At the Marquis Descartes’ mansion.

Sitting on the sofa smoking tobacco, Descartes spoke.

“Still nothing about the queen’s ability?”

The question was directed at Baron Delmonsi sitting before him. Watching Descartes’ expression carefully, Delmonsi bowed his head.

“I apologize. Though we’ve placed someone near the queen, she hardly ever leaves the palace…”

As Delmonsi made his excuse, Descartes stubbed out his tobacco in the ashtray and muttered.

“Does she really even have any ability?”

White smoke puffed out with each word he spoke.

“Yes…! Considering Duke Claudia’s past actions, there must be something!”

“What good is just thinking about his actions? We have no proof.”

“That, well…”

“The security at the queen’s palace has become stricter lately. The rumor going around there is that the queen is pregnant.”

Though the royal family was trying to keep it quiet, news of the queen’s pregnancy had already spread secretly. Upon hearing this news, the nobles who had wanted to place their daughters as queen complained that Ines should never have been put in that position in the first place.

“This issue has been giving me a headache lately. So the queen better have that special ability you speak of.”

Descartes’ sidelong glance at Delmonsi was cold.

* * *

The early autumn weather had now turned to winter.

Carriages lined up along the street of high-end salons, as if preparing for the winter season.

However, there were notably many men guarding the entrance of one particular shop.

Passersby would cast curious glances, but since Madame Rosaline’s salon was known to supply goods to high noble families and the royal family, they assumed some distinguished lady must be visiting and gradually lost interest. It was then that.

A red-haired woman in plain clothes entered Madame Rosaline’s salon. Someone approached her as if they had been waiting.

“…Mother.”

It was Ines. She walked to Llewellyn as quickly as she could manage. It was her brightest expression in recent days.

“Y-Your Ma-Majesty…”

As Llewellyn tried to bow to Ines, Ines embraced her.

“You can speak comfortably here. There’s no one else around. I’ve sent everyone away.”

At her words, after briefly hesitating, Llewellyn hugged Ines back and whispered her daughter’s name for the first time in a while.

“Ines…”

After sharing a long, tender embrace.

Ines led Llewellyn by the hand to sit together. The table was laden with desserts that Llewellyn used to love.

After tasting a few desserts at Ines’s urging, Llewellyn asked.

“I-I was sur-surprised when you suddenly asked to see me. Did so-something happen? And wh-what are all those kni-knights out front?”

“Ah, the knights…”

Actually, Ines had wanted to secretly slip out of the palace to meet Llewellyn quietly. However, due to the recently tightened security at the Lily Palace, that was impossible.

So, she asked Carlos. That she wanted to meet Llewellyn.

When she said she wanted advice from her wet nurse about having a baby, he permitted it without much comment.

Of course, at first he said to bring Llewellyn to the palace, but Ines wanted to meet her somewhere else.

The palace was large and splendid and beautiful, but it was just as suffocating. And the result was the knights outside.

Ignoring her wish to go out quietly, he had insisted on providing escorts.

Probably because she was carrying a child.

‘A child.’

Though she should only be thinking happy thoughts now that she was with child, somehow only painful things came to mind. Once again recalling her recent conversation with Carlos, Ines shook her head. Then she smiled again as if nothing had happened.

“His Majesty provided escorts. Actually, I…”

Ines trailed off.

“I’m pregnant.”

At Ines’s words, Llewellyn’s eyes grew so wide they looked like they might pop out.

“P-pre-pregnant? Re-really?”

When Ines nodded, Llewellyn exclaimed.

“Oh my!”

Hearing news of her daughter’s pregnancy, Llewellyn embraced Ines with more joy than anyone.

“Con-congratulations, my da-daughter…”

“…Thank you.”

Fighting back tears, Ines buried her face in Llewellyn’s shoulder.

This was the reaction Ines had longed for. This was the warm welcome she had wanted.

“Th-then why didn’t you ca-call me to the palace? It mu-must be hard riding in a ca-carriage.”

