“Are you alright? You still seem unwell. The doctor said there’s nothing wrong with your body, but…”
Natasha’s words barely registered. Lydia dry-heaved again, overwhelmed by the nauseating smell in the air.
“Ugh!”
“Shall I call the doctor?”
“Ju… just get rid of it.”
“Sorry?”
“This… the smell, ugh!”
The mere scent made her stomach churn. At Lydia’s words, Natasha hurriedly closed the lid of the lunchbox.
Natasha then looked at Lydia with a puzzled expression. Her reaction seemed a bit too extreme for just a gag reflex.
It was almost as if…
The worst possible thought flashed through Natasha’s mind. With a pale face, she cautiously spoke.
“Lady Lydia, I’m asking this just to be sure, although of course a refined and cultured lady like yourself wouldn’t… but when you were meeting someone… was it only emotionally, or…?”
Not wanting to believe it, Natasha couldn’t finish her sentence.
Lydia mumbled through her hand, still covering her mouth.
“…Well, it was a R-18 reverse harem game, after all.”
Whatever that meant, Natasha at least understood what “R-18” implied.
“Then, though this might be an inappropriate question, I have to ask one more thing.”
An awkward tension hung between them.
“You… used protection, right?”
Lydia remained silent.
“Sorry, what?”
Pressed by Natasha, Lydia sheepishly lifted her head.
“Well, isn’t that something that’s usually fine because of game logic?”
Thud!
With her free hand, Natasha smacked her forehead. Oh, dear girl!
“Do you think contraception is some kind of magic? And more importantly, this is no longer a game, this is reality.”
“It was a game to me.”
Her tone was resolute.
“…Up until just now.”
***
“It’s been about eight weeks.”
The doctor confirmed. Eight weeks. Lydia absentmindedly stroked her belly. It was still flat.
“For first-time mothers, it’s common for the belly not to show much, especially this early. Since you’re experiencing morning sickness, I’ll prescribe the mildest medication possible.”
As the doctor spoke, Lydia felt detached from reality. Not only had she finally escaped the game she despised, but now she had a child growing inside her?
Wasn’t this all happening too fast?
“Do you know who the father is?”
The doctor’s question made Lydia rack her brain.
Who was she with around her ovulation period? No matter how hard she thought about it, there were just too many candidates.
“Sperm can survive for about 3-5 days if not exposed to air. So if you check the dates around your ovulation period…”
“I’m not sure.”
Lydia admitted frankly.
“I have three potential fathers. What should I do?”
While the doctor was at a loss for words, Natasha rubbed her forehead once more. Oh, for heaven’s sake.
To think that one of those three potential fathers could be like a younger brother to her was almost too much to bear.
“Ahem, don’t worry. It’s a medical professional’s duty to keep everything said here confidential.”
Who would dare spread rumors about the treasured daughter of the Duke of Dorothea?
“And… if you don’t have a doctor in mind, I could recommend someone for you.”
It was a subtle suggestion.
The implication was clear: this was advice in case Lydia didn’t want to keep the child.
Though abortion wasn’t illegal in the Empire, it was still often treated as something best kept quiet.
Official procedures left a record, so many still sought out illegal alternatives.
“Lady Lydia?”
Seeing Lydia silently stroking her belly, the doctor called her name.
“…It’s okay.”
“Sorry?”
“I’ll raise this child.”
“What?”
Both the doctor and Natasha stared at her wide-eyed.
For an unmarried noblewoman to raise a child alone was no small feat.
Without knowing the identity of the father, her engagement would surely be broken, and finding a proper marriage afterward would be nearly impossible.
In most cases, after such a scandal, the woman would be cast out by her family and left to struggle to survive…
“What should I name the baby?”
But Lydia Dorothea wasn’t someone who fit within the bounds of ‘most cases.’
There was a reason she was known as the beloved daughter of the Duke of Dorothea. In the South, where culture and intellect were held in high regard, Lydia’s talent had earned her immense fame.
Her early study abroad was due to her brilliance.
Lydia, the genius painter.
She had held a brush at age three and started producing masterpieces by seven. Even if the Duke’s family abandoned her, her radiant talent would never fade, and she would never starve.
The same would go for her child.
“Natasha, will you name the baby? What do you think?”
“Me?”
“Yes. Doesn’t it feel like a gift?”
Lydia’s face softened into a dreamy expression, as if she were once again walking in a dream.
“It’s clear that you and this child have brought me back to reality.”
Natasha had a lot to say, but she held back with effort.
“The game I know didn’t have any of this.”
“I see. Lydia, before anything else, we should inform the Dorothea Ducal family and then think about our next steps.”
Lydia, who was directly involved, seemed calmer than Natasha, who watched from the side. Even Natasha, who was witnessing this scene for the first time, kept finding herself at a loss for words.
