Winter had arrived and white snow settled in the garden. The camellias would start blooming soon.

Alisa often strolled in the garden despite the noticeably chilly weather.

Rashid stood by the window of his office watching her walk with Macy. The pink shadow walking through the pure white scenery burned clearly into his eyes. Alisa looked happy, chatting about something with her maid.

Actually, Rashid felt peculiar whenever he saw her swollen belly. Visually confirming that she was carrying his child stirred up complex emotions that were hard to put into words.

“Rashid, you’re here?”

Alisa, who finished her walk, came into the room. Rashid kissed her cheek.

“Why aren’t you inside when it’s cold?”

“I felt stuffy.”

“Isn’t it hard to walk?”

“It’s fine since Macy helps me a lot.”

Rashid thought he should raise the lady’s maid’s salary even more.

After sunset, they sat side by side and ate dinner as they always did. Alisa said she wanted to read and headed to the ducal library, while Rashid wrestled with documents for a long time handling work.

When he returned to the bedroom, Alisa was sitting on the bedroom couch stroking her belly and talking to the baby. She already had a motherly face as she imagined the future with the child.

Seeing Alisa’s merciful and benevolent expression, Rashid felt himself becoming peaceful as well.

“Rashid, Rashid.”

Noticing his return, Alisa beckoned. Rashid obediently followed her call and sat in the empty space on the couch.

“Feel this now.”

“Huh?”

“Hurry.”

She seemed to understand that his gaze meant he wanted to feel the baby too. Rashid thought for a moment about the presence lifting the chemise dress into a round shape before reaching out his hand. He couldn’t tell if it was his heart or hand that was trembling.

The large hand gently rested on her belly. Then he felt small movements beyond the firmly swollen skin. It was a signal that life existed inside.

“Alisa……”

Rashid looked at her with surprised eyes. Alisa smiled beautifully with crescent eyes.

“Can you feel it? Looks like they wanted to say hi to daddy.”

Then her gentle voice continued saying daddy should say hi too. She hummed a small tune while overlapping her hand on top of Rashid’s. She looked happy.

Somehow I feel like crying. Rashid lowered his head and held her hand tightly.

All of this felt like a miracle.

Though he lived for years as a duke boasting tremendous authority and powerful might while ruling a vast domain in the vast empire, he always felt like he was walking through mud. He desperately gripped the position he never wanted but that was all.

For that reason, he even married listlessly as the emperor commanded. He had no interest in marriages that would benefit the family. It was just like a coming-of-age ceremony, merely one gateway that had to be passed through, so he just got it over with.

He had never seriously wanted children either. Vaguely thinking that if he married he should have an heir, because that was what had to be done and was proper. With such thoughts he just followed the set consummation dates.

If a child had been born that way, he wouldn’t have felt much affection. If it had been a child born unavoidably, like a breeding stallion that must reproduce for offspring. He wouldn’t have feared being unable to love them, nor would he have cared for his wife with affection.

Life was pain for Rashid.

But now it was joy and ecstasy and happiness.

The one who made it that way was this small and delicate woman before him. His heart newly ached for this lovely being who gave him supreme happiness he had never experienced before.

“Alisa.”

“Yes.”

Rashid raised his head and looked at her. Alisa raised her hand and gently caressed his cheek.

She was a woman he wouldn’t have met if the world had flowed according to fate. If she had tried to move toward the ‘direction God set’ as she first resolved, this would have been a connection that couldn’t have formed.

Alisa said that if that had happened, he would have met someone else and been happy in his own way, but no. Rashid thought differently. Because happiness without Alisa was impossible for him.

I’m glad I was born.

Because I met you.

Immersed in infinite joy, Rashid slowly kissed her lips. His light gladly permitted his invasion with a smile. It was warm.

* * *

The deep blue sea reflected sunlight, displaying fish scales. It was summer, and the sea breeze heavy with moisture gently scattered the white sand on the dry beach.

