Chapter 9 (Part 11)
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Since when?”
Before she could answer, he murmured to himself.
“Ah, so when you spoke to the maid about pregnancy…”
Cardin trailed off, pulling back slightly to look at her. He gently wiped the tears from her face and met her gaze.
“Was it since then?”
She nodded. After all, she had been pregnant back then too. His face lit up instantly.
“Brienne, this is a miracle.”
“You don’t have to say that. You said you didn’t want children…”
“Why would you think that?”
“You said before that children might inherit genetic diseases, that it wasn’t a good idea…”
“I exaggerated that on purpose. I didn’t want you, who couldn’t conceive, to get your hopes up and feel heartbroken.”
“……”
“In truth, I always wanted us to have a child.”
“Really?”
Cardin smiled and nodded.
“All those negative things I said about pregnancy before—it was all because I was worried about you.”
Her turbulent emotions gradually settled. She understood that he had said those things out of concern for her, though it had weighed on her mind. She had suspected there might have been some truth mixed in.
Cardin sighed softly as he held her close.
“If you had told me earlier, I would’ve taken better care of you. I wouldn’t have left you like this.”
He frowned as he examined her, carefully studying her face, lingering on her neck, and then checking her body.
“There’s no other injury, right?”
When she nodded, Cardin muttered with restrained emotion.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. You’re not alone in this… Damn it.”
He looked at her again, his gaze lingering on her neck before he spoke sharply.
“I shouldn’t have killed that bastard so quickly.”
Her eyes widened, and Cardin immediately softened his expression.
“Sorry. Are you really okay?”
“Yes.”
Cardin’s face broke into a radiant smile. He kissed her neck gently and held her with care. His breath lightly brushed against her skin as he whispered.
“I love you, Brienne.”
It felt like a soft breeze had passed through her heart. Leaning against his chest, she felt a sense of peace. It seemed as though everything had finally come to an end. The painful one-sided love she had endured felt like it had finally blossomed, casting away its insignificance and shining brightly.
She was glad she hadn’t abandoned this love. Having achieved everything she wanted, she couldn’t imagine a greater happiness. Wrapping her arms around his back, she spoke.
“I love you.”
Cardin, overjoyed, kissed her neck again and hugged her gently yet firmly.
***
The Messerode family’s delayed charity event garnered far more attention than the previous year. Rumors of joyous news from the Duke and Duchess spread, and many were eager to see the Duchess of Messerode, who had recently endured a troubling incident.
As a result, the streets surrounding the Messerode family’s townhouse were teeming with people. Those who hadn’t been invited lingered nearby, hoping to catch a glimpse or be photographed. Journalists with notebooks and cameras roamed about, trying to spot the distinguished guests who had been invited.
Most speculated that the Duchess’s happy news involved a child. After all, the couple was married, and it was widely known—even among the beggars—that Cardin was exceptionally attentive to his wife. Though no one explicitly mentioned it, they offered subtle smiles and vague congratulations.
“…In any case, congratulations.”
Most of the invited nobles offered such remarks. Cardin’s face was as radiant as it had been on their wedding day. Beside him, the Duchess maintained a composed demeanor, her smile equally serene and bright.
The guests unanimously agreed that the two were a perfect match and eagerly awaited the upcoming event.
The charity event turned out to be an unprecedented success, thanks to the herbal pills created by the Duchess. These pills, never before showcased at previous events, fetched incredibly high prices.
The nobles, impressed by the Messerode family’s charity event, were satisfied with their purchases. Word of the herbal pills’ effectiveness had already spread among the servants, piquing the nobles’ curiosity.
As the event neared its conclusion, Cardin lightly tapped his champagne glass. All eyes turned to him and Brienne.
One noblewoman, who had been observing Brienne closely, spoke with certainty.
“The Duchess must be pregnant. She hasn’t touched a single glass of champagne.”
A gentleman with a long mustache nodded in agreement. Just then, Cardin began to speak.
“Thank you all for coming today. The generous funds you’ve contributed will be donated by the Messerode family in your names.”
There was no time for boredom. Cardin’s voice was clear and well-paced, with perfect modulation. Even his voice was appealing, drawing smiles from the noblewomen as they focused on him.
Cardin, wearing an expression as though he had the world in his hands, turned to look at Brienne. Her cheeks were flushed, as if shy, and even that seemed endearing.
The way they looked at each other radiated a love that needed no explanation.
After a brief pause, Cardin spoke slowly.
“A precious angel has come to us. It is an honor to share this joyful news with you on such a meaningful occasion.”
Cardin looked as though he wanted to boast about this joyful news to everyone. All the attendees smiled brightly.
Some of them even let out a sigh of relief inwardly. They thought, at last, they could talk about a child without offending the Duke.
‘Thank goodness.’
A gentleman stroked his long mustache as he packed away the herbal pills.
