"Rood, you're the father. You have to take care of the kids."
As I firmly pushed the pups forward again, Rood let out a sigh and moved his front paws once more. He seemed annoyed right now. Perhaps because we have spent so much time together, I felt like I could see his expression now.
But to think Rood is already a dad. It was something I never even imagined, so it was fascinating. He clung to me so much that I was worried we might never meet a pet wolf, but who knew our honeymoon would give us such an unexpected opportunity?
Come to think of it, everything has always happened at unexpected moments. We might have a child someday, too...
"Your Majesty! You sat on the bare floor again, didn't you?"
I was about to get lost in thought when I looked up at the sound of Anna running towards me, making a fuss. Anna, who had gone to get something to wear because it was windier than expected, was coming back with her hands full of things.
"The floor is so cold! Get up right away. I even brought a chair next to Rood's house just in case, but why are you here..."
"It just happened while I was playing with Rood. It's okay. It's okay."
Anna, who usually stays by my side calmly but becomes suddenly talkative whenever something worries me, stood nearby with an upset look on her face.
"Please sit here quickly. Aren't you cold?"
"Yeah, but what did you bring like that?"
"Ah. The chef packed me a lunch box, saying it might be time to feel a bit hungry. It's a fruit dessert. And this is a snack for the wolves."
Anna handed me a wolf snack and started taking plates out of the basket Maud had prepared. As I looked at the food being set on the table, I began to feel hungry.
"Rood, let's have a snack. The babies, come over here."
I handed out snacks while occasionally stroking their fluffy fur. I looked down at the wolves eating with relish for a moment, then got up from my seat and headed to the table.
"It's blueberries? You already have these?"
"Yes. They say the fruit ripened early this year. However, since it wasn't fully ripe yet, they said they made it into compote."
Anna smiled as she placed blueberry compote on top of the cheesecake. Since Maud often packed snacks like this when our walk was delayed, I enjoyed dessert with Anna with familiarity.
"The color is so beautiful. I was actually craving blueberries... munch."
The moment I carefully scooped it up with a small spoon and brought it to my mouth, instead of a sweet and sour aroma, a subtle fishy smell turned my stomach upside down.
I hurriedly put down my spoon and covered my mouth.
"Your Majesty! Are you alright?"
"Anna, doesn't the compote smell a bit strange?"
"Yes?"
"Surely it's spoiled. Ugh..."
The smell I had just caught lingered at the tip of my nose, making me gag again. I pushed the plate away and turned my head to the side.
“Do you smell it?”
Anna hurriedly cleared the plates as she examined the glass bowl containing the blueberry compote with a serious expression. She brought her nose close enough to the bowl to smell it, then tilted her head slightly.
"It only smells like blueberries... Just in case, I'll take it to the kitchen and ask."
“Ugh.”
I nodded, covering my nose and mouth with a handkerchief. My stomach kept churning, as if the smell I had smelled once had become imprinted.
"You look very pale. I will call the Imperial Physician!"
Normally, I would have let it slide, thinking it was fine since Thierry, who is overly protective of my health, always looks after me, but strangely, I didn't want to dissuade him right now.
I had a feeling that my upset stomach wouldn't settle down easily, so I hurriedly left the place.
***
The foul smell just won't go away. Even after returning to my room, I felt like even the water smelled fishy to this day.
I did not let go of the handkerchief covering my nose and mouth throughout the entire time the imperial physician was examining me.
I thought I might just have indigestion, but the palace physician's expression grew increasingly serious as he examined my pulse. By now, Thierry must have heard that I was being examined, and even though it was almost time for him to burst into the room, the physician acted as if he were checking and rechecking something.
“Why do you do that?”
Unable to bear it any longer, I asked in a low voice, and only then did the Imperial Court Physician flinch and withdraw his hand. However, as he looked up at me, his face lit up.
"Congratulations! You are pregnant!"
"... What?"
"What?"
