A Flat-Chest Believer Reincarnated in a World Where Women with Small Breasts Aren't Treated as Women ~ I Ended Up with a Flat-Chested Harem. - Chapter 57

In the morning, I was in Risty’s bedroom. Kneeling before her as she sat on the bed, I placed my hands on her belly.

“Baby, it’s your dad! You’re getting so big and strong!”

As usual, I spoke to her belly. From an outsider’s perspective, it might seem creepy, but I didn’t care. Risty smiled faintly, looking a little embarrassed.

“Are you doing well in there?”

“The baby’s been moving a lot this morning, so I think they’re doing just fine.”

“That’s great to hear. You’re doing so well, baby!”

I pressed my ear to her belly. I could hear the rhythmic sounds of beating and rumbling. It was mostly the sounds of Risty’s heart, muscles, and other internal organs, but somewhere in there, the baby’s sounds must be mixed in. Even if I did hear them, I wouldn’t know, but I still listened intently.

Risty’s belly had grown considerably. The birth wasn’t far off now.

Without an ultrasound, we had no way of knowing if it was a boy or a girl. I didn’t have a preference, but Risty hoped for a boy since she worried about the challenges a girl might face, like her own concerns about her chest. Personally, I thought it would be fine—after all, my mother and paternal grandmother were both busty, and Risty’s parents were practically overflowing in that department. Still, I understood her concerns.

It was about time for me to leave.

“Well then, I’m off to work. See you later, Risty, baby.”

I kissed Risty and left the room.

Heading to the garden, I completed my daily “Holy Water” supply before moving to my office-study. Rita was already there. Today, we’d be working on paperwork together. But first…

I approached Rita. Her belly had also grown quite a bit. While not as pronounced as Risty’s, her figure clearly showed she was pregnant. Kneeling, I gently stroked Rita’s belly.

“Baby, your big brother or sister is growing well. You grow nice and strong too, okay?”

I spoke to her belly as well, lightly rubbing my cheek against it. Rita looked slightly troubled.

“Lord Folca, please don’t do this in front of others.”

“I know, I know. Don’t worry.”

I was, at the very least, rational enough to respect her wishes.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Stepping away from Rita, I called out, “Come in.”

The door opened, and Selena and Lasha entered.

“Good morning, Lord Folca. Morning, Rita.”

“Good morning, Selena, Lasha.”

“Good morning, Lady Selena, Lady Lasha.”

The office-study now had additional desks. Since Selena and Lasha had offered to help with administrative work, I had arranged desks for them.

“Well, I’ll explain things as we go along.”

Teaching someone how to work is always a challenge. As I thought about how to proceed, I searched through distant memories of my past life as a salaryman. How had I handled training during on-the-job training (OJT) sessions back then?

Unfortunately, my memories were hazy. All I could recall was advising against chugging drinks at company parties as if it were college, and yelling at someone for misusing the merge function in spreadsheet software. Really, “Iwase Toru” wasn’t particularly helpful.

Well, the situations were too different to serve as a reference.

I began explaining the state of the Gustique territory and the various ongoing projects to Selena and Lasha.

The two listened attentively, nodding here and there.

With four people in the room, it felt like some kind of “team.” I, Folca Gustique, was the team leader. Since my “team” consisted of two wives and one concubine, at least there were no worries about inappropriate workplace behavior.

While mulling over such trivial thoughts, I explained the budget documents to the two of them. Among the entries was a line for “The Lab.”

“The Lab… This is the place where all kinds of research are conducted, right?”

I had already given them a general overview of The Lab.

“That’s right. This afternoon, one of our retainers, Kudell, will be giving you a tour, so make sure to go see it.”

Some of The Lab’s staff seemed very curious about grandmaster-level Wind magic users. Hopefully, they wouldn’t do anything inappropriate… I should probably apologize in advance.

“Oh, Selena, Lasha. The Lab values curiosity and intelligence, so some of its members have been recruited from commoners. Their manners might not always be the best. If anything bothers you, let me know, and I’ll address it.”

“Understood. That’s fine.”

Oh, and one more thing.

“Also, there’s a prisoner in the underground cells missing both arms. He’s used for human experiments, so don’t be too shocked.”

He was a bandit captured in Count Rendolf’s territory. After interrogations, I’d requested him to be delivered to us, and he had arrived safely.

His arms, which I had shattered, had rotted away, and the number of prisoners had dwindled to four after rigorous “interrogation,” but Kudell had been delighted. A makeshift underground cell had been hastily constructed to house them.

“‘Human experiments’…?”

The two seemed a bit taken aback.

After lunch, I continued working in the office. With Selena and Lasha off visiting The Lab, it was just Rita and me.

“Rita, make sure to rest if you get tired. If you push yourself too hard, Mother will scold you again.”

I spoke up as Rita quietly worked through calculations.

Rita, ever diligent, had continued working at her usual pace even after her belly had grown, despite my repeated reminders to take it easy. Eventually, my mother had scolded her, saying, “You must remember that the child you’re carrying is a Gustique heir.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Rita smiled slightly as she responded.

It was rare for Mother to reprimand a retainer, let alone raise her voice in a crowded place. Given that Rita’s father was a common merchant, she was often looked down upon by other retainers. Mother’s rebuke had likely served as a reminder that Rita’s child would be formally recognized as a Gustique heir, silencing any objections.

“Don’t lift anything heavy, and keep your work within manageable limits.”

After emphasizing this once more, I turned my attention back to the reports.

Armor production was progressing smoothly. Within a few months, we’d have enough to lend to other houses in times of war.

The security measures in Kolibe, which had been stretched thin due to personnel relocation, had also been addressed. New guards had been hired, selected more for their trustworthiness than their abilities to prevent spies from infiltrating. Rather than a broad recruitment, we had handpicked candidates, primarily third sons of long-standing farming families within the Gustique territory. While the pay was modest, it was an attractive option for those with limited means of self-sufficiency.

For now, everything appeared to be on track.

Later, I spent some time on magic combat training, which I had been neglecting recently, before enjoying a relaxed evening meal. Thus ended another peaceful day.

Late at night, as expected, Selena came to my room. Despite her resemblance to Lasha—aside from her longer hair—her responses during the night differed, as she was, of course, a separate individual.

Selena seemed to enjoy kissing. The previous time, we had kissed for nearly twenty minutes. When the kiss finally ended, she looked dazed but satisfied, her eyes dreamy and content. It was incredibly cute.

“Lord Folca, I’m here.”

Selena walked over, climbed onto my lap as I sat on the bed, and wrapped her arms around my neck, smiling as she initiated a kiss.

She’s so adorable.