"What... did you just say?"
What Magic Tower Lord had just said didn't register at all.
"It seems you're having a baby."
Magic Tower Lord, who had been checking my body's energy, also looked bewildered.
"Oh my! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
Only Sharon was jumping for joy.
Seeing Sharon, tears welling up in her eyes, reality finally began to sink in.
I lowered my head and looked down at my belly.
The warmth I'd felt since morning was still there, but I didn't feel pregnant at all...
"When did I get pregnant...?"
Magic Tower Lord replied to my mumbling,
"It seems to be recent."
Oh, I had my period just a month ago.
So the baby was likely conceived after I met Linel again in the Lapion Empire.
"Considering that I can sense an energy I didn't sense yesterday, it must be very recent. First of all, congratulations."
"First of all"?
Moreover, the Magic Tower Lord's voice, congratulating me, seemed somewhat drained.
His grateful and joyful feelings were fleeting, but a worry suddenly surfaced in my mind.
"After the child was born, the imprint with the Incarnation Sword was formed. Will that affect the child?"
If there was an effect, it would be for good or for bad, and I had no way of knowing.
Looking at Magic Tower Lord's eyes, I suspected his expression was probably stiff because of that very issue.
Sharon, who had been smiling happily beside me, also began to darken rapidly.
Magic Tower Lord paused, his face pensive, before cautiously speaking.
"I'm a little concerned about that, too. I think I should return to the Magic Tower and search for the relevant ancient text."
Magic Tower Lord forced a smile and added,
"Considering Zelda's rapid recovery and good condition, I suspect there will be no negative effects. I hope so."
"Yes, it won't be a problem. That's my feeling."
Truthfully, I wasn't certain.
After the Incarnation Sword stabbed me in the heart, the heat that had been building up in my heart began to spread throughout my body.
Finally, the heat settled and settled in my stomach.
It couldn't possibly have affected the baby...
Before I could fully rejoice in the pregnancy, a huge lump of worry settled on my chest.
"For now, please rest. If I find out anything related to this..."
"Please let me know right away. Even if it's dawn."
"Yes, of course."
"Thank you so much. For all your hard work."
I spoke sincerely to the Magic Tower Master, and he shook his head and smiled.
"I'll go to the Magic Tower right now and check. Please return to your quarters and rest. Everything will be fine."
Yes, everything will be fine!
Even though I knew he was trying to comfort me, I relied on the Magic Tower Master's words.
"Oh my, who is this...?"
Emperor Adrian approached Joseph and spoke.
He had been briefed on everything that had happened in the Lapion Empire by his attendants and Empress Elan, but he had heard nothing about Archduke Joseph.
Emperor Adrian looked at Elan beside him.
She, too, had never seen Emperor Linel's younger brother before.
At first, she hadn't suspected Joseph, sitting alone by the lakeside, eating a sandwich.
However, she sensed a wyvern's presence, and as she approached, feeling something strange, she saw Joseph's face, trapped in the cursed ice.
How on earth did he emerge from the cursed ice?
And what was the strong wyvern energy surrounding Joseph?
She could clearly sense the wyvern's chattering, but couldn't pinpoint its exact location.
Emperor Adrian repeatedly tried to speak to him in the wyvern's language, but received no response.
"Grand Duke Joseph, haven't you learned how to behave when you meet an Emperor from another country?"
What Magic Tower Lord had just said didn't register at all.
"It seems you're having a baby."
Magic Tower Lord, who had been checking my body's energy, also looked bewildered.
"Oh my! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
Only Sharon was jumping for joy.
Seeing Sharon, tears welling up in her eyes, reality finally began to sink in.
I lowered my head and looked down at my belly.
The warmth I'd felt since morning was still there, but I didn't feel pregnant at all...
"When did I get pregnant...?"
Magic Tower Lord replied to my mumbling,
"It seems to be recent."
Oh, I had my period just a month ago.
So the baby was likely conceived after I met Linel again in the Lapion Empire.
