Side Story 19. Until the Candy Melts
Erna opened her eyes in the ink-colored darkness. Once. And again. With each slow closing and opening, her vision and consciousness gradually cleared.
It's not a dream.
Only after she was certain of this did Erna let out a deep, suppressed breath. She was afraid. She feared that if she opened her eyes, this miraculous day would vanish.
“Hello, Mom Dneister.”
A friendly greeting suddenly came from the clear darkness.
Erna, who was still gently stroking her still-unseen belly and smiling, turned her head toward the source of the voice. The doll next to the pillow caught her eye before Bjorn's, startling her once more.
"What is it?"
Erna sat up and burst into laughter. There was a doll on each side of the pillow. It was a cute teddy bear with soft fur.
While Erna examined the two teddy bears she held in her arms, Bjorn turned on the lamp on the nightstand. The cozy amber light enveloped the two as they gazed at each other.
“Hello, Daddy Dneister too.”
Erna's shy greeting broke the silence.
“Have you heard it already?”
"Yes."
A warm smile spread across Bjorn's face, like a light between them, as he slowly nodded.
“I spent the whole day wondering what to say and how to say it. It was all for nothing.”
Erna's eyes turned red as she smiled brightly.
Don't cry.
She hastily consoled herself.
Don't cry. You promised the baby.
Erna squeezed her eyes shut, her face burning with involuntary heat, and hugged the doll in her arms. Bjorn waited silently there until she could calm her agitated emotions and raise her head to smile again.
“Is this a gift for baby Dniester?”
Erna squeezed her wet eyes shut and then grabbed the doll with her free hand.
"Just."
Bjorn's gaze, wandering through the soft darkness diluted by the light, fell upon his wife's face again.
“I just wanted to buy it.”
Bjorn smiled a little sadly.
That seemed to be the only way to explain his own impulse to head to the toy store, and the feeling he felt the moment he held the same doll he'd burned with his own hands last fall. The journey home with the doll. The longing for the carriage to move faster, just a little faster. And the foolish sight of him leaving it by his sleeping wife's bedside, staring at it blankly.
“Those two are the most popular, but I wasn’t sure which one you’d like better. So I bought them all.”
A brown bear and a white bear. Bjorn examined the two dolls Erna held with warm eyes.
“Choose what you like, Erna.”
“It seems like it would be hard to choose. Can I have both?”
Erna, who had been pondering the matter, carefully embraced both dolls. Bjorn nodded cheerfully, respecting his wife's desire.
“As much as you want.”
Bjorn's eyes, looking at the woman who could give him anything he wanted, fell silent.
As much as he loved Erna, who seemed to possess the world over just two dolls, his regret for the past deepened. Still, he was at a loss as to how to explain this joy, this shameless, this shameless feeling, and his silence only deepened. Erna smiled, as if to say she understood even that abyss, and quietly took his hand.
“Thank you for the gift. The baby is really happy.”
The lips that gave affectionate comfort shone beautifully.
“He also said that there are still many things he wants to receive in the future.”
The same was true of the blue eyes filled with tears.
“Tell me, Erna.”
“Will you listen?”
"Yes."
“Anything?”
“Anything.”
Bjorn firmly promised, clutching his wife's trembling hand. Erna, blinking, her eyes reddened beyond recognition by the deepening darkness, agonized for a long time before finally parting her lips.
“I’ll tell you everything I want to eat. Please buy it all for me.”
Bjorn smiled upon hearing her first wish. "Yes." He gave her another refreshing answer. Erna made a rather serious pledge to herself to eat plenty of delicious fruit, especially peaches.
“We pick out baby items together and decorate the room together. It’s so pretty.”
Even at the second wish, Bjorn smiled. "Yes." As he gave a slightly more affectionate response, his grip on Erna's hand tightened. Erna decided to let go of the sad memory of secretly looking at the baby items she'd carefully collected one by one.
Next, and next.
Erna continued her wish process, stringing beads on a colored thread. It was surprising how much she had been greedy, but she didn't want to stop.
“And Bjorn, for now... could you give me a hug?”
Now, with her eyes filled with Bjorn, tears clearing, Erna smiled brighter than ever. She was placing the finished, beautiful beaded necklace around the neck of the man she loved most in the world.
“I’m so happy, but actually, I’m a little scared.”
The voice that conveyed the sincerity that had been carefully hidden trembled faintly.
Before she saw the doctor and got the confirmation, she was afraid that she might be pregnant, and when she found out that she was pregnant, she was afraid that the same pain would happen again.
"It's okay."
Bjorn smiled, whispering the words that had always been a spell to protect her heart.
"It's okay."
He said this several more times as he hugged Erna, who was looking at him with her arms wide open.
