When I pleaded with a face as if I were dying of pity, Julian finally gave me a hollow laugh and led me to the food stall. I spoke to the owner, my heart pounding with excitement.
“Just two skewers, please.”
“Didn’t you say one bite?”
“You try it too. Doesn’t it look delicious?”
“I’m done.”
“Tch, then I think it’s the baby’s share. Please give me two.”
The owner laughed heartily when I ordered by holding out two fingers.
“Your husband is overprotective. I guess it’s because you're so pretty.”
At the owner's casual tone, I turned to Julian. This was probably the first time in his life he'd ever had such a comfortable conversation with a commoner. Fortunately, Julian didn't do anything.
“I guess he's very worried because this is our first child.”
"Do you think that's just worrying about the baby? The baby is just an excuse. It's all said out of concern for his beautiful wife."
“Really?”
I smiled brightly and looked back at Julian. His expression remained unchanged, but I could tell he was a little embarrassed. I tugged on his sleeve and asked playfully.
"Julian, tell me. Is that true? You wanted to use the baby as an excuse to harass me?"
Julian smiled faintly without answering and handed a gold coin to the owner.
“Give me something else, too.”
It was a sum that was more than enough to buy all the skewers made that day. The owner's mouth dropped open, and he hurriedly wrapped up the food. Even I was startled, and after walking away from the stall for a bit, I grabbed Julian's arm.
“Didn’t you tell me not to eat it earlier?”
"Who told you to eat this? I'll have the chef make it exactly like this, so eat it."
I was so dumbfounded that I just started laughing.
“That taste isn’t that taste, idiot.”
“What does that mean?”
“No, that’s fine, because it looks delicious.”
As I said that, I took the one bite of the skewer Julian had allowed me. A spicy, sweet, and stimulating taste lingered on my tongue.
I took another bite, keeping an eye on Julian's reaction. Julian found me funny and eventually burst out laughing. Even with so many people and so much noise, his small laugh resonated vividly in my ears.
It made me so happy that I couldn't help but laugh too.
The few days after returning to the Grand Duke's residence in the capital passed peacefully. What was different was that Julian never left my side. He tried to take care of things that Anna or Marian could have done, and he meticulously watched over every single meal I ate.
Thanks to this, Anna and Marian, with less work to do, would run around looking for a good nanny or head to the kitchen to bake a lavish batch of cakes and cookies. The days were bustling and enjoyable.
But we already knew that this peaceful time was running out.
Marian had brought a bunch of teas from the top of Heira that were good for pregnant women and was savoring them one by one.
“Madam! Madam!”
Anna, who had gone out to get more snacks, came running in, panting. Looking at her pale face, I realized: the moment I'd been waiting for, yet simultaneously hoping would never come, had arrived.
“The Emperor, the Imperial Knights, the knights have arrived!”
Anna's voice was trembling. She, too, knew why the imperial knights had come. I brought the teacup I'd just lifted to my lips and savored a final sip. I smiled at Marian, whose lips were quivering.
"Tell Young Lady Heyra I'm grateful. And if she doesn't betray me, the price will be more than enough."
This wasn't a greeting. It was more like a message. Marian's eyes widened, then she nodded with a determined expression. She helped me up, and I left the room at a leisurely pace. Julian, who had probably run over when he heard the news, stood in front of the room. He took my hand from Marian.
“Julian, you haven’t forgotten your promise to me, have you?”
I didn't think Julian would respond to my words. I knew better than anyone how much he didn't want that promise. But Julian held my hand tightly and said.
“You didn’t forget that I said I would come to rescue you, did you?”
The moment I heard those words, I realized nothing could frighten me. Even if a knife was held to my throat, Julian would come to my rescue in the end. That's why I could smile brightly at him.
“Of course.”
I was escorted down to the Grand Duke's residence by Julian. The Imperial Knights stood firm in the hall, ready to escort me away.
But since Julian and I walked with graceful steps, they seemed more like our escorts than our enemies.
"Grand Duchess Duchzan, listen up. His Majesty the Emperor wishes to hear personally about the battle to subdue the demons of the Riar Plains. Therefore, you are hereby ordered to enter the palace!"
The knight Marker looked more triumphant than before. His words didn't include any threat of arrest or detention. However, the Emperor would never allow me to return to the Grand Duke's residence, having already entered the palace.