Rashid slowly followed the small footprints left on it.

“Dad!”

At the end was a boy who had seen the light of the world for two years, smiling at him. The child’s ebony black hair that had arrived announcing the end of winter and start of spring gleamed under the summer sun. His jewel-like sparkling gray-blue eyes gently creased and hid.

“Lucas.”

Rashid lifted the child and held him in his arms. Lucas seemed pleased as he made cheerful sounds and clung tightly to his dad.

Unlike the worries he had before the child was born, Rashid loved Lucas without reserve. Of course, that was because Lucas was Alisa’s child. Seeing the gray-blue eyes resembling her and black hair resembling himself made him infinitely happy, as if this child proved their love.

“Mom!”

This time Lucas pointed toward the opposite direction. Following the tip of that finger, he saw a woman with a white parasol. Her sky-blue dress fluttered in the wind, revealing her calves.

She was blankly staring at the sea.

“Alisa.”

When Rashid called, she tilted her head slightly.

“What are you looking at?”

“The sea.”

“I should change the question to what are you thinking about.”

“Hmm, thoughts about the country beyond there?”

While saying this, Alisa tried hard to raise her parasol high enough to cover Rashid’s head too. Fortunately the parasol succeeded in barely covering his head, and Alisa smiled pleased at that.

“Are you curious about the land of fairies?”

“If I say yes, will you take me there?”

“Anytime.”

Mmm. Alisa let out a small hum. Since Rashid would really do it, she shook her head slightly.

“Just thinking about Teresa. Wondering if she’s living well with the dragon now.”

“I’m sure she is.”

“You talk like you’ve seen it.”

“Because then you might stop thinking about that and think about me instead.”

“Tch.”

Alisa pouted her lips and handed the parasol to Rashid. Then she walked alone toward the sea leaving footprints in the sand.

She walked over where white foam was breaking. Wet sand crumbled with each step, and gentle incoming waves coldly wet her slender ankles.

Rashid quietly followed behind her. Lucas, tired from playing in the sand, had fallen asleep, and only the sounds of waves rippling and white seagulls crying in the sky spread through the surroundings.

“You know, Rashid.”

Alisa, who had been walking silently for a while, broke the silence and spun around.

“Thank you for bringing me here.”

Brilliant sunlight fell onto her pink hair, pooling light into the world. Her brightly smiling expression, looking truly happy, gently caressed his heart.

That was enough. Because if you’re happy, I’m happy too.

“Anywhere. We can go anywhere you wish.”

As long as you stay by my side.

At Rashid’s answer, Alisa smiled and approached, standing on her tiptoes. It was a gesture asking for a kiss. Rashid gladly lowered his body and pressed his lips down onto hers.

The not-so-brief kiss ended along with Lucas’s sleepy fussing. Alisa took the parasol, folded it, then smiled and held her husband’s hand. Rashid gladly followed her suggestion to head back now.

Everything was truly perfect.

His life was completely whole and no longer sad or painful. Even if clouds gathered and rain fell on his life someday, it felt like everything would be fine as long as Alisa was there.

The wind that blew from across the sea embraced the three of them gently as if saying goodbye. As if suddenly reminded by that gentle touch, Rashid called to her.

“Alisa.”

“Yes.”

Alisa’s voice cheerfully followed his call. Rashid was unbearably happy at the fact that she was there where his gaze and touch reached.

He held Alisa’s hand even tighter and said.

“I love you.”

Like telling an absolutely natural fact—like how the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, like how water falls from high to low, like how spring comes after winter—the confession flowed out.

Then Rashid’s Alisa smiled and answered.

“I love you too.”

That answer led Rashid to paradise.

He loves Alisa.

She was his first love, and would be his last love, and thus his only love. She was the one he wanted to protect even if it meant betting everything, and at the same time, the one person who protected his existence.

Because Alisa loved him, Rashid was happy. It was happiness that would be safe forever.

<Side Story End>