Side Story 3.4

“Madame!”

Adolf, who had been pacing outside the gate, ran over as soon as he saw the carriage approaching from afar. Ella, who had been leaning against the wall and dozing off slightly, quickly snapped out of it. Ever since she became pregnant, she found herself drifting off to sleep anywhere and anytime.

When Ella hurriedly opened the door, Adolf was already standing by, having paid the carriage fare. He extended his hand immediately, and Ella leaped out of the carriage, holding onto his hand. His hand was as cold as ice.

“Your hand is so cold… How long were you waiting out here in this freezing weather?”

“My body tends to run cold. Didn’t you know that?”

Ella chuckled at Adolf’s shameless excuse and walked inside the house. The warmth inside suggested that the fire had been lit just in time for her arrival. The crackling sound of logs burning in the fireplace filled the room.

It was an utterly ordinary yet cozy home, their own little haven. Without any servants or butlers, Ella and Adolf spent their time together in this small house.

When Ella went into the bedroom to take off her outerwear and returned, Adolf had already set the table with dishes he had prepared while she was working overtime. The house was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of the food.

“Wow, what’s all this?”

“I brought back some excellent seafood from my recent trip. I used a magical storage bag to keep it fresh, so I’m sure it will suit your taste.”

The table was adorned with neatly prepared grilled shellfish drizzled with garlic sauce and fish dishes enhanced with the refreshing scent of lemon juice, all steaming hot.

Just as Ella was about to sit down, her face suddenly twisted in discomfort. Once again, a wave of nausea hit her.

“Madame?”

Adolf watched in confusion as Ella bolted to the bathroom. After a moment of hesitation, he hurried after her. By the time he reached the bathroom, Ella was already clutching the toilet, heaving. Having eaten little all day, she vomited nothing but yellow bile.

“Ugh…”

“Ma-Madame, are you alright? Are you sick?”

Adolf stammered as he rubbed Ella’s back, his face pale as he watched her retch without having consumed any alcohol. But Ella, too busy emptying her stomach, couldn’t muster the energy to respond.

“Hah, ah, ugh…”

Unable to answer, Ella finally finished vomiting the last of her bile and rinsed her mouth, catching her breath. Adolf, who had been watching her with a grim expression, immediately scooped her up into his arms.

“This won’t do. I’ll call a physician right away…”

“No! There’s no need to go.”

Ella flailed her legs, trying to stop Adolf, who looked ready to leave the house that very moment. However, Adolf seemed determined not to listen.

“This is serious. You’re vomiting so much…”

“Even if we go, it won’t help!”

“What? What do you mean it won’t help?”

Adolf paused, momentarily confused, as he was draping Ella in her outerwear. Ella opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Saying it out loud felt strange. Her heart tingled for some reason, as if something was tickling it.

‘Hmm, this is a bit embarrassing…’

Ella’s hesitation only heightened Adolf’s anxiety. He placed her gently on the sofa, his chin trembling as he looked at her.

“Don’t tell me it’s something serious…?”

“Well, actually…”

Unable to watch Adolf grow more and more terrified, Ella finally mustered her courage.

“We have a new guest coming to our home!”

“What? I don’t sense any presence other than ours…”

Is she hallucinating?

Adolf, now looking genuinely alarmed, began buttoning Ella’s coat with urgency, thinking the situation was dire. Ella, exasperated, grabbed his hand and guided it lower.

“Not that… Here.”

Adolf’s hand landed on Ella’s stomach. He blinked, switching his gaze between Ella’s face and her stomach in confusion. Then, as if realization had dawned, he muttered in a small voice.

“Could it be?”

“Yes, that. It’s a bit sudden, but… we’re having a baby.”

Adolf shot to his feet, his eyes darting around as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Seeing his reaction, Ella felt a little worried and asked softly.

“Um… What do you think? Are you still a bit shocked?”

“Ella!”

Adolf let out a loud exclamation and knelt before her, clutching her hands tightly. His eyes were brimming with tears.

“I’m so happy. Is this really true?”

“Phew, you scared me with your lack of reaction. Why are you about to cry?”

“I don’t know. The tears just keep coming.”

Watching Adolf fail to hold back his tears, Ella’s eyes also began to glisten. She felt a wave of emotion she hadn’t experienced when she had been the only one who knew about the pregnancy.

Still, she didn’t want their family’s first meeting to be a flood of tears.

Ella tried to speak brightly, forcing a smile.

“I had a check-up last week. It seems I’m about six weeks along.”