But Julian pretended not to hear, faced me, and knelt before me. He then kissed the back of my hand, which he was holding. I smiled at his reverent gesture, and Marker's excitement grew.
“Didn’t you say it was an imperial edict?”
But Julian still looked at me with his beautiful face as if he couldn't hear.
“Layla, I will protect you and the child.”
“I’ll wait.”
I lifted the hand I was holding with Julian, and with that small amount of strength, he rose. Anna, who had been watching us, ran towards me, tears streaming down her face.
“Madam, how can you possibly endure such difficult times with a child in your body?”
“He is a baby who is related to His Majesty the Emperor by blood, so how can this be...”
Marian deliberately brought up the Emperor and glared at the imperial knights. The servants, all of whom knew I was pregnant, were shocked to see the imperial knights barging into the hall.
“Her Highness the Grand Duchess has a child too...”
“It seems like there’s no concrete evidence...”
“She's not the type of person to run away!”
“If you keep doing that, the baby in her stomach might get startled...”
Although they couldn't shout loudly, having received the imperial order, everyone had compassion. Even the slightest exclamation of surprise was clearly audible in the deathly silence of the hall.
Marker's face was troubled. Both Princess Abigail and the Emperor had ordered the capture of Grand Duchess Duchzan, so they had to take her. But in this situation, the so-called Imperial Knights seemed like thugs threatening a pregnant woman.
“I’ll lend you a carriage.”
Julian looked at Marker with a pitiful expression before speaking. It was a casual remark, as if he were doing him a favor.
“This is an interrogation place, but the carriage is...!”
I wanted to say no, but a carriage was already ready in front of the Grand Duke's residence. Unlike the ones usually used at the Grand Duke's residence, it was shabby and didn't even bear the Grand Duke's emblem.
“The child in the Grand Duchess's womb is the successor to the Grand Duke of Duchzan.”
Finally, when Julian added this, Marker could no longer refuse the carriage. He turned around and headed outside. Several knights approached to take me away.
I looked at Julian and slowly let go of his hand. Julian, reluctant to let go, held my hand tightly once more, then slowly relaxed his grip. I smiled to reassure him and followed the knights to the carriage.
The carriage I rode in had a relatively shabby exterior, but the interior was furnished with plush seats, giving me a sense of consideration. Both the exterior and the interior were appropriate for the occasion. In these circumstances, riding in a fancy carriage would have been unpopular.
I sat comfortably, slowly stroking my stomach. Still, I wasn't afraid. The only ones to fear were those who had sinned.
When the knights who had received the imperial order arrived at the Grand Duke's residence, Marker thought that this time, he would finally be able to crush the arrogant Grand Duchess's pride. And, at the same time, he would be able to escape the Princess's threats.
Marker, a knight, killed an imperial knight and stole the reward, becoming a knight. If it were discovered that a mere knight had killed an imperial knight, he wouldn't be able to die a peaceful death.
However, Marker was undetected and had been able to live a smooth life until now. Then, somehow, Princess Abigail found out and began blackmailing him with that crime.
'Convict the Earldom of Winsley of treason. If that doesn't work, at least bring Layla Winsley to the palace.'
That was the condition Princess Abigail had set forth. He wondered why she called her "Layla Winsley" instead of "Grand Duchess Duchzan," but it wasn't the time to ask such a question.
In any case, Marker had done it. He had finally succeeded in transporting the Grand Duchess Duchzan to the imperial palace in that shabby carriage. Even the Grand Duchess Duchzan was helpless in the face of the imperial decree.
From the Grand Duke's residence to the Imperial Palace, he had to cross the main road. Marker rode his healthy horse with a proud demeanor, gazing with admiration at the gazes of the crowd... But there was something strange about those gazes. Marker looked around cautiously.
“Oh my goodness, I heard that Grand Duchess Duchzan is having a baby...”
“So she participated in the battle to subdue the demons while pregnant?”
“And on top of that, she was dragged away by imperial edict...”
“And if she miscarry, it’s all...”
“Hey, you! Don’t make a fuss!”
Marker tightened his grip on the reins. He was clearly taking Grand Duchess Duchzan to the palace as planned, but things didn't seem to be going smoothly.
He glared at the whispering crowd. They quickly dispersed, coughing as if nothing had happened. He wanted to muzzle the people sneaking between the alleys, but there was no way.
