Then, a silhouette suddenly approached. I could see his dark features. Dante, who had come closer, smiled.
"Do you often dream? Dreams of me."
My ears tickled at the voice whispering like a whisper. I slowly nodded, not finding any reason to resist. Dante's eyes widened slightly as if surprised by my simple affirmation. After a while, he smiled even more deeply.
"What am I doing in your dreams?"
It wasn't the first or second time that Dante had casually infiltrated my dreams. When we had only recently met, I was frustrated by a man who acted strangely even in my dreams, and there were times when I played a song for him, and then there were times...
I shut my mouth tightly. Even in my hazy consciousness, shame still lingered. I could see red eyes glaring in the darkness before my eyes. Like a hawk that had found its prey.
"Ariana."
Dante suddenly approached me. A whisper tickled my lips from a distance that seemed barely audible.
"Tell me. What we do in your dreams."
"..."
My heart, which had been dully asleep, pounded. My whole body happily welcomed the voice caressing my ear and the scent that surged toward me.
"Huh? Come on."
My cheeks flushed hotly at the thick voice. He bit my lips lightly as if urging me, then took a deep breath and quickly dug into the gap that had opened up.
"Ugh...!"
My head dizzied from the mindlessly mixing body temperatures. Every single sensation inside my intimate mucous membranes was overly stimulating and vivid. It wasn't a dream. This couldn't be a dream. I hurriedly tapped Dante on the shoulder. When our lips finally parted, I gasped for breath and asked in an incredulous voice.
"When did you wake up? Is your body, is your body okay? I need to check!"
"No, this is a dream. So let's focus on what we were doing."
A sinister hand tried to dig into my waist. I was startled and pushed him away.
"Why are you out of bed? You should be resting now!"
"You're in bed right now."
"Not this bed...!"
I stared blankly at Dante, shocked by his shameless words. Was he really the person who wouldn't let me step out of bed for a while, no matter how fine I was when I was hurt?
Dante smiled at my expression and spoke in a sweet voice that made me melt.
"Were you worried a lot? For a week."
"Of course...!"
It was annoying to ask such an obvious question so casually. Even though he hadn't regained consciousness until I fell asleep. Even though he hadn't opened his eyes for a whole week like he was dead...
"Ariana."
A perplexed voice rang in my ear.
"Are you crying?"
"No."
I firmly shook my head and blinked hard. I had no intention of showing my crying face the moment I saw him again.
"Don't cry."
Warm, strong arms wrapped around me.
"Because I was wrong."
"..."
I nodded slightly in his firm embrace. Of course, I knew it wasn't Dante's fault, but I still wanted him to think that way.
"I heard. You were always by my side, taking care of me."
"..."
"Your health suffered greatly from that, so the butler strongly advised me to be very careful. I did something foolish. You should have left the nursing to the servants and just rested."
"How could I?"
My voice rose in protest.
"Of course, I should have taken care of you. I... I am the Duke's wife."
"..."
Dante's eyes slowly widened. After a moment, he pulled me closer.
"Say it again."
"Of course, I should have taken care of you..."
"What's next?"
"... I."
I bit my lips which must have turned red when I realized what Dante was urging me to do.
"I am, the Duke's wife. That's why I didn't want to leave you to others..."
I couldn't finish my words. An urgent kiss came over me. This time, I didn't refuse and closed my eyes.
***
Surprisingly, Dante's words that he was "all better" were not a lie.
"Of course, his internal injuries are not completely healed, but he should be able to go about his daily life without any problems."
I was secretly terrified by the doctor's words. Even though Sir Bern had blocked the bomb, I had been sick longer than Sir Bern, so I was amazed by Dante's monstrous recovery.
The news that Dante had woken up had leaked out, and a request came from the palace to visit him right away. Me too. They added that it was an extremely urgent matter.
As I was getting ready to go to the palace, there was a knock on the door.
"Excuse me, Madam."
It was the doctor who appeared. He had a very serious expression on his face.
"What's wrong?"
The moment I saw his expression, my heart sank. Had Dante's condition suddenly worsened?
After all, it couldn't have been possible for her to recover in just a week.
