Cedric didn't understand. Black's words made him wonder how the man was thinking. Marriage is not there to break all his ambitions, right? He married to be responsible. He had provided for his wife more than enough, slept with her every night, and didn't force anything. Maybe he likes to annoy his little wife once in a while, but he never crosses the line. If he doesn't keep his boundaries well, maybe the divorce papers are already on his desk.
Does he still have to stay longer to please others? Does he still have to act like a dog in a cage just to make other people feel good about him?
And as if he had read Cedric's complicated mind, Black said, "Your Majesty, you have ambitions, and the world has norms."
Cedric in front of him did not immediately respond. The man took a quiet sip of his rice wine, then sat back comfortably on the long bean paste and navy blue sofa. His gaze shifted to the scenery outside next to him, looking lost in thought. The beautiful side of his face became a sight for Black for a while.
A cold wind blew from outside, entering through the barrier that isolated this room from the outside world. Cedric's messy jet-black bangs danced a few times, tickling his pale forehead. If people glanced at him, they would imagine that Cedric was as frozen as snow in winter. But as soon as they touched him, people would know how warm and lively Cedric was, just like most people. In cold and humid weather like this, Cedric's appearance looked colder than usual.
After a long time, then Cedric opened his mouth again, "Don't worry too much, after all, it will take some time before this idea can be executed. That is if there are no unforeseen anomalies that occur."
Black sighed, saying, "After all, why did you have to get married? It's not that I disagree, but it's strange to see you suddenly get married like this."
"She's holding me accountable."
Black grumbled, "And how many girls have you slept with that haven't held you accountable? Everyone is asking for it."
Cedric smiled a little, "I'm not impulsive. I have my reasons."
-0-
The joint training ground was bustling with shirtless people swinging their wooden swords. Some stood up and excited, in the cold sweat profusely. Some were exhausted, sitting in the shadows of tall buildings. When Cedric arrived with a bottle of rice wine in his hand, people flocked back to their jobs, preventing any unnecessary rebuke.
The company commander of the imperial guard, Erik, was wiping his sweat when he arrived at Cedric's side. When he saw that there was no one around them, he said, "The ones in charge of patrol duty are still the imperial guards. The Emperor has been giving Supreme Commander Galen a small favour since the food poisoning incident a while ago. This is a good thing, considering that Commander Galen is not a negligent man."
Cedric held his chin, thinking, "What was the outcome of the Review Division's investigation?"
Erik shrugged his shoulders resignedly, "Well, we've all been led to believe that the little chef from the imperial soup kitchen did it. Supreme Commander Galen lost the Emperor's trust and was given the cold shoulder for two months. Even if the Emperor was frightened by the security issues outside and within the palace, he is even more afraid of the Grand Marshal's faction. Because of that, the Emperor dared to give an olive branch to Supreme Commander Galen once again."
The two of them stood leaning against the towering body of the building, watching how the mighty men swung their spirits towards one another, sparring earnestly. Erik said back, "Ever since Supreme Commander Galen valiantly opposed the Osiris clan the other day, the Empress faction will not remain silent." He paused for a moment, wet his throat, continuing, "Well, hasn't the Emperor been so kind, as I said just now? This is supreme commander Galen's chance to shine. If he fails once again, then the Emperor's favour will turn to the imperial army."
Cedric nodded. Said, "The problem is, even if the imperial guards are favoured by the Emperor, the people with the most experience in genuine battles in this palace are only people from the imperial army. After all, they are people who were sent to the battlefield directly during the chaos in the East."
Erik said, "Well, and the Emperor won't allow that. Even though the imperial army is more experienced, they are actually the people of the Grand Marshal. Viceroy Sirius is his disciple. There's no way they wouldn't join hands. How about you, Your Majesty? Would you side with the imperial guard or would you prefer the experienced ones? "
Cedric laughed mockingly, "What does it mean for me to side with one of them? I am a Crown Prince who is only good at spending state money. You guys think about your own business and see who will gain the advantage on the Emperor's side."
Erik smiled and nodded. He said back while stroking the hilt of the sword slung around his waist. "Two princes will also be given the task of escorting, leading their respective companies. When the hunt begins, the troops will be taken over by Izel and me. So more or less, we will lead two companies of troops and move around the hunting area one full turn at a time. Then meet at the starting point. I haven't heard of your assignment, Your Majesty."
