World of Women - World of Women - V3 - Chapter 26
The day finally arrived. Iād be returning to Amaryllis.
Although Amaryllis was a country, it was a small country with only one major
city, also called Amaryllis. That was to say Iād be returning to the city of my
roots. Iād finally be coming home after nearly four months in this new country.
Of course, I didnāt have my old body. I was still trusting the unreliable
Lilith to bring me back to life.
Of course, I was interested in Amaryllisās place in the
world, so I asked around. The country was part of a conglomerate of smaller
countries, not too different from the European Union. It spoke the same
language everywhere else did. Except for a few exceptions like the demon lord
tongue, this entire world had been adapted to a single language called common
tongue. Amaryllis also didnāt have their own currency but shared it with the alliance.
Other than that, there wasnāt much to say about Amaryllis. I
had heard some talk about the flying islands of Amaryllis as if they were a
world wonder. I supposed every country had their quirks, especially when it was
a world with magic where wonders were actually real things someone could
create. I was interested in learning more about this world. I might even listen
in on more of Aunt Roseās stories about her travels. If it came to me wanting
to travel the world, I think I was done with that.
I still was hoping that I could find some way to remain in
Amaryllis, and not have to return here as the prince. Spending the rest of my time
stuck in this body resting in my mansion sounded far preferable to having to
deal with more drama and politics involving this country.
When it was time to leave, my mother escorted me herself. I still hadnāt earned enough trust to be taken anywhere without guards watching me like a hawk. That probably wouldnāt change once we left the country. Iād need to keep my eyes open for the opportunity. We exited the palace and got into a limousine style hovercar. I was traveling separately from the remainder of the harem, my mother being the exception.
The location we were heading was the docks. This was the legitimate water dock too, not some kind of airdock. Airships seemed to come in all shapes and sizes, and some of them docked in the water, while others remained airborne indefinitely, not unlike the floating islands of Amaryllis. Different airships required different types of docks. As to why this ship was a water-bound type and why the one I arrived from departed from an airport is anyoneās guess.
I didnāt bring any luggage, as this was all done for me. Iāve
steadily become used to having these kinds of details handled by maids. My only
responsibility was to make babies. It took me a long time to finally accept my
reality, but this was it. However, I looked at it, my responsibility to this
world started and ended with making babies.
The last four months after losing so much on the day of Wrath had caused me to change my perspective on many things. Ā In particular, I realized that it was a bit childish to keep fighting things and wanting to somehow alter my fate. Perhaps I had read too many Isekai, another thought I was some savior. Even though that might actually be true, at the end of it all, it was still basically just sex that I was needed for. After everything, thatās the truth that Lilith had exposed to me.
Maybe, Iād help in the field of magic engineering, biology,
or something in between, but as long as I made babies, my worth to society was
solid. This almost felt like it had to be part of some gods plan, especially
considering that both this body and the body of the man from another world were
both incapable of having children. Meanwhile, for me, making babies seemed to
be about the only thing I was good at.
āMother, letās get a drink, shall we?ā I offered as we
headed up the platform.
Before I reached the top of the ramp, I noticed that the car containing my girls had also arrived. There were also the cars with my grandfather, the other council member, the guards, maids, and other staff. Overall, there were at least a hundred people coming on this trip. Suffice it to say, this was not a commercial craft. Maybe that was why it was a water-dwelling ship? Ahā¦ who knew. The point was that it was rented out and exclusive to our group.
āThese navy ships donāt have a proper turndown service or
bar.ā Mother responded bitterly. āIām afraid weāll be going dry on this journey.ā
āNavy?ā I looked to the side and realized that the ship did
have guns on it.
So, it really was different from the ship I arrived in. The
council members were considered too valuable to travel in public transportation
where they could be attacked and kidnapped by pirates. The guns on this thing
looked deadly enough that had I left Amaryllis in it I never would have ended
up in this country in the first place. In fact, now that I noticed, most of the
sailors who seemed to be getting it ready had a military air about it.