Thierry's voice overlapped with my blank question. I turned my head and looked toward the door where Thierry was standing.
Thierry, who had suddenly stood tall in front of the door with his heart pounding, looked somewhat bewildered.
"Your Majesty, the Empress is pregnant. Congratulations."
“I’m giving you a reduction.”
As the royal court official bowed, the people who had been frozen in place all bowed their heads in unison.
“I’m... pregnant?”
The congratulatory messages didn't even register in my ears. I blinked repeatedly, then hesitantly lowered my gaze. My hand, having lost its strength, had dropped down and was now touching my stomach.
“Elisha!”
"...Thierry."
Thierry knelt on one knee in front of me and met my gaze. His red eyes flickered like a candle flickering in the wind.
"How are you? Are you feeling okay? You said you weren't feeling well."
"I think it's probably because of the pregnancy."
"Then do you have to keep being in pain?"
The royal physician, glancing around nervously at the furrowed brow and the menacingly low voice, hesitantly stepped forward.
"Ah. I humbly ask for your pardon, but it is difficult to give you an exact answer, as morning sickness can subside within a few days or persist for several weeks. However, there is medicine available that is effective for relieving morning sickness, so taking it should help alleviate it."
"Getting less severe doesn't mean it's completely cured, does it?"
"That..."
“Any other symptoms?”
"Yes?"
" I asked if this was the only symptom.*
"Pregnancy is a mysterious event that allows us to witness the birth of life, but it comes with equally heavy responsibilities and suffering for the expectant mother. You must take good care of your body so that the baby can be born safely, and as the baby grows inside the womb, you will likely experience many other discomforts."
The Royal physician barely managed to finish speaking in a trembling voice, his head still bowed low. It seemed he had summarized the explanation as much as possible, fearing that Thierry's patience would wear out if he went on at length, but Thierry, with a stiff expression, was about to speak, as if determined to dig deeper.
I thought it wouldn't work, so I stopped him from speaking for now.
"The two of us need to talk, so please, everyone, leave."
"Yes! I am very grateful."
Perhaps feeling anxious about the growing silence, a slightly tearful answer was heard. As it was obvious to everyone that he had survived, the imperial court physician and attendants congratulated us once again and fled the room with quick, small steps.
"..."
I checked that the door was closed and looked down at Thierry again.
On Thierry's face, which was filled with worry and anxiety, there was not the slightest trace of the bewilderment he had shown just moments ago. He simply closed his eyes tightly, as if he were angry at the situation where I had to suffer.
His sorrow looked deeper because of the shadow cast along his long eyelashes.
"I was stupid. I should have clearly identified the symptoms beforehand and prepared."
"Why?"
I cupped his cheeks. Beneath his slowly lifted eyelids, the reddish hue I like was revealed.
"Would you have chosen not to have the baby if it meant I had to suffer?"
"Right. From the start, I only need you. No baby."
"Thierry, that's enough."
I covered his lips with my thumb, pressing down firmly. From now on, I'm going to make sure he doesn't say bad things. Even if he doesn't mean it, I'm not the only one hearing it anymore. I need to teach him to keep his mouth shut before the baby grows up.
"I understand how flustered you must be, since we haven't talked about having a child before. Even I, who know a fair amount about pregnancy, feel this way, so I can only imagine how you must feel finding out for the first time."
I slowly stroked my lips and whispered softly.
"I am happy every day I spend with you, too. But I am curious about the future our child will share. Will this baby look like me, like you, or like both of us equally? Aren't you curious too?"
"You're hurting. I'm not curious about a future that can only be obtained through your sacrifice."
"I hate being in pain, too. But hearing that there is a baby here, I strangely feel like I’ve gained the strength to endure. It makes me want to protect it no matter what."
"..."
"Thierry, the baby has already come to find us."
His breath was hot as he squeezed his eyes shut at my words and kissed my finger. I carefully tilted my head and pressed my forehead against his.
" I want you to protect the baby and me."
Previous Next
Comments
Post a Comment