NOVEL NEXT I spent the day trying to take it easy, just like Louise said.
Honestly, it was less about stability and more about sheer boredom. But, you know… a baby was being formed inside me, or so they said.
I felt nothing, but I sat still as best I could.
Kyle kept nagging, so I intentionally avoided any work.
“…. I’m so bored.”
And boy, was I bored.
I mean, really, super duper bored.
“Ugh… I can’t do anything…”
Sure, pregnancy is a big deal, but isn’t this a bit over the top?
It felt like it could be.
Still, making someone do nothing at all… isn’t that a bit much?
People should be able to live some kind of everyday life, you know?
Just sitting around doing nothing was… definitely out of the ordinary.
“Books are… not really my thing, and the only thing I can do is walk….”
I briefly thought about picking up a hobby, but there’s no way I could do anything too active in this pregnant state.
Seriously.
So dull.
Absolutely, utterly, annoyingly dull.
“Argh….”
Everything still felt the same.
No belly yet, no morning sickness, nothing.
Honestly, this pregnancy felt way too easy so far.
If Louise hadn’t told me she was pregnant, I might not have even noticed.
“I should… go to the restroom.”
I had just gone a little while ago, but after drinking so much water, I suddenly needed to go again.
Didn’t feel like I had drunk that much, though?
*
“Ugh…”
Crap.
I usually never threw up, so I had totally forgotten about it.
The moment when nausea hits is seriously the worst of the worst.
I really hated this feeling of almost throwing up.
Of course, it was just the feeling, not actual vomit, but the sensation was terrible nonetheless.
Worse than when I got caught in some monster’s slimy mouth.
“Sophia… Are you okay?”
“…. No. I really feel awful…”
If it were any other day, I would’ve probably managed to look somewhat okay in front of Kyle.
But today? Not a chance.
It was genuinely the worst!
I wasn’t actually throwing up, but that rising feeling was just the worst.
“If only I could somehow numb my throat so I wouldn’t feel anything….”
“Um… what should we do….”
“I don’t know… It’s my first pregnancy too! How would I know?”
Neither Kyle nor I knew what to do in this situation.
I had at least made some healthy changes to my diet, but who knew if it was even making a difference?
But… it still seemed better than changing my diet again.
“My appetite seems to be decreasing these days.”
“….”
“I’m pretty sure up until last week, nothing was wrong. Then suddenly this started….”
There was such a huge difference from last week.
Since my body was getting more tired, I was genuinely… exhausted.
“What should I do… I need to do something….”
“I don’t know… Just hold my hand or something….”
That felt more comforting than trying to move around doing stuff by myself.
Given how I was feeling, that was more than enough.
“And… with the other hand, can you touch my lower belly a bit…?”
Just… this would be enough.
With a warm hand gently rubbing my belly, and holding my hand for reassurance… that was all I needed.
Morning sickness was an unavoidable situation, but I hoped at least it would make me feel better.
At least being with Kyle would make me feel better than wallowing in this morning sickness.
“…. Like this?”
“Yeah, that’s nice. Warm.”
“…. I didn’t know it would be this hard.”
“Well, that’s because you’ve never gotten a girl pregnant before. Naturally, you wouldn’t know….”
“That’s true, but still, I didn’t think it would be this tough.”
“I didn’t think I would feel this crappy either.”
Seriously.
“But… you know, growing a baby…? It’s a big deal, so it makes sense it’s tough.”
“That’s true.”
There’s a reason they talk about the mysteries of life.
The fact that a baby can grow inside after a little sperm splash is pretty mind-blowing.
And on top of that… that it’s my belly? Super weird, right?
“Maybe my mom didn’t want to have more kids because it’s just that damn hard?”
“Could be. Though Dad… well, he took measures.”
“That’s true.”
Since he had tied it up, there was no need to think about it further.
Not like you need to have a dozen kids anyway.
A small family isn’t bad.
Having a large family isn’t bad either, but a smaller one can be just as lovely.
“But one thing’s for sure… it seems like having a baby is way easier for guys.”
“….”
Given that Kyle didn’t argue, he seemed to agree.
I mean, pregnancy is something that women go through.
Guys just get to do their thing and don’t actually get pregnant.
Of course, it makes sense that women would be the ones dealing with the hardships until the baby’s born.
“But still… once it’s out, I’ll do my best.”
“…. Pfft.”
That was kind of funny.
