Side Story 24. Absurdity
This pregnancy is absurd.
That was all Bjorn could say about the doctor's words, which he could not believe.
It was impossible. It was something that should not have happened.
“Why?”
Bjorn, who had been staring at the fireplace, turned his narrowed eyes to face the attending doctor.
“Yes? Oh, that’s Prince...”
The doctor gave an awkward laugh and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Since twins are born, they're growing," he said. He had no idea what else he could say.
“Wow, another pair of twins has been born to the royal family, which is a great joy for all of Letzen.”
After much thought, he finally managed to find the right words to mumble.
Twins.
Bjorn, who was repeating the word as if he had heard an unfamiliar foreign language, looked at his wife with a look of astonishment.
“I see.”
Even in the face of this impossible absurdity, Erna was smiling brightly and comfortably.
“See? I told you so. We have two babies.”
Erna's cheeks glowed with joy. This carefree attitude from the very person who had raised the twins until full term and was about to give birth to them further baffled Bjorn.
Bjorn, who had just bitten the doctor, began to pace anxiously in front of the fireplace.
He had no idea.
Even though Erna's stomach was growing too fast, and even though he could sense the two children moving inside her, he tried hard to deny the ominous feeling. It was simply impossible for two children to grow inside that woman.
But in the end, it ended up like this.
Bjorn still looked at Erna with a bewildered, disbelieving gaze. Even in her loose-fitting winter dress, her swollen belly was clearly visible. But aside from that one change, she was still absurdly small and slender.
But twins?
Bjorn sighed deeply and approached Erna again. Their eyes met, and Erna smiled even brighter.
"They're twins. Are they brothers, like you and His Highness the Crown Prince? Or sisters? Brother and sister?"
“Erna.”
“Which one do you like?”
“Erna.”
Bjorn's voice, repeatedly calling his wife's name, gradually grew lower.
“Why are you looking like that? It looks like you’re having two babies, so please be doubly happy.”
“Aren’t you worried about this situation?”
“We already have twins in our womb. What difference does worrying make?”
Erna, who had been lost in thought for a moment, asked back as if it were nothing serious.
“Don’t worry, Bjorn. Her Majesty the Queen has also given birth to twin Princes.”
“My mother isn’t small like you.”
“Could you please stop saying such insulting things?”
“Erna.”
"It's okay."
Erna smiled quietly and took his hand.
“I'm healthy, and my twins are healthy, so we'll be fine.”
Only when he faced Erna, who seemed to be trying to calm a frightened child, did Bjorn realize how pathetic he was. He laughed in frustration, and Erna smiled back. Her young, delicate face, which defied the image of a mother carrying twins, deepened his thoughts.
"I'm talking about twins. How about we call them Bibi and Nana, after our nicknames? We can't just call them baby Dniesters, after all. It's hard to tell them apart."
Even in this absurd situation, Erna seriously pondered something that seemed trivial.
"Oh. If they were brothers, would the babies hate them? I like them because they're cute."
“Let it be as my wife wills.”
Bjorn sighed and checked the time. There was only about an hour left until the meeting he'd postponed to see the doctor. Just then, a knock came from the servant who had arrived to announce their departure.
“Have a nice trip.”
Erna let go of the hand that she was holding and greeted him with a bright face.
“Please bring lots of cookies for Bibi and Nana.”
Entrusting Erna, who was about to leave, to the gatekeeper of Hell, Bjorn walked with a wider stride toward the Grand Duke's residence. Leaving a note asking them to hurry, as time was running out, he boarded the carriage, and a sudden, hollow laugh erupted from his lips.
Twins. Twins!
Bjorn leaned back in the carriage seat, gazing out the window at the winter scenery passing by. Though born and raised as a twin, he never once imagined becoming their father.
Bibi and Nana.
Bjorn, remembering the humiliating nickname Erna had been praising so lovingly, once again forgot the absurdity and laughed.
It would be a pretty cute name if the twins were sisters, but what if they were brothers?
He shuddered briefly at the thought of what it would have been like if those were the names of himself and Leonied. So, he hoped his daughters would be just like their mother.
Bjorn chuckled again and opened the materials for today's meeting that the attendant had placed on the carriage seat.
The absurd baby Dniesters, Bibi, and Nana, are trying to earn a lot of cookies.
Anything became two.
Two cribs. Two toys. Two clothes.
Erna gazed with joy at the twins' newly furnished room. Bjorn had suggested they could use two rooms if necessary, but Erna was much more comfortable with this arrangement. She didn't want to separate the children who were about to grow up together and come into the world together.
