“The puppy is… cute too. You said its name is Paul?”

“Yes. Mother adored him very much. She raised him from when he was a pup. Although I only saw him when he was old.”

“Seeing him consistently in the portraits, she must have really loved him.”

The portraits without the dog that was always at her feet or on her lap even looked lonely.

“But he didn’t completely disappear. Look.”

“……”

Eugen smiled and pointed to Violetta’s hand. On her slender finger hung an open locket necklace, and inside was the face of the pet dog she had seen so far.

“Oh my.”

At that tiny discovery, a full smile spread across Celia’s face as well.

“There’s another one.”

In another portrait, a small frame on the table showed a painting of a dog with large drooping ears and its tongue sticking out. Celia laughed again. Then her eyes met Eugen’s.

“……”

The joy of discovering traces of the dog Violetta had raised here and there suddenly faded. Eugen tilted his head curiously at her abruptly cut-off laughter.

“What’s wrong?”

“……”

Celia hesitated, unable to answer readily. It was because she couldn’t sort out what words to say, neither in her head nor in her mouth.

The owner of the portrait she was looking at now was his biological mother and the former Duchess. It was a relationship that was very unsuitable for her, who had remarried his father, to look at so joyfully.

“I… I’ve seen the portraits well. I’m sorry for coming in carelessly.”

Suddenly realizing her position again, Celia was in a very subdued state.

“I told you to look, so what does it matter? They’re just paintings.”

Eugen seemed to hold a deep longing for his mother. While he didn’t seem particularly affectionate towards his own father who had died recently, his wistfulness for his mother who died 10 years ago seemed greater.

“I-I’ll go out.”

Celia mumbled with a flustered face. Somehow, it felt like she had stepped into a place she shouldn’t have entered. Even if he had given her the keys, she shouldn’t have come in with such an excited heart. She had been too ignorant of her place.

“Why.”

He hugged her from behind, finding her sudden hurry strange. She could clearly feel his firm, muscular chest against her back. Although clothes were covering them, it was difficult to ignore that contact.

“Please let go……”

Despite her faint mumbling, Eugen didn’t loosen his arms around her. Instead, he interlocked his fingers and tightened his grip even more.

“Don’t you want to be in one of those portraits?”

“……”

She couldn’t bring herself to say yes or no. Celia found it difficult to find the source of this strange emotion.
What is it that she wants? Does she want to become a member of the Hilbert family and have her portrait preserved, or…

Celia turned her head to face Eugen. His blue eyes, keenly observing her, were shining with pleasure.

“If you just have a child, that’s what will happen.”

“……”

Her heart grew even heavier at those words. Somehow, those words no longer sounded like salvation. Rather, it felt like she was wrapped in heavy chains of punishment.

“Let’s go out now……”

Although Celia requested again, he merely buried his face deep in her hair.

“Lord Eugen……”

Celia felt endlessly guilty for being so close to him in front of Violetta’s portrait.

She had clung to her son while married to her husband. Although Eugen had pushed her, saying she needed to have Hilbert’s child, it was she who had accepted it after all.

“Let go, let’s go to the bedroom……”

Eugen looked at Celia curiously, as she was resisting unlike her usual self.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s, it’s……”

Celia bit her lip, unable to speak. She couldn’t tell him. She just couldn’t. What she had been thinking while looking at Violetta’s portrait.

“Just a little longer.”

Eugen murmured, seemingly enjoying Celia’s body scent, unaware of what she was thinking. Although she didn’t dislike his close contact, she disliked it here. At least not here…

“Let go!”

Celia shouted strongly and shook off his touch.

“Ah……”

Celia looked at him with a terrified face as she discovered the long scratch on Eugen’s face.

For a moment, the sky spun. As she staggered from the sudden dizziness, Eugen embraced her and supported her.

“Why so suddenly.”

“……”

Celia couldn’t say anything. It was just that, but some certainty arose in her mind. Even though it was what she had been hoping for all along, somehow she didn’t feel like it. While she was hesitating whether to speak or not, Eugen, noticing something strange, spoke first.

“Let’s call the doctor.”

His voice sounded as if it was coming from far away. In the midst of severe dizziness that came all at once, Celia’s body floated up as she closed and opened her eyes.

When she raised her head, Eugen was looking down at her while holding her up. Even in the midst of severe dizziness, she could clearly feel that he was looking at her with worried eyes.

That can’t be.

He has no reason to worry about her. If he’s worried, then it’s probably…

Perhaps because of the ‘Hilbert’s seed’ that might be in my body.

“Close your eyes. It’ll make you dizzier if you keep them open.”

Eugen, who had her rest her head on his chest, quickly left the portrait room.

The doctor arrived two hours later. After examining this and that, the doctor smiled brightly and said.

“Congratulations. You’re pregnant.”

8. The Truth

“The flowers are really pretty.”

Mrs. Letten said, looking at the newly arranged flowers in the vase.

“They are.”

Celia smiled, looking at the flowers that were newly arranged every day.

Since she had conceived, not once had the same flowers been arranged in that vase on consecutively. The next day, they would be replaced with new flowers without her even knowing.

The flowers consumed for just one day of luxury were an extravagance on a different level.

The flowers arranged in the vase were all grown and supplied from greenhouses, since it wasn’t the season for flowers to bloom. Only the largest and most beautifully colored ones from the greenhouse, cut when they were fresh and full of moisture, could occupy that place.

However, after witnessing the beauty permitted for just one day, an inevitable feeling of emptiness would wash over her. It felt even more so because it seemed like her own situation.

She had conceived the child she had longed for so much, but why.

“……”

Celia placed her hand on her still flat belly.

“What’s wrong? Is there something uncomfortable……”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Celia bit her lip in anxiety. Judging by the timing of conception, the date roughly matched the day Eugen first embraced her. However, before that, she recalled the memory from the masquerade ball.

Is this child really Hilbert’s?

Is it really the child Eugen conceived?

Even if her memories of the masquerade night were all dreams or illusions, the marks clearly left on her body were telling her otherwise. At the time when she was embraced by Eugen, she thought it didn’t matter who impregnated her as long as she got pregnant. But now…

‘It has to be Eugen’s child.’

This clearly established thought grew bigger with each passing day.

There was one more reason for her anxiety.

“Is Lord Eugen… busy?”

“Of course. The duties of a Duke are no ordinary matter. Others might envy it, but……”

Watching Mrs. Letten hurriedly continue speaking, Celia was engulfed in even more anxiety.

She hadn’t seen him at all since she became pregnant. The absence of the man who had embraced her almost every day strangely scratched at the depths of her heart.

Even though it was natural for him not to come.

Now there was no reason for him to visit her. It was natural since she had given birth to a nominal heir, his sibling. But, still. She couldn’t accept it that way.

“Is he… doing well?”

She asked, unable to hold back any longer, and Mrs. Letten made a troubled expression.

“Of course. He even said to do our best for the lady’s health.”

She couldn’t bring herself to say that she wanted to hear it directly from him.

“It’s time for your nap.”

As Mrs. Letten approached and propped up her pillow, Celia leaned her body weakly.