Arc 8: A World of Unimaginable Beauty and Love

— Several months later.

Yuichiro genuinely believed he was about to die. He had been shot and stabbed in the past, but the excruciating pain of childbirth far exceeded any of those experiences. He’d heard that giving birth was an intense ordeal, but he had never imagined the reality of it.

When the baby’s cry reached his ears, Yuichiro was in a haze, recalling only fragments. The only memories that lingered were Temeraire’s tearful proclamation, “It’s a boy,” and Noah’s emotional words of gratitude, “Thank you, Yuichiro…!” He vaguely felt the touch of the baby’s tiny hand but couldn’t recall the moment distinctly.

A few days passed after giving birth, and finally, the pain in his body began to subside, allowing him to hold his child. Looking at the baby snoring softly in his arms, Yuichiro still couldn’t believe it came from his womb. To him, it felt as if the child had suddenly appeared in this world. Even when he gently poked his child’s cheek to check, the baby only lazily moved their lips. The baby’s translucent white skin and the sparse white hair on its head were just like the people of this world.

“Ah, he’s so incredibly cute.”

A doting voice came from next to him. Noah was gazing at the baby in a half-lying posture at the edge of the bed. His face was utterly infatuated, like the epitome of a doting parent.

Yuichiro had heard the phrase from Noah many times today alone. The man in question had been staring at him and their child without shifting his gaze for hours.

Yuichiro let out a small sigh. “You’ll end up staring a hole through the baby at this rate.”

“Eh, a hole?” Noah responded, his face slightly confused, which only made Yuichiro laugh even harder.

Standing beside the bed, Temeraire looked into the baby’s face and calmly said, “Young Master Ichiya-sama has such an intelligent look, doesn’t he?”

The name “Ichiya” still felt new to Yuichiro. He remembered presenting a paper with “Ichiya” written as if declaring a fresh start. Nonetheless, naming the baby had been a ferocious affair. Noah and he threw suggestions back and forth, bickering all night.

“If you suggest a name like ‘Fuamiruru Jeweld Finbah,’ it’s too long and cumbersome!”

“If you’re going to talk about cumbersome names, ‘Gontaro’? Yuichiro, you totally made this up on the spot, didn’t you?”

He and Noah proposed names and argued about them occasionally. On the other hand, Temeraire only watched their tongue battle but never interrupted. When Yuichiro angrily told him to suggest a name, too, Temeraire shook his head with a troubled look, saying, “I can’t think of one.”

By the time they finally agreed on a name, the morning sun shone through the windows, and Noah and he were lying face down on the floor, exhausted. Temeraire looked at the paper written with the name “Ichiya” alone and smiled, saying, “It’s a good name.”

Since learning about the baby, Temeraire had been acting slightly distant. He seemed deliberately detached, almost as if treating it as someone else’s business.

Upon hearing Temeraire’s recent words, Yuichiro couldn’t help but let out an exasperated voice.

“Hey, why are you attaching ‘—sama‘ honorific to Ichiya’s name?”

“Because Ichiya-sama is the prince of this country.”

The man’s casual reply irked Yuichiro a bit.

“That’s not what I mean—”

“Hey, Yuichiro, let me hold him too,” his words were cut off by Noah’s voice. Looking at Noah’s hands extended in a rush, Yuichiro let out a small sigh and gently handed over the baby. Holding the baby, Noah’s cheeks flushed as he let out a joyful “Fuaa,” and his face broke into a wide smile.

“Ichiya, my precious, cute Ichiya.”

The baby seemed restless at the repeated words, moving his hands and feet. Watching the baby’s tiny hands fidgeting, Noah looked truly happy. (Temeraire was also smiling while watching Noah calm the baby. However, his smile seemed tinged with loneliness. Noah suddenly looked up and met Temeraire’s gaze.

“Come on, Temeraire, you hold him too.”

At the unexpected words, Temeraire’s eyes widened in surprise. However, he shook his head with a small smile. “No, I…”

“Hey, Temeraire. Ichiya is Yuichiro’s and my child.”

At Noah’s words, Temeraire’s face seemed to freeze momentarily. But immediately, a smile crept onto his cheeks—a smile that seemed to mask pain and resignation.

Noah stared intently at Temeraire’s face and continued, “But Ichiya is also Yuichiro and Temeraire’s child.”

Temeraire’s smile disappeared, and the sound of him taking a sharp breath could be heard. As if he had seen something unbelievable, Temeraire stared at Noah.

Noah smiled slightly and whispered, “Ichiya is the child of all three of us.”

At the gentle tone, Temeraire’s body slightly trembled. After moving his lips two or three times, he asked faintly, “Is that… alright?”

Hesitation filled Temeraire’s voice. Noah chuckled and stood up from the bed, bringing the baby closer to Temeraire.

“Come on, hold him already. What parent doesn’t hold their own child?”

Encouraged by Noah’s words, Temeraire gingerly took the baby in his arms. He looked down at the baby for a moment, breathing peacefully in his sleep.

