As the clanking sound of the dishes became quieter and slower, the expressions on Cheraan and Mary Anne's faces standing next to the table continued to darken.
“Would you stop cleaning up?”
Judith covered her mouth with a napkin and said, Mary Anne looked at her as if telling her to do something. Cheraan had no choice but to step forward.
“Even if you don’t have an appetite, you need to eat more. If you keep doing this, you’ll collapse.”
“That’s right, Your Highness. Your morning sickness has improved a lot now, so you should eat properly.”
Mary Anne also stepped forward. It wasn't that Judith wanted to ignore her plea, but she couldn't bring herself to lift the utensils.
When her stomach wasn't even bloated yet, putting anything in her mouth was a struggle. She didn't even want to go near meat or spices, and sometimes she would gag while eating something like fruit. She thought it would be better if she just threw up something, but since she didn't eat anything, Judith just kept feeling like her stomach was being squeezed, so it was really hard to endure.
As her stomach started to grow a little, the symptom of feeling sick at the mere smell of food got better, but her lost appetite showed no signs of returning.
The problem was even worse because Judith didn’t have a good appetite to begin with and her mouth was small. When Judith shook her head as if she couldn’t eat another bite, Cheraan let out a sigh. While the servants were watching and clearing the dishes, Cheraan carefully helped Judith up.
“They say that some people start eating things they couldn’t before after having a baby, but what can I do if Your Highness can’t eat like this? I’m worried about the baby, but I’m also worried that Your Highness won’t be able to endure it if this keeps up.”
“Is that true? Some people eat well?”
“Yes. My nanny who took care of me since I was little had six children of her own, and she said that she wanted to eat something new every time she had one of those six. She said that sometimes when she wanted something that she couldn’t get, it was incredibly frustrating.”
How could such an enviable thing exist?
“Would you stop cleaning up?”
Judith covered her mouth with a napkin and said, Mary Anne looked at her as if telling her to do something. Cheraan had no choice but to step forward.
“Even if you don’t have an appetite, you need to eat more. If you keep doing this, you’ll collapse.”
“That’s right, Your Highness. Your morning sickness has improved a lot now, so you should eat properly.”
Mary Anne also stepped forward. It wasn't that Judith wanted to ignore her plea, but she couldn't bring herself to lift the utensils.
When her stomach wasn't even bloated yet, putting anything in her mouth was a struggle. She didn't even want to go near meat or spices, and sometimes she would gag while eating something like fruit. She thought it would be better if she just threw up something, but since she didn't eat anything, Judith just kept feeling like her stomach was being squeezed, so it was really hard to endure.
As her stomach started to grow a little, the symptom of feeling sick at the mere smell of food got better, but her lost appetite showed no signs of returning.
The problem was even worse because Judith didn’t have a good appetite to begin with and her mouth was small. When Judith shook her head as if she couldn’t eat another bite, Cheraan let out a sigh. While the servants were watching and clearing the dishes, Cheraan carefully helped Judith up.
“They say that some people start eating things they couldn’t before after having a baby, but what can I do if Your Highness can’t eat like this? I’m worried about the baby, but I’m also worried that Your Highness won’t be able to endure it if this keeps up.”
“Is that true? Some people eat well?”
“Yes. My nanny who took care of me since I was little had six children of her own, and she said that she wanted to eat something new every time she had one of those six. She said that sometimes when she wanted something that she couldn’t get, it was incredibly frustrating.”
How could such an enviable thing exist?
Judith let out a sigh mixed with her own inability to understand. It would have been better if she had a constant desire to eat. Since she couldn’t eat properly, her hands and feet were always numb and her body was languid. Whenever she tried to force herself to eat, her stomach would immediately become bloated and she would have difficulty sitting up properly.
Cheraan, who had Judith sit on the soft sofa, brought a small brazier and placed it at her feet, and held a hot water bottle so that her hands would not get too cold. As the warm air rushed in, her body soon became tired and drowsy. Judith rubbed her blurry eyelids and yawned slightly.
“I still get sleepy often. The doctor said it would get better soon... What if the baby is born with a lazy personality?”
When Judith made a worried joke, Cheraan, who was opening the curtains, burst into laughter.
“Why are you worrying about all that? It’s only natural that you’d feel sleepy since you’re sleeping for one more person. Think of it that way.”
“Cheraan will be a good mother.”
Cheraan turned her head as she opened the curtains to reveal the bright scenery outside the window and smiled brightly.
