Lutis was organizing documents when he bent down to pick up a notebook.

They had agreed to share everything without hiding anything from each other, but this was an unfamiliar item even to him.

“…Is this a diary?”

Aeli wasn’t the type to deliberately keep secrets from him. So naturally, his thoughts were drawn to the remaining possibility.

As far as Lutis knew, Aeli wasn’t the type to write things like a diary. He had seen her attempt it many times, but she never lasted more than three days.

It seemed like she had tried to write in this one too, but forgot about it and left it abandoned.

With that thought, Lutis opened the notebook, but it looked completely different from what he had expected.

Lutis flipped a few more pages back in the notebook.

As the dates changed, months passed, and eventually a new year began.

He realized that the diary, which he thought would only fill the first few pages, continued for quite a long time.

In other words… the period covered in the notebook was from when Aeli became pregnant to sometime after she gave birth.

By the time Lutis, who had been skimming through the diary entries written at intervals of a day or two, then a week, and then a month, realized this fact, only the last page of the notebook remained, with the rest densely filled.

‘Then this is…’

It didn’t seem to be an ordinary diary.

He could infer that from a few words he had glimpsed while quickly flipping through the pages.

However, Lutis deliberately opened to the very first page again. The thought that it might be better not to read it crossed his mind briefly, but that was all.

So the contents of the notebook he read were as follows.

Imperial Year 773 ○○ Month ○○ Day Weather: Clear

I went for a checkup because my physical condition seemed unusual, and they told me I’m pregnant.

So there’s a person inside my belly right now?

I asked Mari and she said expectant mothers write these, so I’ll try writing one too for now.

P.S. But actually, I’m not sure if this is the right way to write it.

Imperial Year 773 ○○ Month ○△ Day Weather: Mostly Cloudy

I was going to tell my parents first, but since it’s a joint production, I figured I should tell my husband Lutis first as a matter of courtesy.

And he cried. It was the first time I saw him cry… Could it be that I have a knack for making men cry? I don’t particularly like that.

P.S. Oh no. He was so happy he was jumping around the bedroom at night and fell over.

The sound was concerning. I hope he didn’t hurt his back.

Imperial Year 773 ○△ Month ○○ Day Weather: Rainy

Something wriggled in my belly. I was surprised and asked my doctor, and he said it’s the baby moving.

I think my belly has gotten a bit bigger, but I can’t really tell yet.

Ah. I bragged to Lutis about it and he clung to me saying he wanted to feel it too, so I was held captive for two hours in the middle of the night.

Lutis is no joke. He won’t let me sleep at night.

Please, I’m begging you, let’s get some sleep.

P.S. After two hours, the baby finally moved. I teased him, saying the baby was just pretending to lose. Seeing the baby care for its dad from the womb, it seems like the child will be a filial one.

…Wait, then what about me?

Imperial Year 774 △△ Month △○ Day Weather: Clear

I gave birth to a person. For some reason, I can no longer use magic, but I think it’ll be fine if I change my job to an alchemist.

I’m still amazed, so I’ll say it again.

I gave birth to a person.

Wow.

P.S. I feel like I’ve been writing too half-heartedly, so I’m going to try writing seriously from now on.

Imperial Year 774 △□ Month △○ Day Weather: Windy

Today, the baby and I made eye contact for the first time. Overall, the baby’s face seems to resemble Lutis more than me.

It’s obvious since Lutis and I are the parents, but… The baby’s eyes are a soft violet color, just like Lutis’s, and I was so amazed that I kept staring. Then the baby smiled. The smile seems to resemble me more.

When the baby was in my belly, I couldn’t really relate to the idea of maternal love, but as soon as I saw the baby’s face and our eyes met, I just knew. The number of people I have to love with my whole life has increased by one.

They say love makes you a fool, and I think that’s true. For you, I think I could even give up my life.

What kind of love will we have?

P.S. If this is what it means to be a fool, I don’t think it’s so bad.

Imperial Year 774 △□ Month ○□ Day Weather: Cloudy

The baby looked uncomfortable, so I took off the hand wraps, but then the baby grabbed their own hair and cried in pain. It seems babies don’t realize that body parts belong to them.

Despite the small body, the baby was so strong that I couldn’t unwrap the hair by myself, so I called Mari. I got scolded for carelessly taking off the hand wraps. Mari’s mother is a nanny, so maybe that’s why Mari is good at childcare too?

I feel like the baby is hurting because of my shortcomings, even though they wouldn’t have to.

P.S. I want to be a good mother, but I keep making mistakes. What should I do?

Imperial Year 774 △□ Month □□ Day Weather: Clear

I felt sorry for the baby’s swollen face from crying, so I was staring at it all night. Then our eyes met at dawn. It was dark, so I thought the baby might cry from being startled by the face they saw as soon as they opened their eyes, but as soon as our eyes met, the baby smiled at me.

Even though I’m so lacking, you just adore me unconditionally.

I cried a little because I felt sorry.

Just a little, really.

P.S. Thank you and I’m sorry.

Imperial Year 774 □□ Month □□ Day Weather: Clear

Today, Lutis fed the baby formula and the baby threw up. I was surprised and looked, and he said he just laid the baby down after feeding. I told him you have to burp the baby, and it was quite admirable how he squatted down with his large build and listened intently.

