“My lady, welcome.”

Wolf opened the castle gate with a kind smile. Belladonna nodded and stepped inside where it was brightly lit.

Sniff.

While running around outside excitedly she didn’t feel cold, but upon entering the warm castle, the cozy warmth instantly made her body feel languid.

And sleepy…

Since becoming pregnant, she would fall asleep several times a day as if losing consciousness.

She thought she had held up well today, but now she’s sleepy as soon as she returns.

Belladonna tried to focus as she pointed to what the knights standing behind were holding in armfuls.

“Wolf, could you hold onto these and bring them to my room tomorrow?”

“Certainly. But… what are all these?”

“Gifts from Escalion.”

“What? Gifts from the lord? A-all of these?”

Yes, I knew you’d make that face.

Seeing his somewhat disgruntled expression, she smiled slightly and nodded.

“Yes. And I’m a bit tired so I think I need to take a bath…”

“Oh, yes! I’ll have Cindy prepare warm water.”

“Thank you.”

Belladonna glanced back at Wolf, who was still looking perplexed as he ordered the knights to come in, then went upstairs to her room humming a little tune.

“Ahh, it’s warm…”

Belladonna sighed deeply and stretched out her legs as she sank into the bathtub filled with hot water. This feels so good… I’m drowsy.

She played with the bubbles on the water’s surface for a moment, then reached in to caress her rounded belly.

I wonder if the baby likes bathing in warm water too?

Just then, Cindy, who was sitting behind her brushing her hair, asked:

“My lady, Lady Ditney gave you a new fragrant oil as a gift. Shall I bring it now?”

“Oh, would you?”

Lady Ditney, a jewelry merchant who regularly visited Gribrata Castle, often gave her surprise gifts like this.

And most of the things she gifted suited Belladonna’s tastes well.

A new fragrant oil sounds so nice.

On a day like today when she had been out for a long time, just smelling a pleasant fragrance would likely wash away her fatigue.

“Please wait a moment! I’ll be right back!”

Belladonna nodded as Cindy immediately stood up.

Watching her leave, Belladonna leaned the back of her neck against the edge of the tub.

With her body languidly relaxed, she slowly blinked her eyes as she gazed at the patterns on the ceiling, then gradually tilted her head to the right.

“…Oh!”

Belladonna jerked her head upright and took a breath. She blinked her eyes for a moment, looking around.

It was the bathroom filled with hot steam. Ah, that’s right, I was taking a bath… When did I fall asleep?

Swish, swish.

From behind, she heard the sound of Cindy, who had returned at some point, brushing her hair with the new fragrant oil.

Belladonna cleared her throat, trying to pretend she hadn’t fallen asleep, and spoke:

“The new fragrance smells really nice.”

As expected, Lady Ditney really knows my taste so well.

I must have been really tired to doze off in that short time…

Belladonna stretched her arms out in front of her with a groan.

“I feel like I’ll fall asleep right after the bath. I don’t even have the strength to walk to the bed…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll carry you there.”

“Eek!?”

At the sudden deep, low voice, Belladonna made a strange sound and jerked her upper body up from where she had been leaning against the tub.

She clutched her pounding heart and whirled around.

Wh-wh-what?

The sound of water splashing echoed through the quiet bathroom.

“What’s wrong?”

The person sitting where Cindy should have been was none other than Escalion.

He was barely perched on a small chair that didn’t fit his large frame, holding a brush in one hand and a bottle of fragrant oil in the other as he looked at her.

Staring at Belladonna, who had frozen with her eyes wide open, he spoke with an indifferent expression:

“What are you surprised about? It’s not like I’m somewhere I shouldn’t be.”

“W-when did you come in?”

“While you were sleeping.”

“Where’s Cindy?”

Escalion shrugged and replied:

“I sent her away. Said I’d do it.”

“O-oh… I see…”

“What kind of reaction is that? I’m almost hurt.”

“It’s not that, I’m just a bit surprised…”

Belladonna swallowed hard and slowly turned around.

As she awkwardly showed her back, Escalion reached out and peeled away the wet hair sticking to her back.

When his firm, hot hand touched her back, Belladonna flinched and curled up.

