Deep Boredom - Part 1

If Chedev had to choose the two most painful moments he had experienced in his life, he could easily pinpoint them. The first was when he disappointed Rasha and parted ways with her.

And the second was the day she went into labor.

The contractions started suddenly around dawn and continued through the day into the night. It was a feeling of helplessness as he heard Rasha’s screams coming from the delivery room, draining him both physically and emotionally.

Throughout the entire process, Chedev sat on the couch in front of the tightly closed delivery room, arms crossed. He stared persistently at the narrow gap of the door, not allowing even the slightest opening. It was an anxious demeanor that was rarely seen in the Duke. Chedev neglected meals and didn’t drink a single sip of water all day, his sole focus fixed on the delivery room.

The bedroom door, which had turned into a forbidden zone, briefly opened, and Rasha’s breath, as if on the verge of extinction, seeped through. Every time that happened, Chedev flinched as if he himself were under threat.

He nervously fiddled with the collar of his clothing with his large hands. Although it had been a long time since he tore the cravat to shreds out of nerves, the feeling of his throat tightening persisted. Rasha was the one enduring the agony of childbirth, yet somehow Chedev found himself suffering alongside her.

It was during the time when the sky, once painted blue, began to darken again.

Waaah!

Finally, the cry of the eagerly awaited baby erupted from inside. Chedev jumped up from his seat.

The forbidden territory’s door opened, and he swiftly entered inside. The first person he saw was Rasha. The imperial court mage, personally dispatched by the Emperor to assist Rasha, bowed to him. The mage had been seated at the head of the bed, holding Rasha’s hand. Throughout the delivery, they had been casting a spell to replenish her strength through their joined hands.

Chedev leaned down and pressed his lips against Rasha’s sweat-drenched forehead.

“The baby…”

“Hey.”

Chedev immediately called for the midwife and her assistants. The midwife approached, holding a white swaddle in her arms. Both Rasha and Chedev focused their gaze on the swaddle. As the midwife unfolded the thin cloth, the newborn baby’s face was revealed with caution.

“Congratulations. You have a beautiful princess.”

Although Chedev had longed for a daughter, he couldn’t muster any reaction. The squirming creature in the midwife’s arms was so adorable, it was almost too good to be true. Without thinking, Chedev reached out his hand, but quickly withdrew it. He wiped his hands meticulously with the tears that had formed, then gently touched the baby’s cheek.

As if sensing her father’s touch, the once fuzzy-eyed baby slowly lifted her eyelids. In that moment, when Chedev faced the golden eyes so similar to his, he felt a strong and electrifying thrill in his core. It was just like little Rasha. The midwife carefully handed the baby to him. Chedev awkwardly held her, gazing into the bundle in a daze.

Even though she was in his arms, he still couldn’t quite believe it. This tiny being was inside Rasha’s womb. From within, it was drumming against the amniotic sac, declaring its presence…

“Chedev…”

A fading voice jolted his dazed mind back to reality. Chedev quickly leaned forward and showed the baby to Rasha. With a face filled with exhaustion and no room for beauty, Rasha gazed at the baby with a vacant expression. Coo… The baby smiled, as if recognizing her mother.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“Yeah…”

“Now, rest deeply.”

Chedev gently whispered in a tender voice as he brushed away the sweat-drenched strands of hair. Like a lullaby, Rasha soon fell into a deep sleep. Chedev looked down at the baby nestled in his arms. The laughter she had shown to her mother, she now bestowed upon her father equally. It fluttered in his heart like feathers. Chedev was well aware of this sensation. Whenever he saw Rasha, he always felt that same loveliness—love.

* * *

As expected, the process of recovering her body had a significant impact on her. Rasha couldn’t move from her bed for a while. It felt like she had poured all her energy into giving birth to the baby for several months. It was a strenuous experience. However, whenever she saw her daughter wriggling in her arms, all the hardships in her memories melted away like snow.

The baby’s name became Artienne, as the two had previously discussed. It was a name derived from the goddess of peace in ancient mythology. Rasha was Rasha, but Chedev didn’t know what to do with Artienne’s beauty. In her last trimester, he started singing about wanting a daughter, and his wish was granted.

Around the time Rasha’s postpartum recovery was almost complete, preparations for the wedding ceremony began in earnest.

Chedev made time early on to take walks with her once a day. It was practice for walking the bride’s path. He also had her try on the wedding dress he had selected in advance and checked the hall where their ceremony would take place. Although he didn’t intend to find fault, there was nothing to criticize about how meticulously he had prepared.