Erna put the two pairs of baby socks she'd finished today into each wardrobe. First, Bibi. Second, Nana. As she recalled the order she decided on, a smile escaped her lips.
“Hey! Your Highness, look over there!”
Lisa, who had been quietly following, hurriedly ran to the window. Erna, with slightly slower steps, approached Lisa. Snowflakes were fluttering one by one in the sky, which had been cloudy all day.
“It’s snowing! The first snow of this winter is falling so quickly.”
Erna also let out a small exclamation next to Lisa, who was excited.
The snowfall, which had been gradually growing heavier, soon turned into sleet. Looking down at the winter garden, now blanketed in white, Erna suddenly checked her watch.
“What’s wrong, Your Highness?”
Lisa, who was examining Erna with sharp eyes, asked a question.
"No."
Erna smiled and shook her head.
“It’s nothing.”
It's a little embarrassing to say that she misses her husband, who she saw off just a few hours ago.
After finishing his shower, Bjorn entered the bedroom.
Erna, who had just finished reading the book, lifted her smiling face and looked at him. Their eyes met, and Bjorn smiled back. It was a smile that still made Erna a little embarrassed.
“Don’t close it.”
As Bjorn approached the open curtains of the balcony, Erna shouted urgently.
“I left it open on purpose because I wanted to see your eyes.”
“The cold air is blowing in.”
“That’s okay. This room is so warm it’s almost hot.”
Erna pointed to the roaring flames in the fireplace, the braziers placed throughout, and the hot water bottle on the bed. This seemed convincing enough, and Bjorn approached the bed, leaving the curtains open.
Her physical condition and her day's schedule. The twins' movements.
The conversation they had while sitting side by side on the bed was no different than usual. Today, a brief mention of the first snow that had painted Schwerin white was added.
Bjorn checked the clock on the fireplace mantlepiece and turned off the lamp, signaling the twins' bedtime. It was almost early evening for him, but these days, he usually preferred to sleep with Erna.
As he extended one arm, Erna naturally came into Bjorn's embrace. A silent sigh escaped her lips as he held her slender, soft body, though her stomach was still full.
“Bjorn.”
Erna, who would normally have been sleeping quietly, lifted her head slightly and looked at him. The reason for this was soon revealed by her sudden actions.
Erna kissed him by surprise. It happened without him having time to stop it.
For a moment, he was overcome with a sense of utter awe, but Bjorn soon responded with a gentle smile. His desires were still within his control. He had persisted ever since his wife's pregnancy, and now he was used to them.
Today was no different. Bjorn could control his desires at will. The variable was Erna. It was his wife who had made a completely unexpected provocation.
Erna held onto Bjorn tightly, clinging to him as he tried to retreat. Even when he gave her a troubled smile, she refused to back down.
“Erna.”
"No, I do not want?"
Frightened blue eyes stared at him. Bjorn let out a heated sigh and smiled slightly.
“Is it because my body has changed? Are you afraid it will look ugly?”
Erna's eyes turned red as she pushed him away with a calm hand.
Bjorn, sitting up and leaning back against the head cushion, slowly turned his gaze to the shadows of the sleet drifting through the curtains Erna had opened. A swear word, not a very pleasant one to utter in front of his pregnant wife, escaped his lips with a chuckle.
“If you’re this clueless, then that’s a crime.”
Bjorn roughly ran his hand through Erna's disheveled hair and wiped away the tears from her wet eyes.
“If it was intentional, you’re the devil.”
“Bjorn.”
“Even if I’m a horny little dog, Erna.”
Bjorn shook off Erna's hand, which was holding onto the hem of his clothes with a hint of irritation.
“Surely you wouldn’t do something like that again?”
His voice, trying to control his emotions, was lower than usual.
After having a child, he stopped holding his wife, even after the prescribed time had passed. It was enough to cause the terrible thing that would ruin everything in a fit of lust.
“But, this is okay now, the attending doctor said...”
“Rest, Erna.”
Bjorn cut off his wife's words with a somewhat stiff smile and got out of bed. It seemed he'd have to use his own bedroom today.
The sinful devil, who had been looking bewildered for a while, reached out again just as Bjorn was about to take a step forward.
“If it’s something you really don’t like or find uncomfortable, I won’t force you. But if it’s not, then don’t go.”
Erna, who was holding onto Bjorn's arm, spoke forcefully.
“I forgave you. So, shouldn’t you forgive yourself now?”
