Seemingly disappointed by Axel’s silence, Hailey continued:

“I thought at least you would be honest with me. That’s what I believed. How could you do this to me? How could you hide something like that? I’m truly disappointed.”

“……I did it thinking of you. Aren’t your words a bit harsh? It can happen.”

Though he had kept it secret, his sole purpose was to make Hailey happier.

Since his intentions weren’t impure, Axel felt hurt when Hailey said she was disappointed.

At Axel’s grumbling, Hailey stared at him coldly, clenching her fists as if dumbfounded. Then she sighed deeply and spoke calmly.

“I understand your intentions. But it was too much to keep such a sensitive matter concerning both of us hidden from just me. And I had no idea……”

“I thought you seemed too tired. I did it because it’s something I could do for you. You could have pretended not to notice even if you knew. This takes all the wind out of my sails.”

“How could I pretend not to know! I’ve been irritated at you lately for oversleeping, only to find out it was all due to medication side effects. Can you imagine how I felt when I found out later?”

“……?”

Axel finally realized that he and Hailey were talking about completely different things.

Hailey was so upset that she bit her lip and wiped away the tears that had formed with her handkerchief.

“Medication side effects……? What medication?”

“What medication? This, of course.”

Hailey put down her handkerchief and fumbled to produce a medicine bottle familiar to Axel.

“Ha! So that’s what you were talking about?”

Axel smiled broadly in relief. Sensing something odd, Hailey asked:

“Of course. Don’t tell me you’re hiding something else?”

“Huh? No? Nothing at all. I was talking about this too. I was just uncertain…… Anyway, you don’t need to worry about it.”

Axel hastily changed the subject.

Hailey felt something was off, but what mattered now was something else. The contraceptive medicine Axel was taking had side effects.

“……You don’t want any more children?”

“I think three is enough. Of course, more than that, I don’t want you to go through pregnancy again.”

“It was only once, you know.”

“Once is enough if it causes you pain. Once is enough for me to watch you suffer.”

Axel didn’t add that if he had known pregnancy was such a painful and difficult process for women, he would have used contraception much earlier. He didn’t want it to sound like he regretted having the twins.

“If that’s the case, I could take the medicine instead. I’ve heard the medicine for women doesn’t have such severe side effects.”

“That’s absolutely out of the question, so don’t even think about it. ‘Not as severe’ doesn’t mean there are none at all, and why should you take medicine when I can do it? I’ve ordered them to develop proper medicine within the year, so don’t worry.”

“Then why don’t you stop taking the medicine until then?”

“And what if you get pregnant again? It’s really not that bad. But…… who told you about this?”

Not many people knew Axel was taking the medicine.

He had strictly forbidden anyone from mentioning it, knowing Hailey would object. Who had blabbed?

While vowing to find and punish whoever had worried Hailey unnecessarily, Axel asked casually.

Hailey avoided Axel’s gaze and suggested another method.

“That’s not important. If you insist, until then…… we could take a break.”

“A break? From what?”

“You know.”

“Know what?”

“Oh, come on. I mean…… our bedroom activities.”

“……Until they develop medicine without side effects?”

“Yes.”

When Hailey nodded, Axel jumped up, pounding his fist on the armrest of his chair.

“How could you suggest such a thing! Aren’t you being too cruel? Are you trying to dry me up and kill me!”

Axel made no effort to hide his wounded expression. Hailey was speechless with astonishment.

‘Really, why such an extreme reaction.’

Though she wasn’t entirely comfortable with it either, as a loving couple, Hailey thought it was better than Axel suffering serious side effects like numbness in his limbs, vomiting all day, or falling into an uncontrollable drowsy state.

“I heard you have to take other medicine for the pain in your limbs. That’s better than you being in pain.”

“It’s really nothing! Taking a break is what would suffocate me! And they say they’ve almost finished developing it, so don’t worry about it. Which b*stard blabbed?”

Axel firmly rejected the proposal, his eyes blazing as if he wouldn’t accept it even if dirt entered his eyes.

Seeing his reaction, Hailey couldn’t bring herself to reveal it was Khalid who had let it slip out of concern for his lord’s condition.

“I looked into it myself because you’ve been acting strange lately. No one blabbed.”

“But someone must have ultimately confessed. I want to meet and praise whoever was concerned and worried about me.”

“……Anyway, don’t hide things from me again. I don’t want secrets between us. I hate even this small vial coming between our relationship.”

Hailey pointed at the medicine bottle with a prim expression.

Though he failed to discover who had spoken out of turn, Axel could feel how much Hailey worried about and loved him.

Axel patted his firm thigh once more and said:

“Alright. I won’t keep secrets. But…… won’t you really come over here?”

“Y-you really! Mind the time and place!”

“If you don’t come, I’ll come to you.”

“I-I don’t know!”

Though she said that, Hailey remained firmly seated, her earlobes reddening with embarrassment.

Axel took this as “permission,” jumped up from his seat, and rushed toward Hailey.

Impatiently kissing her, he pushed her behind the long sofa. Climbing on top, he looked into her eyes and said once more:

“I won’t do anything that hurts you. You’re my heart.”

Looking down at Hailey, whose neck had turned completely red, Axel raised the corners of his mouth in a smile.

Hailey stretched out her arms to wrap around Axel’s neck, and this time she kissed him first.

That day, the door to Axel’s office remained closed until evening, long after the afternoon had passed.

* * *

Today was the day Hailey hosted her first tea party since giving birth. It was extremely busy as noble ladies from Winchester Island visited the grand ducal castle.

It was also a good day for Axel to discuss the secret operation with Theo away from Hailey’s eyes.

‘Theo at the training ground? Won’t that disturb the knights’ training?’

‘Ah, that day most of them will be sent outside for…… patrol! Patrol duty. So there won’t be any disturbance. It’s about time the kid learned to hold a sword anyway. He is my son, he should be able to hold a sword.’

‘It’ll be too heavy for him to even lift. Fine. I’m sure you know what you’re doing. I won’t be able to pay much attention that day. Because……”

‘I know. Those gossiping women are coming.’

‘They’re not gossips, they’re important guests who will strengthen our territory’s development.’

‘Anyway. We won’t interfere with your side, so keep that in mind.’

Theo, who occasionally watched the Eligos Knight Order train as he passed by, had recently shown curiosity, saying he wanted to try it too.

Axel used this as an excuse to naturally take Theo somewhere out of Hailey’s sight.

Theo, who knew nothing, was excited at the thought of finally being able to sword fight.

“Young lord. The carriage procession has begun.”

The gates of the grand ducal castle opened wide, and carriages from the families invited to today’s tea party began to appear one by one.

“Hailey will be busy greeting those women. Good. Kid, are you ready?”

“Ready for deployment!”

Having diligently finished warming up to go to the training ground, the little boy looked up at Axel in a standing position, bubbling with anticipation.

Standing before Theo, Axel hesitated momentarily at his excessively bright and sparkling eyes.

In truth, the promise to teach swordsmanship was merely an excuse. But seeing how high Theo’s expectations had risen, Axel had ordered the creation of a small wooden sword for children, just in case.

Having seen many swords before, Theo wore a triumphant expression with the small wooden sword at his side.

“The training ground is not a place for play. But your cuteness is excessive.”

Axel put on a stern expression as he spoke to Theo.

In his own way, Axel was teasing Theo, but Theo didn’t know that. Theo was momentarily confused but answered clearly:

“That can’t be helped! Because! Because!”

He was merely standing at attention with his round baby belly protruding, but the sight was extremely adorable.

“It’s because Theo is still a child! Children are supposed to be cute!”