Hans tried to collect Evelina’s blood with a trembling expression. He was more nervous as he saw the conflicting face of Kaiden’s hopelessness but trying to pretend nothing was wrong, and Evelina’s excited but trying to pretend to be a sad expression.
He honestly hoped she wasn’t pregnant. He was a childhood friend of Evelina, so he was not so happy that his friend Evelina’s life might be threatened another time because of the child. There were already two children. Both of them were very difficult.
Of course, having a child that looked like Evelina would be nice, but it was hard to tell. In addition, there may be a fierce, belligerent, competent, but obsessive child-like Emperor Kaiden.
It was an adventure that shouldn’t have been done.
“Not yet?”
“I haven’t even drawn blood yet.”
He tied Evelina’s arms tightly with a string. He brought a needle and slowly poked it into her arm. Then he pulled the syringe and drew blood slowly.
He put her blood on a wide plate. He quickly took out a unique solution and mixed Evelina’s blood, and in the meantime, other medical personnel stood sideways, stopping Evelina’s blood and loosening the ties to her arms.
After some tense time, Hans sighed with relief.
“It’s similar to pregnancy, but I don’t think it’s pregnancy. You’ve had this before. It was a false pregnancy then.”
“…what?”
Evelina was surprised by Hans’ words.
“false pregnancy? Why?”
“If you are desperate for a child, that’s possible.”
“Huu.”
Kaiden smiled, relieved only then, and Evelina looked at Hans in surprise at the absurdity.
“I didn’t have my period.”
“The initial symptoms are similar. But if you look here, you can see the blue reaction, right?”
“…yes.”
“It’s a technology that only our empire can do. You can sort out a real pregnancy from a false pregnancy.”
“Is that possible?”
“Yes, it was developed three years ago.”
Evelina pouted her lips as if she was disappointed. Instead, it was Kaiden who comforted her. Of course, it was not comforting. Unbeknownst to him, she was expecting a child.
They had two children, but she was sad they didn’t look like her.
“Fortunately… It’s not a good thing, but it’s a sad thing…”
“Stop laughing. I know you’re not sad.”
Kaiden just laughed when Evelina said that grumpily.
“I’m happy. I’ll take medicine more thoroughly in the future. I’ll take more and come outside, not inside, to thoroughly lower the risk.”
“Ah, you don’t know. I’m going to bed. Please leave.”
“Get out, everybody.”
That’s how all the servants went out and became quiet.
“Kaiden out too.”
“Me, too… you mean?”
“Yes, Kaiden, too.”
“I can’t sleep without Lina.”
“If you don’t, I’m going out. I got depressed.”
“If you’re depressed, I’ll let you go.”
“I’m depressed because of Kaiden.”
“Then you have to solve it with the person concerned more.”
“I think I’ll be more depressed because we’re together.”
“Let’s test it out first.”
Evelina would normally have listened to him. But she was disappointed this time and didn’t want to listen to him.
“I think I’ll get angry if I say more.”
“…I’ll be outside, so if you miss me, please call me anytime.”
“Then it bothers me. You’re somewhere in the room. My room, my bedroom.”
“Then it’s too far.”
When all the servants left, Kaiden opened the closet door, looking at Evelina.
“I’ll be in the closet.”
“Kaiden is so big that the closet door won’t close?”
“I’ll go in and close it for now.”
He pushed his clothes aside as if he were really about to enter the closet. Then he put his foot on it.
“Look, I told you you were too big, right?”
But no matter how much he removed the clothes, even in that big closet, Kaiden was much more extensive.
“How about behind the curtain?”
He quickly closed the closet door and hid behind a long curtain leading to the terrace.
“I’m more anxious because I feel like it’s an assassin.”
“How about a lewd assassin?”
“How can you say that in this situation?”
“Even in this situation, it’s pretty Lina’s fault.”
He quickly continued as Evelina’s expression hardened unusually.
“But the greatest sinner is me. I am the worst.”
He said, sneaking back behind the curtain.
“Do you feel less angry when you don’t see my face?”
“I can see the tip of your shoes.”
Because it was something he couldn’t help.
“How about under the bed?”
He said, slowly moving from the curtains.
“I saw a goblin appear from under the bed in a fairy tale I read before.”
“Can I be a goblin?”
“There’s no goblin that’s so handsome.”
For the first time, Evelina spoke irksomely. Then he felt good but still looked around.
