“Your Majesty?”
Hubert looked at Felix with a puzzled expression. Felix quickly shook his head, his face turning pale.
“No… Ugh.”
He tried to pick up the knife again but couldn’t. The symptoms he had dismissed as a mistake worsened the more he smelled the food.
“Your Majesty!”
“Ugh!”
“Chef, cover it again.”
“What? Yes, sir!”
When the food was hurriedly covered, Felix finally felt like he could breathe.
“Dispose of this immediately.”
After ordering the chef, Hubert shouted towards the knight outside.
“Bring the royal physician right now!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Your Majesty, do you feel unwell?”
“…I’m fine.”
“It seems you’ve overexerted yourself lately. Even though you’re the Emperor, it’s only natural that you’d feel this way after working nonstop every day.”
Hubert was bewildered by this unfamiliar side of his lord. It was a sight he had never seen, not even during the campaign to subdue the monsters.
Even when he had only eaten small amounts of fruit and vegetables, he had never reacted this way.
Confused, Hubert began pacing anxiously and was about to leave when Felix quickly stopped him.
“Don’t tell Siri!”
He didn’t want to cause unnecessary worry. He was sure he would feel better soon anyway.
At that moment, he firmly believed that this was just a temporary condition.
◆
“Your Majesty… Did you eat all of this?”
Sylvia had devoured an entire cream cake made by the chef. She responded to Barbara’s surprised question while awkwardly wiping the cream from her lips.
“Uh-huh…”
“It was quite a large cake…”
“Uh-huh, was it? I finished it quickly, though.”
Of course, Barbara knew Sylvia had a big appetite. What shocked her was that Sylvia was eating even more than usual.
She hadn’t paid much attention in the morning.
Sometimes, she might overeat. She must have had a lot on her mind, and now she’s at ease.
…Barbara, who had thought this, now scolded herself for not realizing Sylvia’s condition sooner.
“I think we need to call the royal physician.”
“Huh?”
Sylvia rubbed her eyes awkwardly, feeling embarrassed by Barbara’s words.
“Did I eat too much? But I didn’t get a stomachache, so don’t worry.”
She didn’t want to see the royal physician over something like this. However, Barbara was firm in her stance.
“That’s not it, Your Majesty.”
Barbara recalled the rare cases of peculiar cravings she had occasionally witnessed. Even those who couldn’t eat much would devour an enormous amount when they experienced these cravings.
Excited by the possibility, Barbara hurried to call the royal physician.
The royal physician was surprised to be summoned twice in one day, especially to examine both Their Majesties, but he didn’t let it show.
Recalling the emperor he had just examined, the physician approached the empress with a light heart, expecting nothing unusual, and gently took her wrist.
As he carefully checked her pulse, he felt something different.
“!”
The physician, startled, opened his previously closed eyes.
“Your Majesty, have you felt unwell at any time?”
“Huh? No, I haven’t felt that way…”
At this point, Sylvia began to notice some oddities she had previously overlooked due to her busy schedule. Her mouth gradually fell open as various forgotten symptoms came to mind.
There were only two reasons for receiving such a question: either an illness or pregnancy.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
Barbara muttered under her breath, covering her mouth with both hands.
“As I suspected!”
“You are with child.”
Hearing the physician’s words, Sylvia blinked in disbelief.
“…I’m pregnant?”
“Yes, and the pulse is very strong, so there’s no need to worry. However, there are things you must be careful about, which I will record in detail for you.”
“…”
“Congratulations, Your Majesty!”
Barbara congratulated her with a face full of emotion.
“Oh… thank you.”
Sylvia responded, unable to hide her bewilderment. Like a fool, she had missed the signs of pregnancy even though they were already there.
“Ha…”
Had she behaved like other royals, the court ladies attending to her would have noticed, but she still only kept Barbara by her side.
She hadn’t yet grown accustomed to palace life, which was a large part of the reason. In that case, she should have realized it herself.
“Ha, what was needed in the early stages of pregnancy?”
She tried to recall the advice she had heard during her days as Yoojeong, a memory that was becoming increasingly faint.
“Right, they said to take folic acid first.”
“Your Majesty?”
Barbara quietly called out, watching Sylvia mumble to herself. But Sylvia wasn’t listening.
“Ah! That’s right. They said melons are rich in folic acid, didn’t they?”
Sylvia miraculously recalled what her friend had said during her pregnancy. In a hurry, Sylvia started peeling a melon.
Come to think of it, she had eaten plenty of melons but hadn’t often eaten chamoe.
“Did she also mention strawberries?”
She remembered the fruits rich in iron and folic acid because her friend had practically lived on them during her pregnancy.
