Volume 1, Extra: We found an adorable daughter.

Volume 1, Extra: We found an adorable daughter.

It was truly a coincidence to meet Risa.

A few hours after Risa came to this world.

“Master! There were sightings of a magic phenomenon in the Kukul Forest.”

My assistant Rollo Millen said as he burst into my office. He was a young boy of sixteen years who had just graduated from the Magic Academy. He was a diligent hard worker. However, his face would often betray his thoughts, so the small boy felt like a puppy to me. Well, he graduated at the top of his class so he has the required skills for the job.

He relayed the details to me slowly yet passionately. It seems he really wanted to go on the investigation.

Hmm, the Kukul Forest, huh? A lot of spirits live there, so it’s really no special event for a magic phenomenon to occur there. Oh, the Kukul Forest is quite near the hot springs in Ersgard… All right, I must go there with Tasia on a date! Ever since we fought the day before yesterday, she had been sulking. I have to ask her on a date, and a long one at that, to cheer her up!

Mmm, hot springs, huh. If I remember correctly, there should be inns that provide private baths. If I take a bath with Tasia…mhm, this is good. This is really good, mfufu.

I felt someone’s gaze and looked up to see a bored Rollo, his eyes half-closed. Ah, I completely forgot about him.

“Master, were you listening to me!?”

“Y-yes…this warrants an investigation in Kukul Forest.”

I coughed and said with a straight face. Rollo brightened up and his eyes sparkled. If he had a tail, it would be whipping up a tornado right now.

“That’s what I thought! Then, I will-”

“No, I’ll go myself this time.”

Rollo looked as if he had been struck by lightning. Nghh…I do feel bad, but I must do this to save Tasia and my happiness.

After that, Rollo clung to me begging to accompany me, but I made him give up by throwing all of my work on him. I hate it if there were a third wheel in a private room reserved for two. Sorry, Rollo.

That afternoon, I set out to Ersgard with my beloved wife…stopping by Kukul Forest on the way.

Tasia was ecstatic to sleep at a famous inn in Ersgard. Phew, what a relief. She was fidgeting with excitement to head into the hot springs right away. While I wanted to go with her, I went to Kukul Forest first. My hot springs shall wait until night, mfufu.

Once I arrived at the Kukul Forest alone, I asked the spirits there to guide me to the place in question. It seems this morning a magic phenomenon really occurred here, but the spirits said they weren’t the ones to cause it. They simply told me it was the “will of the Goddess” and left.

I wonder what this “will of the Goddess” is.

I tilted my head in confusion at the unfamiliar phrase and looked at the unnaturally flattened grass. There weren’t any other traces of magic, so there was nothing for me to do here.

…All right then. Wait for me Tasia, I’ll be right with you~

That night, we fully enjoyed our lovey-dovey life as husband and wife.

The next day. We spent the morning lazily at the inn before heading back to our house in the capital. Tasia sat happily next to me, swaying along to the ride. I wonder if her skin was glowing because of the hot springs or because I tried hard. Either way, she looked miles more adorable than before.

While I was thinking about such things, the carriage suddenly stopped. We had just left Ersgard so it was unlikely we had already reached the capital. I wonder if there was a problem?

“Reid, what’s wrong?”

I called to Reid, who was driving, from the window. He got off from the driver’s seat and came to the window.

“Master, there is a young girl collapsed down the road. What should I do?”

I also got off the carriage and looked ahead. There was indeed a girl collapsed in the middle of the road. The carriage wouldn’t be able to get past.

As both Tasia and I hail from quite prestigious families, this might be a trap where they target our wealth and mug us. As such, Reid asked for my opinion.

Well, with my skill we should be fine.

I told Reid to stand by close to Tasia and drew near the girl. On closer look, her hair was black. I had never seen a human with black hair before. While there was the rare navy or dark brown, this pure raven color was very unique.

There were also a surprising amount of spirits around her who seemed to be worried for her and protecting her. Were spirits ever this attached to a single human before?

I squatted down to see her face contorted in pain. I gently shook her but received no reaction. It seems she was completely unconscious. The spirits all asked whether she was all right. The sheer amount of them was a little scary.

I asked them why she was here and the spirits spoke that phrase again—”the will of the Goddess.”

