It took a little longer for Louise to wake from that nightmare.

She wanted to stop having nightmares. This was an even more cruel nightmare than the one about the day she gifted Rondimio his freedom.

She vividly remembered even the scene where Hiems came back into the cell and whipped Rondimio when the young Louise, locked in the cell, finally refused to whip the wounded boy.

A tear fell.

She didn’t want to have nightmares anymore. Every time she had this nightmare in Rondimio’s arms, she wanted to die because there was no way to apologize to Rondimio.

“Huu……”

“It’s okay, Louise. Everything’s okay, alright?”

Concerned about Louise’s restlessness in her sleep, Rondimio was already awake.

As Louise roughly rubbed her tear-filled eyes, Rondimio gently grabbed her wrist, lowered it, and wiped her tears with the soft sleeve of his nightgown.

Louise herself had merely shed tears, startled by Rondimio’s painful appearance, but at that time, Rondimio had suffered harsh abuse from her father.

Could she continue to cry in his arms every time? She felt sick, as if she was doing something even worse to Rondimio.

Did he understand how she felt? As always, Rondimio held Louise warmly in his arms and comforted her gently.

Rondimio, is it really enough for you to just have me?

If so, could I pay for the remaining sins of my deceased parents? It would be nice if you would spare my other family members.

“Did you dream again of your parents abusing me?”

“Ron, Rondimio……”

Rondimio bent down to meet the eyes of the tearful Louise.

This wasn’t the first or second time this had happened. She had nothing more to say because Rondimio had already discovered what kind of nightmares she was having.

Ironically, Rondimio himself, the actual victim, didn’t have nightmares about the past.

“I’m sorry…… I’m really sorry, Your Majesty. I’ll apologize like this. I’m sorry.”

Louise knelt before Rondimio as she always did.

Such actions couldn’t erase what Rondimio had experienced in the past, and Rondimio didn’t want Louise to behave this way.

“It’s okay. I killed all those damn parents of yours. Louise, you did nothing wrong.”

Because Rondimio had killed the former emperor and empress as cruelly as he had been severely abused in the past.

Among the direct members of the imperial family of Araceli, there was no one except Louise who hadn’t abused Rondimio, who was imprisoned in the underground dungeon of the imperial palace.

The former emperor, Hiems, abused Rondimio the most, followed by the former empress, Lepida. And Louise’s brothers occasionally abused Rondimio when they were young.

Rondimio, I know that my family members are enemies you want to kill, but to me, they’re just my beloved family…..

Louise closed her eyes again.

“It’s late, Your Majesty. Didn’t you say there was a grand imperial council this afternoon? You should get ready so you’re not late.”

When Rondimio wouldn’t release her from his arms for a long time, Louise placed her hand under his eyes that looked straight at her.

At the same time, his long eyelashes, which stood sharply over his chillingly cold red eyes, trembled and folded beautifully.

In fact, she might have been captivated by Rondimio’s beautiful appearance for a long time. If Rondimio had deliberately enchanted her, there was no way she wouldn’t have fallen for it.

“No. There is a grand council, but nothing is more important than you, Louise. I hear you skip meals every time I’m not around. Today I’ll feed you myself.”

“I can eat well even without Your Majesty. So… please go to the grand council. The nobles of Araceli will be looking forward to meeting Your Majesty today.”

“Louise, how many times must I tell you that nothing is more important than you?”

Rondimio didn’t seem willing to listen to her. Then he picked her up and headed for the dressing room.

Surprised, Louise just kicked her feet for a moment, but soon, remembering the child in her womb, she gently bit the soft flesh inside her lip.

For the past few days, Louise hadn’t been able to eat properly because she felt unwell. Whenever she tried to chew and swallow something, she would end up spitting it out because it disgusted her.

Until a few days ago, she didn’t know the cause, but now she did. It was morning sickness due to the child in her womb.

She didn’t want to reveal her pregnancy to Rondimio. Especially not if it was forcibly revealed rather than her telling him directly.

She knew that unless she terminated the pregnancy immediately, it was only a matter of time before Rondimio noticed her pregnancy.

Nevertheless, why did she want to delay telling him this happy news for as long as possible?

Louise couldn’t say anything and could only move according to Rondimio’s touch, like a lovely doll.

“My lovely Louise. You’re always beautiful. Do you know how much I love you?”

