Chapter 9 (Part 1)

She woke up feeling quite refreshed in the morning. It was as if all her worries had been swept away, leaving her mind clear and her mood light. Just then, the door opened.

Cardin entered, wearing a black robe. In one hand, he held a rolled-up newspaper, and in the other, a silver tray. Noticing that she was awake, he smiled and approached, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. Aren’t you going to work today?”

“It’s the weekend.”

Her mood brightened even more. Smiling instinctively, she watched as Cardin chuckled and placed the tray on the table.

“Let’s have breakfast. I only brought the things you like.”

She got up lightly and sat at the table. Her eyes landed on the newspaper he’d brought. Seeing her interest, Cardin handed it to her.

Recently, she had grown curious about how the world was turning. Before, she hadn’t cared, but being with Cardin seemed to spark her curiosity. As soon as she unfolded the newspaper, bold letters caught her eye.

“Foyne of the Gardrea Family! Will They Finally Unite with the Messerode Family?”

“Foyne announces that the previously broken engagement is proceeding as planned…”

Cardin, sipping his chickpea soup, asked, 

“What’s the matter?”

As she continued staring at the newspaper, Cardin approached. Without hesitation, he took the paper from her hands and read it himself.

His gaze immediately turned sharp. Crumpling the newspaper, he looked at her. But soon, his expression softened. Meeting her eyes, he knelt on one knee.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”

Cardin smiled lightly, as if it were no big deal. After pressing a kiss to her cheek, he left the room. The room grew quiet in an instant, but her mind was in turmoil, like a storm.

The engagement between Foyne and Cardin had made it into the newspaper—printed prominently for all to see.

‘What is this?’

She was already married to Cardin. 

Was our marriage a lie? 

But they had signed the marriage certificate. Her head spun, and she had to steady herself against the table.

As she let out a shaky breath, her eyes landed on the calendar. Staring blankly at it, her eyes slowly widened. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t had her monthly cycle. She should have had it a week ago.

Her already turbulent mind grew even more unsettled. 

‘Is my infertility getting worse?’

Was my health deteriorating further because of it? 

Just this morning, she had felt so refreshed, as if happiness was pouring in. Now, it seemed like only bad things were happening to her.

Feeling anxious, she pulled the bell cord. At times like this, it was better to hear the truth. Shortly after, there was a knock at the door, and a maid entered.

“Madam, did you call?”

“Call for the doctor.”

The maid quickly bowed and left. The chickpea soup and golden-brown bread on the table had long since gone cold. She had no appetite.

As her anxiety burned within her, the door opened again.

The doctor who entered was a familiar face. Bowing quickly, she asked, 

“What seems to be the problem?”

“I haven’t had my monthly cycle.”

Without delay, the doctor opened her leather bag and took out a blue potion. She shook the bottle slightly and handed it over.

“Please drink this. Afterward, I’ll conduct an examination. It’s completely safe to consume, even in large amounts.”

Her heart pounded with nervousness, but she slowly drank the potion. The doctor busied herself, pulling out papers and various vials from her bag. She seemed quite preoccupied.

As she sorted pills and organized her tools, she finally turned to her, holding a thin black strip of paper.

“Would you open your mouth for a moment?”

When she opened her mouth, the doctor placed the paper on her tongue for a moment before removing it. The paper was then quickly placed into a white vial.

As the doctor stared intently at the vial, she asked anxiously, 

“Has my infertility gotten worse?”

The doctor turned to her calmly.

“I can’t say for sure until the results are out, but cases of infertility worsening are extremely rare. It’s just that pregnancy doesn’t occur.”

Even those words didn’t ease her mind. It must have shown on her face, as the doctor kindly continued.

“If you worry too much, it could harm your health even more. Please try to stay calm…”

“My mother-in-law used to give me medicine to prevent pregnancy.”

The memory surfaced suddenly. She had tried not to think about it, but now it came rushing back. The fact that she hadn’t had her monthly cycle felt like it was all because of that.

Of course, there could be other reasons, like physical strain, but her mind couldn’t focus on such minor possibilities.