"Is something wrong with you, Duke?"
"No! Madam."
The attending doctor hurriedly shook his head upon seeing my desperate expression. Then he said something unexpected.
"I have come to tell you something, Ma'am."
"... Me?"
"Yes. Please sit there and listen comfortably."
The word 'comfortable' actually made me feel more forceful. What on earth could it be that you are so hesitant?
"Is it related to the blood you took yesterday?"
"Yes."
The attending doctor nodded and suddenly smiled brightly. It was the first time I had seen this expression on the attending doctor's face, which I had always seen when he looked troubled or serious. I was taken aback by his bright face, but the attending physician continued.
"Congratulations."
"Yes?"
"You are pregnant, Madam."
***
"..."
I stared at the scenery outside the carriage window as it passed by gently. For a long time, without saying a word.
"What's wrong?"
I heard Dante's voice nearby.
"You look absentminded today."
I slowly turned to him. His handsome face was stained with a sense of wonder. I licked my lips slightly. The conversation I had with my doctor just a moment ago started to swirl around in my head.
"Pregnancy......? Are you sure, are you sure?"
"Of course, it's still early, so I can't give you a definite answer about what's going to happen in the future. But for now, yes. It's certain. A baby is growing inside you."
Even the stories the doctor explained to me flashed through my mind.
'Pregnancy.'
I unconsciously held my belly in a daze.
'Inside this, Dante and my child...'
A new life growing inside. I still couldn't believe it. It might have been something that most people would have expected. No, I guess so. But there was another reason I hadn't thought of it.
Around the time I made my debut, I had been diagnosed by the Lopez family doctor that I would have difficulty getting pregnant. He said it was one of the symptoms that appeared when you didn't get enough nutrients during your growth period. In my previous life, when I was the Marchioness of Pedegreen, I was even diagnosed as infertile. From that day on, the Marquis of Pedegreen would call me a barren land, a stone woman, and other derogatory terms.
'It was definitely like that... Is it really true that I'm pregnant?'
Could the probability that I thought was so slim that it was impossible really happen? Could it be that my doctor was wrong?
As soon as I had that thought, my heart sank. I held my stomach anxiously. Suddenly, I remembered the dream I had last night. The dream where I played the piano and the notes came to me and I held them in my arms. When I thought that the notes would disappear forever, a terrible sense of loss shook my body, even though I had never thought I was pregnant.
"Ariana?"
I heard a worried voice. I blankly looked up at Dante. I hadn't told Dante about all that yet. I wanted to tell him myself, so I asked my doctor to keep his mouth shut.
However, I continued to doubt whether it was right to tell him at this time. Since my body had a slim chance of pregnancy, the possibility of an early miscarriage would be high.
Wouldn't it be right to tell him after I safely got through the very early stage when the possibility of a miscarriage was the highest, and when I had become more stable?
I chewed the flesh inside my mouth without saying a word.
'Your Highness. Yes, when it becomes more stable, then... '
The Duke and I are having a baby. When that time comes, what should I say?
'Right now, in my belly.'
Lightly, as if passing by? Or after it settles down properly?... What will that person react to after I say it? Will he be happy? Will he welcome it? Or. Or...
I thought about all sorts of things as I held my belly. I was so confused by this experience that I was experiencing for the first time in my life. When I didn't say anything, Dante's expression finally became serious.
"What's wrong, Ariana?"
He grabbed my shoulder.
"Something happened. Right?"
I quickly fixed my expression and shook my head.
"I'm fine. I just got a little seasick. I'm fine now."
'Let's not think about this and that right now.'
That would only be eating away at my own sanity.
"Are you really fine?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
" ... I see."
Dante looked at me with still suspicious eyes. However, when I smiled as if nothing had happened, he soon seemed to have cleared his suspicions.
"Ariana."
Dante opened his mouth again and spoke in a serious voice. I looked back at him with wide eyes. Dante's expression was a little stiff. As if he was unusually nervous.
"Huh?"
"After you visit the palace, there's a place I want you to go with me."
A place you want me to go? Suddenly, the blueprint I had seen in Dante's drawer flashed through my mind.
"I have something to tell you."
I held my breath softly.
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