By Erik's side, there was Cedric who clamped the bottle of wine in his arm and reached into his uniform pocket for a box of cigarettes. He picked one up and pinched it to his lips as Erik hurriedly grabbed a pin and turned it on for Cedric. One long inhale is made, and then the nicotine smoke is exhaled in a relaxed manner. Cedric replied, "I will escort the Emperor directly, bringing two companies of imperial guards along with two company commanders."
"Why isn't it reported anywhere?"
Cedric smirked, "It's a surprise."
-0-
When Cedric came home the next day, he found his little wife nowhere. When he asked Alruna, the woman said that his little wife was still sleeping.
Cedric frowned as he asked in surprise, "Sleep? At this hour?"
"Tomorrow is hunting day, Master. Madam said that she wants to gather her strength for tomorrow."
"What kind of excuse is that." Cedric went upstairs and opened the door to his room. A majestic beauty was fast asleep in the middle of the bed, hugging a thick blanket like a bolster. Her long nightgown was lifted showing off her smooth thighs, while the evening light streaming in from the wide-open bedroom window flooded into her beautiful, sleepy face. Cedric turned to Alruna behind him, "Is she not feeling well? Lately, I've only seen her lazing on the bed."
Alruna thought for a moment, "Come to think of it, a lot of strange things have happened to Madam. I proposed to call the palace healer, but Madam refused. It seems that she has a special dislike for alcohol and drugs."
"Alcohol and drugs?"
"During her stay here, no matter how cold the weather, Madam will not touch alcohol. Her lifestyle is quite healthy. She avoids many things, including eating undercooked meat and strange beauty rituals. She also avoids drinking any concoctions and prefers to eat more vegetables. But even with such a healthy lifestyle, Madam seems to be having a hard time lately. She is always nauseous and tired easily, and her appetite also keeps on going up and down unstable. "
"Mm." Cedric glanced at Kirsi one more time, before glancing back at Alruna. "It would be difficult to get the palace healer to come here right now. You should check on her first."
"But, Master, I might not be accurate."
"Think of it as the first treatment. The fastest we can summon a healer is the day after tomorrow at the hunting grounds. It would be dangerous to leave without knowing whether or not something is wrong with her body."
"Alright, Master. But please don't use my examination as a reference."
Cedric nodded.
Alruna excused herself, and then took her place by Kirsi's side. To prevent her from waking up in the middle of the examination session, Alruna pressed several points on her body, rendering her unconscious for a while.
Alruna grabbed Kirsi's limp hand and pressed her finger on her vein. After a while, she said "Excuse me" and lifted Kirsi's dress, checking her stomach. Then her hand moved to Kirsi's jaw, opened her mouth, and saw her tongue. Soon after that, she looked surprised. Her clear and strong dark eyes suddenly filled with terror, and she immediately turned to Cedric with that reaction.
"What's wrong?" Cedric asked, coming closer.
Alruna hesitated for a while, but still answered, "Madam... It's still uncertain. It's better to wake her up and ask her to drink some honey water and—"
Cedric looked annoyed, "Just say it clearly, don't beat around the bush."
"Madam... Looks like she's pregnant."
Cedric raised his eyebrows, almost laughing as he said "Alruna, you know that I can't possibly have a baby, right?"
Alruna bit her lip, and said with her head down, "I know exactly, Master. Therefore my speculation cannot be used as a reference. It's best to have it checked by an experienced healer and calculate the gestational age. That way, we can confirm it."
Cedric sighed, wiping his face tiredly, saying, "I changed my mind. Call the palace healers right now. If they refuse, wear my imperial clan badge."
"Okay, Master." Alruna instantly said goodbye. Leaving Cedric still struggling with his thoughts.
No matter how much you think about a problem, you will not come up with a solution. Cedric sighed tiredly, sat next to Kirsi who was still fast asleep, and then looked at the sleepy face quietly.
The first time they had sex was about two months ago, long before their wedding day. It was Kirsi's first moment, where Cedric himself was at a loss as to how delicately he should act on her. As a prime grown man, Cedric doesn't deny his lively sex life. He was never lonely in bed, and there would always be a lonely girl climbing over him. On that day, Kirsi was no exception. The difference was that she was the youngest person he had ever spent the night with. And when Kirsi held him accountable with teary copper eyes, Cedric couldn't resist. Apart from wanting the support of the Evander family, there was something else that made him have to accept this little girl.