Worried that it might be too late, Sylvia hastily started eating the chamoe.
“Your Majesty, are you hungry? I’ll have the chef prepare something right away.”
“No, that’s not it…”
Before Sylvia could explain that she was eating fruits that were good for the baby, Barbara spoke and moved away.
“From now on, you absolutely must not cook. Leave everything to the chef, especially at a time like this!”
“But…”
The chef doesn’t know how to make Korean dishes.
Before she could say more, Barbara had already left the room, walking briskly but gracefully as if she were on a mission.
Sylvia chewed on the chamoe slowly, blinking. As her racing heart calmed, reality finally began to sink in.
“…Am I really going to be a mother?”
She had imagined it before when she saw children during her patrols, but she never actually thought she would become pregnant.
As she retraced her memories, a realization dawned on her.
“It was the night after I finished making the first batch of kimchi.”
It seemed the baby was conceived on that night when she had been completely drunk and spent a passionate evening with him.
“Feri will be happy, right?”
Even though she knew he would be, she felt strangely nervous. After Barbara left, the fairies that had been hiding fluttered around her.
It was as if they understood the news of her pregnancy; the fairies clung to her shoulders and arms more affectionately than usual.
[Sylvia, Sylvia.]
[Happy.]
[So happy.]
[Warm.]
Lately, their chatter had increased, and they were babbling more than ever. As she absentmindedly ate chamoe and strawberries, the balcony window suddenly burst open.
Sylvia was startled, and Felix’s urgent voice echoed in her ears.
“Darling!”
At the same time, Hubert quickly knocked on the door before entering, saying, “Pardon the intrusion.”
“Your Majesty!”
Hubert raised his voice briefly before lowering it and speaking softly.
“If you startle Her Majesty the Empress, it could be serious. Why are you entering through the balcony so suddenly?”
“…Why? What do you mean, serious?”
Felix had flown over as soon as he heard the news. How could he remain calm when he found out they were having a child?
But having no knowledge of pregnancy, he knelt before Sylvia with a bewildered expression, scrutinizing her face and body with great concern.
“Sorry. Did I scare you? Are you okay?”
“I was just a little surprised. Nothing to worry about.”
Sylvia took in the sight of Felix, who couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. Though his eyes were full of concern, he kept smiling as if he couldn’t contain his joy.
It was as if he was so happy that he couldn’t help himself.
Sylvia cupped Felix’s face in her hands.
“Darling, we’re going to have a baby.”
Saying it out loud made it finally feel real. They were going to have a child together.
For both of them, family had a special significance. Due to their lacking childhoods, they had both desperately wanted a family, yet they were also afraid.
‘Will I be a good mother?’
As soon as the small doubt crossed her mind, Felix clasped Sylvia’s hands.
“You’re definitely going to be a great mom.”
His words, as if he had read her mind, made Sylvia’s lips curve into a deep smile.
“And you’re going to be a wonderful dad.”
Feeling the same kind of anxiety, Felix couldn’t resist and gave Sylvia a quick kiss on the lips.
The way he expressed his joy with his flushed face was endearing. Sylvia embraced him with an emotional smile.
“Excuse me!”
Just then, Barbara returned. Behind her, the chef and several attendants followed, beginning to set the table.
The chef, standing in front of the emperor and empress, had a tense expression.
He had been disheartened when the emperor had refused the food earlier, so now he was determined to win over the empress’s favor.
With a resolute expression, he began to explain the dishes.
“We have a tenderloin steak with a sauce made from wine and oranges. There is also a cream stew full of beef and a fresh salad drizzled with zesty lemon and the olive oil that Your Majesty personally selected.”
Sylvia smiled lightly and rose from the sofa. Come to think of it, she hadn’t really had the chance to try the chef’s cooking before.
“Alright, I’m looking forward to it.”
The chef’s face stiffened slightly at Sylvia’s words, but he proceeded to open each silver lid with a steady hand.
Felix, too, naturally took a seat across from Sylvia. Even though there wasn’t a plate for him, he sat there to watch her eat.
Though he didn’t know much about pregnancy, he was aware of morning sickness and was inwardly anxious.
If she didn’t eat well, he was ready to immediately order something else. He watched intently as the final cover was lifted.
“Mmm.”
Sylvia’s mouth watered. She had been eating nothing but desserts and fruits, so she was glad to finally have something more substantial.
She picked up her knife and fork to cut into the steak, but suddenly a strange noise came from across the table.
Puzzled, Sylvia looked up to see Felix, his face pale, covering his mouth with his hand.
“Feri?”
“Ugh!”
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