Although I knew most of this already, hearing it from the doctor reinforced my resolve to be more careful. The doctor rummaged through the handouts in his desk drawer and handed me another piece of paper.
“Based on the test results, it looks like your baby is just about 3 months old. If you don’t have morning sickness yet, perhaps your husband is taking it on your behalf.”
“There are cases where the husband experiences it instead?”
“Yes. Sometimes that happens. Among doctors, we say it’s because the husband loves his wife so much that he takes on her morning sickness for her.”
As I was scanning the paper, the doctor’s words surprised me. Now that I thought about it, I’d heard that morning sickness was common, but I hadn’t experienced any symptoms. I hadn’t even really felt nauseated.
‘You’re telling me that Lacius might be experiencing morning sickness in my place?’
I tried to keep my gaze steady, retracing my memories carefully.
Had he struggled with eating at any point? I hadn’t seen much of him before we went to Makarten because he was so busy; he’d mostly been drinking or snacking, usually on light foods like fruit. Other than that, he hadn’t exactly seemed like he was refusing food… had he?
‘Oh, no way. Could he be hiding it from me?’
I resolved to have a talk with him soon.
I put on a determined face and patted my stomach. Then the doctor gave me a series of precautions.
“You may experience worsening mood swings and anxiety symptoms, or may have already developed them. It’s all perfectly natural. However, it’s best to express your feelings honestly. Keeping them bottled up only makes it worse.”
“I understand.”
“And in the future, avoid coming to these back alleys, as it could become dangerous. Call for your primary physician instead.”
It was a nagging comment mixed with concern, but it was also an important one.
‘It can get dangerous.’
If anyone found out I was pregnant, there would be an even greater risk of someone targeting me. I remembered the assassins who visited me tirelessly when I’d first possessed this body. It hadn’t mattered when it was just my life at stake, but if someone came after the baby, I’d be utterly enraged. It was best to avoid that situation altogether.
“Then I’ll trust you to keep my secret. I’ll pay you generously for your diagnosis.”
“Oh, thank you. But if you’re going to pay me, I want it to be a donation to the organization I run.”
“An organization?”
“Yes. I run something called the ‘Doctors Without Status’ organization. You see, we’re constantly short on funds because there are so many patients, and medicine is expensive.”
“Doctors Without Status”—just hearing the name gave me a pretty clear idea of what kind of work they did. It also explained why this doctor was operating here. I also understood what kind of conviction this doctor’s unyielding attitude toward his status came from.
The other nobles might dislike his boldness, but to the commoners, he would be an irreplaceable figure. As long as this organization truly helps the impoverished and doesn’t misuse donations, I’d be more than willing to support it.
‘I’ll have to ask Cynthia about this organization.’
For now, I’d focus on sharing the happy news with Lacius. My steps felt light, as though I had wings on my feet. Still, I didn’t run; I didn’t want to startle the baby.
* * *
But when I finally got home, I couldn’t hold back and ended up dancing around the room. I had to tell Lacius this wonderful news. The only problem was how I would tell him.
‘A name! Yes, I’ll start with picking a name.’
Shay, Lacius, Titania. I think it would be a good idea to mix all three names together. If it’s a girl, Lania, Sheia, or Shailene. If it’s a boy, a name like Taius, Seius, or Tan would be good.
I scribbled down a long list of possible names on a piece of parchment, excitedly to myself. Then Cat suddenly came up to me and tapped my elbow.
“Hm? Why?”
-This. It’s a gift.
“Huh?”
Cat dropped something on the desk, turning around quickly as if embarrassed. It was a beautiful flower that must have been picked from the garden. The sweet scent still emanated from its delicate pink petals.
“Oh my god… Thank you, Cat. Did you pick this yourself?”
-Well, there’s a little one in your belly. I don’t know much, but I’ve heard that you should only look at nice things.
How could he be so thoughtful? Since it was the baby’s first gift, I held the flower dearly.
“I’ll put a preservation spell on it. I’m trully happy, Cat. I never imagined you’d bring me a gift.”
I suddenly felt a lump in my throat. Cat wrapped its long, soft tail around my arm once and quietly disappeared. Watching his graceful, black silhouette as he left, I couldn’t help but fondly touch the flower. I could just imagine that tsundere of a cat carrying it from the garden, and it warmed my heart.
“I can’t wait to tell Lacius.”
I stretched out on the desk and held the flower to my nose, hoping its fragrance would somehow reach the baby. Before I knew it, sleep gently overtook me.
* * *
“Lacius! You’re finally home?”
Tonight, Lacius came back later than usual, and I’d been waiting eagerly. In fact, I was dying of curiosity—could he really be experiencing my morning sickness instead?
“Shay.”
Lacius, standing by the entrance and handing his cloak to Theobalt, smiled faintly when he saw me. I skipped over to him, deliberately making it obvious that I had something to say.
“I think something very good is going on; you seem to be in a very good mood.”
“Right? Take a guess what it could be.”
“Hmm, let’s see. What could possibly make you this happy?”
Lacius hugged my waist and kissed my ear, and only then does he say a greeting. Given the hour, he’d probably already had dinner outside, so I took his hand and started leading him somewhere.
“I have something to tell you. Let’s go out to the back garden.”
“Alright.”
He agreed without even knowing what it was about.
We walked out to the pavilion, where I had instructed the servants to prepare an excellent midnight meal in advance. There is milk for me and wine for him, side by side. There was a celebratory cake in the middle, and the surrounding area was decorated with lots of flowers, making it beautiful.
The cherries, apricots, plums, and peaches that I had specifically told to prepare just in case were also neatly cut, washed, and freshly laid out. It’s good to eat right away.
“Shay, what’s all this…?”
Lacius looked at me with a puzzled expression. It was clearly a celebration table, but since there was no recent victory or particular reason to celebrate, he seemed puzzled.
“It looks like a celebration, right? It is. It’s a celebration for us.”
I say with a smirk, a glimmer of realization appeared on his puzzled face, and I couldn’t help but gape in disbelief. No way—
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