It felt as though his consciousness had split in half, caught somewhere between dream and reality. Gopher slowly lifted his eyelids. His blurry vision gradually sharpened, revealing the dimly lit bedroom. He was lying in bed.

He couldn’t remember when he had returned—not that it mattered. He let the weight fall from his eyelids, prepared to close them again, when struck by a sudden realization.

Mel.

The space beside him was empty. The moment he noticed, cold water poured over him, jolting him fully awake. A sense of déjà vu washed over him as he hurriedly left the bed. His eyes landed on a table, its light still on and a letter resting atop it.

Once again, Gopher began reading the letter from the bottom. Mel’s signature, followed by the words, “I’m sorry.” No—there was more before that.

“I’m sorry for not telling you earlier.”

Not telling me what? He couldn’t bring himself to lift his gaze further. His chest pounded like it would burst, and he struck it with his fist as if to steady the overwhelming ache. Crumpling the letter in his hand, he bolted out of the bedroom.

It hadn’t sounded like it was raining, but a downpour drenched everything outside the mansion. Gopher ran as though he knew where Mel was, his breathing ragged as he searched frantically. Finally, when he felt his lungs would give out, he spotted a familiar figure.

Despite walking in the storm, Mel seemed untouched by the rain. And she was holding something—or someone’s hand, it seemed. The darkness obscured who it might be.

Unable to hold back, Gopher shouted. He called Mel’s name. The rain was so deafening that he couldn’t even hear his voice. But Mel seemed to listen.

She turned her head slowly. The person holding her hand turned as well. Just before he could see the face—

“We’ve arrived, Your Grace.”

The coachman’s voice startled Gopher awake. He was still in the carriage, his head bowed like he had fallen asleep there. His whole body ached.

Wiping the cold sweat trickling down his jaw, he muttered a curse.

Without even attempting to smooth his expression, Gopher entered the mansion. He washed his fatigued body and changed into fresh clothes. As he approached the bedroom, he hesitated momentarily, but having been told Mel was already asleep, he wasn’t too concerned.

She had been exhausted lately, so even if he entered, she wouldn’t wake. Yet, part of the bed that should have been shrouded in darkness was lit. As the dream flashed vividly in his mind, Gopher stiffened.

Then, an all-too-familiar voice reached his ears.

“You’re back?”

Unlike in the dream, the candlelight illuminated not a letter but Mel herself.

***

Mel couldn’t forget the look on Gopher’s face from the ballroom to the mansion. She thought of him constantly, whether in the carriage or washing up. It was then she realized that, out of fear of being hurt herself, she had wounded him instead.

‘I thought just a little wouldn’t hurt.’

Mel resolved to tell Gopher the secret she had been keeping. Her resolve solidified after her final check-up with the doctor.

“I understand,” she said to herself.

When Mel returned home, Gopher didn’t return for nearly an hour. She instructed a maid to wake her once he arrived and lay down for a brief rest. It felt like she had just closed her eyes when she awoke to find the night had deepened.

Mel asked the butler to pretend she was asleep, then waited for Gopher. Before long, he entered the bedroom.

“You’re back?”

Her soft greeting drew his startled gaze. Though his expression wasn’t the same as in the carriage, he still looked unsettled.

His face didn’t move much, but his throat bobbed once. After hesitating, he asked,

“You weren’t sleeping?”

“I have something to say.”

“…Tomorrow. You’ve been so tired lately.”

“I met with the doctor right after I came back. And I got some rest while waiting for you.”

Gopher looked cornered, like prey with nowhere to run. His expression admitted he had been waiting for her to sleep before returning.

Mel repeated her earlier words.

“I have something to tell you, Gopher.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Doesn’t matter? What doesn’t?

Mel stared at him, confused by his strange response, and he averted his gaze. Then, he said something even stranger.

“Do whatever you want, as long as you don’t ask for a divorce.”

“What are you…?”

Realization dawned on her, and Mel asked in shock,

“You suspect me? Why would you think that?”

“I’m not going to bother you about it. Let’s just drop this.”

“If you don’t tell me why, how am I supposed to clear things up, Gopher?”

“I had a tiring day at the palace. I want to sleep alone tonight. I’ll take a guest room.”

“Wait!”

Gopher, speaking without meeting her eyes, hesitated when Mel called out. Before he could leave, she grabbed his hand. He flinched, his expression briefly contorting before he pulled away.

“… We’ll talk later.”

Though his movements were careful, the emptiness in her hand felt sharp and raw. Mel flexed her fingers, then released a resigned sigh. It didn’t seem like a good time to reason with him.

