< — Peaceful day-to-day life — > (2)
"Ah…Ng…"
The two combined bodies moved to an obscene rhythm. Her slender legs were wrapped around his firm waist and her body shook along with his movements as he moved his waist. Her nasal erotic cries went off and on continuously and his lips continued to greedily devour her entire body.
Sunlight, signaling the time of the day, shone inside the room, lighting up even the corners of the bedroom. Hugo was filled with satisfaction because with the morning light, he could see even the slightest fluctuation in her eyes.
The sensation of his penis buried inside her wet flesh was pleasure in of itself. He took a rough breath and squeezed himself into her. The feeling of her tender flesh clinging to him was thrilling. He rubbed against her roughly and thrust deep inside her.
Her faint seductive cry was mixed with sobs. He knew where her favorite spot was and when he hit that spot strongly, she cried out in pleasure.
Due to the intense sex in the morning, the morning time flew by. Lucia was already tired out from morning exercise and her whole body felt listless, making the day ahead looked gloomy. As the afterplay grew longer, Lucia secretly grew worried.
"No…more. I have to get ready and go out."
He still didn't undo their union and continued to plant kisses all over her body. Lucia pushed his chest with both hands and whined.
"Hugh."
"I hear you."
He kissed her as if giving a finishing touch and the feeling of him pulling out his member was so vivid that she flinched.
"I'll pick you up in the evening."
"It won't be that late. The place is also not far from the mansion."
He came down from the bed without replying and put on his robe.
Lucia looked at him and gave a little sigh. She sat up and picked up her nightgown that was sprawled at her feet. Two or three times a month, if she had an evening schedule, he would always come to pick her up.
It wasn't that she didn't like him coming to pick her up. It really wasn't but….
His hand suddenly grabbed her chin and lifted her face up, catching Lucia by surprise.
"Why do you tell me not to come every time?" (Hugo)
The red eyes that met hers were cold.
"Last time, I definitely said I was going to pick you up, but I was a little late and you came home first. Is there something troublesome to you if I go?" (Hugo)
Lucia could see that he was clearly unhappy so she studied him carefully.
"…it's because of the rumors."(Lucia)
"Rumors?" (Hugo)
Lucia did not attend balls where she wasn't accompanied by her husband, unless it was a special event that she had to attend. She usually didn't go out to events other than social gatherings with simple refreshments, such as tea parties. If there was a rare evening gathering, her husband always came to pick her up.
Due to that, there were rumors slowly going around about the couple. To be more precise, there were rumors aimed at the Duke of Taran. They whispered that the Duke of Taran had delusional jealousy, so he had almost confined the Duchess to their home.
The person rumored about was usually the last to find out so Lucia only heard it for the first time when someone indirectly said it as a joke. She couldn't believe her ears and was completely speechless.
Delusional jealousy?! Confinement?! What sort of ridiculous statement is that?!
Lucia was the type to avoid crowdy venues and events. Which is why she didn't really go to balls, and sometimes when she was late, her husband came to pick her up because he was worried.
"I don't know how you can bluntly say that it's someone else's business."
Looking at Lucia who was trembling from anger, Hugo had an expression that said it wasn't a big deal.
'Confinement, huh.'
He really wanted to if he could. If Lucia could read his mind now, she would be shocked. But Hugo did not make the foolish mistake of revealing his pitch-black thoughts.
Hugo's nerves were on edge due to containing all the men that were leering at his wife. The fact that she was married and her husband had a formidable reputation, did not hinder them from approaching her.
It was not for an enormous purpose, such as a conspiracy to deal with the Duke. It was just that exchanging romantic love letters or having light public dates prevailed in the country. Such things did not count as an affair.
Lucia didn't know any of this, but Hugo had intercepted quite a few attempts to give her flowers or letters. If he had his way, he wanted to pick off all the bastards pestering her, one by one, and crush them. But doing such a thing would truly get him branded as a nut case with delusional jealousy in the high society.
His wife was blooming like a flower in full bloom every day. At first glance, she seemed innocent, then sometimes, like a mature woman, and other times, like a pure girl. It was only natural that eyes were drawn to her, seeing as she was adorned in the finest dresses and jewelry and exuded charm.
Hugo held her neck and kissed her intensely. He took his lips off hers and seeing her misty eyes, he barely managed to suppress his surging desire.
"You're taking your maid, right?"
"I always take my maid with me."
"Two people."
"Yes. I know. Two people."
After the incident at the founding party, Lucia always went around with two maids.
"Don't separate from your guard."
"I got it."
"I may be a little late. I'll be waiting for you. Don't talk to some other guy."
"Oh geez, the nagging."
Lucia burst into laughter.
Chapter 113 [part 1]
< — Peaceful day-to-day life — > (3)
Simply acting like she knew the noblewomen when she talked to them was not an easy task.
"Duchess, have you been well?"
"Countess, it has been a while."
Countess Glenn has been at her parent's home, away from the capital, for a while due to her mother's illness. The Countess' return was either because her mother's illness had gotten better, or because it had gotten worse, and the latter case was more likely.
As expected, when Lucia asked, the Countess replied with a dull smile. Lucia comforted the Countess. And after they were done greeting each other, the Countess introduced the young lady that was standing next to her.
"This is my distant relative from my hometown." (Countess)
As soon as Lucia heard the introduction of Sonia, daughter of Baron Park, her expression stiffened.
'She's that woman.'
The woman who was her husband's wife in her future dream. Lucia vividly remembered the Duchess who went around the social activities with an aloof expression on her face. Lucia did not know that she would meet the woman this soon, so her mind was not prepared at all.
"It is an honor to meet you, Duchess."
She was a young lady with a cute, cheerful smile and curly hair. Sonia smiled shyly, different from how Lucia remembered. Her attitude revealed her inexperience in socializing as her eyes wandered everywhere, fascinated by the luxurious party. It was a huge contrast to the figure that swept through parties and events in Lucia's dream.
Lucia felt like her body had gone stone cold from her fingertips. She had not felt this dreadful when she encountered the Count of Matin. It was in a different future, but it was still a woman whom her husband had personally chosen and married.
There was no way of ever knowing how the relationship between her husband and the Duchess was in her dream. It could have been a simple contract marriage like the rumors claimed, or perhaps they were a closer couple than that.
It was a future that would never come to pass in reality. Even though Lucia knew that, she had a terrible bitter taste in her mouth.
In the carriage that was taking her home, along with her husband who came to pick her up, Lucia's mood continued to be low.
"Did something happen?"
Lucia merely shook her head. She was mad at him for no reason. She felt like if she opened her mouth, she would get irritated at him. There was a part of her that knew that she was in a very strange state. She felt that she would feel better when she got some sleep.
"I'm tired. I will go to bed early."
Hugo left his wife alone for the time being when he saw that she was acting different from usual. He thought to himself that if she continued to be this 'spiky' when she woke up, he would thoroughly dig into why she was like that.
* * *
The surroundings were dark when Lucia opened her eyes. The tears refused to stop flowing and her whole body trembled. He had coldly turned around in front of her and left.
It was a dream, but when she recalled that scene, it felt like a sharp awl was stabbed into her heart and she couldn't breathe. She fumblingly crawled down the bed.
'I have to…I have to see him. Where is he?'
Lucia opened the bedroom door noisily and ran, with only the thought of seeing him on her mind. It felt like someone was calling her but she couldn't hear it properly.
As soon as she opened his office door and rushed in, she found him sitting behind his desk, facing the side. When she saw him turn around with a surprised look on his face, she lost strength in her legs and sank to the floor.
Only then did the breathlessness from running settle down as air flooded into her chest. She pushed against the floor with both hands, her chest heaving up and down as she fought for breath. A large hand caught her by the shoulders and lifted her up.
"What's the matter?"
He approached her in the blink of an eye and his familiar smell gave her relief and a sense of anxiety. Tears suddenly rushed to Lucia's eyes. Hugo's red eyes gazing upon her were greatly shaken. He pulled Lucia into a strong embrace.
"What's wrong, hm?"
It was a soft, soothing voice. Lucia buried her face deep in his chest and her shoulders heaved up and down. Hugo felt her body shaking in his embrace and his complexion stiffened.
"Call the doctor!"
Hugo yelled when he saw the servants standing around not knowing what to do and his irritation soared. Upon not seeing Jerome, he looked for him with his eyes then he remembered that Jerome was momentarily away because he had an issue to deal with. Lucia, who was in his arms, furiously shook her head back and forth. Hugo held her tighter in his arms before speaking.
"I shouldn't call the doctor?"
She nodded without replying. Hugo sighed then he discovered her bare feet and frowned. Even the nightwear she was wearing wasn't very thick.
He gestured for the people gathered around them to leave. Then he hugged her tightly and scooped her up. He sat down on the sofa with her in his arms, covered her with a blanket and gently stroked her hair as she still had her head buried in his chest.
A firm hand was pressed against her back and patting her gently. Feeling the comfortable pressure on her back, Lucia's senses that were half-gone slowly returned. But she just couldn't stop the tears that were flowing again.
Hugo continued to plant kisses on Lucia's eyes and cheeks that were wet with tears. Lucia felt like her chest was in more pain and curled her body. The tears continued to flow. Remnant images of the dream were still in her head and tormenting her.
