I spent a week in this fantasy. It was supposed to be after I'd already begun planning the next subjugation.
If everything had gone as planned, there would still be time until the next subjugation battle, and there would be no reason for Father and Ruin to be so busy.
“What happened?”
I knew that as long as Julian was around, Adam wouldn't be able to open his mouth. It was clear that questioning Adam would yield no results.
I stared at Julian. Then, Julian, who had been staring at me the entire time, averted his gaze. I could tell he wasn't going to tell me.
"All right."
I let out a long sigh, as if I had no other choice. Then, relief washed over Julian's face.
I threw back the covers and slid my feet out of bed. Then, my legs fell limply. Frowning, I grabbed the headboard and tried to get up.
"Stop."
Julian grabbed my hand and waist. It was only a show, but his face was already thick with a complex expression. I smiled shamelessly at him.
“Are you going to tell me?”
The fall was a breeze, Julian said, as if it were inevitable.
“If you go under the covers.”
"Great."
I crawled back into bed like a well-behaved child. Instead of lying down, I sat with my back against the headboard.
Julian still seemed reluctant to talk. I figured it stemmed from overprotection. But I wanted to know everything that was going on here.
"It seems the Imperial Army learned of what happened in Duran Village. But they..."
“Did you really say it was treason?”
Julian nodded.
I clutched the blanket covering my thighs. I remembered the woman who had asked me to name the child in her womb, Layla.
Our actions brought hope to the people of Duran. We were their heroes.
I looked up at Adam. It was a silent plea for him to leave, but Adam came closer to the bed instead.
"I want to hear it too. My sister and Your Highness, the Grand Duke, saved the village, and they simply repeated the names of Winsley and Duchzan. But I need to know why that was turned into treason."
Adam's expression was determined, and he showed no intention of backing down. Come to think of it, there was no reason to keep everything hidden until now. Ultimately, I couldn't kick Adam out.
"Yes. You deserve to hear it too. Princess Abigail must have had a hand in this."
“Are you talking about Her Highness the First Princess?”
"Yes. The Princess has been constantly pressuring us, Count Winsley. The recent fight between the knights was also orchestrated by her."
Adam frowned.
"Why does she go to such lengths? We are simply loyal to the Imperial Family. His Majesty the Emperor must know that. No, perhaps he doesn't know anymore..."
Adam muttered self-deprecatingly.
“What does that mean?”
"The imperial army. They're acting really strangely. The reason we left Lord Melin's castle was because of their absurd behavior."
"Yeah. I've been wondering this for a while now, too. Where on earth am I?"
"This is the largest inn in the Melin Territory. Winsley's army and the soldiers His Highness the Grand Duke brought are all staying here. Even though it's the largest inn, it's cramped, so everyone is having a hard time…."
Adam sighed. His expression was as if the mere thought of it would set off a rage.
"We left Lord Melin's castle after hearing that my sister had encountered the demons in Duran Village. We were a step too late, so we had to return without being able to help. The problem was that when we returned to Lord Melin's castle, the Imperial Army, the Eriant Army, and the Sasha Army refused to accept us."
“They used that as an excuse to rebel?”
"Yes! They took a few of our soldiers! They said they needed them for interrogation. It was the Imperial Army's order, so I couldn't resist. To disobey would be considered treason!"
Adam's breathing became ragged with anger. He was about to slam his fist into the wall, but then he looked at me and lowered his hand.
He seemed concerned because I was a patient. I lightly touched Adam's shoulder, as if to say, "It's okay."
“Adam. Where are your father and Ruin?”
“... They went to ask for the return of the abducted soldiers. It was the Imperial Army's order, so I followed it, but if these innocent soldiers were tortured, I wouldn't be able to sleep soundly for the rest of my life.”
"I see."
The Count of Winsley, including my father, took it for granted. They couldn't have ignored it just because they were inferior.
I wanted to get up right away and go to my father and Ruin. I glanced at Julian, and he shook his head.