He removed the negligee that wrapped Louise’s body and personally dressed her in a dress with the same design as the imperial uniform he was wearing.

Even after successfully rebelling and becoming emperor, Rondimio enjoyed personally attending to Louise. Including dressing her in clothes with the same design as his own every time.

Louise took Rondimio’s hand and walked to the dining room where a sumptuous breakfast would be prepared.

“Why aren’t you eating? Are you still feeling very unwell?”

“Mmm……”

Rondimio asked Louise, who was covering her mouth instead of eating since entering the dining room.

Louise couldn’t say anything, just like last night, and only looked at Rondimio. At this rate, she would have to reveal her pregnancy before even a full day had passed.

If she didn’t want to tell Rondimio about her pregnancy yet, she should eat well like before, but Louise simply couldn’t swallow any food.

“Ugh…! I don’t feel well…… I need to rest a bit more.”

Rondimio, who had been closely observing Louise’s every move, suddenly lifted the corners of his mouth.

He patted Louise’s back as she vomited after taking just one bite of food, gradually ensnaring her.

“Instead of doing that repeatedly, why don’t we see the imperial physician together?”

As if he already knew that Louise was pregnant.

Louise moved her lips hesitantly, considering. If it was going to be revealed anyway, it was better to reveal it first.

Her physical condition was changing day by day, making it impossible to hide her pregnancy. If she intended to have the child rather than terminate it, she shouldn’t do anything harmful to the baby.

“I have something to tell Your Majesty.”

Even if she told Rondimio that she was carrying his child, it wouldn’t undo her resolve to no longer love him.

Even if we have a child between us, I can still not love you.

“…The truth is, I’m carrying Your Majesty’s child.”

Louise revealed the truth to Rondimio in a pathetically trembling voice.

The reason she had rejected Rondimio last night, the reason she had been unable to eat properly and had only been vomiting for some time, was because she was carrying his child.

“Ha…… Why didn’t you tell me this joyous news?”

Upon hearing Louise’s confession, Rondimio was instantly overcome with what might have been emotion or joy, and he preciously embraced the trembling Louise in his arms before letting go.

Louise truly didn’t know what to do now and could only tightly grip the hem of her perfectly fine dress, creating wrinkles.

Rondimio, I knew you would be this happy. You were the one who wanted me to be pregnant more than anyone else.

If I were to have your child, did you deliberately do this knowing it would be harder for me to escape from you?

Louise slightly covered her lower abdomen, which was the focus of Rondimio’s gaze.

Upon hearing of the pregnancy, Rondimio seemed to have forgotten that he was the emperor, as he knelt in the dining room where a splendid breakfast was laid out and looked up at Louise.

“You’ve been looking unwell for the past few days, so that’s why. I wish I had known sooner that our child had finally settled in you, Louise. I regret finding out so late.”

While Rondimio placed his hand on Louise’s lower abdomen and even rubbed his cheek against it, Louise covered her mouth again as nausea rose once more.

“Ugh……”

The cause was the imperial palace’s chief chef, who certainly didn’t know how severe Louise’s morning sickness was, opening the dining room door and bringing in new food.

Seeing tears form in Louise’s eyes as she tried to hold back the rising nausea, Rondimio immediately stood up and drew the long sword tucked at his waist.

“How dare you present such worthless food to the empress.”

“Your Majesty…! It’s because I’m pregnant that I feel unwell. The imperial physician said it’s morning sickness in early pregnancy… From now on, I’ll just have simple meals in the bedroom.”

He was venting his anger because of me. Because he was angry that I knew about the pregnancy but didn’t tell him right away.

The imperial palace’s chief chef, who hadn’t taken more than a few steps into the dining room and had the sharp sword brush against his throat, trembled and fled while Louise was speaking to Rondimio.

Unlike when he drew his sword against the innocent imperial palace chef, Rondimio’s gaze as he turned to look at Louise sitting at the table with the lavish meal was only warm.

I… hate that you’re only kind to me.

If only we had never met, we wouldn’t have loved and hated each other like this.

After enduring Rondimio’s warm gaze for a long time, Louise gently bit the soft flesh inside her mouth.

Crunch. When Louise finally tasted the tangy blood on the tip of her tongue after biting the soft flesh inside her mouth, Rondimio broke the silence and spoke first.

Fortunately, Rondimio didn’t question why Louise hadn’t immediately revealed her pregnancy.

“Yes. They say pregnant women experience morning sickness.”