While nearly dying from morning sickness, spending time with her son was nothing but a dream.

“Are you that happy to see Mom eating?”

“Yes!”

Vincent smiled brightly as he gently stroked his mother’s belly.

The belly, now noticeably rounder than before, sometimes felt like it was thumping when Vincent touched it.

However, in contrast to the cheerful mother-son conversation, a bleakly subdued male voice was heard.

“…Don’t you worry about your Dad at all?”

“Ah.”

Vincent glanced toward the corner of the room with slightly guilty eyes.

As soon as Misha’s condition improved, naturally, Chatrud’s condition plummeted to rock bottom.

His face was much paler than usual, and his energy was completely drained.

On top of that, his stomach churned violently as if he were on a boat rowed by a dog-like boatman.

Carbonated water and shortbread still appeared on the grand ducal family’s table, but…….

Chatrud, already sick of just looking at them, sometimes chose to simply go hungry.

Vincent, though apologetic, responded firmly.

“Dad is… bigger and stronger than Mom.”

“……”

“So hang in there.”

Chatrud closed his eyes and exhaled a resentful breath.

How could someone be so adorable yet so vexing at the same time?

But at the sound of Chatrud’s sigh, Misha hurriedly approached him, cradling her belly.

Though she was happy to escape the terrible hell, she wasn’t pleased about transferring that suffering to someone else.

“Honey, are you alright?”

“Mmm……”

Chatrud pressed his dizzy forehead as he responded.

It was difficult to answer immediately as he tried to suppress the nausea that had nothing to do with his actual physical condition.

If he said ‘I’m fine,’ it would be a lie, but if he answered ‘I’m not fine’?

‘That would only worry Misha.’

In the end, he chose to tell a truth that wasn’t factual.

“It’s like the old battlefield.”

It was exactly like when he was constantly on the battlefield as the “Lion of Hundred Victories.”

Meaning it was absolutely f*cking terrible.

But his wife had been embracing this f*cking terrible war inside her body for months.

Misha caressed his cheek with a guilty expression.

Chatrud silently stroked her wrist.

Touching the wrist that showed fewer protruding bones, he muttered incoherently.

“I’m glad.”

The wrist that had been reduced to bone was finally returning to its pre-pregnancy state.

If he had known recovery would be this quick, he would have thought of Shushu earlier.

‘Since there’s no ability that can completely eliminate pain, we have to put out the urgent fire this way……’

However, the ability user who transferred pain did ask him briefly.

‘Couldn’t we… transfer it to a servant instead……?’

It was a question about whether it would be better to transfer it to a subordinate rather than having the Grand Duke suffer discomfort.

Of course, with a generous reward, there would be more than enough subordinates willing to substitute for Chatrud.

But everything about his wife was his.

So even if it was “pain,” he couldn’t give it to another man.

Especially if it was caused by the child they had together.

Chatrud murmured as he listened to Misha’s belly.

“This one better be really good when it’s born……”

“I certainly hope so.”

“Otherwise I’ll have to cut it out of the inheritance.”

“…Honey, please.”

“I’m joking.”

He corrected himself, taking his disgusted wife’s hand.

‘Though I’m slightly serious right now.’

But with greater sincerity, he only wished for the child to be healthy.

And most importantly…….

“As long as you’re not the only one suffering anymore.”

That his wife could overcome this hardship without suffering.

And that someday, he too could escape from his persistent nightmare.

Forever from the nightmare of his loved ones dying in pools of blood.

***

Eventually, the moon became full, and the “sensitive young master” was born safely with everyone’s blessings.

After making the parents suffer with prolonged morning sickness, the baby must have shown mercy at the final moment.

“If it had made us suffer during delivery too, I would have punished this child twice when it grew up.”

Chatrud grumbled while holding the newborn baby.

But his expression was so gentle that no one thought he was seriously scolding the child.

And Misha had secretly hoped that ‘this child might resemble her a bit more’, but…….

A mother’s expectations couldn’t overcome the father’s genetics.

Misha realized from the moment she first saw her newborn daughter.

‘Vincent actually resembles me quite a lot in comparison!’

This daughter was identical to Chatrud from head to toe.

The brilliant blonde hair, the distinct features revealing a stubborn personality, even the sparkling red eyes—all of it.

Misha had never imagined a baby could exist who would suit a magnificent ruby-colored cloak.

Yet that was her daughter Helena…….

It wasn’t just suitable—it was as if such brilliant colors existed solely for the baby.

By the time Helena turned six, the couple realized once again.

That their son had been remarkably mature for his age.

Their daughter brimmed with energy as if she carried flames inside her, and her attention bounced ceaselessly here and there.

“Mommyyy!”

“Helena?”

On a day when warm sunlight streamed in, the Grand Duchess’s door flew open.

Misha was about to step outside when she turned toward the small intruder.

Her daughter Helena rushed into Misha’s arms, her curly blonde hair fluttering.