Finally, on the day when Rasha had no difficulty in moving, they had their wedding.

On the day of the wedding held at the Duke’s residence, the carriages seemed endless. It was filled with footsteps driven by the desire and curiosity to witness the marriage of the renowned Duke Cecilion and his bride.

That day, the nobles were astonished multiple times.

First, at the grand official podium, Duke Cecilion, who was rarely seen with a smile, was smiling brightly like never before. Of course, it reached its peak when he awaited the bride who would walk towards him.

Next, the surprise came with the entrance of the bride. As piano music played and colorful flower petals fluttered in the wind, Rasha appeared. The gazes of the noble guests who had been invited were all focused on her.

Rasha, with a trembling heart, approached him step by step. Even through the thick wedding veil, one could vaguely imagine her beauty, which she had been hidden as the duke’s fiance for years. Young men sitting close to the aisle even lost themselves for a moment. It was the long-awaited moment when Duke Cecilion’s heroine finally revealed herself to the world.

Lastly, as the officiant’s speech came to an end, Chedev embraced her and spun her around in a circle. It was a moment when the white wedding dress and the black tuxedo beautifully merged. It differed slightly from the solemn and dignified weddings of other nobles. In the eyes of the guests, it was a moment that presented the astonishment of witnessing the true fruition of love.

The air surrounding the newlyweds was warm and the swirling flower petals created a spectacle. On that day, the palace painter quickly captured the scene on paper, and it became a large painting hanging prominently in the Duke Cecilion’s hall.

It was a beautiful and peaceful masterpiece.

* * *

“Congratulations, Your Excellency.”

“The Duchess is truly beautiful.”

“This isn’t the first time we meet, is it? I would like to at least offer my greetings….”

“Thank you for accepting the invitation. Enjoy yourself and have a good time.”

Chedev politely cut off the greetings pouring towards him at an appropriate point. Those who tried to approach him in order to catch a glimpse of Rasha were swiftly dismissed without hesitation. How dare they. The fact that she was mine and her beauty was known only to me was enough.

Rasha was undoubtedly an exceptional presence. Not only was she far from ordinary, but she easily captured the attention of those who passed by with her unnecessary beauty. And not only that, once you saw her, you couldn’t easily forget her. Wasn’t she the one who turned even arrogant guys like me into fools? Furthermore, the knight of Lady Robeni, who played a decisive role in finding Rasha, was the same. He remembered Rasha’s face with just a fleeting glance. That fact still lingered in his mind, twisting his insides.

A sense of possessiveness and desire for exclusivity burned fiercely. I hoped that others’ curiosity wouldn’t be directed towards her. The interest in Rasha could only be monopolized by me. So I had no desire to waste my time being exposed to unnecessary gazes.

Therefore, Chedev actually considered not receiving any wedding guests. However, he had no choice but to step back when the voice of Onyx pleaded, “Please consider the situation from the perspective of a Duke.”

Rasha briefly revealed her face during the wedding ceremony but now she was resting in the bedroom. It was Chedev’s judgment that any schedule beyond the ceremony would clearly overwhelm her weak body. And to some extent, it was also his desire not to let her be exposed to the eyes of others any further.

He imagined his wife and daughter waiting for him in the bedroom, and the crowd that would rush towards him once they saw him. He wanted to go up there right away. Nevertheless, the glimmers of the dazzling chandeliers managed to hold on to his remaining reason. Finally, he captured snippets of conversations with important guests. Chedev gave some instructions for organization and then briskly left the hall, ascending the stairs.

“……”

He quickly arrived at the bedroom. The bedroom, which they had shared for over seven years, felt unusually unfamiliar. They were no longer simply sharing a bed. They had become husband and wife. Legally married. The more he dwelled on it, the more Chedev felt his insides burning with urgency.

He quietly closed the door and crossed the parlor. Instead of going straight to the bedroom, he headed towards the cradle placed on one side of the parlor. Ever since Artienne was born, this antique cradle had been placed in the parlor connected to their bedroom. In noble families, a separate nursery for newborn babies was usually prepared. But Rasha always wanted to personally take care of the baby, so Artienne ended up staying here.

Perhaps it was late, but Artienne was sound asleep, softly breathing. Seeing her peacefully sleeping face without a care in the world made his heart resonate completely. He stared at her for a moment, hesitating to touch her, then reluctantly withdrew his gaze from the cradle.

And after that, he walked resolutely towards the bedroom.

“You’re here?”