"Considering that I can sense an energy I didn't sense yesterday, it must be very recent. First of all, congratulations."
"First of all"?
Moreover, the Magic Tower Lord's voice, congratulating me, seemed somewhat drained.
His grateful and joyful feelings were fleeting, but a worry suddenly surfaced in my mind.
"After the child was born, the imprint with the Incarnation Sword was formed. Will that affect the child?"
If there was an effect, it would be for good or for bad, and I had no way of knowing.
Looking at Magic Tower Lord's eyes, I suspected his expression was probably stiff because of that very issue.
Sharon, who had been smiling happily beside me, also began to darken rapidly.
Magic Tower Lord paused, his face pensive, before cautiously speaking.
"I'm a little concerned about that, too. I think I should return to the Magic Tower and search for the relevant ancient text."
Magic Tower Lord forced a smile and added,
"Considering Zelda's rapid recovery and good condition, I suspect there will be no negative effects. I hope so."
"Yes, it won't be a problem. That's my feeling."
Truthfully, I wasn't certain.
After the Incarnation Sword stabbed me in the heart, the heat that had been building up in my heart began to spread throughout my body.
Finally, the heat settled and settled in my stomach.
It couldn't possibly have affected the baby...
Before I could fully rejoice in the pregnancy, a huge lump of worry settled on my chest.
"For now, please rest. If I find out anything related to this..."
"Please let me know right away. Even if it's dawn."
"Yes, of course."
"Thank you so much. For all your hard work."
I spoke sincerely to the Magic Tower Master, and he shook his head and smiled.
"I'll go to the Magic Tower right now and check. Please return to your quarters and rest. Everything will be fine."
Yes, everything will be fine!
Even though I knew he was trying to comfort me, I relied on the Magic Tower Master's words.
***
"Oh my, who is this...?"
Emperor Adrian approached Joseph and spoke.
He had been briefed on everything that had happened in the Lapion Empire by his attendants and Empress Elan, but he had heard nothing about Archduke Joseph.
Emperor Adrian looked at Elan beside him.
She, too, had never seen Emperor Linel's younger brother before.
At first, she hadn't suspected Joseph, sitting alone by the lakeside, eating a sandwich.
However, she sensed a wyvern's presence, and as she approached, feeling something strange, she saw Joseph's face, trapped in the cursed ice.
How on earth did he emerge from the cursed ice?
And what was the strong wyvern energy surrounding Joseph?
She could clearly sense the wyvern's chattering, but couldn't pinpoint its exact location.
Emperor Adrian repeatedly tried to speak to him in the wyvern's language, but received no response.
"Grand Duke Joseph, haven't you learned how to behave when you meet an Emperor from another country?"
Emperor Adrian scolded Joseph, his expression visibly terrified.
Empress Elan, watching from the side, furtively cast a glance at Emperor Adrian.
Empress Elan recalled the conversation she had with Zelda while Emperor Adrian lay in his hospital bed.
For now, she arranged to stay by Zelda's side, pretending to report to Emperor Adrian on her every move.
She had just received word from Commander Macrom and the Master of the Tower the previous night that the Incarnation Sword had been imprinted on Zelda.
Zelda told Empress Elan that if Emperor Adrian woke up, she should inform him of Prince Tesla's attack on her.
Empress Elan added that she was unsure whether the sword in her heart was the true Avatar Sword, as Zelda had instructed, but Emperor Adrian was certain that the Avatar Sword belonged to Zelda.
Emperor Adrian was also one of those who wanted to obtain the Avatar Sword.
Therefore, it felt easier for Emperor Adrian to have the Avatar Sword in Zelda's hands than in Roxana, who was difficult to approach due to her tight security.
While the Avatar Sword could be obtained through Prince Tesla or Roxana, the problem was the little boy, Grand Duke Joseph, who knew his true identity.
Emperor Adrian whispered in Joseph's ear.
“Even if you told Emperor Linel who I am, no one would believe you, seeing as my appearance has changed so much. And the moment the Grand Duke tells anyone about my true identity, you’ll be trapped in the cursed ice again. I’ve already planned that.”
