"No, I won't. Rather, I want you to be happy and find another sister to share the burden. I can't handle your little beast," Janet snorted.

"My beast isn't little," Roland shouted, demonstrating his vigorous attack once again.

Finally defeated by Roland's assault, Janet lay helplessly on Roland's chest, breathing heavily. Her ample chest swayed up and down, tickling Roland, but seeing her look, he didn’t want to push her further.

"Honey, do you agree?"

Roland gave her a solemn look and then stared up at the ceiling.

Roland naturally caught a glimpse of Janet’s thoughts as he dragged her into the conflict, letting Janet voice out her mind.

The real reason Janet worked hard was that she was beginning to feel afraid. While she was just an ordinary girl, Roland had already reached the advanced Master stage, and his lifespan was already beyond a hundred years, but it wasn’t the same for Janet.

She feared Roland would be left alone if she departed due to some misfortune. With everything going on, she was certain Roland would face more challenges, make breakthroughs, and soon rise while she stayed behind, so she didn’t want to hold him back.

Roland felt helpless and he already expected such a situation, so he had sent some people to look around for treasures.

Despite searching around, he hadn’t found anything to increase Janet’s aptitude. Training her and solidifying her skills would only make her rank 1st or 2nd, which would hardly extend her lifespan.

Perhaps he could do something if he could contact the big empires since their Kingdom was nothing but a backwater wasteland.

For that, he needed to get stronger, and have more influence and for that, he needed more children.

After a few moments of thought, Roland spoke.

"Before that, I wanted to resolve things with Priya… I won’t lie to you, Janet, but Priya has been my first love since childhood. It was an innocent love without any deep sense or vulgarity, but after marrying, I tried to let go of those thoughts…"

Hearing this, Janet, who was nearly spent, showed a fierce expression and bit Roland.

"Ouch…"

"I’m not angry at you for loving her. Rather, I’m angry because you didn’t act on it. Do you know how it feels for her to see you not taking action even when it was served to you?"

"I… I…"

"Shut up…"

Janet felt both angry and happy, but the guilt for Priya outweighed her heart, so in her anger, she took a few more bites…

……………….

For now, Roland decided to accept them. Being noble daughters, they were still educated, so it was inappropriate for them to be used as maids. Roland assigned the administrative work.

He had been carrying the burden alone, and since Janet was too occupied with giving birth and caring for children to handle other tasks, all new help was welcome.

Seeing that his wife’s arrangements were clear, Roland could only reluctantly accept.

After all...

In a situation where his wife had agreed, would he still be a man if he refused? Moreover, he needed to increase his strength; otherwise, he would share the same fate as his parents, which was a big no.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Without children, he wouldn’t be able to receive system rewards.

And he had to say it, Janet had found a pretty woman for him. Murphy had a sweet and charming appearance, but Roland decided to ignore her.

Leila had a colder and more captivating appearance, giving a sense of conquest.

It perfectly matched his aesthetic, but first, he needed to resolve matters with Priya, so…

As for the other two, Murphy was crossed out for now, and about Leila…

He needs to know more about her first.

.....................

In the Baron's bedroom quarters…

Priya moved gracefully, changing the sheets and tidying up the room. As head maid, taking over from her mother who had served previous generations, it wasn’t her job to change the sheets, but she took it upon herself.

As she changed the sheets, past memories of her childhood flooded her mind.

She was 13 when she met Roland, who was around 5. At first glance, Roland had taken a liking to her, calling her Big Sister.

Many reprimanded him, but he was adamant about calling her big sister. He would become enraged if anyone else except her cleaned his room and clothes.

Their interactions grew, and soon the day of Roland's departure to the army arrived. It was a depressing day for her. Before leaving, Roland cried for a long time on her shoulders.

The sadness was overwhelming, and his departure made her life bland, tasteless, and colourless.

Nevertheless, she persisted…

The reason…

It was because Roland promised to return and marry her, but so many things had happened, and so much time had passed.

They were finally reunited, but a large gap still remained, seeming unlikely to be filled. As her mind wandered, lost in thoughts of recent events.

Unbeknownst to her, the door creaked open slightly, casting a sliver of light across the floor. A shadow darted in, causing Priya to startle. Before she could react, strong hands enveloped her, causing her to gasp in pain. She turned, ready to give a stern warning, only to find herself face-to-face with Roland.

Her heart raced as she saw the infatuated look in Roland's eyes. His presence both unsettled and intrigued her, but memories of their recent meetings left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"My Lord," she managed to say in a hoarse voice.

Roland’s expression softened slightly, and his gaze locked with hers. "You were the one leaping into my arms earlier," he remarked with a playful smirk, stepping closer.

Priya took a step back, trying to escape.

"That was different, and you know it," she retorted, her tone firm yet tinged with uncertainty.

A flicker of hurt crossed Roland’s face, quickly masked by determination. "Is it?" he challenged gently, taking another step towards her. "You can’t deny there’s something between us."

Priya hesitated, torn between the attraction she felt and the reservations that held her back.

"My Lord, wasn’t it you who avoided me first?" she murmured, glaring at Roland with a bit of resentment and anger.

He reached out tentatively, his hand hovering near her cheek. "I know."

"Priya, you know what I always wanted, but I didn’t want to break my mother’s last wish and then didn’t want to act like a scum and betray Janet."

Roland's eyes met Priya’s with an inexplicable, "Wasn’t it you who pushed me into this marriage?"

Hearing this, Priya felt a stabbing pain. Roland had given her many signs, but she hadn’t dared to expect too much.

As a maid, she couldn’t take the main position and stain Roland’s honor. Naturally, Roland didn’t want to push and force her, which resulted in this.

"But sometimes, you have to follow your heart."

She closed her eyes briefly, conflicted emotions swirling within her. "I… I…"

"Lord, what—" Priya began, but her words were cut off as he leaned in, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. She gasped in surprise but melted into the kiss, her hands instinctively finding their way around his neck.

Their kiss deepened, a rush of emotions flooding through Priya. She felt Roland’s arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer, their bodies pressed together in a tender embrace. Time seemed to stand still as they shared this moment of intimacy, their hearts beating as one.

When they finally pulled apart, Priya’s cheeks were flushed, her breath coming in soft gasps. Roland gazed at her with a mixture of adoration and longing, his fingers gently brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"I’ve wanted to do that for so long," Roland confessed softly, his voice filled with sincerity.

Priya met his gaze, her eyes shimmering with unspoken feelings. "I… I didn’t expect…"

Roland smiled gently, his thumb caressing her cheek. "I know," he murmured. "But I couldn’t resist any longer."

And then Roland took the final step.