YED Extra 8

How much time had passed? Her mind was hazy. She felt like she was floating in the air as if she had taken some forbidden drug. The excessive stimulation clung to her persistently and tenaciously.

Kaela forgot even to gauge time and threw back her completely emptied head. Her slender hand slipped down along his broad shoulders and fell to the surface with a thud. That hand barely pressed against the surface and pushed her body backward.

Her lips, with hair clinging to them, parted to exhale. Her reason had completely lost its function while spinning. Only instinct remained. That instinct was sending signals to run away. No more. This was the limit.

Kaela pressed against the surface and kept trying to escape. More precisely, she was just flailing helplessly. After all, she was already embraced in his swamp-like arms.

“Don’t pull away.”

Why waste energy trying to escape when she couldn’t anyway? Though it sounded like a reproach, his voice was full of laughter and ecstasy.

Peon pressed her down again. No sound came from her dried-up throat. Ha, he sighed and devoured Kaela’s trembling lips. Then once again, he fed her his diluted energy.

It was unclear how many times Peon, who had been obsessed with proper meals, had substituted meals this way as if he’d never been like that before. Kaela no longer had the strength left to scratch either the sheets or his sides or shoulders.

No, perhaps it was a matter of will. She wasn’t hungry even without eating food, and she didn’t lack stamina either. Perhaps it was natural since she was consuming the dragon’s energy, which was better than food or medicine. It was convenient, but was this okay?

“Again.”

When her lips were lightly bitten, Kaela groaned. No, she tried to, but even that failed as her strength completely drained away.

“You’re thinking about other things again.”

Purple eyes softened affectionately before her.

“You’ve gotten quite relaxed.”

Kiss, kiss, kiss, brushing away her drooping hair, he planted indiscriminate kisses on her tear-stained eyes, flushed cheeks, and lips. Blue eyes were filled with tears again.

“Then you can endure more.”

The man who arbitrarily concluded this laughed again. This wasn’t his usual self. No, of course, this was also a side of him that Kaela knew. Just rarely seen.

It was rare to see the man who usually comforted and soothed her even when she just cried now smiling with a strange light in his eyes. Yes, right now Peon was openly showing his true self that wasn’t in his right mind. Despite acting perfectly normal usually.

Now he wasn’t even pretending to be normal or a person with reasonable limits, which he’d gotten tired of doing. From head to toe, she felt like she was being thoroughly chewed and melting in his mouth.

Kaela gazed at Peon absent-mindedly. He always said she bewitched people. She hadn’t done anything. Wasn’t it rather this person, this Light Dragon, who was bewitching?

“You only need to say one word if you don’t like it.”

Peon gave a bitter smile. Though he smiled kindly, that light had long disappeared from his eyes.

“It feels like you’re enduring just for my sake.”

That couldn’t be the case. He doubted and denied any feelings Kaela gave him until the end. She also didn’t bother trying to correct his thinking.

No, actually she couldn’t right now. She really couldn’t move a finger. When she made a crying sound, Peon kissed her neck and shoulders, whispering then kiss, kiss.

“I told you to speak.”

He was clearly doing this on purpose, knowing she had no strength to speak. He licked her clean while laughing, clearly enjoying himself.

Kaela completely leaned her sticky body against him. She did so knowing it meant surrendering everything. It didn’t matter. Because it was only pleasure that mirrored his madness.

****

In 984 CE, it became known that the Grand Duchess of Lusenford, who was absent from the Emperor’s wedding, was pregnant. The social circles belatedly learn the reason for her absence and offer congratulations.

****

The dragon sensed the newly created dragon. The Light Dragon allowed the new life to settle in accordance with his wife’s wish.

If nothing else, granting Kaela’s wish related to her health through pregnancy was very difficult for him, so he had to let go of his reason.

But he wasn’t sure about what came next. The moment he sensed the tiny dragon he hadn’t been able to detect before, his feelings became very complicated.

From the moment he realized the pregnancy, Peon immediately took his wife to Ostein. He was afraid that Lusenford’s cold might affect Kaela.

While having the authority to interfere even with Kaela’s womb was strange yet welcome, that wasn’t all.

