Alternating between passionate nights, diligent days, and appropriately scheduled rest periods, they gradually traveled further south. In the region of Orlandos, filled with memories from the past, the couple began a new schedule.

Before officially meeting people and attending gatherings, the couple decided to have lunch together and take a walk along the beach.

They headed to the upscale restaurant where Calie had so enjoyed grilled sea fish during their last visit.

The imperial couple sat in a special room with a view of the refreshing ocean scenery, enjoying pre-meal bread and wine while exchanging pleasant conversation.

Although she didn’t have much appetite due to fatigue, Calie’s face never lost its smile because she enjoyed conversing with her husband.

Then the fish dish she had been so looking forward to arrived. The moment she smelled it, Calie instinctively knew something was wrong.

Feeling nausea rapidly rising from within, she hurriedly covered her mouth.

“Ugh.”

The staff serving the food, the attendants waiting nearby, and the Emperor sitting across from her all froze simultaneously. Among them, Leian reacted the fastest.

“Remove the food and call a doctor. Right now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The Emperor, who had abruptly risen from his seat, sharply commanded the nearest attendant, who bowed his head before dashing out.

Leian approached his wife and grasped her hands. He asked in a roughened low voice:

“Calie, are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine, don’t worry. More importantly……”

Calie’s words trailed off. A strong sense of déjà vu, more intense than the nausea, shook her.

She remembered the last time she had felt similar nausea. And the reason why she had felt sick to her stomach in front of perfectly fine food back then.

Leian recalled the same memory. His complexion suddenly hardened as if he had just heard news of someone’s death. His expression was an equal mix of fear and shock.

He desperately hoped it wasn’t what he was thinking. But nothing could be confirmed yet. For now, they could only wait for the doctor.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty the Empress. You are with child.”

The imperial physician, who had rushed over after being summoned, carefully announced.

The doctor, who had accompanied them on the long journey in case the Emperor or Empress fell ill during the tour, remembered how difficult it had been for the Empress to conceive last time.

So while offering congratulations out of courtesy, the physician nervously watched the Emperor’s reaction.

The Emperor’s face was frighteningly rigid. His complexion looked as if he had received a terminal diagnosis rather than news of pregnancy.

The Empress, in contrast, was relatively calm. Having sensed the possibility of her pregnancy from the moment of realization, she could respond according to what she had prepared, having predicted how her husband would react.

Calie first dismissed the doctor. Then, left alone in the room with her husband, she firmly held his hand.

“Leian.”

Calie gently called his name. Though still stiffly frozen, Leian faithfully responded to her call. He reflexively squeezed her hand tightly.

“Don’t worry too much. I understand why you’re frightened. But there’s no need for that.”

“…How can there be no need? You suffered so much last time. You nearly died. It was literally a life-threatening childbirth.”

Leian whispered through gritted teeth. Sitting beside his wife on the plush sofa, his heart held more fear and self-reproach than expectation or joy about a second child.

“They said you might never be able to conceive again. That meant your body had weakened significantly, and now in the midst of this, another pregnancy……”

“Leian, it’s alright. That was almost five years ago. My body has recovered a lot since then. My periods are regular now, and the menstrual pain has lessened. This time won’t be as difficult as before.”

“We don’t know that. It could even be worse.”

“Or it could be easier. That’s also unknown.”

“…I’m sorry. I should have been more careful.”

“What more could you have done after taking that medicine? If we’re assigning blame, I was the one who kept begging every time. As long as we continued to share a bed, this was bound to happen eventually.”

Calie was resolute. She sincerely believed that if they were to assign blame, the responsibility was largely hers.

Leian had taken medication that could cause infertility, prepared to end the imperial line, but she had clung to him night after night without restraint.

After discovering the miraculous fact that the person she loved returned her feelings, she had no hesitation in openly expressing her desires.

With a man and woman in their prime mixing bodies nearly every day, it wasn’t at all strange that a child would be conceived.

Even with medication, bodies can always recover, and sometimes miracles happen despite the slimmest odds.

What had come to her now certainly felt like a miracle. The woman’s body had weakened, and the man had taken medicine to cut off his seed, so they had thought a second child in this lifetime was absolutely impossible.

