Edric was spending days that couldn’t be more satisfying.

A wife who confidently lives while doing what she loves.

A child who resembles him and Melly equally, revealing intelligence with each passing day.

Smoothly flowing imperial duties and human relationships.

It was a life of such full happiness that adding anything more might cause a rift.

Therefore, he focused on maintaining the current balance, even refusing tasks the emperor tried to entrust to him.

Returning home on time, Edric quickly finished the work he couldn’t complete at the imperial palace, then rose from his seat.

He intended to go see Melly.

As always, he wanted to end the day chatting with his wife. And today, he had something special to tell her.

It was when he took a few steps towards the door.

Knock knock-.

With the sound of knocking, Melly entered.

“I was about to come to you.”

“Oh, were you?”

Melly said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Does it matter who comes first?”

Edric led Melly to the window.

There, an armchair with a soft cushion was placed for Melly.

Now the study was open for Melly to enter at any time.

Seated, Melly hesitated for a moment before starting.

“Um. You know…”

Edric knew Melly had come with something to say. But he was somewhat distracted, preoccupied with what he wanted to say.

‘We’ll be getting a long vacation soon, so let’s go on a cruise trip, the three of us with Jade. I’ve found a destination you might like.’

He planned to listen carefully to Melly’s words, offer his opinion if necessary, and then immediately announce the travel plans.

“Um, I’m pregnant.”

But at that moment, the words Edric had prepared for her dissolved in his mouth like cotton candy.

“You’re… what?”

His voice unconsciously lowered. Melly lowered her eyelids as if she had committed a crime.

“Pregnant… I’m carrying Jade’s sibling.”

He experienced a similar kind of confusion as when Melly first learned of her pregnancy.

‘When exactly? No, before that, didn’t we use contraception?’

Only, it showed less on his face than it did on hers.

“I see.”

Edric spoke in a calm voice, as if he had expected it.

And he was about to continue.

‘Sadly, it’s best to prepare ourselves emotionally about the child in advance.’

He didn’t want to exchange the child’s birth for Melly’s life. He thought Melly would readily agree. After all, she had consistently said “Me too” to his statements that Jade alone was enough.

“As expected… you’re not pleased, are you? Right?”

But Melly’s face, biting her lips and watching his reaction, was filled with desperation.

‘Are you serious about giving Jade a sibling?’

The same emotion had been present in her sparkling eyes when she asked last night.

She clearly wanted to have the child.

At that, Edric couldn’t say what he had intended to.

“…No.

He ultimately swallowed his intended words and said what she wanted to hear.

“I’m just a bit surprised, that’s all.”

He stood up. Then, going behind her and embracing her chair and all, he made a promise.

“Congratulations, Melly. I’ll do better. For you, for Jade. And…”

“…”

“For our second child.”

Resting his cheek on Melly’s head, Edric tightly closed his eyes. His straight brow furrowed and relaxed repeatedly due to the intense struggle within.

Melly had long since realized that only his determination to do better in the future had been properly conveyed, while everything else was entirely false.

It was obvious.

The pleasant vows, the trembling of emotion mixed in his congratulatory tone. She had heard him speak too many times to believe it was sincere.

‘I won’t have a second child.’

And what about to others?

Melly, still in Edric’s embrace, briefly recalled the firm declarations he had made countless times to fellow nobles and newspaper reporters.

‘Jade Pelton is the only son of the Pelton family.’

He had even gotten angry recently.

‘If you repeat the same question any further, I will consider it a potential threat and…’

How would he handle this situation now?

Melly imagined Edric announcing her second pregnancy to people with formal phrases and a monotone voice.

He would speak in the exact same tone as when he said “I see” to her pregnancy confession, as if he had never said he wouldn’t have a second child.

And people, fooled by his composure, would offer congratulations with smiling faces, unable to suddenly remember the words they had heard all along.

‘Surely, this person has learned for certain from this incident.’

That one shouldn’t make rash promises about things that haven’t happened yet.

That thought alone made Melly smile, forgetting her unease.

Edric carefully unwrapped his arms and came around to her front, lowering himself. His eyes held the same calm emotion as when he congratulated her on the pregnancy.

“First, we need to bring in another physician.”

“A physician?”

Melly said with round eyes.

“What for? The current physician is sufficient.”

“He’s not an obstetrics specialist. And a midwife too. It would be good to find someone who can be on standby for both. So we can respond immediately if anything happens.”

While Melly was imagining Edric’s brazen press conference, Edric had been preparing countermeasures for various events she might experience during pregnancy.

That moved Melly more than the feigned joy he had shown.