Marker had no choice but to move forward, biting his lips so hard that they turned white.
“Just two skewers, please.”
“Didn’t you say one bite?”
“You try it too. Doesn’t it look delicious?”
“I’m done.”
“Tch, then I think it’s the baby’s share. Please give me two.”
The owner laughed heartily when I ordered by holding out two fingers.
“Your husband is overprotective. I guess it’s because you're so pretty.”
At the owner's casual tone, I turned to Julian. This was probably the first time in his life he'd ever had such a comfortable conversation with a commoner. Fortunately, Julian didn't do anything.
“I guess he's very worried because this is our first child.”
"Do you think that's just worrying about the baby? The baby is just an excuse. It's all said out of concern for his beautiful wife."
“Really?”
I smiled brightly and looked back at Julian. His expression remained unchanged, but I could tell he was a little embarrassed. I tugged on his sleeve and asked playfully.
"Julian, tell me. Is that true? You wanted to use the baby as an excuse to harass me?"
Julian smiled faintly without answering and handed a gold coin to the owner.
“Give me something else, too.”
It was a sum that was more than enough to buy all the skewers made that day. The owner's mouth dropped open, and he hurriedly wrapped up the food. Even I was startled, and after walking away from the stall for a bit, I grabbed Julian's arm.
“Didn’t you tell me not to eat it earlier?”
"Who told you to eat this? I'll have the chef make it exactly like this, so eat it."
I was so dumbfounded that I just started laughing.
“That taste isn’t that taste, idiot.”
“What does that mean?”
“No, that’s fine, because it looks delicious.”
As I said that, I took the one bite of the skewer Julian had allowed me. A spicy, sweet, and stimulating taste lingered on my tongue.
I took another bite, keeping an eye on Julian's reaction. Julian found me funny and eventually burst out laughing. Even with so many people and so much noise, his small laugh resonated vividly in my ears.
It made me so happy that I couldn't help but laugh too.
***
The few days after returning to the Grand Duke's residence in the capital passed peacefully. What was different was that Julian never left my side. He tried to take care of things that Anna or Marian could have done, and he meticulously watched over every single meal I ate.
Thanks to this, Anna and Marian, with less work to do, would run around looking for a good nanny or head to the kitchen to bake a lavish batch of cakes and cookies. The days were bustling and enjoyable.
But we already knew that this peaceful time was running out.
Marian had brought a bunch of teas from the top of Heira that were good for pregnant women and was savoring them one by one.
“Madam! Madam!”
Anna, who had gone out to get more snacks, came running in, panting. Looking at her pale face, I realized: the moment I'd been waiting for, yet simultaneously hoping would never come, had arrived.
“The Emperor, the Imperial Knights, the knights have arrived!”
Anna's voice was trembling. She, too, knew why the imperial knights had come. I brought the teacup I'd just lifted to my lips and savored a final sip. I smiled at Marian, whose lips were quivering.
"Tell Young Lady Heyra I'm grateful. And if she doesn't betray me, the price will be more than enough."
This wasn't a greeting. It was more like a message. Marian's eyes widened, then she nodded with a determined expression. She helped me up, and I left the room at a leisurely pace. Julian, who had probably run over when he heard the news, stood in front of the room. He took my hand from Marian.
“Julian, you haven’t forgotten your promise to me, have you?”
I didn't think Julian would respond to my words. I knew better than anyone how much he didn't want that promise. But Julian held my hand tightly and said.
“You didn’t forget that I said I would come to rescue you, did you?”
The moment I heard those words, I realized nothing could frighten me. Even if a knife was held to my throat, Julian would come to my rescue in the end. That's why I could smile brightly at him.
“Of course.”
I was escorted down to the Grand Duke's residence by Julian. The Imperial Knights stood firm in the hall, ready to escort me away.
But since Julian and I walked with graceful steps, they seemed more like our escorts than our enemies.
"Grand Duchess Duchzan, listen up. His Majesty the Emperor wishes to hear personally about the battle to subdue the demons of the Riar Plains. Therefore, you are hereby ordered to enter the palace!"
The knight Marker looked more triumphant than before. His words didn't include any threat of arrest or detention. However, the Emperor would never allow me to return to the Grand Duke's residence, having already entered the palace.
But Julian pretended not to hear, faced me, and knelt before me. He then kissed the back of my hand, which he was holding. I smiled at his reverent gesture, and Marker's excitement grew.