“No. If you want to do something, getting healthy comes first.”
"...All right."
I answered listlessly. Adam looked at me blankly and then said.
"I'll tell Father and Ruin that my sister has woken up. They'll be very worried."
"Yes, please. I'm sorry I couldn't be of help at such a crucial time."
“Don’t say that. Rather than that...”
Adam opened his mouth to say something, then shook his head and stopped. Instead of looking at me, he turned to Julian and bowed politely.
“Your Highness, please take good care of my sister.”
Julian nodded briefly. Adam hesitated, as if his feet were unsteady, and only after I waved him off did he leave the room.
After the door closed, I forced a smile. I'd been bothered by Julian's stiff face for a while now.
“I guess Adam was really worried about me.”
But Julian neither agreed nor objected, just staring at me. I shrugged my shoulders for no reason, then straightened them, and looked at Julian.
“Julian was worried about me, too, wasn’t he? That’s why you were upset?”
“Layla.”
“Yes, tell me.”
“I hope you won’t be too surprised by what I’m about to say.”
Julian said, "I hope you're not surprised," but I was actually surprised by his words. It was the first time I'd heard him speak like that.
I wiped the forced smile off my face and revealed my worry.
“What’s going on now? Has Princess Abigail come up with another scheme?”
“No. Not yet.”
"Sure?"
Julian gently took my hand. My heart raced as I watched my hand slip into his large one.
It was amazing how, even in this situation, I could still be thrilled by his every action. It was when I smiled genuinely, not forcedly.
“You are pregnant with our child.”
At those words, my heart felt like it was about to drop.
“...A child?”
“Yeah, child.”
I always wanted to have Julian's child. That's what I always thought. Sylvia was finding a way to lift the curse, and thanks to the magical tools Tien gave me, I wasn't affected by the curse, so I was still healthy.
Nevertheless, when I heard that I was having a child, the first emotion that came to me was fear.
I put my hand on my stomach, but I couldn't feel anything.
“Really?”
I asked incredulously. Julian's expression broke into a heartbreaking expression at my question. I couldn't tell what my expression was, but it was clear that I had hurt him. I hastily lowered my head.
Julian sat down at the head of the bed and hugged my shoulder, then placed his hand over mine, which was resting on my stomach.
"The doctor checked. I thought you might want to double-check, so I did. If you still need to double-check, you can call again."
His voice was affectionate and yet filled with concern. He must have been upset to see me so flustered, yet he was putting me first.
“No... I am pregnant.”
“Didn’t you want it?”
I quickly shook my head at that question. I didn't want him to misunderstand, even if it was just for a little while.
“No, I really wanted to have your child.”
I realized that keeping my fears to myself wasn't consideration, it was selfishness.
At least the man holding me deserved to know what I was thinking and what I was worried about.
"I thought I'd overcome the curse to some extent. Nothing's been resolved yet, but I promised myself that even if I couldn't break it, I wouldn't die in fear like before. At least I'd fight to the end and die. But then I imagined there was a fragile life inside me..."
I leaned my head on Julian's shoulder and spoke honestly.
"I'm scared. What if my child suffers while I'm fighting the curse? And if I lose to the curse, my child..."
“That won’t happen.”
Julian cut through my hesitation, my fear, in one fell swoop.
"I won't let you. I will protect you. I won't let you or the child suffer."
My lips trembled. If Julian said he'd protect me, he would. He wasn't the kind of man to say such things carelessly. Julian would be with me until the very end of this fight.
When I managed to smile, Julian patted me in relief.
"And it's your child. I believe our child will be stronger than anyone else. He'll definitely be a source of strength for you as you move forward."
When I finally heard those words, I felt the fear I had felt the moment I heard the news of my pregnancy dissipate into thin air.
By my side were my precious child and, even more precious and reliable, my husband.
Tears streamed down my cheeks, but I didn't hold them back. Anyone can shed tears of joy in a moving moment.