But as if in retaliation, the baby deliberately spit up on their dad’s face, leaving Lutis completely drenched. In the midst of it, Lutis said the smell of formula was cute and laughed, which was so funny and adorable that I laughed along with him.

P.S. Strangely, I feel like my energy has been quite low lately.

Imperial Year 774 □◇ Month ◇◇ Day Weather: Rainy

I heard that to a child, their parents are their entire world. While I’m happy to see the baby growing day by day, thinking about that made my heart feel heavy for some reason.

Can I really be your world? I’m not such a responsible person. It’s embarrassing too… I just feel strange.

If I were to die (there are traces of being crossed out with a pen)

…I’m scared.

P.S. I haven’t been very religious, but lately, I find myself praying a lot.

I pray that I can cherish this happiness for a long time.

Sometimes I’m so happy that I fear what comes next.

It was a maternity notebook.

“……”

Come to think of it, I think I’ve heard about it. In the past, it was quite popular among noble ladies to write in a notebook like this and give it as a gift to their child on the day they became an adult.

The one in his hand was also not much different, even if it varied slightly from the typical format.

In that moment, Lutis unknowingly thought,

‘This…’

Did you also want to give this?

Someday, when the child was all grown up, to hand them the palm-sized notebook filled to the brim and say, this is how much we loved you. That I, who had never properly written a diary before, sought out a culture that was once popular only among noble ladies for you, and wrote in it so eagerly and longingly.

…Did you want to say that?

Lutis quietly closed the notebook and lowered his head.

“……”

I don’t know.

Even though the content had no drawings and was just full of writing, the undisguisable excitement and affection could be fully felt.

But when he thought about how in the end, she had to close her eyes without being able to fill the last remaining page, leaving it incomplete.

And when he imagined himself someday having to pass this on to the child.

“I’d rather…”

I’d rather not have seen it.

What was right, he really couldn’t tell anymore.

Because he had long been too exhausted and broken to think about such things.

How he spent the day until sunset.

Lutis simply fled from Aeli’s office and immersed himself in work as if buried in documents.

In between, he checked if the baby was sleeping well, being careful not to wake them.

Just like that.

It was when Lutis was just about to get up to prepare to enter the palace that his assistant, unable to bear the sight any longer, opened his mouth to ask.

“By the way, Your Excellency, that… could it be blood?”

At the assistant’s words, Lutis absentmindedly wiped under his nose with his finger, then sighed and took out a handkerchief.

As mentioned, there was a blood stain on his finger.

“A blood vessel must have burst.”

“…But you’re a Swordmaster.”

“Am I not human?”

In fact, the assistant’s reaction was correct. Unless he directly cut into his flesh with a blade and severed a blood vessel, it was abnormal for him to see blood under normal circumstances.

After Lutis dismissed the assistant.

He then sent away the maids who had entered, and as he was changing clothes alone, the office door opened slightly. The assistant’s voice, who was standing in front of the door, flowed through the gap.

“Your Excellency. Could you perhaps tell me when was the last time you slept?”

“…I thought I told you to go home for the day.”

“If you answer the question, I will see you off until you leave the ducal residence and then take my leave.”

“There’s no need for that, though.”

Lutis frowned at the firm attitude but eventually searched his memory and answered.

“About a week ago, on a rainy day, I think it was for about an hour.”

“Forgive me for saying this, but the last time it rained was half a month ago.”

“……”

“Then do you remember when your last meal was?”

“If you mean a meal, I just had one.”

“Please exclude coffee and tell me.”

“…A scone, three days ago.”

Is that enough now? The assistant’s voice, tinged with Lutis’s irritation, was heard through the half-open door, and the assistant moved his mouth a few times before lowering his head.

Having finished preparing to enter the palace, Lutis fully opened the half-open door and spoke to the knight waiting in front of it.

“While I’m gone, move the baby to the bedroom on the second floor. Double the security and activate the protection magic scrolls I gave last time from the very beginning.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“I’ll be back within two hours, so have the head maid look after the baby during that time. You may go.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the knight carefully picked up the baby and headed to the bedroom.

Just in case, Lutis only turned his back after confirming that the head maid had gone in to look after the baby and the knights were standing guard.

The letter had said to enter the palace secretly at dawn, so it seemed appropriate to go now.

“By the way, I don’t see the head butler.”

Lutis, who was putting on his robe, opened his mouth to the assistant who was still by his side, not having left yet. The reason was that something felt missing.

“He took a vacation last week and hasn’t come in since the day before yesterday.”

“He never takes a break even when I tell him to, so what suddenly got into him?”

“…He said his son was seriously injured and needed care. He was treated at the temple, but he said his son would walk with a limp…”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Lutis replied briefly and went down the stairs. He thought he should tell the assistant to adjust the schedule so the head butler could rest for a few more days.

Heading to the stable next, he found a suitable horse and mounted it.
“Your Excellency, your health is not good, so it would be better to take a carriage than a horse,”
“I was told to enter the palace secretly, so going by horse is better. A carriage is too conspicuous.”
Lutis was about to set off, gripping the reins.
“Duke!”
If it hadn’t been for the captain of the knights who approached urgently.
Lutis said with a sigh.
“I’m busy now, so if it’s not an urgent matter, let’s do it later.”
“It’s… about Madam’s grave, we received a report from the gravedigger that it has been dug up by something.”
“…What?”
But did I hear that correctly just now?