Igarashi-san and I returned at a high rate of speed to the room with the Buddhist altar we were in earlier.

　When we arrived, we quickly closed the fusuma and placed our hips on the cushions in their original position.

　I've been here the whole time: .......

　And then, just in the nick of time.

　I'm not going to be able to get the same thing done.

My lord. I am Etsuko's father.

　The man who opened the shoji door was a sharp-eyed, 40-year-old man wearing black buchi glasses.

　I wondered if he was Igarashi-san's father.

　I was a little nervous, as expected.

I'm not going to be able to get to the bottom of it. It's the lord's eigha.

　After completing the greetings, I gave the same kind of explanation I gave to the young wife earlier.

"Anyway, ...... your daughter is going to be a bride because I, the lord, have decided to take her as my daughter-in-law.

Mmm.

So I'm asking you to cancel this engagement immediately.

Mmm-hmm.

　Wrinkles crease between his eyebrows behind his black stubby glasses.

　That's a lot of 'dad pressure'.

　Come to think of it, he said he was going to pay attention to whether my love for Igarashi-san is real or not.

　The truth is, I'm the one pretending to be your fiancé, so you might as well leave as soon as possible before you get ripped off.

You! The appetizer is ready for dinner!

　And then I hear the young wife's voice.

　Just in time. I'll take this as an excuse to take a break.

I'd better go to ......

My wife says so. Please join your son-in-law.

What?

　I mean, isn't that what you call it?

No, ...... and I don't want to barge in on your dinner table, so this is me.

There?　What do you say, sir? If you really intend to marry my daughter, sooner or later you'll already have a family.

Ugh.

　A sharp glint in his eye reflects off his black bruised glasses.

　Oh no, was he suspected: ......?

'Yes, that's true, too. I knew it was going to be a feast.

　I managed to answer that as I squeezed the voice out of my throat.



　I was in the middle of the night.



　Wai Wai ......

　When I visited the dining room table, I found that the Igarashi family was as large as a dumpling.

　The family eldest Isao and his men and women, young and old, were gathered around a large chabudai, and a large rice tub filled with chirashi sushi, wild plants and vegetables pickled in salt, nori, soup, teacups and chopsticks were arranged in a chaotic order.


　Kacha kacha kacha ...... waiwai ...... kya! Ahahaha: ......


　There are many children.

　There are two babies and seven or so small ones whose children we don't know who are whose, some are quiet, others are running around on the tatami mats while eating and are yelled at by their husbands.

　It's a very good idea to be able to have a good time with them.

You know," she said.

　What is it?　Igarashi-san tilted her head and shook her ponytail as if to say, "I'm going to be your wife?

'Onii-chan, are you going to be my wife?'

...... Yeah. Yes.

I love it.

　Ms. Igarashi glared at the baby girl and patted her bobbed head gently.

　Her innumerable black hair spilled from the secretary's long white fingers and fluttered down to her small forehead, and her innocent forehead was full of fresh energy.

　It's a good idea to make sure that you have the right kind of equipment for the job.

'I hope you like it. My son-in-law.

　And there, the young wife.

'Oh?　Oh. That was very nice. Thanks for the meal.

　I'm surprised that even the young lady is going to call her by that name.

The bath is boiling, please go in first. Please go ahead of me.

'Eh. No, as expected, I'm going to go home now: ......

　I was about to leave, but my husband opened his mouth.

'My son-in-law, Muko-sama. When you get married, I'm sure you will be using this bathroom more often. Please get used to it while you still can.

Ha, ha. ......

　When her husband made her shine her black-black glasses like that, she couldn't help but decline.


　Zappan: ......


So, it's not as if I'm just going to stay here to cheat.

......

　After the bath.

　Igarashi-san and I were sitting upright on the zabuton, wearing the yukata that had been prepared for us, and we were face to face with each other.

　In the room with the Buddhist altar, there was a single white futon laid out on the floor.

　There were only two pillows.

　According to the young wife, we have a big family and we don't have enough futons,'' she said.

''I'm sorry, Eiga-sama. ......

Oh, no. No, no, I don't have anything to apologize for. But ...... are you sure you want to do this?

　When I tapped him on the shoulder, Igarashi-san, dressed in a yukata, straightened his back with a jolt.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

''Yes ....... It's my first time, but I'll do my best.

　I wasn't quite sure what she was talking about.

'You know what I'm talking about: ......

?

I mean, do you really want to ruin a real marriage by pretending to be his fiancée?

　Yeah. This is serious.

　At first, I tried to play 'pretend fiancé' with my preconceived notion of a poor ...... marriage decided by my parents, but as I looked at Igarashi's family, it didn't seem to be the case.

　I think "arranged marriages" can be a good thing, as long as you have plenty of family and village contacts and a little faith in the land.