If everything had gone as planned, there would still be time until the next subjugation battle, and there would be no reason for Father and Ruin to be so busy.
“What happened?”
I knew that as long as Julian was around, Adam wouldn't be able to open his mouth. It was clear that questioning Adam would yield no results.
I stared at Julian. Then, Julian, who had been staring at me the entire time, averted his gaze. I could tell he wasn't going to tell me.
"All right."
I let out a long sigh, as if I had no other choice. Then, relief washed over Julian's face.
I threw back the covers and slid my feet out of bed. Then, my legs fell limply. Frowning, I grabbed the headboard and tried to get up.
"Stop."
Julian grabbed my hand and waist. It was only a show, but his face was already thick with a complex expression. I smiled shamelessly at him.
“Are you going to tell me?”
The fall was a breeze, Julian said, as if it were inevitable.
“If you go under the covers.”
"Great."
I crawled back into bed like a well-behaved child. Instead of lying down, I sat with my back against the headboard.
Julian still seemed reluctant to talk. I figured it stemmed from overprotection. But I wanted to know everything that was going on here.
"It seems the Imperial Army learned of what happened in Duran Village. But they..."
“Did you really say it was treason?”
Julian nodded.
I clutched the blanket covering my thighs. I remembered the woman who had asked me to name the child in her womb, Layla.
Our actions brought hope to the people of Duran. We were their heroes.
I looked up at Adam. It was a silent plea for him to leave, but Adam came closer to the bed instead.
"I want to hear it too. My sister and Your Highness, the Grand Duke, saved the village, and they simply repeated the names of Winsley and Duchzan. But I need to know why that was turned into treason."
Adam's expression was determined, and he showed no intention of backing down. Come to think of it, there was no reason to keep everything hidden until now. Ultimately, I couldn't kick Adam out.
"Yes. You deserve to hear it too. Princess Abigail must have had a hand in this."
“Are you talking about Her Highness the First Princess?”
"Yes. The Princess has been constantly pressuring us, Count Winsley. The recent fight between the knights was also orchestrated by her."
Adam frowned.
"Why does she go to such lengths? We are simply loyal to the Imperial Family. His Majesty the Emperor must know that. No, perhaps he doesn't know anymore..."
Adam muttered self-deprecatingly.
“What does that mean?”
"The imperial army. They're acting really strangely. The reason we left Lord Melin's castle was because of their absurd behavior."
"Yeah. I've been wondering this for a while now, too. Where on earth am I?"
"This is the largest inn in the Melin Territory. Winsley's army and the soldiers His Highness the Grand Duke brought are all staying here. Even though it's the largest inn, it's cramped, so everyone is having a hard time…."
Adam sighed. His expression was as if the mere thought of it would set off a rage.
"We left Lord Melin's castle after hearing that my sister had encountered the demons in Duran Village. We were a step too late, so we had to return without being able to help. The problem was that when we returned to Lord Melin's castle, the Imperial Army, the Eriant Army, and the Sasha Army refused to accept us."
“They used that as an excuse to rebel?”
"Yes! They took a few of our soldiers! They said they needed them for interrogation. It was the Imperial Army's order, so I couldn't resist. To disobey would be considered treason!"
Adam's breathing became ragged with anger. He was about to slam his fist into the wall, but then he looked at me and lowered his hand.
He seemed concerned because I was a patient. I lightly touched Adam's shoulder, as if to say, "It's okay."
“Adam. Where are your father and Ruin?”
“... They went to ask for the return of the abducted soldiers. It was the Imperial Army's order, so I followed it, but if these innocent soldiers were tortured, I wouldn't be able to sleep soundly for the rest of my life.”
"I see."
The Count of Winsley, including my father, took it for granted. They couldn't have ignored it just because they were inferior.
I wanted to get up right away and go to my father and Ruin. I glanced at Julian, and he shook his head.
