episode_0508

Even though we hadn’t had a wedding, I was already treated as Ethan’s prospective first lady in the Blackwood household.

In the first place, we were planning to get married right after graduating from the academy, and on top of that, I was pregnant with Ethan’s first child, so in reality, I couldn’t see any other future for myself other than becoming his wife.

I was just thinking about my future as a duchess and accepting the current situation. Because even if I didn’t accept it in the first place, other people wouldn’t treat me the same way as before.

“Good night, Miss.”

“Ah, Deacon Dietmeyer… .”

“Just Dietmeyer is enough. The master said that it would be good if the young lady drew a clear line now.”

“Ah, yes… Mr. Dietmeyer… .”

Dietmire, who had called me “Housekeeper” throughout his life at Blackwood Manor, also changed his title, and the other maids and servants all used the titles “Miss Lilith” and “Lady Rosewood” when addressing me.

It might have felt awkward to treat me, a colleague of mine just a few months ago, like a young lady, but for some reason, the employees now seemed to find it natural to treat me like a young lady.

… It’s as if I was the only one who thought of me as Ethan’s exclusive maid from the beginning.

“Ah, Release~ga, Ah, no, Lily, Miss Release. Is there anything you need?”

“… Something feels a little awkward. Can’t you just call Isabel Lilith like before?”

“Ah, but the master said that Miss Release should no longer be treated as a servant. I, I appreciate what Miss Release said, but… .”

“That’s not it. Even if they’re between a master and a servant, they can still be friends. But Isabel is my first friend in life, so it’s a bit awkward for things to get awkward like this… .”

“Che, first friend… . That, that’s right, release… .”

“I’ll tell Master Ethan. Can you make an exception for Isabel?”

“That… If that’s the case. Okay, Release… .”

Isabel also awkwardly tried to draw a line by calling me Miss Lilith… but no matter what, I felt uncomfortable being treated as a lady by Isabel.

Since Isabel has been by my side the longest, it’s natural that she’ll be the one who takes the most care of me, but I hope that at least when we’re together, it won’t be awkward.

Katarina, well… You’ve been treating me like a young lady for a long time now, so I don’t feel much of a difference between then and now.

“Miss Release, how is the water temperature?”

“That’s perfect, Ethan. The bathhouse at Blackwood Manor is the most comfortable. For example, you don’t have to light a fire yourself, and it’s so spacious that Ethan and I can go in alone.”

“If you know that, I hope you never try to ‘run away’ again. If you leave Blackwood Manor without asking next time… I might have a little more trouble holding back.”

“… I’ll keep that in mind, Ethan. ”

Anyway, about ten days had passed since Ethan started treating me like his dedicated butler and I began spending each day receiving his service.

My belly, which was now six months pregnant, felt quite heavy and had a considerable presence even when I was just breathing quietly.

‘…I’m a mother.’

Looking down at my growing belly day by day, I felt something strange and… my heart started pounding at the thought that in just a few more months I would be giving birth to Ethan’s child.

I hadn’t really realized it because I had been so busy… but now that I thought about how it would become reality in just a few months, I couldn’t help but feel a strange and ticklish feeling.

“~~~~~!!!”

“… Miss Release, is there anything that is bothering you?”

“… … Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just a little embarrassed thinking that I’ll be giving birth to Ethan’s child in a few months… .”

“Ah… … . Is that so… .”

Ethan also blushed, perhaps a little embarrassed about being the father of a child.

In just a few months, this will no longer be a future plan but a real reality. I was worried about whether both parents would be able to take good care of their child.

Ethan’s original plan was to have a child with me after graduating from the academy… but because of something strange I did, we ended up having a child before graduating.

It’s not that I don’t like having Ethan’s child, but I’m increasingly aware these days that being unprepared for a pregnancy isn’t always a good thing.

After giving birth, how will I return to the academy next year, and how will I raise the child and breastfeed the child in the meantime?

As a new mother, it was a pretty hardcore start. Fortunately, Ethan was from the Blackwood family, so there were plenty of maids to look after the child.

‘It’s not a problem that can be solved by worrying about it now. At the Academy, I guess we’ll have to express some milk in advance and ask Isabel to feed it to her with a bottle or something.’

It seemed like I had no choice but to apply for the fourth-grade exploratory class, focusing on a schedule that didn’t involve going too far. It might have been okay if it was just for a day or two, but if I had to go on an outside schedule for almost a week, it would mean leaving my child with Isabel.

I also wanted to breastfeed as much as possible during the period when my milk supply was producing. But they say that breast milk is better for the baby than formula milk.

I did consider hiring a nanny to breastfeed like other first ladies do, but honestly, I wanted to raise my first child while breastfeeding him.

“Ethan.”

“Yes, Miss Release.”

“My child seems to be asking for a peach. Can you get it for him now?”

“Yes, Miss. I’ll bring it to you right now… .”

In order to shake off those complicated worries, I continued playing with Ethan, the butler, and Youngae today.

-Knock, knock, knock.

“Master, Release, the master just got back.”

“Yes?”

“Ahem, I see.”

With Harold’s return from the academy, Ethan and I’s relationship reversal game naturally came to an end.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

“Hello, Father.”

“Da, how are you, master… Ah, no, Duke of Blackwood… .”

“… Hmm, okay.”

Ethan and I hurriedly packed our clothes and came down to the first floor to prepare for Harold’s return.

Harold looked at Ethan’s face, then my face, then my swollen belly, then nodded once with a small sigh.

“I see you found the right place, Ethan.”

“Yes. I was able to come here thanks to what my father told me.”

“Yes. A man should know how not to let go of a woman he likes. I regretted it too much when I realized too late that I liked your mother during my school days. But be thankful that it didn’t take years like it did for me. When I decided to find Thanasia again, a war with the kingdom broke out… .”

Harold, who seemed to be having a brief chat with Ethan, naturally began to tell stories about his past.

As I was watching him, thinking that if I left it like this, I would be forced to listen to this never-ending story again, Ethan was the first to naturally cut off Harold’s story.

“Father. Release has a hard time standing for long, so I’ll ask you to tell the long story later.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was not considerate enough, Sae-ga.”

“… … Yes?”

“Hmm. Maybe it would be better to call you daughter-in-law? Actually, I was thinking about what to call you when you come back.”

“Master… No, did the Duke of Blackwood know in advance…?”

I thought you’d be able to infer what was going on with me and Ethan just by looking at my belly, but I never thought you’d call me like this the second time we met.

But Harold tilted his head and asked back, as if he found my reaction strange.

“Hmm? Is it possible that the child in your stomach is not Ethan’s? I didn’t think you were that kind of child… .”

“Ah, no… . It is true that it is Lord Ethan’s child… .”

“Then, can I call you Sae-a-ga now? Surely you’re not still talking about maids and such with that body, are you?”

“Yes… . That, that’s not true of course… .”

“Yeah. Anyway, congratulations. Looking at the new baby, it seems like the order is a little off, but… well, does that really matter?”

… Are you being lenient about speeding marriages because it concerns your own son?

It was Harold’s son’s foolish nature that was still elusive.