Side Story 1
Her body felt sluggish.
“…”
Seriniel, sitting on the terrace, still had a sleepy and somewhat tired expression. She rubbed her eyes lazily and then yawned softly.
“My lady, please try some of this.”
Just in time, Kina appeared with a basket of fresh fruit. She carefully placed it down and asked, looking at Seriniel with a worried face, “How are you feeling?”
“Mm… I’m okay, just feeling a bit sluggish.”
“…”
“And you know I can’t handle the heat well. Maybe it’s because this summer was so hot.”
But my lady, summer has been over for quite a while now. Kina swallowed those words with difficulty. It wasn’t unusual for Kina to be this worried about Seriniel. After all, it was now autumn, with colorful leaves covering the ground and a cool breeze blowing. While it was true that the past summer was exceptionally hot, it didn’t make sense for the heat to affect her until now.
“…”
Kina silently watched as Seriniel picked up and ate the fruit. Although Seriniel had always liked fruit, she had never eaten this much before. Lately, Seriniel had been eating only fruit, neglecting other foods. She also slept excessively and seemed physically weak in an oddly subtle way, Kina had a suspicion.
‘It seems… I might be right…’
While Seriniel and Lexion had never experienced this before and might not know, Kina had seen and heard enough in her life to have an idea. Moreover, Seriniel, having been weak and anemic since childhood, still had irregular menstrual cycles, which could explain why she hadn’t noticed it herself.
The reason Kina kept silent despite her suspicion was simple. She didn’t want to raise their hopes and risk disappointing Seriniel and Lexion if she was wrong, her silence was a form of consideration. However, today would provide a clear answer.
“The doctor will be here soon, my lady.”
As Seriniel’s condition changed, Lexion became worried. Despite Seriniel’s reassurances, his concern led to calling a doctor. He couldn’t put it off any longer.
“Master asked us to wait for him, so please rest a bit longer.”
Two hours ago, Lexion had to leave the mansion urgently due to a summons from the Emperor. Since Seriniel was still asleep, he had earnestly asked Kina to ensure she was seen by the doctor upon his return.
“It’s okay, Kina,” Seriniel said, shaking her head in response to Kina’s words. “It’s probably nothing serious. Besides, waiting for the doctor with him here would just make him more anxious.”
“…”
“I can speak to the doctor separately. I’ll get the examination done first.”
Seriniel knew Lexion was genuinely worried about her. She wanted to relieve his anxiety by getting a clean bill of health as soon as he returned.
“But…”
“My lady, the doctor has arrived,” Vain announced, motioning toward the hallway.
“Alright, please show them in,” Seriniel replied with a smile, while Kina looked at her with a worried expression.
***
“You’re pregnant.”
“…What?”
“There’s no major issue with your health now, but you need to take extra care from now on, especially since you’ve always been frail.”
Seriniel looked dazed, but the doctor was busy explaining to Kina the foods Seriniel should avoid and the ones she must include in her diet.
“…”
Vain, who was standing beside her, quietly observed Seriniel, something seemed off. He expected her to be happy, but her reaction was different, maybe she was just too shocked? However, her blank expression was troubling.
“Anyway, as long as you follow these guidelines, there should be no major issues, contact me immediately if any problems arise.”
“Yes, yes.”
After the doctor left, Kina approached Seriniel and Vain with tears welling up in her eyes.
“My lady…!”
Kina’s wrinkled hands gently embraced Seriniel’s frail body.
“This is wonderful news… I was hoping… Oh dear…”
“…”
“My lady…?”
Upon receiving no response, Kina realized something was wrong. She pulled back slightly and looked at Seriniel with a face full of worry.
“My lady, is something wrong?”
Vain, who had been observing the situation, quietly asked, “Are you unhappy about having a baby?”
Seriniel hurriedly shook her head.
“Then what’s the matter? Please, speak freely.”
“Well…”
Seriniel stammered, her lips trembling slightly.
“It would be a lie to say I’m not happy… but…”
“…”
“I hadn’t thought of it… my body was always like this, but Calian had made me take those drugs so many times…”
To be honest, Seriniel had sometimes thought about it, back when she had first returned, shortly after marrying Calian. Whenever Calian came home drunk, he would sometimes force himself on Seriniel and then make her take strong contraceptives to prevent pregnancy. She had heard that taking such drugs for a long time made it difficult to conceive, and to some extent, it was true.
Would I ever be able to have a child?
After marrying Lexion, Seriniel worried about it alone. But she never consulted a doctor about it. She was afraid, afraid of hearing that she might truly never be able to have children, and with her irregular menstrual cycles, it was impossible for Seriniel to realize she was pregnant.
“And Lexion…”
“Did Master say he didn’t want children?”
“He never said that exactly. But…”
Seriniel let out a heavy sigh and began to speak, recalling something that happened a few weeks ago.
***
A few weeks ago, Seriniel had visited the orphanage at the temple with Lexion. After several visits, the children had become quite attached to Seriniel. They would beg her to read them stories and line up to have their hair done by her. Seriniel enjoyed these moments.
“Johan says you’ve become very popular,” Lexion said, approaching Seriniel who was sitting on a bench under a large tree, watching the children play.
“Are you jealous?” Seriniel asked with a bright smile.
“No way.” Lexion chuckled, wrapping his large hand around Seriniel’s shoulder. “I just thought, the kids do have a good eye.”
“…”
“They couldn’t help but like you. It’s only natural.”
“You still say such things without batting an eye.”
“I could say it while blinking too.”
At Lexion’s words, Seriniel laughed heartily. Then she turned her gaze back to the children who were playing joyfully. They were so cute and lovely.
The children would grow quickly with each passing season, becoming boys and then adults before they knew it, just as she had, lost in her thoughts, Seriniel suddenly imagined a future.
A child who resembled both Lexion and herself, growing up and smiling brightly with them, who would be covered in wrinkles by then.
“If we had a child…”
Seriniel spoke slowly, almost unconsciously.
“If we had a child, they would probably have many happy memories.”
“…”
“Having a kind and warm father like you would make that certain.”
Yes, it would be so. Lexion was always a loving person, and Seriniel believed he would be a reliable and affectionate father to their child. She had no doubt about it.
But Lexion said nothing. Seriniel turned to look at him cautiously. Lexion had a somewhat stiff expression on his face.
