“Wife?”
Elliope felt a sharp dizziness and slipped from Kallian’s embrace. For a moment, her vision flickered white.
The dizziness that had plagued her so often lately had returned.
‘This is bad.’
Was she really that tense?
She let out a deep sigh.
“Was I really that tense?”
She closed her eyes tightly before opening them again, trying to regain her composure.
“…Kallian?”
Opening her eyes, she saw that the entire area was covered in silence and ash – almost as if a silent apocalypse had taken place. Her eyes widened in shock.
From the front, a blue flame began to ignite, step by step, as if to light the way.
“What is this…?”
She touched the flame with her bare hand, but it wasn’t hot or painful.
At that moment, a certain person suddenly came to mind.
Being suddenly transported to an unfamiliar place should have been shocking and confusing, but strangely she didn’t feel uncomfortable.
It was just like when Kallian had left for the battlefield, assuring her that he would surely return…
Instead, her heart remained calm, and the air around her was eerily still.
As Elliope walked forward, through the flames that surrounded her as if they were nothing, she noticed something curled up at the edge of the strongest flames.
Judging by the massive shadow cast by the flickering fire, it appeared to be a large wolf or something of similar size.
But as it moved forward, as if drawn in, through the flames and into the interior –
“Ah.”
There, lying quietly asleep, was a small, beautiful creature that looked exactly like the stuffed puppy she cherished.
‘A dog? Or a wolf?’
Just as Elliope unconsciously reached out for the creature…
A flash.
The creature’s eyes suddenly snapped open, and at the same moment she regained her senses.
“Elliope?”
“……”
It was only when she realised that she was still leaning against Kallian’s embrace that Elliope understood – what she had just seen, whether it was a dream or an illusion, was now over.
“Wife.”
As Elliope was about to collapse, Kallian caught her and held her tightly in his arms. He gazed at her intently, keeping his strong embrace around her.
In the midst of her confusion, their eyes met in a silent exchange.
‘The dream felt very long.’
But in reality it seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m f…”
Just as Elliope spoke, trying to straighten herself, she suddenly realised her mistake. Her fingertips twitched hesitantly.
As she slipped, Elliope unconsciously reached out to grab something – only to find that her hand had unfortunately landed on Kallian’s thigh.
And what she hadn’t expected… was exactly where her hand had touched.
As soon as her fingers made contact, she felt it grow heavier and harder. Then she suddenly realised – it had been a long time since they had been intimate.
With her frequent dizziness and bouts of weakness, Kallian had deliberately kept a low profile, avoiding such interactions.
From the beginning, whenever she was injured or unwell, Kallian had always refrained from approaching her in that way.
“……”
Despite the heat and hardness beneath his clothes, Kallian’s expression remained calm, showing no signs of distress.
Unlike before, when even the slightest touch from Elliope would cause him to lose control, he now seemed more focused on her condition, aware that she was not yet completely well.
‘It is reassuring to see him so restrained…’
But at the same time, she couldn’t help but wonder – was he really all right?
Looking back, when Kallian had just returned, they had been consumed by passion several times a day, almost like wild animals unable to restrain themselves. But now it had been weeks since he had lived with such restraint.
“It’s not as if there was no physical contact at all.”
“Come here, my wife.”
“Is it more comfortable for you to lie like this?”
“Let me help you wash.”
His actions were limited to gently hugging her from behind as she lay down to ease her dizziness, or gently washing her hair as she soaked in the bath.
In the past, it certainly wouldn’t have stopped there.
It was clear from the look in his eyes that his passion hadn’t waned at all.
As Kallian gently ran his fingers through Elliope’s hair, his gaze remained filled with warmth, occasionally drifting to her pale, n*ked body submerged in the water.
Even though a thick layer of bubbles covered the surface, hiding her body from view, Elliope couldn’t shake the feeling that she was completely exposed in front of him. Her pale shoulders flushed with warmth.
Each time this happened, Kallian gently stroked her shoulders and neck. His hand, bearing the scars of an old burn, left a lingering warmth on her skin before slowly withdrawing.
Elliope couldn’t help but shiver every time the slightly warmed water, trapped between Kallian’s fingers and her skin, trickled down to her br*ast.
It felt as if at any moment Kallian might return to his usual fervour – clutching her br*ast tightly and exploring beneath her without hesitation, just as he had done before.
But it almost never happened again.
Even after her bath, when he carefully dried her with a thick towel and gently stroked her hair, Kallian remained calm. The most he did was to kiss her hair and wrap his arms around her waist, but that was all.
‘It seems like he wants it…’
‘Could it be that he’s holding back too much? Maybe he’s already worried?’
As Elliope looked at Kallian, his lips brushed gently against her cheek.
“My dear, it will soon be time for us to leave.”
“I see.”
