~Chapter 126~
“Yawn… Why am I still sleepy even after sleeping so well?”
“In early pregnancy, it’s normal to feel drowsy, my lady.”
“It’s not early. I’m already six months along.”
“Ah, th-that’s because… your body is heavier, so you get tired easily. Please rest, my lady.”
Ellie flusteredly patted the pillow and helped Ancia lie down comfortably.
“Yaaawn…”
Even the smallest movements left her tired. Maybe it was her imagination, but her belly seemed to have grown rounder in just a few days.
Ellie kept the windows fresh with air, while Bianca freely moved about the tower and often brought snacks.
“My lady, here’s the sherbet you ordered.”
“Mm, thank you.”
It felt luxurious, eating cold sherbet in a warm room.
When Ancia suddenly craved a fish-shaped bun with sweet red bean paste, Chef Harmon paled in shock, asking why anyone would put beans in fish and if that was some eastern trend. In the end, he brought her pancakes filled with beans — strange, but tasty enough.
But Ancia spent too much time just lounging around, and finally Anna spoke up.
“Not moving too much is bad for your health. How about walking up and down the stairs a little?”
“But I’m not supposed to leave my room.”
Anna frowned at how the Duchess obeyed the Duke’s orders so completely. After speaking quietly to the guard outside, she returned.
“They say it’s fine to walk around inside the tower.”
“Really? Oh, that’s good.”
So Richard didn’t mind if she stayed within the tower walls. Curious, Ancia asked the guard to open the door — and it opened easily.
It felt strange, walking again after so long.
“There are quite a lot of stairs.”
“We’ll help you, so please go slowly.”
“Yes, if your belly grows more, it will be harder to use the stairs. You should move while you still can.”
Listening to the maids’ advice, Ancia carefully walked around the tower.
Like the owner of a four-story building, she went all the way down to the first floor and climbed back up again. Her legs ached so badly she decided not to repeat the “stair walk” for now.
When Richard later heard that she had explored the tower only once and then stayed shut in her room, he felt so guilty he skipped meals and buried himself in work. Of course, Ancia never knew.
Her life in the tower didn’t change much.
“Doing nothing feels so good…”
Like a lazy white seal, Ancia melted into her bed, surrounded by a pile of new romance novels. Even reading one book a day, she had plenty left — and that made her happy.
When she lay down for naps, Anna read fairy tales aloud, saying they were good for prenatal care. They worked like sleeping pills.
After days of this, Anna finally grew firm.
“This can’t go on, my lady. I will meet the Duke myself and ask for permission for you to go outside.”
Bianca and Ellie lived in the tower with her around the clock, though sometimes they left for laundry or errands. Anna, too, went home each evening to her husband, Gail.
Seeing Ancia lazing in bed with cookies and books again, Anna decided this was unacceptable.
“Anna, I’m fine. I’m enjoying this enough already.”
“No, my lady. I have long respected your wisdom and achievements. To lock up such a noble and wise Duchess in a room… it’s wrong.”
Wisdom? Respect?
Ancia almost choked on her cookie at those words.
Crunch—
The sound of munching filled the serious air. Anna squeezed her eyes shut in frustration.
The Duchess, famous for her dignity, now lazed like a spoiled noble. Anna couldn’t bear it any longer.
“It’s nearly lunchtime, yet you’re still in underclothes, lying in bed, spilling crumbs. How can that befit the Duchess?”
At last, Anna exploded. She was about to storm out and blame Richard for everything when the door opened.
Head maid Julie entered.
“Head maid, perfect timing. I had something to tell you.”
“Forgive me, but I must first deliver the Duke’s message to the Duchess.”
“Julie, it’s been a while!” Ancia greeted her warmly.
Julie gave a faint smile, then returned to her usual serious expression.
“The garden at the annex has been fully restored. The Duke recommends that you take a walk there.”
“What? First he locked me up, and now—?”
It was genuine curiosity, not complaint. Still, Julie’s expression grew sharp, and the mood turned heavy. Surprised, Ancia quickly raised her hands.
“No, no, I love walks! I’ll go. See? I’m ready. Julie, don’t cry, okay?”
“I’m not crying.”
Ancia threw on a shawl, but Anna and Julie immediately shook their heads.
“A Duchess must keep her dignity when leaving her chambers.”
“Yes, my lady. Many guards and soldiers will be watching.”
Ah… they’re so alike.
Ancia laughed brightly, her eyes curving like crescents. Both women blinked, confused by her sudden warmth. Taking advantage of their silence, Ellie quickly started fixing Ancia’s hair.
When Bianca brought several dresses, Anna disapproved of their light, girlish colors.
“You’ve chosen only unfitting ones. A proper maid should have better taste.”
“But my lady looks good in yellow and pink. She shines no matter what she wears.”
“I agree with Bianca. It’s only a walk in the garden, not a formal outing.”
Bianca and Ellie teamed up to dress Ancia in a cute pink dress, while Anna frowned in disapproval. Ancia compromised by adding Anna’s lavender shawl.
Everyone nodded in the end, and Ancia felt both worried and amused. She knew they would clash often, yet the chance to argue over something as simple as dress colors wasn’t unpleasant.
Compared to being trapped in that remote village, even confinement inside the Duke’s estate felt comfortable.
‘Am I too optimistic?’
Maybe. But she also understood Richard a little better now.
“Julie, are you doing well? We rest here comfortably, but you’re out there, and I can’t help but worry.”
Even though she was the one confined, Ancia worried for Julie. The maid felt a wave of guilt.
The estate had been shaken by intense investigations. Every servant and knight had their families and finances examined. Julie, too, was investigated, but since she had an ordinary background, nothing suspicious was found.
Julie was a spy, but since she wasn’t paid and only carried out small errands with her family’s lives held hostage, she escaped suspicion.
Even so, her conscience weighed on her. She had been the one Richard sent to deliver the message about Ancia’s walk.
“Julie, you don’t look well. Isn’t your work too hard?”
“I’m fine, my lady. But I must return quickly.”
Julie left in haste, leaving Ellie disappointed but too busy finishing Ancia’s hair.
“My lady, I braided it lightly instead of decorating. It suits a walk better.”
“Perfect. Too much would’ve been awkward anyway.”
Finally ready, Ancia descended the stairs with her maids and guards. Just going down left her panting and dizzy.
The spiral staircase echoed with their steps, and by the time they reached the ground floor, her head throbbed.
Bianca supported her anxiously, and Ancia leaned on her until they reached the entrance. The sunlight felt blinding.
“Close the door.”
The heavy doors shut, and she breathed easier. But her body weakened, sweat breaking out. Bianca quickly crouched.
“My lady, climb on my back. I’ll carry you up.”
“All the way to the fourth floor? That’s too much.”
“If it’s too hard, Ellie and Anna can help in the middle.”
They both nodded firmly, trying to reassure her. Ancia smiled weakly at their care.
“Then I’ll leave it to you. Let’s rest halfway if needed.”
“Don’t worry, my lady.”
Bianca lifted Ancia easily onto her back, Ellie and Anna steadying from the sides. The guards followed silently, not daring to touch the Duchess.
At the tower entrance, Richard stood waiting — frozen in place, his face stiff with emotion.
He had been standing there for a long time, watching.
