If I were to measure the distance between the time my father stood and the time I’m standing now, how far would it be?

Father’s time is stagnant, while I keep moving farther away, so it’s essentially a meaningless question.

“……Father would have liked it, right?”

“He would think you’re a praiseworthy daughter.”

“……No, I only added burdens to Father’s heart until the end.”

“Why?”

The Emperor asked as if he couldn’t believe it, and after contemplating, I answered.

“Back then, things weren’t good between Assel and me.”

“……”

“He found out it was a contract marriage. Stupidly, even though he was someone I would end up loving anyway. I unnecessarily said such things and placed a stone on Father’s heart. If I hadn’t said those things, Father might have lived even just one more day.”

The Emperor, who had been silently listening to my words, eventually approached me and embraced me.

Perhaps because of our height difference, even though I had clearly grown up, it felt like I had returned to my childhood.

The Emperor, warmly embracing my back, whispered,

“That day has already passed anyway, hasn’t it?”

“……That’s true, but……”

“Even if he had lived one more day, some other painful thing might have troubled your father. And adults aren’t as naive as you think. They’ve lived many times longer than you. You shouldn’t overlook that.”

“……”

“He would have gone to a good place. From heaven, he’s surely watching all of this and is happy.”

The Emperor, who had already released me from the embrace, pointed to the sky and said.

The sky was clear without a single cloud.

It resembled Father’s eyes when he used to look at me sometimes, so I blankly stared at that scene.

❀❀❀

“Levedi, did you have a good talk?”

“Mmm, yes.”

I answered, nestled in Assel’s arms.

The reason my voice came out somewhat cute was probably because this man kept tickling my hair.

Or maybe the baby in my belly was making sounds on its own.

Therefore, I was innocent.

“To think that the soon-to-be head of Ophelia is this cute. People would be surprised if they knew.”

“I think so too. So only you should know. Understood?”

Smooch.

I looked at Assel and kissed his lips precisely.

As I pulled away and looked, his eyes had widened greatly on his reddened face.

His large red eyes looked just like a rabbit’s.

“S-so suddenly…?”

After contemplating for a while, that was all he could say.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

A man with a mountain-like build turning bright red like a pink rabbit just because of a single kiss.

Come to think of it, besides a rabbit, he also looks a bit like an apple.

“Why, why are you doing this?”

Seeing his still bewildered face made me laugh again.

Wanting to tease him more, I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered in his ear,

“What can I do? My husband is too handsome. I’m going crazy wanting to kiss him every time I see him.”

Assel’s rabbit-like eyes widened dramatically.

“……You, w-were you such a bold woman?”

“Oh, bold is a bit much~.”

“……”

“Aren’t you being too shy for someone who grabbed my wrist and threatened me at our first meeting?”

Assel swallowed the phrase ‘Well, that’s true’ and repeatedly cleared his throat.

A face that doesn’t know what to do with embarrassment.

Oh, really.

I’m going crazy because this man is so cute.

“……We’ll see… when we get home……”

Assel seemed to notice that I was subtly teasing him and fled as if being sucked into the carriage.

Yet, concerned about me being pregnant, he rushed out in 5 seconds and lifted me into the carriage in a princess carry, making me think he really would “see” when we got home.

Nestled in his arms as I boarded the carriage, I kissed his forehead again with a smooch. I could see him staggering in surprise.

“Being embarrassed about a kiss when we’ve done more intimate things.”

Taking advantage of the moment, I also brushed up Assel’s bangs and tucked them behind his ear.

How can even his ears be so pretty?

Whose husband has a pretty forehead, pretty eyes, pretty nose, and even pretty ears?

Whose? Mine, of course~.

‘I’m truly blessed, really.’

This man resembles a wolf.

Of course, not the kind of wolf that goes crazy and howls at the moon.

More like a wolf that quietly hunts instead of howling while looking at the moonlight.

A kind wolf that hunts and brings food to the female wolf, that kind of feeling.

Anyway, the eyes were the highlight of this man who resembled a kind wolf.

Ruby-colored eyes were almost non-existent among the Empire’s citizens, so they were incredibly fascinating and sparkly beautiful.

‘I want to touch them.’

I was often captivated by such impulses.

But since I couldn’t touch his eyeballs, I would just touch his night-black, soft hair and steal glances at them.

It was right then—

“Levi.”

After seating me in place, he suddenly whispered in a low, subdued voice,

“Once the baby is born, let’s see.”

But why?

This time, his voice was a bit eerie.

Was it because of the hot breath he exhaled? The skin on my nape felt a bit ticklish.

‘……He seemed serious.’

Huh, I hope nothing bad happens.

What if he gets upset?

Assel is cute normally, but his sulking expression is also too cute, so that would be a big problem!

Fortunately, the concerning situation I worried about didn’t happen.

They say wolves dig burrows for female wolves when they’re pregnant, and he, though a beast, was clearly a kind beast.

Looking at him quietly reading books and occasionally throwing out questions like,

“What did you talk about with His Majesty the Emperor?”

