Chapter 8 (Part 8)

Yuliana climbed onto her bed with a book she could read lightly, and Luda brought her lemon tea.

“Drinking lemon tea while reading on the bed is the best.”

“You know you’re not supposed to eat or drink on the bed, right?”

“Of course. I’ll be careful.”

“Alright.”

“I really wanted to drink the lemon tea made by our patissier.”

“I asked them to add more lemon for you, Young Lady.”

“Thank you.”

Loengrin’s patissier, Inabel, grows lemons himself to make Yuliana’s favorite lemon tea and lemon jam. Perhaps because of his dedication, the lemons are said to be more tart and sweet than others.

After taking a sip of the lemon tea, Yuliana’s expression suddenly became subtle.

She took another sip. Rolling her tongue to savor the lemon in her mouth.

Yuliana sniffed the lemon tea again. However, unlike usual, she slightly furrowed her brows.

“The lemon tea smells strange…”

Yuliana took a sip of the lemon tea. It tasted different from what she usually drank. 

Could something have happened to Inabel?

“Luda, is everything okay with Patissier Inabel?”

“Of course. He is always consistent.”

“Really?”

“Why do you ask, Young Lady?”

Luda asked worriedly, seeing Yuliana’s expression grow complicated.

“It tastes different from usual.”

Yuliana couldn’t taste the sweet and sour flavor of the lemon tea she usually enjoyed.

It tasted like sugar water with a hint of lemon juice. In short, it was tasteless.

Could my taste buds have changed slightly because my body was tired? 

It was strange, as Inabel’s tea couldn’t possibly taste bad.

“Since you’ve traveled far, your body might be tired, and your period is coming soon, so your appetite might be slightly off.”

“Is that so?”

Yuliana thought more about peaches than her favorite lemon tea. The sweetness of soft peaches kept coming to mind. She strangely craved them.

“I want to eat peaches…”

“Peaches?”

“Yes. Soft peaches.”

Luda found it a bit strange. In all the time she had served Yuliana, she had never heard her ask for peaches. Moreover, it wasn’t even her favorite fruit.

“I really want to eat them.”

“Understood. I will prepare them for you.”

“Please bring them quickly.”

Luda promptly prepared fresh peaches. She peeled them and sliced them into bite-sized pieces, beautifully arranging them on a plate for Yuliana.

“Here are your soft peaches.”

Yuliana devoured the peaches in front of her like a hungry animal.

“Luda, could you bring me more peaches?”

“You’ve already eaten three peaches. If you eat more, you might feel too full… Will you be okay for dinner later?”

“Even if I can’t eat dinner later, I want to eat peaches right now.”

“Understood, Young Lady. I will bring you more.”

Luda kept tilting her head in confusion. She peeled two more peaches and arranged them beautifully on a plate.

If Yuliana ate all of these, she would have consumed a total of five peaches. Luda felt a strange sense of unease.

“Why do I feel so uneasy?”

Carrying the plate with the beautifully arranged fruit, Luda made her way back to Yuliana’s room.

“Luda.”

Hearing a familiar voice, Luda turned around to see Anthus walking toward her. He seemed so natural walking around the Earl’s residence, perhaps because he visited so often.

“Hello, Duke.”

“What’s on that plate?”

“Peaches.”

“Peaches?”

“The Young Lady wanted to eat them.”

“Did Lia like peaches? I’ll take it to her.”

Luda handed the plate of fruit to Anthus with a smile.

“Luda.”

At the sound of her name, Luda turned to look at Anthus.

“Yes, Duke.”

“Erzen is alone in the drawing room, so it would be nice if you could bring him a cup of tea.”

“Understood.”

With a smiling face, Anthus opened the door to Yuliana’s room and entered.

Seeing that it was Anthus and not Luda who entered, Yuliana’s face brightened.

“Lia, have you been resting well?”

“Yes. That…”

Yuliana pointed to the plate Anthus was holding.

“Yes. I met Luda on the way, so I brought it instead.”

Yuliana swallowed her saliva, saying she wanted to eat peaches. Seeing that, Anthus found it incredibly cute, and his lips curled up on their own.

Sitting on the sofa, Anthus gestured for Yuliana to come over.

Yuliana followed his gesture like a puppy. Anthus extended his arm, wrapped it around Yuliana’s waist, and sat her on his lap.

“I will feed you. Say ah.”

With a flushed face, Yuliana slightly opened her mouth. When Anthus speared a peach with a fork and brought it to her lips, she took a bite, feeling happy with the sweet and sour taste. Anthus’s heart felt ticklish seeing her eat deliciously, like a baby bird opening its mouth.

“Did the discussion at the Imperial Palace go well?”

“His Majesty the Emperor delayed the meeting by boasting about Her Majesty the Empress, but it mostly went well…”

Anthus slowly lowered his eyes.

Who could have created the monsters immune to divine power? For what purpose? But one thing was clear: the monsters were following Rybid. If so… if this could be used well…

Finishing his thoughts, Anthus forced his lips, which kept curling up, to stay in place. Then, with a face of a man with the world’s worries, he spoke to Yuliana.

“Many people in the capital were injured this time. And I am worried that the monsters, having appeared once, might appear again.”

Yuliana stretched out her arms, embracing his neck, and spoke to the worried Anthus.

