2. A Little Commotion

Our second child was a son.

He had pink hair and violet eyes, completely resembling me. This was in stark contrast to Arienne, who took after Evan with black hair and red eyes.

When our second child came into the world, Olivia’s comment was as follows…

“Well, normally… shouldn’t it be a bit mixed?”

After a moment of contemplation, she let out a relieved laugh.

“But I’m really relieved. If it were the opposite combination and a daughter completely resembling Laria came out, she would probably…”

As Olivia shuddered at the thought, she tightly hugged Arienne.

“…She probably would have needed a convoy of ten guards even when going to the bathroom.”

“Surely not, Lady Olivia.”

I smiled as if to say there was no way that could happen.

“Maybe twenty guards.”

“I see. I guess my senses have dulled with age. I underestimated it by thinking only ten.”

Olivia immediately corrected herself. Of course, the gentle and cute Arienne just smiled brightly. In the meanwhile, once again, Evan chose the name for our son. Our son’s name became Setnin Icard, which meant ‘God’s Mercy.’ Evan, once again, chose such a sacred name, insisting that devils should stay away.

“When I look at this child…”

Fred, seeing Setnin for the first time, blinked and mumbled.

“…He looks like me.”

“What are you talking about?”

I frowned with a serious face.

“He resembles me.”

Whether resembling Fred or me, our son Setnin was quiet and lacked expressive emotions from the moment he was born. His personality was completely different from Arienne, who always smiled brightly.

When Father came to see Setnin, he furrowed his brow and mumbled.

“…Appearance-wise, he’s a spitting image of Laria, but his personality is more like Evan.”

“What?”

“When Evan was just born, it was like this. Never laughed too much, never cried too much… always had a poker face. No charm at all. It was the complete opposite of Arienne.”

Unlike Arienne, who had a strong impression, was charming and smiled a lot.

However, as Setnin grew up, he became more reserved, expressing emotions rarely, and spoke only when necessary, much like Evan. It was a temperament that couldn’t be helped, despite the warmth and care from both me and Evan.

Watching this, Olivia chuckled and laughed.

“Kallaudin, you were exactly like that when you were young! Not a hint of cuteness. But our Setnin…”

Lady Olivia gently pinched Setnin’s soft cheek and chuckled.

“He’s so cute that it doesn’t matter. Despite being quiet, he’s irresistibly cute.”

Setnin turned his face with a scowl, brutal Olivia’s observation was remarkably insightful. Because no matter how reserved Setnin was, his chubby and fluffy appearance made him cute even when he was silent.

Honestly, at this point, I had to admit it.

Arienne had Evan’s exterior but was entirely me on the inside, while Setnin was the exact opposite. It seemed like an extreme contrast.

“Laria, you know how some fathers tend to dote on their daughters excessively from time to time, right?”

One night, Evan took my hand very seriously and spoke.

“But I don’t think I can do that. Even though he’s a son, Setnin resembles you much more… both are equally beautiful. Perhaps, isn’t all of this arranged by God?”

“Evan.”

I responded with a face as thoughtful as his serious expression.

“You’re the one who made a pact with the devil.”

“….”

“God must have paved a rosy path for you.”

Considering my rational point, Evan, who seemed to be thinking deeply, simply pushed me onto the bed.

“…Then, shall we confirm it with a third child then?”

Despite already having two children, his desires did not stop.

He seemed to release all the pent-up desires from the past, and it truly felt like a new experience every day. Evan’s hot lips touched my neck, making my skin tingle. He smiled slightly and wrapped his hand around my waist.

“But… I really hate to see you in pain. It hurts my heart to see you suffering so much when giving birth.”

Unable to hold back, I burst into laughter at his words.

“Isn’t your morning sickness scary?”

Certainly, the pain of childbirth was immense, though I had no idea about morning sickness throughout both pregnancies.

Perhaps Evan suffered terribly from severe morning sickness. He threw up a lot even when we had Setnin. Despite his miserable face, he vigorously rubbed my swollen feet, and when I gave birth again, he even sobbed while stamping his feet with Father.

When Olivia asked, ‘Hey, why isn’t anything different even though it’s the second one?’ she said that Evan’s eyes were already bloodshot. Even though I had just given birth to a child, the blood vessels in my eyes didn’t burst.

