ever wanted to have a child with, and the first woman who gave birth to a child with me... You have every right to be more confident... Above all, you are truly beautiful."
"...M-more..."
Ichihime's face turned bright red, and she clung to me.
"Why, Lord Nagamasa... why do you say such things with a straight face...? It's embarrassing...!"
"Heh heh"
"W-what's so funny?"
"Well, now that I think about it, you did say 'embarrassing' earlier..."
"...Ah"
"You used to be shy and kept your distance, but now you're hugging me like this—you've made quite a lot of progress, haven't you?"
As I hugged Ichihime, whose face looked like it was about to boil over, I pressed my own against her burning forehead.
She looked up with a surprised expression, and I immediately pressed my lips against hers.
I won't go straight for a deep kiss.
A light, gentle kiss.
It must have been about 30 seconds later. When I slowly pulled away, Ichihime was staring at my lips with a dazed expression.
"...Are you still embarrassed?"
"Please don't say that..."
Though embarrassed, Ichihime relaxed her entire body and leaned against me.
"Please...do it more..."
"She's a hopeless wife."
Holding her child-bearing body once more, I cupped her cheeks and showered her with kisses.
As he gently sucked on various parts of her face, Ichihime squirmed, looking .捩Yoji
But perhaps she could no longer contain herself—Ichihime wrapped both her arms around my neck and clung to me, then pressed her lips against mine.
"Mmm...ah..."
Ichihime lets out a blissful sigh as she passionately kisses my mouth.
He sucks and licks her upper lip, then sucks and licks her lower lip.
Inspired by my assertive wife, I decided to stop teasing her and obediently open my lips.
"Ah... mmm, mm... kiss..."
I'm not going to use my tongue yet.
As we exchanged our hot breaths, Ichihime and I pressed our lips together greedily and began to bite each other.
The arms that had been embracing each other suddenly separated, and before we knew it, our palms were pressed together and clasped in each other's hands.
It felt somehow more embarrassing than hugging, but considering the day, I guess it was okay—that's what I was thinking, my head feeling a bit lightheaded from the kissing.
"Mmm, mmm..."
Ichihime's tongue extends and invades the inside of my mouth.
She licked my gums slowly and deliberately, then slowly moved over my teeth and began to explore my tongue.
Although they didn't engage in direct sexual intercourse, they kissed constantly, so they were quite experienced.
"...Ah... Mmm, slurp... Mmm..."
Ichihime relentlessly pursued, intertwined with, and slurped my tongue, as if trying to convey the full extent of her feelings.
Her lingering tongue movements reveal the intensity of the burning passion within her.
With her hands still clasped, Ichihime pressed her body against him forcefully.
I don't know if it was so that we could kiss more deeply, or so that she could feel my body heat, or so that she could rub her hardened nipples against me under her kimono to get pleasure.
All I know for sure is that Ichihime had truly been looking forward to this day.
"Ah... Lord Nagamasa..."
As he slowly pulled his lips away, Ichihime let out a sigh of reluctance.
She gazed at the silvery bridge of lust that slid smoothly across their lips, and when it suddenly broke, her eyes became sad.
It's so cute and endearing.
"I'm going to let go of your hand."
"...No."
"Otherwise, I won't be able to touch you."
With a reluctant air, they released their clasped hands.
Perhaps it was because of the heat in our lips, but both of our bodies were beginning to heat up, and our palms were damp with the mixed sweat of mine and Ichihime's.
"...You're not the only one who's been waiting for this day."
"Hmm..."
When he ran his fingers through her sideburns, Ichihime snorted like a dog.
As I savored the smooth feel of her hair and the faint scent of hers, my hands gradually moved from her hair to her cheek, and then to her neck.
When my fingertips touched the nape of my wife's neck, her body trembled.
"Once again... but tonight's outfit is really impressive..."
"That's...of course."
I stroked her neck and tickled the soft flesh between her neck and chin as I held her close.
Sensing my intentions, Ichihime slowly lowered her body and gently lay down on the futon.
"Being held in the arms of the man I love... it really motivates me."
"I see."
"Yes!"
We laughed together as I leaned over her.
How long has it been since I last pushed Ichihime down like this...?
As I was thinking about that, I saw Chacha, who was supposed to be asleep, start to stir.
"..."
"..."
Ichihime and I stared at each other, holding our breath.
