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〈First Consultation with His Highness the Grand Duke〉

The smell of alcohol.

The smell of alcohol vibrates through His Highness the Grand Duke’s study.

His Highness the Grand Duke has no expression.

No matter what question I ask, his answers are brief.

I asked about his memories of the last war situation. His Highness emptied the glass of alcohol and spoke with an indifferent expression.

He said the enemy had coated their sword tips with poison, causing horses cut by the swords to collapse while vomiting blood.

Knights who fell from their horses charged toward the enemy, and their limbs rotted, burst with blood, and were severed by the enemy’s poisoned swords.

At that time, His Highness said he counted the number of enemies while checking the time.

“Don’t you feel irritated or angry?”

His Highness frowned for the first time. As if that question was wrong.

His Highness said he doesn’t get irritated or angry in war.

He retorted, asking why he should be angry when he kills because he has to kill.

I know that I shouldn’t feel fear or anxiety during counseling, that I shouldn’t waver.

But I’m afraid.

Because that person’s abyss is so deep. I’m afraid because the shadow is so unfathomable.

Whether I can identify and suture that person’s wounds……

I feel powerless.

〈Emergency Call 4〉

[Right after being called]

Today is the first call after His Highness the Grand Duke returned alive from the Eye of the Storm.

I’m moved to see His Highness again.

I also went to the plaza where waves of mourning were occurring. I really thought His Highness had died.

But His Highness returned with Her Highness the Grand Duchess.

It was good to see that face.

I recalled the time when His Highness said he would raise a squirrel, or build a fortress for a crow-tit.

His clumsy way of expressing love was truly rough, and my heart sank at the wrong advice I had given to Her Highness, but on the other hand, I felt relieved.

The very fact that His Highness loved someone was reassuring.

So today’s call worried me even more.

[Visit]

I headed to the study, guided by Secretary Ulysse.

His Highness was still large in stature. No, he seems to have become even more imposing than before, perhaps because he recently started exercising again.

And there was no glass of alcohol on the table.

“This time it’s really serious.”

His Highness ‘s expression wasn’t good. Secretary Ulysse, standing behind him, was the same.

I swallowed dryly and asked His Highness what was wrong.

“I think I’m going to be a father.”

I almost dropped my pen in surprise. I kept congratulating him while calming my pounding heart.

But His Highness’s expression didn’t seem happy. I quickly asked him again what was wrong.

“I’m worried Yuelina might get sick.”

His Highness was worried that the small and precious crow-tit…… no, Her Highness the Grand Duchess might get sick due to pregnancy.

He also asked how severe the pain of childbirth really is.

His Highness seems to have forgotten that I’m a doctor who treats the mind.

Anyway, since I was already here, I shared the information and experiences I knew.

I focused on items that were necessary when my wife was pregnant, or things that were helpful when she gave birth.

His Highness was shocked when he heard about the amount of bleeding during childbirth. His harsh face was full of concern.

I shouldn’t do this, but I smiled a little while looking at His Highness’s face.

And I told him to give Her Highness whatever she needs while by her side.

Of course, it was unnecessary advice. His Highness the Grand Duke was already prepared to suffer in place of Her Highness the Grand Duchess.

〈Emergency Call 5〉

It was a midnight call.

His Highness the Grand Duke’s face was pale. He seemed to have lost a lot of weight since I saw him a few months ago.

Moreover, in the study, there was not only Secretary Ulysse but also High Priest Lambros and Elder Priest Percos.

“His Highness says he feels nauseated, can you possibly know the cause?”

Secretary Ulysse said His Highness couldn’t eat well and kept feeling queasy.

High Priest Lambros examined him briefly but couldn’t find any particular cause.

So they called me wondering if it might be for psychological reasons. I asked His Highness how he had been doing lately.

He said he wakes up in the morning, takes a walk with Her Highness the Grand Duchess, eats, stays in the room with Her Highness, briefly attends to work, and continues to stay with Her Highness.

It was His Highness’s typical day, no different from usual.

It was difficult to find the cause. Why would His Highness’s stomach feel unwell? I pondered and pondered, then paused.

“By any chance, is Her Highness experiencing morning sickness?”

Strangely, His Highness’s symptoms were similar to when my wife had morning sickness.

The part about feeling queasy as if getting motion sickness just from smelling food also caught my attention.

His Highness listened to my words carefully and suddenly looked at Elder Priest Percos.

“Daphne.”

It was an unexpected name. Goddess Daphne, suddenly?

But Elder Priest Percos opened his eyes wide.

“What prayer did you make?”

“……I said don’t make her sick. I said I would take revenge after death if she was.”

This time, Elder Priest Percos’s face turned pale. High Priest Lambros was the same.

“Y-You said you would take revenge on the deity?”

His Highness the Grand Duke nodded calmly.

“It seems she granted your wish.”

His Highness smirked at Elder Priest Percos’s murmur.

“That’s good.”

And he rose urgently to vomit.

〈Emergency Visit〉

Today, His Highness the Grand Duke suddenly visited.

He came alone, without Secretary Ulysse. His Highness the Grand Duke looked around the counseling room once and sat down.

It was the end of winter. The scenery of sleet fluttering in the dusk was quite dreary.

His Highness the Grand Duke silently looked out the window.

“I hated snow.”

For the first time, he told me about his past.

The past when he lost Lady Karenrose in the Eye of the Storm.

The time after that when he was busy going to war.

The story of how he came to resign himself to the fact that it was so natural for no one to be by his side.

Lady Karenrose’s death was well-known, and I also knew the story of His Highness who devoted himself only to war after that.

But hearing it directly from His Highness made my heart ache.

“I don’t know well how to be loved. So I don’t know well how to give love either.”

His Highness hesitated.

“So I’m a bit worried. That the baby who will be born soon might grow up like me. That I might treat the child as a stranger.”

His Highness sighed deeply.

I felt sincerity in His Highness’s attitude, which was consistently cautious, hesitant, and deliberate.

“You’re already doing well at both receiving love from Her Highness and giving love.”

So I spoke with sincerity too. His Highness’s love might seem excessive or strange to ordinary people.

But I, who had observed His Highness little by little over a long time, could be confident.

That no one could be as passionate about loving someone as His Highness.

“I don’t want to raise our child like me.”

His Highness smiled bitterly.

“So I want you to tell me. You seem like quite an affectionate father.”

His Highness asked me to teach him.

I gave His Highness the words I could offer with all my heart and sincerity.

Sometimes when the child cries too much and the body gets tired, when things don’t go my way.

When the child is so lovely that it’s unbelievable. Also the times when I thought if there was a miracle, it would be my child.

His Highness showed a gentle smile for the first time while listening to my words.

“That’s nice. Having a family.”

Today I realized one thing.

That I won’t write medical journals when I meet His Highness from now on.

If I meet His Highness again, it will be as a father of a child, as a husband who loves his wife.

His Highness’s counseling ended a long time ago.

Not because I counseled well, not because my heart reached His Highness.

It was because His Highness changed his heart.

His Highness’s love made him change.

“Have you named the child yet?”

“Aster for a boy. Florence for a girl.”

All were names related to flowers.

I seemed to understand why His Highness named the children that way.

“Those are good names.”

“……Really? Yuelina also said they were good, but I was worried she might hate them and just say she likes them because of me.”

His Highness smiled again.

Now it was my turn to ask His Highness many things.

How he could love so deeply. Where such unchanging love comes from.

“I should go now.”

I rose from my seat with His Highness.

Darkness had fallen.

It was time to return to the home where family was waiting.