āI know a military ship isnāt the best place for you to
blossom romance, my dear, but please do your best.ā Mother shot me a gorgeous
smile.
That was true too. I still had a few women who needed to become
pregnant. I hadnāt announced any of the pregnancies so far to my grandfather.
Doing so would have run the risk of getting in the way of Terahās plan. If he
told me to only bring the unpregnant women, then she would have been left
behind. Rather, weāll announce the news once we reach Amaryllis. That will also
serve to help make the old man put his guard down.
I shivered as I had those kinds of thoughts. I was no assassin or killer. I wasnāt even sure if his death was called for. However, I wasnāt the real Caleb, and I didnāt have any passionate feelings for this country. As for any karma I had developed by using Caleb, I felt I had already filled it just with impregnating so many of the women in his name. If he didnāt have an heir, one of his daughters could have a chance. I heard in extreme situations the noble life can be preserved in this manner.
While I thought of such things, a man dressed in a uniform showed us to our rooms. A military ship similarly didnāt have any quarters to transport the likes of a Queen or a Prince. No, actually, these rooms were sufficiently large, but my life as a Prince was starting to warp my sense of propriety. The room given to me fit an entire King size mattress, although only just. Some of the rooms on the way, including the rooms my harem would be getting, were half the size and had four beds in them. Complaining about this kind of arrangement would only make me seem petulant.
My mother didnāt have such reservations and noisily complained
that the accommodations werenāt better until I asked her to stop. I had only
settled down for a bit when the ship started to stutter into motion. It looked
like we were departing. Curiously, I headed up to the deck. I wasnāt the only
one. I saw about half of my girls there, including Bernice, Lyra, Kemala, and
Veronika. The two youngest were making noises of excitement.
āYou ladies have never left Matahari, have you?ā
Kemala shook her head, but Veronika only smiled and winked
at me. I took her answer to mean the same.
āI wonder how far this ship will sail the water before we launch.ā I wondered out loud.
āNot long,ā Lyra answered. āThey just like to clear any
other boats before they take off.ā
āis that soā¦ā I answered idly. āThen I suppose itās worth
staying out for. Do you girls have coats on? Itāll get chilly once we start
rising.ā
āB-brotherā¦ā Kemala said defensively, clearly without any
protection.
āDaddyā¦ā Veronika smiled smoothly. āWhen it gets cold, I
will make sure to go and put on aā¦ā
āBy the time you feel the cold, itāll be too late. The fact
youāre pregnant makes it doubly important. Go, you two!ā I ordered.
The two girls grudgingly left, but they did go. I noticed
Lyra looking at me with a half-smile.
āWhat is it?ā
She shrugged. āYou seem really good with kids. Iād never
seen Clyā¦ I meanā¦ Iād never seen you with kids. I didnāt expect that to be a
thing men could do.ā
I smiled haphazardly. āWell, I was raised in another world.ā
She looked at me for a moment. āSoā¦ youāre trying to insist
that even that part is true? Clyburn comes from another world where men are
common?ā
I nodded. āIn my world, a girl like you would never look at
a guy like me twice.ā
Those words caused her eyes to widen. āWh-what? Really?ā
I chuckled. āWell, youāre exceptionally beautiful. As Caleb
or Clyburn, Iām not ugly, but I was never particularly smooth either. In my old
world, men had to chase after women, and men like me never got them.ā
āYou struggled to find a woman?ā Lyraās words held complete
disbelief.
āYup,ā I shrugged. āWomen could afford to be very choosy,
and beautiful women only picked the richest and most successful guys. I was alright.
It wasnāt as bad as all that. I meanā¦ I did get married.ā
āWhat happened?ā
My lips twitched and I looked down. āShe cheated on me.ā
As we spoke, the airship components were extended, and while
the speed increased, the ship finally began to raise up into the sky. I clung to
the rail, Lyra standing right next to me as we looked out over the crystalline
water of the river while it pulled away, our ship heading steadily up into the
clouds.
