Side Story 7. I Didn’t Know It Would Be Like This (2)

After the baby’s birth, Percy held onto Sienna’s hand for quite a while, struggling to regain his composure.

He must have been really shaken.

Sienna blinked, her thoughts swirling. Human beings were strange. Just moments ago, she had felt like she was on the verge of death. The pain had been so excruciating she’d wished someone would knock her out to spare her the agony.

And yet, as soon as the baby was born, that pain faded almost instantly. Sienna spread her arms wide.

“Percy, come here.”

Percy didn’t hesitate to lean into her embrace. Though he was much larger than her, making the sight almost comical, no one was laughing.

Her familiar scent, mingled with sweat, surrounded him as she patted his back gently.

“Percy, I’m here. Everything’s fine.”

“Thank you.”

It didn’t take long for Percy to gather himself. It wasn’t that his anxiety had completely subsided, but the thought of burdening Sienna, who had already endured so much, was unacceptable.

However, just as he began to steady his emotions, another presence entered the room, shaking him anew.

“Would you like to hold your son, Your Grace?”

The midwife approached, cradling the newborn, now clean and swaddled in soft fabric. Sienna beamed as she reached out her arms.

“Our baby.”

Her strength was limited, so instead of holding him properly, she ended up resting the baby on her arm as she lay back. Looking at the baby’s face, Sienna’s eyes widened.

“Oh my! He looks just like you.”

She wasn’t wrong. Though his features were red and scrunched from birth, the baby clearly resembled Percy. From his soft golden hair and smooth forehead to his faintly pink lips, everything about him mirrored his father.

But for Percy, seeing the baby that had caused Sienna so much pain made it hard for him to smile.

* * *

They named the baby Noah Stewart.

Born almost exactly a year after their official marriage, Noah became an important figure the moment he drew his first breath.

With Emperor Julius newly married to Marianne Bernande and no heirs yet, Noah Stewart was officially third in line to the throne.

Sienna’s excuse of poor health to avoid returning to the capital was considered valid largely because Noah was such a significant child.

And today, Emperor Julius himself had come to the Stewart estate to meet his nephew.

The visit was so unexpected that no one, not even Percy, had been prepared to greet him. By the time Percy rushed to the entrance to welcome him, Julius had already arrived and greeted him with a wide grin.

“Well, here’s my little thief of a son-in-law!”

“You’re here, Your Majesty,” Percy replied evenly.

Little thief, he says. As if he ever cared about Sienna this much before.

Percy swallowed his irritation and maintained a composed expression. After all, Julius was Sienna’s only family, and Percy couldn’t deny that he had indeed hurriedly whisked her away to the estate.

“I’m surprised by your sudden visit. If you’d sent word ahead, I would have arranged a proper welcome.”

“I was eager to see my nephew, so I came straight away. No need for a reception. I’m not some frail old man; my legs are strong enough to bring me here on their own.”

There was an edge to his words, but Percy chose not to dwell on it. It was likely a subtle complaint about dragging his sister to a remote estate.

“Noah will be delighted. Would you like to see him now?”

Percy’s tone was calm, showing no sign of discomfort, but Julius, unable to contain his frustration, finally let his emotions spill out.

“You’re a terrible man, Percy. My Sienna, who has suffered all her life, was finally finding happiness when you snatched her away! And now you’ve turned her into a young mother!”

Percy listened to the tirade silently, his head tilted slightly, before responding in an even tone.

“I’ve heard there’s good news for Her Majesty, the Empress. My congratulations.”

Julius froze, his bluster evaporating in an instant. He glanced around awkwardly before cautiously asking, “Where did you hear that?”

“Just recently, the Duke of Bernande came to me, practically in tears, pouring his heart out,” Percy replied flatly.

“Ahem, well, the Duke loves my wife deeply,” Julius muttered, clearing his throat awkwardly.

The “good news” Percy referred to was none other than Empress Marianne’s pregnancy, barely a few months after her imperial marriage. It was still a closely guarded secret, given the risk of miscarriage during early pregnancy, but it was only a matter of time before the news spread across the empire.

It was a classic chicken-and-egg situation. The marriage had been expedited precisely because of the pregnancy, and everyone at court knew it.

Percy’s expression remained uninterested as he gazed at Julius. At least Julius wasn’t in a position to throw stones. Marianne was younger than Sienna, and Percy’s marriage wasn’t rushed under questionable circumstances.

He had even heard rumors that Julius had deliberately kept Duke Bernande busy with late-night work just to meet Marianne more often. A scheming boss forcing his subordinate to work overtime to woo his sister? It was the kind of behavior that would make even devils weep in shame.

Though Percy would never say it aloud, the sharpness in his gaze alone was enough to make Julius squirm. The emperor bristled, raising his voice in mock indignation.

“Stop trying to change the subject! You’ve been hiding my dear, precious Sienna away in this remote estate, and now I have to come all the way here to meet my nephew!”

The emperor leaving the capital to visit was undoubtedly a symbolic gesture. Percy inclined his head respectfully.

“Thank you for showing such care for my wife.”

“She’s my sister. Of course I care for her,” Julius huffed, pursing his lips as if dissatisfied. He leaned forward, curiosity shining in his eyes.

“So, how does it feel to have a son? Is he as adorable as they say?”

Noah was just shy of three months old. In that time, his scrunched, red newborn face had grown plump and fair. He was a stunningly beautiful baby, often described as doll-like by those who saw him. Many predicted he would grow up to be a strikingly handsome man.

But Percy struggled to feel any warmth for the child. The lack of any resemblance to Sienna only made it harder. Lowering his gaze, Percy answered in a somber tone.

“If I had known childbirth was like that, I might have reconsidered.”

“What?” Julius’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“What’s wrong with you? You’re not your usual sharp-tongued self,” he said, studying Percy’s uncharacteristically subdued expression.

Percy merely bowed his head, lips pressed into a thin line. The gesture seemed to irritate Julius even more.

“Well, this is unexpected,” Julius muttered. “Did something happen I don’t know about?”

He had braced himself for Percy’s smugness and snark but was instead met with gloom. Tilting his head in confusion, Julius eventually straightened and declared, “Anyway, take me to see Sienna and my nephew. That’s the real reason I’m here.”

* * *

After thoroughly washing his hands and changing into clean clothes, Julius was finally allowed to see Sienna and Noah. The moment his eyes landed on the baby lying peacefully in the crib, he let out an exaggerated exclamation.

“Oh my, my sister has given birth to Percy Stewart the Second!”

“Brother, how could you say something like that the moment you see your only nephew? Calling him annoying!” Sienna protested, glaring at him.

“I call it like I see it! How is it that there’s not a trace of you in his face?”

It wasn’t an exaggeration. From the prominent nose to the thick, golden lashes framing his eyes, and even the abundant hair on his head, Noah was a perfect replica of Percy.

Julius even checked the baby’s hands out of curiosity. Thankfully, Noah’s hands were pale and chubby, with no trace of the cursed marks that had plagued Percy.

At least the curse hadn’t been passed down.

Julius let out a quiet sigh of relief. With his own child due early next year, the thought of inherited curses had weighed heavily on his mind. One of the reasons for his visit was to confirm with his own eyes that Noah bore no such marks.

 

 

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