“Could it be that my body has deteriorated because of that?”

She was almost certain. It must have been because of what Hernes had done that her body was damaged. Symptoms that hadn’t appeared before were now manifesting.

Tears welled up and spilled over. The happiness she had felt earlier was utterly crushed, replaced by a sense of impending doom.

The doctor, startled, looked at her.

“M-Madam!”

The doctor’s eyes trembled with confusion. She wasn’t saying anything outright, which only confirmed her suspicions. It seemed her days were numbered. Perhaps she had already achieved everything she wanted—confessing her feelings to Cardin at first sight, marrying him, sharing moments of excitement together…

As she wiped her endlessly flowing tears, the doctor suddenly held up a piece of red-stained paper with a bright smile.

“Madam! You’re pregnant!”

She thought she had misheard. 

Pregnant? Pregnant? 

She had thought she was permanently infertile, doomed to never recover, and now…

“Pregnant?”

Her voice didn’t even sound like her own as she repeated the words. Her heart trembled as if she were dreaming. Unable to believe it, she looked at the doctor, who nodded enthusiastically, her face brimming with joy.

“Yes! Without a doubt, you’re pregnant. Especially since this strip turned red—it indicates that your body…”

The doctor began explaining excitedly, but none of it registered. Pregnant. Despite all the medications, treatments, and remedies Kelle had given her, her infertility had never improved. And now, suddenly…

“Am I really pregnant?”

It still didn’t feel real. Even the doctor’s smiling face seemed like an illusion. 

Was she just trying to cheer me up, knowing I was dying?

“It’s certain that you’re pregnant. If you’d like, we can run the test again.”

She nodded. Then, she remembered her missed cycle. Just as she was about to ask, the doctor calmly brought another strip to her lips. When she opened her mouth, the strip was placed on her tongue briefly before being put into a vial.

As the doctor waited for the results, she chattered on.

“Madam, your missed cycle may be due to the pregnancy. And in the previous quick tests, there were no alarming signs.”

Her mind was blank. She didn’t want to believe it until she saw the results again. Pregnant. 

Could this even be possible?

Her heart pounded with anxiety. She had undergone a second test, and she feared that the results might be even worse. As she nervously watched the doctor’s back, the doctor suddenly turned around with a bright smile.

“Madam, congratulations! You’re pregnant!”

The doctor’s voice was louder than before, filled with genuine joy. Her ears rang as the doctor’s smiling face loomed in front of her. The cheerful voice continued to speak, but none of it registered.

“Madam?”

A sharp voice rang out directly in front of her. The doctor, now wide-eyed with concern, examined her closely. Only then did she exhale. Finally, she looked at the doctor and asked,

“Really, am I pregnant?”

The doctor nodded with a smile.

“Yes, there’s no doubt about it now. If the test results show positive twice, it’s a clear confirmation of pregnancy.”

Pregnant. The meaning of the word slowly began to sink in.

“Madam, as I mentioned earlier, it would be best to eat only cooked foods for the time being and drink warm water.”

The doctor pulled out a sheet of paper from her bag. It was filled with a list of foods to avoid during pregnancy.

“You may find it inconvenient for about a year, but this will be helpful.”

A smile had been on the doctor’s face the entire time. Come to think of it, ever since her marriage to Cardin, the doctor had been particularly attentive to her infertility. She didn’t know why her infertility had suddenly been cured, but the doctor seemed to have worked hard, and the words came out naturally.

“You’ve worked hard. Thank you.”

“No, Madam! You’ve had it much harder than I have, taking all those medications.”

For a moment, her brow furrowed. She thought of the tea Hernes had given her and the words Kelle had said.

‘…I’ve studied its effects, and strangely, when someone with infertility drinks this herb, their condition gradually improves. So, I was planning to refine it properly this time.’

The tea Hernes had given her had been intended to cause infertility, but strangely, it seemed to cure infertility in those who already had it.

‘So, in the end, did Hernes cure my infertility?’

The situation felt strange. Should she be happy or resentful? No, she should be happy. In the end, Hernes had played a very positive role.