“Hmm, it’s a long story to tell.”

“His Majesty didn’t talk behind my back, did he?”

“Behind your back?”

“When we weren’t on good terms before, he would tell ladies that I couldn’t perform my role… never mind.”

But this too seemed less like an attempt at conversation and more like he had other concerns.

“We didn’t talk about anything special. And as for not performing your role……”

“……”

“Isn’t that disproven by the child in this belly? Hehe……”

I whispered softly and shot a subtle glance at Assel.

In response, the tips of Assel’s ears turned bright red.

“W-what……”

Ah, so cute.

Even with just a little teasing, his face immediately turns red.

He wasn’t originally a man who got embarrassed this easily.

‘Well, I guess it’s been a while since we, you know, with only about two months left until the due date?’

That, well.

Ahem.

It’s been a while since we started being intimate.

‘Yes, he must have endured.’

For a man in his prime, he must have endured for a long time.

I think his earlier words about seeing once the baby is born might have been sincere.

But…

‘I’ll need postpartum care after giving birth.’

Not knowing this fact, looking at his eyes that seemed to be anticipating…

“Ahem.”

It also felt a bit like I was deceiving him.

‘I didn’t make the baby alone, so what’s the big deal!’

With an “oh well” attitude, I abruptly changed the topic.

“By the way, you know next month is Father’s death anniversary, right?”

It was actually an important conversation that needed to be had.

And for some reason, when I brought up Father, Assel’s red eyes sank darkly.

“Assel, why that expression?”

“It’s nothing.”

But despite my question, he just smiled as if it was nothing.

“I’m a bit tired. Seems I was misunderstood.”

❀❀❀

“Ma, Madam! The head is visible! Just a little more strength…!”

“Madam!”

“Aaagh! Just kill me instead! Aagh!”

Hearing the sounds penetrating through the door, wrinkles formed between Assel’s brows.

He had been circling in front of the door for over an hour already.

Inside the door was Levedi.

It had been well over half a day since his wife started screaming.

It was so terrible that he could imagine how painful it was, and he wished he could give birth to the child in her place.

Of course, that wasn’t possible, so he had earnestly requested to at least be with her inside.

But the head maid of Duke Esteban’s residence firmly rejected his request.

“Men cannot enter the delivery room.”

“Why is that? It’s incomprehensible by my common sense.”

“It’s an old custom.”

“Just because it’s a custom doesn’t mean it has to be followed.”

“That… You might be fine with it, sir, but if this becomes known to the public, it won’t be beneficial for Madam.”

After a long battle of spear and shield, Assel reluctantly agreed when told that it could be troublesome for Levedi.

He was now almost going crazy.

“Baby, why, why won’t you come out! Aagh!”

“Levedi!”

As the screams intensified, he finally lost his reason and charged toward the door.

His aides blocked him.

“Your Grace, didn’t the head maid say it’s not allowed?”

“That’s right, Your Grace.”

At the two aides’ words, Assel frowned and retorted,

“Move aside. I’m not in the mood to argue with you now.”

“But still! It’s not good for Madam either…!”

“If the problem is the servants’ mouths, I can just cut off their tongues.”

Both aides trembled visibly.

The reason they were checking each other’s reactions was due to the killing intent emanating clearly from the Duke.

His gaze was sincere.

Suppressed by that madness that seemed like he would truly sl*ughter someone, the two aides momentarily fell silent.

Taking advantage of that gap, Assel swiftly entered the room.

“Y-Your Grace! It’s not allowed!”

Bang.

“Levi! Are you alright?”

But soon the door closed.

And the Duke’s voice coming from inside was incredibly gentle, unlike someone who had just threatened to cut off someone’s tongue.

Would their Madam recognize how gentle he sounded now, compared to before?

Including them, the surrounding servants were genuinely curious to the point of going crazy.

While normally gentle, he was a man who would completely transform when something important was touched.

Once called the murderous ghost of the battlefield.

Truly, killing a single person would be nothing to him.

But the fact that he rarely showed this instinct in front of the new Madam of House Esteban was already famous among the servants.

Intimacy, really.

For the Duke Esteban of the world, the murderous ghost of the battlefield, it seemed neither fitting nor possible.

But it happened.

“Waaah!”

About 5 minutes after Assel entered the delivery room, surprise appeared in the eyes of some servants at the sound that penetrated through the door.

It was truly a miraculous sound.

❀❀❀

About 5 minutes earlier.

“Levi!”

The eyes of the mansion’s maids were filled with shock as they saw Assel urgently opening the door and entering.

“Duke! How did you……”

Their gazes contained the question of how a man like him had entered this place.

Assel, not caring about such reactions at all, calmly asked,

“How is my wife?”

“Well……”

While the head maid was contemplating between two choices—asking him to leave or informing him about Levedi’s condition—Assel rushed toward the bed.

“Levedi!”

Seeing his wife’s face, eyes closed and limp, Assel’s eyes shook madly.

“Why, why is she unconscious?”

