~CHAPTER 95~
Lincia could not resist the impulse and asked.
In fact, she knew that questions about the child would not help their relationship.
It was a topic both of them avoided.
However, as her childbirth approached, Lincia was gripped by an inexplicable anxiety.
She could no longer hold back without asking about the “father.”
Harvich seemed unprepared for her question, and he could not answer for a long moment.
“Why do you say things like that to me…….”
Even that barely uttered sentence trailed off as he turned his head.
The man’s chest rose and fell deeply. In the quiet space, the sound of his sighs reached her ears disturbingly.
“You were the one who held me back when I wanted to leave. And now……”
“That is……”
He parted his lips, but Lincia gestured to stop him.
“And you say I should stay until the child is born. How am I supposed to take that?”
Lincia’s heart pounded. She even felt betrayed by him.
Lincia had long sensed that Harvich was reluctant to accept the child. But she had pretended not to notice.
She wanted to believe it was just her sensitivity.
She did not want to aggravate an already fragile relationship.
But today, feeling the child move and seeing his unease confirmed that her feelings were not mistaken.
Harvich was avoiding her child. That must be why he thought of sending her to the villa as her birth approached.
“You suggested I go to the villa because……”
The reality made her sad.
The man had forgotten spending the night together. And she still had to insist on her innocence to him.
She did not want to cry, but her eyes reddened again.
“It’s not that I don’t want to see the child.”
“Really?”
“I had no choice but to host guests at the Grand Duke’s residence.”
The man slowly walked toward Lincia and took her hand.
“If there are many strangers, you might feel uneasy. That’s all.”
He sat at the bedside almost kneeling, looking up at her.
“It seems that stranger won’t leave the castle for two months.”
Though he intended to explain, or rather justify himself, to Lincia, his words did not sound gentle to her ears.
Lincia snatched her hand back, irritated at his excuses.
“The more you excuse yourself, the more miserable I feel.”
Harvich looked at his empty hands, then stood up.
“Why don’t you believe me? It’s your child.”
The man in front of her wiped away her tears. She did not want to cry, yet tears kept flowing, blurring Harvich’s face.
Even through her blurry vision, his hesitation was clear.
“Try to tell me so I can understand.”
Harvich held her hand again.
“Honestly, I have nothing but a healthy body, so I find it hard to believe your claim that you might have been drugged.”
“……”
“I wanted to trust you, so I checked the castle’s entry records. Even so, there is no record of me entering or leaving the castle, and no one saw me that day.”
Lincia seemed to understand what he wanted to say.
She wanted to move away from him, but he tightened his grip on her hand.
“I feared something terrible might happen to you……”
“That can happen. As I said then, it doesn’t matter who the father is……”
Harvich reflected in her tear-blurred eyes. He did not trust her.
Knowing it vaguely and realizing it fully were two very different things.
Lincia could barely breathe.
It felt as if someone had gripped her heart tightly. She thought no more harm would come from this situation.
“Lincia, I’m not saying this to shame you. I just……”
“Please, stop. Stop talking.”
She panted, pleading.
She felt hollow. It was unbearably cold, and she didn’t know where to find warmth.
“Are you sure you can love my child?”
The man, unsure what to do, hugged her.
“Yes. So stop crying.”
She shivered at the comforting warmth of the man.
“Even if I die giving birth, I can still love the child?”
Harvich stiffened as he hugged Lincia.
Lincia cried even more at his delayed response.
She thought it was warm, but the thought that it might have been her imagination made her feel cold again.
“You hesitate because we have no memory of sleeping together. So… let’s sleep together.”
Even she knew it was absurd, but Lincia was desperate.
She wanted to cling to any warmth she could.
* * *
Harvich watched the woman who had cried herself to sleep.
“Even if I die giving birth, I can still love the child?”
Harvich had never considered Lincia leaving and the child being left alone.
He had only thought of abandoning the child if an emergency arose.
He had already instructed the midwife accordingly and had thought about it multiple times.
Seeing Lincia’s sore eyes, his heart ached.
“Hold me.”
“……It might be too much for your body.”
“Please, Harvich, hold me.”
Harvich knew that Lincia’s plea was unreasonable.
Still, he had no choice but to grant her wish.
Kissing her finally calmed her sobbing. Saying “I love you” stopped her tears.
After everything, Lincia spoke. Her hoarse voice from crying pierced his heart.
“I’ll go to the villa.”
“Once you’re ready, I’ll prepare so you can leave immediately.”
“I want to go as soon as possible.”
“Understood.”
Lincia, whom he thought had fallen asleep, spoke again after a while.
“……Harvich, when I give birth, can you be by my side?”
“Yes. I will.”
About two months remained until Lincia’s childbirth.
Harvich planned to resolve all issues by then.
He stayed awake all night, watching her sleep.
The next day, Lincia acted as if she had forgotten the previous night entirely.
“Are you busy today?”
“Not busy.”
“Stay with me today. Tomorrow I’ll go to the villa.”
Harvich silently nodded.
* * *
He escorted Lincia to the villa.
It took a full day to reach the Welhatten Territory.
Fortunately, the large entrance of the underground passage allowed them to bring a horse.
She rode the horse, which was better than walking herself.
“Once work is done, I will stay by your side.”
“Yes.”
Seeing Lincia seemingly fine made Harvich uneasy, so he stayed at the villa until Anna and Tereo arrived.
Thankfully, the Welhatten family members were mostly gentle and kind.
Otherwise, he would not have brought Lincia this far.
When Harvich returned to the Grand Duke’s residence, he encountered Count Chelsea near the office.
The count began babbling as soon as he saw Harvich.
“I returned from the kingdom’s envoy, and my wife collapsed from illness.”
“And?”
Harvich frowned.
Count Chelsea, known as a devoted husband, was famous even in the Grand Duchy.
“Please, save my wife.”
He often met foreign envoys and always observed proper etiquette.
Yet now, he was completely disheveled and careless.
“I will honestly tell you about the secret negotiations with the emperor.”