Cedric is not a hedonist, although he doesn't deny that he likes to spend time looking for fun in bed. With so many people he had slept with, there wasn't a single case where they got pregnant. Cedric is not infertile. In fact, according to the examination results of several imperial doctors, he was very fertile. But Cedric tends to never really finish during his sexual intercourse. But even if he did come, his two former fiancés in the past never got pregnant. Not to mention, Cedric had absolute confidence that he couldn't possibly impregnate someone. Alruna also knew about it, so she was as surprised as Cedric. Now that his little wife was suspected of being pregnant, Cedric could only think that it was definitely not his child.
However, even if it wasn't his child, Cedric would not hesitate to take good care of it. He wouldn't blame Kirsi either. This marriage is a relationship that is not based on love. Each of them has their own purpose. On the other hand, if Kirsi is really pregnant, Cedric just needs confirmation and validation from Kirsi about who the real father is. That way, he could avoid trouble in the future.
While Cedric was contemplating, Alruna returned with an old woman with all her hair almost white. She had a stern and cruel expression on her face. When she arrived, Cedric gently patted Kirsi's cheek, waking her up. It took a while before Kirsi squirmed and came to her senses. Those beautiful copper eyes looked languid, with tears in the corners of them. She looked at Cedric half-consciously. Little delirious. Cedric rubbed her head, telling her, "Get up. The palace healer has come to check on you."
Kirsi still looked calm for a while, but her clear eyes suddenly rippled. She whispered softly, "What are you doing? I'm fine."
"This is just a regular checkup. Get up."
Kirsi was hesitant for a bit, but finally got up. She was shocked when she realized that someone else was already in the room. With a directed expression, she straightened her clothes and sat down with her back straight.
The healer checked more or less the same as Alruna did before. The difference is, she asked Kirsi to hold her urine in a special cup. Instantly Kirsi's ears turned red. Her face remained calm, but her eyes couldn't lie. The Beautiful Beads move here and there. She looked like a rabbit trying to look like a lion in front of a bear. Cedric tapped her on the shoulder, rousing her. Kirsi turned her head and asked quietly, "Am I seriously ill?"
Cedric nodded seriously, trying to trick her. "It could be. "
Kirsi withdrew with a stiff face, taking the cup with her. When he came out of the bathroom, the cup was already full. Her eyes narrowed sharply at Cedric, not letting him peek inside. When the object was handed over to the healer, the old woman inserted a needle into it and saw the discolouration at the tip of the needle, finding it a rusty red colour. She nodded, confusing Kirsi. The old woman then mixed a little solution of wine into the cup and saw the colour change. Not long after, she put everything on the table and asked Kirsi in a friendly manner. "When was the first day of your last menstrual cycle?"
Kirsi, on the other hand, didn't know what to say. But she could most likely guess what had happened to her. Her throat was dry, her heart was racing, cold sweat dripped down her body, and her fingers were shaking. She answered doubtfully, "I... Don't remember."
"Then we take the reference from the previous menstrual cycle."
"I... I don't know either."
"...Let's try calculating the approximate day of birth with the date of conception."
Kirsi stammers. Her face was stiffer than usual. Cedric took over the conversation, saying, "At least in mid-August."
The healer added eleven days in her mind, counting the time.
"Then the estimated date of birth will be more or less mid-late July or early August. But this calculation is not quite right. You can ask a doctor who specializes in alchemy and ask for the exact date."
Cedric nodded. The healer resigned, accompanied by Alruna, leaving a husband and wife in silence.
Kirsi was busy thinking about the plot of the novel where the real Kirsi was never told that she was pregnant at all. Not to mention, it's still too early in the novel's setting, where the relationship between the protagonist and the Female Lead isn't even as close as friends. If the real Kirsi was pregnant by now, more or less at the climax of the story where she and Cedric were executed, Kirsi's child was clearly already born and could count from one to ten. But not. They have been married for years, they have no children at all. It's weird.
If asked whether or not she was ready to get pregnant, she would answer confidently that she wasn't ready at all.
Kirsi was lost in her thoughts when Cedric suddenly broke the silence with questions. "Tell me, who is the father of the child?"