Don't leave me! Ah, it really hurts![1]
Lucia grasped at her chest with a scream that didn't leave her mouth.
"What exactly is going on? You have to tell me or I won't know, Vivian. Don't cry. Tell me what's wrong."
Hugo's low voice was smeared with worry. After crying continuously with her head buried in his chest, Lucia got exhausted and fell asleep.
Hugo carried his wife to her bedroom and tried to lay her down but he didn't want to remove her hands, which were clutching tightly to his clothes as if she was uneasy.
He instructed the servants to bring his documents up to the bedroom, then he leaned his wife against his chest with one arm, and looked at documents with his other arm.
Translator's Corner:
[1] Literal translation is: [Ah, I really feel like I'll die]. Which in the context basically represents agony so I went with pain but I'm not sure if this is the best translation here. If you got something better, shoot your shot.
< — Peaceful day-to-day life — > (3)
Her body, which was lazily leaning on him, stirred slightly. Lucia slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times as if she was still half asleep. Even though Lucia was aware that her head wasn't on the bed but on his chest, her mind was moving very slow.
Her head was blank, so she lifted her gaze and saw him reading a document. He turned his head and met her gaze. His red eyes were tinged with warmth and he kissed Lucia's lips.
"…I had a strange dream."
"What was the dream about?"
"I ran to your office and…"
Lucia's expression gradually stiffened as she talked. Her running to his office was not a dream. Hugo gave a sigh and put down his documents.
"Before you dreamt of running to my office, did you have a worse dream? What kind of dream was it?"
His gently appeasing tone and voice alleviated the suffocating tension in Lucia's heart.
"…You…"
"Me?"
"…You cheated."
"…"
After saying that, Lucia felt something suddenly surge in her chest.
"You left me. You went to that woman."
Her voice trembled, and tears welled in her eyes. Her vision blurred and when she blinked her eyes, tears slid down her cheeks.
"Vivian."
He licked the trail of her flowing tears and pecked the corner of her eyes. Hugo lay her down on the bed and climbed over her. He leaned his weight on his elbow and looked closely into her eyes.
"I love you." (Hugo)
Lucia experienced a small miracle in which his short phrase instantly pacified her whimsically fluctuating mood.
"Me too…I love you." (Lucia)
"Did I make a mistake that would make you think such a thing?"
"…The woman in the dream had a big bust."
Hugo quietly gazed at his wife whose mutterings was more like her grumbling, then he sighed deeply. If only he could know who exactly told her that he liked busty women; he wanted to grind them to dust.
His liking of a woman's bustiness was not because he had a special preference, it simply meant that he liked breasts because he was a man. Never had another woman come into his eyes nor had he ever looked at their chest.
"I like your breasts."
Her face reddened at his soft whisper and got even redder when his hand wove into her nightwear and squeezed her breasts.
"It's soft, silky and when I touch it a little like this…it stiffens."
He kneaded the mounds of her breast and gently twisted her nipple between his fingers.
"And when I lick it, it's sensitive enough that it trembles."
While holding her breast in a slight grip, revealing them, Hugo circled around her nipple with his tongue then he bit hard on the tip. She flinched in response and cried out.
"I really do love your breasts."
His knee came in between Lucia's legs and his thigh found its way to her private place. Her round eyes were looking at him and her face was dyed redder than ever.
"Honestly, I like this place more."
Hugo caught her squirming wrists with one hand and held them up while his other hand went inside her underwear and rubbed the area between her legs.
Her insides had started to get wet with a moist, sticky liquid and allowed his fingers easy entry.
"It's already so wet. I think I'm the one who should be worried. Because your body is so erotic."
It was embarrassing and shameful. Even though she was annoyed by his taunting words, it sent chills up her spine. His hand holding her wrists had disappeared at some point but it throbbed as if she was still being held down, so she couldn't move.
Her nightwear was rolled up and her underwear was peeled off. His two hands spread her thighs open and she felt him staring at the space between.
"Ah!"
Something hot touched her lower abdomen. His lips kissed her petite entrance and sucked on it. The tip of his tongue burrowed inside. Lucia's waist sprang up of its own accord.
"Ah! Ang…"
His lips moved harder as he sucked the liquid flowing from her body while his tongue slipped in and out of her. Lucia's vision momentarily flickered and her body quivered at the feeling of climax.
He lifted his head and wiped his glossy lips with his hand then he smiled at her. Lucia just couldn't open her eyes to look at him. Her face felt like it was on fire and her heart was pounding so loud that she felt like it could be heard.
Hugo lifted his body and lowered his trousers. His erection sprang free, already standing firm. He held his pulsating member and brought it to her small folds then he pushed his waist forward in one single thrust.
"Hk…"
Lucia's body throbbed intensely. She couldn't breathe because he was too big and the sensation of him filling her to the brim was too much for her.
A sigh mixed with a moan escaped from Hugo's mouth. Even though he was just staying still, he felt like he was going to cum. His wife really had a ridiculous dream. She dreamt that he left this body and fooled around? Nothing could replace this hot, narrow, melting insides of hers.
Hugo began to move his waist and slowly and gradually increased his speed. There were a few things that he needed to deal with urgently, but they had already flown out of his head long ago.
As he felt the stimulation from her insides squirming and squeezing him and listened to her faint moans and erotic cries, blood rushed to his lower abdomen and he felt giddy.
Her hot inner walls were like they were wrapping around his heart. He was engulfed by the feeling of satisfaction beyond physical pleasure.
Lucia was moaning in his arms and had no recollection of things at some point as if she had blanked out.
When she regained her senses, he was embracing her sideways from behind, holding the back of her neck and kissing her. His member which was filling her up from behind, was tender and moving slowly.
He moved subtly, rubbing inside her while her body felt languid and a small moan escaped her lips. His arm that was wrapped around her waist squeezed tighter, and his fingers gripped her breast harder.
"Have you calmed down a little?" (Hugo)
He bit her ear and sucked her earlobe. His lazy but subdued voice sounded very seductive. His hand persistently squeezed and kneaded her chest. Lucia recalled the grumbling she did earlier and nodded with a heated face.
"You know, I feel wronged that I was blamed for what I did in your dream. Is that really how you usually see me?" (Hugo)
"No. I was…being strangely unreasonable. I'm sorry." (Lucia)
After coming around a little, Lucia was very embarrassed by her actions.
She had been ridiculously unreasonable. There was no need for her to be so sensitive after seeing that woman at the charity party. There was also no reason for her to be angry at him. Hadn't she already seen many people's relationships change from how she saw them in the dream? His wife now, was her, not that woman.
"Are you alright? You seem to keep having bad dreams." (Hugo)
"I know, right?"
When Lucia thought about it, her irritation seemed to have also dramatically increased in the span of a few days. Yesterday, she raised her voice at the maid over a small issue. Lucia thought of herself as someone who wasn't whimsical but this kind of sharp changes in mood were rather unsettling. Because it was an issue with her mood and not that she felt sick somewhere, Lucia didn't know whether it should be viewed as something was wrong with her body or not.
"Aa…"
Lucia moaned faintly at the stimulation from him weakly rubbing against her inner walls. With her butt pressed against his thighs, he moved his waist smoothly, without pulling out, as if churning her insides.
The stimulation wasn't fierce enough to be thrilling but it was a sinking feeling like her body had fallen into a swamp.
"I can't believe you don't trust me. I'm quite shocked." (Hugo)
"…I was wrong." (Lucia)
"No. I didn't put enough effort." (Hugo)
Hugo lay her down on her stomach, climbed over her and pressed down on her body.
"I will try harder from now on. Until you trust me."
Realizing the meaning of his so-called effort, Lucia quickly cried out.
"I trust you. I said I trust you!"
She was tormented by him for a while and only after she proclaimed her love and trust for him dozens of times, was she released from complete exhaustion.
Translator's Corner:
[Word of the day] areola: the area around the nipple. (I swear I didn't know this before)
< — The Beginning and the End — > (1)
Lucia was walking through an unknown forest. The forest was dense with towering trees, but the surrounding wasn't dark at all. She treaded barefoot and the soft moss touching the bottom of feet was ticklish.
She walked through the forest like she was bewitched. With every step she took, the dense thicket and branches moved aside, as if making way for her. But she wasn't amazed or fascinated by this. She just kept moving forward.
'Ah…'
Lucia exclaimed, seeing the open space in front of her. It was a space in the shape of a small circle, like a cozy nest. Shallow vegetation that barely passed her ankles was spread out like a carpet. And in the middle of it all was a single tree, standing under the bright sunlight. It shone with a sacred radiance as if it were the only tree in the world.
Lucia approached the tree. Upon drawing nearer, she saw an unfamiliar red fruit, hanging appetizingly from the tree. She couldn't take her eyes away from it because it was so beautiful. She wanted to pluck it and put it in her pocket but couldn't because it looked too precious.
She circled around the tree for a moment then she stretched out her hand to the exceptionally red and beautiful smooth fruit. She took hold of it and pulled. The moment the fruit left the tree and was completely in her hands, bright light suddenly burst out from the fruit.[1]
~
Lucia's eyes flashed open. The view around her was her familiar bedroom, with the morning light seeping in.
'A dream…?'
