NOVEL NEXT Episode 30
Episode 30
“Oh, Lady Retinan.”
“Happy birthday, Your Highness. You look absolutely stunning today.”
“Thank you.”
Lily, dressed in a deep purple gown, offered a bright smile. Her congratulations seemed sincere, and Verona returned the smile in kind.
Since it was an event to celebrate the future Empress’s birthday, Carlos made a few formal remarks and a short speech. However, he quickly cut off the nobles who seemed eager to extend their greetings further. If he let them continue, Verona might end up missing dinner.
“Now, hurry and eat, Verona. You mentioned you liked this before, remember?”
Carlos firmly wrapped an arm around her slender waist and guided her to her seat. As soon as she sat, he handed her a fork and slid a plate of salmon steak before her.
“I had it prepared just for you.”
Verona could feel the surprise from the surrounding nobles at Carlos’s words and actions.
The only person who remained unperturbed was the chef, who had perfectly timed the preparation of the steak so that it would be served the moment Carlos and Verona sat down.
The delicious aroma of the salmon steak stirred her appetite, but she couldn’t help feeling a little self-conscious.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
Carlos asked, his expression turning serious. Verona cleared her throat, then picked up a small choux pastry with her fork and took a bite, whispering softly.
“Don’t make such a fuss. People might think I haven’t eaten in days.”
“But I’m just worried you might be hungry.”
“I’ll eat on my own. It’s just that everyone is staring at me, and it’s a bit overwhelming.”
“Is that so?”
Carlos turned his head sharply, his eyes flashing with a stern look. The nobles, who had been watching Verona and Carlos with curious glances, immediately turned their attention elsewhere, pretending to be engrossed in other things.
Verona felt even more embarrassed.
“I wish he’d stop making a scene…”
Her pregnancy hadn’t been announced publicly yet. Even though the Empire had a relatively open attitude about social norms, it was still uncommon for royalty or nobility to openly reveal a child conceived before marriage.
Carlos, of course, had been eager to make the announcement, but Verona had firmly insisted they hold off. Thus, when they discussed names, it was framed as just an early preparation.
Historically, some emperors had named their children before birth, so Carlos’s actions weren’t entirely unprecedented.
But in this particular context, anyone observing would think that the emperor had become a bit eccentric.
“Jesse. Tell everyone to enjoy the food to their heart’s content. Let them know that the palace chefs have outdone themselves, and they should taste everything.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Jesse hurried off, and soon enough, the nobles began taking their seats and picking up their forks.
“There, now you shouldn’t feel any pressure. Eat as much as you want.”
“…”
Seeing Carlos lean in, resting his chin on his hand with a proud smile, Verona found herself at a loss for words.
Still, the steak looked delicious, and with everyone else now focused on their own meals, she felt less self-conscious.
Verona squeezed some lemon over her salmon steak, spreading it evenly.
Carlos seemed content just to watch her eat, not touching any food himself. Without thinking, Verona cut a generous piece of her steak and held it out toward Carlos.
“Would you like a bite, Carlos?”
“No, I’m fine. You should….”
Carlos suddenly trailed off, his hand coming up to cover his mouth. His face paled slightly.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Verona asked, alarmed. Carlos quickly waved a hand.
“It’s nothing. Really, just go ahead and eat…”
He stopped again, struggling to finish his words. Worried that he might be unwell, Verona watched as he took a sip of cold water and took a deep breath.
“Hmm… this seems familiar.”
His expression reminded her of how she had looked during her early bouts of morning sickness. As the thought crossed her mind, Carlos spoke with calm resolve.
“Burton mentioned that sometimes this can happen.”
“…What can happen?”
“It’s a rare case where the husband experiences morning sickness.”
“…”
“Luckily, it seems to be just with lemons. I’m fine with everything else. It’s only started recently, and it’s not too severe.”
Carlos glanced at the lemon with a cautious expression. Verona looked down at the table, laden with dishes she had mentioned liking.
Salmon steak with a drizzle of lemon.
Grilled shrimp with a splash of lemon juice.
Lemonade.
Lemon cake.
Lemon pie.
Verona had simply mentioned that she craved the tangy taste of lemon, and now, nearly everything on the table contained it—leaving Carlos with barely anything he could eat.
‘What should I do?’
She felt flustered, having never anticipated such a situation.
“Hurry and eat, Verona.”
Carlos urged her with a smile, though his face was still a bit pale. He continued to sit with only a glass of water in front of him.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You should eat something too, Carlos.”
“It’s just one meal, it’s no big deal. Don’t worry about me.”
“But wouldn’t it be better if you ate something from one of the other tables?”
“I don’t want to leave your side just for a meal. Should I add more lemon?”