The two girls ran out of their spots, but seeing as we were
already on the rise, they made groaning noises that they missed it. Veronika
stuck her tongue out at me and then ran away. Kemala frowned, but after giving
me an apologetic look she took off after the other girl.
āThat one is vulgarā¦ā Lyra frowned.
That was right, in this world, tongue meant equivalent to
fuck you. Well, when the tongue was made at a guy, it had a humorous edge to
it, so I didnāt take offense.
āYou have no ideaā¦ā I chuckled, but when she shot me an
unamused look, I realized it was probably a bad idea to brag about my sexual
conquests with a 13-year-old to my older girlfriend.
We continued to stand at the balcony as the altitude
increased. It really did drop about ten degrees as we reached cloud height.
Whatever enchantment that protected us from pressure, wind and lack of oxygen didnāt
seem to be able to regulate the temperature properly. That was why I had sent
the younger girls to get coats. However, Lyra wasnāt wearing anything to
protect herself either. She suddenly held her elbows and let out a shivering breath.
I glanced over at her.
āYouāre not going to order me to go fetch a sweater too, are
you?ā She asked, rolling her eyes.
āActually, I thought I could take a more hands-on approach
to keep you warm. ā I chuckled, opening up my robes and then wrapping them
around her body, effectively pulling her against my body.
āAh!ā Lyra made a noise of surprise as I embraced her, but as she felt the warmth shared between us, she pressed back and allowed her body to press against mine.
After a few moments of watching the clouds rapidly approach,
she leaned back and glanced at me breathlessly. āAre you sure you werenāt
smooth in your old life. You seem pretty smooth to me.ā
I let out a laugh, squeezing her soft warm body against my
own. āWell, you pick up a few things after a few lifetimes, right?ā
She didnāt respond, instead, leaning back and relaxing as I
held her. Even as the temperature finished dropping, I didnāt feel cold as long
as I was pressed against her.
āSomething is going to happen in Amaryllis, isnāt it?ā She
asked.
My grip tightened for a second, āAhā¦ why would you say that?ā
She shook her head. āYou donāt need to worry, itās just a
feeling, but you just gave me the answer.ā
āSorryā¦ it seems like Iām always finding myself in trouble.ā
I admitted. āMy only hope is that youāre safe in the mansion by the time things
go down.ā
As I spoke, my hand unconsciously went to her stomach and I
stroked it. Her hand went down the inside of the robe and found my hand,
holding it against her stomach.
āIs itā¦ dangerous?ā
āWould you believe me if I said it wasnāt?ā I asked
hopefully.
āCly-ā
āI donāt want you to be there. This isnāt like Wrath. This is
just something I have to see to the end. I borrowed this body. I just need to
see it to the end.ā
āI canāt lose you again,ā Lyra said, turning around in my
arms. āI canāt even imagine how the rest of your family is holding up, but when
I heard your ship went down and your body was lost, all of my hope in this
world died. I still donāt know if the reason I believe your him is because I
genuinely do, or because I want it to be true so bad that I wonāt question it.ā
āLyraā¦ I am meā¦ā I said, touching her cheek. āAnd Iām coming
home.ā
āIn one pieceā¦ā
āAt least one pieceā¦ā
āCly-ā
āYesā¦ā I leaned my forehead against hers. ā I knowā¦ I willā¦
be careful. Believe me, I want to run away too.ā
āThenā¦ why donāt you? The second the ship lands, canāt we
both just run straight to your mansion. We can hide out there until this whole
thing with your body is worked out.ā
āI canātā¦ā
āWhy not? What isā¦ā Her eyes looked over to see Kemala
running by giggling.
I looked in the same direction and sighed. āI owe them
something. An heir? Change? Safety? I wish I knew what I owed them, but I have
to finish things here. As for you, I want you to go back home with Brooke. The
least you can do is let the girls know Iām alright. With that, Iāll feel a bit
more at peace.ā
āNow youāre making it sound like it is a matter of life or
death,ā Lyra said.
