He put his pants back on and organized his bag. About to leave the room, he glanced at Evelyn. Regret dripped from his eyes. However, Andrew withdrew his gaze.

“Don’t be too hurt. Evelyn. You should be glad you escaped from Hector instead.”

Evelyn wrapped her body with the blanket. The liquid flowing from her crotch dampened the bed. When Andrew opened the door, the maids who had been pressing their ears to the door bustled around. They seemed to have been monitoring whether something was happening inside.

However, the door was thick, so voices wouldn’t have been audible.

After Andrew left, Evelyn went to the bath to wash her sticky body. How much could she trust Andrew’s words?

‘But if she was pregnant…’

She knew Hector’s personality. He would never acknowledge this child. In the worst case, since it was the Peshar Emperor’s child, he might tell her to kill it.

The only place for the child was here. Only in the Peshar Empire.

[You should be glad you escaped from Hector instead.]

Her heart ached. She had wanted to help him, but she couldn’t do so.

But now that things had turned out this way, she also had the desire to give birth to Jenkins’ child and raise it well. She hadn’t expected to become a traitor following Ian Harper.

That night, Evelyn met Jenkins’ eyes in the middle of the night. Jenkins with his cool blue eyes stroked her belly. If he had come last night, he would have woken her with rough s*x, but he did nothing. Jenkins embraced her from behind. The warm body temperature was reassuring and sleep came over her.

She had a dream. In the dream, ten-year-old Evelyn called Hector’s name.

“No… Hector, don’t abandon me…! Don’t leave…!”

However, Hector only showed his back and didn’t face her. Thinking he had left forever, Evelyn cried.

When morning came, her eyes were swollen. Was it because she cried while dreaming at night? It seemed Jenkins had been beside her last night, but the spot next to her was only cool and cold. Was it because she heard she was pregnant? 

She felt hurt by such behavior from Jenkins again.

* * *

Seven months later.

[The Peshar royal family values children greatly. If you bear the emperor’s child, you’ll never be able to set foot in the Astia Empire again.]

These were the words she had heard from Hector before leaving as the previous emperor’s 300th concubine. Though not the previous emperor’s child, she was carrying the child of Jenkins, the current emperor. Without realizing it, she had become a traitor and could never return to the Astia Empire.

‘…Was she now just Jenkins’ slave rather than a princess of Astia?’

Though her belly had grown large, Jenkins hadn’t sought her out since that night. It was boring time, but perhaps because her body was uncomfortable, Evelyn lay down constantly. She could have trained or taken brief walks, but she had no motivation.

“Lady Evelyn, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has called for you. She’s with the daughter of Duke Foster’s family who recently entered the harem.”

“…I see?”

When Evelyn stood up, a maid approached to support her. Perhaps because she was full-term, she couldn’t see her toes due to her greatly protruding belly. She looked for shoes but couldn’t put them on properly, so the maid put her shoes on for her.

“Didn’t Physician Aleina say so too? That you need to move your body.”

It was Physician Aleina who kept Andrew as a trainee.

“…She did.”

A pregnancy line clearly crossed the center of her belly. Perhaps because it was cold, the maid put a fur coat on her.

“It will get colder and colder.”

“…I can walk alone.”

“Yes.”

Evelyn fastened her fur and walked slowly. Originally, she never missed a day of training, but recently she had been listless and hadn’t moved for months. Perhaps because of that, her body rejoiced even at small movements. It wasn’t bad.

Five maids followed as she walked to the Empress Dowager’s palace. Now that she was carrying the emperor’s child, the number of maids caring for her had increased, and a wet nurse had already come to the palace. The Empress Dowager’s maid bowed politely.

“Please come in. Lady Evelyn. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is waiting.”

Evelyn looked at the golden sash around her waist. With just that sash, she could go outside. However, with her body like this, she would probably be caught before she could even leave.

Even if she had just gained weight, other parts were slender but only her belly was large, making her waddle, so anyone who saw her would know she was pregnant.

Going inside, she saw the Empress Dowager sitting with a woman with red hair and golden eyes whom she’d never seen before. Seeing her arrogant face, it was definitely Mabel, Duke Foster’s second daughter. The Empress Dowager drank tea with a pleased expression.

“It’s been a while. You’ll give birth soon, won’t you?”

“Yes. Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”

When Evelyn tried to sit, the Empress Dowager’s maids prepared a long sofa where Evelyn could lie comfortably. It was truly royal treatment.

“Hmm, do you remember what I said before? That if Astia became a vassal state of Peshar, I would spare the emperor…”

“Yes. I remember.”

When Evelyn raised her upper body, the Empress Dowager’s maids supported her. The Empress Dowager and Mabel looked at her large belly.

“But there’s a condition. Not only must you give birth to the emperor’s child, but I want Mabel to raise that child.”

“…What?”

“Right now, the emperor isn’t being cooperative about welcoming an empress. However, if Mabel raises the emperor’s child, no one will oppose her becoming empress.”

She had expected this since Mabel, who was supposed to enter the empress’s palace, was staying in the harem, which was a public facility. But it was ridiculous. Why should someone else raise her and Jenkins’ child?

The Empress Dowager looked at Evelyn with a very affectionate smile.

“If you cooperate, the emperor won’t oppose it either. That’s my condition. Since you’re Astian royalty, you’ll naturally choose Astia’s independence over the child, won’t you? After giving birth, you can go to Astia as you wish. After all, a child doesn’t need two mothers.”

