Chapter 1 - Reincarnation as a Father

Reincarnation as a Father

I don’t recognize the ceiling above me. Oh… Just why does my head hurt so much? Did I wake up too fast…? As my eyes fluttered open, my vision was blurred with streaks of unfamiliar silver.
As it came into focus, that beautiful and shimmering coin like silver in my view became more and more vivid… and I saw that it was the colour of the hair belonging to the woman who anxiously looked down at me.
“Are you feeling better, my Lord?”
When I slowly raised my body instead of immediately replying, she supported my shoulder as I pulled myself up. Then, I saw a mirror in front of me… And my breath caught in my throat.
What was reflected in that mirror was a man in his middle ages, his face cold and sharp… He looked something like what I imagined a dandy would be, but no matter how undeniably handsome the man in the mirror was, it wasn’t a face I had ever seen before.
But, as that headache continued to burn through my temples, the memories came rushing in… My name is Callis Fall. I held the position of the Duke. As for the woman I saw in the reflection beside me, she was my wife as well as the Duchess, Sasha Fall.
Alongside my daughter, Laurier Fall, we’re a family of three… Hm? Laurier?
And just as a memory that didn’t belong to this land of aristocracy and feudalism rose to the forefront of my mind… I remembered too that I do not belong to this world. I knew that I was a working man in Japan… but I couldn’t remember any of the details, not even my name. But, just why was it that in this ridiculous situation, the only thing I can remember was a romantic game for young girls called 『Pure Love Princess ~ You and Lovey Dovey ~』… but why on earth can I even recall something like that in the first place?
“My Lord…?”
“I’m fine… Sasha?”
“Yes, my Lord.”
I called out to the beauty in front of me with some trepidation, but it seems like her name was definitely Sasha.
I need to arrange my thoughts
As the conflicting memories of two lives raged in my skull, a singular thought stayed clear in the distortion… The four words ‘Reincarnated in Another World’ emerged through the storm.
I see, so she really is my wife… but in my memories, she and I never had a close relationship. No, rather, to be more precise it seems that this man called Callis… or rather, I, never had much interest in her in the first place…
“No… I’m sorry. Did I collapse?”
“Yes. You must have been overtired. The doctor said that you had no major injuries, however… I accompanied you just in case but… ah… was I a bother to you…?”
She drew back slightly in apprehension… but, when I saw that fear in her eyes, I reflexively reached out and laid my hand on her head.
“Eh…?”
“Sasha… Thank you very much for watching over me. I truly am glad that you’re my wife.”
“…Eh!? T-that’s not… I… Um…”
Sasha’s face went deeply red as she stammered bashfully… Huh? That’s strange… We do have a child together, so this level of touching shouldn’t be enough to… Ah, I think I understand.
Going from my memories, the relationship between us had always been something cold… so if I did something like this so suddenly, of course, she would be confused.
No, but… honestly, she really is lovely. Despite being over thirty years old and a mother, she still had a youthful sense of beauty that would challenge any woman ten years younger… And, how should I put it, when I saw her blush and look at her hands shyly at that slight skinship… I felt something.
“Sasha…”
“Ah… M-my Lord…?”
As I brought my hand down to rest on her cheek, I could feel her skin react sensitively as her voice bubbled up… Ah, way too lovely!!
I barely managed to contain myself at the sight… but, trying not to startle her anymore, I gently spoke to her, not letting my emotions show on my face.
“Sasha… Do you love me?”
“T-that’s…”
“As for me… I’ve always been concerned about our marriage as something political – so until now, I have treated you quite coldly… But, I truly wish to hear your honest feelings now.”
“…My Lord… Um… Are you really not feeling well, after all…?”
Well… I guess it makes sense to be received like this after saying something so suddenly.
That being said… I do really want to hear her feelings.
“I understand now that I have been wrong about you all this time… So, I was hoping that we could start fresh.”
“Start… fresh…?”
“Ah… I suppose words are cheap, aren’t they? In that case…”
As I said that, I gently kissed Sasha on the forehead and then pulled away, a smile on my lips.
“…From now on, I intend to show you that I mean it.”
“Um… Um, um… I, ah…”
“What is it?”
“I… I too… Ah… I’ve always loved you dearly, my Lord…”
Sasha managed to say that, as a deep red blush spread across her cheeks. When I saw that, I made a vow.
From now on, I will shower this wife of mine in love. I will devote myself to this adorable woman so utterly that the relationship we had in the past would be nothing more than a bad memory.