Seeing him fidgeting as he held my hand and touched my belly while looking sorry for himself just made me chuckle a bit.
It wasn’t that funny, yet it somehow amused me.
Kyle had this cute, slightly awkward side to him.
Of course, if I said that, he might sulk a bit, but he was undeniably adorable.
*
“Hmm… it’s starting to show a bit.”
“… Is it?”
“It’s not super obvious yet, but it’s definitely starting to come out.”
Hearing Louise’s words surprised me a little; what I had thought was really true!
My body felt a bit strange, but I really was starting to show!
“At this rate, Kyle might even notice it’s getting bigger.”
“… I’m kind of not sure how to feel about that….”
There was some reluctance creeping in.
Of course, the belly was coming out so the baby could grow, but it still meant my belly was showing.
I wanted to stay looking slim in front of Kyle.
It was unavoidable, but still, I wished I could.
“Can’t be helped. You’re pregnant, so of course, your belly’s gonna grow.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“Besides, he’ll definitely say it’s cute, anyway. Why worry?”
“….”
That was a good point.
Kyle had never once said anything mean to me.
Just like how I fell for Kyle, he was head over heels for me too.
Actually, he was probably even more obsessed than I was.
Kyle was all about me, truly.
Wouldn’t he just start spouting nonsense about how cute my growing belly is?
“But seriously, do I need to be concerned? It’s not like I’m getting fat.”
“That’s true.”
My belly growing wasn’t like getting a soft, flabby stomach.
It felt more like my belly was expanding…? Like it’s stretching out.
It was more of a firm, tight feeling.
“Ah, and don’t go thinking too weirdly and eating less, okay?”
“I know, right…?”
I was pregnant, so obviously, I was eating properly.
I didn’t want to gain weight, but skipping meals was a big no-no.
Otherwise, I was sure Kyle would stop me for sure.
“But… my appetite really isn’t coming back.”
“That can’t be helped. Morning sickness… will probably last at least another two months….”
“… that kind of sucks….”
I almost swore but stopped myself.
Yeah, swearing… not cool.
In the past, I might’ve let a curse slip in front of Louise.
I was that casual with her, after all.
We were comfortable enough to throw around a curse word or two, even if it wasn’t something we did all the time.
But… now, my situation was different.
With a baby in my belly, saying bad words… that wouldn’t be good.
Of course, I wouldn’t get caught right away, but I wouldn’t be able to do that when the baby came.
“Not easy, is it?”
“Well… that’s pregnancy for you. It’s going to get tougher. Your belly’s going to get bigger, and the bigger it gets, the harder it is to move, and you have to try to stay as stable as possible.”
“Ugh… but that’s just how it is. I have a baby now; I can’t do whatever I want, right?”
“You’re actually thinking pretty good for someone who thought so little about all this.”
“….”
Do you think I’m a fool?
Even if I didn’t know much about pregnancy, I wasn’t completely clueless.
After all, I had been studying up on pregnancy lately, you know?
“More importantly, find some way to deal with the morning sickness. I’m seriously losing it over here.”
“Honestly, I think there’s nothing other than diet…?”
“Sigh.”
Morning sickness was genuinely the worst.
Seriously…
“I have no idea if you’ll ever go through this, but it really sucks.”
“Why don’t you take that to your husband instead of me?”
“….”
That’s a fair point.
Complaining to Louise wouldn’t really change anything.
While she played the role of a doctor, she wasn’t some all-knowing wizard.
Magic isn’t all-powerful either.
“Plus, didn’t your husband help change your diet well enough?”
“Ah, that’s true.”
“So then that’s the best you can do. But just keep in mind, your appetite might suddenly come back later.”
“Ugh….”
“Just wait it out for now.”
One thing was for sure… I really needed to rest after giving birth.
If I had to stay in this state for months, I’d genuinely be running on empty.
And it was still ages until the baby was born.
We were only about three months along, right? Just around that point? There was no doubt it would get tougher from here on.
“Sigh… I really need to eat something that boosts my stamina.”
“Well, anything that’s generally good for your health should do, and you’re someone who finds it easy to eat healthy food.”
“If I mention it to Kyle… he’ll do his best to take care of it….”
Honestly, I was feeling quite lucky in this situation.
After all, my husband was my husband.
If I asked the duke for something, it was like magic; it would all be taken care of.
“Ugh….”
Of course… this damn morning sickness was the only downside.