“Your Majesty, may I say something?”

Annie, who was drying the residual moisture from Patricia’s hair after her bath, while the empress was wearing basic undergarments, looked at her intently and spoke.

“Hm? What is it?”

“I think you’ve gained a little weight. Especially around the chest and waist…”

“Oh my, really? Is it noticeable?”

“No, not to that extent. Rather, your fuller breasts are more attractive, but your waist has never been prone to weight gain. Still, if it bothers you, shall we tighten the corset more?”

“It’s fine. Annie, you should hurry and get ready too.”

“Hehe, yes. Your Majesty, I’m excited too.”

The painting of the banquet in the salon also depicted the serving maids. Anna had suggested bringing a maid as her assistant, but Patricia chose Annie.

Patricia went to the restroom and put on the pre-selected blue dress and accessories.

The maids laid out ten identical pairs of blue mules and repeatedly put them on and took them off, matching them with the jewels and patterns on the gloves.

Just then, with a knock, Anna entered and announced that the emperor was waiting outside.

“Hm, why? He should wait in the salon.”

“He wants to see you quickly.”

Though she said that, the emperor’s expression was cool. He walked with large strides towards the mirror where Patricia was sitting.

Patricia looked at the emperor approaching, filling the entire mirror.

The white imperial ceremonial dress fit him without a gap, almost constricting his body. With each step, his white trousers pulled tight, accentuating his thigh muscles.

He wore a royal blue sash diagonally from his right shoulder to the left, and unified the shoulder epaulettes and brooch in silver.

With his hair swept back completely, revealing his forehead, his refined features looked even more arrogant. Overall, he was excessively handsome and perfect. Just looking at him took one’s breath away and made one’s heart race violently.

At the emperor’s appearance, all the maids bowed. The emperor handed the velvet box he was holding to the head maid. Anna brought the box in front of Patricia and opened it to show her.

It was a set of a sapphire necklace, earrings, and tiara that shimmered brilliantly. The sapphires, set in silver and adorned with tiny diamonds, were the same color as Patricia’s mesmerized eyes.

“It’s so mysterious. Thank you, Harchen.”

“Your eyes are even more mysterious.”

Patricia, sitting with her legs crossed, blushed as she met the gaze of the arrogant man staring straight into the mirror.

Anna joined the maids in placing the tiara on her head.

Harchen felt a sting in the wound on his right arm while showering, but he roughly poured disinfectant and wiped his body.

If the head servant saw it, he would surely call the court physician and make a fuss, wasting time. He wrapped it in gauze, put on his shirt, and went out to the restroom.

While getting dressed, he had the head servant go to White Palace to find out the color and pattern of the dress the empress had chosen. When the head servant reported “blue,” he chose royal blue instead of a red sash.

He instructed Calip to bring the sapphire set from the safe in his office.

Every time he visited the Kaosan and Roche mining sites, he bought every eye-catching necklace and tiara set.

Philip once said that the empress’s jewelry box was as full as the paperwork in the office, only to receive a cold glare.

Just as Harchen was barely swallowing his laughter, covering his mouth with a blue silk-gloved hand, the head maid announced that the empress’s preparation was complete.

The emperor took Patricia’s hand, kissed the back of it, and helped her up.

“Mysterious lady, would you honor me with your escort?”

“Don’t tease me.”

Teasing? What could be more mysterious than our child growing in your womb?

As the imperial couple entered the salon, soft chamber music played from the orchestra pit. The court painters went to their respective positions.

Harchen went to the round table he had instructed the head servant to prepare in advance, personally pulled out Patricia’s chair, and helped her sit. He pulled his own chair close, almost touching hers, and sat down.

Now, Patricia. It’s time to confess.

However, Patricia was distracted by the magnificent chandelier and the dishes being set on the table.

Harchen turned his body slightly and stared intently at her face. In his mind, he was already picturing two or three children running around in a flower garden, holding hands.

“Patricia, don’t you have anything to say?”

“Ah, Harchen. I couldn’t go to Aster Palace yesterday.”

“You didn’t come for two days in a row.”

“That’s because, lately, strangely, as soon as early evening comes…”

“I know, it’s because you’re tired.”

Patricia blinked her eyelashes slowly, as if apologetic, and cut a piece of brie cheese with a knife. She put it in the warm soup, scooped up a spoonful of the melted cheese, and exclaimed in admiration, puckering her lips like a flower bud.

How pretty.

“Today, you said you had something important to tell me about your life?”

“Yes, but Harchen. Let’s eat first.”

She asked the head servant to serve her a variety of salad and chewed the vegetables with her salad fork. She tasted a little bit of everything from goose dishes to lobster and shrimp flavored with truffles.

Then she placed the steak plate in front of her, cut it neatly, put a piece in her mouth, and smiled prettily.

Haa, could it be? Did that bastard Eden lie to escape a crisis? No, he couldn’t have fabricated such a thing.

Above all, Patricia was eating steak well, unlike usual.

And, haa.

Harchen’s gaze slid below her collarbone, and he blushed.

