Side Story 2

Oakley knew about Evelyn’s concerns.

In fact, she had procured various medicines from around the world that were said to increase the chances of pregnancy.

At first, Evelyn had rejected them, calling them a mix of superstition and folk remedies, but as she grew more desperate, she gradually began to try the things Oakley suggested.

Unfortunately, they were of no use.

Having already been disappointed by various superstitions multiple times, Evelyn didn’t take Oakley’s jest to heart.

Of course, that didn’t mean she wasn’t planning to visit the hotel. Oakley had put a lot of effort into it.

The bourgeoisie always admired the nobility. So if the Liwonoc couple attended, word about the hotel would quickly spread.

Dyffrin might find it bothersome to go to such a place, but if she asked, he would go with her. After all, the venue was a hotel.

With these thoughts, Evelyn waited for Dyffrin to return home after finishing his work.

That night, Dyffrin returned to their room after his schedule, loosening his tie as he looked at Evelyn.

“A hotel?”

“Yes. Oakley invited us.”

“It will take quite some time to get to the capital.”

“If you’re busy, I’ll just go alone.”

Dyffrin raised an eyebrow.

“You’re going to a hotel alone?”

“I won’t stay overnight; I’ll just make an appearance at the party. Given my friendship with Oakley, it’s the right thing to do.”

Without a word, Dyffrin took off his vest.

“I’ll make time. Anyway, most of the nobles in the capital will be gathered there, so it will be efficient to meet them all at once.”

Evelyn smiled brightly.

“You made a good decision.”

“The schedule is a bit tight, so I’ll have to work late for a while.”

“That sounds tough.”

Evelyn answered absentmindedly as she took Dyffrin’s tie and vest.

There was no need to worry since Dyffrin was a steel man who could handle his schedule effortlessly even after a night of love.

Dyffrin kissed Evelyn on the lips and said,

“If it gets too tough, you can help me.”

Evelyn pushed against Dyffrin’s chest.

“Not today.”

“You always say that.”

“I mean it this time. My back hurt so much I had to apply a compress this morning.”

“I’m the one using my back, so why does yours hurt?”

Embarrassed by Dyffrin’s teasing, Evelyn pushed him away.

“Go wash up.”

Suddenly, Dyffrin grabbed Evelyn’s wrist.

“Wash with me.”

“You know what will happen if we do.”

They would end up rolling around in bed without even drying off properly.

“This time might be different.”

“There’s never been an exception.”

“Why don’t you make today the exception?”

Even knowing it was the devil’s whisper, Evelyn’s resolve wavered as she looked at Dyffrin’s already bare, magnificent upper body.

“I’ll help you wash. I won’t even get wet.”

“As you wish.”

Dyffrin answered with a smirk, as if he already knew the outcome.

“Ugh, Dyffrin!”

And that night, too, was no exception.

* * *

“Duchess!”

As the carriage stopped at the port, Oakley came out to greet them warmly.

Although they exchanged letters frequently, it had been quite a while since they had seen each other in person.

“I missed you, Oakley.”

“Not as much as I missed you.”

As the two women exchanged warm greetings, Dyffrin, who had been watching, finally made eye contact with Oakley and greeted her.

“Hello, Duke. It’s an honor to have you here.”

“Congratulations on the completion of the hotel.”

Oakley smiled brightly, her eyes crinkling.

“I hope you have a wonderful time. I’ve specially prepared a room for you on the top floor.”

Oakley led Evelyn and Dyffrin to the newly completed hotel. Inside, it was already bustling with many guests.

People’s gazes naturally turned toward them. It had been a while since the duke and duchess had attended a social party, so people were looking at them with bright eyes.

“I’ll show you to your room first. The main party will start in the evening.”

The room Oakley led them to was truly magnificent. The living room had large glass windows offering a panoramic view of the sea, and the adjoining rooms were filled with luxurious decorations.

The mahogany furniture gave off a subtle woody scent.

“The interior is splendid.”

“Of course. The upper floors were designed especially for the nobility, so we paid extra attention.”

After a brief tour of the room, Oakley called Evelyn aside and discreetly handed her a small box.

“What’s this?”

“I felt bad for making you go through so much trouble every time. This time, I got something proper.”

Evelyn realized Oakley was talking about pregnancy.

But she didn’t have high hopes as she once did.

“Oakley, thank you for your thoughtfulness. But I’ve decided not to stress about it anymore. Clinging to something that doesn’t work out is quite exhausting.”

“No, Duchess. This time it’s real! I heard noblewomen from the Eastern Continent pay the price of a carriage for this medicine.”