The absurd deer's eyes staring at him were excessively straight and clear.
This pregnancy is absurd.
That was all Bjorn could say about the doctor's words, which he could not believe.
It was impossible. It was something that should not have happened.
“Why?”
Bjorn, who had been staring at the fireplace, turned his narrowed eyes to face the attending doctor.
“Yes? Oh, that’s Prince...”
The doctor gave an awkward laugh and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Since twins are born, they're growing," he said. He had no idea what else he could say.
“Wow, another pair of twins has been born to the royal family, which is a great joy for all of Letzen.”
After much thought, he finally managed to find the right words to mumble.
Twins.
Bjorn, who was repeating the word as if he had heard an unfamiliar foreign language, looked at his wife with a look of astonishment.
“I see.”
Even in the face of this impossible absurdity, Erna was smiling brightly and comfortably.
“See? I told you so. We have two babies.”
Erna's cheeks glowed with joy. This carefree attitude from the very person who had raised the twins until full term and was about to give birth to them further baffled Bjorn.
Bjorn, who had just bitten the doctor, began to pace anxiously in front of the fireplace.
He had no idea.
Even though Erna's stomach was growing too fast, and even though he could sense the two children moving inside her, he tried hard to deny the ominous feeling. It was simply impossible for two children to grow inside that woman.
But in the end, it ended up like this.
Bjorn still looked at Erna with a bewildered, disbelieving gaze. Even in her loose-fitting winter dress, her swollen belly was clearly visible. But aside from that one change, she was still absurdly small and slender.
But twins?
Bjorn sighed deeply and approached Erna again. Their eyes met, and Erna smiled even brighter.
"They're twins. Are they brothers, like you and His Highness the Crown Prince? Or sisters? Brother and sister?"
“Erna.”
“Which one do you like?”
“Erna.”
Bjorn's voice, repeatedly calling his wife's name, gradually grew lower.
“Why are you looking like that? It looks like you’re having two babies, so please be doubly happy.”
“Aren’t you worried about this situation?”
“We already have twins in our womb. What difference does worrying make?”
Erna, who had been lost in thought for a moment, asked back as if it were nothing serious.
“Don’t worry, Bjorn. Her Majesty the Queen has also given birth to twin Princes.”
“My mother isn’t small like you.”
“Could you please stop saying such insulting things?”
“Erna.”
"It's okay."
Erna smiled quietly and took his hand.
“I'm healthy, and my twins are healthy, so we'll be fine.”
Only when he faced Erna, who seemed to be trying to calm a frightened child, did Bjorn realize how pathetic he was. He laughed in frustration, and Erna smiled back. Her young, delicate face, which defied the image of a mother carrying twins, deepened his thoughts.
"I'm talking about twins. How about we call them Bibi and Nana, after our nicknames? We can't just call them baby Dniesters, after all. It's hard to tell them apart."
Even in this absurd situation, Erna seriously pondered something that seemed trivial.
"Oh. If they were brothers, would the babies hate them? I like them because they're cute."
“Let it be as my wife wills.”
Bjorn sighed and checked the time. There was only about an hour left until the meeting he'd postponed to see the doctor. Just then, a knock came from the servant who had arrived to announce their departure.
“Have a nice trip.”
Erna let go of the hand that she was holding and greeted him with a bright face.
“Please bring lots of cookies for Bibi and Nana.”
The baby deer, whose greed seemed to have doubled since having twins, waved its tiny hand. Somehow, the urging didn't quite sound like a joke, and Bjorn finally burst out laughing.
Twins. Twins!
Bjorn leaned back in the carriage seat, gazing out the window at the winter scenery passing by. Though born and raised as a twin, he never once imagined becoming their father.
Bibi and Nana.
Bjorn, remembering the humiliating nickname Erna had been praising so lovingly, once again forgot the absurdity and laughed.
It would be a pretty cute name if the twins were sisters, but what if they were brothers?
He shuddered briefly at the thought of what it would have been like if those were the names of himself and Leonied. So, he hoped his daughters would be just like their mother.
Bjorn chuckled again and opened the materials for today's meeting that the attendant had placed on the carriage seat.
The absurd baby Dniesters, Bibi, and Nana, are trying to earn a lot of cookies.
***
Anything became two.
Two cribs. Two toys. Two clothes.
Erna gazed with joy at the twins' newly furnished room. Bjorn had suggested they could use two rooms if necessary, but Erna was much more comfortable with this arrangement. She didn't want to separate the children who were about to grow up together and come into the world together.