It was a vivid enough dream that she felt like it was right in front of her eyes. Lucia was captivated by an inexplicably strange feeling on the morning of New Year's Day that for a while, she just lay down on the bed with her eyes open.
* * *
"…ady. Milady."
Lucia opened her eyes. Her maid was standing next to the bed. She willed her heavy-lidded eyes open and asked the maid for the time. It was late in the morning, with only two hours left till noon.
These days, she overslept practically every day. Today, it was three hours past her usual wake-up time. She had a lunch scheduled with the Queen today, so yesterday, she had asked her maid to wake her up if she slept in.
"Shall I bring water for you to wash your face?"
"Mm, sure."
After the maid turned around and left, Lucia stretched while yawning widely.
'Why am I so tired?'
She usually woke up early even if maid didn't wake her up but nowadays when she opened eyes, it was always late in the morning and despite that, she didn't feel like she had slept well. In addition, she had been taking naps for several days in a stretch. The number of times she was sleeping had increased too much so she couldn't think of it as just spring fever due to the changes in season. Moreover, she was not the type to be sensitive to seasons.
Lucia was about to get up from the bed but then she froze, grabbed her stomach and leaned over. She was riddled with sharp stabs of pain in her lower belly as it tightened heavily. The pain quickly disappeared after a while, but Lucia's expression was not good as she straightened up.
Her stomach ached in this manner for the last few days and she had no clue why. The pain didn't last very long but it kept bothering her.
'I should call the doctor once I come back from the palace.'
She didn't have much time to prepare to go to the palace because she woke up late, so calling the doctor was pushed to the afternoon. She didn't think it was really necessary to call the doctor since she wasn't particularly ill, but her husband was very sensitive to her health. If she ignored the symptoms and it grew into something serious, the doctor would lose their job.
'But Anna was a good person.'
After letting go of Anna, Lucia got to experience several doctors and found that not only was Anna capable skill-wise, but she was different from the others in that she was actively trying to treat her patient. The doctors that were brought in afterwards, whether it was in their diagnosing or prescribing medicine, it was obvious that they were trying to play it safe. With these doctors, Lucia maintained a formal, employer-employee relationship, nothing more, nothing less.
While Lucia was changing her clothes after washing up, the maid waiting on her said to her.
"Milady. Before Master left in the morning, he asked for the doctor to be called to take a look at you."
Lucia recalled what he had said to her last night and chuckled.
[I think you've had a slight fever for a few days now. Get looked at tomorrow. You might be coming down with a cold.]
"I'll get looked at as soon as I come back from the palace, tell the doctor that."(Lucia)
"Yes, Milady." (Maid)
Translator's Corner:
[1] I'm sure many of you are like 'wth' for the first part. Although I am not Korean, I'm pretty sure the dream was a 'tae-mong' aka a conception dream. They usually involve fruits.
Chapter 114 [part 2]
< — The Beginning and the End — > (1)
Beth warmly welcomed Lucia into the Queen's Palace. They briefly greeted each other then Lucia asked about Princess Selena, the new princess.
Princess Selena was to be turning one year old in a couple of days. It was widely known that the King would be holding a huge party in celebration of her first birthday.
Unlike the moderate display of affection he showed to his sons, the King coddled his only daughter. Everybody knew how much he cherished his daughter.
"The princess is already getting into trouble, unlike a girl, it makes me worried."
"You're worrying too much. I heard that when they are a child, they have to cause a little trouble to grow up healthy. I was quite the tomboy when I was a child."
"Oh my, you, Duchess? It doesn't seem like that at all. But I feel slightly relieved after hearing what you said, Duchess."
The dishes were placed on the table one by one. Braised rabbit liver in wine was served as an appetizer.
Lucia put a piece of the meat in her mouth, chewed, and her back broke out in cold sweat. The aroma of wine and rabbit liver mixed with the distinct smell of blood made her stomach churn.
Even though it was not a dish that she would usually enjoy eating, it wasn't something that she couldn't eat. She forced herself to eat a bite and rinsed her mouth with juice.
The sweet juice that she usually liked felt too sweet to her. She wanted to drink something sourer. She thought to herself that when she got home she would have a glass of lemon juice. Upon recalling the sour lemon flavor, her appetite returned.
She took a spoonful of the soup that was served after and knit her brows. The smell of onions, unique to onion soup, was nauseating. It had been several days since she ate onion soup because she had asked her servants not to serve it to her as of late.
It wasn't to extent that she couldn't force herself to eat but Lucia could only manage to take three to four more scoops before she placed down her spoon. She picked up the juice, gulping it down to wash away the onion taste in her mouth.
The main course was steak covered with truffles. It seemed that the Queen had paid a lot of attention to the dishes since fine cuisine that Lucia didn't normally eat were served.
Even without putting it in her mouth, the unique smell of the truffles made her feel sick to her stomach.
Lucia endured and ate the steak while drinking juice again. Her hand was busy from start to finish, hurriedly filling up her empty glass of juice. After drinking three glasses of juice, Lucia drank water.
Beth, who was watching Lucia carefully, asked a handmaid to bring some soft bread. Lucia looked at Beth as the maid brought the white bread to her side.
She expressed her thanks to Beth, who was smiling, then she took the bread and bit into it. Thankfully enough, she was able to eat it without any irritation.
After the meal, simple snacks and tea were brought in. It wasn't flower tea which had a strong smell, but a delicate and crispy tea made by boiling the roasted grains.
Lucia took a sip of the tea and felt her stomach calming down.
"I enjoy drinking this tea when my stomach feels uncomfortable. I don't know if it suits Duchess' tastes as well."
"It is very delicious."
Lucia hesitated for a moment then she asked.
"May I know how to make this tea?"
Beth laughed.
"Of course. I will tell you how to make it and bring some prepared ones for you to take back home with you. That said, it seems Duchess has good news."
"Pardon?"
"In the early stage of pregnancy, the smell of food you usually have no problem eating aren't the most pleasant. I suffered a lot because my symptoms were more on the unusual side. I survived on only bread and tea for a while."
When she saw Lucia staring at her in a expression that said she didn't understand, Beth exclaimed in surprised.
"Oh my goodness, you don't seem to know yet. Well, it makes sense. Duchess is young, and it is your first child, so you might not know."
Lucia finally understood what the Queen was talking about. And at the same time, she felt perplexed.
"No. That's not possible."
"Did the doctor say you're not pregnant?"
"No but…"
"Then since we're on this topic, shall I call a palace nurse?[1] It is not easy to diagnose pregnancy in the early stages. The palace nurse that was in charge of me until Selena was born is very skilled in the medical arts. She studied mysterious medicines in other countries and has a long history of experience with pregnant mothers. She checked the pulse on my wrist and discovered my pregnancy."
Lucia didn't stop the Queen from calling the palace nurse. She knew it shouldn't be possible, but she couldn't throw away the strange anticipation in her heart. She kept thinking that the condition of her body was strange. It didn't hurt, nor did she feel ill, but it was obvious to her that something had changed overall.
The palace nurse who arrived upon summon from the Queen was quite advanced in age. The nurse politely asked for permission before taking Lucia's wrist and pressing her fingers against Lucia's pulse for a while.
"I cannot speak with confidence as Duchess is not someone that I usually treat. A woman's pulse changes after she gets pregnant so if I had checked the Duchess' pulse before and after, I could be fully sure, however, I can only say that in this current state, there is a high chance that Duchess is pregnant."
The palace nurse asked Lucia several things about her symptoms. When Lucia was asked about her last menstrual period, she evasively answered that it was roughly last month. She couldn't tell a palace nurse that wasn't her doctor, about her infertility. After hearing about the other additional symptoms that appeared on Lucia's body, the palace nurse nodded her head.
"These are typical early symptoms of pregnancy. There are some whose pregnancy symptoms appear after about two months and there are some who are sensitive, and it may appear at the beginning for them. If you are careful with your body for a while and your next period does not come, I think it is safe to say that you are pregnant."
"Congratulations, Duchess. Duke Taran will be very pleased."
Upon hearing Beth's congratulations, Lucia barely managed to keep her expression under control. She was more confused than joyful. Something that definitely shouldn't happen, happened.
Lucia considered the possibility that the outstandingly skilled palace nurse misdiagnosed. But the situation fit way too perfectly. When you looked at the several changes in Lucia's body as pregnancy symptoms, there was no room for doubt.
Lucia continued to mull it over, even in the carriage heading home. Then suddenly, she recalled the dream she had had over a month ago. Even after she woke up, she felt strange and unlike other dreams which she forgot soon after waking up, the dream of that day was vivid and clear, as if she could still see it now.
Once she got home, she called the doctor and explain her infertility symptoms. She talked about everything, from the changes in her body recently to her body condition and the diagnosis she received from the palace nurse. The doctor tilted her head for a while in thought.[2]
"Milady's symptoms appear to be typical symptoms of pregnancy. If even a palace nurse diagnoses it as such, it must be certain."
"But as I said, I do not menstruate. Doesn't that naturally mean infertility?"
"I cannot conclude that you are infertile because you do not menstruate. Milady experienced your first menstrual period, and a herb intake resulted in a strange anomaly. The human body had the tendency to treat itself. Perhaps Milady was treated on your own."
In Lucia's dream, Philip diagnosed her as infertile. But she couldn't completely rule out the possibility that like the doctor said, her body might have treated itself. After all, in the dream, she never tried to have a child. Additionally, events in the dream didn't always coincide perfectly with reality.
