~Chapter 134~
Ancia understood what Richard’s words meant.
No matter what doubts Richard had or what the truth was, he had made up his mind. If Ancia gave birth to the child, he would accept it as his own and as the heir of the Gwinted family.
Even if he couldn’t erase all his doubts, it meant his trust and affection for Ancia would not change.
Richard’s gratitude, going one step further, made emotions Ancia had forgotten come rushing back.
“Wife…”
His voice was soft as morning dew. It was not like the tears she cried when she met Hilda—a mix of joy and sadness. This time, her tears fell quietly and calmly.
Richard gently wiped Ancia’s tears, as if they would melt away with his touch. But her tears kept falling, and it made Richard feel close to despair.
He was tormented by the thought that he was the one making his wife cry this way. In a choked voice, he apologized.
“I’m sorry. I was wrong. I was so full of doubt and confusion that I couldn’t even celebrate our blessing.”
Ancia bowed her head to hide her face as it twisted with emotion, and Richard’s heart ached even more.
“Ancia, please. Don’t cry.”
Hearing Richard’s desperate voice, Ancia finally showed her feelings. Her brows creased, her lips trembled, and she tried to speak.
“I don’t want to hate you. I tried to understand… If I were you, I might have misunderstood, too. But…”
Leaning her face against Richard’s gentle hand, Ancia calmly opened her heart.
“I wasn’t able to have children before. If I hadn’t come here, and if Bianca hadn’t made medicine for me…”
If it wasn’t for Bianca’s kindness, Ancia would have stayed weak forever. Her pregnancy was nothing less than a miracle.
She hugged her belly under the blanket with both arms.
“This is my child, Richard.”
She looked at Richard and told him firmly,
“It’s our child.”
“Yes.”
Richard’s hand slowly moved to Ancia’s belly. He hesitated, moving carefully and gently.
For the first time since coming to the tower, Richard touched Ancia’s belly.
On the first day Ancia returned to the mansion, he had touched her stomach roughly to question her, but since then, even when they were close, he had avoided touching her there.
His hand trembled as he gently stroked the rounded belly. It felt different than before.
As his doubts faded, a new and unfamiliar feeling filled his heart.
“Our child is inside you…”
“Yes, our child.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
The two of them talked quietly for a long time after that. It was a subject they had avoided all week, but now it felt much lighter.
Soon, Ancia’s tears stopped, and their eyes were full of affection for each other.
From that day, a few new rules were set.
If Richard was not out fighting monsters, he would always come back to the tower and sleep beside Ancia.
If anything seemed suspicious, no matter how small, he would ask Ancia first.
These rules were simple but clear.
There was a condition—not to cross the duke’s authority—but it worked well. Small doubts didn’t grow, and bad feelings didn’t get out of control.
Just being able to ask Ancia directly was enough for Richard to stop jumping to conclusions and falling into despair.
Bianca’s notebook helped, too. During the winter, Ancia wrote all about her life and her feelings for Richard in a thick notebook. Richard read it and calmed his heart.
As peaceful days passed, Ancia’s belly grew clearly bigger.
Even loose dresses couldn’t hide it. She was lazy now, always surrounded by cushions on the sofa or bed, looking like someone with nothing to do.
But “lazy” only meant she didn’t leave the tower. Ancia was still doing many things.
The piles of papers on her desk were proof.
Anna, sorting through all the notes and letters, smiled happily.
“Everyone is wondering if there will be a spring festival. The people seem really excited.”
“Probably because the festival brings in a lot of business, and tourists keep visiting even after.”
Because of night view maps and food guides, lots of people came to visit. But after Ancia went missing and was kidnapped, no one came, and the town became quiet.
When Ancia looked sad, Anna quickly spoke up.
“It’s all thanks to you, Madam, that last year’s monster-hunting festival was a success.”
“It was everyone’s hard work, not just mine. I only gave a few ideas.”
Anna looked at Ancia with pride and respect. It was a bit much, but it also gave Ancia courage.
“Even if we can’t have a festival, we could do a small event. We could update the food guide, and make special routes for couples, friends, and children’s stamp courses.”
“I’ll start drafting some plans.”
Anna, full of energy, started sorting papers again. Just as Ancia tried to rest, she heard familiar footsteps and Bianca ran in, holding papers.
“Madam, the new designs from Nunnun village have arrived!”
“Already? They sent the embroidery earlier than expected, too. They really work fast.”
“It’s because you pay them so well. The women are happy they can work at home with their children instead of the rough mountains.”
This meant even the children helped with embroidery or lacework. Ancia thought about the village kids who always played outside and considered sending a teacher soon.
She took the designs and picked out some related to the Gwinted lands to give back to Bianca.
“Please ask them to make samples with these designs. And I heard the animal patterns are popular with the kids. Let’s make small pouches as prizes for the stamp course—just ask them to make them a bit smaller and simpler.”
“Yes, Madam.”
“Also, please buy pencils, paints, and paper at the store on your way. The kids can use them for drawing.”
“You really think of everything… I’ll remember it all!”
Bianca, touched and excited, hurried to pack her things.
Lately, Bianca was busy traveling back and forth to Nunnun village. Since she and Ancia made rules with Richard, he didn’t glare at Bianca so much anymore.
Anna filled Bianca’s spot whenever she was gone, sometimes working so hard that Ancia had to ask her to take it easy.
Luckily, Anna left in the evening, so Ancia could set boundaries and not get overwhelmed by Anna’s support.
Not long after Anna left, Julie arrived.
“Ellie, I saw Bianca go out so I came to help.”
“Welcome, Julie.”
Whenever Bianca went to Nunnun village, Ellie stayed in the next room, and Julie would often visit to keep her company. Though they met as servants, the two had become friends.
Watching Ellie happily greet Julie, Ancia felt sleepy, maybe because she had finished her work and felt at ease.
As Ancia started to nod off, Ellie quickly took away the cushions so she could lie down comfortably. Then she left to let everyone know the duchess was going to bed early. Only the guards and Julie stayed in the room.
Ancia noticed Julie looked pale today, so she forced herself to stay awake and sat up. Julie came over, worried.
“Madam, are you feeling unwell? I’ll call the doctor right away.”
“No, I’m okay. But Julie…”
Up close, Julie’s face looked rough and tired. Ancia realized Julie’s usual blank expression had made it hard to notice.
“Is something worrying you?”
It was just a simple question, but Julie reacted strongly, almost freezing up. Ancia looked at her, worried.
Julie hesitated and tried to leave, but Ancia gently grabbed her hand.
“Julie, if something’s wrong, will you tell me? Maybe I can help.”
Ancia was always kind, but especially gentle to those close to her.
Julie’s heart ached as she remembered watching Ancia stay locked up for months. Even though Richard and Ancia seemed to have made up, Ancia was still basically a prisoner.
Julie felt guilty about hiding the letter with Ancia and Nathan’s whereabouts until it was found late. When she realized what she had done, her heart almost stopped. But no one ever found out that it was on purpose.
