“Rebecca...!”
As soon as Cedric got off his horse, he rushed towards the mansion like a madman.
In front of the mansion, residents who were shocked by the fire were gathered and making noises.
However, the gaze of those around him could not be his concern right now.
The only thing that flashed in his mind was the safety of his lover Rebecca.
“Rebecca!”
Cedric's shouting got louder.
At that moment, he was about to run straight into the burning mansion.
Several middle-aged mixed-race demon men held on to Cedric's body with all their might.
“Oh my, Your Highness! Don’t do this!”
“What can everyone do but stop His Highness the Grand Duke!”
But Cedric didn't even have time to check who was stopping him.
He just shook them off with a strong grip and took steps into the mansion.
That's when he finally shook off the obstacles and reached the front door of the mansion.
Another person's hands once again bound his body.
For a moment, he tried to roughly tear it off.
Cedric’s movements stopped for a moment.
“Ha, ha...”
In front of the mansion, residents who were shocked by the fire were gathered and making noises.
However, the gaze of those around him could not be his concern right now.
The only thing that flashed in his mind was the safety of his lover Rebecca.
“Rebecca!”
Cedric's shouting got louder.
At that moment, he was about to run straight into the burning mansion.
Several middle-aged mixed-race demon men held on to Cedric's body with all their might.
“Oh my, Your Highness! Don’t do this!”
“What can everyone do but stop His Highness the Grand Duke!”
But Cedric didn't even have time to check who was stopping him.
He just shook them off with a strong grip and took steps into the mansion.
That's when he finally shook off the obstacles and reached the front door of the mansion.
Another person's hands once again bound his body.
For a moment, he tried to roughly tear it off.
Cedric’s movements stopped for a moment.
“Ha, ha...”
The sound of a woman's breathing next to him, the familiar hand of her holding his hand.
In that brief moment that felt like an eternity, Cedric uncharacteristically trembled with his hands.
He slowly turned his head, hoping that this feeling now was true.
And he finally met the red eyes he had longed for.
“Cedric, I’m here. So there’s no need to go in...!”
At that moment, Cedric immediately held Rebecca in his arms.
Then, as if something suddenly occurred to him, he gently pushed her out of his arms and looked at her lovely face.
“The injured area... The burnt area...?”
He couldn't speak easily, as if he were an idiot.
The large hand placed on Rebecca's cheek trembled constantly.
“I’m really fine, don’t worry, Cedric.”
“...”
“Fortunately, people came quickly and it didn’t turn into a big fire.”
Rebecca caressed Cedric's cheek as if trying to calm him down.
Cedric, who was continuously breathing heavily, tightly held the soft hand that was caressing his cheek.
'If...If Rebecca disappears, I...'
A moment ago, when those thoughts invaded his mind.
Cedric felt as if the blood in his entire body stopped for an instant.
His palms, which had been very tense, suddenly became sticky.
This is something that Cedric, who has always lived a confident life, has experienced for the first time in his life.
It was at this point that he painfully realized what the emotion called ‘fear’ was.
Cedric raised his trembling hand and once again held his precious thing in his arms and hugged it.
After wrapping his arms around Rebecca's waist, stroking her hair, and kissing her cheek...
He finally felt able to breathe.
***
“Your Highness! Are you okay? You’re really okay, right?”
Early morning the next day.
After hearing the news, Bianca came to my mansion with a thoughtful look on her face.
I picked up the frightened child, comforted her, and sat down on the sofa in the living room.
“Of course, Bianca. I'm fine. You were very surprised to hear the bad news this morning, right?”
“I was so surprised, Your Highness. I thought something might have happened to you, so I... Hmm...”
Bianca eventually burst into tears in my arms.
The nanny looked at the child pitifully and let out a long sigh.
“I’m glad you’re safe! I'm so glad! The Princess was so excited as soon as she woke up. She ran straight that way...”
It was still too early in the morning for a small child to move in a carriage.
I'm unintentionally causing concern.
I felt sorry and hugged the child even harder.
“I’m really fine. The only thing that burned down in the mansion was the back door. As soon as the fire rose, the mixed-race demons immediately rushed to help, so no one was hurt.”
“...Mixed-blood demons?”
I smiled softly and nodded.
After establishing a foundation and starting to support mixed-blood demons to find employment in the human world.
The number of people who left the demon world and established a new home in the northern city increased.
They became kind neighbors and reliable guardians to me.
Thanks to this, the fire of unknown cause that occurred last night was quickly extinguished.
'It seems like the situation is completely opposite to what Rebecca went through in the original.'
In the original, they actually set fire to Rebecca's Tower.
Even in that short time when the mansion was on fire, I was so scared, and even dying while engulfed in flames...
It was a time when I thought of Rebecca's death and let out a light sigh.
“I just can’t do it. I want to stay here for a few days.”
Bianca said as if declaring.
“A few days, no way. Then what are you going to do with your classes?”
Even when I said no, the child stubbornly refused.
“You won’t be able to stop me this time, Your Highness! I already received permission from His Highness the Grand Duke before coming here. Furthermore...”
“...”
“Your Highness said he would commute from here to the office for a few days?”