Normally he would have told the knights to delay, but now he simply helped Elliope to her feet.
When Elliope’s lips parted slightly, Kallian leaned down again and, after kissing her cheek, pressed his lips gently to her forehead.
“I’ll go and catch up with you soon.”
“……”
“I have some things to do.”
“Help.”
Elliope said the word unconsciously, then asked cautiously, a little surprised, as if she had made up her mind.
“You don’t need help, do you…?”
Kallian’s brow furrowed slightly. Then, as if he could no longer hold back, he gently pulled Elliope into his arms.
“It doesn’t seem to end with simple help.”
“……”
“For now, just focus on getting better.”
As he said this, Kallian, who still seemed to have some lingering hesitation, planted a long kiss on her neck.
“That way you’ll be able to help me.”
Elliope’s eyes never left Kallian’s lips as he spoke. There was something almost seductive about them.
The same lips that had passionately explored her mouth and sometimes roughly kissed and nibbled at her body now held only a calm smile.
From Elliope’s perspective, knowing how fierce those lips could be as they descended upon her body, it felt…
‘Ah.’
Elliope felt the growing heat between her legs and thought, “…maybe it’s me who wants this.
As soon as she realised this, heat rose to her face without her even noticing. If she honestly expressed what she was thinking, Kallian would surely be happy, but somehow it felt too embarrassing.
Besides, she seemed to be moving towards him without thinking about other people’s eyes – it was her body that drove her, not him.
Pressing her heated cheeks together, Elliope made her way to the carriage.
***
“Ugh.”
“My lady, are you really alright?”
As they approached the capital, where the Imperial Palace was located, Elliope’s dizziness worsened. When the massive structure of the palace came into view, they had to stop the carriage again.
Emma, the maid who had accompanied them out of concern, looked at Elliope with sympathy.
Kallian had gone to fetch a doctor. Elliope had urged him not to, saying it wasn’t necessary, but he insisted on calling one.
“Is your motion sickness still bad?”
“It’s a bit better now.”
“Maybe it’s because we’ve been in the carriage for so long.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Emma, watching Elliope’s reaction carefully, whispered softly.
“Maybe you’re just nervous because it’s been a while since you’ve been here.”
“…….”
At those words, Elliope turned her gaze back to the towering walls of the Imperial Palace.
Before she left for the North, this place had been like a home to her all her life, but now, from this distance, it looked more like a luxurious prison. The sharp white walls seemed almost obsessive, and the tall tower seemed as rigid and irritable as an old man.
When she had left this place for the last time, she had seemed to carry both fear and hope. On the one hand, the thought of never returning to this place had felt incredibly heartbreaking.
But now that faint emotion had vanished completely. Elliope smiled bitterly.
‘Then why do I still feel dizzy?’
Had she not yet escaped the shadow of the royal family?
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. Even after all these victories, the Emperor’s attempt to control both her and Kallian was uncomfortable and irritating.
She did not want to make the Emperor uncomfortable, so she had deliberately left the question of succession unanswered. She calculated that if she had what the Emperor wanted, the restoration of Elsen could be achieved more quickly.
As it turned out, it worked, and the Emperor was desperately angry.
As she left this place for the last time, it was as if she was filled with both fear and hope. On the one hand, the thought of never returning to this place seemed to break her heart.
But now that distant feeling had vanished completely. Elliope smiled bitterly.
‘Then why do I still feel dizzy?’
Even though she had come this far, she wanted to laugh at the Emperor’s dishevelled state, but at the same time she wished she could just ignore his face and head back north.
“My lady.”
At that moment, Elliope let out a long sigh and leaned back against the seat of the carriage.
The carriage door opened carefully and Kallian climbed in. An older man followed him into the carriage. He was probably the doctor Kallian had brought with him.
“Is this the patient?”
The old man showed great respect, as if he already knew who they were.
When the old man looked at Kallian and Elliope, there was a sense of expectation in his eyes, and in that moment Elliope realised how the people of the Empire viewed the couple.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
The doctor asked Elliope a few questions and examined her body.
After the doctor closed his medical bag, Kallian asked.
“Is there a problem?”
“Well…”
The doctor tilted his head, a slightly ambiguous and puzzling expression on his face.
“Your Highness, or rather Princess… could it be…”
Then a voice interrupted.
“Your Highness.”
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penthesulia
I’m convinced Elliope is pregnant and Kallion knows, or at least suspects – in these novels they always emphasize that early pregnancy is a delicate time, which it really isn’t, which is why he’s holding back. In a normal pregnancy s*x is considered completely safe, including toys etc, yes even during the first trimester, yes even at the end of pregnancy. This myth is almost as annoying as the every woman bleeds the first time or it always hurts the first time – neither of which is true.
It’s SO ANNOYING.