Erna put the two pairs of baby socks she'd finished today into each wardrobe. First, Bibi. Second, Nana. As she recalled the order she decided on, a smile escaped her lips.
“Hey! Your Highness, look over there!”
Lisa, who had been quietly following, hurriedly ran to the window. Erna, with slightly slower steps, approached Lisa. Snowflakes were fluttering one by one in the sky, which had been cloudy all day.
“It’s snowing! The first snow of this winter is falling so quickly.”
Erna also let out a small exclamation next to Lisa, who was excited.
The snowfall, which had been gradually growing heavier, soon turned into sleet. Looking down at the winter garden, now blanketed in white, Erna suddenly checked her watch.
“What’s wrong, Your Highness?”
Lisa, who was examining Erna with sharp eyes, asked a question.
"No."
Erna smiled and shook her head.
“It’s nothing.”
It's a little embarrassing to say that she misses her husband, who she saw off just a few hours ago.
***
After finishing his shower, Bjorn entered the bedroom.
Erna, who had just finished reading the book, lifted her smiling face and looked at him. Their eyes met, and Bjorn smiled back. It was a smile that still made Erna a little embarrassed.
“Don’t close it.”
As Bjorn approached the open curtains of the balcony, Erna shouted urgently.
“I left it open on purpose because I wanted to see your eyes.”
“The cold air is blowing in.”
“That’s okay. This room is so warm it’s almost hot.”
Erna pointed to the roaring flames in the fireplace, the braziers placed throughout, and the hot water bottle on the bed. This seemed convincing enough, and Bjorn approached the bed, leaving the curtains open.
Her physical condition and her day's schedule. The twins' movements.
The conversation they had while sitting side by side on the bed was no different than usual. Today, a brief mention of the first snow that had painted Schwerin white was added.
Bjorn checked the clock on the fireplace mantlepiece and turned off the lamp, signaling the twins' bedtime. It was almost early evening for him, but these days, he usually preferred to sleep with Erna.
As he extended one arm, Erna naturally came into Bjorn's embrace. A silent sigh escaped her lips as he held her slender, soft body, though her stomach was still full.
“Bjorn.”
Erna, who would normally have been sleeping quietly, lifted her head slightly and looked at him. The reason for this was soon revealed by her sudden actions.
Erna kissed him by surprise. It happened without him having time to stop it.
For a moment, he was overcome with a sense of utter awe, but Bjorn soon responded with a gentle smile. His desires were still within his control. He had persisted ever since his wife's pregnancy, and now he was used to them.
Today was no different. Bjorn could control his desires at will. The variable was Erna. It was his wife who had made a completely unexpected provocation.
Erna held onto Bjorn tightly, clinging to him as he tried to retreat. Even when he gave her a troubled smile, she refused to back down.
“Erna.”
"No, I do not want?"
Frightened blue eyes stared at him. Bjorn let out a heated sigh and smiled slightly.
“Is it because my body has changed? Are you afraid it will look ugly?”
Erna's eyes turned red as she pushed him away with a calm hand.
Bjorn, sitting up and leaning back against the head cushion, slowly turned his gaze to the shadows of the sleet drifting through the curtains Erna had opened. A swear word, not a very pleasant one to utter in front of his pregnant wife, escaped his lips with a chuckle.
“If you’re this clueless, then that’s a crime.”
Bjorn roughly ran his hand through Erna's disheveled hair and wiped away the tears from her wet eyes.
“If it was intentional, you’re the devil.”
“Bjorn.”
“Even if I’m a horny little dog, Erna.”
Bjorn shook off Erna's hand, which was holding onto the hem of his clothes with a hint of irritation.
“Surely you wouldn’t do something like that again?”
His voice, trying to control his emotions, was lower than usual.
After having a child, he stopped holding his wife, even after the prescribed time had passed. It was enough to cause the terrible thing that would ruin everything in a fit of lust.
“But, this is okay now, the attending doctor said...”
“Rest, Erna.”
Bjorn cut off his wife's words with a somewhat stiff smile and got out of bed. It seemed he'd have to use his own bedroom today.
The sinful devil, who had been looking bewildered for a while, reached out again just as Bjorn was about to take a step forward.
“If it’s something you really don’t like or find uncomfortable, I won’t force you. But if it’s not, then don’t go.”
Erna, who was holding onto Bjorn's arm, spoke forcefully.
“I forgave you. So, shouldn’t you forgive yourself now?”
The absurd deer's eyes staring at him were excessively straight and clear.
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