Ultimately, she barely slept at all that night.

Unlike usual, she couldn’t fall into a deep sleep, even in the warmth of Delphius’s arms. No matter how tightly she shut her eyes or buried her face in his scent, stray thoughts kept slipping in and disturbing her rest.

Perhaps it was because of the brief, shallow nap she had taken before he arrived.

Yawning softly, Ilenia rubbed her eyes.

It wasn’t just that either — lately, she had been growing drowsy far more often.

Even when she was simply sitting still, sleep would overcome her. Even when she tried to keep busy, drowsiness would creep in.

Sometimes, she would even nod off in the middle of a meal.

Thinking back to how she used to be made her feel strangely out of sorts. Even when she had worked tirelessly on Tilea Hill, she had never been so prone to sleep.

Ilenia glanced at the scattered items around her.

Books. Embroidery. Copywork.

These were things she had picked up, thinking she should keep herself occupied, only to abandon them shortly afterwards.

In this vast estate, there was very little she could do.

Even those few activities mostly required her to sit still and only move her hands.

She had taken them up because they were said to quiet the mind — a way to lose herself, to stop her from overthinking.

However, for someone who had spent her entire life doing practical, demanding work, these refined nobility hobbies felt unbearably dull.

With every stitch and movement of the needle, her thoughts became more tangled, as did the uneven lines of copied text.

This wasn’t it.

She wanted to move her body — really move it.

But no one would dare assign menial work to someone with the Lukehardt name. They wouldn’t even let her stand and watch while the soil was turned or the crops were tended.

Even in the garden, she could only give instructions while others did the work. There was nothing she could touch or do with her own hands.

Perhaps it was no surprise, then, that sleep kept claiming her in such an empty and monotonous life.

The strength slowly drained from the hand holding her pen.

The tip pressed too hard against the paper, leaving a dark blot of ink that spread across the page.

“I shouldn’t fall asleep…”

Her break was almost over — she needed to get up and move again.

Her mother had always insisted that rest should be used wisely. If she saw her like this, idle and unfocused, she would tap her on the shoulder and give her something to mend.

In a voice both gentle and firm—

‘You need to get up, Leni.’

Like that.

The mere memory of her mother’s voice brought a faint smile to her lips.

Although she couldn’t truly feel it, imagining her mother’s rough, comforting hands or hearing her chattering away in her slightly loud voice made her feel warm inside.

She could almost hear the soft bubbling of her mother’s soup nearby.

She didn’t want to wake up.

“My lady. The physician is waiting.”

But, as always, a voice called her back.

Ilenia slowly opened her eyes. She pushed aside the paper, which was now completely ruined, and gently rubbed her aching wrist.

The first thing she had done after Delphius left for work was to arrange a meeting with the doctor.

There was so little time left to conceive a child.

She couldn’t afford to be unwell.

If something was wrong, she had to find out as soon as possible.

Forcing her unusually heavy body to move, Ilenia slowly rose to her feet.

After exchanging a few brief questions and answers, the doctor began the examination as he always did.

He checked her pulse and carried out a few standard tests.

It was all part of the usual routine.

And then—

— a faint look of puzzlement crossed the doctor’s face.

“My lady… when did you last have your cycle?”

“It’s been irregular lately…”

“I see.”

“Is there… something wrong?”

“No, not exactly—but I believe I need to check a few more things.”

Even after that, the examination continued for quite some time.

By the time she started to feel uneasy, the doctor finally sighed and stood up.

There was a hint of excitement in his expression.

“Congratulations, my lady.”

He bowed politely.

“Your pulse was faint, so it took some time to confirm—but it is unmistakably a pregnancy pulse.”

“…What?”

“Then—”

“You are pregnant.”

Ah.

Ilenia’s eyes widened.

“…pregnant.”

Her lips moved slowly, as if repeating the words, the unfamiliar phrase brushing against her tongue without quite settling.

“My lady—congratulations!”

“Truly, congratulations!”

The maids beside her burst into delighted cries, their faces lighting up with emotion.

