Hain was amazed that a child had settled in Sienna’s belly, so she would listen to Sienna’s belly whenever there were only two of them left. Sometimes, she looked up at Sienna with surprised eyes when she felt movements.
Even today, Hain listened to the child’s heart with her ears on Sienna’s belly.
“This boy will feel closer to Hain than to Carl. Because Hain listens to him more than Carl.”
Hain took her ear off Sienna’s belly and replied, shaking off her skirt for no reason.
“It’s amazing. Of course, I knew women get pregnant and give birth to a baby. But isn’t it amazing that life exists together in the stomach for such a long time, and that later it gets out of the mother’s womb and becomes a human figure?”
“Didn’t you say that you have a lot of younger siblings? You must have seen your mother pregnant, why is this any different?”
“Actually, I can’t think of them because I was young. And I came to the palace so young that I didn’t have much time with them…and the palace kicked out any maid that is pregnant so… The two babies were born after I entered the castle, so I didn’t get to be there. I just thought, “When I go home after a long time, my mom’s stomach is bigger than before.” And then one day, I was just surprised to see two really tiny guys wriggling around.”
“Was it twins?”
“Yes, it’s amazing that they look identical, but surprisingly they have the opposite personality. One of them is such an adventurer that his knees never have time to heal, and the other never takes his eyes off the book. He’ll be a bigger book addict than I am. Whew, I don’t know when they got so big?”
Said Hain, sighing like an old man.
“I can’t wait for this one to come out and grow up.”
“They’re cuter when they’re younger…you don’t know how annoying they are when they say they’re all grown up. When they were just wriggling, they were so cute.”
“How old are they now?”
“7 years.”
Sienna nodded. It seemed like an age when kids get more hands-on and annoying.
“When will this one grow up like that?”
“He’ll grow up in a blink of an eye once he’s born. Whenever I go home after a long time, I can’t recognize them.”
At Hain’s words, Sienna burst into laughter. Though grumbling, she could feel affection in Hain’s words.
*
There were also places that became so deadly quiet when the whole capital city became noisier with news of Sienna’s pregnancy. It was the Empress’s Palace, where Bluebell was residing.
After Bluebell’s nanny was executed for the attempted poisoning of Sienna, the atmosphere was tense at Bluebell’s palace because Bluebell no longer participated in any outside activities. When the news of Sienna’s pregnancy was made public, it became more like an ice castle. The maids working in her castle kept their breath as low as possible as to keep out of sight of Bluebell.
On top of that, there was sort of a grudge against Carl, who did not visit Bluebell who was pregnant earlier than Sienna, and there was cautious speculation that Bluebell was abandoned by the emperor.
But Bluebell stepped out of her quarters after a very long hiatus. She strode to the palace of Empress Arya without telling the knights where she was going.
Currently, there was a rumor circulating in the palace that Bluebell was insane because sometimes, her screaming like a beast could be transmitted beyond the wall.
People would have no choice but to agree with the rumor if they saw her eyes now. She didn’t seem to be thinking straight.
Without courtesy, Bluebell pushed aside the knights in front of the palace of Empress Arya.
Arya, who was receiving guests, stood up from her seat. The aristocratic wives, who were being served tea by her, also raised themselves with surprised faces.
Arya often called in aristocratic wives for tea time. It was one of the ways she tried to expand her influence, and this afternoon she was spending time appreciating the works of a famous artist. However, Bluebell came to the meeting without notifying the members of the meeting in advance.
Bluebell’s sweaty make-up made it questionable that she was once praised as a fairy goddess. Her empty eyes indicated that she didn’t even notice the presence of others.
“I’m pleased to see you, Empress Bluebell.”
The aristocratic wives also bowed to Arya’s greetings. Arya tried to introduce them to Bluebell, but Bluebell’s words were faster.
“What you said last time, let’s finish talking about that!”
Arya’s expression hardened to Bluebell’s urgent voice. The aristocratic wives interchanged looks between Bluebell and Arya with puzzled faces.
Bluebell’s behavior at the moment was incredibly rude. Not only did she visit without notice, but she opened the door without permission, and even ignored the greetings of aristocratic wives, and made a surprise announcement.
Arya laughed at the sight. The urgent-looking Bluebell looked like a baby raccoon struggling in his trap. The thought of attracting dad raccoon with that little raccoon had already excited Arya with its smell of success.
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that Empress Bluebell has something important to say to me. I know it’s not polite to do this after inviting you like this, but I ask for your understanding.”
“It’s all right. Your Majesty and Her Majesty seem to have an urgent matter, so we’ll leave now.”
The aristocratic wives answered politely, hiding the signs of curiosity.
“Thank you. A rare painting from the Kingdom of Cosmo will arrive next month.”