In her small hands were a fancy pink ribbon and a brush.

“Mommy, brush my hair!”

“What about having Lena brush it for you?”

“No! You have to do it!”

Lena, who had hurriedly followed, looked distressed, but Helena had already proudly settled in Misha’s vanity chair.

Then she closed her eyes and haughtily lifted her chin.

“Mother, please do the princess hairstyle!”

Helena insisted on calling the hairstyle where both sides were braided and tied with a ribbon at the back of the head the “princess hairstyle.”

Misha finally let out a soft laugh at her daughter’s imperious manner.

‘Yes, it’s silly to feel disappointed that she doesn’t resemble me.’

How could she when her daughter was this precious and adorable?

Soon, only the soft sound of brushing and the child’s excited leg-swinging filled the room.

But Helena, who had been glancing at her mother through the mirror, suddenly grumbled.

“Hmph, I wish I had black hair too.”

“Why? Helena’s hair is such pretty blonde.”

“But black hair would suit my eyes better.”

“……”

As Misha brushed Helena’s hair, she thought for the hundredth time.

‘She takes after her father so much that even her manner of speaking is this haughty.’

Genetics truly are not mysterious.

But Helena’s dejected tone that followed made Misha’s heart twinge.

“If I took after Mom, I would have black hair……”

“Helena.”

“Only brother looks like Mom.”

Hearing the clearly regretful mumbling, Misha couldn’t help but smile faintly.

Seeing that her daughter also regretted not resembling her, the disappointment in her heart felt somewhat compensated.

“Your father would be sad to hear that.”

“Hmph, but still— Oh! Mom!”

Helena, who had been pouting and grumbling, pointed outside the window.

It was bustling with servants unloading luggage from carriages.

“Hehe, Dad and brother are back!”

“Let’s go down then, Helena.”

“Yes!”

It was the day Chatrud was returning from the capital with Vincent.

Helena had been asking “When are Dad and brother coming back?” every day, waiting eagerly.

And just then, Chatrud and Vincent were getting out of the carriage.

“Daddyyy!”

“Don’t run, you’ll fall.”

However, befitting a child of the Saverhagen family, Helena paid no attention to her father’s warning.

Instead, she bravely jumped into Chatrud’s arms.

“Welcome back!”

“Yes. Did you listen to your mother and stay out of trouble?”

“Yesss!”

“How do you lie without even wetting your lips?”

Chatrud let out a wistful chuckle as he lifted his daughter.

Just then, Helena’s eyes sparkled at the red gift boxes the servants were carrying.

She had caught a glimpse of a toy store’s name written on the wrapping paper.

“Dad, Dad! Are those all presents for me?”

“Who else would they be for?”

“Kyaaaa!”

Helena expressed her joy by pounding Chatrud’s shoulders with both fists.

Then she bestowed upon her father what she considered the highest praise.

“When I grow up, I want to marry Dad!”

“Sorry. Dad belongs to your mom.”

“Then someone like Dad!”

“That’s not allowed either.”

Chatrud promptly responded to his daughter’s babbling.

Looking back now, it was incredibly fortunate that his wealth, power, and appearance were exceptionally outstanding.

Otherwise, he would have been a target for elimination by the united fathers of daughters.

But Helena, whose praise had been flatly rejected, mumbled dejectedly.

“Hmph……”

“Helena, come play with brother. Come down here.”

Unable to bear the sight, Vincent extended his hand.

While doing so, he didn’t forget to glare at his father who was pretending not to notice.

An adult who couldn’t even properly humor his little sister’s innocent babbling.

‘I must never grow up to be like that.’

Fortunately, Helena’s expression immediately changed at Vincent’s offer to play.

While she giggled and clung to Vincent, Misha slowly walked toward her husband.

But instead of welcoming him with a smile, she folded her arms and glared at him.

“I see you were well aware of what a failing grade you were before marriage?”

She had heard everything her daughter and Chatrud just said.

Chatrud awkwardly cleared his throat at his wife’s questioning.

“Ahem.”

“If you discourage our daughter like that, what does that make me for marrying you?”

“That’s why I love you with endless gratitude.”

Chatrud clung to Misha like a snake and kissed her.

At this scene that was a bit too intimate to be called a greeting, the servants hurriedly bowed their heads and quickened their steps.

But the couple was already deeply immersed in their own world.

After subtly running his tongue over his wife’s lower lip, Chatrud slightly raised his eyebrow.

“Hmm? Won’t you forgive me even now?”

“…You’re infuriatingly clever.”

“That feeling might disappear a little when you see my gift?”

“Haah……”

Though her affection wouldn’t change even without gifts, Misha chose to just sigh.

But she intertwined her fingers with Chatrud’s outstretched hand and turned toward the mansion together.

She was too happy to see her husband to scold him, and it was such a brilliantly sunny day.

It was a perfect day without a single shadow of darkness.