"Congratulations, Milady."
The doctor thought it was rather strange that there were no children between the ducal couple. She hadn't worked in the ducal household for very long but according to the servants, the relationship between the two was not just good, they was so passionate like newlyweds, that there was not a day where the two did not spend a night in the bedroom together. The servants chuckled amongst themselves that their master's bedroom was cold even in the summer.
"Do you…really think that I am with a child?" (Lucia)
The doctor understood the Madam's confused reaction. Expectant mothers usually felt more anxiety than joy at the beginning of their pregnancy; their changes in mood were severe and there were many cases of depression. A pregnant woman needed as much mental care as she did physical care.
Their husband had to help more than anyone else so that the expectant mother's depression could be overcome more easily. The doctor thought to herself that she had to meet with the Duke separately and tell him about the precautions he had to take for the Madam.
"I am almost certain of it." (Doctor)
"Does 'almost' mean that there is a possibility I am not pregnant?" (Lucia)
"Your situation is uncommon, Milady. Pregnancy is usually determined with menstruation. When strange symptoms like these appear on your body with its menstruation-less state, it can seen as pregnancy." (Doctor)
Pregnancy was a common phenomenon but giving a certain diagnosis was quite difficult. Even if pregnancy symptoms appeared at the same time the menstruation stopped, and one's stomach started to get bigger, there was a condition called phantom pregnancy. The doctor didn't say anything about imaginary pregnancy in order not to aggravate the Madam's anxiety.
"Please set your mind at ease first. It would be best to refrain from outdoor activities in the early stages and get plenty of sleep to avoid fatigue. And there is something you must be most careful about, Milady. You have to refrain from bedroom relations."
Lucia came out of her daze upon hearing this and her face turned red.
"At least, definitely not now. Until we are certain that the child is growing up healthily, in other words, until your stomach starts to grow bigger, stimulation is forbidden."
The doctor withdrew, and Lucia lay on the bed, disturbed by all sorts of thoughts. She thought of all the strange symptoms in her body and retraced them, one by one.
'Now that I think about it, I have not had any headaches lately. Has it been a month? No. A month and a half? I don't remember taking any headache medication for almost two months.'
She looked straight at the ceiling from her position on the bed and gently covered her lower belly with her hands. She didn't feel anything. There was no evidence that could be seen with the bare eyes. But when she thought that there was a life growing inside of her, she felt like she was floating.
She didn't know whether it was a good thing or bad since it was not for certain. Despite being unable to throw away her doubts since pregnancy should be impossible for her, the hopes of 'maybe…' were getting bigger. At this rate, if she was told that this was not pregnancy, she might not be able to recover from the shock.
'Even if we say that my infertility was cured by my body on its own like the doctor said, according to what my husband said, I cannot get pregnant.'
She had explained the symptoms of her amenorrhea to the doctor, but she couldn't talk about her husband's secret, that is, the Taran lineage's unusual constitution.
Her husband was no different from sterile. Lucia wasn't a woman of the Taran bloodline that could get pregnant nor did she meet the conditions of being a normal, non-Taran woman that took a special herb from the moment of purity to prepare her body.
Her husband was convinced that he could not give her a child.
[Then it won't be my child][3]
When Lucia recalled what he had said a long time ago when they were in the north, her heart sank with a thud. If he were to say the same thing again after hearing of her pregnancy, she wouldn't just feel sad, it would be very painful. If he doubted her fidelity, she didn't think she could bear it because she would hate him so much.
It was not yet certain if she was pregnant. Lucia wondered if she should tell him, or if she should keep her mouth shut for the time being since she didn't know yet. One train of thought led to another and the worrying led to fear. Lucia lay on the bed, tossing and turning for a while then she fell asleep.
Translator's Corner:
[1] The word used here, is not the word for doctor nor is it the word for imperial doctor. It directly translates to medical practitioner. I also assume it is a she. The author never states the palace nurse's gender.
[2] I assume it is a 'she' here as well and henceforth. Unless I should just use 'they' for the ones with vague genders. My assumption is based on the time period, I doubt the King would let a male in the Queen's quarters, just as I doubt Hugo would let a male into Lucia's bedroom. Except Jerome, I suppose?
[3] Excerpt from Lucia Chapter 27 [part 2]:
Chapter 115 [part 1] < — The Beginning and the End — > (2)
Hugo returned home early today and was greeted by Jerome who came out to meet him. When he heard from Jerome that Lucia took a nap and was still sleeping, he frowned.
"Is she not ill? I am sure I asked for the doctor to see her today."
"The doctor is asking to see you about the Madam."
Hugo immediately went to see the doctor, not bothering to change his clothes first. The doctor was nervous. Unlike the Madam whom she could face with relative comfort, the Duke made her feel nervous every time they met. She didn't know how many times she had felt awed by the fact that these two really different people were married.
"I believe the Madam is pregnant."
Lucia's worry about whether to tell her husband or not was useless. She had completely forgot to tell the doctor not to inform her husband yet.
Since the doctor began working, she had been reporting the Madam's treatment results to the Duke every single time and thought nothing different of it this time as well.
Hugo was momentarily silent as he listened to Jerome, who was beside him and said, 'this is a matter for congratulations', after hearing the good news.
"…What? Pregnant? You mean a child?"
"It is not fully certain, but the Madam's symptoms are showing typical evidence of pregnancy."
The doctor continued to explain that Lucia had gotten diagnosed by a palace nurse at the Royal Palace today, and that her strange symptoms lately were in sync with signs of pregnancy, so the Madam's pregnancy was pretty certain. And Hugo remained silent, listening to the doctor list off things about an expectant mother's psychological state and precautions to take.
"What is the chance that it is not pregnancy?"
The doctor carefully watched the Duke whose reaction was quite different from normal people upon hearing the news that he would become a father. She had heard that when a couple's relationship was too good, there were husbands who didn't look favorably upon the existence of a child, so she thought that maybe that was the case here.
"There is a condition that occurs very rarely, it's called phantom pregnancy. It occurs when a woman desperately wants a child; in this situation, they experience symptoms that are almost similar to that of pregnancy. But like I said, it is very rare. The Madam is not usually saddened or impatient for a child, so I do not think it is applicable here."
Hugo's expression didn't change at all on the outside, but he was actually very flustered. His head was blank as if he had been slammed into out of nowhere and he had no time to think any deeper.
After revealing his family's secret to his wife, his wife had never brought up a child thereafter. So Hugo had pushed it to the other side of his mind as an unimportant issue.
"When can we know for certain that there is a child?"
"The most definitive time period would be about 5 months in, since there is fetal movement around then. I believe the Madam has been pregnant for two months at most."
Hugo frowned slightly. According to the doctor, there was another three months till they could know for sure. That was too long.
"I already informed the Madam about the cautions she needs to take, but you have to be especially careful about bedroom relations. Therefore, bedroom relations are forbidden for the next three months until she reaches a definitive stable period."
"What?!"
Hugo frantically shouted at the doctor.
* * *
When in doubt, assume the worst. It was a principle Hugo kept to whenever he was trying to make a judgement. Saying that he assumed the pregnancy as the worst would be a misunderstanding but basing his thoughts on the premise that the pregnancy was certain, he began to ponder about how a phenomenon that should not occur at all, was possible. He went through everything, one by one.
'My wife said her condition meant she could not have a child.'
His wife said that she could not have a child due to having no menstruation, so she was infertile. And at the same time, she said that she knew the cure so she could treat it at any time.
The question of whether his wife was cured was a secondary issue; in any case, he revamped his premise and based it on his wife being a normal woman that could bear a child. Whether she could bear a child or not, was not the important thing here.
The heart of the problem was Hugo himself, a bizarre lineage of the Taran bloodline.
'You have to consume blood…'
Hugo drummed his fingers on the table and chewed over the words that Philip said a long time ago. At that time, he did not have a hint of doubt in his mind about Philip's words. Back then, his hatred and disgust for his family had reached an extreme, so he thought that the revolting method of ingesting blood that Philip spoke about matched perfectly.
Despite being thorough in everything else, the reason why Hugo didn't re-consider whether Philip really told the truth was because he did not want to even think about it.
'Blood, huh? It even sounds fucking ridiculous.'
Thinking rationally, Hugo analyzed what Philip said back then and the situation at that time.
Philip held his ground, claiming that he couldn't talk about his family's vision then he unexpectedly confessed obediently. Now that Hugo thought about it, it was unlikely that Philip would so easily reveal the secret that wasn't even in the Taran family secret room, and had been protected and passed down in his family for generations.
Philip was a strong-willed old man. It was more like him to offer his neck than truthfully reveal his family's secret.
'So he lied to me. That's what this is.'
There was a cold smile on Hugo's lips.
'The nerve.'
Chapter 115 [part 2] < — The Beginning and the End — > (2)
Hugo was angry and at the same time, he was in disbelief. A forced laugh spilled from his lips. This was a result of his arrogant thinking that a mere doctor wouldn't lie to him and deceive him. If Hugo had judged Philip to have the slight chance of becoming a threat, he would have already killed him.