“The Kingdom of Cosmo… You mean that painting?”
Arya nodded.
“I’m looking forward to seeing that painting. We’ll see you then.”
They lifted the hem of their skirts and greeted Arya gracefully. They also said hello to Bluebell, but she didn’t say hello back.
The ladies, who were smiling like dolls, then turned stiff. The women left the palace of Empress Arya with a look of bitterness.
“Oh, my God, Empress Bluebell…”
“I will! I will!”
Arya tried to talk about Bluebell’s rude behavior, but Bluebell shouted without even listening to her. Her voice was so urgent and mournful.
A smile spread around Arya’s mouth.
“As I told you before, it’s not easy. It could hurt him.”
Knowing that it was Carl that Arya referred to as “he,” Bluebell clenched her lips and nodded.
Bluebell was feeling that Carl was rapidly changing.
If it had been in the past, it was certainly a ridiculous choice. Not even worth a consideration. It was ridiculous to grab the hand of someone who suggested they should hurt her most beloved person in the world.
But she was now on the brink. She was even given an ultimatum from Carl that he would not let her go unless she told the truth. There were no more options.
What she most wanted to be Carl’s love, but it wasn’t the only thing she had to give up if she did what Carl asked. Pride, the Empress’ seat, her own family…there was so much entangled.
She didn’t marry Carl just because of love. Bluebell thought it was because of love, but that was just her own illusion.
But because she loved Carl, the feeling of despair and betrayal she felt was greater.
“You may be wetting your hands with his blood.”
That’s why Bluebell could nod her head at that scary remark of Arya.
“It doesn’t matter.”
‘I’ll make you cry tears of blood, you betrayed me.’
Bluebell’s eyes gleamed with insanity.
Arya embraced Bluebell’s shoulders. Bluebell pushed her back, thinking that Arya was pitying her.
“You don’t need to pity me!”
“Why would I pity Empress Bluebell? You are carrying the next imperial heir.”
The two nodded as if there was something precious in Bluebell’s empty uterus.
“Then what should I do? I don’t know when Sienna’s due, but before that…”
Arya nodded at the urgent Bluebell.
“First of all, will you call Count Ferrer?”
“What are you talking about! Why call my father?!”
When asked to call Count Ferrer, Bluebell jumped and refused. She never wanted to let him know. Even if people in the world knew and pointed fingers at her, she wanted her father to never find out about this secret for the rest of his life.
Hain was amazed that a child had settled in Sienna’s belly, so she would listen to Sienna’s belly whenever there were only two of them left. Sometimes, she looked up at Sienna with surprised eyes when she felt movements.
Even today, Hain listened to the child’s heart with her ears on Sienna’s belly.
“This boy will feel closer to Hain than to Carl. Because Hain listens to him more than Carl.”
Hain took her ear off Sienna’s belly and replied, shaking off her skirt for no reason.
“It’s amazing. Of course, I knew women get pregnant and give birth to a baby. But isn’t it amazing that life exists together in the stomach for such a long time, and that later it gets out of the mother’s womb and becomes a human figure?”
“Didn’t you say that you have a lot of younger siblings? You must have seen your mother pregnant, why is this any different?”
“Actually, I can’t think of them because I was young. And I came to the palace so young that I didn’t have much time with them…and the palace kicked out any maid that is pregnant so… The two babies were born after I entered the castle, so I didn’t get to be there. I just thought, “When I go home after a long time, my mom’s stomach is bigger than before.” And then one day, I was just surprised to see two really tiny guys wriggling around.”
“Was it twins?”
“Yes, it’s amazing that they look identical, but surprisingly they have the opposite personality. One of them is such an adventurer that his knees never have time to heal, and the other never takes his eyes off the book. He’ll be a bigger book addict than I am. Whew, I don’t know when they got so big?”
Said Hain, sighing like an old man.
“I can’t wait for this one to come out and grow up.”
“They’re cuter when they’re younger…you don’t know how annoying they are when they say they’re all grown up. When they were just wriggling, they were so cute.”
“How old are they now?”
“7 years.”
Sienna nodded. It seemed like an age when kids get more hands-on and annoying.
“When will this one grow up like that?”
“He’ll grow up in a blink of an eye once he’s born. Whenever I go home after a long time, I can’t recognize them.”
At Hain’s words, Sienna burst into laughter. Though grumbling, she could feel affection in Hain’s words.
*
There were also places that became so deadly quiet when the whole capital city became noisier with news of Sienna’s pregnancy. It was the Empress’s Palace, where Bluebell was residing.
After Bluebell’s nanny was executed for the attempted poisoning of Sienna, the atmosphere was tense at Bluebell’s palace because Bluebell no longer participated in any outside activities. When the news of Sienna’s pregnancy was made public, it became more like an ice castle. The maids working in her castle kept their breath as low as possible as to keep out of sight of Bluebell.