“Sleep somewhere else for a day.”
“Then I can’t sleep. I’m anxious.”
The words calmed her down a little.
“Then come here. Come and untie me. I got a little better, but I got angry again because of what you said earlier.”
“Lewd assassin?”
“…yes.”
She eased her anger again as he approached her while looking at her. She was embarrassed that she had had a false pregnancy but wanted to have a child that much.
“You only talked about sleeping together to Hans for no reason.”
“What did you talk about? If we send him to a western frontier at this time… I won’t.”
When Evelina glared, he corrected his remarks. He was the kind of person who would send Ruskun to the frontier anyway if Evelina didn’t like it. Of course, if it were Ruskun, he would send it and bring it back right away.
“I told Hans what we do seven times a week.”
“Isn’t it more than seven times? There are days when we do it three times. It must be more than four times by Lina’s standards.”
“If we do that much…”
Contraceptive tea is useless.
Evelina didn’t mean to say that.
“Do they say it’s dangerous if we do it often?”
“It’s not like that.”
Kaiden did not know the words that Evelina swallowed, but he was not oblivious to the words she swallowed. He was quick-witted when it came to Evelina.
“I would love to hear more about Lina’s reasons for wanting another child. There’s no way you can be dissatisfied that it’s because of the kids who are just one-dimensionally like me.”
Only then did he realize why she was upset. She was only thinking one-dimensional.
“As a family… There are times when I don’t feel it. Kaiden and the kids are very similar.”
Evelina was ashamed of herself for saying so, but once she started talking, she couldn’t stop.
“But I feel like I’m the only one not in the family. I guess that’s why.”
“To me, only Lina is a family.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I mean it. I’m trying to love my children because Lina gave birth to them. It’s not because the kids look like me.”
She lowered her gaze again, relieved by his words.
“Kaiden, honestly, I’m very selfish, right?”
“You say that with the most selfish person next to you.”
He was beside her before she knew it. When Evelina tried to hug him, he hugged her first and buried his head on her shoulder.
“I guess we’re meant to be. I’m always comforted with what Kaiden says.”
“That’s what I think. Lina’s existence is comfort, salvation, and light to me.”
She was no longer ashamed of what he said.
So she hugged him tightly, the smell of sun-dried cloth from him, and was gradually finding stability.
~~~~
“No, what is this….”
The place where Ruskun called Evelina and Kaiden to was a library shared by the Emperor and Empress. The problem was that the library contained things the children had accumulated after taking classes.
“Are these all… turtles?”
“Yes…”
It was folded too well to be called a turtle tucked by children who will soon be six years old. Turtles folded from white and stiff paper filled both walls.
The problem was that Chloe’s turtles were on the east side, and Aiden’s turtles were on the west wall as if it were a competition.
“One… Let’s open it.”
At Ruskun’s words, Evelina grabbed Chloe’s turtle and unfolded it carefully. It took a long time to untangle it, perhaps because it was a finely folded turtle. What I saw when I opened the paper entirely is.
「I want mom to come to my birthday party. Without Aiden.」
“Do you know what this means?”
“The text has already been removed.”
“Oh my goodness, so quickly?”
“…Yes, they read quickly.”
Evelina thought the children were extraordinary but wondered when they removed the writing.
Then she went to the other side and untied Aiden’s turtle.
「I want mom to come to my birthday party. Without Chloe.」
“Oh my goodness.”
Evelina looked at Kaiden as they both shared the same wish.
“How is it that they are the same as you?”
“…because they’re my children. But looking at it like this, I wonder if I must take away Lina for my children’s birthday.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Is there any reason for me to concede you to both?”
“Kaiden is their father.”
“It’s right not to give it to anyone because their mom is their dad’s, and their dad is their mom’s.”
Evelina shook her head unconsciously at Kaiden’s words. Perhaps because of the pain in her temples, she laughed helplessly.
“What should I do, Ruskun?”
“Didn’t you decide to have a birthday party together?”
“But why did they make such a wish…”
“I will educate them now.”
Evelina thought she should borrow Kaiden’s hand this time.
“Ah… I don’t know anymore.”
After saying that, she let go of his hand. Neither the children nor Kaiden seemed to yield on this issue anyway.
“Then trust and leave it to me.”
“Yes… I will.”
Although Evelina laughed bitterly, only Ruskun realized the true meaning of the smile.