“Your Highness, I’m sure you’ll be the same. By the way, is the baby a boy or a girl? Aren’t you curious?”
“I’m curious. Even His Highness said he was curious... There’s nothing I can do since I can’t know until the baby is born.”
“Which one would you prefer?”
"Well..."
Judith was quietly lost in thought, stroking her slightly protruding belly. It was a constant fact that the baby in her womb was lovely, whether it was a boy or a girl. That was true not only for Judith but also for Franz.
'But this baby is not just mine and yours.'
From the moment of birth, a royal baby is given the right to enjoy all the good things of the world, along with the gaze that demands all kinds of roles and duties. The same is required of the mother who gave birth to the baby. Judith wants to protest that it is unfair, but there is no one else who will listen.
The supporters of the King and the Crown Prince, including the Duke of Vergy, hoped that Judith and Franz's first child would be a boy. On the other hand, Queen Gilsis and her followers hoped that the baby would be a girl. No one thought it strange that the unborn baby was not useful. That was the way it was with royal babies, heirs born during power struggles.
Franz wanted Judith to stay as far away from such thoughts as possible. On the contrary, Franz was waiting for and loving the baby with a much purer heart than Judith. He did not seem to want their first child to help solidify his power.
Judith felt love for Franz as she looked at him, but at the same time, she sometimes wished that the baby would help the authority of the Crown Prince. Sometimes, she would be lost in such thoughts, and then suddenly come to her senses and rub her stomach with a faint sense of guilt.
'I'm sorry. I thought I would use you as your mother... But I hope you understand. I would do anything to protect your father.'
Cheraan, who came near, looked at Judith's belly as if it was something new and strange. When she lightly touched it, she felt a bulge and a firm sensation, and for some reason, he smiled.
“Whether the baby is a boy or a girl, the baby will be very cute. The baby will have a white face, red apple-like cheeks, and chubby breasts. The baby will be cute even when he wakes up in the middle of the night and cries loudly.”
“I don’t think that would be very cute...”
“There’s nothing you can do. Crying is the baby’s job. If you keep crying, at some point you’ll be able to talk, right? Your Highness, have you thought about what you’ll name the baby when he’s born?”
“It’s still a long way from being born. It’s still too early to think about a name.”
“What do you mean? Wouldn’t it be more lovable and familiar if you quickly gave them names and called them? Oh, and it’s hard because we don’t know yet whether it’s a boy or a girl? Then how about giving them two names and calling them by those names? I...”
Cheraan's voice, which had been talking excitedly, was cut off by Franz opening the door and coming in. Judith saw Bartholomew, who was following him in, smile and wave his hand at Cheraan. Judith, who suddenly felt like playing a prank, leaned back against the armrest of the sofa and said.
“It seems like Cheran really likes babies, what do you think, Bartholomew?”
“Uh, yeah? Uh... yeah?”
Bartholomew looked around, bewildered by the sudden question. However, Franz and even Cheraan seemed to have decided to tease him for a moment, and they only smiled mischievously and remained silent. In an instant, his neck turned red, and he moved his lips and muttered loudly.
“At times like this, everyone feels very comfortable.”
“Why do you change the subject so subtly? Bartholomew. Didn’t the Crown Princess ask you a question?”
As Franz spoke in a solemn voice, Judith bit her lip to hold back her laughter. Meanwhile, Cheraan turned her head sharply and turned away from Bartholomew, even making an uncharacteristically sly imitation. Realizing that he had nowhere to turn for help, Bartholomew was even more embarrassed by Cheraan’s stern profile and froze stiffly like a block of wood.
“No, I... I wasn’t trying to change the subject, but this... Ah, the story about liking babies, I didn’t know that yet...”
Cheraan, still pretending to be fresh, chimed in.
“Why don’t you know that? These days, whenever I go home, I sing ‘Baby, Baby.’”
“No, that’s...! That’s, Cher, I thought you were worried about Her Highness’s health! I didn’t think you’d say something like that because you wanted a baby. Well, in that case, I’ll try harder...”
Bartholomew, who was mumbling an excuse, suddenly noticed that the atmosphere around him was strange and trailed off. When he came to his senses, Franz and Judith, as well as Cheraan, were staring at him with expressions on their faces as if they were about to burst out laughing. When Bartholomew blinked once, the three of them could no longer bear it and burst out laughing at the same time.
“Oh my God. What the hell are you talking about at work?”