Joseph rolled his eyes, oppressed by Emperor Adrian’s aura, and the threat of being trapped in the cursed ice again nearly took his breath away.
He didn’t want to be trapped in the cursed ice again.
“I-I won’t tell anyone!”
“Hehehe, that’s why innocent children are easy to deal with.”
Emperor Adrian patted Joseph’s head, who believed his lies so completely.
What should I do with you from now on...?
Emperor Adrian looked at Joseph and let out a cowardly laugh.
Joseph trembled with fear.
He felt the chill of the ice curse that had chilled him to his bones.
“Anyway, how did you get out of the cursed ice?”
Emperor Adrian narrowed his eyes and pressed him.
“It, it just cracked...”
Joseph vowed never to mention that the ice had begun to crack after Zelda’s visit. He felt that saying so would put Zelda in danger.
“Then how are the wyverns with the Grand Duke?”
“...I, I don’t know. I’ve never even spoken to them.”
Joseph flinched at the mention of wyverns. Seeing the young Joseph’s surprised expression at the casually hinted story, Emperor Adrian immediately saw through Joseph’s lie.
A child’s lies couldn’t fool the sly one.
In that case, he had no choice but to threaten again.
Emperor Adrian drew closer to Joseph.
“Come to think of it, your body temperature has risen quite a bit. I’ll have to restore it to the temperature it was trapped in the cursed ice. Only then will you be honest.”
“Your Majesty, you don’t have to...”
Empress Elan tried to stop him from the side, but Emperor Adrian couldn't hear her. Joseph shook his head and took a step back.
As Emperor Adrian tried to raise his left hand, pigeon droppings fell onto the back of his hand.
"...What is this!"
Emperor Adrian's face crumpled, and he looked up at the sky.
Moiya, transformed into a pigeon, hovered over the silver hairtail's head before flying towards the main palace.
This time, Moni's droppings, now in the form of a sparrow, landed squarely on the center of the silver hairtail's forehead and flowed down the bridge of his nose.
"What the hell, what the hell is this!"
Emperor Adrian cursed at the continuous stream of bird droppings, but then felt a strong wyvern's energy and threw his head back completely.
He stared intently at the pigeons and sparrows circling above him.
"Could those be... wyverns?"
Empress Elan, standing beside him, quickly blurted out.
"H-How could that be?"
"No. Those two must be wyverns. Hah, two wyverns in the Lapion Empire? Does Empress Zelda own both of them?"
If so, it would be a disaster.
The wyverns in the Principality of Aklatto would soon be relocating to the Valley of Death. That meant countless wyverns would settle near the Lapion Empire.
If Zelda, with her fire powers, could control wyverns, the continent would likely fall into the Lapion Empire's hands.
'If I can't obtain the Incarnation Sword and control wyverns, I'll have to get rid of that bitch Zelda. That way, I can continue to hide my identity and live as the Emperor of the Tebello Empire.'
"What is your relationship with wyverns, Grand Duke?"
Emperor Adrian bent down and asked Joseph.
Joseph barely managed to speak, trembling.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about. I was just eating a sandwich."
“Oh my, you can’t lie like that anymore.”
Emperor Adrian grabbed Joseph's shoulders and whispered softly.
Joseph finally burst into tears.
"Has my brother done something wrong?"
Linel's voice came from behind Emperor Adrian.
A dove continued to circle above Emperor Linel's head, and Emperor Adrian tilted his head, glancing back and forth between Linel and the dove.
Joseph, involuntarily, ran toward his brother.
"Your Majesty!"
Linel asked quietly, lowering himself to Joseph's level.
"Have you done something wrong to the Emperor of the Tebello Empire?"
"Oh, I was a little rude..."
Joseph replied timidly, watching Emperor Adrian's expression.
"If my brother has been rude in any way, please forgive him. He has been very ill recently."
Linel looked back and forth between Joseph and Emperor Adrian before offering an apology.