However, as time passed and their bodies recovered, a new possibility had found them.

While not entirely without fear, Calie decided to accept it bravely since it had already happened.

“You know, I’ve always felt regret. I’ve always thought it would be nice if our Iv had a sibling. Neither of us has particularly good memories of siblings. We were both unfortunate second children. At least your brother had an admirable character.”

Calie whispered bitterly. When she mentioned his half-brother, Leian stiffened.

Not because he suspected or was jealous of his wife’s relationship with his brother as before, but simply because recalling his own filial impiety inevitably saddened him.

“I wanted our daughter’s life to be different. Whether she remained an only child forever or had ten siblings, I just wanted her to be happy, desperately happy… to know what it feels like to be fully loved by her parents. I sincerely hoped we would be a harmonious family.”

Calie’s life also contained many sorrowful memories. The *buse from her fake parents, the l*st of her fake brother, and the whereabouts of her real parents that would forever remain unknown—all these still left scars on her heart.

But even if those wounds never completely disappeared, the joyful years ahead would be longer than the sad days so far, so Calie could now recall the pain of the past without collapsing.

She had wanted her daughter’s life to be different from the start. Unlike herself, she wanted her child to have only reasons to smile from the beginning. And sometimes, she had wished for her child to have siblings she would love as much as herself.

Calie hated her fake brother, and Leian could never again meet his half-brother. Ivenia had been expected to live as an only child her entire life. But now a different possibility had opened up.

“Of course, having siblings isn’t the only way to enrich one’s life. With or without a younger sibling, what matters is that our child grows up happily and properly. Still, if possible… beyond the question of having many or few hands in the imperial family, I wish Iv had more blood relatives she could trust and rely on.”

Calie knew there were people who worried about the fact that there was only one Princess in the imperial family, which already had few members. She fully understood their concerns.

But her feeling more joy than concern about this second pregnancy wasn’t solely for that reason.

“So I’m not afraid or regretful. Since I’ve done it once before, I can do well this time too. I will definitely give birth to a healthy, beautiful baby.”

Calie looked straight at the man she loved and made a strong promise. With this man who worried about her so much firmly holding her hand now, even the anticipated labor pains didn’t frighten her.

Moreover, having learned through Ivenia what immense joy awaited after that pain, hope blossomed despite her anxiety. Her anticipation outweighed her practical concerns.

Leian looked at his lovely and brave wife with an expression that suggested he might cry at any moment. Finally, gathering his emotions for her and their child in her womb, he resolutely said:

“Yes, everything will be fine.”

He lowered his head to touch his forehead to hers. Warm body heat transmitted through their soft skin. He could no longer imagine living without this warmth. He whispered with desperate hope:

“Both you and our child. You’ll both be safe until the end.”

Just as you nearly died giving birth to Iv but ultimately survived to meet our daughter.

Just as we, who weren’t properly loved, have still become parents capable of giving love, raising Ivenia with all our heart and devotion until now.

When we meet our second child that you’re carrying, we will ensure they know not a single grain of parental deficiency. We will make every moment they spend with us a happy one.

It didn’t matter whether it was a daughter or son. The color of their hair, whether blonde or black, wasn’t important. What mattered was that they were a flawless life conceived in love from their mixed blood and flesh.

Leian wished for another miracle where both the mother and child would safely survive. Calie joined in this prayer. More desperately than at any other time in her life.

With all their hearts, they prayed that their harmonious family of three who loved each other would safely grow to four.

⁕⁕⁕

Several months later, Empress Calie of the Pellion Empire gave birth to a healthy prince. He was a beautiful boy who inherited his father’s silky black hair and his mother’s vivid purple eyes.

The Empress, who had been unconscious for a full five days after giving birth to the Princess, overcame the critical period much earlier this time. The process of childbirth was excruciating, but what awaited at the end was the sweetest fruit in this world.

As the parents had wished, their daughter gained a lovely sibling, and their family of three grew to four.

Another miracle, a joyous occasion that would be remembered for ages to come.

『For Our Smooth Divorce』 Side Story Complete