Pregnancy for a Successor - Chapter 36

“Your complexion doesn’t look good. If there’s something I’ve missed……”

“That can’t be. Thanks to you, I’m resting comfortably.”

Celia touched her belly again. If she could just safely give birth to the child, then.

She would have to live as the wife of the deceased Andro for the rest of her life, but she could become a Duchess. If she could just give birth to a healthy child, she could obtain all wealth and glory.

She could become the Duchess of Hilbert. The guaranteed future, the wealth and glory within her grasp, unfolded before her eyes like a dream.

But her heart kept fluttering, and she was endlessly thirsty for something else.

Duchess of Hilbert, that once dream-like name, she no longer wanted it. At least not as Andro’s wife. She didn’t need to be a Duchess or anything. What she really wanted was…

“Please go to sleep now.”

As Mrs. Letten covered her with the blanket, Celia slowly closed her eyes. Since becoming pregnant, she had been drowsy and sleepy at all times, so falling asleep wasn’t difficult.

***

“The fetus is healthy. Please put your mind at ease and focus on prenatal care.”

Celia nodded at the doctor’s words.

“You seem a bit anxious. If there’s anything uncomfortable, please tell me anytime.”

“There’s nothing like that.”

Celia quickly shook her head. In fact, if there was anything uncomfortable, it was that Eugen wasn’t visiting her. That was the only thing.

“It’s just that this is my first time being pregnant, so I’m nervous.”

Celia gently touched her belly with her hand. Is what’s inside really Eugen’s child? There was no way to resolve the doubt that had persisted since that day. It had been several days since she started experiencing chest tightness whenever she thought about it.

“Please put your mind at ease. How about going for a walk?”

Celia shook her head at Mrs. Letten’s suggestion, who was looking at her with a worried face.

“I’m fine.”

On sleepless nights, Celia caressed the baby socks she had knitted. Everything was now perfect. She had conceived a child of the Hilbert family as she wanted, and the succession was secured. Yet why was her heart so heavy?

Celia sat up. Lying down with this heavy heart only made her feel like her insides were turning.

“Then, although it might be early, how about decorating the baby’s room?”

“The baby’s room…?”

Celia looked at her, her interest piqued for the first time in a while.

“Yes, we have the supplies, so it won’t be difficult to decorate. I think doing those things will help calm your mind too.”

As Celia nodded, Mrs. Letten immediately ordered cleaning.

Considering Celia’s wish to be with the baby as much as possible, they decided to clear out the dressing room and expand the space.

Accordingly, cleaning was in full swing inside. Celia realized that the dress the maid was holding while cleaning the wardrobe looked somewhat familiar.

“……”

Celia narrowed her eyes as she looked at the dress.

It was the dress she had worn on the night of the masquerade ball. As the maid shook out the dress, something rolled out from between the intricately folded creases.

“Oh my, what could this be?”

The maid who was dusting the clothes picked up what had fallen on the floor. She brought the small, golden shiny object to Celia, who examined it closely.

What the maid brought was a decorative button made of gold. Although small in size, the intricate pattern engraved on it was something that couldn’t be easily made without considerable effort.

Celia moved towards the bright sunlight to see the pattern more clearly. Only then could she confirm with her own eyes the embossed pattern.

Intricately intertwined rose vines and diamonds.

It was the symbol of the Hilbert family.

“……”

Celia, who was examining it under the clear sunlight, was so startled she almost threw it away.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Celia quickly shook her head. She didn’t forget to hide the hand holding the button behind her back.

The sound of her pounding heart was abnormally loud. She had seen something like this before. It was on Eugen’s sleeve.

Something like a gold button engraved with the family crest wasn’t easily obtainable. Because it bore the family’s symbol, it far exceeded mere monetary value or decorative significance.

“How on earth……”

How could this be attached to that dress? Just as Celia was tightly gripping the button, feeling a chill down her spine, Mrs. Letten hurriedly entered.

“Lord Eugen has sent a message asking you to come to his office.”

“For… what reason.”

“It seems you’ll have to go to find out. He looked quite urgent.”

“…I see.”

Celia muttered absentmindedly.

“I have something to ask too.”

She gripped the button in her hand so tightly that it dug into her palm.

***

“I requested to see you because I have a few things I’d like to ask. Will you answer my questions?”

“…Of course.”

Celia nodded with a tense face. Seeing his utterly businesslike and rigid face, Celia felt a corner of her heart ache without knowing why.

Come to think of it, there was no reason for him to treat her kindly. All those things that happened at night were nothing more than a mirage on sand.

That person was capable of being like that. With a dejected heart, Celia’s expression darkened rapidly. While she was trying to compose herself by tightly gripping the button she had brought, it happened.

“Before that, I have something I want to ask too.”

“What is it?”

At Eugen’s question, Celia swallowed dryly and then showed him the button on her palm.

“It’s about this.”

“It’s my button… I see.”

Eugen looked closely at the button and answered.

“I think I lost it some time ago, where did you find……”

Before he could take what was on her palm, Celia quickly withdrew her hand. Eugen smiled as he saw Celia looking at him with an unusually defiant gaze.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen that look in your eyes.”

He spoke, seemingly pleased. It was a face that hinted at cruelty, like smiling while putting a beast to be tamed in a cage. At that moment, Celia felt an intense anger rising within her.

“It came from my dress.”

“……”

“From the day I went to the masquerade ball… The day. The one you called an orgy.”

Celia spoke with a sharp edge, and Eugen’s blue eyes watching her took on an even deeper hue than usual.

“I know that buttons engraved with the family crest aren’t something you can get just anywhere. So how could I have gotten this there……”

Celia, who had been speaking vehemently, paused for a moment.

“Indeed. Did you perhaps pick it up at the ballroom?”

A faint smile appeared on his lips. Celia realized what that smile meant and felt like dying of shame. It felt like an eternity had passed before she could open her mouth, which refused to move.

“This… this is from the sleeve of the man who… who spent the night with me.”

“Ah.”

Eugen responded nonchalantly. Celia was surprised by his composure and raised her eyebrows.

“You said nothing happened back then.”

At those words, her face flushed red.

“Did you hear me? This is from that man’s… your clothes!”

“And?”

“……”

Eugen frowned as if listening to a rather boring story.

“What… Don’t you understand what I mean? You… that day…!”

“I embraced you.”

Hearing his clean-cut admission, it was rather Celia who was left speechless.

“What… did you say?”

“I said it was me who embraced you. Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”

“I, I didn’t know. How could I have known that.”

Celia retreated like a cornered mouse. Conversely, Eugen cornered her with leisurely yet nimble movements, like a cat chasing a mouse.

She retreated as he approached, and this was repeated several times until Celia finally bumped into a wall with nowhere else to go.

“You… you covered my eyes. That was on purpose……”

“It was for amus*ment. But you heard my voice, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know. I never heard……”

“That can’t be. I definitely spoke, and you heard. Are you pretending not to know?”

“I said I never heard it!”

Celia shouted and then stopped abruptly.

The voice that had strangely split into two… The illusion that it seemed like two people were speaking… Could it have been because of that mysterious drink she had that day?