Kirsi felt something was wrong with her hearing. She turned her head towards Cedric beside her in a shaky motion, doubting his own hearing. "What did you say? "
Cedric smiled at her, the kind of smile a merchant would give to attract the attention of a potential buyer. "Kirsi, didn't I tell you before we got married, that because of my mother's family tree, I couldn't have children?"
Kirsi doesn't know. Kirsi who was in front of Cedric right now didn't know anything about it. Kirsi was silent with a stiff face. Felt like her heart had just been struck by lightning. Her throat constricted, it felt like it was burning.
Cedric smiled reassuringly, put his arm around Kirsi's shoulders and said softly in her ear, "I'm not going to accuse you. I'm not going to force you either. We did both promise not to glance at anyone else during the wedding. And maybe you got it before our wedding, didn't you? There's no need to be afraid, I will keep this a secret and raise the child with love like my own. I just want to know who the real father is to prevent troublesome things in the future."
Kirsi doesn't know. With whom the real Kirsi Daciana slept with, she had no idea. Cedric said softly that he would love this child like his own only scared Kirsi even more. If it was true that this was someone else's child, wouldn't it be cruel to hold an unrelated person responsible? Isn't that too cruel? If this was the reality, it would no longer be fate but a curse.
And what's even crueller is that in addition to not knowing who this child's real father is, Kirsi also has to face a problem that she didn't do at all. Why should she take responsibility for the mistakes that others make? Is this God's punishment for her?
Kirsi stopped looking at Cedric. She looked down. Her long, soft black hair flowed like a waterfall from the top of her head to her lap. Her eyes stared blankly at her intertwined hands. Her mind suddenly went blank. She wasn't ready to be a mother either. Just a moment ago she was just a high school student who spent most of her day in front of books, only thinking about calculus until she got drunk, and wouldn't think at all about any other obligations besides studying.
"You don't have to answer now," Cedric said softly. His arms were still wrapped around her shoulders, providing warmth and comfort. It only made Kirsi feel even more guilty.
Kirsi said quietly, "I'm sorry."
"There's no need to rush. You don't have to apologise either."
Not. It's better if Cedric gets angry and hits her. If she did that, Kirsi's heart wouldn't at least feel unbearably tight from this kind of guilt.
If asked if she wanted to, she would shake her head as hard as she could until her head fell off. When asked if she is ready to adapt, she has no choice but to say yes she is. She also had to prepare herself for the possibility that Cedric's future attitude would be different to hers. Inevitably, anyone will feel something if their partner suddenly comes with someone else's child in their belly. Even if Cedric didn't show the slightest bit of discomfort, who would know how long he could put up with it? If one day Cedric chooses to divorce her and kick her out of this house, the scenario that previously seemed like a nightmare begins to look like the best scenario possible. Kirsi will resign from the novel script and live independently outside the screenplay with her child.
Kirsi hated being in debt for too long because she didn't like the thought that people would be burdened by it. She wasn't someone who would care about other people's views of her, she was quite indifferent and free. It's just that, no matter how much she tries not to care, there comes a time when she's frightened by the idea that she isn't likeable and worthy of respect.
Her family loved her because she was a smart kid, and the fear of being stupid and abandoned constantly haunted her. From the moment she transmigrates into this novel's reality, Kirsi is determined to reach Cedric's favour just so that she can be of use to the man and not end up being abandoned as useless. But now it seems that the idea has become an impossibility.
Cedric, on the other hand, had been watching Kirsi the whole time. From the moment the woman opened her eyes wistfully to the moment she hung her head stiffly.
He is a man who can do anything. Mind reading is one of them. Shortly before their marriage, the person who was the easiest to read without requiring any power was Kirsi. But now that Cedric was genuinely curious about the contents of that low-hanging head, the power suddenly malfunctioned.
There was indeed a time when he couldn't read someone's mind due to several factors. One of them was exhaustion, and the rest was because the person he was trying to read had special defences, or at the very least, possessed much higher strength than him. And such a person Cedric had never met at all. The first factor was probably true, he was exhausted enough that his powers couldn't operate properly. But oddities like this don't just happen once. There were many times when Cedric was primed enough to use his powers, but suddenly couldn't read this woman's mind, as if an invisible wall had temporarily separated them.
Like right now as Cedric tried to read Kirsi's thoughts, all he could hear was a strange sound as if he was in the depths of the ocean. Drowning deep enough, congested, and barely able to breathe. Cedric disgruntledly had to retract his strength.
He thought,
There's something wrong with this woman.