Chapter 52: An Anticipating Heart
"Anna, are you awake?"
A series of soft "knock knock" sounds echoed from outside the door.
"Is that you, Joshua?" A sowhat urgent voice suddenly ca from inside the room.
"Yes." Joshua, standing outside the door, chuckled softly and then reached out to turn the doorknob. "I'm coming in."
But the next mont, the door was blocked.
"Wait a mont, I’m not dressed yet!"
Anna’s flustered and slightly panicked voice ca from behind the door.
"Sorry." Joshua quickly apologized and gently closed the door.
"Ah—"
"What’s wrong?"
As soon as the door shut, a short, low exclamation ca from behind it, prompting Joshua to ask anxiously, "What happened? Anna?"
"It’s... it’s nothing," Anna replied in a low voice. "Just... I got a bit nervous and then accidentally slipped a little."
"Oh." Joshua laughed lightly. "Be careful, there’s no need to rush... Breakfast is ready. I’ll wait for you in the dining room."
"Okay!"
"By the way," Joshua walked forward a few steps, then suddenly stopped, "Have you seen Sir Akar? Lord Karen seems to be looking for him to discuss the military deploynt."
"Akar... he’s probably at the training grounds," Anna took a deep breath. "Isn’t he usually there?"
"Lord Karen didn’t find him at the training grounds," Joshua said with so doubt. "If you don’t know either, then I’ll have Lord Karen check his room. I suppose Sir Akar hasn’t woken up yet... I’ll head to the dining room first."
"Al... alright," Anna replied.
Anna placed her hands against the door and carefully listened as Joshua’s footsteps gradually faded into the distance. Only then did she finally exhale in a stifled gasp.
Unlike her usual tightly clad self, where her figure was barely discernible, now completely undressed, she fully revealed her perfectly curvaceous body. Especially her skin, as white as milk, glead almost luminously under the sunlight.
However—
Two dark-skinned hands roaming over Anna's body resembled black pythons writhing and coiling through snowy terrain, wreaking havoc without restraint.
Sweat quickly oozed forth.
The snowy skin soon turned into sothing akin to a muddy swamp.
But whether it was snow or swamp, the two black pythons slithered rrily.
Anna tried to turn around, but soon realized it was futile. She could only turn her head back to glare at the culprit pressing her down and preventing her from moving. Yet soon, her uniquely enchanting eyes grew hazy and intoxicated.
At last, only a deeply suppressed moan remained.
A mont later, the door was knocked on again.
This ti, it was the maid’s voice from outside, inquiring about Anna’s condition.
Anna casually brushed it off, then lay back on the bed, resting against Akar’s chest, and softly said, "You heard it just now, right? Karen is looking for you, it’s about the campaign against the Red Soil Territory. Monica sent a letter a few days ago and also ntioned this. You’ll first rendezvous with my father’s troops in the Gem Territory, then launch an invasion of the Red Soil Territory. The main coordination will be with the main forces of the Red River Territory."
"My brother will be there too?" Akar couldn’t help but ask. "I didn’t even get to attend his wedding."
By now, it had been nearly seven months since Akar and Yam last parted.
After Yam returned to the White Mountain Territory with Baron Ster, he married Lily. At that ti, Akar had been escorting Anna back to the Eaglehead Territory, and naturally couldn’t attend the wedding, so he later had soone send a gift on his behalf.
Anna also sent a gift, under the na of Anna Billy, Lord of Akar Soderbell.
After that, several territories, including the Bayor Territory, began intensive preparations for the military campaign against the Red Soil Territory.
However, because winter had just arrived and the territories had recently experienced warfare that significantly impacted civilian life, they waited until spring planting was finished before mobilizing and conscripting troops. Now that everything was ready, the war could no longer be delayed.
"The White Mountain Territory will be led by Giggs, with Yam serving as a household knight under him, so he’ll definitely go," Anna nodded. "The Gem Territory will be led by my father, and Andre will also be marching with the army. Then there’s the Forest Territory, with Viscount Cardon commanding its troops; and the Bayor Territory, led by Atork Senels."
"There are only two Third-Tier Bloodline Users?"
"According to the letter Monica sent , the Red Soil Territory currently has only two Third-Tier Bloodline Users. Your allied forces should have three to four, which should suffice for the most basic suppression through superior high-end combat strength," Anna said softly. "Baron Ster didn’t personally lead the troops because he must guard against potential harm from Count Shuvaric."
At the ntion of Count Shuvaric, Akar couldn't help but frown, a trace of disgust flashing across his face.
"I understand." Akar took a deep breath before speaking. "I’ll find a chance to kill Andre."
"It doesn’t matter if there’s no chance. You don’t need to force it," Anna rested on Akar’s chest. "You must prioritize your own safety."
"Don’t worry." Akar chuckled. "I’ll be careful... After I kill Andre, I’ll find a way to kill Shuke too. That way, you’ll have an excuse to return to the Gem Territory. Staying here at this manor isn’t exactly convenient or safe."
Anna held Akar a little tighter but didn’t say anything.
