SIDE STORY 2 (Part 1)

“You have exceptional skills.”

Raoul exclaimed admiringly. She chuckled and burst into laughter as she caught her breath.

“You’re remarkable yourself, Raoul. It was a good sparring session.”

She returned his compliment swiftly, extending a hand. They shook hands lightly, exchanged greetings, and decided to call it a day for today’s training session.

“Ah, it’s hot.”

Though no clear winner emerged, it was a satisfying duel. As the vice-captain of the Duke’s First Knights, Raoul and she were evenly matched in skill. While he excelled in strength, she relied on speed, yet their combat abilities were similar. The match seemed endless and concluded in a draw.

Humming a tune, she made her way back to the mansion. Drenched in sweat, she headed straight to the bathroom and filled the bathtub with water. Water gurgled from the faucets on either side of the large round tub, and the smell of warm water filled the air. 

“I need to wash up.”

As she undressed in front of the mirror, her pale and slippery body was revealed. Parts that had been covered by clothes bore scattered red marks.

She could identify the spots where Dian had licked and sucked vigorously. She could recognize some of them, but most of them she couldn’t remember. Most of it happened when she was in a daze, and it was an accumulation of several days’ worth of marks. Running her fingers over the red marks on her chest near the navel, she pulled down her underwear on both sides.

“Ah…….”

The inner fabric was damp. She had changed into new underwear just this morning. There seemed to be a slight mix of v*ginal fl*id and a lot more s*men had leaked out. 

This has been happening frequently since they stopped using contraception. Although Dian meticulously wiped her clean after s*x, the fl*id trapped inside couldn’t be completely removed and would gradually seep out over time. She had to change and clean herself daily as she went about her routine activities.

‘Does it bother you and make it uncomfortable?’

‘No? It’s fine.’

Dian, who valued cleanliness and tidiness, worried about it, but she didn’t care much. Changing underwear was just a small matter, and she thought it was natural to engage in v*ginal discharge during pregnancy.

With his fl*id inside her, there was sometimes a strange sensation that she unknowingly let out. It certainly wasn’t a bad feeling.

As she entered the warm water n*ked, a sigh escaped her involuntarily.

“Ah, refreshing….”

The fatigue in her muscles melted away, and her body relaxed. The water rose up to her chest, and she closed the faucet, sitting quietly and leisurely enjoying the moment.

Dian and her got married two years ago.

They were married in the summer after the healing ritual. Married life was incredibly happy. They took up residence near the duke’s manor, where she had lived for a month or two each season as a child, and they lived a leisurely life together in the spacious mansion.

She taught swordsmanship to many of the children of the manor who wished to learn. She was hesitant at first, wondering if she was good enough to teach anyone, but Dian and the knights encouraged her to begin. Fortunately, the lessons went smoothly, and she had many fun and proud moments teaching the kids. 

After classes, she used to train in the training ground before taking a bath like this. If there was a small change in their peaceful and leisurely days, it was that they had stopped using contraception recently.

They had thoroughly enjoyed their two years of marriage and were starting to consider planning for a baby when their trip to the capital once had an impact.

She went to the capital with Dian once to do some work and meet up with friends. She met Armie and Leroy at their house, who were their academy peers, and there they saw their adorable baby for the first time. They had gotten married in the spring when Dian and she were in the midst of the healing ritual, and as it turned out, Armie was already pregnant at that time. Their daughter was born that year, so it had been two years already since then, and it was the first time they had met her.

‘She’s so cute.’

The little girl was unmistakably a baby. Her name was Damia, still a bit awkward in her movements and speech, which only added to her charm. With her small face and fluffy hair, she was lively and smiled often.

The little girl seemed to take a liking to Dian. She eagerly brought a picture book and sat on Dian’s lap, waiting for him to read to her. He read the book calmly, seemingly overwhelmed by her cuteness. Dian seemed to have more aptitude for childcare than she had expected. While he played with the baby, Armie, Renee, Greta, and Rienn could comfortably chat.

‘I’m so grateful that Dian is taking care of Damia.’

Armie said while watching the two of them reading or playing with toys

.

‘Looks like Damia isn’t shy around him.’

‘No, she’s not. She only acts friendly with people she likes. She’s quite reserved with those she doesn’t. I guess she likes Dian.’

‘Maybe because he listens well?’

Though she couldn’t quite hear what they were saying from a distance, Damia was chirping away like a little bird, and Dian was attentively listening and responding.

‘That might be one reason, but I think it’s also because he’s good-looking. Babies are more discerning than we think.’

‘Oh, really?’

‘Yeah, babies like pretty and handsome people too.’

Renee agreed, and Greta nodded along.

‘Well, babies do have eyes, after all.’

‘Hehe…….’

While Dian’s good looks might have played a part, it still seemed like he was taking good care of the baby. They had been considering planning for a baby, but she was somewhat unsure and hesitant, wondering if they were not quite ready… But seeing Dian playing with the baby made her think that maybe they could do it after all. 

After seeing the adorable and lovely Damia, they decided it was time for them to have a baby, and they stopped using contraception after returning to the estate.

When she lightly consulted with their family doctor, Herta, she offered to calculate her cycle to determine the dates for the best chances of pregnancy, but she declined. There was no need, as they were having s*x multiple times a day.

Perhaps she was already pregnant without even realizing it. She reached down to touch her belly underwater. It was still as flat as usual.

“No need to rush.”

She leisurely enjoyed her bath. Gradually, a hazy mist settled over the water. Her body warmed up and relaxed, feeling comfortable. She submerged herself completely, letting the water wash over her face and hair, moving her arms and legs to feel the gentle resistance. After a while of leisurely bathing, she rinsed off with rose-scented soap and got out.