Peon, who would carry lifelong guilt about Kaela being confined while pregnant, looked at Kaela’s belly with thoughtful eyes.

The belly that he personally stroked and covered with his warm hands once a month was now slightly swollen.

“Hm? What is it?”

Kaela, whose face had brightened and become more relaxed since becoming pregnant, asked with round eyes.

He hesitated for a moment. He couldn’t just brush it off – he couldn’t deceive his wife. After all, she was someone who had spent 4 years closely observing his every mood.

“…Because I’m happy.”

It seemed he was only saying things that were pleasant for Kaela to hear. That was natural.

His wife carrying his child shouldn’t be sad or suffering. Supporting even the gradually increasing weight of the child in place of Kaela wasn’t difficult at all. He would be a good father for his wife’s sake. That was only right.

“A bit… joyful.”

Peon mumbled and lowered his head. It wasn’t just pleasant words – it was sincere. Kaela stroked her husband’s shoulders.

“I only need you.”

I know. Kaela answered with her eyes. Kaela getting pregnant with her weak constitution was a very sensitive matter. Because of this, Peon had preferred not to do it if possible.

Why bother? They were happy enough just the two of them, and they were already busy focusing entirely on each other. Moreover, wasn’t the time given to them infinite enough that even if he cut off his life to feed to Kaela, there would still be plenty left?

“I’m carrying the child because you wanted it.”

He had wanted to keep putting it off. If they had a child too quickly, not only for Kaela’s sake, but he would feel too sorry towards the child they had lost.

“I just thought that was all.”

Peon carefully covered her belly. These were the hands that had poured oil and lit fires to the signs of empire’s division due to rumors about the emperor’s weak leadership and disappearing magic tools.

Though merciless and cruel in tearing apart the empire, when touching Kaela he completely removed all strength from his hands and barely made contact, afraid of causing her any pain.

“…Because you’re carrying my child.”

Damn, how petty and base. Is this what all men’s hearts are like?

Since husbands seem to have too little to do during pregnancy and childbirth, he bore even the increased weight, searched the whole world to bring whatever she craved to eat, and carried her increasingly heavy body.

Despite only being able to do such small things, he couldn’t help but smile when he saw Kaela walking around.

He knew nothing about having and raising a baby, and wasn’t such a great son himself, yet he found himself smiling for no reason.

Even while Kaela suffered from morning sickness, even while searching for food she could eat, he found himself grinning without realizing it.

“I like it.”

Just that fact alone made him happy. Also, since becoming pregnant, he was satisfied that Kaela was being a bit more careful and sought his embrace more often.

And each time the weight he had to bear increased bit by bit, that too made him happy. It made him think that they were growing to become one person’s worth.

“Being happy is a bit…”

As his voice trailed off, Kaela placed her hand on top of Peon’s.

“We just need to do well this time.”

Let’s resolve the helpless guilt that way.

“That’s what I decided to think. Because I feel so sorry, if I can’t love this baby who has come to us enough because of that, that wouldn’t be right either. For me too, right?”

Anyway, Peon’s guilt ultimately stemmed from Kaela, who died alone painfully while carrying their child, beyond the dead child. So it was also telling him to treat her well.

“Yes.”

Peon nodded silently.

“Let’s just let happiness be happiness.”

Let’s not distance ourselves from the current happiness because of past wounds. That too would be foolish.

“Honey.”

It was a term of endearment that made his ears melt just hearing it. As always, unable to resist, Peon looked at his wife who called him by such an affectionate name. He was ready to grant whatever she wished for.

“You’re not pushing yourself too hard, are you?”

“Me?”

At the unexpected question, Peon asked back as if dumbfounded.

“Aren’t you?”

Though his reaction suggested he wasn’t, Kaela still carefully observed him.

Peon’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he picked her up completely into his arms. Having learned by now that being embraced meant an immediate shower of kisses, Kaela stayed quietly in his arms.

Even while suffering from severe pregnancy symptoms that made not just food and smells but even clothes irritating, she loved when her husband held and kissed her. Perhaps it was natural since she had loved it desperately even before regressing.

“Tell me in detail what you’ve been worrying about me for.”

