After several rounds of examinations confirmed that Tessa’s body was healthy, Hert decided to leave the temple where they were temporarily residing, and move to the newly renovated ducal residence. This decision was made considering various factors and the realization that staying in the temple indefinitely was not feasible.

While Tessa felt secretly sad leaving the familiar temple after a month, she was also curious about the ducal residence that would be her new home. Unless something unexpected happened, she would live there, give birth and raise the child. However, the terms ‘ducal residence’ brought a sense of tension and responsibility.

“Tessa, take my hand and come down slowly.”

Holding Hert’s hand, Tessa stepped outside the carriage and unconsciously admired the grand and splendid ducal residence. It was larger and more magnificent than Jutert Castle, where she had stayed for seven years.

Realizing that this would be her and Hert’s new home, she once again grasped the fact that Hert had become a duke.

“There’s a place I want to show you first.”

“Wait, Her…!”

Hert, holding Tessa tightly, confidently led her into the mansion.

The interior was as dazzling and magnificent as the exterior. The scenery filled with the finest and most valuable items captivated Tessa’s attention momentarily. The moment she arrived at a room, she was astonished.

The room was completely filled with flowers.

“It’s a room just for you.”

Hert introduced the room to Tessa with a slightly nervous tone.

While staying in the temple, Tessa had a fondness for the flower-filled garden, and Hert had specially designed and carefully decorated a room for her. It was truly a place designed and created exclusively for Tessa.

“To be honest, I wanted to give you a greenhouse as a gift, but it seems it will take some time to complete. Still, please bear with it until next year when the greenhouse is finished.”

“No, I’m really thankful for this, Her…”

As soon as they entered the room, Tessa couldn’t help but smile at the overwhelming fragrance of flowers. It felt like being in a small greenhouse, and her heart warmed at the thought.

In reality, the most regretful thing about leaving the temple was the garden where flowers bloomed all year round. Receiving a room like this, made just for her, melted away that regret.

“Want to take a look around?”

“Yes!”

As Hert guided her, Tessa began to explore every corner of the room in an excited state. Not only were the flowers meticulously chosen, but every piece of furniture and decor seemed to be carefully selected. Especially when she discovered a rocking chair seemingly tailored to her body shape, Tessa instantly fell in love.

“Can I… sit in it?”

“Tessa, you don’t need to ask for permission. This room is yours, and everything in it is made for you.”

“Thank you, Her. I really… really love it.”

Seeing Tessa happily sitting in the rocking chair, Hert felt relieved. He was glad that the gifts he had prepared were well-received by Tessa. In truth, due to the previous gift barrage, he had been a bit worried about how Tessa would react.

“Her, I think our baby likes it too.”

As Tessa sat in the chair, absentmindedly caressing her belly, she felt the lively movement of her baby and beamed with a bright smile. Hert hurriedly approached and gently cradled her belly in his hands. Just as Tessa described, the baby was playfully moving inside.

It was a promising sign, heralding a new beginning.

* * *

Life in the mansion turned out to be peaceful and uneventful, contrary to Hert’s worries. The servants diligently performed their duties, serving the Duke and his wife faithfully. Everything was perfect.

Thanks to this, Tessa could wake up every morning to Hert’s kiss and spend her days in the flower-filled room he had gifted her for prenatal care.

Her happiness grew as much as her growing belly.

Around noon, horses waited in front of the mansion. There had been a summons from the royal family to Hert since early morning. While he usually made an effort to spend most of his time with Tessa, urgent calls like today required him to leave.

“I’ll be back. If anything happens, contact me through someone.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“I’ll come back as soon as possible.”

“Yes.”

After kissing Tessa and her belly, Hert confidently mounted his horse. However, as he was about to depart, he couldn’t easily shake off his concern for Tessa, who would be left alone in the mansion.

“Don’t go running around just because I’m not here.”

“I won’t…”

“Take a moderate stroll.”

“I’m already taking a moderate stroll…”

“Don’t forget to take your medicine. Take it all.”

“Enough, Her… Everyone’s waiting.”

Tessa couldn’t bear it and scolded Hert, who kept delaying his departure with endless words.

Since a while ago, Lange, who was glaring at Hert from behind, seemed uneasy. Lady Tessa, please. He even made a show of rubbing his hands together as if begging when his eyes met Tessa’s. It was already late for them to depart, considering it was almost noon when they finally set off.

Unable to endure any longer, Lange shouted from behind.

“Sir, please! If we delay any longer, it’ll be a big problem!”

Do you know what time it is now?! Hert briefly turned his head to glare at Lange, but the sight of Lange, who had been waiting patiently for a long time, showed no sign of yielding.

Finally, when Tessa mentioned that she wanted to rest for a bit, Hert grabbed the reins.

“I’ll miss you.”

“…Me too.”

As they headed towards the royal palace, only 30 minutes away, his superior’s greeting to his wife, as if they hadn’t seen each other in years, made Lange roll his eyes in apparent frustration.

Nevertheless, they couldn’t afford any more delays, so Hert swiftly set off. Tessa waved her hand until he was out of sight.

“Madam, shall we go inside now?”

After the send-off, the butler suggested that Tessa go inside. However, on this particular day, Tessa gazed at the blue sky and slightly shook her head.

“Oh, the weather is nice, so I want to walk a bit before going in.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll prepare tea for you to enjoy.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Tessa began to walk along the garden path behind the mansion with a maid. Whether it was due to the pleasant weather or the warm breeze, the walk felt refreshing throughout.

Stroking her swollen belly, Tessa leisurely enjoyed the stroll. Suddenly, at a certain point, her steps unconsciously came to a halt.

‘What’s that sound…?’

Somewhere, ppi-! ppi-! like a pitiful cry, caught her ankle. Tessa, almost entranced by the sound, followed it to find its origin.

“Madam, where are you going? That’s not the walking path!”

Not long after, Tessa found a round bundle of fur lying on the ground. Lilah, the maid who had accompanied Tessa, spoke with a slightly surprised voice.

“Oh my, it looks like an owlet?”

Lilah, the daughter of a forester, knew a lot about wildlife and plants. Thanks to her, Tessa often gained interesting information. Following Lilah’s words, Tessa tilted her head.

“An owlet…?”

“Yes, I’d have to take a closer look to be sure, but for now, it looks like an owlet. When I lived in my hometown, I saw many creatures that looked like this, and they were all owls. Oh, it seems to have fallen while preparing to leave the nest.”

“Leave the nest…?”

“Ah, when a certain time comes, birds leave their nests.”

Tessa examined the fallen bundle of fur closely. The creature had stopped its chirping and huddled at the sudden appearance of a human. The two bright yellow eyes filled with a mixture of fear and curiosity were blinking intently.

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