Even though Philips's family had the only 'vision' that continued the Taran bloodline, they were a family of doctors for generations and only had one perfunctory title. Due to being partners with the Taran family for so long, Philip's family was rather isolated.[1]
Philip had no family and his relationships with people were very shallow. Who knew how many secrets the man had, for he didn't even have an assistant. Due to these factors, Hugo took him lightly as nothing but a doctor.
Keeping Philip alive was a punishment for Hugo himself. Philip was a medium to maximize his guilt towards his late brother and his disgust for himself.
There was also the issue of owing his late brother's life to Philip, so with a grand talk of mercy that he wouldn't take Philip's life personally, he left him alone.
'The old man never knew fear.'
He pretended to be obedient but said everything he wanted to say. And so whenever Hugo met Philip, he always felt like filth. The mere fact that Hugo suppressed all that and endured it, showed that he showed no end of generosity to Philip.
'Why did he lie?'
Hugo threatened Philip that if he didn't tell the truth, he would let him rot in jail. Philip making up a lie to avoid that situation was something plausible for anyone to do.
Looking at it emotionally, it was unscrupulous conduct, but on the logical side, Hugo judged that it was possible. No one would know anyways if Philip lied about a secret that no one else knew the truth to, and the only person who could prove it was Hugo, but because Hugo was immensely averted to it, there was no way of knowing if Philip had told a lie.
'Even if I accept that his lying in that situation is plausible, why did he mention blood, of all things?'
Hugo was on the verge of losing his mind when he captured Philip and dragged him away. His family, everything, nothing was as they seemed, and he was consumed by extreme anger. So when Philip said blood had to be consumed, he believed it like that and while his disgust with the blood flowing within him was magnified, correspondingly, his anger towards his family was pushed down.
So, if Philip had analyzed Hugo's mental state at the time and purposefully told a calculating lie…
'He has to be called cunning and smart.'
Hugo used to only think of him as an annoying old man who talked about the family bloodline every time he opened his mouth. Hugo revised his assessment of Philip.
'He could be a more dangerous bastard than I thought.'
Hugo was well aware that his personality wasn't one to easily relax his vigilance towards people. But in the end, he relaxed his guard with Philip. It meant that Philip was careful in everything in order not to trigger the boundaries of Hugo's vigilance.
'What is the 'vision'? Even if I catch him and ask him again, I don't think the old man will obediently tell me but…that said, I don't care about the vision. The question is, how could she get pregnant? What design did the old man have in this…'
[The day you look for me will come.][2]
Hugo, who was resting his chin on his hand, suddenly lifted his head. The words left by the old man which he had dismissed as nonsense, came around to him with new meaning.
'When we stayed in Roam…'
Hugo remembered Philip attempting to approach his wife by enticing his wife's doctor with a cure. When he thought about it, it was strange. If Philip's purpose was purely to treat a patient, it was enough for him to tell Hugo.
Even though Hugo hated the very sight of Philip, he would definitely not have ignored the implications behind Philip asking to treat his wife as a patient. However, at the time, Philip acted as if he must avoid Hugo's eyes.
'The treatment might have been an excuse. The old man wanted to meet Vivian. Why?'
He didn't know what Philip's family's vision was, other than the fact that it continued the Taran family lineage but considering that Philip had the time to try something with his wife, something didn't add up. Still, the attempt failed. His wife did not meet Philip.
But Philip was a persistent old man. More than anything, Hugo acknowledged the old man's tireless obsession with the Taran bloodline. It was enough reason for him to suspect that Philip didn't give up and continued to pull tricks.
'Is it food?'
On a second thought, it would be hard for Philip to pull anything regarding the food. The food ingredients were thoroughly supervised by Jerome and there was no way Jerome wouldn't know if something suspicious was added inside.
The only possibility was that Jerome was in leagues with Philip. But that possibility was excluded.
Hugo was skeptical about people but once he trusted them, he didn't doubt them until there was confirmed evidence of their betrayal. Actually, rather than saying he trusted people, it was more accurate to say he trusted in the way they handled things that were entrusted to them.
Jerome was meticulous and thorough. Hugo trusted how Jerome handled his work.
'Assuming the old man pulled something, then he predicted its success. He thought my wife would get pregnant.'
[The day you look for me will come.]
'Why did he say that to me?'
If it was Philip's wish that his wife bore a child, his purpose could be achieved even if he kept his mouth shut. Rather, saying that was more like Philip confessing that he had done something to his wife.
'Was he trying to do something to the baby when it's born?'
There would be no instance of Philip's bullshit about Damian's bride being realized, even if the child was born. That was something Philip should also know.
Philip's agenda was not the baby. His wife's surroundings were under impenetrable security. Philip almost lost his life when he snooped around the ducal residence and Hugo heard about it. The old man wasn't someone who would attempt such a reckless thing.
A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
'He's asking to meet, isn't he?'
Hugo smiled icily.
'It sounds like he's calling me.'
Hugo broke out laughing, in spite of himself. It was a laugh filled with thick murderous intent.
"Okay, old man. Let me hear what drivel you're on about."
Hugo called Dean.
"Do you remember the village we used as a base while subjugating barbarians before we hurried back to the capital?"
"Yes, my lord."
"There was a ducal doctor who was staying in the village at the time. Philip. Remember him?"
"Yes, I know who it is."
"I don't know if he's still in that village but if he isn't, search the entire vicinity and drag him here. Bring the old man here at the fastest speed possible, regardless of his circumstances. You only need to spare his life."
Upon receiving his orders, Dean immediately left for the north.
< — The Beginning and the End — >(3)
Lucia slowly got up from the bed, facing the morning sun. She had fallen asleep late in the afternoon as it was getting darker but when she opened her eyes, it was morning.
"Oh my goodness. Did I sleep that long?"
She didn't wake up at any intervals and slept like a rock. She kept on feeling tired lately, but her body didn't feel that refreshed. Rather than feeling sluggish due to the excessive sleep, her head felt light.
Lucia called her maid and asked her to bring water for washing her face.
"Has he left?"
"No. Master is in his office."
Hugo came to the bedroom after hearing that his wife was awake. He arrived just when Lucia was about to change her clothes. Once the maid attending to Lucia discovered Hugo, she bowed her head and withdrew.
Hugo quickly approaching his wife, who was smiling at him, and hugged her. Lucia was taken aback by his sudden action and asked carefully.
"Did you hear…from the doctor?"
"I did."
Hugo had been worried yesterday because he felt she was sleeping for too long. When he concernedly asked if it would be better for her to wake up and eat something, the doctor said:
[It's okay for one day. Milady told me she felt tired these days, so it would be better to allow her to just sleep.]
While holding her sound asleep figure, Hugo could barely sleep all night. Her body had a slight fever, so it felt warm to the touch. Upon recalling the doctor's statement that a mild fever was common early in pregnancy, Hugo tried to assuage his worries.
His mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts, so he ended up not getting a wink of sleep.
"Thanks. And…congratulations."
"…What?"
"…"
Pfft. Lucia burst out laughing.
"Did the doctor tell you to say that?"
"…Mm."
The doctor made a long-winded speech as if she was taking the chance to make up for the past times when she felt inadequate before the Duke. For Hugo, listening to the doctor's prattle was very excruciating, so he momentarily considered changing to a male doctor.
The doctor talked to Hugo about the sensitive mood of an expectant mother and scared him with examples of patients with various and extreme symptoms of depression.
She emphasized that due to their severe changes in mood, pregnant women tended to be more sensitive and could be easily hurt by something minor. Thinking that his own manner of speaking wasn't exactly sweet, Hugo was worried.
[The Madam is currently showing signs of anxiety. At times like this, the husband has to comfort the wife and show your sincerity in welcoming the child.]
He didn't know what to say so he recited it exactly like the doctor had told him to. Lucia lifted her head and cupped his face in her hands.
"Your words have no sincerity."
"…It's not that there's no sincerity, I just honestly don't know what to do. I don't hate it."
"I know what you mean. I'm also like that. It doesn't even feel real. And it may not be pregnancy."
"The palace nurse definitely didn't diagnose wrongly."
Lucia looked into his eyes. It was hard to tell what he was thinking from the neutrality of his gaze. She didn't know whether she should be happy that her husband's reaction was much calmer than she expected or whether she should be worried.
She was glad that he didn't react in worse ways, such as denying it, since her pregnancy should be impossible or refusing that he was the father of the child.
"It is our child." (Lucia)
The look in his eyes turned to that of puzzlement.
"Of course." (Hugo)
Hugo couldn't understand the meaning behind her words. He could not guess that Lucia was concerned that her husband might be suspicious of her fidelity.
Hugo had not thought of that at all. He only thought that his wife was still thinking about when he said that he didn't want a child.
"I've said this before, but if it is your child then I am fine with it. I might be a little out of it because it is unexpected, but I do not hate it. If you're upset then I'm sorry."
"No. I am not upset."
Lucia was very happy. And she was thankful to him.
He did not want to have children for a long time. Even though he said that he was okay with it if it was her child, it was something he said when he assumed that her getting pregnant was impossible.
But now, it had come to the forefront and become reality. And even then, he still said that he would accept the child. It meant that it wasn't just pretty words that he was saying at the time to comfort her.
Lucia felt the anxiety buried deep in her heart melt away. She began to think that everything would be okay. She had a feeling, no, confidence, that when the child was born, he would be a good father.