Looking at those cool blue eyes, Evelyn blinked.

‘Why was she saying such things?’

Even in the Astia Empire, children born to concubines were raised by the concubines. Though they called the empress mother, it wasn’t this forceful.

“That’s impossible. Even in the Peshar Empire, you can’t do such a thing…”

“That’s why it’s called a condition. Evelyn.”

The Empress Dowager drank her tea again. Evelyn felt nauseous. Was this why she hadn’t called her all this time? There was a reason she called when she was nearly full-term.

“I love Jenkins. So how can I abandon him and go to Astia…”

But Hector was in Astia. She had admired Hector, but it wasn’t love. The only one who had brought up such feelings was Jenkins.

“Evelyn. I think your bloodline isn’t bad. But I can’t entrust the child’s education to you. You’ve had relations with men other than Jenkins – Richard Fox, Ian Harper, Milan Spencer, haven’t you?”

“That’s…!”

“Viscount Fox… well, that was before you met Jenkins, so I’ll let that pass. But what excuse will you give for the relations you had inside the harem?”

Mabel, who was beside the Empress Dowager, frowned. Reading deep disgust on the princess’s face, Evelyn clenched her fists. How could she make excuses?

“I can’t acknowledge you as Jenkins’ wife, and even if you say you love Jenkins with that mouth, I can’t believe it. Actually, I even doubt whether the child is really Jenkins’ child. But since our Peshar royal family has traditionally had precious offspring… that’s why we’re accepting it. I’m just proud of Princess Mabel who came seeking to become empress knowing all these facts.”

Mabel smiled gently. That smile looked very elegant. However, her casually spoken words had several thorns embedded in them.

“…Even though you’re a princess, you grew up without proper education, didn’t you? If you’re uneducated, I suppose that’s possible. You simply can’t control your l*st like a beast.”

Evelyn glared at Mabel.

“Princess Mabel.”

“Call me Your Majesty the Empress, Evelyn.”

“…”

She glanced at the tattoos carved on Evelyn’s neck and wrist.

“You’re a slave of the royal family.”

“Mabel, you’re still nothing. You haven’t even become empress yet, how ridiculous.”

“Ha, what did you just say?”

When Mabel stood up indignantly, the Empress Dowager said.

“…Leave now. Evelyn. Think carefully about what I said.”

“Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. There’s nothing to think about. A child should be raised by its birth mother. And the Peshar princess doesn’t seem to have very good character either. I can’t entrust my child’s education to such a person.”

“What, what did you say?”

Mabel stood up abruptly. She blocked Evelyn who was about to leave the Empress Dowager’s palace, but Evelyn looked down at her with contempt.

“Even by bloodline, I, who was an imperial princess, am superior. I cannot acknowledge a mere princess as my child’s mother. Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”

The Empress Dowager silently looked at the two women.

Evelyn tried to leave, ignoring Mabel, but she stuck out her foot. Normally she could have avoided it, but because of her protruding pregnant belly, she couldn’t see below. Just before Evelyn fell forward, someone embraced her body.

“Whew…”

Jenkins sighed in relief. Lifting Evelyn lightly, he held her like a princess. He glared at Mabel.

“Even I can see that Princess Mabel isn’t suitable as empress. Tripping a pregnant woman?”

“It, it was an accident…!”

Mabel blushed and fidgeted restlessly. However, everyone present had seen her action. It was truly reckless behavior.

“…Like Evelyn said, the woman who becomes empress should be more than a princess. And who decided to send Evelyn to Astia? Evelyn is mine. Not mother’s.”

The Empress Dowager was resting her chin on her hand. She glanced at Princess Mabel who was looking at her.

“Mabel has admired you since childhood and kept herself pure hoping to marry you. But Evelyn was nothing like that. Even recently, she brought other men into the harem.”

“…I’ll judge my wife’s affairs myself.”

“Jenkins. That girl has no intention of abandoning her country. So just get the child and…”

However, Jenkins ignored his mother’s words and left the Empress Dowager’s palace. Evelyn felt stability in his embrace after so long.

The problems she would have to choose were gradually approaching.

[Traitor. Don’t even think about meeting me again.]

She would never meet Hector again. She could no longer set foot on Astian soil. Therefore, the Empress Dowager’s words shook her heart. But leave behind her child with Jenkins? She absolutely couldn’t do that.

“I’ll stay here. Jenkins. So please…”

‘If you love me, let me become my child’s mother. Not as a slave.’

However, Evelyn couldn’t continue her words. When she met Jenkins’ eyes that seemed ready to cut, her whole body stiffened. It seemed it would be better to remain in the Empress Dowager’s palace.

“Jenk…”

Jenkins put her down on the floor. Evelyn, who had come down from his embrace in confusion, looked up at him blankly. He gripped Evelyn’s shoulders tightly.

“Evelyn. Do you really love me…? You won’t go to Astia now?”

His eyes were full of suspicion. He stared intently, determined not to miss any of Evelyn’s expressions. Evelyn had already been called a traitor by Hector, and she had no intention of leaving the child to go to Astia.

“Yes. I won’t go. I’ll live happily beside you and the child.”

After saying it in front of Jenkins, she felt refreshed. Jenkins embraced Evelyn. Evelyn also wanted to hug his body tightly, but it was difficult because of her full-term belly. Even though she couldn’t return to her homeland, she had Jenkins.