Chapter 72

“This child, has he always been like this?”

Aurora found those words difficult to speak. She had not expected to see this kid after her re-birth.

His existence was an unaccounted factor for Aurora and she could not even compute how this had happened. Where had this child come from when Emilia was supposed to be an only child?

“Y-Yes. S-o, what do you think? What should I do with this kid?”

Aurora looked the man in the eye. The man was taking a huge risk by telling Aurora about the truth behind this child.

“First of all, calm down and tell me the truth. Is this child and Emilia related? They look to be about the same age as each other.”

If thighs were really as Aurora had suspected them to be, then she would have to change her approach toward this topic.

She also had to be careful to not let the tower find out about the existence of this teen.

“Emilia? Ah, yes. So you saw through their connection as well. Nothing less than I would have expected from an expert such as you. And since I decided to trust you miss, I will tell you what I know.”

“It all started when that woman, no, that goddess stepped inside our village all those years ago…”

==========================

The day started as ordinarily as it could. The sky was clear and the monsters were choosing to keep away from the village.

It was a perfectly ordinary day to enjoy an outing with the family.

The day was even more special for Mr. Rose since his wife was pregnant and on the verge of giving birth. His family was about to be complete soon.

“Mr. Rose, a woman is standing outside the village doors. How should we deal with her?”

A guard hurriedly made his way toward Mr. Rose. His voice sounded as if it was panicking so Mr. Rose decided to console him.

“Oh, so what’s the problem? Let her in and get her set up in the guest accommodations. It’s not in the best condition but I am sure the lady won’t mind.”

Mr. Rose was not a cruel man and decided to invite the lady to the village.

The guest accommodation had been built by the tower long ago when Horax village had been relevant to them. But it had been a long time since that building had been maintained.

Still, it was holding up well enough to house a traveler for a day or two.

“Ah, the thing is…Umm, it would be better for Mr. Rose to see for yourself.”

Contrary to his belief, the guard did not head back right that second to convey Mr. Rose’s message.

That was when Mr. Rose felt his curiosity peak and he decided to entertain the lady at the village entrance.

“Fine. I will come with you to greet the lady. Let me see what the problem is.”

Mr. Rose had a simple plan – to go out and welcome the lady in the village. And then he could wash his hands off this case for real.

That had been his initial plan.

But as soon as he saw the lady, he understood the guard’s hesitation in putting the lady in the guest quarters.

“Are you the village chief here? I would like to ask a favor of you. I will surely repay you for this favor in form of protection from the wild beasts roaming around this place.”

Mr. Rose did not have any experience with magic or the tower, but the second he saw her he understood what kind of creature she was.

To call the temptation in front of him a ‘human’ would be an insult to her overwhelming might. She was a goddess that had descended on this village to bless them all.

The only thing that broke that illusion was the dented belly the goddess had.

“Miss, are you by any chance, pregnant? My wife is in a similar condition as you. And as such, I would like to extend my hand to you and ask you to stay with us for the duration of your child’s birth.”

Mr. Rose had no intention of allowing the lady in his home at first but he could not stop himself from offering after he saw her.

His mouth seemed like it had a will of its own and it made that offer to the goddess.

“Mr. Rose, what are you saying? What would your wife say if she heard you?”

The guard that had asked Mr. Rose to come there asked. He sounded terrified but intrigued by the beauty in front of him as well.

“My wife would understand. After all, how could we turn down a lady in need of our help? And what if she’s from the tower? We will all get killed if we refused her?”

As much as the lady attracted Mr. Rose, something was terrifying about her presence. She felt far too much like a predator to him.

“Ara~ How can I refuse such a kind offer? Of course, I will take Mr. Rose up on his offer.”

The lady walked slowly but each step she took was hypnotic. There was a bell sound as she walked and Mr. Rose found himself falling hard.

“By the way, I don’t see your husband around? How dare he abandon such a beauty like you?”

Mr. Rose might be getting in on his years but he had not lost his charm for flirting.

“You’re bold. How did you conclude that my husband abandoned me? That he did not die?”

Mr. Rose felt his saliva get stuck in his throat as the goddess questioned his back. Her easy-going tone hid the hard intonation of her actions.

And for some reason, Mr. Rose was convinced that this lady had not lost her husband in an accident but a murder case. A murder she might very well have carried out.

“Y-YOU! How can you be so shameless to walk arms-in-arms with another lady when your wife is pregnant and about to give birth?”

Mr. Rose felt his soul return to his body when he heard the angry cry of his wife.

“Ah, you must be this lovely gentleman’s wife. Miss is much more beautiful in real life. Your husband was kind enough to offer me lodging until I can birth to my kids. He is such a kind man.”

Mr. Rose tried to hide his eyes from his wife’s vengeful glare. His wife had always been a jealous woman.

“Oh, I see. He’s a kind man, huh? Well, I won’t take back the offer he gave you but that doesn’t mean I have accepted you into our lives. You will go away as soon as you are done with childbirth.”

Mr. Rose flinched at his wife’s harsh words. In his option, she was making a big deal out of nothing.

But he had never been able to say anything to her in all his life. His mother had liked his wife enough to sell Mr. Rose out to her family.

And now he was all but the village head in the name.

“Of course. I would have never dared to step foot in this village if not for my unborn children. And I am grateful for all the kindness you are showing me this day.”

Mr. Rose did find the situation a bit odd but he chose not to say anything about it. Keeping quiet and letting things play out was the best source of action he could take right now.

His wife glared at him yet again and Mr. Rose realized with a jolt that he was in a compromised position with the new female in front of him.

He quickly let go of her arm and gave her a small bow.

“Hope you enjoy our hospitality Mrs..”

“Shinobu. My name is Shinobu.”

“Ah, yes Mrs. Shinobu, it is nice to meet you. Now if you excuse me and my husband, we have something important to talk about.”

This was how Mr. Rose found himself in his new predicament. This was also the cause of the first fight between him and his wife.

But nothing came out of it and Shinobu stayed in the same house as the couple.

Mr. Rose had been spectacle about her claim of being a mage but when no monster attacked the village for a few days, he could not help but believe the female’s claim of providing protection.

A few days passed away in such bliss and the day of heavy rainfall, it finally happened.

Both his wife and Mrs. Shinobu went into labor and gave birth.

One gave birth to a pair of twins with unique eyes while the other gave birth to a dead son. It was a heavy day for the family.

But Mr. Rose still decided to fulfill his duty as the host and visit the other woman in his house.

After all, she had just birthed a pair of healthy children and she deserved to have someone stand beside her in such a difficult time of her life.