The guards were leaving. They would be parading through the streets of the capital, receiving enthusiastic cheers.

Even though leaving the palace might lead to a terrible situation, they had to stop it now.

So, what the heck is internal examination?

‘Let’s make sure of it.’

Reese steeled her resolve and climbed onto the sheet. Rosa laid Reese down properly.

The bed, where she lay every day, felt unusually cold and desolate.

Her skirt felt too empty.

Except for special occasions, she had never been this undressed.

Embarrassment and fear came simultaneously. Reese comforted herself, patting her chest.

‘I have to endure. For justice. For justice.’

However, as Sanpa set up a curtain below her waist, her resolve quickly crumbled.
“Why… why are you checking this?”

Reese asked with a trembling voice.

Sanpa replied, “It seems that if people see Your Majesty walking back and forth, you might feel uneasy…”

“I’m not uneasy, so remove it.”

It couldn’t be left alone to let them do something strange behind where it couldn’t be seen. She had to watch and prepare her mind.

“Yes, I will do so.”

Sanpa removed the curtain. Then… behind Sanpa, Hersis appeared.

His golden eyes quietly stared at Reese, as if he had understood her trickery long ago, perhaps since he entered this place, or even before.

“Everyone, leave.”

Hersis commanded, with a quiet but imposing voice.

“Yes? But, Your Majesty, the Empress is…”

“I will take responsibility.”

Rosa quickly grasped the situation, leading the oblivious attendants out of the chamber. Sanpa also left. However, she stopped halfway, turned to look at Reese once, with an expression that said, ‘Don’t lie about something like that for the child. It’s not good.’

It was a look of reproach.

Anyway, everyone left. With a clink, as the lock engaged, silence fell for a moment.

The delivery room became quiet enough to make one wonder when so many people had been bustling around.

Breaking the silence was Hersis.

“You are quite clever.”

Hersis sighed and then sat at the end of the bed.

Upon this, Reese spoke.

“I don’t know if I’m clever, but it seems I can act a bit.”

She hadn’t realized it until now, but it seemed that way. Considering no one, not even the physician, Sanpa, or Rosa, suspected anything.

“Let’s talk.”

“That’s why I came.”

Hersis readily agreed. Reese felt relieved. At least he seemed willing to listen to her words.

Suddenly, her modesty became absurd. In a sanitarily scented one-piece, she wore nothing inside. Really nothing.

Since the Turen Province was still far away, it seemed appropriate to put on some underwear before discussing things. Reese raised her body and said,

“I’ll change clothes quickly, and then…”

“No, stay as you are.”

Hersis gently laid Reese down. Then, rising from his seat, he took something out from a shelf.

It was sterilized underwear, prepared by Rosa in case it took a while until childbirth.

He was trying to put it on Reese’s legs himself!

“Ah, I’ll… I’ll do it.”

Reese protested in surprise.

However, before she could finish her words, the white and spacious underwear was going up her calves and beyond.

The meticulous and delicate touch passed through her thigh, creating a strange sensation.

For a moment, she thought maybe Sanpa’s words were right, that the slight bulging was real.

‘If you want to give birth quickly, have a marital relationship. It’s the most surefire way.’

No! Now was not the time to entertain such thoughts!
“Now we can talk, right?”

Having tidied Reese’s one-piece and brought a blanket to cover her chest, Hersis spoke.

“Say what you want to say.”

“Uh… that…”

It was strange.

Even though she had so much to say, now she couldn’t think of anything. In that short time, it seemed like Hersis had cast a spell of forgetfulness on her.

While Reese hesitated, Hersis spoke.

“If you can’t think of what to say, can I go first?”

Reese nodded her head for now.

“I have a carriage prepared at the back gate of the main palace.”

Hersis spoke in a calm tone.

“I will take you to a temporary residence. Be away for a while.”

Reese looked at Hersis with a vacant gaze for a moment.

She thought he was joking. Although she knew it wasn’t the situation to joke, for a moment, she thought so.

“What are you saying?”

Eventually realizing the reality, Reese quickly sat up. Perhaps startled by her movement, the baby in her belly kicked.

“Why should I leave here?”

“The atmosphere will be uneasy for a while. There might be scenes you wouldn’t want to see. So, just be somewhere else for a while.”

“What scenes do I not want to see? When is ‘for a while’? Why did you summon the guards? Why did you confine me here?”

Questions poured out of her mouth.

“I won’t move until you tell me everything.”

It was a lie.

Even if he clearly explained everything, Reese had no intention of leaving.

Of course, Hersis also seemed to have no intention of giving a proper answer. Or maybe he couldn’t.

As the two stood firm without backing down, the bed was inevitably drowned in silence again. Only the breaths of the two intermittently disturbed the quiet air.

‘As expected, something is strange.’

In Hersis’s calm gaze, Reese felt a strange discomfort.

Inside, there was an intense struggle, but outwardly, it seemed calm and peaceful like the sea.

She felt an intuition that she had to shake up that seemingly calm peace and bring out what was inside.

“Tell me. Why are you doing this?”

“Reese.”

Hersis reached out and brushed Reese’s cheek with the back of his hand.

With that ordinary gesture, Reese felt her heart sink. Somehow, it felt like she wouldn’t be able to resist him.

He said, “Just this once, follow what I say.”

“…”

“Just this once, let me protect you.”