Chapter 99 – Might Be The Last Trip

Seilia felt as though she had heard an entire year’s worth of words in a single day, thanks to the congratulations and encouragement from her father and mother regarding her pregnancy.  

Noblewomen who had already experienced pregnancy themselves entered the palace, offering Seilia endless advice and reminders. Meanwhile, the palace attendants in the Imperial Palace began nagging her to reduce her working hours, avoid skipping meals, and take light exercise while being cautious in her actions for the sake of the child.  

“I’m beginning to worry if my hearing has started to deteriorate lately.”  

As soon as Seilia, who had been resting, greeted Leo upon his return from finishing his state affairs, she began to pour out her complaints.  

“I feel the same way. Before I came here, I read every single book on pregnancy and child-rearing I could find.”  

When Seilia saw the books Leo had brought into the bedroom, her mouth fell open in surprise.  

“Sorry, but the baby won’t be born for quite a while yet, Your Majesty.”  

Was he planning to spend the entire months clutching books, waiting for the baby that was still months away? 

Seilia let out a faint, incredulous laugh.  

“It seems the news of the pregnancy has already been announced? How else would they know to come here…? Then, the reason I’ve been bombarded with so much nagging is partly because of you.”  

Seilia recalled the day she discovered her pregnancy, remembering how Leo had acted strangely all day, as if he were missing something, and then excitedly declared that he wanted to announce the news to the entire empire and even foreign nations.  

So, the culprit was you.  

Feeling a bit guilty, Leo fastened his robe and pretended to read one of the books. Judging by the title, he had already moved past beginner-level parenting books and was now onto intermediate ones.  

“Do you think our child will know how good their father is at dodging responsibility?”  

Seilia teased as she leaned her face against Leo’s shoulder, and Leo frowned slightly.  

Does that mean he was bothered by it?  

As Seilia casually glanced at the book alongside him, she suddenly began to describe the dream she had about the baby. At the dinner table where she had first shared the dream, she had been too overwhelmed by the surreal and mysterious feeling to explain it in detail.  

She talked about what the children had done in the dream, how the child who resembled Leo behaved, and how the one who resembled her acted.  

Leo, who had been calmly flipping through the pages, burst into loud laughter when Seilia described the part about the child who resembled her.  

Pulling hair, throwing someone down, twisting their arm, and pinching them…  

It was unmistakably Seilia.  

“Your Majesty, are you laughing because you think that sounds like me?”  

She was utterly speechless.  

“You’re no better. I’m not going to raise our son to be as cold as you!”  

When Seilia slammed the book shut, Leo now looked at her in disbelief.  

“And I won’t let our daughter grow up to be as wild as you.”  

Cold and wild.  

Even they thought those descriptions suited them perfectly.  

As they both burst into laughter, Seilia suddenly opened her mouth to speak.  

“We don’t even know whether it’s a boy or a girl yet.”  

“Your dream should tell us that.”  

What did he think he knew?  

A boy or a girl?  

“It’s not twins.”  

Twins weren’t exactly common, after all.  

“You did say there was an age gap between them.”  

Leo gently cupped one of Seilia’s cheeks as he continued speaking.  

Oh?  

“That’s a good thing.”  

Satisfied, Seilia smiled and leaned in to share that smile with Leo.  

***

“Leo, let’s go on a trip.”  

Seilia’s words, spoken as she ate a nutritious meal prepared entirely with ingredients good for pregnant women, made Leo, who was eating breakfast across from her, look up in surprise.  

“A trip?”  

Seilia simply nodded in response.  

However, Leo’s reaction was slightly negative—not entirely, but he seemed a bit hesitant, as if he was both worried and afraid.  

“You need to be careful during the early stages of pregnancy, Seilia. It’s only been a month, so the baby hasn’t fully settled into your body yet.”  

Trailing off, Leo used a napkin to gently wipe away a crumb from the corner of Seilia’s mouth.  

Of course, Seilia agreed with Leo’s concerns. Most of the advice she had been bombarded with emphasized the importance of being cautious during the early stages of pregnancy.  

Avoid harmful foods, engage in light exercise, and so on.  

Seilia likely understood this even better than Leo, who wasn’t the one pregnant. After all, she was the one carrying the child for ten months.  

But Seilia didn’t back down.  

“I know. That’s why I want to go now. Once our child is born, we’ll have to wait until they’re old enough to talk and walk before going on a trip. And traveling later, when I’m heavily pregnant, would be even riskier.”  

