Ch.115Smoothly (5)

If asked how it feels to have twins as your first children, he wouldn’t be able to give any answer.

With this thought in mind, Evan sighed deeply while staring into empty space. It was scary enough wondering if he could handle just one child, but twins?

“They say they’ll probably be fraternal twins. One boy and one girl. Wow.”

Ropena giggled as she paced around next to Evan. Well, who told them to be so enthusiastic? He had thought they would be careful, but it seemed both of them became rather foolish when it came to romance.

Then what would the children call her? Auntie? Frowning at that slightly aging title, Ropena glanced at Evan and spoke.

“How does it feel? You’re going to be a father now.”

“…It feels good, but also a bit heavy.”

His shallow breath scattered in the wind. Cloud fragments floating in the sky broke into pieces in the breeze. Evan, who had been staring at the vanishing clouds, finally shrugged and gave a hollow laugh. It felt heavy. The sudden arrival of children was joyful, but he was also a bit scared about whether he could do well by them. Besides, wasn’t there still one obstacle remaining?

As Evan’s expression darkened at the thought of the Duke, Ropena, who noticed his thoughts, cleared her throat and plopped down next to him.

“Everyone’s probably keeping it quiet. If the Duke finds out, he might do something unpredictable to you.”

“Surely he wouldn’t go so far as to kill me.”

“Who knows? He might go crazy and lock you up.”

Thinking about it, that made sense, and Evan looked at Ropena with a shudder. If the Duke did that, wouldn’t Airin stop him…? Since he was now truly going to be his father-in-law, if the Duke tried to capture him, there would be nothing to do but submit quietly.

Realizing it was strange that the Duke had been quiet all this time, Evan asked Ropena with a hint of suspicion.

“Could it be that His Grace the Duke doesn’t know yet?”

“He doesn’t know. If he knew, you couldn’t be here. Seriously, what do you think about staying at the Imperial Palace for a few days?”

“No, hasn’t anyone told him?”

“Is there any need to? I mean, normally we should tell him… but everyone at the Duke’s mansion doesn’t want things to get noisy over this. They’re all people who support Miss and you. And it’s obvious what would happen if the Duke found out.”

Evan let out a hollow laugh when he heard that no one had even informed the Duke about Airin’s pregnancy. Was this really okay? Of course, it would be troublesome for him, but was it okay for Airin’s father to still not know about the pregnancy?

‘I don’t have any reason to tell him either.’

Knowing the Duke’s desire to look after his daughter, Evan swallowed and closed his eyes. He had no intention of telling him. Why would he go and risk getting grabbed by the collar by an enraged Duke?

So all they could do was wait until he found out on his own. If the Duke only learned about it after Airin had given birth…

Thinking it might be quite a sight, Evan smiled wryly.

“By the way, what about names? I have a few ideas if you’d like to hear them.”

“Names? Is it okay to decide that already? We don’t even know if they’re boys or girls yet.”

“If they’re fraternal twins, it’s one boy and one girl. It’s not bad to decide in advance.”

“…What names have you thought of?”

It had only been a day since they found out about the pregnancy, yet somehow she had already thought of names. As Evan looked at Ropena, she clenched her fists and opened her mouth with wide eyes.

“I heard that these days, the name Si-woo is popular. They say it’s the most popular name for girls?”

“Si-woo?”

So the son’s name would be Si-woo Yuris? It felt a bit awkward, but Evan nodded, thinking it wasn’t bad. Of course, the names weren’t decided yet. Shouldn’t he discuss it with Airin, and eventually with the Duke as well?

When they got married, Evan planned to change his surname. By then, the Fried family name might disappear altogether, and using a surname associated with extinction might not be well-received by people. Since they were going to get married anyway, it might be fine to keep Airin’s surname and live as Evan Yuris.

“Or how about Aman?”

“Aman is out.”

Evan frowned slightly. It was an ominous name. Didn’t it sound like someone who would be forced to watch people’s tragedies from a cliff? As Evan shook his head, Ropena, who had been momentarily dejected, began to suggest names for the girl.

“How about Esili? It just came to mind, but it feels good somehow!”

“It certainly does.”