What in the world is the “will of the Goddess?” Suddenly I remembered the flattened grass near the scene of the magic phenomenon. It looked like something had been lying there, something around the size of this girl. Was this a coincidence? If so, perhaps I also happened upon this scene by that “will of the Goddess.” The words of spirits who would never lie held some weight, after all.

I placed my arms around the girl and lifted her up, bringing her to the carriage where Reid and Tasia were anxiously waiting.

The second I reached the carriage, Tasia snatched the girl from me and fussed over her to my astonishment, but I kept my peace. Tasia seemed to have felt something from the girl.

With the still unconscious girl, we went home.

?═──────────────────────────────────═?

Three days ago, I had my first fight in a long time with Gil.

The reason was that we couldn’t go on our promised date. We had planned for it since two weeks ago, and if Gil hadn’t ditched his work we would have been able to go.

His disciple, Rollo, was really apologetic about it, but this was Gil’s fault no matter how you cut it. He had a habit of ditching work as he loved magic research but hated his palace work. While I understood it was just the way he was, I was really unhappy about not being able to go on our planned date for the past two days.

To cheer me up, he suddenly came back during lunch yesterday and invited me to go to Ersgard with him. I was surprised, but apparently he had some investigation work to do. The work was easy and it was close, so let’s go to the hot springs, he said.

He had me at hot springs, and I went with him.

I was very happy to enjoy the hot springs. We stayed at an inn that had been the talk of the town recently, and it had private baths in the rooms. The building was very pretty and the employees at the inn were also very kind. Above all, I was very happy to flirt with Gil, something we hadn’t done in a long time. Gil may look timid, but he’s very amazing. Ufufu.

We could only stay for one night as we had come under the pretense of Gil’s work, but I’d like to come back again with more time. Swayed by the carriage on our way home, I was planning out our next date in my head when the carriage suddenly stopped. Gil called to Reid, the driver, who got off the marriage and came over. Then Gil left the carriage while Reid stood by the window.

“What’s wrong?”

I peeked my head out the window and asked Reid.

“Someone is collapsed on the road in front of us…they are in the middle of the road, so the carriage cannot pass.”

I see. That’s why Gil went to look. It’s Gil, so he won’t be in any danger; his title as royal head magician is no decoration. His skill as a magician is formidable. Call it woman’s intuition, but I felt that this was related to his work out here somehow.

After a while, Gil came back with a girl in his arms.

I lay my eyes upon her and thought: ahh, my daughter!

Gil and I were completely healthy, but for some reason we were unable to make any children. Of course, we have been doing our nightly business quite diligently, perhaps more than normal. Even so, we have yet to succeed.

The countless magic checkups we went to showed nothing unusual about either of us. Although our relatives had already given up, I wanted a child. I always liked children, and there are no women who wouldn’t want a physical reminder of their love for their husbands. Of course, I was no exception.

Although I was well aware that this girl did not come from my womb, I still felt as if she was my daughter when I saw her. I couldn’t explain why, but that was all I could think about.

I snatched her from Gil, laid her down on the carriage seat and checked her body. While her clothes were dirty here and there, she didn’t seem to be injured.

I placed her head on my lap and gently caressed her head. Her hair was a beautiful ink black and as soft as silk. It touched my heart. I realized that to me, she was already my child. No matter what shape or form she may be, I loved her.

I want to talk to her.

I want to dress her in cute clothes.

I want her to call me mom.

With my dream that had almost disappeared into sea foam so close at hand, I was so excited I couldn’t sit still.

“…Gil, I think this child is our daughter.”

My words startled my husband sitting across from me.

“…Tasia, what do you mean by…our daughter?”

“I think we couldn’t make any children so that we could meet this child. Of course, she didn’t come from my womb, but that’s how I felt when I saw her…it’s so remarkable.”

I said, to which Gil sunk deep in thought.

Maybe Gil didn’t think anything like that? I’m the one who’s weird? If so, will he start to hate me for being so strange…? I thought anxiously and watched him.

He gazed at me with a serious face.

“The spirits said to me that this girl is the ‘will of the Goddess.’ I had never heard of this phrase before, so I’m not sure what it means, but…perhaps it is related to how you are feeling. Perhaps this child really is our daughter.”

He said, smiling kindly and taking my hand into his. The corners of my eyes stung and I couldn’t speak. Instead, I gripped that hand as tightly as I could.

Oh, I am so, so happy that I married this man.

Reflecting on my happiness and thinking about my daughter who had yet to awake, we went home.