Episode 34
Episode 34
“Even if I can’t be nearby, I’ll always wish for your health, Princess.”
“Thank you. I hope you stay healthy too.”
“And may your beautiful baby be born safely.”
“…What?”
“Well, I’ll be on my way then.”
After giving a perfectly polite farewell, Olivia turned and left the room.
“She’s no ordinary woman,” Leti muttered, stepping out from where he’d been quietly standing in the corner.
“She’s got the most delicate and innocent face, but her words are laced with thorns. She must hold some sort of grudge?”
“…So you think so too?”
“Why else would she bring up your secret pregnancy, something even the emperor and you were keeping hidden? She must feel secure because she trusts the duke.”
Maybe so.
But Verona said nothing. Leti mumbled, “Well, at least she’s leaving on her own.”
“True.”
Verona toyed with the pearl necklace around her neck, and her heart felt a bit more settled.
“Leti, bring me the mirror on the vanity. I want to see if the necklace suits me.”
“Honestly, why do you keep asking a dragon to do maid’s work? Just call another maid.”
“Oh, alright. I’ll call Mary then. Mary!”
“I’ll get it! I’ll get it!”
Leti hastily grabbed the ebony hand mirror and brought it to her. Looking at Carlos’s gift draped around her neck, Verona tried to shake off the unsettling feeling.
‘It’ll be fine.’
The pearl’s milky glow gave her the comforting sense that Carlos was nearby. She held the necklace tightly.
* * *
A month passed.
Verona’s slender body began to change.
The previously flat abdomen, which made it hard to believe there was a baby growing inside, had started to round slightly. It wasn’t noticeable to strangers yet, but those who were close to her could see it.
Now, the fact that Verona was expecting had become an open secret in the palace.
Not only did her closest attendants, like Luigi and Mary, know, but even the head chamberlain of the emperor’s residence was aware. This increased the security around the annex, and Carlos became even more attentive.
Every night before bed, Carlos would lay beside Verona, his hand resting lovingly on her growing belly, his eyes shining with hope.
“We’ll feel the baby move soon,” he said, his face brimming with happiness.
“And soon I’ll be hearing ‘Papa’ from them too.”
“What are you saying? There are still six months until the baby’s born, and they’re hardly going to talk the moment they arrive!”
“Time flies,” Carlos said confidently.
“And our child will learn everything quickly.”
“Sure… if you say so.”
Seeing his baseless confidence, Verona shook her head in amused disbelief.
Carlos gently caressed her belly over her thin nightgown, then sat up slowly.
“So, we should move things up. Don’t you think?”
“Move what up?”
“Our wedding,” he said with a smile.
“I initially gave you around three months, didn’t I?”
That’s right, he had!
She had almost completely forgotten. Originally, she’d requested around a hundred days for a courtship.
Carlos must have noticed her surprise because his expression hardened slightly.
“Don’t tell me you’d forgotten?”
“Oh, no, of course not.”
She replied with an awkward laugh, waving her hands. He didn’t look fully convinced but seemed willing to let it slide.
“I assumed you’d never turn down the chance to have me all to yourself for life.”
At first, she’d planned to escape… yet somehow, he was right. After all, the weight of her worries had lifted.
‘With the situation being what it is, not marrying isn’t really an option.’
The question of whose heir the child would become remained. She couldn’t compromise on that.
Verona loved the land of Waterfall, and she had no intention of handing the heir’s position to anyone who didn’t share the bloodline of the merfolk. So even if she became the Empress of Clarence, she had no plans to abandon her Waterfall name.
But a successor to the throne could not bear the Waterfall name. A child who formally took the surname Clarence could never become the king of Waterfall. If that were to happen, the Waterfall Kingdom would look like a mere colony of the Clarence Empire.
Moreover, according to the records she’d found in the Imperial Library, the empire required that the firstborn child of the emperor and empress automatically be the heir.
This principle of primogeniture for legitimate offspring applied not only to the imperial family but was also widely upheld among noble families, and even commoners followed this rule when passing on property.
‘Will I be able to convince Carlos after we’re married, before the baby is born?’
A shiver ran down her spine as she recalled his words about holding an entire family accountable for lying to the emperor.
To discuss the succession issue, she’d have to confess that she’d planned to deceive him, have the child, and escape. Would he be angry?
But now, Carlos seemed deeply caught up in his dreams.
“It’ll be hard to wear a dress once your belly grows, so how about we hold the wedding right away?”
“Right away? But that’s too soon.”
