After that, my husband made no attempt to suppress the news of my pregnancy.

If anything, it seemed as though he had encouraged it.

[Sienna, the last descendant of the former Beatrix royal family, carries the child of a revolutionary hero.]

[Imelda Freimer, leader of the Republican Party, offers her congratulations—stating that while Sienna is a remnant of the old era, she is now someone who must move forward together with the Republic.]

As my husband said, the public’s reaction wasn’t negative.

In fact, it was favorable.

People no longer saw my child as the last remnant of Beatrix; they saw him as the child of a hero.

Some even seemed to genuinely hope that he would grow up to serve the nation.

Over time, my thoughts began to change.

This child had taken root inside me in order to survive.

So I chose to honor that will and do my best for as long as I could.

I forced myself up from the bed, where I had lain like a half-dead body.

After surviving for days on nothing but nutrient infusions, dizziness washed over me the moment I stood up, but I had to move.

This body was already dying.

I had treated it carelessly, as though its fate didn’t matter.

But now, I decided to try to care for it, even if only a little.

Because I had to raise this child.

Until the day I died, I could not allow myself to die.

Acting as though nothing had happened since learning of the pregnancy, I steadied myself, straightened my disheveled clothes, and went down to the dining hall with Laura.

“You’re up?”

My husband acted as though nothing had happened.

For a moment, I found myself wondering whether his injured left hand had really healed.

No matter how accustomed he was to injury, I couldn’t forget how he had knocked aside the blade intended for me without hesitation.

I took my seat and forced myself to eat, despite the overwhelming nausea.

The urge to vomit surged up violently, but I forced it back down.

“I’d like to go out for walks on my own now. Doctor Eleanor said it would be good for the baby if I walk often.”

Until now, I had only been allowed to go out under strict conditions, to designated places, at designated times, accompanied by designated people.

My husband seemed to think for a moment.

“Very well.”

He agreed more easily than I had expected.

“But report your destination to the guards, and make sure Laura goes with you. I want you to be safe.”

“Alright.”

“And when the weather gets colder, I’ll take an extended leave. Let’s go to Anacapri.”

Anacapri is one of the country’s most famous resorts.

With swaying palm trees and an ocean teeming with coral and tropical fish, it remained warm throughout the year — unlike the capital, which turned cold in autumn.

For someone who is sensitive to the cold, like me, it was the perfect place to spend the winter.

It was a suggestion I hadn’t expected.

I looked at him and met his calm, steady blue gaze.

There was something resolute in his eyes — firm and composed.

For reasons I couldn’t explain, this gave me a quiet sense of reassurance.

So, I gave a small nod.

***

After I became pregnant, it wasn’t just the attitudes of citizens and reporters towards me that changed.

My husband’s attitude changed, too.

I wondered whether he would truly love our child.

Although he had repeatedly urged me to have a baby, perhaps even he found it difficult to accept the reality.

After all, it was me — someone he did not love — who was carrying his child.

And half of the child’s blood came from the royal family of Beatrix, whom he despised.

It wouldn’t have been strange if he had found the idea repulsive and wanted nothing to do with it.

But, contrary to my fears, he had become gentler.

More patient.

More at ease.

He seemed to smile a little more often, too.

At the same time, he seemed deeply concerned for my physical and mental well-being.

Of course, this was probably not entirely for my sake, but for the sake of the child.

If the body meant to carry and nurture that child fell ill, it would cause him problems.

“My lady… what is all this? Oh my goodness… I’ve worked in many wealthy households, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“……”

“I saw this jewelry brand in the newspaper—it’s supposed to be incredibly expensive…”

Laura stared at the pile of gifts my husband had sent, her eyes wide with amazement.

It was as if he had lifted an entire department store section and placed it in my room — he had brought everything said to be good for a pregnant woman.

There were maternity clothes for every stage of pregnancy, soft, plush cushions, and countless other luxuries.

Just how much had he spent?

Even without the gifts, things between us hadn’t been bad lately.

Perhaps because there had been no stress, my condition had improved noticeably.

The sudden nosebleeds had become less frequent and the dizziness had eased.

“If you’d like, we can invite Commander Jeremiah Linzer to the estate for a meal this weekend.”

“Jeremy?”

What was all this, all of a sudden?

Didn’t he dislike Jeremy?

After causing such a scene, why did he want to invite him now?

My husband had a talent for hurting people, only to offer them comfort afterwards.