There was a saying that pregnancy-related matters follow the birth mother. Though Llewellyn had been practically confined to her room when pregnant with Ines, even without such circumstances, she wouldn’t have been able to go out.

Her morning sickness had been so severe that she could only keep down fruits and vegetables, throwing up everything else.

So surely even riding in a carriage this far must have been difficult.

Llewellyn worried that Ines might have pushed herself too hard coming out of the palace.

“It’s fine. I was just feeling too cooped up in the palace.”

The palace was just too stifling. It felt like a prison without bars.

Though the bumpy carriage made her feel unwell, she could endure it if it meant leaving the palace.

“Mo-morning sickness?”

“My stomach keeps feeling bad and I throw up everything I eat. At least fruits and fruit drinks seem to stay down.”

“Ea-eating too much fruit makes the ba-baby too big and hard on the mo-mother.”

She was no different from any other mother worried about her pregnant daughter.

Watching Llewellyn give advice without reserve, Ines gave a bitter smile.

Yes, this was how family should be – rejoicing together and offering generous advice when told about a pregnancy.

After chatting about various things for a while, Llewellyn fell silent. She had finally noticed her daughter’s darkened expression.

Llewellyn asked in a worried voice.

“Is so-something troubling you?”

“…No. Nothing’s wrong…”

“You don’t lo-look well.”

Though Ines tried to avoid answering at first, she finally spoke.

But tears came before words.

“Actually… Carlos doesn’t think the child in my womb is his.”

“Wh-what do you mean…”

“He seems to think it’s Joseph’s child.”

She didn’t know how many tears she had shed alone after that conversation with Carlos. She had thought if she honestly told him the truth, Carlos would believe her words.

The wounds Carlos had received were much deeper than she had thought. He would probably never trust her for the rest of his life.

No matter what explanation she gave, he would continue to doubt her words until the end.

Coming to that conclusion made her heart feel like it was being torn to shreds.

She couldn’t find any answer for how to repair their relationship.

It felt like being abandoned alone in a strange place.

Watching Ines silently dropping tears, Llewellyn quietly held her hand. She didn’t ask anything.

“It mu-must hurt. How sa-sad it must be when so-someone precious won’t be-believe your words.”

Llewellyn emphasized each word she spoke.

“But ne-never give up.”

“…”

“You’re a mo-mother now.”

Smiling gently, Llewellyn wiped away Ines’s tears.

“Don’t wo-worry too much. You’re ho-honest. Even if they don’t be-believe you, the truth al-always comes out. So hold on un-until then.”

Llewellyn advised sincerely.

“Pa-parents can tell at a gl-glance when they see their chi-child. That this child is their own bl-blood.”

“…”

“His Ma-Majesty will surely re-realize too. That the child born is his own.”

“Do you really… think so?”

“Of co-course…”

Finally, Llewellyn held Ines tight and patted her back.

Her heart ached for her daughter who had known nothing but hardship since coming into this world. She felt sorry, thinking that she might be the reason for her daughter’s suffering.

The two held each other for a long while.

* * *

On the way back to the palace after parting with Llewellyn.

Sitting in the carriage looking out the window, Ines slowly lowered her head.

Her still-flat stomach came into view.

Yes, her mother was right.

Even if Carlos didn’t believe it was his child now, she shouldn’t give up easily.

Surely when he sees the baby that resembles him, he’ll know her words weren’t lies.

So until then, she mustn’t give up. She had to be strong for this child to be born healthy.

Stroking her belly, Ines murmured.

“I’ll protect you.”

She would make sure this child lived a different life than hers. Not being hated by everyone, but making even leaves dancing in the wind love this child.

Soon, life returned to Ines’s eyes. The will that had been fading began to burn again.

“I need to change first.”

If she continued to be disrespected and disregarded by people, her child would receive the same treatment.

Even now, how many people were eyeing Carlos’s side? Thinking of that, she needed to regain her authority as queen, as Carlos had said.

For my child.

To show my child a better world.

She steeled her resolve once again.