Side Story 3. Tender Affection (3)

 

The secret to the flavor seemed to be the dark sugar, but since I wasn’t sure, I kept silent. The unexpected taste of something so familiar from home made my eyes sting with tears.

‘I’ll have to come back and get more when I start missing home again.’

We finished our ‘hotteok’ as we sat in the plaza. The sweetness seemed to energize us, as one maid, who had been quiet until now, patted her chest and declared she’d lead the way next.

“They sell a dessert made of milk and fruit over there. Madam, are you interested in trying some fruit?”

It was amusing to see this maid, who had come with me from the capital, so confidently navigating a place I was walking through for the first time. I followed her, curious, and asked, “When did you get a chance to try it? Have you already explored the market?”

She giggled brightly at my question.

“Of course! We’ve all explored the Stewart estate on our days off. We even scouted all the snacks we thought Madam might like.”

“But we didn’t expect you to eat the oven-baked bread earlier! That completely caught us off guard.”

“Well, it was delicious,” I admitted with a smile. “Madam’s taste is impeccable as always,” she praised.

The fact that the maids had gone so far as to plan sightseeing routes for me without my knowing made me feel treasured. I couldn’t help but feel a warm tickle in my heart.

The maid leading us insisted that the shop she was guiding me to was exceptional and promised I wouldn’t regret visiting. Smiling faintly, I followed her. However, midway there, something caught my eye, and I stopped in my tracks.

It was a small, unassuming stall with no sign, displaying delicate knitted flower decorations and soft, hand-sewn clothing.

Naturally drawn to it, I stepped closer, and the maids clapped their hands in delight.

“Oh my, how tiny!”

“They’re baby clothes!”

Without realizing it, my hands had once again drifted over my abdomen. Perhaps because I was carrying a child, my eyes were drawn to the baby clothes almost instinctively. Though I was only just entering the stable phase of pregnancy and still had months to go before meeting the baby, I couldn’t help but think:

‘Should I buy one?’

The thought of the baby clothes made my heart race, but I hesitated at the same time.

‘Percy’s probably already preparing the best of everything.’

In a world where every piece of cloth had to be handwoven, clothes were precious items. Even in a prestigious family like the Stewarts, it was common to carefully preserve and pass down clothing from one generation to the next.

‘There must be baby clothes Percy wore as a child stored in the Stewart family’s collection. It’d be wasteful to buy anything without first checking what we already have and what Percy has prepared.’

It was a logical conclusion, but my feet refused to move. I stood there, staring at the display, until one of the maids closest to me chuckled and asked, “Would you like to take a look?”

“…Yes.”

As I stepped into the shop, I found even more types of baby clothes than were displayed outside. There were not just comfortable daily wear but also tiny cloaks, headbands, and mittens.

Among them, my attention was caught by a particularly small garment tied with strings instead of buttons.

“This one is quite unique,” I remarked, fingering the soft fabric.

The maid beside me spoke up with her own impression before the shopkeeper, smiling warmly, stepped in to explain.

“That’s a ‘baenaet jeogori’, a traditional baby garment from the East. Over there, they dress their newborns in these.”

The garment was so tiny that the armholes seemed to fit only two of my fingers. As I continued to examine it, the shopkeeper asked with a gentle smile.

“Is this for a gift?”

“Ah… yes.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a gift—it was something I was considering for myself.

‘Do I really look that young?’

It seemed the shopkeeper mistook me for a noble girl buying a gift for a friend, rather than someone’s wife.

‘Maybe it’s because I don’t style my hair up.’

Ever since marrying Percy, I’d often left my curly hair down or tied it in a half-up style because he liked playing with it. It must’ve made me look younger.

Embarrassed, I reached up to fiddle with my hair. The shopkeeper, meanwhile, carefully wrapped the garment while explaining.

“This is for babies up to about a month old. Be sure to let the recipient know. You tie these strings together to fasten it securely.”

“I see.”

“By the way, do they hope for a boy or a girl?”

“Um…”

The question left me at a loss for words. I blinked, realizing I hadn’t given much thought to the baby’s gender. I awkwardly smiled, and the shopkeeper, as if expecting my reaction, nodded knowingly.

“Next time, try asking. I’m sure they’ll chatter away happily. Talking about the baby’s gender before they’re born is one of the most delightful topics.”

“Thank you.”

The price of the tiny garment was surprisingly steep. I couldn’t help but wonder why something so small, requiring so little fabric, cost more than adult clothes. Still, I took the neatly wrapped package and left the shop.

Our next destination was the fruit dessert shop I’d originally been aiming for. The dessert, a mixture of milk and fruit, turned out to be similar to the ‘hwachae’ from my original world. Though the taste was familiar and nostalgic, I found myself absentmindedly toying with my spoon, preoccupied with thoughts of the baby’s gender.

‘Whether it’s a boy or a girl, if they take after Percy, they’ll be breathtakingly beautiful.’

Percy, with his otherworldly good looks—ruby-like eyes, golden hair that shimmered like threads of light, and skin as pale as snow—created a mystical, striking image.

Noticing my distracted state, the maids began chattering like sparrows, filling the air with cheerful conversation.

“I hope it’s a girl, Madam!” one of them declared brightly.

“I agree. Baby clothes for girls tend to be fancier and more fun to style.”

“If it’s a little girl who takes after Madam, that would be even better. A young lady with curly red hair—just imagining it is adorable.”

While I could understand most of their comments, I had to disagree with the last one. In a serious tone, I countered,

“I’d prefer if the baby took after Percy, with golden hair. Long, curly, golden locks would make them look like a doll—absolutely stunning.”

The maids, however, were completely unconvinced.

“Even so, I’d still like a little girl who looks like Madam.”

“Now that I think about it, I agree—a baby girl who takes after Madam would be lovely.”

“Really?”

Maybe they were so used to Percy’s face that it didn’t leave much of an impression anymore.

‘But what kind of child does Percy want?’

Come to think of it, we hadn’t really talked much about the pregnancy or the baby. Of course, Percy had been overjoyed when we first found out, but that was about it. As I pondered this, a sudden realization struck me.

‘Neither Percy nor I have brought up the topic since.’

While it made sense for Percy, who wasn’t experiencing the physical changes firsthand, I couldn’t figure out why I hadn’t. As I blinked in thought, one of the maids gave me a bright smile and said,

“I feel relieved, Madam. It seems you’re excitedly looking forward to the baby as well. We were worried you might feel overwhelmed since it all happened so suddenly.”

“Me?”

I hadn’t felt overwhelmed, per se. The real issue was that I hadn’t given it much thought at all. I fidgeted with my fingers.

‘Have I really come to terms with becoming a mother?’

The soft, red strands of my hair caught gently around my index finger, a small reminder of who I was before this.

* * *

Sienna’s sudden outing after over a month of staying indoors was prompted by none other than Percy’s aide.

As usual, while Sienna was sound asleep in their bedroom, Percy was reviewing the remaining tasks for the day with his aide. That was when the aide broached the subject.

“Soon, it would be good for Madam to show her face outside.”

“…What did you just say?”

Percy, who had been relatively calm until then, immediately bristled at the mention of Sienna’s name.

‘I knew this would happen.’

The moment those piercing red eyes turned on him, the aide couldn’t help but shudder. It felt as though Percy might draw a sword at any moment and strike him down.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve faced that look. It’s just as terrifying as ever.’

 

 

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