After Grisha left like that, feeling unwell, I spent time hugging and patting only Zeke affectionately.

As I was doing so, somehow the eggshell seemed to be getting colder and colder.

‘Should I wrap it in a blanket?’

Come to think of it, even when chicks hatch from eggs, aren’t they kept warm?

I was only guessing from its appearance that the dragon was similar to reptiles that hatch regardless of their mother.

‘Seeing how it absorbs magic, maybe mother dragons used to incubate and care for eggs until they hatched.’

Maturing inside an egg rather than the mother’s womb could be an evolutionary method chosen to hatch even in environments without a mother, like now.

‘I should cover the egg warmly even now.’

Since I had already tied the egg firmly to my waist, it wasn’t difficult to cover it with a blanket.

I spread the blanket wide like an apron and skillfully tied a knot below my chest.

As I was patting the egg like patting a baby, I heard the sound of the front gate opening.

I scurried over to the entrance. Cedar had returned for lunchtime.

“Welcome back?”

“Yeah……”

Cedar nodded coolly as he entered, but suddenly stopped in his tracks as he crossed the threshold.

His wide eyes turned towards me. I tilted my head in confusion.

“Why did you suddenly stop like that?”

If you leave the door open like that, bugs will come in. The weather has been getting warmer lately, so insects in the garden were increasing.

I waved my hand to signal him to close the door quickly, and Cedar’s face turned bright red.

He grumbled as he slammed the door shut.

“You startled me! What are you carrying in your belly?”

“Oh, this?”

Because I had covered it with a blanket, the egg wasn’t visible.

So he couldn’t tell it was an egg and was surprised thinking my stomach had suddenly bulged out.

‘He saw it this morning too, why is he suddenly surprised?’

There’s no way my flat stomach from this morning could swell up like this in just a few hours. I shrugged and answered nonchalantly.

“It’s Zeke.”

Cedar must have been quite flustered, as he blinked for a while, unable to process my answer even after hearing “Zeke”.

After a long moment, Cedar furrowed his brow as he finally understood what I meant.

“……The egg? Why are you carrying the egg around like that?”

“I think it’s about to hatch soon. That’s why I was anxiously waiting for you. Come here quickly.”

The egg was now moving vigorously enough to flip upside down even when I wasn’t looking.

‘Just a little more magic and it will fully hatch.’

Seeing the changes in the egg made me even more impatient.

I tugged on Cedar’s sleeve. Sitting side by side on a nearby sofa, I faced Cedar and puckered my lips.

Cedar, who had been hesitantly dragged along and seated, frowned.

“I clearly said I’m not a magic charger.”

Saying it like that makes me sound like such a jerk!

“I-I didn’t just anxiously wait for you only to charge magic! I missed you!”

“Your feelings are probably 30% missing me, and 70% wanting to charge magic.”

“……”

Cedar knew me too well. Hit right on the mark, I quietly avoided Cedar’s gaze.

Then a large hand grasped my chin and gently lifted it to meet his eyes again.

Cedar’s silver-gray eyes reflected me like a mirror.

The corners of his straight mouth curved into a faint smile. His voice flowed out like a sigh, tickling my neck.

“Can’t be helped. They say the one who loves more loses in matters like this.”

Though indirect, it was ultimately Cedar’s confession of love for me.

Without waiting for my response, Cedar lowered his head and pressed his lips to mine.

At the same time, a massive amount of magic rushed in, but now the sensation of contact with Cedar felt even more intense than that.

‘I like it.’

I stretched out both arms and embraced his thick neck. Thump thump, my heart pounded with a pleasant sound.

Being connected like this made me realize even more clearly.

‘I really do like this person.’

The compass of my heart was definitely pointing towards Cedar.

After kissing for a long while, as if savoring the lingering feeling, Cedar nibbled my lower lip a few times, giving shallow kisses.

After our lips fully parted, Cedar wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close.

A gentle hand touched my disheveled bangs.

“Did anything happen today?”

“Grisha came by.”

At my words, Cedar’s hand stopped abruptly in mid-air. I let out a big sigh. Then I recounted what happened today as calmly as possible.

“I rejected Grisha’s confession.”

