Seeing Melly’s attentive gestures of buttoning up his shirt and tying his tie on tiptoe before work would often fill Edric’s heart with cozy joy.

Sometimes it made him feel more fulfilled than passionate lovemaking.

Edric loved that time the most.

‘Except for the pain you complain about in your waist and legs.’

But after receiving a report from the doctor a few days ago and seeing the swelling with his own eyes, he thought even that might be too much for her.

Edric decided to give up his pleasure for a while.

“I’ll do it today.”

“……”

“Instead, you just pick out one of my cufflinks.”

He thought that much of a request would be okay.

“You do it.”

But Edric was puzzled by the unexpected answer.

When he turned around, Melly’s face was gentle and caring, unlike her stiff tone.

“Today is an important day. On important days, it’s right for you to choose yourself.”

“……”

He felt like he had heard those words somewhere before.

‘Can’t I choose for you?’

‘Next time. Today is an important day.’

The memory came back.

It was what he had said to her during those coldly indifferent times.

‘Does she want to get back at me now after all this time?’

But Melly seemed too gentle for that, and he himself hadn’t done anything wrong today.

At least, that’s what he thought.

Though somewhat perplexed by the sudden refusal, Edric smiled gently and said once more.

“Because it’s an important day, I especially want you to choose.”

“……”

Melly thought for a moment, then let out a short sigh and headed for the glass display case.

Edric watched her intently from behind his glasses.

Her eyes slowly scanning the glass case didn’t seem to be really looking at what was inside.

She seemed to be just pretending to choose buttons while buying time to gather her thoughts.

The evidence was her narrowed eyes lacking focus.

“This one looks good.”

Melly finally said, taking out an oval lapis lazuli button.

She smiled as she attached it to his sleeve. But that smile disappeared as quickly as her gaze lingered on his face.

At that moment, Edric was certain.

Melly was displeased about something right now. Very much so.

“Your Excellency, here is last month’s grain output from the imperial estates,” said Calen, a young aide in the imperial palace, handing over some documents.

Edric sighed as he received and flipped through the papers.

“It’s decreased again.”

“It’s probably because they’re not yet used to the new farming equipment.”

Edric agreed with Calen’s words.

Earlier this year, new farming equipment was distributed throughout the empire under imperial initiative.

They had expected that power-driven tools would reduce manual labor and increase efficiency, but several months after introduction, grain output continued to decrease.

It was likely due to people’s tendency to prefer sticking to familiar methods rather than accepting new ones.

“What should we do? Should we wait a bit longer?”

“No.”

Edric handed back the documents and gave instructions.

“Send agricultural equipment experts right away. Also send along manpower to help with the work on-site and demonstrate the efficiency.”

“Yes, Your Excellency. I’ll see to it.”

Calen obediently complied and withdrew.

Left alone, Edric leaned back deep in his chair and thought.

‘Introducing the expert system was a good move.’

The first thing he did while assisting Lucius was to invest national funds to train experts in various fields.

When it first began, most of the elders disparaged his efforts, saying it was useless and a waste of budget.

But when trial and error decreased in the long run and the national treasury was actually saved, they shut their mouths like they’d eaten honey.

Work was becoming more specialized day by day, dealing with people’s needs and desires in intricate ways.

But at this moment, the field where Edric wished for help remained an unexplored territory untouched by human hands.

‘It would be nice if there were experts in handling pregnant women’s psychology.’

The discontent hidden beneath the kindness. He sensed that discontent violently clashing with Melly’s calm reason.

But he didn’t know what more he should do here.

Because he thought he was doing well enough already. Even restraining his urges for intimacy that surged up several times a day.

‘Should I show it somehow?’

The anguish of having to endure unsatisfied desires to the point of dizziness? Would she be a little more understanding then?

Edric unconsciously became absorbed in that thought, then chuckled despite himself.

‘What good would it do to say such things?’

Melly would only feel uncomfortable, or look at him like he was a beast.

‘Edric, I’m pregnant. Don’t you think that’s… too barbaric an act for a pregnant woman?’

He could vividly imagine Melly’s face as she denounced him in disgust.