“Hahaha, don’t get me wrong, Your Majesty. We were just having a conversation, weren’t we, Grand Duke?”
Emperor Adrian winked at Joseph.
“Yes, that’s right...”
Joseph forced himself to reply and hid behind Linel.
After returning to his quarters from the main palace, I hadn’t felt at ease for a moment.
The news of my pregnancy had made me feel elated, but whenever my heart would pound, anxiety would creep back in.
‘I hope the imprint with the Incarnation Sword won’t have any negative effects on the baby...’
I clasped my hands and prayed fervently whenever I had a chance.
“Lady Zelda. Why are you standing there so restlessly?”
I hadn’t even noticed Linel entering the bedroom, and when I saw his face, my anxiety vanished.
I felt like everything would be okay if he said it was okay.
“Linel. I have something to tell you.”
I took both of his hands and sat down on the bed with him.
“I have something to hear, don’t I? I’ll hear that first. What did the Magic Tower Master say?”
“Not tonight.”
“Why? He said I shouldn’t push myself too hard yet.”
He immediately showed his disappointment.
“No, it’s because of the baby.”
“... Yes?”
“We’re having a baby.”
I took his hand and placed it on my stomach.
“I’m pregnant.”
“...Zelda! Is that true? There’s a baby here? Really?!”
Linel picked me up and sat me down on the bed. He knelt down next to me, his ears pressed against my stomach, his voice growing excited.
Then he kissed my stomach and hugged me tightly.
“Oh, so you’re telling me to be careful because it’s still early?”
He asked, caressing my face.
His eyes were already moist.
I slowly shook my head and opened my mouth.
“Yesterday, I did the Incarnation Sword and the imprint... I’m worried that it might harm the baby.”
I told him about the heat in my stomach and the conversation I had with Magic Tower Lord that afternoon.
“Hmm...”
His bright smile slowly grew heavy.
“Just as the Magic Tower Master said, your health is fine, so you’ll be fine.”
He tried to reassure me, hugging me, but I could feel his heart beating rapidly, as if he were anxious.
“Zelda, you’re strong. So the baby will be strong too.”
“Yes, but I’m a little scared...”
I felt even more anxious and fearful than before I imprinted with the Incarnation Sword.
“For now, don’t think about anything and just rest.”
He lay me down on the bed and stroked my belly with his hand.
“Oh, if I touch your belly, it’ll be too cold, won’t the baby like it?”
He immediately withdrew his hand with an apologetic look.
“No, it’s actually comfortable and nice.”
I took his hand and brought it back to my belly.
Strangely, my belly felt more comfortable under his touch.
Knock, knock.
Just then, there was a knock on the bedroom door, and it opened.
“The Magic Tower Master wishes to see you.”
Sharon’s words sent a surge of tension through me.
“Bring him in.”
Linel and I both took deep breaths as we greeted the Magic Tower Master.
“Oh, so His Majesty is here too.”
Magic Tower Lord, who entered the bedroom, greeted him.
"Have you found out what happens if you are imprinted with the Incarnation Sword while pregnant?"
I asked him in a trembling voice.
"Yes, the safety of the unborn child is entirely up to Your Majesty."
It's not me, it's him?
At Magic Tower Lord's unexpected words, I turned to Linel.
He asked Magic Tower Lord with a solemn expression,
"Tell me... what should I do?"
Empress Elan, watching from the side, furtively cast a glance at Emperor Adrian.
Empress Elan recalled the conversation she had with Zelda while Emperor Adrian lay in his hospital bed.
For now, she arranged to stay by Zelda's side, pretending to report to Emperor Adrian on her every move.
She had just received word from Commander Macrom and the Master of the Tower the previous night that the Incarnation Sword had been imprinted on Zelda.
Zelda told Empress Elan that if Emperor Adrian woke up, she should inform him of Prince Tesla's attack on her.
Empress Elan added that she was unsure whether the sword in her heart was the true Avatar Sword, as Zelda had instructed, but Emperor Adrian was certain that the Avatar Sword belonged to Zelda.