“Your Grace. Please release the madam. She’s just resting for a moment.”

The head maid sighed and said, watching Assel who was so restless that he seemed about to pace around.

“What did you say?”

“……”

“Resting, you say…?”

Assel took a moment to calm down and think.

It had been nearly ten hours of labor.

During that time, she probably hadn’t slept properly or rested, so it was understandable in a way that she was limp like that.

“Yes.”

“Assel, I’m fine……”

Assel’s eyes widened. Fortunately, it seemed she wasn’t asleep.

“How can you… sleep during labor.”

But he still wasn’t reassured.

Her skin without a hint of blood was pale, her body drooping with cold sweat, and her hair completely tangled in a mess.

It looked no different from the appearance of someone about to die.

“If I had known it would be this painful… We could have lived without children for life.”

He felt heavy-hearted, as if it was his responsibility for suggesting they have a child.

“Since Your Grace has already entered, I won’t ask you to leave again. She needs to rest, so please just hold her hand.”

At the head maid’s words, Assel nodded with an entranced expression.

Levedi’s hand was equally emaciated.

Without a hint of blood, it was like looking at a sheet of white paper. Assel somehow tightly gripped that hand.

As if Levedi might fly away if he didn’t.

At that very moment,

“Aagh!”

A sudden scream.

When Assel turned his head, he saw Levedi, who had opened her eyes, exerting all her strength with an expression as if she was about to die.

Her face, which had turned completely white from exerting so much strength, showed this.

“Levedi!”

“Y-you, h-here……”

Sensing that she was trying to ask how he had come, Assel quickly replied,

“I couldn’t bear to leave you alone!”

“That’s… Aagh!”

It seemed the contractions had started again. Assel offered his head to Levedi, whose face had turned pale white,

“Levedi, if it hurts, pull my hair.”

In some country in the East, there was a saying that when a wife gives birth, she pulls her husband’s hair.

Even Assel thought it was a pain that would be difficult to endure without doing so.

For Levedi to endure such pain alone.

It seemed that a father would have nothing to say even if he was criticized for just putting a spoon on the table after the birth.

“Aagh, aaaagh! From below, I, I! Aagh!”

“Pull it! With all your might!”

Assel offered his head even closer. Meanwhile, Levedi, who was not in her right mind due to the excruciating pain, grabbed him without hesitation.

“Ma, Madam……”

But because it was a matter between the two, the head maid couldn’t intervene and just paced anxiously.

However, she felt the need to step in a bit.

‘No, that… It looks like the master might die too.’

That was because what Levedi had grabbed was,

“Kuk, Leve… di.”

With a suffocating expression and a completely reddened face, Assel looked like someone being strangled.

One might wonder what kind of live show this was, but it happened because Levedi’s hand was gripping Assel’s collar.

Despite looking like he was about to die, Assel still looked at Levedi with a virtuous expression.

It seemed like true love. The head maid shook her head.

It was at that moment—

“It’s, it’s coming… Aagh!”

They say a person feels the most pleasure when dying.

Suddenly, while Assel was looking at his wife happily with an expression as if he was about to die, Levedi also made a similar sound.

The head maid sensed that something unusual was happening.

Waaah!

It was a sound that was both unbelievable and moving, like the sound of a spire’s bell ringing in the midst of war.

“Ma, Madam!”

“……Yes.”

While the maids were cutting the umbilical cord, Madam seemed to be murmuring something, but no one heard it.

“Waaah, waaaah!”

The head maid quickly took the baby and checked its gender.

Even though it was a baby, it was the child of noble people. It would be against propriety to look for too long.

“Such a beautiful…!”

Just as the head maid, having finished checking, was about to announce the baby’s gender,

“Levedi!”

Due to the voice that suddenly interrupted, her voice was drowned out. Assel approached Levedi and then embraced her tightly.

Although Assel supported her neck and waist in an embrace, seemingly without strength, Levedi wrapped her arms around his neck and then went limp again.

Meeting Assel’s eyes, Levedi smiled. At the same time, what came toward him was a gaze as if it was all new.

“Assel……”

“Levedi……”

“……”

“You did it. Now we’re really……”

The head maid blinked, wondering if her eyes were getting blurry.

It was because she doubted whether the person in front of her was the same as their master, who rarely showed changes in expression in front of them.

“……Indeed.”

“……”

“We’ve done something amazing.”

At Levedi’s calm affirmation, Assel broke down.

Transparent liquid flowed down his cheeks.

Levedi touched his cheek. The liquid was hot.

❀❀❀

In truth, even Assel couldn’t understand the reason for his tears.

The fact that a child was born between him and Levedi felt strangely awkward, yet at the same time, it was so moving that tears welled up.

What was this ticklish and strange feeling? Though he had been taught that men shouldn’t cry, at this moment, such teachings felt completely useless.

‘Am I dreaming?’

In fact, he was so out of it that he wasn’t even aware that he was crying.

Levedi had given birth to his child.

Of course, it would also be her child, but the woman who had put up walls against him and said there was no reason to love him…