It seemed better not to say anything after all.

As promised, Sienna visited Melly every three days to report on the teahouse situation.

Overall, it was no different from before Melly’s absence, and in some aspects, it had even improved.

She said there were no problems with the tea taste, which had been the biggest concern.

“Everyone has worked hard.”

“It’s thanks to the detailed recipes you left us, my lady.”

“No, it’s because you all followed them well.”

Melly gladly granted Sienna’s request to hire two more staff members to improve service quality.

Sienna bowed her head in gratitude, then briefly moved to one side of the living room. She returned with a rectangular box she had placed there upon entering the room and held it out to her.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a gift from me and the staff. It’s modest, but we hope you’ll accept it.”

Sienna said, her face turning red. Melly opened the box without any guesses.

“……”

Inside the box was a small baby jacket, hand and foot wraps, and a colorful textured play toy.

“I’m not sure if you’ll like it……”

It was an uncharacteristically uncertain voice for the confident and determined Sienna. But Melly’s eyes were shimmering with emotion from the moment she saw the baby items in the box.

“Emma, one of our staff, made this baby jacket herself. She learned how to make them before, intending to give one to her nephew.”

Melly’s heart was even more touched at the mention of a handmade baby jacket.

“Thank you all so much. The baby will love it.”

“I sincerely hope so.”

Sienna withdrew with a satisfied feeling.

Left alone, Melly quietly gazed at the gift she had received. A warmth emanated from the small, adorable presents.

Her gaze lingered especially long on the baby jacket.

‘I had forgotten.’

She had intended to make one during her first pregnancy. But the baby was lost before that, and during her second pregnancy, there was no time to make one herself as Madam Louisa and other neighborhood women had already made and given her plenty. It was a time when making another one herself seemed wasteful.

This might be her last pregnancy. Shouldn’t at least one child wear clothes made by their mother?

Melly immediately called Oz and instructed him to bring baby jacket patterns and fabric samples.

Oz quickly completed the task.

Melly was engrossed in selecting good textured fabric, flipping through palm-sized square cloth pieces, when she reacted casually to a knock that was heard just then.

“Come in.”

It must be Lena knocking to ask if she needs a foot massage. Or it could be Jade who woke up from her nap.

“What are you doing?”

Melly was so dazed by the deep voice heard above her head that she couldn’t even be startled.

“…I didn’t hear you had returned.”

“I told them not to announce it.”

Edric said with a grin. As she tried to put down what she was holding and stand up, Edric extended his hand to indicate there was no need. Then he asked.

“What were you doing?”

“I was looking at some fabrics. To make a baby jacket for our second child.”

Edric looked down at what she had put down.

“Ah, a baby jacket……”

His voice trailed off meaningfully. It seemed like a reproach, asking why she was going to the trouble of making another one when they had already received many gifts from here and there.

Melly said.

“Still, at least one child should wear the first clothes I made……”

But she quickly realized her error and corrected herself.

“Ah, it won’t be the first clothes. Anyway, I want at least one of them to wear clothes handmade by their mother right after birth.”

She recalled giving the first baby clothes she made to the Crown Princess.

Did Princess Gloria ever wear that outfit? If not, where would it be now? Deep in storage? The Crown Princess Juliana seemed to have given up on a second child, so would those clothes never see the light of day?

But that was already in the past.

Those clothes she had made with such heartache were already in the Crown Princess’s hands, so their disposal was also up to her. All Melly could do was not attach any meaning to what had passed.

“Why can’t you dress them in the first clothes?”

Edric said, placing a ribbon-tied box in front of her.

“When it’s right here.”

“……”

Melly thought the box looked strangely familiar, but couldn’t immediately recognize it.

As Edric pulled on one end of the ribbon, the knot came undone in an instant.

He lifted the lid, and only when a soft-colored baby jacket embroidered with hawthorn flowers was revealed under the light did Melly recognize it.

“How is this here……”

Melly looked at him with an unbelieving face. Edric’s eyes drew a gentle curve.

“Because I didn’t give it away.”

He explained the reason so simply.

“I couldn’t give it away. The first clothes you made should be worn by our child, right?”