“……Confession?”

Cedar’s thick eyebrows twisted crookedly. I now honestly disclosed to Cedar what had happened between Grisha and me.

“I made a promise with Grisha before. That I would go to him if I divorced you. I told him today that I don’t think I can keep that promise.”

“You made such a promise? No, more than that……”

Indescribable emotions swirled on Cedar’s face.

It was clearly an expression of hesitating over which words to say first. I firmly grasped Cedar’s hand.

“I want to stay by your side, Cedar.”

My decision to remain by his side wasn’t because he was the only one who could replenish my magic, or because I happened to open my eyes and find him beside me.

I chose him. Because I like him.

Because I felt that I wouldn’t mind being bound to him for the long time that is a lifetime.

Hearing my words, Cedar lowered his head. His black eyelashes trembled faintly.

“……You should have said that first.”

Muttering as if sighing, Cedar tightly embraced me with both arms. Then he pressed his cheek against the top of my head and whispered.

“Now you really can’t run away even if you want to. Wherever you try to escape, I’ll catch you.”

“Where would I go? There’s no one else who can replenish my magic but you.”

At those words, I burst into laughter. Cedar faced me again with a serious expression.

“You’re not really staying with me just for my magic, right?”

“Which do you think it is?”

Light laughter flowed out naturally, like sparrows chirping.

Cedar, who had been pouting his lips, kissed my forehead and whispered.

“Actually, I don’t care which it is. Just stay by my side.”

I care which one it is, though. I confessed my true feelings.

“I love you, Cedar.”

The corners of Cedar’s eyes turned slightly red. Cedar, holding both my arms, lowered his head and captured my lips again.

Just as a more intense kiss than before was about to begin:

Wriggle!

“……?!”

Something moved greatly between us. Startled by the sensation, we quickly separated and looked down.

None other than the dragon egg was there. Cedar blinked and asked in a surprised tone.

“Did the egg just move?”

“I think it was surprised by too much magic pouring in.”

“Oh my.”

I cradled the egg with both hands.

The egg that had looked like a stone moving must have been quite a shock, as Cedar was frozen stiff.

“I hope it hatches soon. I’m already excited to see how cute the baby dragon will be.”

“Will it really be cute?”

Won’t it be cute? All baby creatures in the world are small and cute, after all.

“But what do dragons eat? Fish or meat? I suppose they’d eat something soft when they’re babies.”

I knew almost nothing about even common livestock, let alone reptiles.

While I may not lag behind others in knowledge, actually raising one is completely different.

It’s like how I know a lot about the nutrients in food, but can’t eat according to that knowledge.

“Cedar, you’ll have to help me a lot. You know, right? I’m not good at cooking, and I’m not good at taking care of someone.”

“We’ll raise it together.”

To my words spoken out of lack of confidence, Cedar firmly grasped my hand and gave me strength.

A smile spread across my face at his kind words.

“When you say it like that, it really sounds like our child.”

Cedar’s eyes also crinkled into a gentle smile.

“We’ll visit the Granite ducal residence soon. We’ll look for information about dragons and also settle the title issue with Father.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“Then……”

Cedar’s fingers tugged at the blanket knot near my shoulder blade. The blanket covering the egg slipped down.

“Shall we put that egg down now?”

I nodded shyly. We resumed the kiss that had been interrupted earlier by the egg.

After watching Nelly completely clear her plate, Cedar returned to his study.

Being quite skilled at managing his expressions, he maintained his usual indifferent look until he reached the study, but the moment the door closed, bewilderment spread across his entire face.

‘I was really surprised earlier.’

What he recalled was none other than the sight of Nelly coming out patting her swollen belly when he opened the front door of the mansion.

Even though he knew well that she couldn’t be pregnant, he couldn’t help but stop in his tracks at that moment.

The thought of his small, lovable wife even carrying his child made him feel dizzy with happiness.

Cedar sat down in his study chair with slightly staggering steps and buried his face in both palms.

‘Someday we’ll have our own child too, right?’

Just imagining it made his heart beat fiercely. It wasn’t just joy, but also concern that washed over him.

Nelly was already too small now. To think of her giving birth. Could she handle such a demanding task?