Chapter 06 - Inescapable Situation

So the money appears to me instantly, huh? But it's excessively heavy for my body to manage currently.

'System, temporarily store the money in your inventory'

[I can't, User.]

What! Why?

[Because the System lacks an inventory skill.]

Whaaat! So what on earth am I going to do with this bag of money? What if someone spots it? Wait! What if no one sees it? I can't bear this weight. Am I to going to die because of my greed? Will I die in this world as a virgin too?

As I hastily brainstorm a solution to this predicament, a thought occurs to me.

No, there might still be hope if I can awaken my new mother or at least reach out to someone. As soon as this idea forms, I gaze at my slumbering mother, a vision of beauty, and begin to cry out in distress towards her.

"Wahhh uhh Wahhhhh!"

After a few moments of desperate attempts to call for help, Amanda stirs, her eyebrows furrowing as she slowly opens her eyes. She scans the room, seeking the source of the unsettling noise that roused her from her sleep.

Observing her crying baby in the crib, she approaches with a tender smile, murmuring, "Ohh, is my baby hungry? Does he need some mil- what is that on you, my darling?"

Upon inspecting the crib, she discovers a hefty leather bag atop her child, swiftly removing it from his wriggling form and inquiring, "Who placed this here? And why would anyone set it upon a newborn child, no less?"

She proceeds to open the leather bag, visibly taken aback. "There's so much money here. Who would leave this?" She muses, suddenly struck by another idea that fills her with joy. "Ahh, it must be your father who left this bag of gold. Despite his seeming indifference, he loves us and hides it for our sake."

Oh, my new dear mother, you are clearly blinded by one-sided affection. Your husband, who might be my father by default, hasn't shown his face or sent anyone to search for us, yet you think so much of him. I disdain women who think and act this way. You are indeed naive.

"Ohh, my baby, don't cry. Your father didn't anticipate the distress this large bag of coins would cause you. You must be hungry after all that crying. Don't worry, mommy's here and she'll feed you."

Wait, does she mean what I think she means?

Though I'm just a child, my mind is mature, and my appreciation for breasts doesn't extend to wanting to nurse from my mother. It's too much for me, especially my adult brain.

As she envelops me in her arms, I squirm and cry in a futile attempt to break free. Nonetheless, she pulls me close and leads us to her resting bed.

"No, please, don't do this to me, lady. I promise not to speak ill of your husband. Please stop!"

Her perception clouded by my persistent wailing, Amanda assumes her child is feeling quite ravenous. She reassures lovingly, "It's alright, darling. Mommy will feed you in just a moment," while beginning to remove her top and positioning me beneath her breast.

Oh god, there's no avoiding this now, is there?

I reluctantly resign myself to this inevitable fate as she guides my mouth to her breast, and I begin to drink.

'Hmm, it's not as unpleasant as I expected. In fact, it tastes like sugared milk, perhaps even better.'

As I drink contentedly, filling my stomach, drowsiness gradually overtakes me.

"Are my eyes becoming blurrier than before?"

After a while, I drift into slumber, lulled by my mother's gentle movements and melodic humming, ensuring I have sweet dreams.

A few minutes later, the door to the room opens, revealing a tall man standing at seven feet. He sports short, wavy black hair and eyes of an enigmatic yellow hue.

Clad in luxurious attire with yellow and black hues, he wears a brooch depicting a golden ensnaring wolf, emblematic of the Halbert Great House, on the left side of his chest. On his finger gleams a black ring crafted from a rare material known as Managem, bearing the signature Halbert family emblem. He strides purposefully toward the mother and child.

Amanda straightens her posture, smiling warmly as she greets her beloved. "Hello, darling."

The man, Ervin Halbert, current head of the Halbert House, Amanda's lover, and father to our William, possesses little patience and an unmistakable arrogance rooted in his strength, a hallmark of the Halbert lineage. He gazes down at his child and inquires with a weighty voice, "Have you named him?"

"Yes, I've named him William," Amanda replies swiftly. "B-But if you prefer, we can change it."

Ervin raises a hand, signaling her to halt. "It's alright. William, hmm? Let me assess his potential." With that, he extends his hand, and Amanda promptly passes the child to him.

Ervin examines the child closely, utilizing a scanner-like device to gauge his potential, his eyes narrowing as he concludes, "E-rank potential. His prospects in life seem very limited."

Despite Amanda's initial sadness upon hearing this, her spirits quickly lift upon hearing Ervin's next words. "Even so, he is a Halbert. We will find a place for him within the family," Ervin declares before returning the child to Amanda and preparing to depart.

Amanda, recalling the bag of coins and expresses her gratitude to her lover. "Thank you, darling, for this gift."

Ervin, interpreting her thanks as a reference to his earlier assessment, remarks, "He may be weak, but he is still my son," before taking his leave.

Amanda smiles warmly as she holds her son close to her bosom and went to sleep.