“That’s not the place to talk about that, Bartholomew.”
“It’s okay, Your Highness. I find it cute when that guy acts like an idiot like that sometimes.”
Only then did Bartholomew realize that he had been made fun of once again and that he had made a ridiculous mistake, and he sat down with his face covered, screaming. The laughter grew louder at the sight of the tall, muscular man crouching as if he were going to crawl into a hole.
“Bartholomew! What if you scream? Will you take responsibility if the Lord is surprised? Come on, get up. Even if Her Highness tells you to get up.”
Cheraan teased Bartholomew harder than anyone else, shaking his shoulders, but she was affectionate when she helped him up. Bartholomew's face, which staggered up, was a sight to behold. It was so red that it looked like smoke would rise at any moment. Judith, who had laughed so hard that she even shed tears, bit her lips tightly and spoke with her eyebrows furrowed.
“I’m sorry for teasing you, Bartholomew. But please try your best. Okay?”
“...Your Highness, you’ve really changed. You weren’t like this before.”
“It’s been a few years since we first met, so people change. Come on, Cheraan. Since Bartholomew is here, why don’t you go out and take a walk? Don’t worry about this.”
If it had been a normal situation, she would have declined once, but this time, Cheraan followed Judith's words without a word. It was understandable because fanning himself would not have been enough to cool Bartholomew's flushed face.
Franz, who had been smiling as he watched the backs of the two people walking out with their arms linked, came and sat down next to Judith. The small gesture of naturally giving up his seat and filling the empty space seemed to fill Judith's heart, and a smile appeared on Judith's lips.
“That guy, from tonight onwards, he won’t be able to look at Cheraan’s face properly.”
“Who would have thought he was such a shy person? Excluding the commanders of the Comblers, he is truly the most skilled swordsman in Rotair.”
Cheraan, who had Judith sit on the soft sofa, brought a small brazier and placed it at her feet, and held a hot water bottle so that her hands would not get too cold. As the warm air rushed in, her body soon became tired and drowsy. Judith rubbed her blurry eyelids and yawned slightly.
“I still get sleepy often. The doctor said it would get better soon... What if the baby is born with a lazy personality?”
When Judith made a worried joke, Cheraan, who was opening the curtains, burst into laughter.
“Why are you worrying about all that? It’s only natural that you’d feel sleepy since you’re sleeping for one more person. Think of it that way.”
“Cheraan will be a good mother.”
Cheraan turned her head as she opened the curtains to reveal the bright scenery outside the window and smiled brightly.
“Your Highness, I’m sure you’ll be the same. By the way, is the baby a boy or a girl? Aren’t you curious?”
“I’m curious. Even His Highness said he was curious... There’s nothing I can do since I can’t know until the baby is born.”
“Which one would you prefer?”
"Well..."
Judith was quietly lost in thought, stroking her slightly protruding belly. It was a constant fact that the baby in her womb was lovely, whether it was a boy or a girl. That was true not only for Judith but also for Franz.
'But this baby is not just mine and yours.'
From the moment of birth, a royal baby is given the right to enjoy all the good things of the world, along with the gaze that demands all kinds of roles and duties. The same is required of the mother who gave birth to the baby. Judith wants to protest that it is unfair, but there is no one else who will listen.
The supporters of the King and the Crown Prince, including the Duke of Vergy, hoped that Judith and Franz's first child would be a boy. On the other hand, Queen Gilsis and her followers hoped that the baby would be a girl. No one thought it strange that the unborn baby was not useful. That was the way it was with royal babies, heirs born during power struggles.
Franz wanted Judith to stay as far away from such thoughts as possible. On the contrary, Franz was waiting for and loving the baby with a much purer heart than Judith. He did not seem to want their first child to help solidify his power.
Judith felt love for Franz as she looked at him, but at the same time, she sometimes wished that the baby would help the authority of the Crown Prince. Sometimes, she would be lost in such thoughts, and then suddenly come to her senses and rub her stomach with a faint sense of guilt.
'I'm sorry. I thought I would use you as your mother... But I hope you understand. I would do anything to protect your father.'
Cheraan, who came near, looked at Judith's belly as if it was something new and strange. When she lightly touched it, she felt a bulge and a firm sensation, and for some reason, he smiled.
“Whether the baby is a boy or a girl, the baby will be very cute. The baby will have a white face, red apple-like cheeks, and chubby breasts. The baby will be cute even when he wakes up in the middle of the night and cries loudly.”