Her argument, filled with logic rather than stubbornness, made Leo pause his meal and fall into a brief contemplation.  

Setting aside his worries, it didn’t seem overly dangerous.  

As long as it wasn’t an overly strenuous trip, but rather something relaxing and leisurely…  

What finally swayed Leo’s thoughts was the next thing Seilia said.  

“I’m truly happy and grateful to be pregnant, but I don’t want to be completely bound by it. I want to do what I can, as long as it doesn’t harm the baby.”  

This was undoubtedly a time to prioritize the child above all else, but that didn’t mean she could remain idle and helpless.  

Eventually, Leo nodded with a soft smile.  

“Alright, fine. When shall we leave?”  

Thanks to Leo’s acceptance of her suggestion, Seilia’s slightly anxious expression brightened considerably.  

During her time as a young noble lady, she hadn’t traveled much. Except for when she was too young to even remember, she had never left the capital.  

She wasn’t particularly fond of traveling, and the capital of the Belton Empire lacked nothing.  

However, ever since she became pregnant, her emotions had been fluctuating frequently.  

She would get angry easily or feel down just as quickly. Although she tried not to show it, both outwardly and inwardly, she had changed a lot.  

Wanting to go on a trip this time was also an impulsive decision, but thinking about the busy future after the baby was born, she wanted to visit a place where she could truly breathe freely, at least once.  

Pausing her momentary joy, Seilia thought of an appropriate date in response to Leo’s question.  

“Before the pregnancy celebration begins?”  

Leo, who was more thrilled than anyone else about Seilia’s pregnancy and eager to share the news, was planning to hold a pregnancy celebration in about three weeks.  

Leo, who always showcased grandeur at every banquet, had repeatedly told Seilia every single day that this time, he would make it incomparable to anything before.  

Thus, he remembered the date in great detail.  

“Alright. Even if the schedule is tight, I’ll make it work before then. Where do you want to go the most?”  

A place where she could breathe freely.  

Of course, it was the sea.  

“I want to feel the refreshing sea breeze the most.”  

The cool water splashing up as the waves rolled in, and the fresh scent of the sea that lingered in the nose, whether morning or night.  

Just imagining it seemed to clear her dizzy mind.  

“This might be the last trip for a while, so let’s go wherever you want.”  

Of course, Leo planned to travel with their children after the baby was born, encouraging them to see broader horizons and more things. But until the children grew to the extent Seilia had seen in her dreams, it would be difficult.  

As soon as Leo finished his meal, he immediately began preparing for the trip.  

***

On the day of their trip.  

Perhaps it was because she had been sleeping so much lately.  

When she opened her eyes, it was a bright morning with the sun streaming down. If she dozed off again, it quickly became a calm afternoon, and after another nap, it was suddenly night.  

Time passed by so quickly.  

Though it was overwhelming to face constant changes, she was glad that today’s trip had come so quickly.  

Since the capital and the sea were far apart, they had to travel for a long time in a carriage.  

To ensure Seilia could rest comfortably even in the carriage, Leo had prepared a larger carriage than usual. Instead of fancy attire, she wore a dress made of comfortable material.  

The carriage, carrying the two of them, departed before sunrise and continued on without stopping.  

As always, Seilia fell into a deep sleep again, only to be awakened by Leo’s voice.  

How long had she slept?  

Her head throbbed, and as she leaned against the vibrating motion of the carriage, she realized she had bumped her head repeatedly, leaving faint sheet marks on her forehead.  

She felt the carriage come to a brief halt, and as her hazy eyes searched for something new, she noticed the scenery beyond the window.  

When Seilia exclaimed “Wow!” while looking out the window, Leo, noticing her messy hair, tied it back into a single knot while explaining where they had arrived.  

“Bonita. It’s a famous tourist city by the sea, but I purposely bought a villa near a secluded beach.”  

Although everyone already knew that the Empress and Emperor were traveling, Leo had deliberately chosen a place with few people so they could truly relax.  

“It’s as pretty as its name.”  

At Seilia’s offhand comment, Leo chuckled.  

“You haven’t even seen the sea yet. How do you know that?”  

“The sea smell is already here. I can tell just by the scent.”  

When Leo half-opened the carriage window and took a deep breath, he realized the air was indeed filled with the salty yet refreshing scent of the sea.  

For Seilia, who was utterly tired of carriages, the timing was perfect. The carriage came to a stop with a clatter in front of a villa situated in a spot with a spectacular view.