It's okay. Everything will be okay.
Bjorn said it, and Erna believed it.
“If you regret it, tell me. It’s okay to go back.”
Bjorn, glancing out the window, offered calm advice. The carriage carrying the Grand Duke and his wife was already approaching the center of Schwerin.
“No. I want to go. I can go.”
Erna smiled with a determined expression. It was true she was a little nervous, but not so much that it was unbearable.
They decided to choose baby items together.
It was Erna who asked Bjorn, who was planning to invite the vendors to the Grand Duke's residence, to go to the department store herself.
She knew it was a pointless complaint, but she longed for a couple to experience ordinary happiness at least once. She also deeply hoped that people would remember the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Schwerin for that. That was the one thing Erna desired, more than any grandiose praise.
“You secretly enjoy the attention.”
Bjorn smiled mischievously, as if he had seen through her intentions.
“Actually, I think there is that aspect to it.”
Erna readily admitted her vanity and desires. It was against the law to lie in front of the child in her womb. She felt a little embarrassed, but since Bjorn laughed heartily, she decided to accept it as a blessing.
“Are you feeling okay?”
As the department store began to appear across the street, Bjorn's gaze became more serious. Erna smiled again and nodded.
Although somewhat unsettled, Bjorn decided to wait and see. The morning sickness, which had been severe for a while, had subsided this week, and perhaps thanks to that, her complexion had improved significantly. He asked her doctor several times whether going out would be too much, and received the same reassuring answer every time.
Her Highness is in good health.
Repeating those words, which felt even more unrealistic because they were so desperate, Bjorn studied his wife carefully. Erna was wearing a newly tailored yellow dress, tailored to her pregnant body. She'd said it was made loosely to accommodate her growing belly, but aside from a slight change in her waistline, there were no other visible signs.
“If things get tough, just tell me, Erna.”
Bjorn decided to put his worries to rest with another request. He didn't know when he'd bring it up again, but for now, that was it.
As Erna nodded again, the carriage finally stopped.
The street in front of the department store was already crowded with people who had gathered like a swarm upon hearing the news of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Schwerin's procession.
It was a day when it seemed like the whole world was blessing baby Dniester.
The Grand Duchess, who appeared outside Schwerin Palace for the first time since the news of her pregnancy was announced, was greeted with warm curiosity. The crowd was overwhelming, and the place was a bit chaotic, but the guards on standby kept things orderly, preventing any major disruption.
Son! Daughter!
Those who congratulated the pregnancy sent out loud shouts expressing their wishes.
Twins!
Sometimes, the seething desire made the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess flinch.
“I think it was a good decision to come to the department store.”
A heartwarming smile appeared on Erna's face as she chattered away, reminiscing about happy and joyful times. Her rosy cheeks and clear eyes sparkled in the twilight.
Bjorn watched his excited wife with a quiet smile on his face.
There wasn't anything special about it.
They simply strolled leisurely through the department store, browsing baby items. "Would this be good?" "That would be good." They even engaged in some serious discussions over a seemingly unremarkable toy.
Although he could have simply bought everything, Bjorn willingly followed his wife's wishes. The Prince loved his wife. Just as he had done last fall, when he had come to Schwerin to prove it, the crowds that filled the downtown area and department stores were splendid spectators and witnesses to that love.
Wherever they went, they were showered with well-wishes and gifts. Unable to accept them for free, they ended up paying for everything, even buying unnecessary items. But it didn't matter.
It was as the carriage entered the road along the Abbey River that Erna, who had been smiling brightly amidst the evidence of that happiness, suddenly burst into tears.
“People... Bjorn, people don’t hate us.”
Erna buried her face in her hands and began to cry bitterly.
Us.
Knowing full well that he had no room to intervene in the words Erna spoke, Bjorn calmly waited. He gently stroked her shoulders and back, which still looked impossibly thin, trembling slightly in the sunset light. He prayed for the tears, filled with countless emotions, to stop. Meanwhile, the carriage entered the Grand Duke Bridge.
Amidst the beautiful glow of the rosy sunset and the streetlights adorning the bridge, Erna finally stopped crying and raised her head. Even with her face drenched in tears, Erna smiled like the happiest woman in the world.
Bjorn smiled back without asking any questions. Then, with his gloved hand, he took a piece of candy from a pretty glass jar and placed it in Erna's mouth. His wife, who swallowed it while holding back tears, brought a smile to his face again.
Erna, who had been quietly watching Bjorn, offered him a piece of candy. Bjorn obediently opened his mouth and took a bite of the lemon candy his wife carried around to alleviate her morning sickness.
In the warm autumn evening light, the two gazed deeply into each other's eyes and smiled, until the sweet candy on their tongues melted.
