Hokuou Kizoku to Moukinzuma no Yukiguni Karigurashi

Additional 78 — The Splendid Snow Fairy’s Exploit!?

Additional Chapter 78: The Splendid Snow Fairy’s Exploit!?

Author:

This is a requested work.

The time period is after Arno’s birth and before the couple return home.

Recently, Sieg’s eighth brother looked depressed.

“Welcome back.”

“Ah, yes. I have, returned now.”

The brother-in-law’s name is Ewald von Wattin. He’s single and is a soldier.

Recently, his place of duty was moved to his homeland Thüringen, so he had returned to the mansion, but for the past few days he looked enervated.

Even when father-in-law asked, he only said, “There’s nothing wrong,” and did not reveal why he was depressed.

I was pondering what I should do, but I could not get any good ideas.

“If you leave him alone, he will recover.”

“U~n, really~?”

Sieg replied as she was breastfeeding Arno.

“Ritz”

“What is it?”

“Don’t needlessly bother yourself with brother.”

“Eh, okay?”

When I approached Sieg for the whole story, I noticed that Arno who was having milk had stopped moving his lips. So I cradled him and gently patted his back. I then heard a “kefu~” sound, a satisfied sigh.

Now that he was full, Arno looked drowsy, so when I sang an adequate lullaby while rocking him he fell asleep in minutes. He really is a baby that is not bothersome.

I put Arno, who was sleeping peacefully, into a cradle and put a blanket over him. His soft sleeping face was so good that I thought that I would not tire from watching it.

“By the way, are your breasts alright?”

I remembered father-in-law saying that when women breastfeed after birth their breasts may hurt and milk might not come out, so I asked her.

“Doesn’t seem like a problem now.”

“I see.”

A while ago, I learned how to massage the breasts if the milk would not come out well from a passing midwife.

“Well, that’s how it is, so please tell me if there are any problems.”

“No, I can do that by myself, so won’t you tell me the method?”

“Eh!?”

“I don’t really think that Ritz needs to do that.”

No no, no way!!

To make a wife be alone when she is in pain, that’s something the worst brute would do. Spouses should share their feelings in pain or in joy.

I had listened to the method of massaging breasts for lactation with great resolve.

It was three hour lecture. The part on the method took only ten minutes, and for the rest I endured having to humour the ladies in their gossips, to learn the method.

“I definitely do not have any ulterior motives in massaging your breasts!”

“……”

“I am doing everything out of consideration for Arno and Sieglinde.”

“……”

It was scary getting glared at, so I promptly explained the method.

“Ah, come to think of it, we digressed from the topic of your brother.”

“Yes we did.”

It seemed like Sieg was not amused since I was worrying about brother-in-law too much.

“Ritz is too much of a philanthropist.”

“No, Arno and Sieg are the most important in the world.”

“I wonder about that.”

There is a reason I am this worried for Sieg’s eighth brother.

“That brother-in-law has the face closest to Sieg’s, that when he makes a sad expression it bothers me.”

“So that’s what it was.”

When I first met him, I was very surprised. Other than him being the smallest in size among the brothers, brother-in-law was the spitting image of Sieg.

“For some reason, it feels as though Sieg is depressed~ or so I felt.”

However, my brother-in-law did not tell us the reason for his depression.

“Then, we will hear the details by getting him drunk.”

“Ohh!”

Like so, the plan to gather information by getting brother-in-law drunk was conceived.

???

Few days later.

Before his vacation ended, we invited brother-in-law and father-in-law for a drinking party.

“Ah, sorry about this. Gathering together for me.”

Brother-in-law spoke softly and politelyy, betraying his raptor-like appearance.

Sieg continuously filled brother-in-law’s glass with drinks of high alcohol content, urging him to drink more and more.

Even though they were siblings, their alcohol resistance did not seem to be the same. Brother-in-law’s face reddened within minutes, and he became very talkative.

Father-in-law took that as an opportunity to ask.

“So Ewald, will you not tell us why you are so depressed recently? All the family are worried for you.”

At father-in-law’s words, brother-in-law hesitated, but a moment later he opened his tightly sealed lips.

“To be frank, a woman is courting me persistently……”

He said that he was in a pickle because she forced her favour on him every day when he is hectic trying to keep up with his new post. Also, since he thought that his family would say, “Marry away!” he did not tell us.

“Ewald, do you not like that woman?”

“It is not a question of like or dislike. I want to focus on work now.”

I see.

That really is a difficult problem, I thought.

“Brother-in-law, so what you want is time, isn’t it?”

“I suppose. Maybe for half a year.”

While listening to his story, I thought that I was a lucky person for being able to marry when I proposed without reading the mood because I fell in love with her at first sight.

Sieglinde, my goddess.

I vowed in my head to continue my deep devotion towards her.

I glanced at Sieg. She was staring worriedly at brother-in-law, and I could also see that she really wanted to solve his problem.

“Hmm. It would be nice if there would be a method to stop that lady.”

Father-in-law also shut his mouth with a troubled expression.

It seems that problems between men and women are deep. It probably is dangerous to rashly reach out.

“How about introducing someone as a lover?”

“!”

Immediately, the sharp gazes of the people of House Wattin pierced me.

It was a little intimidating, but I leaned in and explained my idea in detail.

“For example, have someone act as a lover, and ask that lady to say, “He is my lover.” Since it’s not a fiancée, wouldn’t it be more acceptable if he becomes available again in half a year?”