Whether our efforts paid off or not, Chacha ultimately drifted back to sleep without waking up.
"Hehehe"
Ichihime smiled as if relieved.
"That was a close call... Lord Nagamasa."
"Well..."
A wry smile escaped my lips involuntarily.
Yes, Manpukumaru and Chacha are still just two-month-old babies.
Lately, she's been able to distinguish between day and night, and she's been sleeping more at night—but it was still normal for her to cry in the middle of the night, either wanting Ichihime's breast milk or wetting herself.
So, during this time, husbands and wives usually try to sneak in some intimate activities while hiding from the baby, but in our case, it seems we went a little too far.
"But...it's been a while, so I guess it can't be helped."
"Yes, it has been a long time..."
Ichihime whispered as she stroked my cheek.
"However, if possible, I would like Lord Nagamasa to love me to the fullest, driven by his animalistic desires, until Ichi is utterly destroyed..."
"...Huh?"
He must have felt embarrassed by the foolish sound that had slipped out of his mouth.
Turning her head away and averting her gaze, Ichihime said, as if trying to defend herself.
"I am... I am well aware of my position as a mother. But, but... I cannot abandon the fact that I am a woman."
"Being a mother is really tiring, isn't it..."
"..."
"You fool, why are you making such a dejected face there?"
I roughly ran my fingers through Ichihime's bangs and said in a clear voice:
"It's only natural for a mother to get tired. She sleeps and wakes up according to her child's schedule, breastfeeds, and sleeps again... There's no way anyone wouldn't get tired of that kind of life. Your feelings are perfectly normal."
"Ah..."
They probably thought they were going to get scolded.
They probably thought they were going to get scolded.
Ichihime flinched and then cautiously looked up at my face.
"I wish there was something that could bring you comfort..."
"No, well... so..."
My beloved wife, her face bright red, whispered:
"My source of comfort is... well, this time I spend with Lord Nagamasa..."
"...yeah?"
"So, therefore! For Ichi, nothing would make her happier than to be loved wholeheartedly by Lord Nagamasa! All the unpleasant things and anxieties melt away in Lord Nagamasa's arms, and she forgets them, and they all become insignificant... and then..."
"..."
"...Ah, well...! No, no! Please pretend you didn't hear that! Aaaah... why did I have to go through something like this... ugh..."
Whether it's the stress of raising children, or the fact that it's been almost a year since she's been allowed to have sex, Ichihime seems more excited than usual tonight.
But the same is true for me.
A wife as a mother, a wife as a woman.
The fact that she confessed that sex with me was her source of comfort is both incredibly heartwarming and, more than anything, incredibly exciting.
I want you to think about it.
A scene where a stunningly beautiful woman confesses that she could live on just by being held by you.
What Ichihime is saying now is very close to that.
"...city"
"No, no! Please don't look, Lord Nagamasa...! Oh... I just want to disappear into a hole..."
"That's my line—look."
Then I stood up and stylishly threw off my kimono.
It's still quite chilly, but there are times when a man has to look his best.
It would be utterly ridiculous if it happened in a bedroom, but even ridiculousness can become quite stylish if taken to its extreme.
"...a"
Ichihime's eyes widened, and she focused her gaze on my crotch.
What she's looking at is our Big Sun.
Thanks to the adorable gestures and coming outs Ichihime had shown up until now, the raging cock was already rock hard and erect.
My son's penis was bulging with veins visible on the surface, and his glans was greatly enlarged.
Seeing it trembling and already dripping with pre-ejaculatory fluid, Ichihime swallowed hard.
But then, she blushes and quickly looks away.
A woman's heart is complicated, even if she's given birth before.
"W-w-w-what are you doing, Lord Nagamasa?! That's so sudden...!"
Now, finally, the couple's intimate moments, after a year-long hiatus, are about to begin...
Perhaps because she had become so acutely aware of it, Ichihime covered her face with both hands and writhed in agony.
It's cute in its own way, but it seems like I'll never be able to hold Ichihime like this.
I grabbed Ichihime's wrist and held her firmly in place—
"Let's love each other, Ichi"
—While uttering extremely simple words of courtship, he thrust his penis right in front of Ichihime's beautiful face.
The dripping Cowper's fluid fell onto the tip of her nose, and then slithered down her beautiful nasal bridge.
Overwhelmed by the heat of the symbol of the man she loved, so close by, Ichihime soon nodded like a virgin.