“E-Edwin, what do you mean by a baby?”
At my flustered question, Edwin tilted his head innocently and replied.
“Hm? That’s what everyone is saying.”
“Everyone? Who…?”
I was so shocked by this news—news I hadn’t even heard myself—that my hands, which had been holding Edwin, dropped to my sides.
“Renee?”
“Yes?”
“What’s wrong?”
“N-No, I was just surprised.”
“Was it supposed to be a secret?”
“No? That’s not what I meant… No, Edwin. There’s no baby in my tummy.”
“Really? There isn’t?”
Hearing my answer, Edwin pulled away from me with a disappointed look.
“I thought I was getting a younger sibling… I was excited.”
He sounded genuinely down.
Wait, when did this rumor start? And how far has it spread?
If even Edwin had heard about it, that meant people had been talking about it in quite some detail.
Who should I ask about this?
At that moment, my eyes naturally landed on Chase.
After all, he was the one who always told me about the various rumors regarding me—things I hadn’t even known myself.
But just like before, Chase was avoiding my gaze.
Then, right as I was trying to figure out what to do, someone else entered the room—someone who could explain this rumor instead.
****
After dropping Renee off, Roman immediately went to find Amelia and returned to Raynan.
“You’re back.”
“Why did you allow it?”
Roman wasted no time asking the question he had held back earlier.
“You mean allowing Erin to be a lady-in-waiting?”
“Yes.”
Amelia, who had been watching them go back and forth, looked between them and asked,
“Who’s Erin?”
“She’s supposedly Renee’s friend,” Roman replied.
“The way you say that sounds suspicious. Are they really friends?”
Amelia quickly picked up on the distrust in Raynan’s tone.
“Well, what’s certain is that Erin doesn’t seem to see Renee that way… But I don’t know about Renee.”
“I thought Renee considered her a close friend,” Roman said, puzzled.
“That may be. Renee is friendly and gets along well with people, but she can also be surprisingly indifferent at times.”
“That’s true.”
Both Roman and Amelia nodded in agreement at Raynan’s words.
“But despite all the things Renee talks about, she never once mentioned Erin.”
“Maybe she left her out on purpose?”
“No. We all know she’s not that calculating.”
“Right. So, why did the topic of Erin becoming a lady-in-waiting come up?”
At Amelia’s question, Raynan put down the document he had been reading and stood up.
“Do you remember what Chase mentioned before? That Marvin was deliberately stalling him while Renee met with someone.”
“You think that someone was Erin?”
“Yes. Did you see how Renee hesitated? And Roman, when you questioned her, she wavered quite a bit. That means she was already struggling with the same doubts.”
“So, you believe Renee chose Erin because of that?”
“Exactly. She must have met Erin at that time, and Erin must have asked for a favor—to be brought in as her lady-in-waiting.”
“Wait a second.”
Amelia, who had been listening intently, raised a hand and stepped in between them.
“Then that means Erin might be connected to Marvin. And despite knowing it’s suspicious, you’re allowing her to stay close to Renee? As a lady-in-waiting?”
“Amelia is right. No matter the reason, keeping someone that close is too dangerous,” Roman agreed.
“If Marvin is unable to move, then someone else will. If Erin remains quiet, it will be a good opportunity to confirm if there’s another player in the game.”
“What if Erin herself makes a move?”
At Roman’s question, Raynan turned to Amelia, a faint smile on his lips. She instinctively stepped back.
“That’s why I want you to stay close to Renee.”
“Me?”
Amelia pointed at herself, then let out a short laugh.
“I was wondering why I was dragged into this conversation without knowing anything.”
“There’s no one more suited for the role. And since you and Renee get along well, it won’t be such a bad thing.”
“Well, of course, I don’t want Renee to be in danger.”
“Then find an excuse. She’ll officially be a lady-in-waiting, but make sure she never gets the chance to be alone with Renee.”
Raynan’s firm tone made Amelia chuckle dryly.
“You make it sound so simple for such a difficult task.”
“We’ll add another lady-in-waiting as well. Roman, find someone reliable. That way, even if Erin is nearby, she won’t have many chances to act.”
“Understood.”
“Amelia will move to the room next to Renee’s. The lady-in-waiting’s quarters should be kept at a distance.”
“Yes.”
