Bertia…’s Son, 5 Years Old
“Waaah… Waaaah……”
The lively sound of a baby’s first cry entered my ears as I was waiting at the adjoining room around the time that the sky turned white.
It was said that the first childbirth would take quite a time, and it lasted almost all night.
In the meantime, from the adjoining room, I heard my wife’s painful groans… or not. “Waitt!! This couldn’t be!! What is this pain?!!” “If it’s painful, then it is painful indeeeed!!” “B-baby, do your best and please come out quicklyyy!!” “You’re Cecil-sama’s child, so you can do it if you try!! Mother will work hard as well!! That’s why, let’s do our best together… As expected, it hurtsss!!” I continued to hear those kinds of pointlessly vigorous voice.
Bertia, I certainly had quite an early development, but as expected, it was inconceivable for a baby to worry about their mother and get out of her stomach as soon as possible during their birth, right?
Even if they were my child, since it was a very unreasonable thing, in spite of the situation, I ended up laughing spontaneously.
Speaking of which, my father-in-law whose face was pale as he heard Bertia’s voice next to me, commented, “Bertia, unfortunately that child also has half of your blood in them!! No matter how much of His Highness’ blood is drawn, it’s so pitiful to expect so much from them!!”, but… I wonder if I’m the only one who thinks that the problem isn’t there?
Right beside Marquis Noches, there was Kuro who raised her intimidating voice as her tail expanded, perhaps it was because she didn’t really understand the concept of childbirth or perhaps it was her reaction to Bertia’s painful voice.
She surely wanted to eliminate the existence that brought pain to Bertia, but in this case, the one who inflicted the pain was my child who was about to be born, so I’d tell Zeno to stop her with all his power.
After the difficult night passed, I met my child who let me experience a feeling of tension that I could say as a first time in my life.
“Cecil-sama, I did itttt!! It’s a cute, cute little boyyy!”
Bertia welcomed me with her sloppy face that was full of sweats after her childbirth and tears of joy. In her arms, there was a small, small baby tucked in baby clothes.
The moment I saw his face, I felt a certain hunch at the same time as I instinctively felt like crying.
…This child is [the same kind] as me.
“Please take a look! His hair is a mixture of my and Cecil-sama’s hair color, it’s a strawberry blonde! However, his face looks exactly like Cecil-sama!!”
Since he was just born, his facial features were not yet clear, and it felt like my child’s face was still crumpled, but… he certainly looked like me.
When he grows up a bit more and his facial features become clear, he would surely give the impression that he’s surely [my child].
“This child will surely grow up to be smart just like Cecil-sama!! Even if that isn’t the case, with him being this cute, it’s unmistakable that he’d grow up to be a prince loved by everyone!!”
“…Yes. He definitely will.”
Looking at Bertia who was happily nudging our child, I decided to put off the matter for now.
As if he could sense the mood, our child smiled as Bertia cuddled him. It’s not that I don’t feel anxious about his future prospects, but… Well, it will surely be all right.
After all is said and done, his mother is Bertia.
His childhood will surely not be as boring as mine.
After that… So that this child and I won’t compete for Bertia, it’d be better to search for this child’s [fated person] earlier.
…Even if he is my cute child, there’s no way I’d surrender my cute Bertia.
After that, let this child take the initiative to do the thing he enjoys doing.
It is good to broaden your interest.
If you have many things you want to do and if there are enjoyable things without having to stick to just one thing, your life would be more colorful.
There had never been a precedent for the royal family to have a special child being born in a two consecutive generations, but if you look at it, I’d be able to look after my child while making a good use of my own experiences, so conversely, it might be a good thing.
“Cecil-sama! Let’s give this child a lots of our love and affection and make him happy!! I will work hard as a mother!!”
“Yeah. This child… Let’s make him happy.”
In response to Bertia who innocently smiled full of delight of the child’s birth, I gently smiled back as I hardened my resolution at heart.
I tucked Bertia’s hair that was stuck on her sweaty face, gently caressing her cheek.
“Tia, thank you for increasing my treasure. I will continue to work hard from now on as well, for the sake of my cherished child and you.”
As I said that while softly caressing Bertia’s cheek with my left hand and my child’s cheek with my right hand, Bertia nodded with smiles on her eyes which had calmed down from the tears.
***
“Mother!! Please take a look at this flower!!”
Ainzart Glo Alphasta—my 5-year-old son—came running to Bertia and me who were in the middle having tea during our official duties.
Blue lily was planted in the pot that he brought with both of his hands.
That scene looked like a small child was trying too hard to carry the potted plan, but Zeno’s wind magic was supporting the potted plant as he followed from behind, so he shouldn’t feel any weight.
It was simply him trying to perform and show that “I’m doing my best.”
My son—Ainzart—’s personality is essentialy just like mine.
However, because he grew up watching his mother Bertia, a bit foolish she may have been, be loved by everyone for doing her best, he learned that the others’ reactions were better when he appealed that he “did it after doing his best” rather than if he could just show his superiority.
As a result, he became very skillful at camouflaging as his [pure self], and he was even more cunning than me when I was a child.
“Oh my, Ainzart, what a beautiful bellflower.”
As Bertia rushed over to our son in a hurry in order to take the potted plant without realizing that such a black heart was lurking inside her adorable son, I held Ainzart who was approaching quickly along with the potted plant.
“…Tch.”
As our son was still showing his angelic smile, he lightly clicked his tongue which sound could only be heard by me.
Although that sound entered my ears, I decided to ignore it with a smile.
Bertia is now in the 5th month of her second pregnancy.
There’s no way she could take such a large potted plant.
Even if Ainzart understood it, he sometimes still behaved like a spoiled child and trying to make her do the impossible like this.
As I predicted, my son, who became emotionally attached to his mother Bertia and whose love was almost like an obsession, was displeased that there might be a sibling who would be in the same position as himself.
It doesn’t reach the level that could harm the child in her womb, but he sometimes tried to make the pregnant Bertia to do difficult things as if to test her out just like this.
He was trying to ascertain how much Bertia cherished him by doing so.
Bertia might be completely unaware of her son’s intention, but since she doted on her son, she always unconsciously returned a satisfactory reaction to Ainzart.
That Ainzart’s increased love of his mother excessively that it was troublesome.
“Mother, this is not a bellflower~”
Ainzart, who failed to launch his attack at Bertia, pulled himself together and showed Bertia the potted plant that he brought just now as he held it up.
The guards, who didn’t know that the potted plant’s weight was supported by Zeno’s magic, opened their mouths at Ainzart who (seemingly) demonstrated a superhuman strength that was unsuitable for a child. However, Ainzart paid them no mind.
“Oh my, is that so? What flower might it be, then?”
Bertia, who didn’t feel weird that Ainzart could lift the potted plant with his physical strength, tilted her head as she looked at the flower while smiling.
Nevertheless, why did Bertia see this flower and think that it was a bellflower?
No matter how you look at it, it’s a lily.
Well, the color is slightly unusual, though.
“It’s a lily, Mother! I tried to grow Mother’s favorite blue lily.”
“Eh?! It’s a blue lily?! Eh?! You grew it?! Ainzart did?!”
Bertia opened her eyes widely at Ainzart who was boastfully smiling.
“Yes!! Since Mother loves blue, I tried to copy Father and grow a blue lily!”
I reflexively showed a bitter smile in response to Ainzart who answered proudly as he was still within my arms.