'That's right, ....... Honestly, for me, I want Igarashi-san to be my friend forever.

Dear Aega: ......!

　Close to my face (sweat)

But, you know what? You were even the minister's secretary in the imperial capital at the time ...... and you still wanted to come along.　In that case, you're still in love with Tohun, right?

"ugh. ......

'Then it wouldn't be so bad to try to be a 'wife' in this land, would it?

　After all, I'm a talented [wife].

It's fine.

But you should think better of it: ......

It's okay.

　There was something in his tone of voice as he repeated this, without saying a word.

'It's the best time for me.

Now?

Yes, now is the time to go to ......

　Then I shut up.

　For a moment, I thought, 'I don't know what now is, I don't know,' but after thinking about it for a moment, it's not like I have no idea what it is.

　Yes, indeed.

　I have a feeling that she's not the type of person who can live 'a lifetime firmly embedded in the land and village' like the other lords and ladies.

　To begin with, she's too smart, and on the contrary, it doesn't seem like the breathing and living rhythm of A-Un between the lordsfolk is ingrained in her.

　But that doesn't mean that I don't like Tohun《Tokumo》that's because I like her.

　I like her, but I feel like I can't be a part of it .......

　It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.

''Igarashi-san, that ......

So here's what I'm thinking.

　Igarashi-san continues over my mouth as I open it.

''It's good if the present continues forever. This is the time when I can work hard with Eiga-sama to gradually develop Tohun into a powerful country, all the way to ......

　The sharp-eyed woman slumped slightly and said a prayer.

'I see,'

　Since Igarashi-san, who rarely speaks about herself, had said so much, I knew there was nothing more to say.

　Of course, I'm 28 years old, and it hurts me to know that the days that I thought "it's fine if they go on forever" will end at some point.

　But I thought to myself, "Well, maybe it's not the right time for us to be doing this yet.

Well, let's just go to bed.

　With that, I squirmed under the covers.

　Mr. Igarashi nodded his head and crept into the futon.

　The wood grain on the ceiling disappeared into the darkness as the lamp naturally ran out of oil, and only the moonlight reflected vaguely on the shoji screens turned the woman's beautiful cheeks pale and white.



　◇



　Chunchun......

　The next day.

'Hmmm,'

　I woke up with a pang, thinking that it was kind of hard to breathe .......

It's a very good idea to be able to have a good time.

　Then, Igarashi-san's body was covered tightly on top of me as I lay on my back.

......zzzzzz.

　She was cooing in her sleep.

　The lightly skinned yukata, the woman's unexpectedly heavy breasts munch in time with her sleep. Munchies! And then he crushed it roughly and squeezed his breathing heavily.

'Ugh, Igarashi-san, Omo......'

　I was about to say it was heavy, but then I stopped myself, thinking that was indeed a s*xual harassment remark against a beautiful secretary.

'N-...... n-zzzzzz,'

　I thought for a moment what a sleeper, but well, I'm sleeping on one futon, so maybe it's no use.

'Oh dear,'

　I sighed and gently held her shoulders and tried to lay her next to me so I wouldn't wake her up.

　But then.

　Sue......

My son-in-law. Good morning.

Wow!

　Suddenly the shoji opened and I found my parents peering at me.

　And looking at the position I'm in right now, it's just like a diagram of us making out in the morning while reminiscing about the fun we had last night.

　Not good: ....... I'm pissed!

No, no, no, it's not.

I'm aware of that. Muko-sama.

　Oh, you understand.

It is a fact, isn't it?

No, no, no!

　When they were ranting like this, Igarashi-san said, "Hoyo? I was going to ask for an explanation when I woke up, but when I came back, I found that her parents had already disappeared from the porch.


　After that, the young wife stopped me, saying, "Please take your time today," but I was adamant that I had some business to attend to at the kettle, so I was finally able to go home.

Thank you for your time.

　When I walked out of the gate of the mansion, all the Igarashi family members came out to see me off, and I was scared again.

　In the middle of all this, yesterday's buxom baby girl was standing in the adults' lap.

Bye Bye, Mr. Muuko.

　He waved a little handsome hand at me.

　Let's come back again ♡♡

'My son-in-law. You're welcome to come in whenever you feel like home.

We're like a family now, you know?

　Your parents give you such warm words 《pressure》 from your parents, but ...... it's a bit strange.

　I'm sure he was trying to assess my love for Igarashi-san and weigh it against his matchmaking partner, right?

　Suddenly.

It may be that the conversation between the couple yesterday was staged because they knew we were listening in through the fusuma (sliding door). ......

　The thought of "I'm thinking too much" popped into my mind, but then I reconsidered and went back to the mansion with my secretary.