Outside the room, Cayena was waiting. She said she had been reading books about what’s good for expectant mothers, and diligently conveyed the information she had acquired. Her proud face seemed to be seeking praise.

It made her feel nauseous.

“Cayena, you know how much I wanted a child, don’t you?”

Cayena’s face brightened even more, and she nodded her head firmly.

“Of course! Your child will be the root of the Charliee family! You must have felt tremendous pressure to continue the royal lineage, so it’s such a relief that good news came so quickly.”

Her voice continued, clear and lively like a lark. Her vibrant grass-green eyes shone brightly, exuding joy. Her hands, tightly pressed to her chest, curled into circles, revealing her excited mood.

Cayena chattered incessantly in the carriage returning to the mansion. Even after getting off at the main gate and walking through the garden for a stroll, her words did not cease.

“We should have a celebration party when we return to the mansion. Everyone should know about this momentous event and offer their congratulations! A child of you two, how adorable will it be?”

Cayena plucked a flower from the garden and offered it as a gift. Saying it would be a shame not to have a present on such an important day, she forcibly placed it in Natasha’s hesitant hand.

“Come to think of it, will it be a boy or a girl? If it’s a girl, I want to make yellow gloves, and if it’s a boy, green gloves. No, I should just start knitting red gloves in advance.”

“Why red?”

“Because the child’s eyes will surely shine red like both of yours! Oh, how beautiful it will be! I’ll want to hold the baby all day long.”

Cayena hugged herself tightly, crossing her arms. She pleaded to be entrusted as the nanny when the child is born.

Natasha laughed briefly, listening to the other’s deception.

The woman before her was exactly like the Cayena she had loved. She was her lovable friend who rejoiced in her blessings as if they were her own, and an eternal companion promising an everlasting future.

That’s why Natasha hoped Cayena wasn’t the culprit. Even to the point of wishing it was Sieghart’s indifference instead, Natasha prayed for her innocence.

Eventually, her eyes reddened. Natasha, detecting the unstable signal, raised her head.

“My lady, are you crying?”

But it was impossible to stop the emotions that had already burst forth. Inevitably, tears began to flow without restraint.

“It’s just… because I’m happy…”

The sun is bright, and the other’s smile is so beautiful. The hand that brushed against hers while handing over the flower is unbearably warm, and the embrace that holds her, threatening to cry along with her on this joyous day, is as affectionate as ever.

Only her heart felt cold. With an empty chest as if her heart had been pierced, she slowly sank into the deep sea.

As the wind turned slightly chilly, Cayena immediately ushered Natasha inside. She had thoughtfully prepared tea and soft biscuits, said to be good for expectant mothers. It was perfect treatment for a pregnant woman.

“By the way, when do you plan to announce it? Will it be this evening?”

“I’m not sure. I thought I’d wait a bit longer before announcing.”

Cayena’s face visibly hardened at the firm answer. Afterwards, she whined with a disappointed look, asking why not now.

“It’s dangerous in the early stages, you know. Everyone will be expecting, and what if something bad happens? I want to wait until the child is a bit more settled in the womb before saying anything.”

“Because it’s dangerous, you should tell them sooner! That way, everyone can be careful, right?”

Cayena continued to persuade her, saying it would be better to announce it today for convenience’s sake. In the past, Natasha might have fallen for such plausible words and acted according to the other’s intentions, but not now.

“I’ll handle that matter myself, Cayena. Thank you for your concern.”

“I see…”

Natasha smiled and rejected her suggestions again and again. After drawing a firm line one last time, Cayena realized her opinion would not be heeded at all and backed off.

Even after that, Cayena remained attentive to Natasha’s condition. She brought small shoes or clothes, saying having baby items would be good for prenatal care. It was a devotion so intense it was almost tearful.

A week passed like that. Cayena once again tried to persuade her, saying this should be enough time and they should widely announce the life in her womb. She even suggested good methods, like presenting the doctor’s certificate from that day as a gift to the duke if Natasha was too shy to speak about it.

Was she worried about the monthly cycle starting? The other, who kept whining impatiently, unexpectedly showed a weakness.

Natasha replied that she would handle it herself as before, and asked for more time before reaching the dining room.

Due to the gloomy weather, most of the servants remained in the mansion. The knights flocked to the dining room, wishing to greet the couple in the morning and pay their respects.

She sat at the table, telling them to work hard today as well. As the food was gradually served and the two began to eat,

“Come to think of it, Your Grace, there’s good news about the lady!”

Cayena, who had accompanied Natasha, suddenly interjected into the conversation.