Hugo looked at his wife for a while as she grinned happily, then he lowered his head and kissed her. Lucia wrapped her arms around his neck and shared a long, deep kiss with him.
"There's a part I can't understand." (Hugo)
"Me too." (Lucia)
How did she become pregnant? Just as she expected, her husband was also wondering about this issue.
"You think so too, right?" (Hugo)
"Yes." (Lucia)
"It was fine yesterday. Why is it forbidden as soon as we find out you're pregnant?"
"…?"
"The doctor must be a quack. I have to ask the palace nurse that diagnosed your pregnancy."
Lucia sensed that what he was saying, and what she was saying, were not in sync. And when she vaguely grasped what he was talking about, her face gradually stiffened.
"What does she mean we can't do it for three months? Is this not a plan to kill me?"
"Are you crazy? You're going to go where, and ask who what?"
Lucia shouted as her face reddened and she hit his chest. Hugo had a shameless expression on his face as if asking what he did wrong. Lucia pushed his chest and removed herself from his embrace.
"Just try it if you dare. You won't get a feet inside this room."
The knowledge that he had to give up on the pleasure of the night was a bombshell of its own, but there was no worse torture than not being able to even touch his wife. Hugo stretched his hand to her again, but his wife shocked him by shaking him off and avoiding his hand.
"You said you were thinking the same thing." (Hugo)
"No! I was thinking about something different. They asked us to be careful because the child could get hurt, so is that so important to you?" (Lucia)
"Hurt? There's no way my child is so weak."
Lucia was done with his dignified bullshit sophistry. She coldly turned around.
"Go and work on what you were working on. I want to rest."
"Sleep, again? You have to eat something."
"I'll eat something later."
"Vivian."
Hugo gazed at his wife, who was lying on the bed, not even responding, then he left the bedroom.
[…psychological state will be very uneasy, there will be extreme mood swings, irritation will increase…]
Hugo sighed when he recalled the contents of the lecture, 'A Study on the Psychological State of a Pregnant Woman,' that the doctor gave him.
His wife was with child. It was beginning to feel a little bit real. The doctor said that they needed more time to know for sure, but from Hugo's standpoint, there was no doubt about it. Otherwise, there was no way his gentle, good-natured wife would change like that.
Translator's Corner:
T/N: I couldn't stop laughing for this one. 10/10.
< — The Beginning and the End — > (3)
Hugo was sleeping but because of the body moving around next to him, he woke up. When he saw Lucia sitting up on the bed, he was surprised and sat up.
"What? Is something wrong?"
"I can't sleep."
"…"
Hugo inwardly thought to himself, 'Well, you slept so much during the day, makes sense sleep won't come.'
It had been three weeks since the day she was diagnosed as pregnant and the time Lucia spent asleep had increased. She slept almost all day. She slept early in the evening, woke up late in the morning and also took a nap in the afternoon. It was a lifestyle drowning in sleep as if she was getting a lifetime of sleep in advance.
These days, Hugo had barely seen anything but his wife's sleeping face.
"Is there something I can do?"
"It's not only that I can't sleep, I keep thinking of food…"
"What do you want to eat? If you tell Jerome, he'll get it ready for you soon."
"I told him, but he said he couldn't get it."
A food that Jerome couldn't prepare. Hugo had a slightly ominous foreboding.
"What is it?"
"Green grapes."
"…"
Spring had only just arrived. The winds outside were still chilly. Grapevines were yet to sprout proper leaves.
"You can't get it either?" (Lucia)
Hugo was confident that he could comb through the entire world to find anything she wanted. However, no matter how talented he was, he did not have the ability to make fruits that had not sprouted yet. Deep down in the south, there was a country with warm climate but now wasn't the harvesting season for grapes.
However, Hugo just couldn't say no to his wife, who was looking at him with clear eyes full of expectation. So, he bluffed and said.
"…I'll look for it."
"Whoa."
She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him, and as Hugo wrapped his arms around her in embrace, he broke out in cold sweat.
'Damn, I'm in trouble now.'
* * *
Kwiz heard from the Queen that the Duchess seemed to be pregnant. After hearing that, he learnt that the Duchess had stopped her activities outside and guessed that she must indeed be pregnant.
However, even though he met with the Duke of Taran almost everyday, the Duke of Taran didn't seem to have any intention of telling him the good news and it had almost been a month. At this rate, it seemed like he would only be told of the pregnancy after the child was born.
Kwiz lightly brought up the subject first.
"Gong, this king heard that you will be becoming a father soon."
"It has been a long time since I became a father."
"I heard you would be seeing a second child."
"…Yes."
"Some people, really. You have to tell good news like this quickly. Congratulations. The Duchess is doing well?"
"Yes. There are no big issues."
"I'm glad to hear that. When the Queen was pregnant with the princess, she couldn't eat properly so she suffered a lot. They say such symptoms are common if the baby is female, how is the Duchess faring?"
"She isn't troubled too much."
"I guess the child is gentle like the Duchess. I wonder if it will be a boy like you, Gong, or a girl like the Duchess. You know, this king made a bet on it with my adjutant. I bet it would be a boy. This king believes in you, Gong."
It would seem that Kwiz had terrible luck in gambling. As Hugo looked at Kwiz who was guffawing loudly, he inwardly muttered to himself, 'It is a girl'.
He thought that the yet-to-be-born child should definitely resemble his wife. Otherwise, it wasn't worthwhile to go through all this trouble.
Hugo roughly ignored it when the King boasted and gushed about the princess' loveliness whenever he had the chance. His thought process was, 'What does the loveliness of someone else's child have to do with me?'. In fact, he was going through agony before his own child was born.
One month had passed. It was only just a month, but one month was really a long time. There were still six to seven months left until the child was born. This situation was like standing on a narrow ridge, with an abyss of darkness at your front and back, and the gloomy prospects make you unable to go forward or backwards.
Lucia's morning sickness was not severe enough to make her refuse food. Although she refused meals with strong smells, she usually ate quite well.
The doctor had said several times that it was fortunate that she wasn't like some mothers who had almost nothing but water during their pregnancy term and slimmed down drastically after giving birth.
Hugo agreed wholeheartedly. He felt like if he watched his wife suffer from morning sickness that made her throw up everything and not eat properly, he might dislike the child.
However, nothing in the world was easy. Lucia's morning sickness was light, but her nerves were relatively sharp.
Still, from the standpoint of others, it wasn't to the extent that it was unusual. Her tone was curt, and her irritation had only slightly increased. But because it was such a contrast to her gentle personality, it seemed like such a dramatic change. Especially for Hugo who experienced his wife's change firsthand, he was dealt a great deal of shock.
* * *
Today as well, Lucia was not among the people who came to greet Hugo upon his return home. Jerome gave his master the same answer he gave yesterday.
"The Madam is sleeping."
"What about dinner?"
"She has not had it yet. She has been sleeping since afternoon…"
Hugo was becoming worried that his wife was sleeping too much. So he recently asked the doctor if it was okay.
[Feeling easily fatigued and sleeping a lot are typical symptoms of early pregnancy. Although the Madam is sleeping a lot, you do not have to worry. The Madam is actually going through the early stages very smoothly.]
Hugo couldn't agree with the doctor saying that it was going very smoothly, but he was relieved and also disappointed by the doctor's answer that it was normal. After all, normal meant that the excessive sleep couldn't be lessened with treatment.
He couldn't remember when he last sat down with his wife and had a conversation. If he was at home during the day, he would be able to see her awake, but Hugo's busy schedule had him leave in the morning and return in the evening so there was no room to slack.
A few days ago, something happened that got Hugo more depressed. He had been able to soothe his regret by sleeping with his wife in his arms, but she began to get annoyed by such contact. He put his hand in her nightwear a few days ago and touched her a little (by his standards) but she couldn't stand it and told him not to come near her at all.
Hugo didn't know where to resolve his bafflement and grievance. So he asked the doctor again. Nowadays, the doctor was acting as a consultant for the Duke.
[In the early stages, an expectant mother may have an extreme reaction to her husband's physical contact. It may or may not improve in the middle stages of pregnancy.]
The doctor's advice wasn't helpful at all. Hugo thought again that the doctor must be a quack. He was harboring a grudge against the innocent doctor.
Hugo entered his wife's bedroom. He approached the figure lying down on the bed in the dimly lit bedroom and carefully sat on the bed.
While he was just looking at her, Lucia, who had her back to him, tossed in her sleep and turned around to face him. He unconsciously stretched out his hand but hesitated unwittingly and felt ashamed. Why couldn't he touch his woman as much as he wanted?
His gaze went down and stopped on her stomach, covered with the blanket. A mysterious creature, invisible to human sight, was growing in her womb and driving him to the greatest crisis of his life. However, Hugo knew very well, that he should not ever make the mistake of letting the words of blaming the baby leave his mouth.
He had thought too simply about having a child. He had simply thought that if they have a child together, the child grows, it is born and that was it.
He couldn't help but admire the king who had gone through this process four times.
Hugo gathered his courage and stretched out his hand. He touched her soft cheek, caressed her forehead and swept a hand through her hair. When Lucia made a droning noise, signaling that she was waking up, he got nervous. And when he watched Lucia blink her eyes, he held his breath.
"Hugh…?"
