Episode 66
“Hmm, it seems the morning sickness has ended.”
The physician spoke while holding a stethoscope, and I asked, beaming with joy.
“Really? Does this mean I won’t suffer from that nausea anymore?”
“There are rare cases where it recurs, but it’s uncommon.”
The physician also smiled, seeming relieved.
Ever since I learned that Helena was guarding Rurik’s side, everything had been going smoothly. To have this vast hotel suite all to myself, eating delicious food and just passing the time!
‘This is the possessed life I dreamed of!’
Callisteon and Ernst seemed to have reached an agreement to take turns guarding me; when one stayed at the hotel, the other would leave to attend to their respective duties.
‘Thanks to that, I don’t have to witness their subtle power struggles, and my mind is so at ease!’
A few days passed like that.
The craftsmen who had taken my furniture orders began returning one by one.
“This is a life-size drawing of the wardrobe. Do you think this size is appropriate?”
The craftsman who had agreed to make the wardrobe brought several samples of the wood he planned to use, along with the blueprint.
“Let’s use this wood.”
I chose the lightest-colored wood from among them. Since a wardrobe takes up a large area in a room, making it a light color would make the space look brighter and feel better.
The craftsman who had agreed to make the rocking chair brought along a fiber artisan, who would make and attach the cushions, and introduced him.
“This fellow is the most famous embroiderer in Edessa. We plan to start work next week, so if you have any specific patterns in mind, please let us know in advance.”
When I asked the embroiderer to stitch the initials ‘F’ for ‘Frisle’, Phoebe’s eyes grew wide. She whispered softly,
“‘Frisle’? Is that the baby’s name?”
We couldn’t finalize the baby’s name yet since we didn’t know the gender. But whether it was a son or a daughter, I intended to name it after Rurik’s third name, ‘Frisleland’. However, openly mentioning the Second Prince’s name was risky, so I had vaguely explained it to the craftsman.
‘Whether it’s a girl’s name or a boy’s name, the initial is the same anyway.’
Now that Rurik had met Helena, all that remained for him was to prosper gloriously, as befits a protagonist. So, I could only hope he would cherish his namesake niece/nephew.
The craftsman who had agreed to make the slide unfolded his blueprint and showed me a wooden plank.
“I happen to have children myself, so I tested it out roughly.”
Saying this, he informed me of the slide heights that his four-year-old and six-year-old had each enjoyed. I shook my head and insisted again.
“As I said, the height of my calf is sufficient. My baby will be using the slide from the time they start toddling.”
During my long hospital stay, I used to make a point of stopping by the pediatric playroom, even though it wasn’t on my floor, just to watch the children.
‘Usually, they were bored older siblings who had followed their sick siblings to the hospital.’
I couldn’t play with them much since I was hooked up to an IV, but watching the children made time pass a bit faster. Hearing their peals of laughter, it felt like their good mood was contagious.
‘It was there I first saw a calf-height slide.’
Looking at the craftsman’s disappointed face, I asked,
“What was your name again? Did your children enjoy it?”
He answered spiritedly.
“Of course, Madam! My name is Mesh Echo!”
“Good, Mesh. Did you make proper slides for your own children too?”
This time, Mesh hesitated slightly before speaking.
“Well… I couldn’t use fine wood like this for the product, I just tested it by placing thin planks on bricks…”
“Make the same ones for your children as you’re making for mine. I’ll cover the cost.”
“…Excuse me?”
He seemed not to fully understand my words.
“You can display different heights in your workshop and invite noblewomen for promotion. Ah, yes.”
I handed him a clumsily drawn sketch I had prepared earlier.
“For slightly older children, it might be good to combine a slide and a swing like this.”
Mesh’s eyes widened as he looked at the drawing.
“Th-thank you! But Madam, how do you come up with these ideas so readily? It’s truly amazing…!”
I couldn’t very well tell him that such things were commonplace in the world I came from.
“The profit share remains the same as before. If this item sells well, we can consider other good products next time.”
The craftsman withdrew, delighted.
Callisteon, who had been quietly standing by, spoke up with a sullen expression.
“Couldn’t you at least discuss the baby’s name with me? Even if you said you wanted to name it after His Highness the Second Prince, I wasn’t planning to object.”
I felt inwardly sorry, but I pretended otherwise, widening my eyes.
“But it’s my baby’s name?”
Behind the disappointed Callisteon, Phoebe stood, struggling to hold back her laughter. Finally, I smiled softly and said to Callisteon,
“If it’s a girl, I want to name her Prilis. If it’s a boy, Priestly. What do you think?”
Callisteon’s face instantly brightened. His blue eyes filled with joy.
“Good. I like it.”
He looked so happy that I, for once, omitted the follow-up remark that it was, after all, my baby’s name.
Two days later
After my bath, Phoebe asked,
“Shall we apply the oil Lord Ren gave us now, Your Highness?”
I looked down at my still only slightly swollen belly and felt a pointless shyness, my cheeks reddening.
“Already? I thought you applied it when the belly shows, to prevent stretch marks.”
“The physician said you must apply it in advance for it to be effective!”
Phoebe vigorously opened the bottle and rubbed the oil between her palms.
“Just a moment, let me warm it up like this…”
I burst out laughing at the touch of the maid’s hands rubbing my lower abdomen.
“Kya! That tickles, Phoebe!”
“Please try to stay still for a moment, Your Highness.”
It was during this brief tussle.
Suddenly, a very small movement was felt in my belly.
“Oh, wait.”
“There, there. All done, Your Highness.”
Phoebe stepped back satisfied after applying the oil, but I remained utterly tense, focused on the strange vibration I had felt.
“Your Highness?”
I gingerly touched the side near my flank where Phoebe had just been rubbing.
Then, I felt a very faint, distinct poke.
“Ah… I think the baby moved.”
“What? Let me see, Your Highness. I want to feel it too.”
Both of us opened our eyes wide, concentrating all sensation into our palms. Poke.
“Kyah, Your Highness! It really moved!”
The moment Phoebe exclaimed, a knock came from outside.
—Knock knock.
A voice followed immediately.
“Lu, is everything alright?”
It was Callisteon.
Phoebe hurriedly got up, hastily dressed me in a house dress, roughly tossed my still-damp hair over one shoulder, and ran to open the door.
“Your Excellency, what brings you here at this late hour?”
“It’s fine if nothing’s wrong. I was just passing by and heard commotion inside.”
While listening to their conversation, I just sat there quietly, fiddling with my belly.
‘The baby moved.’
It was even more surprising than when I first heard the heartbeat.
‘So that means the baby has limbs now and was kicking my belly.’
The baby who had been with me since I came to this world was making its presence known for the first time.
Phoebe, as excited as I was, answered in a high-pitched voice.
“It’s just that… the baby inside Her Highness kicked.”
“What?”
I approached the doorway for Callisteon’s sake.
His hesitant blue gaze finally reached me, and he moved his lips, calling my name.
“…Lu.”
“Cal, do you want to feel it?”
Phoebe subtly moved aside, and Callisteon entered the room with a slightly tense expression.
“The baby moved?”
When I nodded, he became visibly flushed and caught his breath.
“I didn’t know it was already time for that.”
“…Me neither.”
We stood awkwardly for a moment, then sat side-by-side on the bed.
“It was… around here.”
Callisteon watched me move my palm but couldn’t bring himself to reach out.
Although I had boldly invited him in, the baby wasn’t moving continuously, so I couldn’t just grab his hand and pull it over either.
“May I… touch it?”
He asked only after a long while.
When I nodded, his large hand, stiff with tension, touched my belly.
“Truly… your belly has grown.”