A long silence ensued. Suddenly, the sound of a teardrop falling could be heard. Tears were rolling down from Temeraire’s eyes. Seeing Temeraire’s crumpled face, Yuichiro was blinded.

“Stop adding ‘—sama’ to your own son.”

While hiccuping, Temeraire answered, “Yes.”

Noah quietly stroked Temeraire’s trembling back.

***

Three months after Ichiya’s birth, while the aftermath of the internal strife was still unresolved, the kingdom was finally beginning to find its footing again. News had just come in that the current king, who had caused the civil war in Goldar, had been defeated. Every country was now trying to regain its former way of life.

During these three months, as Noah and Temeraire busied themselves with daily administrative tasks, Yuichiro was engrossed in the unfamiliar task of parenting. Although he had the assistance of a wet nurse and was more at ease than most mothers, he still found taking care of a speechless child to be mentally exhausting. He never knew when the child would suddenly burst into tears—it felt like taking care of a ticking time bomb at times. He realized that assisting his wife during their daughter’s birth was, after all, just that—assistance.

“I feel like it was easier when I spent all day trekking through the jungle…”

Yuichiro looked visibly worn out. Each time he did, Goat burst into an uproarious, unreserved laughter.

“How about we go on a love escapade?”

“If I hear a joke like that now, I’ll feel like kicking your head in.”

Pointing his index finger at his chest, Yuichiro sternly spoke. In response, Goat let out an even louder laugh. Hearing Goat’s laughter, Ichiya widened his eyes in surprise.

Gently soothing Ichiya, Yuichiro glared at Goat.

“You’re too loud. What if Ichiya starts crying?”

Upon hearing that, Goat propped his cheek with one hand and scrutinized Yuichiro closely.

“The Goddess of Slaughter has truly turned into a mother, hasn’t he?”

“Stop saying it like that, it gives me the chills.”

Whether being called a goddess or a mother, neither name was something he could get used to. As he shuddered, Ichiya stretched his tiny hands towards him and made a ‘Ah ah’ noise. Yuichiro softly clasped the little palms.

“What is it? Milk?”

As he looked into Ichiya’s small eyes, which resembled Noah’s clear blue ones, Goat suddenly asked, “By the way, can Captain Ogami lactate?”

Yuichiro nearly flipped the table at Goat in a reflex. Managing to restrain himself, he spoke in a low voice laden with menace.

“Do you really want to be killed?”

Unfazed, Goat responded with a cheeky smile.

“Let’s not talk about killing in front of a kid.”

“Whose fault is that, huh?”

Feeling more foolish for his anger, Yuichiro then suddenly remembered something.

“By the way, what happened to Nikolai?”

The moment he asked, Goat’s expression turned serious.

“Did you kill him?”

“No, he’s still alive.”

Answering candidly, Goat shrugged his shoulders.

“He will atone for his sins until the day he dies.”

With that, Goat smiled peacefully. Whether it was an act of mercy or even more cruel than killing, Yuichiro couldn’t tell. He simply nodded and said, “I see,” bringing the conversation to a close.

On another day, General Kiehland and the company commanders came to meet the baby, bringing gifts. Upon seeing Ichiya, Kiehland fell to his knees, sobbing louder than the baby.

“To see Noah-sama‘s child in my lifetime, AAAAAH!”

His reaction was so exaggerated that he was forcibly ejected from the room by the company commanders within ten minutes.

Even after that, Kiki would sneak in to see the baby every few days.

“Aaaah, so cute〜”

Clasping her cheeks with both hands, Kiki wriggled ecstatically. Apparently, Kiki loved kids. Thanks to Kuku’s restraint, her visits became less frequent, but for Yuichiro, it was a relief to have someone else entertain Ichiya. And each time Kiki visited, the room was filled with more handmade toys and children’s clothing.

While nibbling on the “Passo” that Kiki brought as a souvenir, Yuichiro suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, how are things going with Evelise?”

Kiki blushed while holding Ichiya and answered, “Um… well, for now, we’re starting off as friends…”

Mumbling her reply, Kiki didn’t seem to have made much progress, Yuichiro thought as he winced.

“Well, as long as you’re not disliked, keep up the good work within your limits.”

At his casual words of encouragement, Kiki nodded like a small child. Trying to hide her embarrassment, Kiki opened her lips. 

“By the way, Noah-sama’s coronation ceremony is coming up soon.”

Upon hearing that, Yuichiro clenched his back teeth and made a crunching sound.

Seeing Yuichiro’s reaction, Kiki trembled slightly. “I reminded you of something unpleasant, didn’t I,” she said, looking flustered. “Isn’t it a joyous occasion? The nation is finally getting back on its feet, and it’s time to reveal a rightful king to the people.”

“It would be fine if it were just Noah.”

“Just Noah-sama?”

“What do you mean?” Kiki tilted her head, confused.

Just then, the door bursts open loudly. Kiki turned around in surprise to see three petite women standing there like a trio from a superhero show. They were a familiar sight to Yuichiro these past few days. One of them stepped forward with a grin.

“G-Goddess-sama, how are you today?”

