Melly’s eyes shone anxiously as she stared at the sink.

Her mouth felt parched and her heart felt like it was burning up.

Melly watched the long white paper slowly turn gray from the end, then turned her head away.

‘I have to wait about five minutes anyway.’

Because that’s how long they said it would take.

Melly paced back and forth in front of the sink, trying to distract herself with pleasant thoughts.

Recently at a gathering of parents from Jade’s academy class, everyone praised Jade’s writing skills. The parents asked about their educational secrets, saying Jade’s vocabulary usage was far superior to her peers.

‘I haven’t done anything special.’

Melly told the truth and carefully observed the ladies’ expressions. Because her words could be interpreted as either humility or arrogance depending on the listener.

Fortunately, no one seemed to take offense, but they didn’t seem to fully believe her either.

‘Don’t be like that, please tell us your secret. Please?’

‘Yes. Seeing how Duke Pelton and everyone else stood out from a young age, there must be a special educational method passed down through the generations.’

There really isn’t anything like that.

Melly felt quite perplexed, but on the other hand, she was glad the child had only inherited her father’s good traits.

Knowing how brilliant Edric was from a young age, Melly couldn’t help but worry that Jade would constantly be compared to her father.

Melly was proud of her child.

And she resolved to make sure the child didn’t develop a warped personality like her father’s childhood, under too many expectations.

‘And there was that incident too.’

Melly thought of another good thing.

Five months ago, the Jade 2 teahouse located in a corner of Milord Square was making steady progress.

Rejecting her husband’s offer to buy the entire building, the teahouse she started by renting just the first floor was satisfying a wide range of ages and classes.

Of course, it wasn’t like that from the beginning.

Well-dressed noble ladies would often refuse to sit with customers in ordinary clothes.

‘Remove those people and let us have the place to ourselves for an hour. We’ll pay ten times the tea price, madam.’

To those ladies who frowned as if the commoners would spread disease, Melly said:

‘I’m sorry, madam. But I’m afraid that won’t be possible. Those people are just as important customers to me as you are.’

Her persuasion was gentle and delicate.

Even in such cases, not many ladies left saying it was filthy. Most sat together despite their displeasure, and after having a surprisingly pleasant experience with fragrant tea and the fresh atmosphere created by diverse people, they left with satisfied faces. And then they came again.

Melly was diligently running a small but precious space, just like she had in Planer Village.

Now Melly stopped pacing.

She saw that exactly five minutes had passed on the pocket watch in her hand. It was time.

Melly slowly walked towards the sink.

The results on the marble sink started to come into view.

“…!”

Melly’s brown eyes widened, then slowly closed.

“Today’s appetizer is foie gras roasted with honey and saffron…”

How should I say it?

As she half-listened to the new chef’s explanation of the dish, Melly thought.

‘Um, I’m pregnant.’

Like this?

No. This is too direct.

‘It seems a new life has come to my body.’

That’s the same thing. Plus, it’s too sentimental an expression.

Melly tried to think of various phrasings in her mind, but nothing particularly good came to mind.

How could she get him to accept the pregnancy news naturally and without resistance?

“…”

Melly was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice Edric staring at her intently.

“What’s wrong?”

Only when she recognized the bright blue eyes looking at her did Melly snap out of her reverie.

“Do you have something to tell me?”

“Ah, no. It’s nothing…”

Melly found herself lying without meaning to and smiled awkwardly. Edric, who had an unusual intuition when it came to her, narrowed his eyes.

Just as Melly’s smile started to crumble, thankfully Jade diverted her father’s attention.

“Dad, Isaac Clynes’ mom brought his younger sibling to school today.”

“You mean that late-in-life sibling they just had?”

“Yes, that’s right. It was a baby sister and she really liked me. When I gave her my finger, she grasped it tightly like this.”

Jade demonstrated by gently wrapping her left hand around her right index finger.

Edric smiled and said:

“That must have been so cute, Jade.”

“Yes, Dad. She was so adorable. I wish I had a little sibling like that too.”

“A sibling, huh…”

Edric drew out the end of his sentence meaningfully.

“If that’s what you want, I suppose we’ll have to consider it.”

“…”

Melly couldn’t believe her ears.

Just a couple months ago, in a special feature interview about the Pelton family, when asked when they planned to have a second child, he had firmly answered:

‘Jade Pelton is our only child.’