On top of that, there was sort of a grudge against Carl, who did not visit Bluebell who was pregnant earlier than Sienna, and there was cautious speculation that Bluebell was abandoned by the emperor.
But Bluebell stepped out of her quarters after a very long hiatus. She strode to the palace of Empress Arya without telling the knights where she was going.
Currently, there was a rumor circulating in the palace that Bluebell was insane because sometimes, her screaming like a beast could be transmitted beyond the wall.
People would have no choice but to agree with the rumor if they saw her eyes now. She didn’t seem to be thinking straight.
Without courtesy, Bluebell pushed aside the knights in front of the palace of Empress Arya.
Arya, who was receiving guests, stood up from her seat. The aristocratic wives, who were being served tea by her, also raised themselves with surprised faces.
Arya often called in aristocratic wives for tea time. It was one of the ways she tried to expand her influence, and this afternoon she was spending time appreciating the works of a famous artist. However, Bluebell came to the meeting without notifying the members of the meeting in advance.
Bluebell’s sweaty make-up made it questionable that she was once praised as a fairy goddess. Her empty eyes indicated that she didn’t even notice the presence of others.
“I’m pleased to see you, Empress Bluebell.”
The aristocratic wives also bowed to Arya’s greetings. Arya tried to introduce them to Bluebell, but Bluebell’s words were faster.
“What you said last time, let’s finish talking about that!”
Arya’s expression hardened to Bluebell’s urgent voice. The aristocratic wives interchanged looks between Bluebell and Arya with puzzled faces.
Bluebell’s behavior at the moment was incredibly rude. Not only did she visit without notice, but she opened the door without permission, and even ignored the greetings of aristocratic wives, and made a surprise announcement.
Arya laughed at the sight. The urgent-looking Bluebell looked like a baby raccoon struggling in his trap. The thought of attracting dad raccoon with that little raccoon had already excited Arya with its smell of success.
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that Empress Bluebell has something important to say to me. I know it’s not polite to do this after inviting you like this, but I ask for your understanding.”
“It’s all right. Your Majesty and Her Majesty seem to have an urgent matter, so we’ll leave now.”
The aristocratic wives answered politely, hiding the signs of curiosity.
“Thank you. A rare painting from the Kingdom of Cosmo will arrive next month.”
“The Kingdom of Cosmo… You mean that painting?”
Arya nodded.
“I’m looking forward to seeing that painting. We’ll see you then.”
They lifted the hem of their skirts and greeted Arya gracefully. They also said hello to Bluebell, but she didn’t say hello back.
The ladies, who were smiling like dolls, then turned stiff. The women left the palace of Empress Arya with a look of bitterness.
“Oh, my God, Empress Bluebell…”
“I will! I will!”
Arya tried to talk about Bluebell’s rude behavior, but Bluebell shouted without even listening to her. Her voice was so urgent and mournful.
A smile spread around Arya’s mouth.
“As I told you before, it’s not easy. It could hurt him.”
Knowing that it was Carl that Arya referred to as “he,” Bluebell clenched her lips and nodded.
Bluebell was feeling that Carl was rapidly changing.
If it had been in the past, it was certainly a ridiculous choice. Not even worth a consideration. It was ridiculous to grab the hand of someone who suggested they should hurt her most beloved person in the world.
But she was now on the brink. She was even given an ultimatum from Carl that he would not let her go unless she told the truth. There were no more options.
What she most wanted to be Carl’s love, but it wasn’t the only thing she had to give up if she did what Carl asked. Pride, the Empress’ seat, her own family…there was so much entangled.
She didn’t marry Carl just because of love. Bluebell thought it was because of love, but that was just her own illusion.
But because she loved Carl, the feeling of despair and betrayal she felt was greater.
“You may be wetting your hands with his blood.”
That’s why Bluebell could nod her head at that scary remark of Arya.
“It doesn’t matter.”
‘I’ll make you cry tears of blood, you betrayed me.’
Bluebell’s eyes gleamed with insanity.
Arya embraced Bluebell’s shoulders. Bluebell pushed her back, thinking that Arya was pitying her.
“You don’t need to pity me!”
“Why would I pity Empress Bluebell? You are carrying the next imperial heir.”
The two nodded as if there was something precious in Bluebell’s empty uterus.
“Then what should I do? I don’t know when Sienna’s due, but before that…”
Arya nodded at the urgent Bluebell.
“First of all, will you call Count Ferrer?”
“What are you talking about! Why call my father?!”
When asked to call Count Ferrer, Bluebell jumped and refused. She never wanted to let him know. Even if people in the world knew and pointed fingers at her, she wanted her father to never find out about this secret for the rest of his life.
