After confirming my safety, Karl looked up and surveyed the surroundings. I could sense instinctively what he was looking for without asking. He was searching for Valerie.
“Um, Valerie…”
Instead of answering, Karl stared intently at my face.
I needed to talk about Valerie. I didn’t know where to start or how to bring it up, unsure of what to explain first. Seeing me at a loss for words, Karl remained silent.
“Are you safe?”
“Yes?”
“You’re safe, then.”
Karl mumbled something hard to understand as he carefully studied my expression. It was only later that I realized he was asking about Valerie’s well-being.
“Valerie… right? Yes, she will be safe.”
Probably. Though I couldn’t confirm with my own eyes, I believed Valerie had also safely arrived where she was supposed to be, just like me.
“She will be safe… That’s just a guess.”
“It’s a long story, that…”
“I’ll listen slowly.”
“Okay?”
It must have felt strange to him not seeing Valerie. Anticipating various questions, I prepared myself mentally, but Karl said nothing about it.
“Aren’t you going to ask me anything?”
“Since you say you’re safe, it’s fine. If something had happened to Valerie, your face wouldn’t look so calm.”
“Yes…”
Even without having to explain or clarify, I felt understood, with Karl trusting me unconditionally. Somehow, a warmth spread in my chest.
It was quite a distance to the palace where Karl’s bedroom was located. However, I couldn’t even take a single step on my own towards that faraway place.
The knights of the royal investigation team were watching over us, but the embarrassment seemed to belong entirely to me.
“Um, Karl…”
I called out softly, but Karl remained unmoved. It seemed he intended to ensure my feet never touched the ground until we reached his intended destination.
Glancing back, I noticed the people of the Count’s family watching us, their expressions reflecting pride or admiration.
I could tell what Leev was making a fuss about, even without hearing it.
“Oh my, look at the way His Highness the Archduke gazes at our Archduchess! Isn’t this what fierce love is all about?” She was probably saying something like that.
Walking in his arms felt both embarrassing and oddly familiar. Reflecting back, I realized I had a similar experience the first time I saw him while being possessed by Celeste.
When the house crumbled due to the sudden explosion, Karl had held me just like this.
The position was similar, but the feelings we held for each other had changed greatly from then to now.
The touch of our skin was exciting, yet the warmth we felt through it was so reassuring. It felt like I had finally returned to where I truly belonged. I slowly rested my head against his broad chest.
“You’ve worked hard, Celly.”
His lips landed softly on my forehead. I had a lot to say to him, but perhaps because I felt at ease, my eyelids grew heavy.
***
There are only a few hours left until the electoral vote for the prince. After this night passes and dawn breaks, the next emperor will be decided. The entire imperial family was wrapped in tension, everyone busy with their individual tasks.
Among them, the most active were the knights of the imperial investigative unit, working for Karl.
“Oh my God. To return safely like this. Thank you, oh Lord.”
The fact that I had returned to LaHart had to be kept strictly confidential until the electoral vote, but I revealed the truth only to two people, Pulcheria and Monica.
Despite the late hour, Pulcheria rushed to where I was and couldn’t believe her eyes, turning red in disbelief, repeatedly thanking the heavens.
Her flustered actions culminated in her embracing me. It was heartwarming to see someone so joyful about my safe return. Following her lead, my own eyes also welled up.
“Our, our Valerie?”
Upon confirming my safety, Pulcheria immediately sought Valerie. It was now my turn to explain about him. While I pondered how to start, Karl approached and held my hand.
“Valerie has returned to where he belongs, my lady.”
“What do you mean by that? Where he belongs? Isn’t the place he belongs right here, in his parents’ arms?”
Pulcheria’s eyes widened in confusion. It was understandable; the abducted grand duchess had returned without the child who was supposed to be with her. Who wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the child had returned to where he belonged?
“The truth is… I’m pregnant.”
“What?”
“What, what did you say?”
Karl and Pulcheria’s astonished voices came simultaneously. I hadn’t expected to reveal my pregnancy in this manner. I felt I should have informed Karl, the father, more seriously first, but it was already too late.
Immediately after realizing I was pregnant, I wanted to send him a telegram to reveal the news, but after careful consideration, Hannah and I decided to face him directly instead.
It wasn’t just concerns about the security level of the Louisette transmitter; it was also because, with the magic department’s advance team already set to bring Valerie and me to the capital, I didn’t want to add to Karl’s worries.
He could only wait for his young daughter and wife for now; telling him “I’m having a child” wouldn’t help. It would only cause unnecessary worry.
I hadn’t anticipated that what I postponed for such a simple reason would turn into such a solemn confession.
“No, when did you find out? Is your belly… okay? Oh my, the doctor. We need to call the doctor…”
“That’s fine, madam.”
“Really, Celly?”
“Yes. I didn’t intend to keep it a secret. I wanted to tell you directly after seeing your face, but I didn’t expect LaHart to take so long to arrive.”
“Oh my. Celly. Oh….”
Karl grabbed my shoulders and bowed his head. Overwhelmed with emotion, he stayed silent for a while before pulling me closer with strength.
“K-Karl. No, Your Highness…!”
To be embraced like this in front of my aunt! I struggled to escape his hold, but it was futile.
“Thank you, Celly.”
Karl buried his face into my shoulder and remained quiet for a moment. His voice, strained, resembled someone who was choked up with emotion.
That can’t be; a grown man shedding tears over this? Embarrassed, I raised my hand and patted his back. Acting this way in front of Pulcheria was becoming increasingly mortifying.
“Didn’t you just keep things simple and head straight to the Duke? It seems we haven’t spent much time together at all, so when did this happen?”
A hint of laughter crept into my words. Pulcheria tugged on her sleeve, stifling her laughter.
“It seems you were quite eager. Clearly, you both cared for each other.”
“Haha….”
It was so embarrassing. Thank goodness Karl’s large stature covered my face.
Had I not been hidden, I would have had to show my bright-red face in front of Pulcheria and the others.
“I’m really, really glad you’re safe.”
“You, are you going to keep holding your wife like that? Can’t you see this old aunt? How much longer will you leave this old woman standing here?”
I tapped Karl’s side to signal him to stop. Regardless, he didn’t budge.
With such a strong reaction to news of my pregnancy, how should I broach the next topic? It was awkward.
Though I was pregnant, the child would one day be Valeria, and how could I explain that the Valeria we once knew was a child from the future?
“Why don’t you sit for a moment, Karl? Isn’t it enough for this emotional reunion?”
Had it been about five minutes? Following Pulcheria’s scolding, Karl finally let me go.
Actually, it wasn’t so much that he let go, but rather that I took a step back the moment a gap formed between us.
“What I’m about to say… it’s going to be a bit long. You both have to listen carefully, even if the story gets lengthy.”
Karl nodded calmly, one of his hands still gripping the hem of my clothes.
“I’m listening well. I’m starting to feel a bit scared about what you’re going to say.”
Pulcheria also took a seat beside us. It was finally time to reveal Valerie’s secret to the two of them.
“The child inside me… is Valerie.”
After a short deep breath, I decided to get straight to the point.
“The Valerie we’ve been with all this time is a child from the future.”
The two of them froze in place, staring at me as if time had stopped. They probably couldn’t understand what I was saying. I felt the same way when I first learned Valerie’s secret.
Without waiting for their response, I continued to speak.
I had so much to share: how I realized Valerie wasn’t a child of the present, why she had certain discrepancies, and how she managed to return to her original place, among other things.
