Episode 58
After saying that, Ren abruptly stood up and moved to the dining hall fireplace.
Soon, black powder scattered before our eyes.
“For now.”
He reluctantly parted his lips.
“I leave it to you.”
Callisteon nodded, and Ernst replied.
“Don’t worry.”
And so, Ren left, leaving only two potential fathers for the baby with me.
‘I suppose these two will keep bickering…?’
In my heart, I wished the other one would leave quickly too.
“Lu, how was the new bed? How is ‘our’ baby?”
After breakfast, Callisteon came to my room and asked.
Although no one else was around, I deliberately corrected him.
“I-It’s my baby, not our baby.”
Callisteon curved his cunning lips into a smile.
“Alright, how is our Lu’s baby? Was it well?”
Our Lu.
‘Maybe I should have just let him say ‘our’ baby.’
My face flushed, and I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“Well, you see… Ren modified a stethoscope so I could hear the baby’s heartbeat. Do you want to listen?”
Callisteon’s blue eyes shone as clear and crisp as the sky.
He looked at me with an expectant gaze.
“Sure. I’ll fully fund the development costs through the Magic Tower.”
I wish he wouldn’t do that.
I could practically see Ren flying into a rage upon receiving that money, so I tried to dissuade him.
“Cal, please don’t fight with Ren. You know how much he helps me…”
Callisteon blinked as if he’d heard something incomprehensible.
“You’re asking the impossible, Lu. The Grand Duke of Babenberg, quarreling with a mere Magic Tower Lord?”
It was a brazen answer, but my gaze was stolen by his silver eyelashes elegantly fluttering open and closed, and I was almost fooled for a moment.
‘So, what you’ve been doing for the past two days wasn’t quarreling but bullying…?’
Even though it clearly seemed like a two-way street, I gave up on persuading the arrogant man before me.
He seemed too stubborn, and my heart raced more than necessary every time our eyes met.
“Like this? Place it here?”
Perhaps because my stomach was slightly protruding, I flinched a little at the touch of the cup.
“Y-yes. Then pull this part…”
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
At the reverberating sound pouring from the stethoscope, Callisteon paused.
“This is…”
“It’s the heartbeat. It was this fast when the doctor let me listen before too. They say a baby’s heart naturally beats fast.”
How could one describe the curve of his lips softening so instantly?
Perhaps even Callisteon could feel grateful to Ren at this moment.
Because he could feel the baby’s presence through the magical tool Ren had made.
“May I touch it?”
My stomach was just slightly rounded, far too flat for a pregnant woman’s.
But it was hard to refuse the man who was making such a request with uncharacteristically reddened under-eyes.
When I guided his hand to the slightly swollen part, his large palm stuck there firmly.
“How about other symptoms?”
The question made me realize something.
“Ah, now that you mention it…”
Callisteon kept his hand on my stomach and met my eyes.
Meeting his blue gaze, I said happily.
“I managed to eat breakfast today even without taking the anti-nausea medicine.”
“Really?”
He smiled brightly.
“Perhaps the morning sickness will pass quickly. I was worried because my castle’s head maid said it could last quite a long time.”
To say that… it felt very long to me.
‘By the way, isn’t it problematic if he randomly asks the head maid about pregnancy, pretending to be curious?’
While I was lost in thought, Callisteon declared resolutely.
“If you get any cravings, tell me, whatever it is. I’ll get it for you, even from beyond the northern border.”
I let out a hollow laugh.
“There’s nothing I want to eat from beyond the northern border?”
But saying that made me suddenly remember something I wanted to eat.
“Ah, but I suddenly want to eat gam (persimmon).”
“…Gam? What’s gam?”
I hadn’t even seen a persimmon since becoming Louise, so it was a big problem that I suddenly craved persimmons (fully ripe persimmon).
‘Am I crazy? Why is my morning sickness Korean-style?’
Baby…
This is the Kingdom of Flavi, and you’re a citizen of the Brentani Empire!
