Chapter 135
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 135
He carefully brushed back her disheveled hair, his fingertips tracing the smooth curve from the shell of her ear down to her shoulder. Beneath her fine skin, dampened slightly with sweat, he could feel the delicate lines of her skeletal structure.
A strange sense of trepidation welled up within him at the sight of her frail body. She looked as though she might crumble if he applied even the slightest pressure. She was so slender that it seemed a struggle for her frame to contain the blood, flesh, and bone of a single person, let alone the new life dwelling inside her.
Barkas, watching her with worried eyes, cautiously sat up. He pulled the sleeping woman toward him, settling her onto his lap and resting her head against his chest.
“Thalia, eat dinner before you sleep.”
“I don’t want to. I just want to sleep,” she grumbled like a fussy child, trying to push him away.
Ignoring her protests, Barkas wrapped one arm around her back and picked up a bowl from the tray.
“You have to eat at least a little. It’s the only way you’ll regain your strength.”
He balanced the bowl with the hand supporting her and lifted a spoon with the other. Thin wisps of steam rose from the light soup—a delicate broth of barley and herbs simmered in chicken stock until tender. He blew on it to cool it to the right temperature before bringing it to her lips. Wrinkling her nose, she reluctantly opened her mouth.
He fed her slowly, watching her expression for any sign of discomfort. Fortunately, the flavor seemed to suit her; her rosebud lips moved as she chewed before she finally swallowed. He let out a small sigh of relief and scooped up another spoonful.
“One more bite.”
Leaning against his chest and nodding off, Thalia opened her mouth again. She looked like a hatchling opening its beak for food. Feeling a heavy warmth welling up from deep within his heart, Barkas continued at a steady pace.
Normally, she would have been irritable and insisted she wasn’t hungry, but today she finished the entire bowl. Barkas looked down at the empty dish with a satisfied gaze, then gently brushed his thumb across her lips.
“Should I bring more?”
“No. I’m full.” Thalia knitted her brows and curled into a ball against him.
He set the bowl aside and rested his hand over her stomach, stroking it gently. Was this what satiety felt like? Even though his own stomach was empty, a strange sense of fulfillment flooded him. Intoxicated by the sensation, he let out a long, slow breath.
For over a decade, he had never truly felt the sensation of hunger. He never indulged or gluttonously ate; the memory of eating until he was full was a distant, fading thing. He had always consumed only the bare minimum required to function.
Yet, he realized that if any desire for food remained within him, this current feeling of fulfillment was exactly what it would feel like to finally eat one’s fill of something they loved.
He rested his cheek against her hair, which carried the faint, fragrant scent of rose oil, and rhythmically stroked her spine as it rose and fell with her breath. The sound of her soft, even breathing melted into the quiet evening air. He stared at her face—as peaceful as an infant’s—for a long time.
Perhaps this overwhelming sensation was a natural reaction for any man. Was the desire to provide for one’s mate and ensure their comfort not an instinct imprinted in the blood of every male? Thinking of it that way made his unusual reaction seem natural.
Having settled his thoughts, Barkas wrapped both arms tightly around her and slowly closed his eyes.
* * *
“Congratulations, Your Highness. It is certain. You are with child.”
The Priestess finished her examination and spoke with a bright smile. Thalia could only blink blankly. It was only when she heard the Nanny’s ecstatic voice that she finally snapped back to her senses.
“Oh, my lady! How wonderful! This is just wonderful!” The Nanny hugged her tightly, thumping her back with a heavy palm.
Over the Nanny’s rounded shoulder, Thalia saw the Head Maid’s face, which was frozen in a grim expression. Is she unhappy about the news?
Just as Thalia’s eyes began to sharpen with suspicion, the Head Maid roughly grabbed the Nanny’s shoulder and snapped in a stiff tone, “What do you think you’re doing, treating a pregnant woman so roughly? What if you startle the fetus!”
The Nanny’s face flushed red at the sharp rebuke. She pouted and retorted, “Who’s being rough? I’m the one who has looked after our lady since she was a newborn! I know her physical condition better than anyone!”
“You talk a big game for someone who didn’t even realize she was pregnant until now.”
At the Head Maid’s stinging remark, the Nanny fell silent, looking as though she had swallowed a stone. And for good reason—despite constantly prattling about pregnancy, she hadn’t noticed the actual changes occurring in Thalia’s body.
The same went for Thalia. It had been quite a while since her monthly cycles had stopped, but she hadn’t connected the fact to a child. Perhaps, in some corner of her heart, she hadn’t truly believed she could conceive.
She looked down at her lower abdomen with a confused expression. Even now, it didn’t feel real. Was a life really growing inside her? As she stroked her flat stomach with a hesitant hand, a firm voice rang out from beside the bed.
“Until now, we have followed Your Highness’s wishes, but from now on, you must accept the service of the Grand Duke’s personal maids.”
Thalia glared at the Head Maid with wary eyes. Her hand instinctively tightened over her stomach. “Why should I? I’m perfectly fine as I am.”
“Your Highness is no longer alone. We cannot leave the safety of the fetus—the heir to the Grand Duchy—to an amateur servant,” the Head Maid spoke resolutely.
Thalia gripped the Nanny’s sleeve, her face clouded with anxiety. “If I say no, what can you do? How dare a mere maid tell me—”
“Your Highness, please think of the child,” the Priestess interjected.
Thalia turned to her, her expression hardening. The Priestess, who was scribbling on a piece of parchment, continued calmly. “Currently, the pregnancy itself is a burden on your body. To give birth safely, you must receive professional care.”
Fear suddenly flickered in Thalia’s eyes. “Is my health that bad?”
“As of now, it is precarious enough that it will be difficult to even maintain the pregnancy.”
At that blunt answer, Thalia’s heart sank. The Priestess looked down apologetically and added, “Fortunately, the fetus is very healthy, but Your Highness’s own condition is poor. As the child grows, the burden you must bear will increase uncontrollably, and that strain will be passed directly to the child. If you wish to complete the full ten months safely, you must begin a regimen of strict management immediately.”
“…What do I have to do?”
“Consume plenty of nutritious food and maintain peace of mind and body. You must be especially careful with your movements during these early stages.”
Thalia, her face pale as she bit her lip, asked in a frightened tone, “…If I do as you say, will it really be okay?”
The Priestess wore a gentle smile, seemingly satisfied with her patient’s newfound submission. “Of course. If you start paying attention now, you will be able to bring the child into the world safely.”
Thalia watched her suspiciously for a moment before finally nodding.
The Priestess stood up, packing her diagnostic tools into her bag. She handed the parchment to the Head Maid and explained the necessary precautions in detail. Thalia caught a glimpse of the Nanny pouting in dissatisfaction at being pushed aside, but she deliberately feigned ignorance. It was true that the Nanny was clumsy and careless. It wouldn’t matter if it were just her own body, but for the sake of the child, she needed the best care available.
The child in my womb…
She looked down at her stomach again. Barkas’s child was inside her. As she processed that unbelievable fact, she hurriedly grabbed the Head Maid’s arm.
“Don’t tell Barkas.”
The Head Maid looked surprised, her expression turning solemn. “I cannot do that. Naturally, His Excellency the Grand Duke must be informed…”
“I’ll tell him myself,” Thalia interrupted quickly. “So, keep it a secret until then.”
When she raised her eyebrows in a stern warning, the maids filling the room exchanged awkward glances. One of them cautiously opened her mouth.
“Your Highness, His Excellency is—”
“Understood,” the Head Maid cut in, bowing her head. “We will remain silent until Your Highness informs him personally today.”