“I was just in the worst mood.”

“Is that so? How wonderful that you’re in high spirits today,” ignoring what he said.

Yuichiro sighed deeply at Eliza standing in front of the door.

“We don’t have much time until the coronation, shall we try on the outfits today?” Following Eliza, Marian spoke with a sly smile.

Next to her, Feela yelled out, “Let’s finally make a decision today!”

Overwhelmed by his three terrifying wives, Yuichiro started to get a headache.

“So like I’ve been saying, any outfit is fine by me…”

“There’s no way an outfit can be ‘fine’ when you’ll be standing next to the king. Rest assured, we’ll pick the best one for you,” said Eliza.

Hearing this, Yuichiro grimaced, feeling not at all reassured.

Only Kiki looked around, bewildered. “Um, what’s going on?”

“We’ve been appointed to choose the outfits for King Noah and Goddess-sama,” Marian answered with a sensual smile. Feela added proudly, “People from the Eastern tribes are skilled at sewing.”

“Huh,” Kiki said, still not fully grasping the situation.

“Ah, this is perfect. Could you also give us your opinion? We’d like to hear from others as well,” said Eliza.

“Me too?”

Ignoring her reluctance, Eliza sat Kiki down in a chair at the corner of the room. Just then, Kiki spotted a shadow peeking timidly through the door.

“Evelise!”

Evelise seems confused but is forcibly pushed into the room by Feela.

“Since you’re here, why don’t you join us?”

Relieved to see Kiki, Evelise finally smiles as she sits down.

“I’m glad you’re here too.”

“So you came to see Ichiya-sama?”

“He really is adorable,” Evelise exclaimed, looking at Ichiya in Kiki’s arms making “fuefue” sounds.

“Hey, Ichiya is my son!” Yuichiro wanted to interject but refrained as he glared at the approaching wives.

“Alright, Goddess-sama. Please come to terms with this,” Eliza said with a plastered smile.

“Frills are the only thing I won’t tolerate,” Yuichiro countered, feeling like Eliza’s eyes sparkled.

“No objections!”

“None at all!”

The next moment, Marian and Feela lunged at him, screaming.  

Yuichiro sprinted down the long corridor, his black cape billowing behind him. The subjects walking down the corridor widened their eyes in surprise as they saw him run by, taking significant strides. Without sparing them even a glance, Yuichiro kept running.  

The sound of footsteps, “dotadota,” pursued him from behind.  

“Goddess-sama!”  

“We won’t let you escape!”  

“There’s no time, we need to settle this now!”  

A chill ran down his spine at the voices echoing from a distance. He increased his speed, determined not to be caught.

After several hours, he had been dressed up like a dress-up doll, subjected to a variety of outfits, and almost stripped down to his underwear. “This is too much,” he had yelled, but to no avail. The moment his pants were forcefully grabbed by the three wives, Yuichiro made his escape.  

As he was leaving the room, he left a message for Kiki, who was fawning over Evelise: “Take care of Ichiya for a bit!” Whether Kiki heard him or not is unclear.

After running for a while, the voices of the three wives finally started to fade. But he couldn’t let his guard down; frighteningly enough, Eliza’s sense of smell was sharper than a dog’s. He had tried to escape from the costume fittings several times before, only to be found by Eliza almost every time. As he continued to run without slowing down, a man appeared in his line of sight, coming out of a room up ahead.  

“Temeraire!”  

Hearing the shout, Temeraire’s eyes widened in surprise.  

“Yuichiro-sama?”  

“Hide me!”  

Without explaining anything, Yuichiro shoved Temeraire into the room. Temeraire looked at him in astonishment.  

“Ah, Yuichiro? What happened?”  

Noah was sitting in front of a desk piled high with documents placed before a large window. Instead of Yuichiro, who was panting heavily, Temeraire answered with a shrug.  

“He said ‘hide me.'”  

“Hide you?”  

Noah tilted his head, but his face immediately brightened and exclaimed joyfully.  

“Yuichiro, that outfit looks really great on you.”

Yuichiro was wearing a military formalwear-like suit with a high collar. The suit had silver embroidery on the seams, giving off a restrained yet classy vibe. A cape was also attached to his shoulders, the hem of which was beautifully embroidered.  

“Ah, thanks.”  

Sniffling, he muttered a rough thank you. Noah looked at him, puzzled, and asked, “Where’s Ichiya?”  

“Left him with Kiki.”  

Answering briefly, he walked over to Noah, circled the desk, and stood beside him. Noah looked up at Yuichiro, wide-eyed.  

“Yuichiro?”  

Ignoring the puzzled voice, Yuichiro ducked under the desk and hid at Noah’s feet. Noah recoiled in surprise.  

“Wh-what are you doing?”  

“Hide me.”  

Repeating the phrase like a broken record, he crouched in a sitting position under the desk. Just then, a soft knock sounded on the door.  

Temeraire responded, and the door opened. The voice that followed was exactly as expected.  

“I apologize for the sudden intrusion. Is the Goddess-sama here?”