Overcome with excitement, they clapped, jumped and embraced one another, celebrating as if the joy were their own.

But at the center of it all was Ilenia.

Her expression barely changed.

There was something uncertain in her gaze. Something distant and almost dazed.

Caught somewhere between disbelief and hesitation, she slowly lowered her gaze to her abdomen.

This was what she had wanted more than anything.

Above all, she had wanted a child between them.

That much was certain.

And yet, why?

Despite her deepest wish finally coming true, Ilenia didn’t feel the happiness she had expected.

Hesitantly, she placed a hand over her lower abdomen.

The feeling that had tightened around her chest the moment she heard the doctor’s words refused to fade.

‘Only now…?’

Although she had desperately wanted a child, this was not the kind of feeling one would expect from a mother when confronted with that reality for the first time.

A faint sense of guilt crept into Ilenia’s chest as she repeatedly stroked her abdomen.

She could only hope that her uneven emotions would not hurt the child, even at this very first moment.

“We should inform the master right away. Sending someone would be the fastest, wouldn’t it?”

Watching Anna, who looked ready to dash out of the room at any moment, Ilenia managed to give a small smile.

“In any case, your pulse has weakened over the past few months. Taking medication during the early stages of pregnancy can be harmful to both you and the baby, so for now, it would be best to adjust your diet and monitor your condition.”

“I understand.”

“If you inform me, I will relay it to the chef.”

After giving a few instructions about suitable foods to another maid, the physician packed up his medical bag. Before leaving, he turned back to Ilenia.

“The early stages of pregnancy bring both joy and the greatest anxiety, my lady. Until the child has settled securely, I urge you to be cautious—again and again.”

The hand that had been resting on her abdomen gradually stopped moving.

Being pregnant did not mean her task was finished.

She still had to ensure that the child was born safely.

This was only the beginning.

Suppressing the rising wave of anxiety, Ilenia turned towards the window.

The bright afternoon sunlight streamed in, almost too harsh for her eyes.

Delphius would take a long time to return.

Once the unease took root, it refused to leave.

If anything, it only grew stronger.

She even found herself urging Anna, who had gone to deliver the news, to hurry — to reach Delphius just that little bit faster.

Even after sending Anna off like that, Ilenia couldn’t bring herself to move away from the window.

She lingered nearby, pacing, unable to stray far.

As soon as the sunlight began to soften into the colors of dusk, she stepped outside.

“My lady, where are you going?”

“Just… I felt like taking a walk.”

“The sun is still strong. Please wait a moment while I bring a parasol and your shawl—my lady!”

Ignoring the maid’s hurried protest, she quickened her pace.

She wanted to see him a little sooner, if only for a moment.

She wanted to see the expression on his face when he heard the news.

As expected, there was no one at the front gate.

In the sunlight, which was now burning like a blazing fire, Ilenia moved past the garden and towards the fence. She waited, her eyes fixed on the corner where the carriage would appear, but there was nothing.

Not even the faint sound of hooves.

“Oh dear… the physician just told you to be careful, didn’t he?”

Anna, who had arrived late, draped a shawl over Ilenia’s shoulders.

“You haven’t forgotten how cold the wind is, have you? Not just the baby—your body needs care too.”

“…I know.”

“You’re going for a walk, right? That way has more lights—it’s safer, even when it gets late.”

“No. I’ll stay here a little longer.”

“Here? There’s nothing to see…”

Anna tilted her head, unable to quite understand.

But it didn’t matter.

Ilenia’s gaze remained fixed on the same spot beyond the hedge-lined fence.

And then—

As if drawn by her longing, the roof of a carriage came into view.

Anna could hear the horses snorting and the sharp crack of the driver’s whip urging them forward.

The moment she heard those familiar sounds, she could no longer hold herself back.

She ran.

“My lady!”

Startled, Anna hurried after her, trying to stop her.

The butler hadn’t even had time to prepare for the master’s return.

The carriage wheels had barely come to a stop, and the door had only just begun to open.

Ilenia reached out her hand without hesitation.