“Thank you. Let’s do that.”

Melly readily agreed to Edric’s words.

After briefly exchanging words about when the pregnancy might have occurred and what to tell Jade, she rose from her seat.

“Then I’ll prepare well.”

Since she had to go to work tomorrow.

Returning to the bedroom, Melly changed clothes with a lighter mood.

After all, Edric had at least outwardly congratulated her on the pregnancy.

He didn’t say not to have the child, or show his displeasure openly with heavy sighs.

‘Well, that’s enough.’

It meant he had considered her that much.

She climbed into bed with a relieved feeling.

Matching dates with Edric just now, it seemed to be about 7 weeks along.

When she was pregnant with Jade, morning sickness had started from the 5th week, and by this time, the nausea had peaked. This time, it wasn’t like that, so it seemed she might pass without morning sickness.

They say that happens sometimes.

Somehow, it felt like this would be a smooth pregnancy period.

Melly fell asleep happily, imagining herself elegantly pouring tea with a protruding belly.

But.

“Uuugh-.”

That was not to be.

A few days later. As soon as she announced the pregnancy news to people, morning sickness began as if it had been waiting.

Like riding all day on a winding unpaved mountain road facing backwards in a carriage, terrible headaches and nausea continued for days.

This was especially troublesome for Melly, who worked in the food and beverage industry.

Her overly sensitive sense of smell detected even the slightest scent with uncanny accuracy.

Each time, Melly’s stomach reacted as if it had turned into a caterpillar, wriggling and squirming.

She could no longer make tea. And if she couldn’t make tea, she couldn’t be at the shop either.

If she stayed, covering her mouth and groaning, she might put off other customers’ appetites.

Melly decided to take a break, leaving the shop to Sienna, who was both manager and clerk.

“Don’t worry, madam. I’ll do well. I’ll also come to the mansion every three days to report.”

Somewhat reassured by Sienna’s affectionate words, Melly returned and immediately lay down in bed.

She couldn’t even sit up with her head spinning and stomach churning. She forbade anyone from bringing food, drinks, or even water.

The diligent Melly had never once imagined herself lying blankly in bed in the middle of such a bright day. It hadn’t happened even when she was pregnant with Jade.

‘Wasn’t it 7 weeks?’

Melly stared at the curtain shadows on the ceiling, tracing her memories.

Until just now, she had been certain that the pregnancy had occurred during an intimate night about a month ago.

That day, he had returned without notice, and Melly had greeted him in the bedroom in a strange outfit.

The dress she wore then was a see-through dress that Duchess Stern had bought as a souvenir from a southern travel destination, which utterly failed to function as clothing. If clothes are indeed worn to protect the body, that is.

Standing at the door, he could only stare without saying a word.

She thought he was surely appalled by the excessively vulgar exposure.

After all, he was a man who preferred elegant sensuality.

‘I’ll take it off right away.’

‘Don’t take it off.’

But he growled the command and pulled off his own shirt. And things immediately unfolded.

He was incredibly aroused. A powerful vitality could be felt from his firm body and bulging veins. If pregnancy had occurred, it seemed certain it was that day.

But thinking about it, there was another suspicious day.

Ten days later, Edric came to Melly’s workplace to pick her up personally.

That day, Melly had stayed behind alone to check on something.

Wanting to create an atmosphere with his sudden visit, Melly locked the door, lit candles, and turned on the gramophone. She also took out a bottle of wine from the storage.

Clink-.

After clinking wine glasses and chatting about this and that, he naturally stood up and extended his hand to Melly.

‘Shall we dance?’

Although the song was too monotonous for dancing, Melly accepted without hesitation.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he embraced her waist.

At first, they both laughed at this out-of-place situation. But gradually, the laughter faded, their gazes grew deep, and their eyes lowered to each other’s lips.

It took less than ten seconds for the kiss, which had started light and soft like exchanging candy, to become intense.

When they reached the limit of what could be achieved with kissing, Melly pushed him away.

‘We can’t.’

Edric didn’t take her words at face value.

‘You mean we can’t do it here?’

He lifted Melly in his arms and moved to the lounge. And there, they passionately explored each other.

“…!”

Now Melly could no longer see the curtain shadows on the ceiling.

She was no longer curious whether it was 5 weeks or 7 weeks.

Once again, the gates of her stomach flung open, and a fierce surge of nausea rose. Melly covered her mouth and ran to the bathroom. And she dry heaved to the point of nearly vomiting her insides.

Now it seemed that the morning sickness she had with Jade wasn’t even morning sickness at all.