“Cedric?”
When Cedric left the mansion this morning, I hadn't heard anything like that.
Although I felt a little sad that he had made such a decision without consulting me, I soon decided to understand.
It was because I remembered his face that had turned white last night.
'It was really my first time seeing Cedric's face like that.'
That bold man was so surprised, but this little child was so surprised.
In the end, I slowly nodded my head.
"There's nothing we can do. Instead, should you continue studying here?”
“Don’t worry about that, Your Highness! Not only the nanny but Lobelia will be staying here for the time being!”
The child who was shouting like that soon raised the corners of her mouth slightly as if she was embarrassed.
“Ah, of course, if Your Highness gives permission...”
I smiled and stroked Bianca’s head.
“Of course. I really care about Bianca’s education.”
Bianca smiled brightly and fell into my arms again.
“Hehe, I knew you would! That’s why I asked Lobelia in advance to bring me the things I need during my stay.”
I thought that she was smiling as if she was embarrassed, so I gently kissed her white cheek.
At that moment, a knock was heard outside the door.
“Madam, the doctor sent by the Grand Duke Castle has arrived.”
At those words, I looked at Bianca and the nanny in confusion.
On the other hand, they nodded as if they already knew what was happening.
“That’s right, my brother said he even sent a special carriage to a distant empire and personally brought a talented doctor!”
“You must have been surprised by what happened last night, so you need to do a basic check-up, Your Highness.”
Is it really necessary to do this?
I sighed softly and eventually allowed the doctor to enter.
“Ask them to come in.”
Soon after, the doctor entered the reception room.
She was a younger woman than she expected, and I really liked her gentle smile.
“Hello, Your Highness. My name is Evelyn Jeraway.”
She came a little closer to me as she greeted me politely.
“I was so surprised when I heard the news last night. I’m so sorry, Your Highness.”
"It's okay. There’s no need to treat me so politely anymore.”
"No. I just do it because I’m comfortable with it.”
Smiling softly and shaking her head, her gaze alternately turned to Bianca and the nanny.
“I’m sorry, but for the sake of a comfortable checkup, the Princess and the nanny should go out for a while...”
Bianca nodded her head immediately and vigorously, and she boldly jumped down from the sofa.
“Okay, we’ll stay out! So, should we take a close look at Her Highness to make sure she’s not hurt anywhere?”
"Yes. Do you have any doubts, Princess?”
Bianca seemed reassured by the doctor's words and immediately waved her hand at me.
“I’ll be upstairs with the nanny, Your Highness!”
“Yes, Bianca. Be careful when going up the stairs.”
The child left the parlor holding the nanny's hand.
When the door closed, the doctor placed the visiting bag she was carrying on the table.
“Well, first, we do a skin check to see if there are any spots that have been burned without anyone noticing it, then an eye test, and a respiratory test... We will continue like this one after another.”
“Of course.”
The attending doctor slowly conducted the examination using the tools she carried in her visit bag.
How much time has passed?
Most of the tests were over, and the only thing left was the final consultation with the doctor.
“Have you felt upset or had any nightmares since last night?”
“Well, not yet.”
The doctor asked me one question after another and checked things off on the chart.
She had just reached the last page of the chart with her fountain pen.
“Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any problem so far. Still, you may end up in pain later, so please call me without delay.”
"Okay."
“Of course, I’m glad you’re not in any particular pain, but...”
“...”
“Still, if things go on like this, I will be in disgrace to His Highness the Grand Duke.”
The doctor slightly raised the corners of her mouth and opened her mouth again.
“Have you ever been in a place where you felt uncomfortable? It would be nice to help you since you have come a long way.”
If it was something you were normally uncomfortable with...
“Ah, lately I’ve been feeling sick and nauseated more and more. Especially in front of food. And it seems like I'm urinating more often than usual. Irregular menstruation has been a very common occurrence for a long time.”
“Nausea before food, frequent urination...”
The doctor who had been absentmindedly scribbling something on the chart suddenly blinked rapidly.
She shook her head for a moment as if to deny the thought that had come to her mind, then blinked her eyes again.
After a moment of silence, the doctor's lips were carefully opened.
“Your Highness, by any chance before the divorce... Have you ever spent the night with His Highness the Grand Duke?”
***
“That’s right, I actually spent the night with Cedric, but...”
Lobelia's eyes slowly opened wide at the sound of the words coming through the door of the living room.
She had just arrived at Rebecca's mansion with Bianca and the nanny.
Lobelia, who was escorted by the servant and stood in front of the parlor, immediately made an excuse and attacked the servant.
She had sensed that an unusual conversation was taking place beyond the door.
When the servant disappeared, she put her ear to the door and focused on the sounds she heard.
“...We need to conduct more detailed tests, but in fact, based on these symptoms alone, it seems almost certain that you are pregnant.”
...Rebecca is pregnant?
And to have a child from no one else but the Cedric Twins!
She remained frozen in shock for a long time.
Soon, one corner of Lobelia's mouth curved up smoothly.
“If I had killed her yesterday, it would have been a really big problem, right?”
Comments
Post a Comment