Her reaction was gentle. Hugo inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. His wife's mental state was like thin ice, so he felt tenser than on a battlefield. Just a few months ago, his wife was always smiling at him and he missed her like that a lot.
Lucia gave him a bright smile and stretched out her arms. Despite thinking 'what's the occasion', Hugo promptly reciprocated. As he embraced her soft, warm body and took in the fragrance brushing past his nose, he realized that happiness could come from something so trivial.
"I saw my mother in my dream. She looked young, beautiful and happy."
"Then I have to hope she appears in your dreams every day. Young, beautiful and happy."
Lucia chuckled like she heard a joke, but Hugo was serious.
"You have to eat dinner before you sleep. Shall I have them prepare it now?"
"I don't really have much appetite."
"I heard you didn't have much at lunch either. Is there anything you want to eat? If there's something in particular on your mind, tell me."
'The baby in your stomach is sucking up all the nutrients in your body,' Hugo mumbled to himself, adding a strong sentiment onto what the doctor had told him.
"Mmm…there is something. If it is that then I think I will have the appetite."
Hugo was nervous. He wanted to tell her to please ask for something he could get this time.
Last time, he eventually could not get the green grapes. When he saw her looking sullen for a few days, he felt like he was on thorns and had to realize his own incompetence.
"There was an opened night market in the village I lived in as a child. The grilled skewers that Mister Peter made were really delicious."
It was a sudden request, but Hugo was relieved since it didn't seem impossible. Night market. Peter. Grilled Skewers. He put down the key words in his mind.
"All right."
"Oh wow. Then we can have that for dinner."
"…Now?"
"If not now then…?"
Hugo gazed at Lucia who was returning the question for a moment, then he swallowed a sigh. He immediately called Jerome and instructed him. Jerome personally took a few servants and went to the village where the Madam had lived as a child.
A few hours later, Hugo received the delivered grilled skewers and took them to the second floor, personally.
Lucia was in the receiving room making clothes for the baby and when she saw the dish her husband brought, she was delighted. Seeing her like this brought a smile to Hugo's face. However, after taking just a few bites, she put it down and said her stomach was full.
"When will green grapes be ready for harvest?"
That damn green grape. Hugo seriously considered whether he should buy a farm.
< — The Beginning and the End — > (4)
Dean was back. It had been a month since Hugo gave him the order to capture Philip. He had gone to the village that Hugo had asked him to, but because it had been a little while since Philip left, he had to search around and that took time. Dean explained that fortunately, he found Philip somewhere not too far from the village and was able to bring him in.
"I took him to the safe house."
"Good job."
An old mansion, located at the outskirts of the capital, was currently being used as the Taran Information Division's safe house. The old mansion gave off a time-worn, somber atmosphere and was surrounded by a considerably large courtyard, masking any possibility of knowing what was going on within the walls. There were only rumors that a cranky old man that did not go outside, was the owner of the mansion.
The entrance to the safe house used a secret passage that was a little distance away from the mansion so externally, only a few servants frequently visited to manage the place.
Hugo left for the safe house late at night in order to avoid being seen by others.
The inside of the seemingly old mansion was reinforced with soundproofing. Especially down in the basement, there was no chance of any noise or racket spreading outside.
The knights standing guard in front of the room, bowed their heads when Hugo appeared. Even after the heavy stone doors were completely opened, Hugo momentarily remained still.
"Do not follow me inside."
Hugo was about enter the room then he stopped. He looked at Dean and extended a hand.
"Sword."
Dean immediately removed the sword strapped to his waist and handed it to Hugo. As Hugo held the sword and walked in, the door quickly closed behind him.
The room he entered had stone walls on all sides and it was not very spacious. The soundproofing was so thorough that one couldn't hear any sound from the inside once the door was closed.
There were two chairs in the middle of the room, facing each other. In one of them, sat Philip, with his hands tied behind his back and to the chair. And the chair, made of iron, was tightly bolted to the floor. Since thorough safety measures had been taken, the knights obediently obeyed when Hugo ordered that he would be going into the room alone.
Hugo sat down on the opposite chair. He stared at Philip, who had his head hanging low.
Philip's complexion was haggard as he slowly lifted his head. He was not hurt anywhere but he had been loaded onto a carriage, unable to rest properly the entire time, and was at the limit of his physical strength. He had a lot of endurance, but age wasn't something that could be deceived. Philip smiled faintly when he saw the cold red eyes facing him.
"It has been a long time."
"Cut the crap."
Even though Hugo's response was cold, Philip didn't care. Despite being in a situation where he was suddenly dragged away and bound up, Philip's expression was no different from usual.
Hugo knew the old man was this type of person. He expected that even moments before his neck was cut off, the old man would still look calm. Today of all days, that expression of his was very annoying.
"I'm sure you know why you're here, you bastard."
"I will know when you tell me."
Hugo pressed down his surging murderous urge to wrench off the old man's neck this instant.
"You told me to come, didn't you? Or are you saying that you blabbered all that meaninglessly?"
"No. However, there are many reasons for young master to come find me. Do you need treatment for the Madam? Or, has the Madam gotten pregnant?"
Seeing Hugo's forehead twitch, Philip's eyes grew bigger.
"…So she has gotten pregnant."
Just as Philip expected, the heavens did not abandon him. Even though he had mixed the drug into the Duchess' headache medicine, Philip was not sure of its success.
There were many variables. He could not guarantee that the Madam would take that headache medicine consistently, and because the drug's efficacy was weakened, not only was the neutralization of mugwort slower, the probability of conception was extremely low. However, it succeeded, and she was pregnant in two years.
"Congratulations."
Philip's congratulatory words were not desirable at all. Hugo squeezed the sword in his hand and held in his desire to draw his sword without mercy.
"Like I thought, you did this. Blood, you said? When you looked down on me, you must have thrown away your desire to live."
"Why are you so sure I lied? Maybe the Madam had a child with another ma…"
Feeling the cold blade under his neck, Philip shut his mouth. It only took an instant. Hugo stood up, drew his sword and pointed it at Philip's throat. The tip of the sword was digging into Philip's skin as if it would pierce through the moment Philip said a single word.
"Just one more bullshit out of you."
Philip looked up at Hugo and nodded his head, marginally. A frosty expression, a gaze filled with bloodthirst and a subdued voice.
Philip realized that Hugo was extremely angry. He, who didn't get nervous easily, had chills at his back. When the sword was withdrawn, he sucked in a breath.
"It was the vision of my family. I had no choice but to lie."
"Even if I ask you now, I'm sure you won't tell me."
"Would you believe it if I told you?"
"I couldn't care less about the vision. It will be buried along with you when you die anyways, old man."
"You're not someone that would bring me here because you were annoyed by a lie I said in the past."
"Enough with the nonsense. I need to know what trick you pulled."
Hugo could not stand the fact that there was a gap in the protection around his wife.
"It was the headache medicine."
Philip obediently confessed. He didn't plan on acting innocent anyways.
"Headache medicine."
Hugo repeated for emphasis then he forced a laugh. He had to find out exactly what happened, once he got back. His first goal for capturing Philip was achieved.
"Tell me why you wanted to see me."
Philip stared blankly at Hugo.
"Why are you so curious about what I have to say?"
"Don't get any ideas. You won't be able to leave this room alive."
"Kill me. What regrets does an old man like me have? I've lived long enough. But you will not kill me. Afterall, there is something you want to know from me."
When he saw Hugo's red eyes waver, Philip sighed.
'How can this be.'
He had thought the probability was extremely low. When the Duke showed an unusual reaction to the Duchess in Roam, Philip had a sliver of suspicious, but he believed it wasn't possible. And he hoped it was not the case.
A man in the high position of the lord of the North and the Taran family, should not do something like holding a woman in his heart and creating a weakness for himself.
Philip had come to realize the truth from his long years alive; that things in the world did not always go as planned. A man's plan was inferior to the order of the great world. He learnt that it was best for him to use all of his efforts to cling to the opportunity before him right now, rather than planning.
And that is why Philip clung to the Duchess' pregnancy. At the time, it was the only opportunity. It was not because he had a grand plan afterwards, but because there had to be a child first before he could plan for the future.
< — The Beginning and the End — > (4)
If the Duchess were to get pregnant, the Duke would suspect that there was a high chance of an affair.
The Duke did not believe in people. He knew that he could not have a child without special methods, so he would be unable to believe that the Duchess was bearing his child.
With this, the ducal couple's relationship would become estranged, and the Duchess, who was suspected of infidelity, would neglect her child.
And at this point, he could look for an opportunity. That was Philip's vague outline of a plan.
However, there was a very slim possibility. It was a possibility that Philip did not want to happen, but just in case, the Duke truly gave his heart to the Duchess and trusted her, Philip left a word behind with the Duke.
The reason Philip was even offering his medical services at the northern border was because he thought that it was only a matter of time before the Duke came to subjugate barbarians.
Even when he was suddenly captured by the Duke's knight, loaded onto a carriage and dragged somewhere, Philip thought there was no way.
Philip always wished for the Duke to let go of his vain anger towards his family and truly accept his position as the lord of the north. However, he could never accept the Duke becoming soft because he had fallen for a woman.
'That cannot happen.'
Philip's family and Philip himself had made sacrifices for the prosperity of the Taran family! The Duke was betraying the blood and tears of many people.