“Do you think I didn’t prepare? I’ve been ready since the day you arrived at the palace, so don’t worry.”
This meticulous emperor. He never even considered the possibility of my refusing, did he?
Verona clicked her tongue in disbelief.
Then again, he’d always said he had no intention of letting her go, so it wasn’t exactly surprising.
“You said I’d know within a hundred days whether I truly loved you, didn’t you?”
“That was…”
“So now, it’s time for me to hear your answer.”
Carlos’s firm words left Verona speechless.
“I want you to be my empress, Verona.”
Carlos gently pulled her into his arms. Embraced by his warmth, her heart began to pound wildly.
“So, say it now. Say you’ll marry me.”
“…Alright.”
Verona closed her eyes tightly and let the words fall.
There was no other choice. She still had half a year before the baby was born, so she’d find a solution by then.
If the child was to bear only the Waterfall name, either Carlos would have to give up the throne and come to Waterfall, or Waterfall would have to be annexed to Clarence.
Verona was unwilling to accept either option. Yet the thought of leaving Carlos’s side also filled her with hesitation.
‘I don’t want to ask him to choose between me and our child.’
So, still in his arms, Verona closed her eyes and said softly, “I’ll marry you.”
“At last, I hear those words from you.”
Carlos murmured with emotion, his voice thick with joy.
“Though, I would’ve liked to hear something else, too.”
“Something else? What are you…”
“Verona, you’ll have me all to yourself, forever.”
Carlos cut her off, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Then, his lips brushed her cheek and trailed down to hers.
“Mmh.”
A deep kiss followed. He held her chin, possessively, as if he had no intention of letting go.
Contrary to his earlier words inviting her to possess him, it felt as if he were the one determined to claim her completely.
Since the night of their engagement, Carlos had approached her gently and cautiously. But now, his sudden boldness left her dizzy.
Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, her eyelids fluttering shut. Carlos leaned further into her.
As her back pressed against the bed’s headboard, she found herself trapped in his embrace. Carlos, reigning over her like a tyrant, hesitated not a moment.
“Ha… I… I can’t breathe.”
She gently pushed him back as he adjusted his position to deepen the kiss even more. Though the intensity was thrilling, she was out of breath.
Carlos pulled back with a look of realization.
“…I’m sorry.”
He ran his fingers through his hair, catching his breath, and her heart skipped a beat at the sight. Her cheeks, too, were tinged pink.
“There’s no need to apologize…”
“It’s difficult to restrain myself. Being a father is already a challenge.”
Carlos’s self-deprecating comment made Verona awkwardly clear her throat, trying not to glance down at him. She, too, had been utterly absorbed in the kiss.
“Lie down, Verona. You need rest. I’ll send Jess over tomorrow afternoon to inform you about the wedding arrangements.”
“…Alright.”
This time, she didn’t stop him as he lay down at a distance. For some reason, she fell asleep feeling a bit of longing.
The feeling lingered when she woke the next morning. Still under the spell of the lingering kiss, she found herself unconsciously touching her lips.
‘Why am I acting like this? It’s not even our first kiss.’
Trying to compose herself, she focused on Jess’s words.
“…So, we’ve planned it at this scale. Since His Majesty meticulously prepared everything, proceeding as is should be smooth. The renovation of the empress’s banquet hall will also be finished soon, so there’s no issue with hosting the ceremony there.”
“His Majesty is incredibly thorough. I thought he excelled only in state affairs, but he even handles matters like this personally.”
Mary, listening nearby, clicked her tongue in amazement. Luigi, busy taking notes, agreed.
“Indeed. His Majesty has been remarkable since his days as crown prince. He personally handles anything he deems important, no matter how trivial. And for a national wedding, he’d never leave it to someone else.”
“Exactly. He may have been planning this since his days as crown prince.”
Jess added enthusiastically. Verona couldn’t help but laugh.
“There’s no way. What man plans his wedding from boyhood?”
She chuckled, picturing a young Carlos seriously contemplating bridal bouquets and tiaras amidst his studies of statecraft and martial arts.
Carlos Gruenwaldt Clarence had devoted himself to studies and swordsmanship to surpass the duke from a young age. Later, he poured his energy into expanding the empire’s territories.
The idea of a man like him dreaming and preparing for his wedding was almost a joke.
“Well, if it’s His Majesty, perhaps he would.”
Leti, sipping tea quietly in the corner, responded. Verona turned to him.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Oh, this tea’s rather bitter. Mary, did you brew this?”
“What?”
Mary, forgetting the presence of Verona and the others, stood up, indignant at Leti’s comment.