PWHHF | SS5

Side Story – Chapter 5

“I want to be a good husband and a good father, but there is no father in my life to teach me how.”

“…..”

“Your Majesty, you are the best father I know. The princess always smiles happily whenever she talks about you.”

“Hmm…?”

“So, I have come to ask Your Majesty for guidance. How can I become a good father?”

“C-Cough….”

The emperor, who had been sitting comfortably just moments ago, straightened his posture. For some reason, he felt the need to sit properly.

A good father… Yes, he was the best father in the world. At least, to his dear Agnes.

So it wasn’t strange at all for that rascal Kylo to ask him such a question.

The emperor slowly studied Kylo’s handsome face.

Hmm, who was Kylo’s father again…? Some baron or something…? In any case, a pathetic man. It was almost miraculous that such a worthless man had produced such an exceptional son.

The emperor puffed out his chest, feeling like the greatest man in the world.

For some reason, his nose and shoulders seemed to rise to the heavens. It felt as if he were sitting on a cloud rather than a sofa.

Hiding his excitement, the emperor finally opened his mouth. The way to become a good father, huh….

For three whole hours, the emperor delivered a passionate lecture without pause. It was an overwhelming speech.

Honestly, more than half of it was unnecessary rambling… but Kylo listened intently with a serious expression the entire time.

And by the time the lecture ended, Kylo looked as though he had come to a realization.

A Few Days Later

Agnes was startled when the emperor’s chamberlain suddenly appeared at her residence.

What surprised her wasn’t the chamberlain himself but the mountain of gifts he had brought with him.

Wait, what is all this…?

“These are gifts from His Majesty to the Grand Duke. Upon reflection, he thought the gift he gave last birthday was far too insufficient….”

“In…sufficient?”

Agnes recalled the gift the emperor had bestowed upon Kylo on his last birthday.

It had been one of the imperial treasures, a relic rumored to be from the first emperor himself. A priceless artifact.

And yet, that was considered insufficient…?

Baffled, Agnes scanned the list of gifts the emperor had sent. It was far more than what she had received on her own birthday.

Judging by this, Kylo must have done something to earn immense favor… but what?

That night, Agnes finally learned the reason behind the emperor’s generous gifts.

“You went to His Majesty to ask how to be a good father?”

“Yes. His Majesty shared a great deal of wisdom with me.”

“Ah….”

Agnes suppressed her laughter. That was such an adorable thing to do. She could understand why the emperor had been so moved.

“So, do you feel more prepared now?”

Agnes asked with a teasing smile, and Kylo nodded.

“Yes. A little.”

“So, what did His Majesty say? How does one become a good father?”

“Well….”

As Kylo began to speak, Agnes focused on his next words. Honestly, she was curious. What kind of advice had His Majesty given?

“He said… I just need to be a good husband.”

“What? That’s it?”

“In summary, yes. Though he did share many other valuable insights as well.”

“Hm, so just be a good husband, huh….”

“If one becomes a good husband, then naturally, he can become a good father. If the relationship between the parents is strong, the child will always be happy. And for the parents to have a strong relationship, the husband must deeply love and always respect his wife.”

“Well… that does make sense. So, doesn’t that mean you’re already prepared, Kyli?”

At Agnes’s question, Kylo rubbed his cheek, looking a little embarrassed. Then, his expression darkened slightly.

“More than that, I am concerned about you, Princess.”

“Me? Why?”

“The process of conceiving and giving birth will fall solely on you. I wish I could bear it in your stead.”

“I already told you. I’ve been ready for this for a long time.”

Marrying her favorite person and building a loving family together? She absolutely couldn’t resist.

Agnes patted Kylo’s hand reassuringly. She, too, felt some fear when thinking about pregnancy and childbirth, but healing mages were said to have a much easier time than others.

Besides, as long as Kylo was by her side, there was nothing to fear.

With a gentle smile, Agnes slipped the ring off Kylo’s right index finger. It was a contraception ring that had served them well until now.

“Well then, if we’re ready, shall we get started?”

Kylo blinked in surprise at Agnes’s sudden words.

“Huh? Get started on what?”

Without answering, Agnes reached into her drawer and pulled something out.

“…….”

A landmine.

Kylo opened and closed his mouth in shock.

Wait, why…? Just why…?

It was then that Kyli realized he had overlooked something. His master—and wife—had rather unique tastes.

And so, the two embarked on their journey to conceive their first child. In a narrow, dark, and secret place.

A Few Weeks Later

One day, while having lunch with the emperor as usual, Agnes and Kylo were enjoying tea after their meal.

On the table sat round, colorful desserts. They paired wonderfully with the fragrant tea.

Then, as Agnes’s gaze landed on a particularly round macaron, she suddenly recalled the dream she had last night.

“Oh, right. I had a rather strange dream yesterday….”

Come to think of it, could that have been a conception dream?

If she really was pregnant, then that dream had to have been a conception dream.

Both Emperor Alexander and Kylo turned their attention to her.

Reflecting on the dream, Agnes began to describe it.

“In my dream, there was a huge full moon in the sky, and it started chasing me. I ran away in shock, but when I turned back to look, the full moon suddenly leaped into my arms.”

The more she spoke, the clearer the dream became. Yep, this was definitely a conception dream.

Finishing her story, Agnes took a bite of a yellow macaron.

“Sounds like a good dream, doesn’t it?”

Emperor Alexander, sipping his tea, remarked nonchalantly.

Kylo, on the other hand, gazed at Agnes with deeply worried eyes.

It seemed he was simply concerned because she had dreamed of being chased.

“Oh, now that I think about it, I also had a rather unusual dream a few days ago.”

At that moment, the emperor suddenly brightened. Stroking his beard with satisfaction, he eagerly shared his dream.

“In my dream, I went hunting after a long time. I was chasing a deer when I got separated and lost my way in the forest. As I wandered alone, I stumbled upon a pond… and guess what I saw there?”

“What did you see?”

Unlike the excited emperor, Agnes responded with a dull tone. She already knew where this was going. It was obviously another conception dream.

“A horse with pure white fur… and wings on its sides! I saw a Pegasus, just like in the myths!”

“So, did you catch it?”

“Catch it? No, I just stood there gawking at it. Then I heard people calling for me, so I turned around, and when I looked back, it had disappeared.”

“That sounds like an amazing dream, though.”

“Right? So I bought a lottery ticket last week.”

“…What?”

Agnes frowned.

Similar to her past life, this world also had a lottery system. The imperial government operated it, using part of the proceeds for the welfare of the empire’s children.

But… was the emperor even allowed to buy a lottery ticket?

“…You didn’t win, did you?”

“Tch. I was planning to make a grand donation if I did, but I didn’t match a single number.”

Hearing that, Agnes sighed in relief.

Then—

Kylo, who had been listening silently, finally spoke.

“Now that I think about it… I also had a rather strange dream recently.”

“Really? What kind of dream?”

The emperor asked curiously.

Agnes also looked at Kylo with anticipation.

Could it be another conception dream?