SIDE STORY 3 (Part 2)

“Did we order too much?”

She couldn’t help but laugh as she looked at the table full of delicious dishes. There was enough food for ten people, even though there were only three of them. And they’re not exactly a trio of gluttons.

“You have a baby in your belly; you should eat a lot. Come on, let’s eat.”

“Eat slowly and eat a lot, Rienn.”

“Yeah.”

As her belly had grown rapidly lately, so had her appetite. She didn’t know if it was because she had been eating more that she was getting bigger or if it was because her baby was especially big. She didn’t know the cause, but she eagerly started with a hot soup to stimulate her appetite.

“You still don’t have any cravings?”

“No, none at all.”

Some pregnant women experienced cravings from early pregnancy through the middle and even into the late stages, but she had never experienced it.

“Of course. You’ve always been a big eater.”

“…”

She couldn’t tell if Yan was praising her or mocking her.

“It’s really fortunate. Severe cravings can be quite distressing.”

Dian spoke calmly and looked her in the eyes. She couldn’t detect any teasing tone from him at all, so she smiled.

“Yeah, I heard it can be quite difficult if you have strong cravings.”

“That’s right. It’s healthy for you not to have any.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve been feeling more tired and sleeping a lot more than before.”

She felt a little embarrassed that Dian was talking about her.

“Hehe, well, since you’re pregnant, it’s only natural…”

“But don’t overdo it. If you’re tired, you should let us know right away.”

“I will.”

“By the way…”

Yan looked at Dian and her with a concerned expression. They were sitting side by side, with Yan sitting opposite them in the middle. He lifted his wine glass and drained it in one go, seeming somewhat thirsty.

I wouldn’t mind having a drink too…

“I think I had a precognitive dream.”

There he goes again. 

Yan insisted that he had a precognitive dream instead of her.

“Just around the time before you guys told me the news, I had a dream. Rienn, you were walking through a beautiful and mysterious orchard, like a paradise.”

“Yeah.”

It was Dian who responded, not her. Yan looked at Dian, who listened attentively.

“It was literally an orchard where all the fruits were temptingly ripe. Rienn was walking with a basket and stopped in front of a peach tree, picking several ripe peaches and putting them in the basket.”

It was intriguing, but she had heard this story at least ten times before. Yan has always been a vivid dreamer, so she wondered if it really was a precognitive dream or if he simply dreamed a lot because he slept a lot…

“Do you remember how many there were?”

Dian asked seriously, showing genuine interest as he always did.

“I don’t remember that. All I remember is that the peaches were very firm and beautiful. Could it be twins?”

“Angela said it doesn’t seem like twins judging by the size of the belly.”

She said if it’s twins, the belly would be much bigger.

“Peaches…….”

Dian muttered quietly, lost in thought. From her perspective, there was no need to find so much meaning in it.

“I wonder if it’s a girl or a boy. Any guesses?”

She shook her head in response to Yan’s question.

“I have no idea. I just hope the baby’s healthy.”

Really, that’s all I wished for the baby in my belly.

“I hope the baby looks a lot like Rienn.”

Dian seemed to have one more thing to say. He shyly smiled and gently placed his hand on her belly.

They had a leisurely meal and returned to the mansion.

“Rienn, be careful.”

“Yeah.”

She held Dian’s hand tightly as she got off the carriage. She felt indigestion, whether from overeating or her pregnancy.

“Yan! Let’s go to the training ground, how about some training?”

“Sounds good.”

“…Rienn, aren’t you tired?”

“Not at all. I feel like I need to move my body a bit since I’m so full.”

“Why don’t we take a walk in the garden?”

There was a sense of urgency in Dian’s voice. He was really hesitant for her to go to the training ground safely. As her belly grew fuller, his reluctance deepened, almost to the point of fear. But since Yan was here…

“I want to train. Let’s go, Dian.”

She linked arms with him.

“Okay.”

He walked with a worried expression on his face.

After pregnancy, her real sword was carefully stored away, and she used a blunt sword for practice. Dian did the same when sparring with her, and he handed a spare blunt sword to Yan.

“Reminds me of when we were kids.”

Yan said casually as he swung the sword.

“It’s exactly that.”

When they were young, it was the sword they used to avoid the risk of injury during their beginner days. With Yan joining them now, it reminded her even more of those times when it was the three of them. That’s exactly how they learned swordsmanship, the three of them together.

Dian had started a bit earlier, but after Yan and her had mastered the basics to some extent, the three of them practiced relentlessly, honing their skills. They would spar one-on-one, gang up two-on-one to attack or engage in intense three-way battles, each fighting individually.

First, she warmed up alone, practicing her stance. With her belly feeling heavy, her movements were definitely sluggish, and her body kept leaning forward. Without being too ambitious, she practiced the basic stance slowly.

“……Dian, aren’t you joining?”

From a short distance away, Dian stood tall, watching over her. Yan was training on the opposite side, but it almost seemed like Dian was standing between Yan and her, shielding her. As if Yan was some kind of dangerous character…

“I’m fine. I just want to watch you.”

“Is that so?”

Witness my solid foundation.

Feeling Dian’s intense gaze, she wielded the sword. To prevent any shaking of her belly, she held it with her left hand while dynamically moving her right arm. With each movement, she could feel Dian’s surprise as he reached out or held his breath. She felt like some kind of accident waiting to happen.

“…Herta said moderate exercise is good.”

“Yeah, but she also said not to overdo it.”

“I’m not overdoing it! I won’t do anything risky for the baby.”

“I’m worried about you, Rienn.”

Dian pleaded earnestly, while Yan approached with a calm expression.

“Is it sparring time?”

“Let’s start with just the two of us.”

Dian quickly stepped in front of Yan, blocking his path.

“Huh? What about me?”

“Why don’t you take a break? I’d like to have a little duel with Yan for old times’ sake.”

Hmm

For some reason, Dian’s thoughts seemed transparent, but since they had plenty of time, she obediently stepped aside. She sat on a nearby chair, planning to watch the two of them spar.