Had his mind changed since then?

As Melly looked at him with questioning eyes, Jade asked in an expectant voice:

“Really, Dad? When? When?”

“Soon.”

Edric looked at Jade with a warm gaze, then at Melly.

Melly was certain.

‘His mind has changed. No doubt about it.’

Now she had the courage to speak.

After dinner, Edric and Jade played chess in the main house. The child went back to her room in high spirits after winning, not realizing her father had deliberately let her win.

Finally alone together, Melly asked with expectant eyes:

“What you said to Jade earlier, did you mean it?”

“What did I say?”

Edric asked. Melly reminded him:

“You said you’d think about giving Jade a younger sibling.”

“Ah, that…”

Edric chuckled and said:

“I meant it.”

At those words, Melly’s chest, which had felt as heavy as if weighed down by a stone, suddenly lightened. She inhaled with a bright smile.

“Actually, I…”

“I’m thinking of considering adoption.”

Edric said before Melly could finish her sentence.

The rest of her words, which had been waiting to come out, rolled back down her throat.

“Adoption…?”

Melly asked, hoping he was joking.

“Yes. Adoption.”

“…”

“Since Jade wants it so much, it might be good to give her a sibling. But not a little sister.”

Edric narrowed his eyes meaningfully as he spoke to Melly.

“In my experience, unrelated siblings of opposite genders can be dangerous.”

“…”

“A little brother would be fine. Preferably a clever child who could provide good stimulation for Jade. What do you think?”

There was a sense of momentum in Edric’s tone. Melly realized then that he wasn’t joking, but was seriously planning this.

As she hesitated, not knowing how to respond, Edric continued:

“If you’re uncomfortable with adoption, we could take in a child from a collateral branch who needs support as a ward.”

“Is there really a need to go that far…”

I could just give birth myself.

“Whatever it is, as long as you don’t give birth yourself, it’s all fine.”

Edric sharply seized on Melly’s moment of hesitation with an all too kind expression.

‘Do you really not want Jade to have a sibling?’

It had been about two months since she moved into the ducal residence.

Wanting to know Edric’s true feelings as he consistently answered ‘It’s not in our plans’ to relatives and colleagues asking when they would have a second child, Melly had asked.

‘If it’s alright with you, I don’t want to have a second child, Melly.’

That’s what he said then, and his heart remained the same now.

Just because time had passed, just because Jade was so lovely, he had no desire to have another child. He didn’t worry about having only one bloodline either.

‘But isn’t just one a bit concerning, Duke Pelton? If something were to happen…’

‘Nothing will go wrong. I stake my life on it.’

His attitude had been so firm then that no one could say the future is uncertain.

He had predicted the child’s future with an authority that seemed to subdue even the gods.

‘The only son of the Pelton ducal family is Jade Pelton. If anyone raises further objections to this, I promise to take measures considering them a potential threat.’

To think that man had changed his mind in just a few months, how silly of me.

Melly shook her head and sighed.

Without realizing it, her gaze turned downward.

Below the rectangular neckline, her breasts protruded quite noticeably. Recently her chest had been aching and her underwear felt tight – so that’s why.

Melly’s gaze now fell on her still-flat stomach below the waistline of her skirt.

She still couldn’t understand.

‘When on earth did this happen?’

They had never skipped contraception.

Even when instinct completely dominated reason, he adhered to the principle. Even when the desire to feel skin-to-skin contact was so clearly felt in the heat radiating from their touching bodies, his principles always won out.

He never made love without protection.

‘So how did I get pregnant?’

Was it defective? Or was his vitality so powerful it penetrated even the protection?

Huu-.

A resigned sigh escaped Melly’s lips.

What difference would it make to debate such things now? Would the pregnancy be undone?

Their second child has already firmly taken root in her womb and is growing day by day.

As evidence, aren’t her breasts more prominent and her body heavier today than yesterday, yesterday than the day before?

Soon the physical changes currently concentrated in her chest will gradually shift to her belly. In the form of distinct contours impossible to hide.

Melly hadn’t forgotten the lesson from Jade’s time.

That if you overthink and hesitate too much about the timing to speak, misunderstandings will only build up. So.

‘I’ll tell him now.’

Melly stood up from her seat.