"Let this old man take a guess at what you want to know." (Philip)
Philip quickly drew a plan in his head. It was not a plan that he thought up just now. Philip always made a variety of plans, assuming numerous situations. And whenever he was faced with a situation, he fleshed out his plan according to the circumstances.
"A bride gives birth to a son that continues the bloodline but there is no record of the mother of the bride in the Taran family secret room. You only pay attention to the existence of the half-sisters; you are normally not interested in what happens to the women that gives birth to them."(Philip)
Philip watched Hugo's red eyes flare up as if they were on fire and licked his dry lips. Then he gave a modest thin smile, no different from usual, and said:
"'Will the Madam be okay after giving birth to the little miss?'. Did you not call me because you wanted to know that?" (Philip)
Hugo wanted to chop off the insidious old man's head this instant.
'What a sly old man.'
He was so wrapped up in his obsession and wouldn't hesitate to lie for his own purposes. Hugo ground his teeth, deeply regretting his laughable act of charity in sparring Philip's life. When he was cleaning up the other bastards, he should have gotten rid off the old man as well.
It was better to kill him now, at least, and shut his mouth forever before his tongue started wagging. That was the conclusion Hugo calmly discerned. If Philip's tricks had concerned his own well-being, Hugo would have sneered and gone ahead with it without any hesitation. However. Hugo could not gamble with her life.
Just like Philip said, Hugo was suspicious about whether his wife would be okay after giving birth to a child. An ordinary woman could not bear a Taran family child unless her body was prepared in a certain way. It was not a normal pregnancy.
Taran's unusual bloodline always made Hugo have questions about his identity. Hugo always couldn't shake off the question, 'am I really human?'. What's worse was that he couldn't be sure if his weak wife would be okay after raising a non-human-like life inside of her and giving birth to it.
The only person that could answer Hugo's question was Philip. So Hugo tried to sound Philip out but Philip discovered Hugo's intention instead.
From the moment Hugo asked his knights to get Philip, his intentions were already read. If Hugo was not worried about his wife, he would not be concerned about what Philip meant by those words and there would be no need for him to call Philip and ask him what he meant.
Seeing that the Duke was just staring at him and not swinging the sword in his hand, Philip confirmed that the Duchess had become the weakness of the Duke.
Philip felt a strange sense of loss. It was despair brought about by witnessing the tragedy of a perfect existence becoming humanized.
'The young master is perfect. Why are you trying to scratch that perfection?'
The Duke was the best masterpiece made from the Taran lineage, the only nobility descent of the ancient era. The birth of the twins and the eventual death of one of them were processes that contributed to the making of the current Duke. It was a noble sacrifice. That was how Philip thought of it.
Unlike the others of Taran blood, the late Hugo was weak and feeble-minded. And the young master Damian who inherited that blood was imperfect.
If young master Damian was combined with the daughter of young master Hugh, a perfect descendant would be born yet again and the Taran lineage would continue.
Philip painted such a future in his head. If his health held up, he could live long enough to see it, and even if he died without seeing it, it didn't matter. Philip was merely doing everything he could do right now in the situation given to him.
Philip felt regretful that he couldn't take part in the Duke's choice to abandon his perfection and chose a woman. No matter what he said, the Duke would close his ears to it.
Things in the world were like the front and back of a coin. Good things usually came after the bad things had arrived. The Duke's change was a bad thing, but that was how he got hold of an opportunity.
"The Madam may, or may not, be fine." (Philip)
"This bastard seriously."
Hugo clenched his teeth. The raging anger in his heart cried out for him to slay the bastard on the spot. His hand gripping the sword shook slightly.
But he could not. It was fine even if he got caught up in Philip's shallow tricks. As long as she was safe, he could put up with it.
"Even if I were to tell you something, would you believe it?"
"…So?"
"So I have to offer a token of trust first. The Madam will experience an unbearable abdominal pain around when her stomach begins to swell."
Philip's medication mixed with headache medicine was an incomplete drug, born in the process of going to the final state. Therefore, there were side effects.
¬¬ According to the records, the pregnant women suffered from severe abdominal pain every time the uterus expanded as the fetus grew. It said the pain was torturous enough to make them hold their stomachs, roll around and cry in agony.
It was not a complication caused by the pregnant woman or something going wrong with the fetus. It was only that during the term of pregnancy, the pregnant woman would feel intense pain every time the child grew bigger. However, Philip did not reveal such details.
"I will give you a prescription. When the Madam feels pain in her stomach, give her medicine according to the prescription and her abdominal pain will settle."
Philip's ancestors discovered the drug that relieved the side effects experienced by pregnant women, through further research. The drug Philip was using today was made after much trials and error.
"How do I trust that you didn't pull anything with the drug?"
"If you don't believe me, don't use it."
Hugo gave a fake laugh. This was not the Philip that Hugo had previously known. This Philip was confronting Hugo without any hesitation or regard for his safety.
Hugo felt strained, as if his stomach was flipped upside down. He wondered what the old bastard believed in to be acting this way. Was the old man so confident that he would be entangled in his tricks? Is that why he was taking him so lightly?
It had taken almost ten years before Hugo saw Philip again after forcing him out. In that meantime, Hugo became Duke, swept through the battlefield, distinguished himself in war and faced cunning politicians.
He was not the person he was when the late, previous Duke took his brother's life as collateral and seizing him by the neck, restricting his movement.
Hugo calmed his anger. He raised his evaluation of the old bastard by a few steps. He didn't see him as 'nothing but a doctor' but as a seasoned politician whom he was making a fierce deal with. He recreated the feeling he had when he faced the Duke of Ramis in order to save Roy.
His head was cool but on the outside, he displayed an appropriate amount of anger. He seemed like he was being completely drawn in by Philip's words.
"If she has abdominal pain like you say. What is the reason?"
"Just as you have guessed."
"Guessed? Are you claiming to know what I'm thinking?"
"You always called it a monster. Then isn't the Madam raising a monster in her stomach?"
Hugo swung the sword in his hand and struck Philip's head.
Philip's scream could be heard at the same time as a dull sound. Due to the sudden blow to his head, Philip's surrounding was spinning causing him to drop his head and close his eyes. Something flowed from his forehead, dropping onto his knee. Philip watched the dripping red blood sank into his clothes.
"I want to pull out that sickening tongue of yours one day." (Hugo)
As he listened to the voice overflowing with blood thirst, Philip wrinkled his forehead because of the throbbing pain and lifted his head. Philip stared at the piercing red eyes that looked like they would tear him to death at any time.
Philip knew of the Duke's violent and cruel personality. He confirmed once again that his life was being spared in front of the Duke despite the Duke's anger. The Duchess was the absolute weakness of the Duke.
Outwardly, Hugo seemed to be suppressing his raging anger, but in actuality, he was analyzing Philip's words.
The word 'monster' referred to Hugo himself and the Taran family and every time Hugo said that word, Philip hated it. However, Philip himself said that word and provoked Hugo.
'He's trying to make me angry and gain the initiative in the conversation.'
"Old man. Just as you say, the cursed Taran bloodlines are monsters. Do you think I have any attachment towards a child with the family's cursed blood that isn't even born yet?"
Seeing the Duke behaving as though all he had to do was get rid of the child, Philip made an expression like he expected it.
"I'm sure that's what you believe. But it would be better for you not to. If you don't want to lose the Madam, I mean."
"Bullshit."
"The Taran blood has very strong vitality. They have a strong instinct to protect themselves from the moment they are in the womb. Trying to abort with drugs would only hurt the mother instead. What I am saying is a fact. I can't do anything if you don't believe me, but can you take such a risk when you don't know if the Madam might be in danger?"
"…"
He couldn't. He couldn't take the risk. It felt dreary as if the support beneath his feet disappeared.
Hugo once again reevaluated his relationship with Philip. It was not equal. Currently, Hugo was completely in the weaker position. Hugo had no information at all while Philip knew everything.
This was the first time since his brother's death that he was making a deal in such an overwhelmingly disadvantageous position.
'I need information.'
The records Philip had in his hands had to have been passed down in his family for generations. But how were they passed down? When Hugo had just become Duke, he searched everywhere but could not find it.
The child was gradually growing, and the day of delivery was drawing nearer, so the time he had was limited. He couldn't figure out where he could find the records.
Hugo stood up. If he were to continue taking with Philip, all he would be doing was revealing all the cards he had in his hands.
As he turned around, there was a grim look in his eyes. His knuckles turned white as he clenched his sword tighter. He wanted to draw his sword right now and blow off the old man's head. If Philip had called out to stop Hugo from behind, he might have done so.
Upon receiving the signal, those outside opened the stone door. Hugo walked out of the door, unable to get his seething anger under control, and stood there for a while as if frozen.
The knights held their breaths at the sight of their master's threatening countenance.
"Dean."
"Yes, my lord."
"Go in. Get the prescription the old man is talking about and bring it to me. Keep a thorough eye on him. Do not let anyone but me get into contact with that bastard."
As he listened to his knights reply, Hugo climbed up the stairs that led above ground. It was as though masses of iron were tied to his ankle; every step was terribly heavy. He breathed heavily, suppressing the urge to scream like crazy.
Anger towards something vague soared within him. It was anger towards his fate, and at the heavens looking down at him and mocking him.