“The lady has conceived a life!”

Really, it was a sudden confession. And in such a direct form.

The dining room instantly became noisy at Cayena’s revelation. Everyone was excited, unable to hide their excitement as they congratulated the duchess on the blessing that had come to her.

Except for Natasha and Sieghart, who had actually received the blessing.

The elegantly raised fork hung awkwardly in the air. Flutter, the trembling eyelashes were drawn along with the direction of her head. The red eyes beneath the straight eyelashes stared at the other person.

The other’s expression seemed to ask, ‘I did well, didn’t I?’ It was a question trying to smooth over her own tactless behavior. But why it was tinged with inexplicable elation was anyone’s guess.

Turning her head towards the seat of honor, she saw Sieghart with a hardened expression.

It was understandable. He doesn’t know about Natasha’s plan. Likewise, he wouldn’t know the situation. It was the same as before. He would think Natasha had become pregnant through adultery.

Biting her lip gently, she put down her fork with an audible sound. Then she called out loudly so that everyone in the dining room could hear.

“It was a misdiagnosis.”

She deliberately didn’t look towards Cayena.

The heated dining room instantly cooled down. A questioning silence followed, as if asking what that meant. The servants exchanged glances among themselves, trying to grasp the situation.

“The timing and cycle the doctor claimed didn’t match for it to be pregnancy. So when I checked again, they corrected it to not pregnant.”

She explained as indirectly as possible, since she couldn’t declare the couple’s purity in front of everyone.

Sieghart still chose silence without answering. Was he judging whose words were true?

Even so, she somehow knew he would unconditionally trust her words. Natasha found herself unexpectedly anxious.

“My lady, what are you saying? We went to the doctor together and confirmed your pregnancy!”

However, before she could resolve the situation with the man, Cayena intervened.

“Yes, and that’s why I said. When I found it suspicious and got examined again, they corrected it to a misdiagnosis.”

“But…”

“It’s not ‘but,’ Cayena. There was something I couldn’t tell you then because I was flustered. It’s awkward to have to say this, but I haven’t been intimate with His Grace recently. It wasn’t even a time when I could become pregnant in the first place.”

Natasha finished speaking with a faint smile.

Cayena was startled when the words ‘haven’t been intimate’ came first from the lady’s mouth. She realized her plan had completely fallen apart.

Originally, Natasha was supposed to believe that the two had been intimate. She was supposed to cry out to the end to the duke who was coldly denying their relationship. She was supposed to fall into despair thinking the duke was denying her child.

A passionate night that never existed was supposed to ruin the relationship between the two. A child that was mere illusion was supposed to grow vigorously as a seed of betrayal.

Unlike the emperor’s foolish plan, Cayena’s plan was perfect. It was truly a masterpiece that she guaranteed had no margin for error.

But why…

“Then, what about the flowerpot? Flowers bloomed in the pot! Are you saying the flowerpot was also an error?”

Cayena pulled the flowerpot over, as if in disbelief. At this point, she had to push through in another direction.

Cayena, who had been silently watching Sieghart in confusion, shouted. She emphasized the latter part of her words particularly strongly, stressing that the duchess was lying.

Natasha smiled slightly at hearing words that were like desperate struggles.

It was a sneer she had never received from her beloved duchess.

“Indeed.”

“…”

“I want to ask too, Cayena. Why did flowers signifying pregnancy bloom only in the pot you gave me? Why did only the doctor you introduced make the mistake of misdiagnosis?”

A bombshell question dropped. Natasha speaking like this seemed to know everything. No, the woman had figured out the whole story.

Surprised by the unexpected situation, Cayena slowly backed away. When her back hit the wall, she took a deep breath. She should have acted calmly, but her premature fear only aroused suspicion from those around her.

“Tell me, Cayena. Why did you give money to that doctor?”

Natasha picked up her fork again. She placed the fork in the middle of the ham and picked up a knife with her other hand to cut the meat. Only the eerie sound of cutting echoed in the dining room.

“Was it a service? Come to think of it, I heard the doctor’s child is very ill. Then you should have made a donation. Why did you repeatedly use the title of a hopeful expectant mother while ordering a misdiagnosis?”

Natasha didn’t eat the cut ham, leaving it untouched. Then she began cutting the neatly arranged garnish beside it.

“What did you intend to use the abraxas for? Why did you purchase the corpse of a freshly dead animal? Why did the blood need to be similar to human blood…”

“…”

“Was that corpse found in the mansion’s incinerator?”

“…”

“With all the blood drained out, at that.”