Jeremy was my only friend, and we had fallen out the last time we met.

I had been thinking about it ever since.

Was this perhaps another attempt to keep me emotionally stable?

“I’ll join you as well. I should make amends for my rudeness that day.”

“Oh. You too…? Ah… that might be…”

“That would be a bit uncomfortable…”

I said, my bright expression instantly dimming as I hesitated.

At that, my husband’s brow twitched.

Seeing that rare hint of displeasure, I shrank back instinctively.

“You’re not meeting him alone.”

He cut me off so firmly that I had no choice but to fall silent.

After all, I was already pregnant with his child, so there was no reason for him to feel any sense of rivalry towards Jeremy.

“…Alright. But please, make sure you properly apologize to him.”

“I will.”

Laura stared at the pile of gifts my husband had sent, her eyes wide with amazement.

It was as if he had lifted an entire department store section and placed it in my room — he had brought everything said to be good for a pregnant woman.

There were maternity clothes for every stage of pregnancy, soft, plush cushions, and countless other luxuries.

Just how much had he spent?

Even without the gifts, things between us hadn’t been bad lately.

Perhaps because there had been no stress, my condition had improved noticeably.

The sudden nosebleeds had lessened, and the overwhelming dizziness had eased.

***

Time passed quickly and, before I knew it, the long-awaited weekend had arrived.

For the first time in a while, I got dressed up properly and spent the morning looking forward to the luncheon I had organized for Jeremy.

Finally, the sound of a carriage bearing the radiant emblem of the Holy Kingdom of Leial echoed as it entered the estate and I hurried outside.

Nevertheless, a trace of unease lingered and I found myself repeatedly glancing back at my husband.

But the moment I saw Jeremy’s gentle, warm smile, the tension in my chest dissolved, replaced by a light, comforting ease.

“Jeremy, welcome. The journey wasn’t too difficult, was it?”

I greeted him with a bright smile, but nothing more. Yet I could feel a sharp gaze behind me.

Really? Was exchanging a few simple greetings really too much?

“Jeremy, I’m truly sorry about last time. I haven’t had a moment’s peace since then.”

“It’s alright, Sienna. I was the one who provoked things first… I should be the one apologizing. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Hearing Jeremy apologize instead made my chest tighten, as though tears might spill over at any moment.

“Thank you for coming despite your busy schedule. Let’s head inside.”

“We meet again.”

If he meant to make amends, then what was that?

I shot my husband a glare as he extended his hand toward Jeremy with the same crooked attitude as before.

“Oh—Commander Helares, you were there? I hadn’t noticed.”

There was no way Jeremy hadn’t seen him, my husband stood twice his size right behind me.

Yet he spoke as though Reinhardt had been invisible.

“Where else would I be? I’m the host. If I invite a guest, it’s only natural I’m present.”

“So you do consider me a guest. I hadn’t realized.”

Honestly, what was going on with the two of them?

The strange tension between them was exhausting.

I stepped between them, breaking their line of sight, and led the way to the dining hall.

It seemed the head chef had been waiting for this moment.

The table was laid out so lavishly that it looked as though it might collapse under its own weight.

Despite feeling nauseous, I found the food tempting — a clear testament to the chef’s skill.

“Before we begin, allow me to apologize for my rudeness the other day.”

My husband offered a simple apology to Jeremy before the meal.

“Yes, I did raise an uncomfortable topic first, so I’ll accept that apology.”

Jeremy accepted it without hesitation, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“I would have liked to serve wine or champagne, but as you know, Sienna is carrying my child, so I’ve been refraining from alcohol at home.”

“I saw the news of the pregnancy. My sincere congratulations. As a member of the clergy, I don’t indulge much in alcohol anyway, so that’s perfectly fine.”

“Speaking of which, there’s something I’d like to ask of you. When our child is born, would you be willing to give them your blessing and perform the baptism? For Sienna and my child.”

… There it was.

As if to boast or stake his claim, he emphasized that Sienna was carrying his child.

Now I understood why he had insisted on inviting Jeremy.

Making amends had only been an excuse.

What he really wanted was to mark his territory.

It was a warning not to covet me now that I was pregnant with his child.

‘How childish. Petty.’

Jeremy probably wasn’t even thinking anything of the sort.

“…Ah. Yes, of course.”

Jeremy nodded, though something in his expression seemed faintly unsettled.