Liz said. After thinking for a moment, Rene nodded with a click of her tongue.

“Okay. It’s not that difficult.”

“…”

“How should I show you?”

As she spoke, she took off her earring. Pressing the middle, just like before, several fangs emerged like a windmill on the smooth edge.

Liz glanced around for a moment. Suddenly, she noticed a framed painting on the diagonally left side. It was exactly opposite the armchair where Rene was sitting.

“Can you try matching that painting?”

At her words, Rene’s expression reflected in the moonlight stiffened. Liz smirked.

‘Did I give her something too difficult? Well, it is a bit dark.’

Just when she thought about lighting a candle, Rene sighed deeply.

“I mean it.”

Rene said in a low voice.

“I’ve been living by deceiving myself every day.”

“…”
“I’ve lived pretending to be impressed by jewelry I don’t particularly like, frilly clothes, and gifts of maroon dolls. Do you know what the first gift was that made me genuinely happy?”

Rene asked. However, Liz didn’t particularly wait for an answer.

“Darts.”

“…”

“The only gift that ever pleased me was the dart Adrian oppa gave me.”

“If it’s Adrian… He’s your big brother.”

Liz mumbled to herself, and Rene nodded, responding.

“It was a perfect game for my mundane daily life. The joy of hitting the bullseye for the first time is still unforgettable.”

Even now, in Rene’s eyes, the joy of that moment seemed to linger as if it was imprinted.

However, that joy did not transfer to Liz.

Suddenly feeling pain in her waist, Liz stood up, moving back and forth in front of the bed, and said, “So, you mean you want me to set a precise target?”

“No.”

Rene turned back with her originally cat-like eyes.

“About three years after I started throwing darts, there wasn’t a spot on the board without a hole, down to the tiniest mark. There was nothing left to hit.”

“Then what did you hit after that?”

Supporting her waist with one hand, Liz asked as she changed direction.

Rene replied, “Birds, dragonflies, butterflies, grasshoppers, or something like that.”

“…”

“Moving things.”

Liz abruptly stopped.

While turning her head slowly with a strange feeling, she looked at Rene. There was no dart in her hands.

“…”

Liz remembered the faint trace of light that had passed by like a shooting star just before. If she had taken one more step, she would have fallen into her pitfall…

“You… You… Trying to hit me…”

“No.”

As Liz’s eyes were filled with astonishment, Rene said. Then, she pointed somewhere with her chin.

Turning her head slowly toward that direction, Liz saw the framed picture. A shooting star was there.

“I told you.”

While Liz slowly identified the picture in the darkness, Rene spoke with a relaxed tone.

“I mainly hit flying things like birds, dragonflies, butterflies, and bees.”

Liz finally recognized the picture.

Under a blue sky, a daisy-filled flower field. And the spot where the dart was stuck was a bee hovering over the flower field, precisely in the middle of its wing…

The star was shining with a light that would never disappear.

⭐⭐⭐

It was the day for the regular medical examination once every month.

After listening to Liz’s heartbeat with a stethoscope, the doctor said, “You’re normal.” This time, he brought the stethoscope to her belly.

As if trying to find the baby’s heartbeat, he touched various places. Then, he stopped at a particular point, closed his eyes, and concentrated.

“His Highness the Crown Prince is healthy too, Your Majesty.”

Smiling broadly, the doctor put away the stethoscope.

“…I see.”

Liz reacted nonchalantly enough to make the doctor feel embarrassed.

It was always a repetition of this pattern.
The child was always healthy, and she was always healthy as well. The end.

She didn’t know what else to be grateful for.

Certainly, there were aspects of me that were not ordinary, as the reactions of the people around me clearly proved.

“Please like her a little more.”

Everyone looked at Liz with a regretful expression as if saying that.

By this point, the suspicions that had been coming in for a while became even stronger.

“Do I lack maternal love?”

Hershis had said that she would love the child more than Liz, who didn’t feel maternal love, and Mirabel had said that just being a mother to the child was enough, and she didn’t have to try hard. But Liz was quietly worried.

It felt like stepping on her mother’s toes…

At night, Hershis found her way to the bedroom.

Surely, I would return to the office once I fell asleep today, but still, the moment of being together was truly enjoyable.

Except for one thing.

“Will you read me a book again today?”

Liz discovered a fairy tale book in Hershis’s hands and pouted her lips.

For some time now, he had been reading a fairy tale book to Liz for an hour every day. Although the child didn’t know, Liz had never listened to the whole book.

Usually, the man, who had colorful language, was so warm only when reading a book, and there was no separate lullaby.

“Why? Don’t you want me to read?”

Hershis asked. Liz honestly answered.

“Just for today.”

“Is that so.”

He readily put the book away. It was almost too quick, and Liz felt sorry for the child.

“By the way, I had something to tell you.”

He climbed onto the bed, leaned against Liz, and said.

“The doctor said so. He said you seem a bit depressed these days.”

“Ah…”

Certainly, because Liz didn’t seem very impressed during the day.

Liz thought she should tell him the truth so that he wouldn’t misunderstand. But…

“The doctor said it’s easy to get depressed when you’re pregnant. So, he suggested that we go out for a change of mood soon. How about it?”

Liz kept her mouth shut at Hershis’s words.

It was already time for an outing. Just as she was wondering how to bring it up, he spoke first, making her feel infinitely relieved.

“Okay. Of course, it’s good.”

“Do you have any place you want to go?”

Liz hesitated for a moment and then said.

“Well… I want to see a play.”

“A play?”

“Yes. I heard from the ladies that there’s a popular play in Jang-an these days. The title was ‘Lover of the Moon,’ or something like that. Well, it’s probably something like that.”

“Then let’s go see it. I’ll reserve box seats for you.”

“Wow…”

Overjoyed, Liz put her arms around Hershis’s neck. Then, Hershis lifted Liz, who was embracing him, and placed her on his thigh.

It was just to express his joy, but somehow, it felt strange.

Was it because of his eyes, which seemed to ripple like melted gold?

Or was it because of the discomfort felt below the seated area?
Since realizing her pregnancy, a desire that Liz had never experienced even once surged from the depths of her chest at this very moment. It shouldn’t be like this…

Liz wriggled, attempting to move away from his thigh. However, due to Hershis tightening his grip on Liz’s waist, she couldn’t budge.

“The doctor also said this.”

He whispered.

“Now, we can have a marital relationship.”