Roman looked slightly relieved and responded sincerely.
“Amelia.”
“Yes, Duke?”
“Protect her, no matter what.”
Raynan’s expression remained calm, but among the three of them, he was likely the most tense.
Hearing the weight in his words, Amelia wiped the smile from her face and nodded solemnly.
“Then I’ll get started right away. Where’s Renee?”
“She’s in Edwin’s room.”
“Alright, I’ll go.”
Raynan’s gaze lingered on Amelia’s retreating figure as she left the office.
“Amelia!”
“I went to see the Duke, and he said you were here.”
If anyone knew how this rumor had started, it would be Amelia.
“Shall we head back, Renee? I have something to discuss with you.”
“Yes, just a moment.”
I wanted to ask her immediately, but I couldn’t leave Edwin’s room just like that.
“Edwin, as I said earlier, the engagement announcement will be made soon. If anything bothers you or makes you uncomfortable, please tell me anytime.”
“Okay! But then… what should I call you now?”
“Call me?”
“Yeah. Should I say ‘Mother’?”
Mother… But we weren’t even married yet.
I hadn’t thought about this at all, so I instinctively turned to Amelia for help.
Noticing my silent plea, Amelia approached Edwin.
“The Duke will tell you what to call her soon.”
“Oh, okay! I’ll wait patiently.”
Edwin replied excitedly.
It seemed like I would have to discuss this with Raynan as well. But right now, there was a more urgent matter.
As soon as we left Edwin’s room, I grabbed Amelia’s arm.
“Renee?”
“Hurry, Amelia. I need to ask you something.”
“Alright.”
Amelia tilted her head in curiosity but nodded.
We practically rushed back to my room, getting there much faster than usual.
“What do you need to ask?”
As soon as the door closed, Amelia got straight to the point, sensing my urgency.
“Amelia, are there any weird rumors about me going around?”
“Weird rumors? There’s a lot of interest in you right now… Which rumor are you talking about specifically?”
“Um… Are people saying I’m pregnant?”
“Oh.”
Amelia nodded as if she already knew. She didn’t say it out loud, but her reaction confirmed it.
“Wait… Pregnant? Why? Do I look like I’ve gained weight?”
I was stunned. I looked down at my stomach, but it didn’t seem like there was any noticeable change.
“No, of course not. But how did you find out?”
“Edwin asked me if I had a baby in my tummy. You can imagine how shocked I was.”
“Edwin did?”
Amelia looked surprised, then burst into laughter.
“Amelia, this isn’t funny! Pregnancy?! That’s too much. I’m not even married yet.”
“So what? It’s not true, so who cares?”
“I mean… yeah, but still. Where did this even come from?”
“You know how much the Duke cherishes you, right?”
“Yes.”
“And your room was moved next to his.”
“…Yes.”
“The Duke never takes personal vacations, but he suddenly left with you.”
“Okay, but what does that have to do with—?”
“You felt sick in the carriage, right? And the Duke took extra care of your health.”
“…Wait.”
“The Duke rarely rides in a carriage himself. And when you arrived, he helped you walk and even called for Carlson instead of Austin.”
“Oh no…”
“Everyone believes you found out you were pregnant before leaving and took a vacation for rest.”
What had been simple motion sickness had now turned into morning sickness.
My head felt dizzy. If I looked at it from their perspective, it did seem plausible.
“Sigh… But still, pregnancy?”
“They’re just having fun gossiping. They don’t care if it’s true or not.”
“But eventually, they’ll realize it’s false. Then what will they say next…?”
“I didn’t think you cared much about what people say.”
“It’s not that I don’t care… It’s just… This is too much.”
I vented to Amelia, feeling a mix of frustration and disbelief.
She calmly reassured me, which made me feel a bit better.
Still, this situation was ridiculous.
“Thanks for listening. I do feel a little relieved.”
“Anytime. Oh, by the way, new maids will be arriving soon. It’ll be a bit uncomfortable until then, but hang in there.”
“…Maids?”
“Yes.”
I had only expected Erin, so the mention of “maids” made me frown.
“How many?”
“Two.”
“…I see.”
I knew there was no point arguing about it.
Besides, the real problem was that I suddenly felt too embarrassed to face Raynan.
For now… I’d deal with this tomorrow.
