"But Grandpa, I..."
Midori pressed a hand against her stomach.
"I am not supposed to meet men in my state."
Grandpa Takigawa scowled at her.
"Your current state is the exact reason why you must find a husband and get married as soon as possible! Otherwise, what would people say about you when they talk behind your back?"
Midori sighed in her heart.
She was quite aware of the rumors that circulated behind her back. In fact, Chie and Fumiko were kind enough to remind her of her shameful circumstances.
"It won't be fair for Akiyama-san if he has to be a father to the child of another man," Midori pointed out.
"No need to worry. Shuugo and Chie shall adopt your child after you give birth. Before the child is born, you shall marry Akiyama-san and join the Kinoshita household."
Midori's jaw fell open in utter disbelief.
Despite her resolve to reclaim her spot in the Takigawa family, her grandfather was planning to kick her out of the house! Even worse, her child was going to be wrenched out of her arms and given to a snake to raise!
And if that was not bad enough, S-9898 dropped by to issue a warning.
[Alert! Alert! Alert! As a reminder to Midori-san, the system shall impart a penalty of -10000 Life Points to you if you lose the baby.]
Midori almost fainted on the spot.
Hey, come on!
Midori cried out in her head.
I am not losing the baby, this old man insists on stealing it!
[If Grandpa Takigawa successfully takes the baby from you, Midori-san, then it is the same as losing the baby.]
A bone-chilling shiver ran down Midori's spine.
If it continued this way, then she was going to spin an alternate, but equally tragic ending to the cannon fodder's life!
Midori thus rose to her feet, her eyes shining with utter defiance.
"Grandpa, I refuse to hand over my child."
Grandpa Takigawa's displeasure quickly morphed into rage.
"Midori-san, you are no longer your past and foolish self. As you said, it is unfair to let Akiyama-san raise a child that is not of his blood and flesh. What other option do you have?"
"The child is my blood and flesh, Grandpa," Midori pointed out. "I shall raise my child. Alone if I must."
Her confident words earned nothing but mockeries from Grandpa Takigawa.
"Raise your child? You? Alone?"
The patriarch of the Takigawa family let out a loud scoff.
"With what money? What means? Midori, you are a pregnant divorcee. What can you do all by yourself?"
"I will find a way. I will find a job," Midori answered boldly, all the while knowing that women of her social standing did not typically go to work during the Meiji Era.
As expected, her irresponsible suggestion earned her Grandpa Takigawa's wrath.
"NO!"
Grandpa Takigawa was so upset that he slammed a fist against the tea table, causing Midori to flinch. His rage diminished when he recalled that his dear granddaughter was in a delicate situation.
"Midori, my decision is final. As a daughter of the Takigawa family, it is your responsibility to uphold the family honor, for both your and your child's sake."
Grandpa Takigawa took a deep breath before he continued. "You do not want your child to be fatherless. Think about your child. Shuugo is going to be a marvelous father to your child, and he already agreed to do so."
Handing the baby over to Shuugo might be a great idea if Midori managed to keep her life when doing so.
Oh, wait.
She forgot about the snake woman.
She was only getting her child over her dead body!
"What if I manage to convince Akiyama-san to adopt my child?" Midori heard herself asking.
It was a stroke of genius, she thought to herself later on. She had always been proud of her brilliant mind.
Their eyes met in a fierce clash of wills, a silent battle of unwavering gazes.
"Impossible," Grandpa Takigawa decided. "No man is that generous."
"Allow me to try," Midori insisted.
"And if he refuses to?" Grandpa Takigawa challenged her request openly.
Midori swallowed hard.
"Then I will find another man to marry. One who will accept both me and my child."
Grandpa Takigawa's body quivered with barely contained fury, his weathered features contorted in a mask of anger. His trembling hand shot out, pointing an accusatory finger at Midori's face.
"You... Disobedient child! Are you going to run away with the likes of Ryouichi Koishikawa again? You are going to drive me to an early grave!!!"
"No, Grandpa."
Akiyama Kinoshita was not the only single man who existed in the world, after all. "I am going to find a second husband that is worthy of the Takigawa family. I shall marry him only with your express approval."
[Ding! Ding! Ding! Midori-san's unwavering dedication has propelled your narrative beyond the confines of the "Dream of The Ancient Capital", steering you towards an uncharted territory, an unexplored realm of storytelling ｡:ﾟ(;´∩`;)ﾟ:｡]
Eh?
[A new narrative has thus emerged from the depths of your imagination, bearing the intriguing title "The Pregnant Cannon Fodder Is Looking For A Second Husband".
All future missions will be aligned to the new story.
All future rewards will be aligned to the new story.
All future punishments will be aligned to the new story.]
Midori was barely aware that her jaw dropped open unconsciously.
Does this mean that I no longer have to please the people of the Takigawa family?
[That is correct!]
Midori did not even get to rejoice for three seconds when S-9898 spoke again.
[Midori-san now only needs to please your future husband candidates.]
.....
Great.
"Interesting."
Grandpa Takigawa's weathered cane struck the floor with a resounding thud, its echo reverberating through the hushed room.
His piercing gaze was fixed upon Midori when he spoke next.
"I like your feisty spirit. Go on, then. Find yourself a second husband who is worthy of a Takigawa family's daughter. If he agrees to raise the child with you, I allow you to keep the child."