Adolf gently caressed her stomach, his voice thick with emotion as he murmured.

“I’ve never thought about having a child before… but knowing that there’s now a connection between you and me in this world makes me so happy. Thank you, Madame, for giving me such joy. I will dedicate my life to protecting you and our child.”

“Uh, well, our baby says thank you, too.”

“Madame…”

Was that too much, considering it’s only been six weeks?

Ella, feeling shy, awkwardly rubbed her stomach.

Adolf gazed at Ella as she softly stroked her belly, his expression one of pure bliss. To him, it was an image so beautiful he would never forget it for the rest of his life.

*

The next day, under Adolf’s insistence, Ella underwent another check-up with the imperial physician. While the physician explained various precautions, Adolf diligently took notes with a notebook and pen. Ella, watching him with an exasperated face, turned back to the doctor, a question lingering in her mind.

“My husband had a contraception mark engraved. How did I get pregnant?”

“Ah…?”

Adolf also seemed to realize this only now, glancing down at his wrist. The imperial physician, looking flustered, asked.

“Excuse me? Even after marriage, you kept the contraception mark active?”

“Yes. We weren’t planning for children yet…”

“Hmm, it seems there might be an issue with the mark… You should inquire about this with the Magic Department.”

After finishing the check-up, Ella and Adolf headed to the Magic Department. The imperial mage, after inspecting the mark engraved on Adolf, finally raised his head.

“The mark is functioning perfectly.”

“What? Really?”

Ella asked with a puzzled expression.

“Yes. The coordinates are precisely aligned.”

Ah… That’s not what we came to ask…

Ella, unable to find the words, shifted her gaze awkwardly. Then, she poked Adolf in the side, urging him to speak.

Adolf flinched and asked directly, 

“That’s not it. Is the contraception magic still active?”

“Ahaha, I see.”

The imperial mage, who had been sitting calmly, burst into laughter. It seemed he had finally understood why Ella and Adolf had come.

“Since you both came together, I suppose I should have realized sooner. So, you’re planning for a child now?”

“What? No, that’s not…”

“Now that I think about it, it’s been about ten years since Lord Adolf first became an Aura User and had the magical mark engraved. To be honest, the contraception mark is merely an auxiliary mark drawn next to the location magic mark, so its stability isn’t perfect. It seems that the strong aura of a Sword Expert has slightly altered it over time. However, it’s still 99 percent effective. Unless there is excessive frequency of… uh… physical relations, it can almost be considered 100 percent effective…”

Cough.

E-Excessive…

Hearing the Imperial Mage’s words, Ella coughed uncontrollably, her face rapidly turning red. The mage, realizing his mistake, gave an awkward laugh and quickly changed the subject.

“Oh dear, I apologize. It seems this old man has no filter, even in front of the Madame. Shall I remove the mark for you?”

“Yes… please do…”

Ella, barely recovering from her coughing fit, answered softly. At that moment, Adolf spoke up without considering the situation.

“What? No, that’s not what we’re curious about…”

Ella quickly pinched Adolf’s side. Startled by her firm grip, Adolf looked at her with a puzzled expression. However, Ella only returned his gaze with a cold stare.

Noticing Ella’s reddened earlobes, Adolf hurriedly extended his wrist. As the saying goes, “Even a dog learns after three years in a school,” it seemed Adolf had finally developed some sense of awareness.

*

The joy of having a new life on the way was short-lived, as a shadow began to cloud Ella’s face.

“Um, I’m pregnant, not a patient, you know?”

“The book ‘The First Steps to a Healthy Pregnancy’ states that even small, unexpected shocks can threaten the health of an expectant mother.”

“Ugh…”

The source of her frustration was none other than Adolf, who had become excessively overprotective. He acted as though even a leaf falling on her head could cause her to collapse. This behavior didn’t change even after the initial delicate stage of pregnancy had passed and her belly had started to show.

He escorted her to and from the office every day, personally prepared and delivered meals packed with nutritious food, and acted so overzealous that the entire imperial palace might as well have been informed of Ella’s pregnancy.

At home, where there were no prying eyes, it was even worse. Ella couldn’t even remember the last time she had bathed herself.

‘Well, his mother did pass away while giving birth to Ruby…’

Ella could somewhat understand Adolf’s overly cautious behavior. However, even she had her limits. When it came to her work, she refused to compromise.

In the early stages of her pregnancy, Adolf had grudgingly held himself back from stopping Ella from working late into the night. But as her morning sickness worsened to the point where she could barely keep water down, he could no longer stay silent.