Carlos even picked up a lemon wedge and squeezed more juice over the salmon steak. Verona stared at him in surprise.
“Is it okay for you to touch the lemon?”
“It’s what you want to eat.”
He smiled casually, urging her to dig in.
‘When I had morning sickness, even the smell of shellfish made me queasy.’
Is it different for him, she wondered. Though she was unsure, Carlos seemed genuinely unaffected. Left with no other choice, Verona took a bite of the steak. The soft, tender flavor was delightful.
Carlos beamed with joy as she ate, even cutting pieces for her and offering them.
With the food lifting her spirits, Verona found herself accepting his help, savoring each bite he fed her.
“I’ll need to give those new chefs a special bonus,” Carlos murmured happily, watching her finish the steak and eagerly enjoy the desserts.
“But didn’t you recently dock the pay of the pastry chef?”
“Oh, did I?”
“He made a mistake, sure, but he’s still very skilled. It would be nice if you could reward him instead. How about reversing the pay cut?”
Carlos hesitated briefly, then nodded.
“Alright. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you enjoy your meal so much. I’ll reinstate his pay.”
He gently wiped some cream from Verona’s cheek with a napkin.
“Now that you’re done eating, shall we head out?”
“What about you, Carlos?”
In truth, he’d only had two glasses of cold water. Even as an emperor, skipping a meal wasn’t the best idea.
Especially since he seemed to be experiencing her morning sickness on top of that.
“No way, you need to eat at least a muffin.”
“I’m not hungry. Just seeing you enjoy your meal was enough for me.”
“How can you say that? No one can be full without eating.”
“Well, I can.”
Carlos replied firmly.
“The woman I love, and my child, both ate well. What else do I need?”
Verona was left speechless.
It wasn’t just the absurdity of his statement that caught her off guard; it was the way he included her alongside their child as someone he loved.
Notably, he mentioned her first before the child. Verona felt a strange sensation, as if her heart had dropped straight into her stomach.
‘Why am I feeling this way?!’
Caught off guard, she unconsciously placed a hand on her chest, feeling as if her heart was fluttering beneath her palm.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Carlos’s voice was filled with concern as he noticed her silence.
“Should I call for Burton? No, I’ll go get him myself right away—”
“No!”
Verona quickly grabbed his arm, stopping him.
“No, I’m not feeling unwell. It’s okay.”
“Then why?”
“Uh, it’s nothing. So, should we get going?”
“…Alright.”
Carlos gave her a curious look as she stumbled over her words, but he gently helped her up, linking his arm with hers.
Pretending to stroll casually among the nobles, he led her to a secluded balcony. There, he revealed a hidden staircase, guiding her down.
“Jesse left our robes and clothes here. We’ll change and slip out through the back gate.”
Carlos skillfully led her to a small room at the end of the corridor. It seemed to be a resting area for the maids.
Inside, there were simple outfits that looked like those worn by commoners, along with thick robes.
Carlos tossed off his imperial cloak and donned a dark gray robe meant for men.
Gone was the elaborate attire of the emperor, replaced by the simple clothing of an ordinary man.
Yet, his sharp and chiseled features made him look anything but ordinary. Even riding past on a swift horse, his face would stand out.
‘He really is handsome.’
Verona found herself marveling, reminded of the first time she saw him under a broken chandelier. Despite the dim lighting, his striking looks had shone through.
Even in this poorly lit room, with only a sliver of moonlight creeping in, Carlos looked just as handsome.
“Raise your arms.”
Lost in thought, Verona snapped back to reality as Carlos approached, holding out her new clothes.
“Huh? Oh!”
“If you go out in that dress with your shoulders bare, you’ll catch a cold.”
“But this feels so uncomfortable.”
The dress might be thin for an evening gown, but it was beautiful.
Carlos insisted, helping her put on the plain brown outfit over her shimmering gold silk dress, which quickly disappeared beneath the layers.
“I doubt you’ll even be able to bend your arms properly.”
“We should add the robe too.”
Though Verona grumbled, Carlos didn’t seem to hear. He wrapped her in a thick black robe lined with soft fur that seemed perfect for keeping out the cold.
“You promised you’d dress warmly. Now, your feet.”
Carlos knelt down, slipping off her high heels and replacing them with lower, more comfortable shoes.
“Something still feels missing.”
“I’m already fully dressed, what could it be?”
Carlos folded his arms, his brows furrowed in thought, looking deeply concerned.
“Maybe you should wear the hood of the robe.”
“That would look even more suspicious. Who wears a hood at a night market party?”
“But there will be a lot of people.”
“Which would make it even stranger.”
“Then everyone will be looking at you.”
“…What?”
“I’m sure among them, there will be some unsavory person with designs on you.”
“….”
Uh, shouldn’t you be worrying about yourself too?