Emperor Adrian was also one of those who wanted to obtain the Avatar Sword.
Therefore, it felt easier for Emperor Adrian to have the Avatar Sword in Zelda's hands than in Roxana, who was difficult to approach due to her tight security.
While the Avatar Sword could be obtained through Prince Tesla or Roxana, the problem was the little boy, Grand Duke Joseph, who knew his true identity.
Emperor Adrian whispered in Joseph's ear.
“Even if you told Emperor Linel who I am, no one would believe you, seeing as my appearance has changed so much. And the moment the Grand Duke tells anyone about my true identity, you’ll be trapped in the cursed ice again. I’ve already planned that.”
Joseph rolled his eyes, oppressed by Emperor Adrian’s aura, and the threat of being trapped in the cursed ice again nearly took his breath away.
He didn’t want to be trapped in the cursed ice again.
“I-I won’t tell anyone!”
“Hehehe, that’s why innocent children are easy to deal with.”
Emperor Adrian patted Joseph’s head, who believed his lies so completely.
What should I do with you from now on...?
Emperor Adrian looked at Joseph and let out a cowardly laugh.
Joseph trembled with fear.
He felt the chill of the ice curse that had chilled him to his bones.
“Anyway, how did you get out of the cursed ice?”
Emperor Adrian narrowed his eyes and pressed him.
“It, it just cracked...”
Joseph vowed never to mention that the ice had begun to crack after Zelda’s visit. He felt that saying so would put Zelda in danger.
“Then how are the wyverns with the Grand Duke?”
“...I, I don’t know. I’ve never even spoken to them.”
Joseph flinched at the mention of wyverns. Seeing the young Joseph’s surprised expression at the casually hinted story, Emperor Adrian immediately saw through Joseph’s lie.
A child’s lies couldn’t fool the sly one.
In that case, he had no choice but to threaten again.
Emperor Adrian drew closer to Joseph.
“Come to think of it, your body temperature has risen quite a bit. I’ll have to restore it to the temperature it was trapped in the cursed ice. Only then will you be honest.”
“Your Majesty, you don’t have to...”
Empress Elan tried to stop him from the side, but Emperor Adrian couldn't hear her. Joseph shook his head and took a step back.
As Emperor Adrian tried to raise his left hand, pigeon droppings fell onto the back of his hand.
"...What is this!"
Emperor Adrian's face crumpled, and he looked up at the sky.
Moiya, transformed into a pigeon, hovered over the silver hairtail's head before flying towards the main palace.
This time, Moni's droppings, now in the form of a sparrow, landed squarely on the center of the silver hairtail's forehead and flowed down the bridge of his nose.
"What the hell, what the hell is this!"
Emperor Adrian cursed at the continuous stream of bird droppings, but then felt a strong wyvern's energy and threw his head back completely.
He stared intently at the pigeons and sparrows circling above him.
"Could those be... wyverns?"
Empress Elan, standing beside him, quickly blurted out.
"H-How could that be?"
"No. Those two must be wyverns. Hah, two wyverns in the Lapion Empire? Does Empress Zelda own both of them?"
If so, it would be a disaster.
The wyverns in the Principality of Aklatto would soon be relocating to the Valley of Death. That meant countless wyverns would settle near the Lapion Empire.
If Zelda, with her fire powers, could control wyverns, the continent would likely fall into the Lapion Empire's hands.
'If I can't obtain the Incarnation Sword and control wyverns, I'll have to get rid of that bitch Zelda. That way, I can continue to hide my identity and live as the Emperor of the Tebello Empire.'
"What is your relationship with wyverns, Grand Duke?"
Emperor Adrian bent down and asked Joseph.
Joseph barely managed to speak, trembling.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about. I was just eating a sandwich."
“Oh my, you can’t lie like that anymore.”
Emperor Adrian grabbed Joseph's shoulders and whispered softly.
Joseph finally burst into tears.
"Has my brother done something wrong?"