Erna opened her eyes in the ink-colored darkness. Once. And again. With each slow closing and opening, her vision and consciousness gradually cleared.
It's not a dream.
Only after she was certain of this did Erna let out a deep, suppressed breath. She was afraid. She feared that if she opened her eyes, this miraculous day would vanish.
“Hello, Mom Dneister.”
A friendly greeting suddenly came from the clear darkness.
Erna, who was still gently stroking her still-unseen belly and smiling, turned her head toward the source of the voice. The doll next to the pillow caught her eye before Bjorn's, startling her once more.
"What is it?"
Erna sat up and burst into laughter. There was a doll on each side of the pillow. It was a cute teddy bear with soft fur.
While Erna examined the two teddy bears she held in her arms, Bjorn turned on the lamp on the nightstand. The cozy amber light enveloped the two as they gazed at each other.
“Hello, Daddy Dneister too.”
Erna's shy greeting broke the silence.
“Have you heard it already?”
"Yes."
A warm smile spread across Bjorn's face, like a light between them, as he slowly nodded.
“I spent the whole day wondering what to say and how to say it. It was all for nothing.”
Erna's eyes turned red as she smiled brightly.
Don't cry.
She hastily consoled herself.
Don't cry. You promised the baby.
Erna squeezed her eyes shut, her face burning with involuntary heat, and hugged the doll in her arms. Bjorn waited silently there until she could calm her agitated emotions and raise her head to smile again.
“Is this a gift for baby Dniester?”
Erna squeezed her wet eyes shut and then grabbed the doll with her free hand.
"Just."
Bjorn's gaze, wandering through the soft darkness diluted by the light, fell upon his wife's face again.
“I just wanted to buy it.”
Bjorn smiled a little sadly.
That seemed to be the only way to explain his own impulse to head to the toy store, and the feeling he felt the moment he held the same doll he'd burned with his own hands last fall. The journey home with the doll. The longing for the carriage to move faster, just a little faster. And the foolish sight of him leaving it by his sleeping wife's bedside, staring at it blankly.
“Those two are the most popular, but I wasn’t sure which one you’d like better. So I bought them all.”
A brown bear and a white bear. Bjorn examined the two dolls Erna held with warm eyes.
“Choose what you like, Erna.”
“It seems like it would be hard to choose. Can I have both?”
Erna, who had been pondering the matter, carefully embraced both dolls. Bjorn nodded cheerfully, respecting his wife's desire.
“As much as you want.”
Bjorn's eyes, looking at the woman who could give him anything he wanted, fell silent.
As much as he loved Erna, who seemed to possess the world over just two dolls, his regret for the past deepened. Still, he was at a loss as to how to explain this joy, this shameless, this shameless feeling, and his silence only deepened. Erna smiled, as if to say she understood even that abyss, and quietly took his hand.
“Thank you for the gift. The baby is really happy.”
The lips that gave affectionate comfort shone beautifully.
“He also said that there are still many things he wants to receive in the future.”
The same was true of the blue eyes filled with tears.
“Tell me, Erna.”
“Will you listen?”
"Yes."
“Anything?”
“Anything.”
Bjorn firmly promised, clutching his wife's trembling hand. Erna, blinking, her eyes reddened beyond recognition by the deepening darkness, agonized for a long time before finally parting her lips.
“I’ll tell you everything I want to eat. Please buy it all for me.”
Bjorn smiled upon hearing her first wish. "Yes." He gave her another refreshing answer. Erna made a rather serious pledge to herself to eat plenty of delicious fruit, especially peaches.
“We pick out baby items together and decorate the room together. It’s so pretty.”
Even at the second wish, Bjorn smiled. "Yes." As he gave a slightly more affectionate response, his grip on Erna's hand tightened. Erna decided to let go of the sad memory of secretly looking at the baby items she'd carefully collected one by one.
Next, and next.
Erna continued her wish process, stringing beads on a colored thread. It was surprising how much she had been greedy, but she didn't want to stop.
“And Bjorn, for now... could you give me a hug?”
Now, with her eyes filled with Bjorn, tears clearing, Erna smiled brighter than ever. She was placing the finished, beautiful beaded necklace around the neck of the man she loved most in the world.
“I’m so happy, but actually, I’m a little scared.”
The voice that conveyed the sincerity that had been carefully hidden trembled faintly.
Before she saw the doctor and got the confirmation, she was afraid that she might be pregnant, and when she found out that she was pregnant, she was afraid that the same pain would happen again.
"It's okay."
Bjorn smiled, whispering the words that had always been a spell to protect her heart.
"It's okay."
He said this several more times as he hugged Erna, who was looking at him with her arms wide open.
It's okay. Everything will be okay.