“No. If you want to do something, getting healthy comes first.”
"...All right."
I answered listlessly. Adam looked at me blankly and then said.
"I'll tell Father and Ruin that my sister has woken up. They'll be very worried."
"Yes, please. I'm sorry I couldn't be of help at such a crucial time."
“Don’t say that. Rather than that...”
Adam opened his mouth to say something, then shook his head and stopped. Instead of looking at me, he turned to Julian and bowed politely.
“Your Highness, please take good care of my sister.”
Julian nodded briefly. Adam hesitated, as if his feet were unsteady, and only after I waved him off did he leave the room.
After the door closed, I forced a smile. I'd been bothered by Julian's stiff face for a while now.
“I guess Adam was really worried about me.”
But Julian neither agreed nor objected, just staring at me. I shrugged my shoulders for no reason, then straightened them, and looked at Julian.
“Julian was worried about me, too, wasn’t he? That’s why you were upset?”
“Layla.”
“Yes, tell me.”
“I hope you won’t be too surprised by what I’m about to say.”
Julian said, "I hope you're not surprised," but I was actually surprised by his words. It was the first time I'd heard him speak like that.
I wiped the forced smile off my face and revealed my worry.
“What’s going on now? Has Princess Abigail come up with another scheme?”
“No. Not yet.”
"Sure?"
Julian gently took my hand. My heart raced as I watched my hand slip into his large one.
It was amazing how, even in this situation, I could still be thrilled by his every action. It was when I smiled genuinely, not forcedly.
“You are pregnant with our child.”
At those words, my heart felt like it was about to drop.
“...A child?”
“Yeah, child.”
I always wanted to have Julian's child. That's what I always thought. Sylvia was finding a way to lift the curse, and thanks to the magical tools Tien gave me, I wasn't affected by the curse, so I was still healthy.
Nevertheless, when I heard that I was having a child, the first emotion that came to me was fear.
I put my hand on my stomach, but I couldn't feel anything.
“Really?”
I asked incredulously. Julian's expression broke into a heartbreaking expression at my question. I couldn't tell what my expression was, but it was clear that I had hurt him. I hastily lowered my head.
Julian sat down at the head of the bed and hugged my shoulder, then placed his hand over mine, which was resting on my stomach.
"The doctor checked. I thought you might want to double-check, so I did. If you still need to double-check, you can call again."
His voice was affectionate and yet filled with concern. He must have been upset to see me so flustered, yet he was putting me first.
“No... I am pregnant.”
“Didn’t you want it?”
I quickly shook my head at that question. I didn't want him to misunderstand, even if it was just for a little while.
“No, I really wanted to have your child.”
I realized that keeping my fears to myself wasn't consideration, it was selfishness.
At least the man holding me deserved to know what I was thinking and what I was worried about.
"I thought I'd overcome the curse to some extent. Nothing's been resolved yet, but I promised myself that even if I couldn't break it, I wouldn't die in fear like before. At least I'd fight to the end and die. But then I imagined there was a fragile life inside me..."
I leaned my head on Julian's shoulder and spoke honestly.
"I'm scared. What if my child suffers while I'm fighting the curse? And if I lose to the curse, my child..."
“That won’t happen.”
Julian cut through my hesitation, my fear, in one fell swoop.
"I won't let you. I will protect you. I won't let you or the child suffer."
My lips trembled. If Julian said he'd protect me, he would. He wasn't the kind of man to say such things carelessly. Julian would be with me until the very end of this fight.
When I managed to smile, Julian patted me in relief.
"And it's your child. I believe our child will be stronger than anyone else. He'll definitely be a source of strength for you as you move forward."
When I finally heard those words, I felt the fear I had felt the moment I heard the news of my pregnancy dissipate into thin air.
By my side were my precious child and, even more precious and reliable, my husband.
Tears streamed down my cheeks, but I didn't hold them back. Anyone can shed tears of joy in a moving moment.
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