But the craving for persimmons didn’t fade even by noon.
Since neither Callisteon nor Ernst knew what gam was, I had to diligently draw pictures of persimmons and (sweet persimmon) on paper.
“So, there are round, flat kinds like this, and also slender, pointed kinds like this?”
“Uh, yes, that’s right.”
Callisteon furrowed his brow and asked another question.
“You said you received this from His Imperial Majesty and ate it before?”
I had made an excuse because it was awkward to claim I was the only one who knew about an unknown fruit, but was it perhaps a foolish move?
I felt a little uneasy, but the thought of hongsi was so tantalizing that I felt I’d have no regrets if I could just get my hands on some persimmons.
‘Just the day before yesterday, I was nauseous and took anti-nausea medicine, but today I’m craving persimmons so much my tongue is dry.’
It was absurd, but that was my reality.
Fortunately, Ernst immediately supported my idea.
“Hmm, there are occasionally exotic fruits bestowed only upon His Majesty. The question is whether we can obtain the same fruit without going through the Imperial household…”
“…I’ll contact the Babenberg trade fleet too.”
Callisteon said, but Ernst shook his head.
“Cal, fruits that don’t appear in the Empire mostly come from hot foreign lands across the sea. Babenberg wouldn’t have the answer.”
Phoebe interjected.
“This place, Edessa, is a tourist spot, right? Flavi has liberal immigration policies, so there are many foreigners settled here too.”
Ernst nodded.
“That’s right. That’s why I recommended coming to Edessa. It’s a city where the probability of someone recognizing Lu as Imperial royalty is relatively low, even if they see her.”
My eyes sparkled as I asked.
“Then can we go explore the fruit shops? Seeing them in person, I might find other fruits I like.”
“…Shall I summon a fruit merchant for you?”
Callisteon started to ask but then chuckled.
“No, you want to go on an outing, don’t you.”
Ernst also burst out laughing.
“Well, Cal, you didn’t see it. Lu was cooped up for a long time even in the Imperial Palace. Frankly, her perfectly fine health was almost ruined.”
“I don’t want to attempt anything dangerous, but…”
Phoebe interjected again.
“It’s true that our Highness’s slender legs were on the verge of atrophy. And, if we’re just going to look at the lake, there’s no point in having come all this way for recuperation.”
Then she opened a splendid wooden chest and took out wigs, sorted by color.
“Black hair, blond hair, silver hair. Which is to your taste?”
At the question directed at Callisteon, he twitched his eyebrows.
“If you’re asking about preference, I dislike them all. You should know that.”
“But Your Grace.”
Phoebe looked up at him and smiled slyly.
“Our Highness’s cuteness isn’t because of her pink hair, you know. His Highness the Crown Prince learned that fact long ago.”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
As Ernst agreed, Callisteon’s expression darkened further.
“…Which one did you see, Erni?”
Ernst shrugged.
“The black one. That’s how I found out—Lu is beautiful no matter her hair color.”
Callisteon gritted his teeth over something so trivial.
“Then let’s go with black hair again today. It’s too unfair that Erni got to see a side of you I haven’t.”
I wasn’t sure if it was such a matter of fairness, but I decided to wear the black wig.
But even after Phoebe applied Ren’s eye drops and finished putting on the wig, Callisteon just kept his mouth firmly shut.
“How is it? Pretty, right?”
Even though Phoebe asked in a fawning way, he said nothing, making me feel embarrassed.
“I guess Cal doesn’t like it…”
As we were about to leave the hotel in a somewhat awkward atmosphere, Callisteon suddenly spoke.
“You stay here, Erni.”
“What? Why?”
At Ernst’s protest, Callisteon shrugged.
“Is there any merchant here who doesn’t know your face? Do you intend to ruin Lu’s efforts to avoid attention by accompanying her as the Crown Prince?”
Naturally, Ernst had no reply.