Esili Yuris—a smile appeared on Evan’s face. If a daughter was born, wouldn’t she look just like Airin? While he hoped her personality would take after him, Evan simply wished that his daughter’s personality would be as gentle and soft as her name.

Several other names came up, but ultimately, naming would be a matter for later. After all, they were just entering the fifth week of pregnancy, so there was no need to decide on names yet. But just the act of naming the child brought Evan considerable joy.

“By the way, what about Miss?”

“She’s sleeping now. Pregnancy usually makes you sleepier. But she should wake up soon, since it’s been a while since she fell asleep.”

Could Airin’s recent increase in sleepiness be due to the pregnancy? It would have been nice to notice earlier, but wasn’t it fine to do well from now on? Having made up his mind, Evan patted Ropena’s head and stood up, causing her to bite her tongue slightly and glare at him.

“Ouch.”

“I should go to Miss. You’re going to see Chris, right?”

“Ah, I bit my tongue. Should I tell the Duke about this?”

“…Sorry.”

Wondering how he ended up in this situation, Evan pouted and stroked his cheek. Airin was sleeping, and in such a situation, there wasn’t much he could do. Leaving Ropena behind, Evan headed to the study, a place he had never visited before.

“What are you looking at so intently?”

In response to Chris’s question, Evan simply shook his head slightly. He had been looking for books that might help Airin, but he found that his knowledge was lacking compared to what he already knew. He had once sought knowledge to help his mother when his younger sibling was born, so it seemed best to rely on that knowledge.

“I’m looking for things to help with Miss’s health management, but I can’t find as much as I thought.”

“That’s natural. People who have actually raised children know more accurately than books. For example—”

Chris pointed at himself. As Evan stared blankly at him, Chris thumped Evan’s back hard and scratched his cheek embarrassedly as he continued. He said that during his time as a knight, he had traveled through many battlefields and had raised young children in the process. He had even taken care of newborns, which made Evan look at Chris in a new light.

That rigid person raising children? He probably tried to put a sword in the hands of a child who couldn’t even walk yet.

When Chris clenched his fist, sensing Evan’s gaze, Evan chuckled and put down the book. It might not suit him, but the fact that he was talking about this meant he was offering help, right? As Evan put on a slightly serious expression, Chris finally sighed deeply and quietly began to speak.

“Meeting pregnant women on the battlefield is quite common. Some are captured as prisoners, and sometimes you meet pregnant women while protecting villages. I’ve even helped with deliveries.”

“Is that so?”

“Childbirth is still a distant future for you, but the most important thing in early pregnancy is to ensure she doesn’t get stressed. You’ll need to keep watching over her at least until her belly starts to swell.”

Stress, huh? Evan nodded and took out a piece of paper to write down Chris’s words. He had intended to listen casually, but it turned out to be quite helpful. Stress was obvious, but Evan couldn’t help but smile as Chris talked about foods to be careful with. Didn’t he look just like a grandfather eager to see his grandchildren?

“If the child is born, would it be okay for them to call you Grandfather Chris?”

“Grandfather? Well, there’s no reason to stop them. Grandfather, huh.”

“You like it, so I’ll just have them call you grandfather.”

Imagining small children calling Chris grandfather made his heart feel warm, and Evan tilted his head with a languid smile. He never imagined he would be having such a serious discussion with Chris about this, but it seemed to perfectly match the saying that one can never properly predict the ways of the world.

“This is surprisingly helpful.”

“I know better than most maids. I was the first to become friends with Ropena, after all.”

“I’ve always been curious, how did you become friends with Ropena?”

Chris’s appearance was somewhat rugged. To put it harshly, he had a face that might frighten young children, and even to put it mildly, he didn’t look particularly kind. Ropena had first come to the Duke’s mansion when she was around 7 years old, so Evan was quite curious about how she had become friends with Chris.

“Well, it was simple. All I did was give her something sweet.”

Chris smiled fondly as he recalled the day he first met Ropena. Led by Airin’s hand to the Duke’s mansion, but without any connections, she was just a child wandering alone. Chris gave her a chocolate from his pocket, and Ropena, receiving the slightly melted chocolate, opened her eyes wide at the sweetness of chocolate she was tasting for the first time in her life.

Back then, she wasn’t as shrewd as she is now. Chris smiled bitterly and stroked his chin, and Evan, looking at him, spoke.