āIt isā¦ā
I met her eyes, and the seriousness in them caused the humor
to leave her expression.
āOhā¦ā
We remained standing on the deck until night came and the light began to fade completely. We finally separated and I returned back into my room. I had gotten my dinner, something plain and militaristic rather than the posh meals I was used to. I wondered if this was part of grandfatherās attempt to train me into being a man or something. Just as I dug into my dry and tasteless meal, there was a knock on my door.
I went to open the door, and standing there was the little
girl in the cat mask.
āWhat is it you want?ā I asked, raising an eyebrow.
I hadnāt asked Lyra yet, but I wanted her to take this girl as
well when we landed. If I could just protect those three, Iād consider this all
worth it.
āAhā¦ I wanted to chat with mister earlier but you were too
busy feeling up the big-breasted onee-chan.ā
āIs that so?ā I asked wryly.
I wondered a bit what Lyra would think of being called the big-breasted onee-chan.
The little catgirl nodded. āI wanted to thank you, mister, for
taking me back to Amaryllis. Is there really a family where I can have a home?ā
I nodded and smiled. āYes. I know a place where you can be
safe. Maybe, itāll be a place where youāre comfortable taking off that mask.ā
The girl suddenly grabbed her mask and gasped, backing away
like she thought Iād take it. I didnāt move. Instead, I just watched her and kept
the smile on my face. I didnāt want to scare her away or cause her any
distress. I hoped she could live in my home for a while. I suspected she had
burns all over her face, which was why she wore the mask. I could already see
burns on her hands. The rest of her body she left carefully hidden. In this
world where men were rare, any kind of imperfection could be considered a death
sentence when it came to a womanās future potential. I refused to let her
continue on without anything. When she came of age, Iād provide seed myself.
āMisterā¦ why are you intent on undressing me?ā She asked
innocently.
āGehā¦ what was that?ā
āYou want me to take my mask offā¦ isnāt that like shedding my
inhibitions?ā She asked. āNext, youāll say āheheā¦ while removing you maskā¦ next,
you can remove your clothing!āā
āI donāt want you to remove your clothing.ā I sighed.
āAhā¦ soā¦ you want to do it with my clothing onā¦ I seeā¦ I donāt
know quite how, but Iām sure big brother will be a good teacher.ā
āHow can you say such things?ā I finally had enough of her
games. āI thought you already married. How casually do you want to flirt with
other men!ā
It was a bit petty of me, but invoking the man she lost, even if that man was me, perhaps sheād start to show a little restraint.
āEh?ā the girl scratched her ear. āBut arenāt you the man Iām
married to?ā
āHuh?ā What do you mean, Iām a prince, remember?ā
She nodded. āAnd Iām a kitty. We both wear masks some times.
I didnāt notice at first, but the more Iām with you, the more Iām certain youāre
him.ā
āTh-thatās impossible!ā I said, so flustered I fell back on
my bed, missed, and my butt landed on the floor.
The girl walked over to me and leaned closer. āItās okay, my
husband, Iād recognize you anywhere. Iāll keep your secrets. Itās because Iām
best girl! Not like big-boobs!ā
She pulled up her mask, and there was Charlie. There wasnāt
a single burn on her face.
āYour faceā¦ a-arenāt you the burned girl?ā I said, my mouth
completely dry.
āMm!ā She nodded. āThey made me work in the kitchens and I kept
getting burned on the ovens so they started calling me burned girl!ā
āWaitā¦ wh-why were you wearing the mask?ā
āEh? Cause itās cute! Why else would I wear a mask?ā Charlie
wore a questioning look.
I raised my hands and then shrugged. I had no way to answer
that.
āHubby, youāre kind of dumb sometimes, huh? Iāll need to fix
that before we have babiesā¦ otherwise, the babies will be stupid.ā
āIām not even going to explain everything wrong with that sentenceā¦ā
I had a headache growing, and somehow I had a feeling it was
going to last the entire journey.