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「I'm Having a Baby」So My Husband Told Me

The Trick to Cooking is Purification at the End

Translated by: S3

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

My beloved husband and nephew.

The residents of Zacardia Village, especially the young children.

I can no longer choose between them. Once I became involved, selection became impossible for me.

I don't know if Nonnalie read my personality and acted accordingly, but if she did, then I have completely fallen for her strategy. ...But even so, I can't leave this village just to spite her intentions.

The person who succeeded in keeping me in this village with such a brilliant strategy—what is Nonnalie doing now?

「The apron suits you very well.」

「A beauty looks good in anything she wears.」

The person gathering her beautiful silver hair and ladling soup into bowls while wearing an apron is Nonnalie herself, one of the communal meal workers. That line, which would normally elicit a wry smile, actually makes you nod in agreement when a truly beautiful person says it—that's how incredible she is.

(I wonder why Lord Cloud broke up with such a beauty.)

「By the way, Cloud doesn't care about appearances. That's why he chose you.」

「Huh.」

I made a weird sound. Before being scared that she read my mind, I felt like she just said something insulting.

「I know I'm not a beauty. So the apron doesn't suit me.」

「That's right. You just need to do what you are supposed to do.」

Was that 'That's right' agreeing that I'm not a beauty or that the apron doesn't suit me?! ...I'd be annoyed by either one! It's frustrating that I can't talk back because she's a beauty!

「W-well, if I just wait five more years...!」

「Then what?」

「I'll develop some adult allure...」

「You think so?」

「...I don't think so.」

「Which is it?」

Hey, my sleeping feminine charm, is it coming out or not, which is it!?

...Putting that aside.

「Um, Ms. Nonnalie.」

「What is it?」

「Is it okay for me to move around freely like this?」

I spread my hands as I said, 「like this.」 There is no one around me monitoring me, nor is there a gatekeeper saying, 「You can't leave the village!」 All that's here are children who have strangely become attached to me.

I actually go out of the village and look around, all by myself, without anyone accompanying me. I know it's strange to say this as a captive (?), but is such freedom okay? I could run away at any time.

「You won't run away and abandon these kids.」

「...」

She knows after all. She sees right through my personality. I know I'm too kind-hearted, and I know I'm foolish.

I know where I am. Going back to my house... it would take a lot of time and money because of the distance, but it's not impossible. If a person is determined enough, they can manage anything. I could go back to Lord Cloud and the others first, then come back to this village later. Then I could deal with various things.

I know all that.

But, a small hand gripped mine as I pondered. Looking up, I saw pure, innocent, beautiful eyes that completely trusted me.

If I were to leave the children who have finally regained their smiles, even for a moment, they would surely be deeply hurt. Even if I returned later... the lost trust would never be restored.

It's not about logic.

(I shouldn't leave this village now.)

It is intuition. My unreliable, yet undeniable intuition. That's why I am free, yet unable to leave the village and escape.

What should I do—just as I was thinking that, I looked at the large pot of soup that had been prepared.

「Ah.」

I noticed something.

「Ms. Nonnalie, what's in this soup?」

「Dried meat and vegetables.」

「Where did you get the ingredients?」

「The town closest to the village, though it's quite far.」

「Do you know where that shop sources its meat?」

「Hmm, I haven't asked. What is it, exactly?」

Nonnalie looked suspicious at my barrage of questions. Ignoring Nonnalie, who stopped her hand just as she was about to pour the soup into a bowl, I stared intently at the pot. Then I nodded once.

「I sense defilement from this meat.」

「Defilement?」

「Something like feelings of resentment and bitterness. It's probably the meat of a beast that died in agony... in any case, it's meat from an animal that died a sorrowful death.」

「Eh.」

At my words, Nonnalie frowned, obviously finding that unpleasant. The children were perplexed, not understanding the situation.

However, it would be a waste to discard the food that was prepared. Even with resentment and bitterness, if the meat, having been cooked like this, isn't eaten, it won't find peace, and its resentment will only grow stronger.

「Please wait, I will purify it.」

Saying that, I held my hand over the large pot and concentrated. Immediately, light shone from my hand, and the pot was enveloped in light.

'Oh...' someone murmured, whether it was a child or an adult. Well, it doesn't matter who, as long as no one interferes.

After a moment, the light disappeared. When I said, 「It's alright now,」 Nonnalie looked into the pot skeptically and cautiously tasted the soup she had poured into a bowl. I didn't put any poison in there.

Immediately, Nonnalie looked up, her expression brighter than expected.

「What is this? I didn't add any seasoning, but it tastes incredibly delicious!?」

「Because I purified it.」

When I smiled brightly, Nonnalie's eyes widened a little. That made me happy somehow. Soon after, the meal was served, and the large quantity quickly disappeared.

As I watched this with satisfaction, I suddenly realized something.