Was it too much of an easygoing way of thinking? While trembling slightly from them narrowing their eyes, I waited for their response.

“Ritzhard-kun, that is a brilliant idea!”

“Eh?”

“That method won’t worsen the relations either.”

“Really?”

“Thank you, Ritzhard-san!”

“No no.”

I was surprised at the unexpected praise.

“Th-Then, someone should ask a lady they know.”

But when I said that, the three of them fell silent.

It seems that there weren’t any women fit for that role.

“Seems like it will be impossible.”

“Brother, I’m sorry.”

“Ewald, I think you should give up and accept her courting.”

The mood grew gloomy again, that brother-in-law’s glass was quickly emptied again.

We should end the party soon, lest brother-in-law be in pain tomorrow.

“Erm~, everyone, I think we should end soon.”

Sieg looked over here and made a startled expression. I couldn’t read her intentions, so I tilted my head.

“—No, wait. We have Ritz.”

“Nn?”

“We can do something to Ritz and introduce him to that woman.”

Yet again, the sharp raptor-like gazes fell on me.

The three of them were narrowing their eyes at me.

Someone muttered, “It’s possible.”

I didn’t get what that meant, so I asked for elaboration.

“Erm, Sieg-san, what do you mean by that.”

“Ritz, won’t you dress up as a woman and pretend to be his lover?”

“Eh!?”

“Ritzhard-kun! You are our only hope now!”

“Eh, oh, erm……”

“I apologise. I do think that it will be humiliating to dress up as a woman, but I beg you!”

“That can’t be.”

……So, ultimately, I have to crossdress and pretend to be brother-in-law’s lover?

“No no no, I don’t think I pass as a woman by crossdressing! My arm’s got thicker recently, and so have my shoulders.”

“It’s not that different from Sieg’s, right!?”

“……”

Eh, no way, that’s not how it is at all, or so I wanted to say, but I did not have the courage to compare myself to Sieg that I just smiled shallowly.

“H-However, won’t dresses for women not fit me.”

“No, we expected Sieg to return as a heavy warrior, so we had prepared a slightly large dress. It will fit Ritzhard-kun perfectly now.”

“Ah, i-is that, so.”

“The body silhouette can be hid using a shawl.”

“Haha, what are you saying~”

“Tomorrow, I will ask mother about it!”

“Are you serious!?”

Like so, the solution to brother-in-law’s problem was heading in a strange direction.

I don’t care what happens now~ I thought and gave up, deciding to go to sleep.

The next day.

Presenting myself like livestock, I was surrounded by women around the age of my mother.

“W-What a pretty hair colour!”

“The skin is clear white as well!”

“It’s like the fairy in the picture book!”

I was forced to put on body modifying undergarments, my buttocks were squeezed tightly that I became teary-eyed, and I had enough powder to choke on applied to me. I was a total wreck.

The dress prepared for Sieg surprisingly fit my body perfectly. The dress with a high collar had a dark green shade, and there were many fabrics around the chest. Apparently, the setting is that I have big breasts.

The hair I usually braid was also curled up at the back of my head and fixed with a decoration.

“How about going with the setting of a foreign princess!”

“A summer romance borne from half a year’s stay, how about that!”

“By the way, don’t speak a word. Even if you look like a fairy, your voice is still that of a man’s.”

“Ah, yes.”

Many background settings were being added arbitrarily. I couldn’t remember them all, so I just gave up on that.

“What about the name?”

“Richelle will do.”

I borrowed my mother’s name noncommittally and went out with brother-in-law.

The woman that was scheduled to be met was astonishingly beautiful. But, she had an endlessly strong personality.

However, when she heard that I am a foreign princess she pulled back refreshingly.

“I’m glad it went well.”

“Yes, it’s all thanks to Ritzhard-san.”

Brother-in-law happily headed to his night work. As for myself, I walked over to where the carriage of House Wattin was waiting for me.

Then a problem happened.

“Hey, lady, where are you from? Your face is not one that’s seen around these parts.”

“What a pretty girl. What’s your name?”

For the first time in my life, men were courting me.

Makeup is indeed amazing, I thought once again.

I thought of saying, “I’m a man!” in a low voice, but then the woman who was courting brother-in-law was still close by so I couldn’t raise my voice.

So, when I was mulling over what I should do, someone grabbed me from behind.

When I turned around while wondering who it was, I saw the appearance of Sieglinde in men’s clothes.

“——Eh!?”

“Unfortunately, she has an appointment with me.”

She said that and pulled me into the carriage.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. I was just surprised, in many ways.”

Once I was brought into the carriage, I could finally take a breather.

“Sieg, why are you dressed like that?”

“Well, I thought that I shouldn’t be the only one to suffer an embarrassing appearance.”

Apparently she borrowed brother-in-law’s clothes. From seeing her dashing figure in men’s clothes after a long time, I was captivated.

“Sorry about today.”

“Well, brother-in-law’s mood improved,”

And I could see Sieg in men’s clothes, so all is well, I thought.

“As I thought, you look well in such clothes, Sieg.”

“Ritz, that fits you well too.”

“You’re teasing me again~”

To be told that I look good in women’s clothes, I felt a strange sensation.

While chatting and joking, we returned home.

In the end, Arno laughed at seeing me crossdressing, so all is well.

Like so, the incident surrounding brother-in-law was resolved.