Bjorn said it, and Erna believed it.
***
“If you regret it, tell me. It’s okay to go back.”
Bjorn, glancing out the window, offered calm advice. The carriage carrying the Grand Duke and his wife was already approaching the center of Schwerin.
“No. I want to go. I can go.”
Erna smiled with a determined expression. It was true she was a little nervous, but not so much that it was unbearable.
They decided to choose baby items together.
It was Erna who asked Bjorn, who was planning to invite the vendors to the Grand Duke's residence, to go to the department store herself.
She knew it was a pointless complaint, but she longed for a couple to experience ordinary happiness at least once. She also deeply hoped that people would remember the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Schwerin for that. That was the one thing Erna desired, more than any grandiose praise.
“You secretly enjoy the attention.”
Bjorn smiled mischievously, as if he had seen through her intentions.
“Actually, I think there is that aspect to it.”
Erna readily admitted her vanity and desires. It was against the law to lie in front of the child in her womb. She felt a little embarrassed, but since Bjorn laughed heartily, she decided to accept it as a blessing.
“Are you feeling okay?”
As the department store began to appear across the street, Bjorn's gaze became more serious. Erna smiled again and nodded.
Although somewhat unsettled, Bjorn decided to wait and see. The morning sickness, which had been severe for a while, had subsided this week, and perhaps thanks to that, her complexion had improved significantly. He asked her doctor several times whether going out would be too much, and received the same reassuring answer every time.
Her Highness is in good health.
Repeating those words, which felt even more unrealistic because they were so desperate, Bjorn studied his wife carefully. Erna was wearing a newly tailored yellow dress, tailored to her pregnant body. She'd said it was made loosely to accommodate her growing belly, but aside from a slight change in her waistline, there were no other visible signs.
“If things get tough, just tell me, Erna.”
Bjorn decided to put his worries to rest with another request. He didn't know when he'd bring it up again, but for now, that was it.
As Erna nodded again, the carriage finally stopped.
The street in front of the department store was already crowded with people who had gathered like a swarm upon hearing the news of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Schwerin's procession.
***
It was a day when it seemed like the whole world was blessing baby Dniester.
The Grand Duchess, who appeared outside Schwerin Palace for the first time since the news of her pregnancy was announced, was greeted with warm curiosity. The crowd was overwhelming, and the place was a bit chaotic, but the guards on standby kept things orderly, preventing any major disruption.
Son! Daughter!
Those who congratulated the pregnancy sent out loud shouts expressing their wishes.
Twins!
Sometimes, the seething desire made the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess flinch.
“I think it was a good decision to come to the department store.”
A heartwarming smile appeared on Erna's face as she chattered away, reminiscing about happy and joyful times. Her rosy cheeks and clear eyes sparkled in the twilight.
Bjorn watched his excited wife with a quiet smile on his face.
There wasn't anything special about it.
They simply strolled leisurely through the department store, browsing baby items. "Would this be good?" "That would be good." They even engaged in some serious discussions over a seemingly unremarkable toy.
Although he could have simply bought everything, Bjorn willingly followed his wife's wishes. The Prince loved his wife. Just as he had done last fall, when he had come to Schwerin to prove it, the crowds that filled the downtown area and department stores were splendid spectators and witnesses to that love.
Wherever they went, they were showered with well-wishes and gifts. Unable to accept them for free, they ended up paying for everything, even buying unnecessary items. But it didn't matter.
It was as the carriage entered the road along the Abbey River that Erna, who had been smiling brightly amidst the evidence of that happiness, suddenly burst into tears.
“People... Bjorn, people don’t hate us.”
Erna buried her face in her hands and began to cry bitterly.
Us.
Knowing full well that he had no room to intervene in the words Erna spoke, Bjorn calmly waited. He gently stroked her shoulders and back, which still looked impossibly thin, trembling slightly in the sunset light. He prayed for the tears, filled with countless emotions, to stop. Meanwhile, the carriage entered the Grand Duke Bridge.
Amidst the beautiful glow of the rosy sunset and the streetlights adorning the bridge, Erna finally stopped crying and raised her head. Even with her face drenched in tears, Erna smiled like the happiest woman in the world.
Bjorn smiled back without asking any questions. Then, with his gloved hand, he took a piece of candy from a pretty glass jar and placed it in Erna's mouth. His wife, who swallowed it while holding back tears, brought a smile to his face again.
Erna, who had been quietly watching Bjorn, offered him a piece of candy. Bjorn obediently opened his mouth and took a bite of the lemon candy his wife carried around to alleviate her morning sickness.
In the warm autumn evening light, the two gazed deeply into each other's eyes and smiled, until the sweet candy on their tongues melted.
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