“So that’s why Ropena likes chocolate. Because you gave it to her first.”

“That’s right. But how long are you going to call me ‘Chris Lord’? You’re not even a knight anymore.”

“I get confused sometimes, so I’ll just keep calling you Chris Lord. If you’re dissatisfied, get reinstated and order me to change how I address you.”

“Cheeky fellow.”

“I learned it all from you, Chris Lord.”

At those words, Chris laughed heartily, and Evan laughed along as their eyes met. He had come to read books, but somehow they ended up just chatting again. But since it wasn’t so bad, Evan decided to simply enjoy the moment.

#

“Suddenly I want to eat something sweet. Bread too… I think I’m going to become a pig.”

With just one word from Airin, Evan would hurriedly leave the Duke’s mansion to search for sweets. A clear division between superior and subordinate—neither Airin nor Evan had particularly intended it, but at some point, Evan found himself unconsciously following Airin’s words.

‘It’s because I got her pregnant.’

To be more precise, it might be due to the sense of responsibility that had settled in a corner of his heart. Seeing Airin, who had been constantly tired lately, what Evan felt was a pain that made his heart ache. He wanted to do more for her, but there wasn’t much he could actually do.

It was amusing that the only Master in the Empire was going around the neighborhood buying bread, but most people just smiled at Evan, finding his behavior endearing.

“Um, we’re out of bread.”

“Then can’t you bake a cake for me?”

Even though he knew it was unreasonable as he said it, with his mind full of Airin’s desire for something sweet, Evan blurted out such words without thinking. He and Ropena had tried hard to stop Airin from swinging her sword whenever she tried to exercise, and they had also prevented her from drinking Darjeeling, saying it wasn’t good for her.

Since he couldn’t stop her from eating what she wanted, Evan tried his best to accommodate Airin’s preferences.

“Aren’t you overdoing it? There’s no need to go that far.”

“It’s fine. I’m doing it because I want to.”

Even when Airin looked at him apologetically, Evan just shook his head with a bright smile. Was it really okay for him to accommodate her like this? She was slightly dissatisfied about not being able to drink her usual Darjeeling, but she didn’t harbor any other emotions about it.

She simply didn’t drink it because it was bad for the baby, and since hearing that excessive exercise wasn’t good, she had been restraining herself. Although it was frustrating, Airin didn’t stress over such small things. She wondered if Evan was running around so diligently because he was worried about such things, but all she got in return was a smile. Finally, Airin chuckled and habitually stroked her belly, which hadn’t even swollen yet.

Would she someday hear heartbeats from inside? When this belly swelled up like a balloon, what emotions would she feel then? The thought of giving birth to twins was a bit frightening, but the anticipation for the many experiences to come felt even greater.

“If there’s anything else you want—”

“Hmm, what do you think I might want?”

“…I’m not sure.”

Airin, who had stopped stroking her belly, looked at Evan standing stiffly in front of her and sighed deeply. Wouldn’t someone mistake him for a criminal if they saw him? If there was something she wanted, Airin most wanted Evan to be by her side. As winter deepened, their time together would gradually decrease, so she wanted to spend these moments together for as long as possible.

“Standing like that isn’t good for the baby.”

In reality, the baby probably didn’t even know of its parents’ existence yet, but at those words, Evan startled and relaxed his posture. But his stance was still awkward, so Airin, laughing at him, sat on the bed and patted the spot next to her.

“Sit here. My arms are tired, so I can’t eat this.”

As she slightly lifted the piece of cake Evan had bought, he finally sat down next to Airin with hesitation. Airin gave Evan a spoon, and after confirming that he was holding it, she opened her mouth slightly.

“Ah—”

As if asking to be fed, Airin closed her eyes and opened her mouth, making Evan chuckle. The tension that had stiffened his body relaxed, leaving him feeling more at ease. Airin, savoring the cake that Evan fed her, smiled broadly at the sweet taste that lingered on her tongue.

Perhaps the true sweetness wasn’t the cake, but this moment together. As Evan licked his finger after wiping off the cream on his lips, Airin’s face instantly turned red.

On one hand, she was a bit worried about having to tell her father about this someday… but that wasn’t for now.

Airin was, at this moment, happier than anyone else.