“We can protect them.”

“Are you comforting me?”

With a low voice, Anthus’s eyes softened gently.

“Of course.”

Seeing Anthus’s softly curved eyes, Yuliana caressed his cheek.

“You could comfort me in another way…”

Anthus, whispering low, interlocked his fingers with Yuliana’s and drew closer to her.

With their breaths mingling, they confirmed their mutual affection through a kiss.

His red eyes, right in front of her, clearly conveyed his desires.

“Ha… Lia… I really want to devour you.”

Anthus said, gently stroking Yuliana’s flushed cheeks. It was when his hand was slowly reaching for the hem of her dress.

“Yan, no.”

Anthus drooped his eyes. Seeing his dejected look, Yuliana sighed.

“This is our house. We never know when Father might come.”

If they were seen like this in the Earl’s residence, where her Father might knock and enter at any moment… Regardless of their desires, they had to be cautious.

“Understood. I won’t do it here.”

Anthus embraced Yuliana in his arms. He buried his face in her neck and took a deep breath. Yuliana flinched and covered her mouth.

“I’ll hold back with just this.”

He murmured, diving back into Yuliana’s neck.

* * *

“Luda, could you bring some more peaches?”

“Peaches?”

“Yes. I keep craving them. Ugh… just thinking about peaches makes my mouth water.”

Yuliana licked her lips and asked for peaches.

“You’ve been asking for peaches quite a bit lately, Young Lady.”

“It seems so.”

Yuliana tilted her head.

She indeed started eating foods she hadn’t sought before. From tangerines and oranges to apples and grapes, she even devoured three thick steak dishes without any problem. And she ate peaches every day without fail.

“Am I going to gain weight… I shouldn’t.”

“You haven’t gained weight, Young Lady. You’ve actually lost some. Please wait a moment. I’ll bring them.”

Luda left Yuliana’s room and headed to the kitchen.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. Then she stopped walking and thought.

‘The Young Lady’s period is overdue…’

Of course, periods don’t always come exactly on the expected date. They can be late or come early.

Luda counted on her fingers. She realized that Yuliana’s period was five days overdue. Luda’s face started to turn pale.

“Could it be…?”

She tried to ignore it, but Yuliana had started enjoying peaches more than lemon tea lately. She kept asking for foods she didn’t usually eat. And the amount of food she consumed had increased.

“Tastes can change, after all.”

Luda hit her head with her fist. She quietly looked down at the floor.

“Yes. It could just be a late period. Yes… it should be.”

She would have to watch for another day or two… but if… if…

Luda shook her head. 

Periods can be late, and cravings can change suddenly due to premenstrual syndrome. It can happen… Yes… It must be so.

But anyone could see that Yuliana was showing those “symptoms.” She was engulfed in anxiety, wondering if something she wanted to avoid had happened.

Luda staggered and leaned against the wall. A young lady, unmarried but engaged, being pregnant…

If she had a child without getting married, it would become an illegitimate child. Of course, Duke Anthus wouldn’t avoid responsibility…

She recalled Duke Anthus’s playful remark about finding a quick way to marry Lia.

“That dragon has finally devoured our Young Lady…”

Is there a more certain and faster shortcut to marriage than pregnancy? 

Luda felt drained, thinking this might all be part of Duke Anthus’s plan.

The bitter saliva rising in her throat made her neck sting. Luda took a deep breath to calm herself. She had to confirm if Young Lady Yuliana was pregnant or not. Just the thought made Luda’s hands tremble, and everything seemed dark.

“What should I do…”

If by any chance the Young Lady was pregnant…

Should I blame Duke Anthus for seducing my innocent Young Lady?! Should I scold the Young Lady for following the Duke around?! Should I blame myself for not managing contraception properly?! Should I blame Earl Loengrin for allowing overnight stays?! Should I rebel against His Majesty the Emperor for installing teleportation?!

“No!”

Images of the beloved Young Lady Yuliana she had protected since childhood flashed through Luda’s mind like a revolving lantern. Her cherished Young Lady… might become a mother before even marrying… 

What should I do about this enormous situation…!

“No, it might not be. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s wait just three more days. Just three days. Calm down, Luda. It’s not certain. Whew…”

Various thoughts swirled in Luda’s mind, making her dizzy.

If the Young Lady was indeed pregnant, she thought of Earl Matthias and Young Lord Louis, who would be shocked. Luda’s face turned from pale to blue.

<Our Lia is innocent.>

<Our Lia is pure, Father. Haha.>

In social circles, Louis had a sister complex, and Matthias was known to be a doting father.

<Hahaha.>

<Hahaha.>

Luda shuddered, imagining the faces of the two men, foolishly laughing, turning terrifying.

If things continued like this, Duke Anthus, the Young Lady’s fiancé, would undoubtedly face death. Earl Matthias might throw a white glove at Duke Anthus’s face. 

If the Young Lady was indeed pregnant…

Luda shook her head and pulled her hair as she fell into a mad spiral of worry.

What she needed now was a physician who could confirm the pregnancy. But if she called a physician to the house, Earl Matthias and Young Lord Louis would surely cause an uproar.

So there was only one option.

After bringing a plate full of fruit to Yuliana, Luda left the residence. Normally, she would send a letter before visiting Duke Rockbellion’s residence, but there was no time for that.