“Still, the third one is a bit… Evan, we’ve only recently returned to the society… ah…”

I turned my head away, trying to endure Evan’s breath spreading all over my body. It felt like I might be swallowed up by his red eyes.

Evan was honestly a good husband. As Duke Icard, he took meticulous care of the territory and was dedicated to me and the children. Most importantly, he respected my life immensely. He always supported me in moving as a real power player in society, providing a reliable source of strength.

Honestly, given the wealth and authority of Duchy Icard, I had no reason to exert myself, but I still found joy in maneuvering through various things in high society.

I collected rumors, and if there were any gangs forming mischief, I secretly moved to dismantle them quickly. Even Elanie became my ally, so everything went smoothly.

There were already rumors in the social circles of the capital, saying things like ‘Do not provoke Duchess Icard’.I always smiled gracefully and pretended to be modest. It was because there was a high possibility of a bad ending if I abused power too much.

Evan, who always respects me, would even tremble at a single cough… However, in bed, he was a bit rough. He was never tired, so the long nights seemed to end only after I collapsed.

“Laria….”

And he would kiss my collapsed body and whisper until I fell asleep.

“I love you, truly love you.”

At those moments, I shamelessly felt deeply grateful for what Evan had done to revive me. My life now is so incredibly happy.

And then, a month later…

Despite passing the expected date for my monthly cycle after a while, there was no news. Just in case, I quietly summoned the doctor.

* * *

“Ah, Madam.”

The Duke’s residence’s doctor, Ciel, examined my body thoroughly and then, with a slight smile, spoke.

“You’re not pregnant. It seems to be delayed for some other reason. This happens occasionally. Moreover, considering your past health issues, we should pay a bit more attention to related matters. Irregular monthly cycles are included in the symptoms after recovering from the garba lung disease.”

Ciel glanced at me while packing the medical bag.

“Are you surprised? Did you think that it wasn’t a pregnancy?”

“Ah, yes.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say something like, ‘I didn’t think it was a pregnancy since Evan hasn’t started morning sickness.’ I awkwardly smiled and fidgeted my fingers.

“I just had a feeling it wasn’t.”

“Yes. In fact, it’s not very serious. There’s no other abnormality in your body, and even healthy people sometimes show such symptoms. You don’t have any pain anywhere, right?”

“Yes, there’s no pain anywhere.”

Ciel smiled as if to reassure me and spoke again.

“Still, since your cycle is delayed… I’ll prescribe medication to regulate your energy. Just in case, I’ll include a bit of medicine related to the old illness you had. I’ll have Lisa deliver it for each meal.”

“Ah, sure. Thank you.”

I smiled and nodded.

“Lisa is probably out running errands now… I’ll give you the key to Lisa’s room. Just open the door and leave it on Lisa’s desk. Oh, and don’t tell anyone. It’s nothing serious, and I want to quietly pass through it.”

Today, Evan was conveniently not at the Duke’s residence. To be honest, I intentionally chose a day when no one was around to call Ciel. I was afraid Evan would worry excessively if he found out.

Still, I firmly warned Ciel, who gave a serious nod.

“Yes, I understand.”

Ciel gave an understanding look. After all, Ciel had been my doctor during both of my pregnancies, so it was easy to know how worried Evan, Kallaudin, and Olivia were.

“I’ll make sure to convey it to Lisa.”

Ciel borrowed a pen in my room and wrote a note.

[ Be sure to give it before meals. And Madam prefers to keep this prescription a secret. She doesn’t want to cause unnecessary worry. — Ciel ]

With the note neatly clipped to the medication packet, Ciel slowly got up.

“I’ve prescribed it for three days now. I’ll come back in three days to check your condition. If your cycle starts within that time, you can stop taking the medicine.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Oh, and I’m participating in a seminar at the Medical Academy on medical techniques from the Eastern Continent. The Duke is aware of this matter. I’m planning to leave right away, but if any issues arise, I’ll come back immediately.”

Giving a confident farewell, Ciel left my room.

After seeing Ciel off with a smile, I headed to the children’s rooms. It was an ordinary and peaceful afternoon.

And that night, I had to face Evan’s thoughtful face.

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