“This could lead to a charge of royal defamation.”
“I don’t care.”
“Do you think the Dorothea Ducal family will care?”
“Who knows?”
After all, geniuses are often eccentric.
Natasha decided to think that way.
“If it’s a boy, I’ll name him Maximilian. If it’s a girl, Maxima. So, the nickname will be ‘Maxi.’”
Lydia, completely engrossed in naming the child, paid no attention to anyone else.
“Maxi! Maxi Dorothea. It’s a beautiful name.”
Lydia beamed, holding her still-flat stomach with a satisfied look.
***
Trying to understand a mad person is a foolish endeavor.
Natasha deeply agreed with that sentiment. That evening, Lydia came to Natasha’s office, holding a few pieces of jewelry.
“I got kicked out.”
“As expected.”
“When I said I didn’t care if I was disowned, my father cried.”
“My goodness.”
It seemed the roles of victim and perpetrator were somewhat reversed. Natasha had assumed Lydia had been thrown out after being scolded, but now it seemed she had simply run away.
“Will you let me in?”
Lydia’s smile was innocent as she asked this.
Shhhh.
It was raining heavily outside. Lydia was soaked through.
Even though Natasha was a lawyer reputed to be cold-hearted, she wasn’t heartless enough to turn a pregnant woman away in this kind of weather.
Sigh.
“Come in.”
In the end, Natasha sighed and let her inside.
“Damn monsoon. When will it end?”
Natasha muttered that it was all the rain’s fault.
“Thank you. Would you like this?”
“I won’t refuse.”
Accepting the shiny necklace made her feel a little better. Though, letting Lydia inside gave her a nagging feeling that she was getting involved in a troublesome situation.
Growl.
To make matters worse, Lydia’s stomach let out a loud rumble.
“Here’s a towel and some clothes. The bathroom is inside, so go wash up.”
“Where are you going, Natasha?”
Lydia asked as she watched Natasha put on a raincoat.
“…I’m going to get some food. There’s nothing to eat in here.”
Selling the jewelry would bring in thousands of gold. With that much, it was only right to provide food.
‘It’ll take some time to sell this… I’ll need to have it processed.’
No one would want to buy a piece with the Dorothea Ducal crest unless they had a death wish.
Luckily, Natasha knew a back-alley jeweler.
Knock, knock.
Natasha went down to the first floor and knocked on a door—not the bakery’s, but the home of Janet and her son, Lowell.
“Oh, what brings you here?”
Janet, in a more relaxed outfit than her bakery attire, greeted her. She looked puzzled, wondering why Natasha had come on a day the bakery was closed.
“Um… I was wondering if I could get some food.”
“What?”
“Well…”
Natasha fumbled for an excuse, then sighed and told the truth.
“There’s a pregnant woman at my place.”
“Excuse me?”
Janet, surprised for a moment, quickly burst out laughing.
“You’ve done it again?”
“Again? You talk like I do this often.”
“Not often, but you have a soft heart. I’m only here because you helped me so much.”
“That’s because you pay a hefty rent…”
“You’re just embarrassed, aren’t you?”
It seemed like the answer had already been decided. Natasha quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, do you have any food to spare?”
“Of course.”
Janet agreed cheerfully, smiling.
“You’re too kind, Natasha. I worry you might get scammed one day.”
“I’m a lawyer…”
“Still!”
Janet hummed as she gathered food from around the house and handed over a large bundle.
“…All of this?”
“Pregnant women need to eat well. It all goes to the baby!”
“But this is a bit much…”
Just as Natasha was about to protest, she clamped her mouth shut under Janet’s stern gaze.
“Next time, bring her around to meet me. I have experience, so I can give her some advice.”
“I’ll ask her.”
“Is she shy?”
“Um, yes.”
Let’s go with that. Lydia didn’t seem like the shy type, but it was better than explaining.
As Natasha was heading back upstairs with the bundle of food, she noticed someone standing in front of the door on the second floor.
“…Your Highness, the Crown Prince?”
“It’s about time.”
It was Leon, flanked by dazzling royal guards!
Thank goodness Natasha had locked the door. Otherwise, Lydia might have been caught in an instant.
Natasha quickly gauged his mood.
“Your Highness, how is it that someone as distinguished as yourself has come to such a humble place?”
She barely managed to catch herself from mixing in her true feelings.
“Open the door.”
Ignoring Natasha’s words, Leon got straight to the point.
“The woman who will be my wife and the first royal grandson are inside. If you value your life, you should open the door.”
What?
‘First grandson’?
Not only did the Crown Prince know about Lydia’s pregnancy, but he was also certain that the child was his!
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
If you want to support the translation and the translator, you can buy a coffee~