"What’s wrong?" Akar keenly noticed sothing was off.
"I’m going to marry Joshua." Anna sighed softly. "So by the ti you return, I should be Lady Anna Kasein."
Akar’s movents imdiately froze.
"Monica ntioned in her letter that Marquis Visen has already been inquiring about the marriage between Joshua and . It can’t be delayed anymore. And honestly, it really shouldn’t be. If we drag it out, things could go wrong." Anna embraced Akar again, her voice growing even lighter. "I’m pregnant. It’s probably been two weeks."
"What did you say?!" Akar couldn’t help but exclaim, his face lit with an expression of uncontrollable joy and disbelief.
"I’m pregnant, and the child is yours." Anna looked at Akar’s delighted expression and couldn’t help but smile, then leaned up to kiss him. "Monica wants the Gem Territory, then I’ll give it to her, but she has to trade the Red Eagle Territory for it. The only regret is that the child won’t be able to carry the Soderbell na, and in the future, there might be so issues with bloodline inheritance... But I believe, with your bloodline aptitude, even if problems arise, our child will be able to overco them."
Akar’s initial joy was imdiately extinguished by Anna’s final words.
Everyone thought the Soderbell family were geniuses.
But only Akar knew, they weren’t geniuses at all. They were just lucky!
"You really believe our child will be a genius?" Akar tried to suppress the unease and agitation rising in his heart. "What if he has no bloodline aptitude at all? Bloodline Users can still give birth to completely ordinary children without any bloodline."
"Then we’ll have another one." Anna greedily inhaled Akar’s scent. "If one doesn’t work, we’ll try two. If two don’t work, then three. One of them will succeed. I won’t have children with anyone else but you... Rather than imagining that our child won’t have bloodline aptitude, why not think about what we’ll na our first child? Do you really want Joshua to na our child?"
"If it’s a girl, let’s na her Anya. If it’s a boy, let’s na him Liam."
…
The White Mountain Territory wasn’t wealthy, so even Baron Ster, as its lord, rarely indulged in extravagance.
But tonight was clearly a special occasion.
The dining hall’s long table was laden with a wide variety of exquisite foods.
From lamb, pork, chicken, and goose at to berry-filled pies, white bread, and turkey bread, every staple food imaginable was present. Even the desserts included cheese, dried cheese, and an assortnt of fruits of all sizes.
Baron Ster Bole, seated at the head of the long table, was grinning from ear to ear.
And it wasn’t just Baron Ster, Giggs, Shirley, Yam, and Lily on the left side of the table, and Ken, Ion, and Roda on the right, were all in equally high spirits.
Roda was the younger brother of Nika, the Bloodline Knight who had died protecting Lily.
Because Lily and Baron Ster were grateful for Nika’s sacrifice, they managed to gather a Bloodline Potion for Roda.
Roda lived up to expectations, successfully awakening his bloodline, and had now beco a First-Tier Bloodline User.
Shirley was an ordinary person, the daughter of a rchant in White Mountain City who specialized in dicinal herbs.
Although not particularly beautiful, her smile was sweet, and having helped her father manage his business and do accounting since she was young, she caught Baron Ster’s attention, who arranged a match with his son Giggs. Faced with a Bloodline User and their territorial lord, the rchant naturally didn’t refuse.
In fact, he felt a sense of pride at marrying into nobility. Thus, the engagent between Giggs and Shirley proceeded smoothly.
Shirley Bole had been married into the Bole Family for nearly three months.
She had a gentle temperant, so there was no conflict with the slightly assertive Lily. The two got along very well.
However, the true star of tonight was not anyone present.
It was the one inside Lily’s belly.
It had been nearly seven months since Yam and Baron Ster returned to the White Mountain Territory and held the wedding with Lily.
Only today, after the physician confird that Lily was one month pregnant, did Baron Ster order a feast in celebration. He even reduced the territory’s taxes slightly, truly celebrating with the people.
However, the news of tax relief wouldn’t spread across the entire territory that quickly, it would take at least a few days.
"By the way, Yam, have you decided on a na for the child?"
Baron Ster now regarded Yam as almost like a son. His personal friendship with Ion had grown close, making the Bole Family’s internal atmosphere very warm and harmonious. So not just Ion, even Baron Ster paid great attention to the child Lily was carrying.
"I’ve decided." Yam smiled and nodded. "If it’s a boy, let’s na him Oscar. If it’s a girl, then Cindy."
Hearing Yam’s nas, both Baron Ster and Ion fell silent for a mont.
Lily gently reached out and held Yam’s hand, speaking softly, "This ti when Akar goes off to war, you two brothers should be able to et."
"Yes, I hope so," Yam replied with a smile.
"I hope the war won’t last too long. I don’t want our child to be born without seeing their father."
"It won’t," Yam shook his head. "Father said even the Bayor Territory and Eaglehead Territory are sending troops this ti. The war should end quickly. The Red Soil Territory won’t be able to resist an allied force of this scale."
"No matter what, war is always dangerous. So you must be careful on the battlefield," Lily sighed lightly. "Also, please take care of my brother."
"I will."
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