“Didn’t you say it was an imperial edict?”
But Julian still looked at me with his beautiful face as if he couldn't hear.
“Layla, I will protect you and the child.”
“I’ll wait.”
I lifted the hand I was holding with Julian, and with that small amount of strength, he rose. Anna, who had been watching us, ran towards me, tears streaming down her face.
“Madam, how can you possibly endure such difficult times with a child in your body?”
“He is a baby who is related to His Majesty the Emperor by blood, so how can this be...”
Marian deliberately brought up the Emperor and glared at the imperial knights. The servants, all of whom knew I was pregnant, were shocked to see the imperial knights barging into the hall.
“Her Highness the Grand Duchess has a child too...”
“It seems like there’s no concrete evidence...”
“She's not the type of person to run away!”
“If you keep doing that, the baby in her stomach might get startled...”
Although they couldn't shout loudly, having received the imperial order, everyone had compassion. Even the slightest exclamation of surprise was clearly audible in the deathly silence of the hall.
Marker's face was troubled. Both Princess Abigail and the Emperor had ordered the capture of Grand Duchess Duchzan, so they had to take her. But in this situation, the so-called Imperial Knights seemed like thugs threatening a pregnant woman.
“I’ll lend you a carriage.”
Julian looked at Marker with a pitiful expression before speaking. It was a casual remark, as if he were doing him a favor.
“This is an interrogation place, but the carriage is...!”
I wanted to say no, but a carriage was already ready in front of the Grand Duke's residence. Unlike the ones usually used at the Grand Duke's residence, it was shabby and didn't even bear the Grand Duke's emblem.
“The child in the Grand Duchess's womb is the successor to the Grand Duke of Duchzan.”
Finally, when Julian added this, Marker could no longer refuse the carriage. He turned around and headed outside. Several knights approached to take me away.
I looked at Julian and slowly let go of his hand. Julian, reluctant to let go, held my hand tightly once more, then slowly relaxed his grip. I smiled to reassure him and followed the knights to the carriage.
The carriage I rode in had a relatively shabby exterior, but the interior was furnished with plush seats, giving me a sense of consideration. Both the exterior and the interior were appropriate for the occasion. In these circumstances, riding in a fancy carriage would have been unpopular.
I sat comfortably, slowly stroking my stomach. Still, I wasn't afraid. The only ones to fear were those who had sinned.
***
When the knights who had received the imperial order arrived at the Grand Duke's residence, Marker thought that this time, he would finally be able to crush the arrogant Grand Duchess's pride. And, at the same time, he would be able to escape the Princess's threats.
Marker, a knight, killed an imperial knight and stole the reward, becoming a knight. If it were discovered that a mere knight had killed an imperial knight, he wouldn't be able to die a peaceful death.
However, Marker was undetected and had been able to live a smooth life until now. Then, somehow, Princess Abigail found out and began blackmailing him with that crime.
'Convict the Earldom of Winsley of treason. If that doesn't work, at least bring Layla Winsley to the palace.'
That was the condition Princess Abigail had set forth. He wondered why she called her "Layla Winsley" instead of "Grand Duchess Duchzan," but it wasn't the time to ask such a question.
In any case, Marker had done it. He had finally succeeded in transporting the Grand Duchess Duchzan to the imperial palace in that shabby carriage. Even the Grand Duchess Duchzan was helpless in the face of the imperial decree.
From the Grand Duke's residence to the Imperial Palace, he had to cross the main road. Marker rode his healthy horse with a proud demeanor, gazing with admiration at the gazes of the crowd... But there was something strange about those gazes. Marker looked around cautiously.
“Oh my goodness, I heard that Grand Duchess Duchzan is having a baby...”
“So she participated in the battle to subdue the demons while pregnant?”
“And on top of that, she was dragged away by imperial edict...”
“And if she miscarry, it’s all...”
“Hey, you! Don’t make a fuss!”
Marker tightened his grip on the reins. He was clearly taking Grand Duchess Duchzan to the palace as planned, but things didn't seem to be going smoothly.
He glared at the whispering crowd. They quickly dispersed, coughing as if nothing had happened. He wanted to muzzle the people sneaking between the alleys, but there was no way.
Marker had no choice but to move forward, biting his lips so hard that they turned white.
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