Linel's voice came from behind Emperor Adrian.
A dove continued to circle above Emperor Linel's head, and Emperor Adrian tilted his head, glancing back and forth between Linel and the dove.
Joseph, involuntarily, ran toward his brother.
"Your Majesty!"
Linel asked quietly, lowering himself to Joseph's level.
"Have you done something wrong to the Emperor of the Tebello Empire?"
"Oh, I was a little rude..."
Joseph replied timidly, watching Emperor Adrian's expression.
"If my brother has been rude in any way, please forgive him. He has been very ill recently."
Linel looked back and forth between Joseph and Emperor Adrian before offering an apology.
“Hahaha, don’t get me wrong, Your Majesty. We were just having a conversation, weren’t we, Grand Duke?”
Emperor Adrian winked at Joseph.
“Yes, that’s right...”
Joseph forced himself to reply and hid behind Linel.
***
After returning to his quarters from the main palace, I hadn’t felt at ease for a moment.
The news of my pregnancy had made me feel elated, but whenever my heart would pound, anxiety would creep back in.
‘I hope the imprint with the Incarnation Sword won’t have any negative effects on the baby...’
I clasped my hands and prayed fervently whenever I had a chance.
“Lady Zelda. Why are you standing there so restlessly?”
I hadn’t even noticed Linel entering the bedroom, and when I saw his face, my anxiety vanished.
I felt like everything would be okay if he said it was okay.
“Linel. I have something to tell you.”
I took both of his hands and sat down on the bed with him.
“I have something to hear, don’t I? I’ll hear that first. What did the Magic Tower Master say?”
“Not tonight.”
“Why? He said I shouldn’t push myself too hard yet.”
He immediately showed his disappointment.
“No, it’s because of the baby.”
“... Yes?”
“We’re having a baby.”
I took his hand and placed it on my stomach.
“I’m pregnant.”
“...Zelda! Is that true? There’s a baby here? Really?!”
Linel picked me up and sat me down on the bed. He knelt down next to me, his ears pressed against my stomach, his voice growing excited.
Then he kissed my stomach and hugged me tightly.
“Oh, so you’re telling me to be careful because it’s still early?”
He asked, caressing my face.
His eyes were already moist.
I slowly shook my head and opened my mouth.
“Yesterday, I did the Incarnation Sword and the imprint... I’m worried that it might harm the baby.”
I told him about the heat in my stomach and the conversation I had with Magic Tower Lord that afternoon.
“Hmm...”
His bright smile slowly grew heavy.
“Just as the Magic Tower Master said, your health is fine, so you’ll be fine.”
He tried to reassure me, hugging me, but I could feel his heart beating rapidly, as if he were anxious.
“Zelda, you’re strong. So the baby will be strong too.”
“Yes, but I’m a little scared...”
I felt even more anxious and fearful than before I imprinted with the Incarnation Sword.
“For now, don’t think about anything and just rest.”
He lay me down on the bed and stroked my belly with his hand.
“Oh, if I touch your belly, it’ll be too cold, won’t the baby like it?”
He immediately withdrew his hand with an apologetic look.
“No, it’s actually comfortable and nice.”
I took his hand and brought it back to my belly.
Strangely, my belly felt more comfortable under his touch.
Knock, knock.
Just then, there was a knock on the bedroom door, and it opened.
“The Magic Tower Master wishes to see you.”
Sharon’s words sent a surge of tension through me.
“Bring him in.”
Linel and I both took deep breaths as we greeted the Magic Tower Master.
“Oh, so His Majesty is here too.”
Magic Tower Lord, who entered the bedroom, greeted him.
"Have you found out what happens if you are imprinted with the Incarnation Sword while pregnant?"
I asked him in a trembling voice.
"Yes, the safety of the unborn child is entirely up to Your Majesty."
It's not me, it's him?
At Magic Tower Lord's unexpected words, I turned to Linel.
He asked Magic Tower Lord with a solemn expression,
"Tell me... what should I do?"
Comments
Post a Comment