***
As the charity event concluded, Cardin immediately picked her up in his arms. He had been doing this more frequently these days. Whenever she tried to go down the stairs, he insisted on carrying her, saying she might get hurt.
She was too tired to argue anymore and simply leaned against him. Without any effort, Cardin opened the door and gently laid her on the bed.
Subconsciously, she touched her belly and asked,
“Cardin, do you think this baby will be a boy or a girl?”
He smiled, kissed her cheek, and lay down beside her.
“Whether it’s a boy or a girl, I think they’ll be beautiful. Because they’ll look like you.”
She couldn’t help but laugh.
“The doctor said it’s probably a boy because I’ve been eating so much meat.”
Lately, she had been craving meat more than fruits or vegetables and eating a lot of it. Cardin brushed her loose hair aside and gazed at her intently. His eyes were so vivid, they seemed to shine even in the dark.
“Should we pick a name in advance?”
At his question, she realized no names came to mind. She had never thought about having a family before, so she hadn’t considered baby names either.
“Does your family have traditional names?”
She couldn’t think of any, but she assumed the Messerode family might have some customary names.
“There are, but they’re not very pretty. Do you have a name you want to choose?”
“Not really.”
“How about Lorut?”
“It sounds too much like a bird’s name.”
“Arti, then?”
“It sounds like a card game.”
Cardin frowned and seemed deep in thought before finally speaking.
“Then, how about Romedes?”
“That was a trendy name a long time ago. People named their children after that god.”
It seemed Cardin wasn’t very skilled at naming. Perhaps he realized it too, as he wrapped an arm around her and whispered softly.
“Should we just use one of the family’s traditional names?”
“That might be best.”
She laughed. His hand gently stroked her hair. The sensation of his fingers brushing lightly against her was peculiar. When their eyes met, his lips softly touched hers.
His moist lips parted slightly as his tongue slid in, skillfully entwining with hers. His tongue briefly retreated before diving deeper, exploring her mouth as if to claim it.
Cardin’s hand encircled her waist, pulling her closer. Instinctively, she placed a hand on his shoulder and took a deep breath. He kissed her with unhurried intensity, their bodies pressed together without any space between them.
Her breath grew shallow as he seemed to swallow her every exhale. The air around them grew heavy, and their intertwined bodies felt solid and warm.
When her breathing became labored, Cardin finally pulled back slowly. The lingering excitement hovered between their lips.
“The doctor said we need to be careful for a while, right?”
When she nodded, Cardin sighed and embraced her.
“Sometimes, I regret it.”
“What do you regret?”
“That I didn’t realize you liked me sooner.”
“At the time…”
“It would’ve been better if I had noticed first.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt him flinch. Sometimes, when she showed affection first, he reacted with uncharacteristic nervousness.
Smiling, she whispered softly.
“I’m glad you know now.”
Even as she said it, her face grew warm. Despite everything they had shared, she still felt shy saying things like this.
Cardin tightened his hold on her, pressing his lips to her hair.
“Now, I probably love you more.”
“No, it’s just that I’m not good at expressing it, but I…”
He chuckled softly.
“Then show me now.”
He deliberately brushed his leg against hers. Perhaps noticing her tension, his movements were subtle. Resting her forehead against his chest, she murmured.
“I like you.”
Her face flushed red. She didn’t know why expressing her feelings always made her toes curl and her cheeks burn.
Her feelings for him were no less intense than his for her.
Cardin breathed warmly into her ear and spoke.
“Is it just ‘like’?”
His persistence was relentless, as if he wouldn’t stop until he heard what he wanted.
“I love you.”
As soon as she said it, suppressing her trembling, Cardin lightly nibbled her earlobe.
“I love you too.”
His sweet words were followed by a warm breath against her skin. When she tried to turn away, flustered, Cardin pulled her waist back toward him.
“Where are you going, my love?”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Why not?”
“You never used to call me that.”
“I call you that because I love you.”
Cardin already knew. He knew she got flustered whenever he said things like “I love you” or “I like you,” so he did it on purpose.
“You loved me for six years, yet you still get embarrassed.”
There was a hint of laughter in his voice.
“I don’t know. Saying things like that makes me feel like I’m breaking out in hives.”
She wondered if that was why she hadn’t been able to confess during her six years of unrequited love. Of course, she hadn’t had the courage either.
Cardin whispered quickly into her ear.
“I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.”
Even as she squirmed, his voice, now mixed with laughter, changed to “I like you.” She gave up resisting. When she stayed still, Cardin finished teasing her and slowly pulled her closer.
His breath spread softly over her neck. She felt sleepy.
‘I need to change out of my dress and wash up.’
But it didn’t matter. Being with Cardin made everything else seem unimportant, filling her with a sense of comfort. That’s probably why she felt so sleepy. Everything about being with him was sweet.
〈Hatred of First Love〉 Fin
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