Side Story 1

The pouring sunlight and the lazily stretching body felt good.

As I approached full term, everything became bothersome. I didn’t want to move, and even eating was a chore.

Just lying under the pouring sunlight and dozing off was the happiest thing.

Sometimes, when my arms and legs would go numb and my back would hurt, I often felt that lying down was happiness.

The bed swayed once.

The familiar scent felt on my back made my relaxed body thump once.

As if announcing that a welcome person had arrived.

“Serena.”

“……Mag…”

Even through her drowsy mind, Serena easily noticed that a welcome person had arrived, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

After it was confirmed that she was pregnant, Magnus was, to put it simply, extremely attentive.

Except for short 20-30 minute walks each day, he was wary of her even moving from the bed, so to speak.

There were more times when Serena was bewildered by his restless behavior.

If she said she wanted to eat something, it would definitely be on the dinner table that evening.

Even when she said she wanted to eat food from a foreign country, he managed to get it within a day.

Magnus’s subordinates must have had quite a hard time during her pregnancy.

When she had severe morning sickness, even Magnus himself had starved, so it was beyond just being attentive, it was slightly overprotective.

‘Maybe it’s more than just slightly.’

Thinking this, Serena quietly laughed as she felt the large hand stroking her hair.

“How are you feeling today?”

“Feeling? Always good. It’s just that lately, always lying down is a bit…”

“What’s wrong with lying down?”

Magnus asked quite seriously.

It’s not like everyone in the world lives lying down, how resolute.

“Just……”

As Serena’s words trailed off, Magnus slowly rolled his eyes.

“Tell me, Serena. What’s bothering you so much?”

At the somewhat serious voice, the corners of Serena’s mouth loosened slightly.

“Just……”

“Just?”

“I just feel like I’ve become too useless… Other people say they can still be active and manage household affairs well even when pregnant, but I’m just making excuses and lying down most of the time.”

As Serena’s words continued at length, Magnus’s eyes tensed slightly.

Since his wife became pregnant, he had read through all sorts of related books and even took private lessons from a physician.

‘Could it be a symptom of depression?’

It might just be his unnecessary thought, but perhaps it could be.

“It’s okay. It’s natural, and I don’t want you to work, that’s why I told you to rest.”

“That’s why I’m worried that I might become completely useless…”

“I’m the one who wishes you wouldn’t do any work at all. And you’re not useless.”

Magnus soothed Serena, gently patting her back.

When he heard Serena, who had been muttering gloomily, sigh, Magnus picked her up and pulled her into his arms.

Serena’s eyes widened slightly as she felt the warm comfort and familiar scent along with his breath.

Serena’s lips loosened slightly.

As always, Magnus’s warmth felt good.

His scent was slightly cool and refreshing… yet mixed with a somewhat heavy woody fragrance, was how to say… it always made her feel like she had entered a deep forest on a summer day.

“If you’re anxious, it’s okay to do something, but if it causes you any problems, I’ll just die.”

Serena’s eyes widened slightly at Magnus’s somewhat provocative words.

Serena laughed softly while hugging Magnus’s neck.

“I’m sorry, am I being a bother?”

“Not at all.”

Serena took a deep breath and burst into laughter.

“These days I just feel depressed, then a bit happy, then I don’t want to do anything, then I want to do something, my mood keeps swinging.”

“It’s natural, when carrying another life in this small body.”

“You really are a good husband.”

“And that husband, Serena, is yours.”

His arrogant attitude of not denying it was so like him that Serena laughed and nodded.

“Are there any fruits you want to eat?”

“No, you’ve turned the basement storage into an orchard. I’ve eaten plenty whenever I wanted.”

As Serena spoke, Magnus hesitated and then rubbed his nape.

Indeed, one basement storage was packed full of fruits gathered from various countries, so they had recently completed construction to expand another basement storage.

But it was good to stock up when they could.

There was nothing as troublesome as when she suddenly said she wanted to eat something in the middle of the night.

“There’s even different types of meat.”

“That’s always been there.”

Magnus added a quick word and made an excuse.

“Don’t you want to sleep a bit more?”

“You woke me up completely.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Hearing Serena’s small complaint, Magnus apologized quite seriously.

I can’t even take a joke.

“I’m kidding, just kidding.”

“Did you go for a walk today? I heard you haven’t gone for a walk for a few days.”

“Mmm… I didn’t feel like going out, so I didn’t… Today too…”

Serena, nestled in Magnus’s arms, spoke as if whining and rolled her eyes.

Until just now she didn’t want to go out, but now… going out didn’t seem so bad.

“Now that you’re here, I feel like going out together.”

“Then it would be good to go together.”

“Aren’t you busy?”

“I always have enough time for you.”

Magnus replied to Serena’s question as if it wasn’t even worth considering.

Serena, who was in Magnus’s arms, let out a small laugh, nodded, and then put her feet down on the floor.

“Then I’ll get ready and go out.”

“Shall I help you? Or should I call a maid?”

“Uh…”

At Magnus’s words, Serena who had stood up tilted her head.

Suddenly seeing her reflection in the full-length mirror with her protruding belly, made her mood sank a little.

She never thought she had an incredibly good or great figure before, but the bulging belly made her feel somewhat embarrassed.

“…I want to do it alone.”

“Why? What if you accidentally put yourself in danger? You’re in your last month.”

Magnus furrowed his brow and expressed his concern. Serena’s cheek twitched once at this.

“Can’t I just do it alone? Can’t a full-term pregnant woman do anything by herself?”

Serena frowned as if somewhat displeased and snapped back, causing Magnus to hesitate.

He couldn’t understand why the good mood from just a moment ago had plummeted.

“I’m sorry, was my tone off? I said it because I’m worried about you. It’s not that you can’t do anything, but you might lose your balance. I don’t want you to get seriously hurt.”

Magnus quickly added his reasoning. Serena’s slightly displeased expression softened a bit.

“……”

“Is there a reason you suddenly feel bad? Did I say something wrong?”

Magnus bent down to meet Serena’s eye level as he spoke.

Her neck flushed at his attitude of treating her like a child. She suddenly realized how unreasonable she was being.

“…No, it’s not your fault. It’s my problem.”

Magnus’s expression became subtle as he carefully observed Serena’s constantly changing face.

“Serena. Your problem is my problem. What’s wrong?”

“……”

When she tried to open her mouth to speak, she felt even more embarrassed.

She roughly rubbed her face with her hands, sighed, and shook her head.

“It’s nothing.”