“Fine. So be it if you insist on staying in a different room.”

“That’s not—”

“Maybe it’s for the best. Sometimes, you hold me too tightly in your sleep.”

“…”

“But there’s one thing you should know, Gopher.”

Looking up at him with a resolute expression, Mel spoke clearly.

“I’m pregnant.”

Before he could react, she brushed past him and left the bedroom.

Leaning against the side hallway outside, she counted. One, two, three. Precisely on the third count, the door burst open, and the flustered man dashed out. Mel immediately grabbed Gopher’s arm, pulling him down by the waist, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She bit her lower lip, parted it, and kissed him. The man, initially frozen in shock, responded right away. The intimate kiss, which once set their hearts racing, now calmed them. When their lips finally parted, Gopher appeared steadier than before.

Of course, that didn’t mean he was entirely okay.

“…Is it true?”

A fractured voice accompanied his bewildered face. Mel let out a small laugh and answered.

“It’s true. I got confirmation earlier.”

“Ah.”

“I suspected for a while, but the magical instruments couldn’t give a clear result since it was still early. I waited until it was certain.”

Gopher’s eyelashes fluttered as he blinked slowly.

“Earlier… when you avoided me.”

“The perfume from the ballroom was so strong. It was hard to bear in the carriage.”

“And skipping coffee together?”

“I need to watch what I consume.”

“And avoiding our nights together…”

“Do I need to explain further?”

“…No.”

He sighed deeply and buried his face in Mel’s shoulder. She felt his comforting weight and gently stroked his hair.

After staying like that briefly, he suddenly lifted his face with a surge of emotion.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I wasn’t sure if it was real. I didn’t want to see the disappointment on your face if it wasn’t.”

Mel hesitated briefly, then added,

“To be honest, I was a little concerned. It’s been over two years since we married, and there was no news.”

Though they hadn’t been taking precautions, no child had come. It had started to gnaw at her, a thorn lodged in her mind. While the doctor assured them there was no issue, and Gopher didn’t seem to dwell on it, she had silently worried.

She’d even sought advice from Harriet, who had once confided her anxieties. That, too, had caused tension with Gopher.

Before he could voice any reproach or comfort, Mel pulled out a prepared box.

“And this—look.”

The long, narrow box made no attempt to conceal its contents. Anyone could see that it contained a fountain pen.

“Happy birthday, Gopher.”

Gopher was born on the first day of autumn—today, in fact.

“After returning to the capital, I’d given so many gifts on ordinary days that I couldn’t think of anything special. Since you keep breaking pens whenever you get a chance, I opted for something practical. It’s not crafted by Defiem’s artisans, but it’s not bad, either.”

“…So that’s what you were discussing with Louis Mute.”

“Is it disappointing that it’s nothing grander?”

“No.”

He pulled her into a tight hug before loosening his grip, startled by his intensity. Mel laughed and hugged him back gently.

“I’d even forgotten it was my birthday. I’m happy. Thank you, Mel.”

“I didn’t mean to startle you, though. Sorry about that.”

“I’d rather hear something else.”

“I love you, Gopher.”

Gopher cradled her cheek and resumed the kiss from earlier. It was soft and deliberate this time, making her smile into the embrace.

Since it was a time to be cautious, the couple settled for featherlight kisses and lay together in bed. Even though they were well past their bedtime, Gopher fell asleep with a heart lighter than it had been in years.

But when he suddenly woke, he knew right away he was dreaming.

He looked at the empty space beside him, then approached the table. He picked up Mel’s letter and stepped outside the estate.

Rain was still pouring heavily, but he didn’t run this time. Gopher strolled through the downpour, and unlike in the last dream, he quickly found Mel.

When she turned to face him, the rain ceased.

The dark clouds dispersed, and brilliant light cascaded from the heavens, enveloping Mel in a radiant glow. She gestured for him to come closer, a delighted smile on her face.

As he approached, she whispered joyfully,

“Look at this, Gopher.”

He followed the direction her finger pointed. In the previous dream, he thought she was holding someone’s hand, but now he saw it was a branch she had in her pale fingers.

He looked up at the tree towering above them, its peak unseen. Its bark was a soft caramel hue, and its lush leaves were a silvery green. Something about its colors felt achingly familiar.

Lowering his gaze, he saw the crumpled letter still in his hand. This time, he unfolded it and read it from the top.

「I need to bring our child home, so I’ll be away briefly.

I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance.」

[End of Side Story]