Does pregnancy normally make one so sensual? The flesh rising above the neckline of her dress seemed to have swollen to twice its usual size.

Now, she should confess.

Harchen gestured to the head servant to pour wine. Harchen lightly touched his glass to Patricia’s wine glass and looked into her eyes, which were as luminous as sapphires.

“Tell me what you wanted to say.”

Patricia only briefly touched her lips to the wine glass before setting it down.

“Harchen, I’m pregnant with your child.”

“Haa!”

Harchen froze. His mind went blank as if all the blood had drained from it.

He had thought of more than ten words and actions of joy to express after her confession, but they all disappeared as if a blackout had occurred.

Patricia was taken aback by his cold expression.

Could it be? Does he not like it?

“Harchen, the child… no, aren’t you happy?”

She grabbed Harchen’s right arm.

“Ah.”

The corners of his eyebrows rose irritably.

She had touched his wound. Thanks to that, Harchen came to his senses.

“…You!”

Harchen turned Patricia’s body towards him. Ah, the eighth method I thought of would be good.

He knelt in front of her chair. He caressed her stomach with his hand.

“Our baby is in here?”

“Yes, Harchen. Please get up.”

Patricia blushed with embarrassment and took his hand. Harchen pressed his lips to her palm.

“Thank you, Patricia. It’s strange, I’m so happy I feel nauseous. You’re happy too, right? It’s not just me who feels like I’m dying of happiness?”

“Of course, Harchen. I’m amazed too.”

He pushed his upper body towards her, tilted his head, and pressed his lips to her still-flat stomach before standing up.

The emperor gestured to the orchestra conductor, who was glancing this way, to stop for a moment.

The salon quickly fell silent, and people looked at the emperor standing upright in front of the table.

“The empress is with child.”

A chorus of cheers and congratulatory words poured out.

Annie had already moved close to Patricia’s side, eager to touch her belly, while the head maid warned Annie with a stern look.

Calip, the head servant, and the maids crowded around, and the court painters who had been standing at a distance used this excuse to approach with their easels, moving their hands quickly.

Harchen ordered the head servant to distribute champagne glasses to everyone in the salon.

“To the empress’s health and the baby to be born next summer!”

“Your Majesty, congratulations!”

“To the health of Her Majesty the Empress and a healthy baby!”

After toasting together, he spoke loudly to the conductor.

“Play a waltz as a celebratory song.”

Then he extended his hand to Patricia, pulling her close.

“Shall we dance one song?”

“Harchen, isn’t a waltz a bit much right now? Besides, you… don’t even enjoy dancing.”

He whispered in her ear, which she couldn’t close.

“I want to hold you and the baby as much as I can right now, but I have no excuse. Let’s dance one song and then go to Aster Palace.”

In reality, Harchen ignored the proper waltz steps from the beginning and just held her tightly, swaying his body slightly from side to side.

“Harchen, I saw Dr. Isabella this morning. She said to abstain from marital relations until the stable period.”

Harchen knew that much as well.

“It’s okay.”

“Pardon?”

“Even without that, I’m happy just looking at you.”

Harchen leaned his upper body further, breathing into her neck as he spoke in a low voice.

“You may not believe it, but I’ll try to endure.”

“I believe you. So please endure.”

“I can’t dance anymore, let’s go.”

“Why?”

“To discuss healthy prenatal care and childcare plans.”

Harchen instructed Calip to prepare the carriage, then put the white mink cape Anna had given on her, carefully fastening it around her neck.

When he was dressing Patricia in her outer clothes, he found the deep blue eyes looking up at him so lovable and cute.

As he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, he imagined their first child as a girl who looked exactly half like her and half like himself. His mouth opened involuntarily.

He sent away the maid who had come to assist with the bath at Aster Palace and Annie, and attended to her himself.

When he was rubbing her body with a soapy washcloth, he almost succumbed to desire, finding it hard to endure, but he bit his tongue and held back.

Harchen listened to Patricia’s wishes regarding prenatal care and child-rearing methods until she fell asleep in her nightgown, and expressed his opinions in a low voice.

At some point, her breathing became regular and snoring. He brought his lips close to hers. After inhaling her breath, he slightly parted his lips and pressed them against hers.

Haa, how can it be so sweet?

“Baby, sleep well and comfortably too.”

He whispered softly to her stomach.

Then he silently went to the bathroom and relieved his vigorous desire under the shower attached to the wall.

He roughly dried himself, disinfected and applied medicine to the wound on his right arm, then put on a nightgown.

He desperately wanted a cigar. He went out to the terrace with a cigar and saw the whole world and sky covered in snow.

He remembered the Heungjok legend that if you make a wish while catching the first snowfall of the season, it will come true.

He wanted to preserve something trivial that he would have ignored in normal times, without clear grounds or evidence.

Harchen put down the cigar on the table without lighting it. He took off his nightgown and put on comfortable pants and a shirt. He put on a coat over them and went outside.

As he caught the large snowflakes falling softly, he quietly, quietly made a wish.