"Madam."
The attending doctor raised his head, pushing up his monocle. Ariana held his breath at the serious expression.
Ah, this scene. A strong sense of deja vu came over her. It seemed like she had seen this scene before...
"Congratulations."
The solemn attending doctor's eyes widened. Ariana's heart pounded and pulsed. The sense of deja vu that had been swelling like a balloon burst with a bang at the voice that followed.
"Your second baby has come."
"Ah..."
Ariana let out a small exclamation. Her hand moved unconsciously and wrapped around her stomach. Although it was the second time, the emotion was no different from the first time.
"Thank you, baby."
Ariana whispered while gently wrapping her stomach. Her heart was pounding so hard that she worried that the still-small baby might be noisy.
"Thank you for trusting me and coming to see me."
A drop of water fell from her beautifully curved eyes. That evening, the servants of the Heigenberg mansion saw their mistress walking toward her master who was returning home and whispering something. The next moment, the master's body swayed violently, the way he looked at his wife with blank eyes, hugged her as if he was going to crush her, and then fell away in shock. Even the way he carefully stroked her still slender belly.
"We're going to be busy for a while."
The servants whispered with smiles.
"We're going to have to completely redecorate a room."
It was a day when the Heigenberg mansion was once again full of energy. It seemed like only yesterday that the wind had begun to soften, but spring had come in an instant. Ariana stroked her tingling cheek. Pink flower petals that had fallen before she knew it were on her fingertips. The moderately cool breeze, the beautifully blooming flowers in the garden, and the soft sound of the harp from the members practicing in the mansion. This is a pretty perfect afternoon. With that thought in mind, Ariana stroked her belly. Her belly, which had been thin when she was diagnosed with pregnancy by her doctor, had now swelled like a full moon.
"You're going to be born in a beautiful season, baby."
Ariana walked down the hallway, humming softly. As her mid-term was approaching, she put her orchestra work on hold for a while. Thanks to that, her daily life was incredibly peaceful these days. Not only physically, but also mentally. It was completely different from when she was pregnant with her first child, Louis.
"Back then..."
Every time she stroked Louis' sleeping belly, she felt full of happiness, but sometimes anxiety would raise its head and prickle her chest. It was because of her instinctive fear.
Could I really repay the life I was carrying inside me for coming to me? Could I give her a different period of growth than I did?
They say you can only give as much love as you receive, but since I had far fewer happy memories of my childhood than I did, could I really teach my child happiness?
'But I don't have to worry about that this time.'
The reason was probably because the first case was quite successful.
Ariana smiled broadly as she looked back at the child's room across the hallway. Her husband and child were beyond that door. They had been spending time alone together for three whole hours.
"Sophie."
Ariana spoke to Sophie, who was quietly following her.
"The Duke and Louis, they look so close these days, don't they?"
The Duke even declared that he would spend the whole day with Louis this holiday. Louis, who heard that, didn't show it but seemed secretly happy.
"Yes, ma'am."
Sophie nodded in agreement.
"The two of you have really become close. Especially since the Duke's birthday last time."
"You think so too, Sophie?"
I did well to muster up the courage on his last birthday.
Ariana thought with a broad smile. She was still too embarrassed to sing, but it was worth it.
'By the way, the door has been closed for three hours already...'
What are they doing she found that it was a philosophy book that was just thick enough to be used as a pillow. Ariana put her hand on her forehead.
'It's definitely something parents should welcome when their child is precocious and playing around?'
Ariana's footsteps unknowingly headed toward Louis' playroom. Up until now, she had never interfered with the two of them spending time alone, but today, she suddenly became curious about the scene inside. Ariana knocked on the door with excitement.
"It's me."
Ariana froze for a moment as she carefully entered. What was spread out on the other side of the door was an unexpected sight.
"Ariana. Are you here?"
Dante smiled happily and sat at the desk with documents on it, wearing glasses that he only used when reading very thick reports.
"Mother."
Louis looked up at her blankly, placing a huge book on his small lap.
"... Dante."
"Huh?"
"You said you were going to spend time with Louis. This is..."
Ariana blinked slowly.
"You're just breathing together, right?"
"Oh, you."
Dante explained with a puzzled look.
"This isn't a document, it's an encyclopedia. I was looking it up because that guy asked me what the meaning of a word I'd never heard before was."
That was true. Ariana calmed down a little, knowing that Dante was just sitting next to Louis and absentmindedly looking at his work.
".... That's true. What word was it?"
"It had 27 letters. When I first saw it, I thought a cat had hit a typewriter."
Louis stared blankly at Dante complaining and Ariana flustered.
"Our Louis."
Ariana approached Louis and bent down. The boy's white cheeks were flushed because he was so absorbed in reading. When she checked what he was reading so intently, smart, but human greed was endless. She wanted to see her child being like a child.
"Did you enjoy reading with your father?"
"Yeah. It was convenient because my father taught me all the words I didn't know."
"I'm like a talking dictionary to that guy, Ariana."
Dante came over and hugged Ariana's waist as if he was being playful.
"I see."
Ariana said, patting Louis's head and pushing Dante away.
"You two, reading is good, but instead of just staying in your room, how about going for some exercise together? Since you're already doing it, why don't you go to the park and watch some people?"
"The park?"
"Mom, today is a holiday, so I think there will be too many people..."
Ariana squeezed Louis's hand, who was trying to politely refuse, and pushed the two of them on the back.
"Have fun!"
Ariana smiled brightly and waved as she saw the two who had unexpectedly gone out.
***
Thump, thump.
The carriage moved along the road with a slight bump. Dante said, leaning back against the backrest.
"That's what I told you. Your mother won't like it if you just bury your nose in a book all day."
"Then, would you rather dig the dirt and play with earthworms, which is appropriate for your age?"
"Who do you resemble that you don't say a word?"
"His Majesty the Emperor says you look just like your father."
"Where did you learn to talk back so well?"
"And that's from your father."
As the carriage moved forward, flower petals fell from the trees growing on both sides of the road. Now that I think about it, it really is spring. Dante was just thinking about that.
"You crazy!"
The coachman cursed and the carriage shook violently.
"What the hell are you! Are you crazy?!"
Dante looked out the window, wondering if any drunks were wandering around in broad daylight, and his eyes hardened. A shabby man was blocking the carriage.
"Get out of the way right now?! Who the hell do you think this is!"
The coachman pointed to the family crest engraved on the carriage and got angry. At that, the man's eyes lit up even more.
"Ha, Duke Heigenberg. Is the Duke here?"
"What? How dare you use the name of such a noble-"
"Duke, it's me. It's your father-in-law!"
Father-in-law...? Louis opened his eyes wide and stuck his head out the car window.
"Oh!"
The man's eyes widened as he met the child's eyes.
"You're Louis. You're so cute... Do you recognize me?"
The man staggered toward him with unfocused eyes. Louis froze as hard as a stone.
"I'm your grandfather..."
The man couldn't finish his sentence.
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