His calloused palm roughly brushed against her delicate skin.

Escalion casually gripped her hair lightly in his palm, then began to gently brush it down with the comb.

“…”

“But am I doing this right? This is how the maid was doing it.”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

Belladonna answered softly. She curled her toes tightly and licked her lips, which had suddenly gone dry.

Oh, w-why am I suddenly so nervous?

It had been a long time since they’d had such close contact after learning of her pregnancy.

‘He would sometimes playfully push me down, but…’

Even then, it was only for that moment, he never pushed her further than that.

‘It’s just a bath! He’s just brushing my hair! So why am I so nervous!’

Belladonna blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to regain her composure.

Just then, Escalion’s low voice came from behind:

“I heard you went out today.”

“Ah, yes. I went to the market with Scarlet. They said a fair opened in town after a long time…”

“Good.”

She thought he might scold her for being out in the cold for so long, but he unexpectedly nodded calmly.

She glanced back and spoke again:

“Scarlet… bought lots of baby shoes and clothes.”

“Baby shoes and clothes?”

“Yes. She bought three pairs of tiny, adorable baby shoes, and so many baby clothes I couldn’t even count.”

“I wonder who she takes after, being so generous.”

Escalion chuckled and gently let go of her hair.

He poured a generous amount of fragrant oil into his palm, then rubbed his hands together to warm it.

Belladonna waited quietly, feeling the humid bathroom gradually fill with a sweet scent.

Soon, his hot, rough palms touched her shoulders and nape.

Belladonna ducked her head with a start.

“Uh, uwaah…”

“Wait a moment. I’ll give you a massage with the oil. You’re so tense.”

That’s because of you!

Belladonna shouted inwardly, squeezing her eyes shut.

During bath time when her body should be relaxing, she was getting more and more tense because of you!

“Bella, try to relax. What’s wrong? Is the water getting cold?”

“That’s not it…”

But Escalion, unaware of her feelings, stood up from the chair and began to move even closer to her.

He started to massage her shoulders, arms, and legs with all his strength and care.

“Mmm…”

It, it does feel good…

The initial tension faded, and Belladonna, her body already loosening up, let out a small breath and relaxed.

As expected of someone with a knight’s background, the way he gently worked out the stiff muscles with just the right amount of pressure was fantastic.

“Escalion, it really feels good…!”

“Does it really feel good? I can’t tell how much pressure to use. It feels like I’m just lightly kneading with two fingers.”

“It’s absolutely perfect…”

“Well, that’s good then.”

Escalion looked at Belladonna floating like a soaked cotton doll and chuckled as he bent down.

He slipped his hands under her body and lifted the dazed Belladonna with a swoop.

She instinctively leaned her forehead against his chest and closed her eyes. So sleepy…

“Bella, don’t fall asleep yet. We need to dry your hair first.”

“But I’m sleepy…”

“You’ll catch a cold that way.”

Escalion carried Belladonna out and set her down on the floor. He opened the wardrobe door and found a large robe.

He personally put the sleepy Belladonna’s arms into the robe and began buttoning it up.

His hands, which had been fastening the buttons from the top down, paused at her rounded belly.

“…”

Escalion looked down at her with a complicated expression.

The once flat belly now swollen to its limit seemed unfamiliar.

It was hard to believe that this small, delicate body that looked like it might break at any moment was enduring such a difficult process.

How much longer until this is over?

Escalion clenched his jaw. Lately, he found himself thinking a hundred times a day that if only he could, he would gladly suffer and feel the pain in his wife’s place.

If he had known it would be this difficult, then he would have been more cautious…

“Escalion.”

Just then, Belladonna startled slightly and called his name carefully.

Escalion quickly changed his downcast expression and met her eyes.

“Yes, Bella.”

“Did you feel that just now?”

“What?”

Belladonna was looking up at him with bright eyes, her sleepiness completely gone.

She placed both hands on her belly and spoke with wide eyes:

“Did you feel that kick just now?”

“The baby? It kicked your belly?”

“Yes! It kicked hard from inside!”

This insolent… How dare it kick its mother?

Escalion’s jaw clenched again.