Dade answered Teril’s question cheerfully.

「Ah, elder. Do you know where the person living here went?」

「Must have gone shopping. Hasn’t been gone long, so it’ll take a while, or would you like to wait at my house?」

「No, thank you. Waiting this much is nothing, so don’t worry.」

He had endured all those nightmarish times, waiting for the moment he could reunite with her. A few hours, no, even a few days didn’t matter.

Teril, who had been quite curious about these women, didn’t leave despite Dade’s words, but looked him over and spoke.

「Hmm. Are you the husband who went to earn money?」

Dade hesitated a bit, then smiled as if he understood the situation and answered.

「Yes. That’s right.」

「Have you come back for good now?」

「Yes. I’ve finally come.」

「Good, good. I mean, no matter how good money is, how could you go far away leaving your pregnant wife behind?」

「?」

「I thought she was a woman without a husband because you never came. Her belly is growing, and she came all the way to this remote place, but her husband was nowhere to be seen.」

“Now…… what.”

Surprised, Dade unconsciously answered in Belton language, but Teril, who was hard of hearing, didn’t seem to hear and continued to mutter for a while. Dade couldn’t hear either.

In an instant, he remembered how she had put down the porridge he had forcibly brought her at the imperial palace after barely eating a few spoonfuls, retching.

Dade’s body began to tremble.

He had taken her roughly, unable to control his emotions. He had embraced her as if taking her away as she cried all night.

And then he had left her alone in that cold rain. Like a fool, he had turned away from her as her lovely small lips turned blue, shivering in the cold.

‘Oh my God. Ilena. What have I done.’

Teril looked curiously at Dade, who had frozen without saying a word, and finally turned away. She dared not inquire further out of her small curiosity because he looked too sad.

Ha…… What a stupid, foolish bastard.

To make his woman unable to even speak while carrying his child.

To make her live alone so desolately, having come all this way. She would have had many cravings like other women. There would have been days when she wanted to be pampered, and days when she felt the baby move and wanted to share the excitement with someone.

‘Ah, Ilena. This foolish person. What should I do with you.’

He should have come earlier. So he could have run out even at dawn to bring her whatever food she craved. When her body became heavy and difficult, he should have comforted her, stroking her head if she acted spoiled.

He should have shared the excitement of their child’s lovely movements. His foolish self couldn’t even do those ordinary things for her. It was just love in words. His heart was breaking.

Ah, I’m sorry. Ilena.

Dade clutched his aching heart and wailed.

The first to discover Dade, who was crouched in front of the door with his head lowered, was Azel. She had run ahead with the shopping basket to prepare dinner instead of Nian, whose body was heavy.

Azel was startled as if she had seen a ghost.

“Who…… Your Majesty?”

When Dade raised his head at Azel’s voice, she immediately recognized him. Azel bit her lip tightly.

At this rate, the child would be discovered.

“Where is she?”

Dade, who had already stood up, approached Azel and asked. Though Azel was timid, for some reason she answered in a firm tone.

“Go back, Your Majesty. Lady Ilena is not here.”

‘Ah. Please, Empress. Come slowly. It’s fine if you look more at the baby clothes you regretted not buying earlier. I will somehow protect you and the baby.’

“Ha.”

“If you want to punish me for quitting my job arbitrarily, I will go to the palace.”

Azel’s obvious lie made Dade feel even more dejected. When even her maid Azel couldn’t trust him, it was in a way natural that she had left him.

“Azel, thank you.”

“……?”

“I’m so grateful that at least you were by Ilena’s side.”

“Your Majesty, I—”

“Return to the palace. I’ll give you a reward, not punishment.”

“……”

Seeing Azel still standing stubbornly in front of the door without moving despite his words, Dade sighed and said.

“You don’t have to worry, I won’t make your lady cry. I cherish those two just as much as you do.”

“……!”

Thanks to Azel opening the door, Dade was able to enter that modest house. Built with red bricks, it was an incredibly warm place. Though there were no common ornaments, her touch was everywhere throughout the house, resembling her.

The kitchen, befitting her petite stature, had all utensils hanging low, and though there weren’t many plates, they all had the same pattern and were neatly arranged.

Dade lightly traced them with his hand, looking with a distant gaze before turning away. The two simple rooms didn’t have names on them, but he could tell at a glance which one was Ilena’s.

A single bed could be seen straight ahead, and small herb pots were placed on the headboard, giving the room a faint herbal scent. And next to it, on a small desk…… there was a tiny baby shoe.

As Dade grasped it with trembling hands, the emotions welling inside him surged, threatening to overflow. Biting his lip tightly, he came out to the living room.

There was a large floor table on a soft rug, and behind it, by a small window, was a modest tea table with chairs. And then he saw a familiar object.

A flowerpot. Finally, Dade raised his hand to cover his eyes. The surging emotions finally overflowed.

Now understanding why she hadn’t planted it in the herb garden, he finally trembled faintly and shed tears.

Ah, Ilena. What were you thinking when you planted the seed in the pot? How did you feel when the sprout emerged? Did you perhaps resent me? Rather, I hope you did.

If you had longed for this foolish me, if you had shed tears looking at this flowerpot…… if that were really the case, I would never forgive myself.

Ilena, please.

He repeatedly struck his breaking heart with his fist.

Just then,

“Azel? Look at this.”

It seemed Nian had returned.

“How……”

Surprised, Nian dropped the bundle she was holding. From the bundle that had fallen and opened on the floor, the white baby clothes she had previously regretted not buying spilled out.

‘Ah, no.’

Seeming to know why he had come, Nian instinctively raised her hands to cover her belly, which she could never hide. She unconsciously thought about running away, but her extremely heavy body would obviously be caught by him, as always.

She couldn’t let him take it. She too, like Rachel, had lost everything and was already empty-handed. Dade, who had been watching her, took a step forward with a heart that felt like it was being torn.

Flinch. As he approached, she was startled and stepped back. Finally, Nian, with eyes full of tears, shouted in a voice filled with desperation.

“Don’t, don’t come closer.”

At her words, Dade stopped walking. And he just looked at her endlessly.

“No matter how much of an Emperor you are, this is my child. I will never give it to you.”

She shouted in a trembling voice, hugging her belly even more tightly.

Ah. Ilena. A pitiful soul. So this is what I’ve been to you all this time.

Well, he had always just taken from her, bullying and threatening. He had said he would forgive her if she made herbal tea for him every night. He had said he wouldn’t kill Cain if she came to his bed every night.

Their moments together flashed before him like a kaleidoscope, but nowhere had he given anything to her.

At his hardened expression, Nian bit her lip tightly. Then, as if it wouldn’t work, she hurriedly knelt down. Her knees hit the floor quite painfully as she knelt in haste, but she didn’t mind.

“Your Majesty, please.”

With her belly so full that she couldn’t properly bow, Nian lowered her waist as much as possible and began to plead frantically.

“I’ll raise the child just as a country child in this small village. I won’t tell anyone who the child’s father is. If you wish, even to this child…… So please, Your Majesty, please…… There will absolutely be no impact on the future of Your Majesty and Rachel.”

When Dade still said nothing, Nian began to beg with trembling hands clasped together.

“So this child, my last wish to you…… Please, please. Your Majesty.”

Nian’s tears fell to the ground, leaving round marks.

“Please…… calm down. Ilena.”