At his voice laughing while scratching her ear, Kaela shrunk her shoulders but burrowed deeper into his embrace. When embraced, he held her without gaps, kissed her multiple times, and preciously stroked her belly too. Kaela loved her inhuman husband.

“The rumors I hear aren’t good, so I wondered if you were pushing yourself to end things quickly. The salt prices are concerning, and the gold trading volume too, and iron production has increased a lot.”

While some say they judge the empire’s situation by watching the political scene in Craine, Kaela figured it out by watching the prices of goods traded in Ostein.

“Are you trying to end this country within this year?”

The man who had sufficient capability and reason to do so shook his head and lightly set his teeth against his wife’s soft cheek.

“I had no such thoughts. I can’t have you feeling anxious, Kaela.”

“Then why is the political situation like this?”

“Let’s just say the gaps I created are splitting on their own. Whether it’s because the current emperor is incompetent, or perhaps the karma of the previous emperor who only oppressed for too long.”

As cracks started appearing in imperial authority, everyone was coming out showing their fangs, thinking only of how to bite off pieces.

So the political situation was merely turbulent. Only the masters of Ostein and Lusenford remained calm within it. Because they were only waiting to meet their baby.

“Kaela.”

Peon gently stroked his wife’s belly.

“Even if war breaks out, you don’t need to worry about anything. You know that, right?”

“Yes.”

Peon would protect all the territory as she wished.

“Should I stop it? If you think it’s moving too fast, I’ll prevent it.”

“No. As long as you’re not pushing yourself too hard, it doesn’t matter.”

“You’re the only one in the world who can make me push myself too hard. So please just eat well and rest well.”

Kaela, who was already eating and resting well, knew well that these words were both Peon’s habit of speech and earnest wish. It was his desire for her to gain enough weight and just be healthy.

“You don’t need to worry about anything else. About having the baby too…”

He looked down at the child growing vigorously. He could clearly see how much the baby dragon would grow in its mother’s womb, and how much it would struggle wanting to come out early from that fragile protective barrier.

“I’ll take care of everything so you don’t need to worry about anything.”

“Yes. I know. I’m not worried.”

Kaela smiled brightly, unaware of her husband’s complicated feelings. While rubbing her belly, Peon carefully infused his power. It was also a signal telling the baby to please stay still in there, since daddy would let it do anything once it was born.

Of course, there was no way the baby dragon, who was too happy having both daddy nearby and mommy, would quietly listen.

****

In 985 CE, the Ashumia Alliance finally invades Crania and war breaks out. The Emperor of Crania angrily calls for immediate military mobilization.

Thirteen lords including Marquis Nibi refuse the Emperor’s mobilization order. The Emperor declares this rebellion.

The Grand Duchess of Lusenford safely gives birth in Ostein.

****

The Emperor’s envoy had to return without even setting foot on Ostein land.

Both the Duke of Ostein and Grand Duke of Lusenford defied the Emperor’s mobilization order. Especially the Grand Duke of Lusenford, who was appointed Commander-in-Chief, had an expression that seemed to say “what nonsense is this?” The Grand Duke was extremely busy. He was planning to continue being busy.

“Our Lady is too weak, so I plan to take charge of childcare and therefore cannot take on something like Commander-in-Chief.”

Peon looked down at the very tiny life form blinking in his arms. This small but mischievous one had kept kicking in mommy’s belly, making him work hard throughout the pregnancy trying to soothe and comfort it.

On top of that, wanting to meet mommy and daddy quickly, it arbitrarily started the birth process. He had sweated so much trying to carefully extract it without Kaela getting hurt or feeling pain.

Honestly, he had felt irritation rising at the end of the birth as it troubled the fragile Kaela.

However, the moment he finally met his daughter who he had barely managed to extract from the frighteningly swollen belly, far from irritation, he couldn’t move at all.

Her hair was black, and her eyes were purple. The baby who looked exactly like Peon from any angle cried waa-waa and stared at him intently. It was the moment when the newborn baby dragon precisely recognized and took in the sight of its father.

“Right?”

Peon smiled looking down at the newborn baby who couldn’t even babble yet. No matter what happened, he would never leave this child and Kaela’s side. With one hand holding his daughter and the other pulling Kaela’s hand to kiss it.