Since absorbing the accumulated power from Carlos, Mercedes had always been healthy.

Her thin body gained a bit of flesh, and her stamina improved to that of an average adult woman.

Nevertheless, Carlos insisted she receive a check-up from the royal physician once a week. Having always seen her in a frail state, he was unyielding on this matter.

“It’s very early so I can’t be certain, but it seems to be the case. You’ll need to be careful until you enter a stable period.”

Well, getting examined wasn’t a difficult task. If it could put Carlos at ease, she decided to comply with his request.

As days passed like this, she suddenly received unexpected news.

“…So, you’re saying I’m… pregnant?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s truly joyous news! My sincere congratulations. However, as it’s extremely early, I’ll be able to provide more accurate information at the follow-up examination in two weeks.”

“…Oh my.”

Mercedes stared blankly at the royal physician’s face before covering her mouth.

She had conceived a new life in her womb.

It was something she had never dreamed of, even after spending countless nights with Carlos. Her life had always been so close to death.

Of course, it could also be that she hadn’t given it much thought since there was no pressure from others regarding an heir.

The maids listening nearby gasped and covered their mouths. Their eyes were full of emotion.

However, Mercedes felt dazed more than anything else. The royal physician gave her strict instructions.

“Until then, it’s best to refrain from activities more strenuous than walking. Especially avoid the horseback riding and basic sword training you’ve been focusing on lately. While it’s good that your stamina is increasing, it’s still early and uncertain, so it could be risky for the baby.”

“The baby…”

A baby. A baby…

Mercedes nodded her head, listening to the physician’s words in a state of confusion. Patricia and Rhonda, who had regained their senses from the shock, quickly jotted down the precautions the physician was giving.

“…Ah. I’m pregnant… I see.”

Mercedes absently touched her stomach. It was flat. Because of this, it felt even more unreal, but as the physician was finishing up and about to leave, one thought seized her.

“Ah, um- I. Don’t tell His Majesty about this.”

“Pardon?”

“Didn’t you say it’s not certain yet? There’s no need to worry His Majesty unnecessarily-”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will follow your orders.”

The royal physician, before becoming the court doctor, had been an eager doctor who wanted to examine as many people as possible.

He had seen many women while making house calls even in rural areas.

Pregnancy, he found, was more easily lost than expected.

He thought it might be better to bring in a more experienced midwife to attend to the Empress. He also made plans to contact people he knew from before.

The Emperor deeply loved the Empress and showed no intention of taking another consort, so news of the heir’s conception was of utmost importance.

The physician left the Empress’s room, pondering which midwife would be suitable, preferably one who could keep secrets.

From beyond the closed door, he could hear the maids’ shrieks of joy.

Only after the physician had disappeared did Mercedes, clutching her belly, finally manage a smile.

A broad, beaming smile. Somehow, her eyes were also getting misty.

“Little one… come to your mother safely.”

She whispered to the child.

If she were to pick the happiest moments in her life, it would be now, and the time she lived poorly in the alley with her mother.

Some might ask how that poverty could be happy, but her mother’s unconditional love had been so wonderful.

Mercedes wanted to give back what she had received.

Even though she couldn’t feel anything yet, her body seemed new to her. If the child grows without problems.

That would be the greatest happiness.

But on the other hand, she was anxious.

A child born of descendants of Elawe and Karkan. What abilities might it possess? Would the curse possibly continue…? She couldn’t know.

That’s why she thought she needed to be even more careful. So that she could meet the child. So that she could love it, no matter what.

* * *

“Ah, Carlos… w-wait a moment.”

Mercedes stopped Carlos, who was embracing her with delicate touches as he did every day.

The precautions also included refraining from nighttime activities for a while. She barely remembered this because Patricia had meticulously written everything down while she was in a daze.

But despite her resistance, Carlos didn’t stop.

He wasn’t the type to be deterred so easily in the first place. She usually liked that, and sometimes she would deliberately push him away as a tease… but not today.

In the end, she just hugged him tightly.

“Wait a moment. Okay? Calm down.”

“Is this a test of patience?”

Though her slender arms embraced him, he could have easily pushed her away, but Carlos deliberately didn’t. Instead, he whispered, careful not to put his weight on her.

“Today, um… I had a lot of work, so I’m a bit tired. Okay? My love. Let’s just sleep comfortably tonight.”

“Oh my… Have you already grown tired of me? That’s too sad. We’re still newlyweds, after all.”

Since this had never happened in the past year, Carlos asked in a voice mixed with half jest and half sincerity.

Mercedes, understanding his feelings, deliberately made up another excuse and answered playfully.