“Something this expensive…”

“Just remember it’s thanks to me if you get pregnant this time.”

Oakley smiled as she spoke.

Evelyn didn’t doubt the efficacy of the medicine Oakley had procured. In fact, the medicines she had previously provided were known to be beneficial for infertility.

Although Evelyn hadn’t gotten pregnant, she had seen other benefits like improved skin and relief from menstrual cramps. So this time, too, there would surely be some effect.

In the end, Evelyn couldn’t leave the expensive medicine untouched and swallowed it as soon as she returned to her room after the opening party that evening while Dyffrin was washing up.

As she sat quietly on the bed, Dyffrin came out of the bathroom, shaking off his wet hair, and said,

“You look tense.”

“I really hope I get pregnant this time.”

“Evelyn.”

Dyffrin sighed and sat down next to her.

“If you keep fixating on the child, it will only make things harder for you.”

“Just until today. I’ll only hope until today.”

It was true. Wishing for something that might not happen was quite tiring. So she decided to earnestly hope just for today.

“You’re the most important to me.”

“I know. It’s the same for me. But I still want to see a child who resembles you.”

“And I want to see a child who resembles you.”

“Then I hope they look like you and have my personality. My personality is better, after all.”

Evelyn said playfully.

“I can’t disagree with that.”

“If you have a conscience, you wouldn’t.”

Dyffrin pushed Evelyn onto the bed.

“But conscience isn’t needed in bed.”

“You become even less conscientious in bed.”

“I like seeing you cry.”

Evelyn was at a loss for words, overwhelmed by the suggestive conversation.

“…Dyffrin, you’re really a fraud.”

No one would imagine that the ascetic-looking Dyffrin would be so fierce in bed.

‘…Which makes it even more thrilling.’

Dyffrin grabbed Evelyn’s chin. He kissed her from under her chin, down her neck, nibbling and licking.

Evelyn felt a shiver run down her spine, and she rubbed her toes together. Seeing this, Dyffrin’s eyes darkened.

“The reason I always get rough is because of you. You’re the one who provokes me when I’m trying to restrain myself.”

Yes, she half-admitted it.

She was partly responsible for the long nights.

Without answering, Evelyn pulled Dyffrin’s robe and kissed him. Her proactive gesture made Dyffrin passionately explore her mouth.

“…Damn.”

Dyffrin muttered under his breath and ruffled Evelyn’s hair.

* * *

When they returned to the duchy after finishing all their engagements in the capital, Evelyn wasn’t in good condition.

The long journey and lack of rest at the hotel took their toll.

Later, Evelyn found out that Oakley had prepared something special for Dyffrin’s drink, which doubled his usual stamina.

When Evelyn learned the secret on the day they were leaving, she looked at Oakley with resentment, but Oakley simply replied, “That’s how you’ll have a baby,” without batting an eye.

Back at the castle, Evelyn waited with anticipation, but she had her period that month too.

Evelyn decided not to let it get her down anymore. As Dyffrin said, some things don’t happen no matter how much you wish for them. She couldn’t keep longing for something that might never come.

Instead, she decided to focus on other things and revamped the rose garden AmEllia had been managing.

She planted tulips alongside the roses. She didn’t just instruct the gardener but personally pulled weeds and watered the garden.

Dyffrin, worried about her moving too much right after a long trip, nagged her a couple of times to stick to indoor activities for a while, but Evelyn didn’t listen. Staying indoors felt suffocating.

But one day, while pulling weeds as usual, Evelyn stood up and felt dizzy. As she staggered, Merrilyn, who was nearby, quickly came to support her.

“Madam, are you alright?”

“I don’t know… What’s happening?”

Was it a mistake to ignore Dyffrin’s warning?

Lately, she had been feeling strangely unwell. She couldn’t sleep well and had no appetite, making her look gaunt. In fact, she insisted on outdoor activities because she thought it would help her sleep better.

Dyffrin, worried about her sleeplessness, had brought all sorts of precious medicines for her to take. But they didn’t make much difference.

She thought moving around during the day would help her sleep better, which is why she was in the garden today, but it had the opposite effect.

Merrilyn said,

“I think we should call a doctor.”

Evelyn waved her hand.

“We already had a doctor check me out.”

Merrilyn put on a serious face and spoke cautiously.

“But that doctor wasn’t an obstetrician.”

“An obstetrician…?”

“I think you might be pregnant, madam.”

A surprised Evelyn widened her eyes.

“…But I had my period recently.”