“I don’t think that would be very cute...”
“There’s nothing you can do. Crying is the baby’s job. If you keep crying, at some point you’ll be able to talk, right? Your Highness, have you thought about what you’ll name the baby when he’s born?”
“It’s still a long way from being born. It’s still too early to think about a name.”
“What do you mean? Wouldn’t it be more lovable and familiar if you quickly gave them names and called them? Oh, and it’s hard because we don’t know yet whether it’s a boy or a girl? Then how about giving them two names and calling them by those names? I...”
Cheraan's voice, which had been talking excitedly, was cut off by Franz opening the door and coming in. Judith saw Bartholomew, who was following him in, smile and wave his hand at Cheraan. Judith, who suddenly felt like playing a prank, leaned back against the armrest of the sofa and said.
“It seems like Cheran really likes babies, what do you think, Bartholomew?”
“Uh, yeah? Uh... yeah?”
Bartholomew looked around, bewildered by the sudden question. However, Franz and even Cheraan seemed to have decided to tease him for a moment, and they only smiled mischievously and remained silent. In an instant, his neck turned red, and he moved his lips and muttered loudly.
“At times like this, everyone feels very comfortable.”
“Why do you change the subject so subtly? Bartholomew. Didn’t the Crown Princess ask you a question?”
As Franz spoke in a solemn voice, Judith bit her lip to hold back her laughter. Meanwhile, Cheraan turned her head sharply and turned away from Bartholomew, even making an uncharacteristically sly imitation. Realizing that he had nowhere to turn for help, Bartholomew was even more embarrassed by Cheraan’s stern profile and froze stiffly like a block of wood.
“No, I... I wasn’t trying to change the subject, but this... Ah, the story about liking babies, I didn’t know that yet...”
Cheraan, still pretending to be fresh, chimed in.
“Why don’t you know that? These days, whenever I go home, I sing ‘Baby, Baby.’”
“No, that’s...! That’s, Cher, I thought you were worried about Her Highness’s health! I didn’t think you’d say something like that because you wanted a baby. Well, in that case, I’ll try harder...”
Bartholomew, who was mumbling an excuse, suddenly noticed that the atmosphere around him was strange and trailed off. When he came to his senses, Franz and Judith, as well as Cheraan, were staring at him with expressions on their faces as if they were about to burst out laughing. When Bartholomew blinked once, the three of them could no longer bear it and burst out laughing at the same time.
“Oh my God. What the hell are you talking about at work?”
“That’s not the place to talk about that, Bartholomew.”
“It’s okay, Your Highness. I find it cute when that guy acts like an idiot like that sometimes.”
Only then did Bartholomew realize that he had been made fun of once again and that he had made a ridiculous mistake, and he sat down with his face covered, screaming. The laughter grew louder at the sight of the tall, muscular man crouching as if he were going to crawl into a hole.
“Bartholomew! What if you scream? Will you take responsibility if the Lord is surprised? Come on, get up. Even if Her Highness tells you to get up.”
Cheraan teased Bartholomew harder than anyone else, shaking his shoulders, but she was affectionate when she helped him up. Bartholomew's face, which staggered up, was a sight to behold. It was so red that it looked like smoke would rise at any moment. Judith, who had laughed so hard that she even shed tears, bit her lips tightly and spoke with her eyebrows furrowed.
“I’m sorry for teasing you, Bartholomew. But please try your best. Okay?”
“...Your Highness, you’ve really changed. You weren’t like this before.”
“It’s been a few years since we first met, so people change. Come on, Cheraan. Since Bartholomew is here, why don’t you go out and take a walk? Don’t worry about this.”
If it had been a normal situation, she would have declined once, but this time, Cheraan followed Judith's words without a word. It was understandable because fanning himself would not have been enough to cool Bartholomew's flushed face.
Franz, who had been smiling as he watched the backs of the two people walking out with their arms linked, came and sat down next to Judith. The small gesture of naturally giving up his seat and filling the empty space seemed to fill Judith's heart, and a smile appeared on Judith's lips.
“That guy, from tonight onwards, he won’t be able to look at Cheraan’s face properly.”
“Who would have thought he was such a shy person? Excluding the commanders of the Comblers, he is truly the most skilled swordsman in Rotair.”
A New Series, Traces of Moonlight was out now! For you who are tired of regression stories, you can check it out.You can check it HERE!
The New Series, Reincarnating As My Husband's Mistress is out now!You can check it HERE!
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