Necessary Corruption 36 (Patreon)

Necessary Corruption
Chapter 36

-VB-

“... You what?”

A rare break in my composure led me to say something so plebian.

Tsunami sighed. “You need to get more wives.”

My mouth opened and closed as my mind stuttered as the words she uttered made no sense to me.

“A-Are you divorcing me…?” I asked as my chest felt like it was going to split open.

“NO!” she hurriedly said with her own wide eyes. “No, no, no! That’s not happening! I’m sorry, I should have explained better!”

I calmed myself down as she did as well, and I could tell now after some minutes that she was stricken by something.

“Okay. Okay. I’m calm… somewhat,” I grumbled, and she giggled despite her own nervousness. “What do you mean by me needing more wives?”

She fidgeted. “It is the role of the wife of a lord to know him, his lands, and his rule.”

I nodded. Noble clans who did not follow that simple rule were always weaker than those who were not. It was a simple principle: two heads work better than one. This, of course, did not account for general stupidity, spies, betrayals, etc.

Part of Tsunami’s daily routines involved learning. As the wife of the Takanori Clan, she now had a duty to assist me in my rulership.

… But I knew that she was having trouble. Sure, she was pushing forward with memorization and etiquette lessons, but it just was not in her blood to be coldly polite or cruel as some situation called for it.

She was a wonderful mother, yes. The fact that Inari turned out as much as he did showed that.

As a co-ruler? Assistant to a ruler? The matriarch of a ruling nobility?

She … just wasn’t the right material.

I knew that and hadn’t cared because my Blesseds made up for it.

The fact that she was bringing it up now, however, made me uneasy.

“You know you don’t need to push for that, right? My Blesseds can take care of things I don’t have time for,” I said as I placed my hand on her shoulder. The two of us were alone (mostly) in our room in the manor.

She nodded but kept her eyes close for a moment before opening them. She looked neither depressed nor forced. These were words she said to me because of some conclusion she reached herself.

Now, I found myself wondering who might have whispered poison to her.

“I… I’m not fit for what you do every day,” she whispered even as she looked as strong as she ever did back in the Land of Waves. “It is simply not what I want to do.”

I bit my lips and nodded slowly. I understood what she meant. After all, if it wasn’t for this burning desire inside of me, then I wouldn’t have done half of the things I did. There was a good chance that I would have wasted my life doing nothing.

Sometimes, I learned, there needed to be an external cause for someone to move.

However, what she wanted came first. If she told me that she didn’t want to get involved in politics (what else would she be talking about?), then I wouldn’t involve her.

It sucked that as much as she was learning …

I wanted to know.

“What … made you want to reject this?” I asked her gently.

Her hands curled up.

“Opium.”

Oh.

“I see,” I muttered.

My method had come back to bite me in the ass in the worst way possible, hasn’t it?

She took my hands into hers.

“I do not approve. Not at all.”

Her words stung a lot.

“I … see why you would do it. It is easy to use it, but I’ve seen what it does to people.”

I bit my lips as I looked down in shame.

“You told me about your peers, what happened to your father, and why you feel that need. I cannot accept it. So I cannot help you with them. I just can’t.”

I gulped and nodded. “Then … what would you be doing?”

Her hand drifted down to her stomach. “Inari still needs his mother, and our child will, too. I have already learned much about how to manage a castle in your stead. Those I will gladly do as I am your wife, but until opium is no longer part of your methods, I cannot stand completely by your side.”

“... Okay,” I muttered weakly.

I couldn’t give up now. This was the tipping point. This was -.

But she did not approve.

She pulled me in, putting my head on top of her breasts, and gently wrapped her arms around her head.

“Just because I don’t support that doesn’t mean I don’t support you. I’ll just be waiting for the day that opium isn’t part of your life.”

I nodded, trying to do my best to ignore the small prickle of tears.

Was I being weak by not demanding that she support me? Was I not loving her by doing things she disapproved?

She patted my back before pushing me back up.

She wasn’t frowning nor smiling, but she looked determined. “It just means that the faster you are done with your revenge, the faster I’ll be by your side in full, right?”

I blinked before smiling. “Right. Right, you are right.”

“But!”

I jolted, almost.

“It also means that you need someone, a woman, who will be by your side and helping you. I want you to go and find that person who can do what I cannot.”

I nodded slowly. “I don’t see why I would need someone else for it. My Blesseds-”

“Are not your advisors,” she frowned. “They are your soldiers. They do as you say, and I don’t want you to forget that. I’ve talked with many of them, and none can - nor wish to - fulfill the role I should. Some may be close but none are there, but this is a position you cannot ignore. So go. Find that woman and make sure she can enjoy her life beside us, alright?”

I nodded. “Okay, I got it.”

“Good. Now, come here and give me a kiss.”