“How long are we considered newlyweds? It’s been a year.”

“If you and I wish it, it can be for a lifetime.”

Carlos let out a low chuckle and carefully extricated himself from her embrace. It seemed he had sensed Mercedes’s genuine desire not to be touched tonight.

But he had sensed something was off, so he didn’t get off her completely, instead gazing down at her with dark eyes that shone even in the night.

He seemed to be trying to gauge Mercedes’s mood. He might also be wondering if her feelings for him had truly cooled.

‘What should I do…’

It wasn’t that she wanted to push him away.

But tonight was not possible. No, at least for two weeks, until the pregnancy was confirmed.

She had to keep it a secret and somehow push him away without arousing suspicion.

Mercedes racked her brains.

She didn’t want to worry him. But she also didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

“…Nothing happened, did it?”

Carlos asked cautiously.

It seemed that saying it was nothing would be more suspicious.

Just two weeks. If she could endure for just two weeks…

‘Rather than hurting his feelings, it’s better to make him worry.’

Mercedes made up her mind and deliberately let out a deep sigh.

If it was acting for the sake of deception, she was confident.

It wasn’t just because of her past experiences.

It was thanks to Bruce.

Mercedes had kept her promise to him from when she had assigned him an undercover mission.

She had bought various scripts from here and there, consulted with him to create just the right script, and had it staged at the largest theater in the capital.

Bruce was gaining popularity day by day, and now he was landing leading roles in major theaters without her having to struggle to promote him. Of course, there were criticisms about his appearance, but everyone who saw Bruce’s acting fell for him completely.

Whether out of gratitude for this, or perhaps a strange desire to look after her like a younger sister, Bruce would often visit. During these times, she would often practice playing his counterpart.

Bruce had realized that she enjoyed this. Thus, this role-playing became her hobby, and her acting skills improved dramatically. Bruce even joked, with a hint of seriousness, that she should become an actress, asking her to join him on stage as his co-star with her face hidden.

For a moment, theater seemed quite an interesting field, tempting enough to consider.

Anyway, her innate acting talent shone through this time as well.

“It’s not nothing. Actually, I’ve been feeling dizzy lately. When I told the royal physician, he said my body has become very weak… He asked if I’ve been overexerting myself.”

After the rebellion was decisively quelled, the empire entered a golden age of peace.

There was no chance of war or battle, so there was no need for Mercedes to absorb power or for Carlos to overuse his aura.

By now, the absorbed powers that had been maintaining her health might have run out.

“I think now that it’s peaceful, my power has almost disappeared, and I’ve returned to my originally weak body.”

Mercedes reached out to Carlos. There was no tremor in her voice as she spoke the lie.

In the past year, Carlos had become a bit more manly. His face had thinned a bit, his jawline had become more strong, and his features more defined.

As she caressed his slightly rough cheek, Carlos silently gazed at her.

“That’s serious.”

Carlos frowned with displeasure.

“If you’re not feeling well, I should have been informed immediately. Why am I hearing this from you? Perhaps the royal physician isn’t doing his job properly-”

“Ah, I told him I would tell you myself, knowing you would worry. Don’t blame the physician. Even now, I’m only confiding in you because I was afraid you might feel hurt.”

“…Is it, very bad?”

“It’s okay since I’ve been building up my stamina until now. It’s just that the empire is a bit colder than Shaim, isn’t it? I’m being careful in advance to avoid catching a cold. And you should have let me sleep a bit more at night.”

Mercedes answered with a playfully accusing tone. Carlos chuckled softly and finally got off her, lying down.

Then he pulled her into his arms.

“You… your body is always so cold.”

“And you’re hot.”

“Don’t get sick, Mercedes. I’ll have to let you sleep well from now on. To think the Emperor loved the Empress so much he damaged her health, I’m ashamed.”

“It’s not just because of you. I wasn’t born with a very strong body to begin with.”

“…Absorbing life from people on the brink of death to become healthy, that’s not something you’d want, is it?”

“It’s not wartime. People deserve to leave this earth and ascend to heaven with their lives intact.”

“Then, let’s really take care of your health and get you healthy now, my wife.”

“You should call me ‘Your Majesty’, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“You know how much I struggle with formalities.”

“Haha.”

Mercedes laughed and leaned her body against his hot one as she lay down.

In fact, she felt a bit guilty since there was no real reason for her health to deteriorate, and she thought she had become completely healthy at some point.

But it was just a two-week act, so it should be fine.

Mercedes slowly closed her eyes. Somehow, she felt a bit more tired than usual.

Carlos spent the night awake, stroking her hair with worried eyes.