"Hah......"
August.
The ti when sumr slowly slips away.
Yuriel who had traveled to Louerg, was keenly aware of that fact,
Her hands stopped moving after a long ti,
And the result of her efforts was a shabby knitting.
Seeing Euphemia's daughter Carlea wearing the clothes she had personally knitted, and receiving Ferzen's full attention, Yuriel motivated by jealousy also tried to knit.
But she failed miserably.
In fact, from the perspective of noblewon, there was no need for them to ever learn such craft.
Only commoners or maids would learn it.
Or...
Poor nobles like that woman.
A hobby that could hardly be called refined.
But even so, here was Yuriel pouting and puffing, trying to copy Euphemia.
Her skills didn't improve at all, no matter how much she tried, so Yuriel was feeling very irritated now.
To make matters worse, that woman kept rejoicing every ti her daughter would turn over...
Was she trying to get back at Yuriel now?
Although it wasn't a boy, Euphemia seed to be over the moon with a daughter.
Honestly, it would be a lie to say she wasn't envious of that life.
Moreover, unlike herself, Euphemia was now cleared to be embraced by Ferzen as much as she wanted......
Ha.
Yuriel inwardly let out a hollow laugh and shook her head.
Being jealous of that unsightly woman itself was ridiculous.
It's not like she had taken care of her body in advance by exercising.
Having given birth over the span of 2 hours, Euphemia's womanhood would be as loose as the unfinished knitting on her lap.
Her youth would crumble helplessly in ti.
When that ti cos, she will naturally just be Ferzen's wife in na only.
"......"
After a brief silence, Yuriel gently stroked her belly which was nearing full term.
"Am I uglier than I thought... I said it was okay for that woman to be prioritized in front of your dad. But now that ti has passed, even that is growing more and more unacceptable.... I clearly wanted to beco your mother, but I guess I also want to be your dad's woman just as much."
Having honestly revealed her inner thoughts, Yuriel gave a bitter smile, wondering if this was really the way to do prenatal care.
Creak-.
At that mont, the door slowly opened.
As Ferzen entered the room, Yuriel quickly hid her failed attempt at knitting.
However, Ferzen's keen eyes naturally caught sight of it.
'I'm such a fool...'
In fact, she had intentionally reacted slowly so that Ferzen would notice, so Yuriel inwardly reprimanded herself.
It seed like she was too blatantly showing her jealousy towards Euphemia.
Wasn't this indirectly saying that the affection given to her was lacking and she was craving love?
"It's alright, Yuriel."
However, despite reading all of that, Ferzen didn't even frown and instead smiled faintly as he stroked Yuriel's lower belly.
"I'm trying my best in my own way, but what is best isn't always suitable for everyone. Rather than groaning inwardly while trying to show unnecessary consideration, it's actually more comfortable for if you show it like this."
"Even though I beca your wife and am carrying your child... You don't find it annoying that I'm still hideously jealous...?"
"If I always wanted you to only watch my mood and match my feelings... I would have comfortably brought in a personal maid."
Listening to Ferzen's answer, Yuriel stared at him blankly.
Ferzen was becoming much more approachable as ti passed.
Rather than his personality softening, it should be seen as him genuinely responding instead of forcibly suppressing or dismissing the emotions of the person he clashed with.
"T-Then...L-Lets do it together."
"Do what?"
"K-knitting."
Yuriel answered in a low voice, showing the shabby result she had clumsily hidden.
"Warming our bodies by the brazier, talking... Making clothes together for my child... T-That's what I want. With you..."
Looking closely, her jealousy seed to stem from a pure lack of affection rather than Euphemia.
Thinking that way and seeing Yuriel's cute clinginess, Ferzen opened his mouth without hesitation.
"Alright."
"Huh? W-What...?"
Even though she had made the request, Yuriel hadn't expected Ferzen to agree, so she had a dumbfounded expression.
No matter how docile Ferzen had beco, it was hard to imagine him knitting.
Thump-.
Leaving Yuriel like that, Ferzen got up from his seat, stroked the brazier's fire, and pulled two rocking chairs close.
"Here, let help you so you won't put too much pressure on your belly."
As Ferzen bent his waist towards her sitting figure and tried to support her with gentle consideration, Yuriel stretched out both hands, grasped Ferzen's shoulders, and slowly stood up.
Imdiately after, Ferzen sat her in the rocking chair in front of the brazier, covered her lap with a blanket, and tried to go to the side...
Squeeze-!
Yuriel hugged Ferzen tightly.
When they reunited at the academy, there was always a faint sll of tobacco perating him.
Now, even that wasn't felt, replaced by a luxurious perfu scent mixed with his body odor.
Moreover, perhaps because it was the firm chest she was blatantly touching after a long ti.
Yuriel blushed shyly and rubbed her cheek against him.
"I didn't think you're going to be this needy, Yuriel..."
But even as he said that Ferzen's hands gently stroked Yuriel's glossy hair.
As Yuriel, having sowhat satisfied her unfulfilled affection, gently pulled away, Ferzen went and sat in the rocking chair next to her.
Following Yuriel, he tried to start knitting but found it quite difficult and got tangled up several tis.
"Pfft."
Realizing that there was sothing her husband couldn't do, Yuriel burst into laughter.
The clumsy mom and dad, gradually getting used to it and making the child's clothes...
What happier daily life could there be than that?
Yuriel smiled blissfully.
As they enjoyed their ti together, a maid knocked on the door, and Ferzen allowed her to enter.
Then the maid bowed and handed Ferzen a letter.
"......"
Since there was no family seal or na of who sent it, Ferzen tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter inside.
However, as soon as he read it, his eye twitched.
Seeing his reaction, Yuriel got curious, wondering just who managed to ruffle his feathers.
Since it was confird that Prince Raymond would inherit the throne next, as promised, he created a tax-exempt zone in the north and entrusted full authority to Ferzen.
Because of that, there were quite a few people from the central governnt trying to make connections with Ferzen by sending letters.
Among them, there was bound to be soone unpleasant.
Could this be them?
Yet, before she could even see the letter, Ferzen ripped it into pieces and tossed them into the brazier.
"...Just who sent you that letter...?"
"There's no need for you to know, Yuriel. Regardless, since it's almost lunchti, let's have our al and continue knitting later."
"Yes."
Until she gave birth, it was difficult for Yuriel to politically assist Ferzen.
And even if he didn't have her help, he wasn't soone who would be troubled, so Yuriel slowly got up from the chair with Ferzen's support.
*****"Hmm...He should have received it by now..."
As he tapped the floor with his cane, a disgusting smile ca over the Old Snake's face.
Yes, Corleone Wayne Barreta Alfred.
He guessed that the letter he wrote a few weeks ago would have reached Louerg by now, and got up.
"Have you finished the preparations?"
"Yes, Elder."
"Then let's go up to Louerg right after breakfast tomorrow."
"......Is that wise, Elder?"
"What do you an?"
"By the ti we arrive, it will be almost September, so the young lady will definitely be heavily pregnant... The Count of Louerg will be quite sensitive. He will certainly not welco your arrival."
Listening to the words of the retainer who had assisted him for a long ti, Corleone chuckled.
"Heh...That's a given."
"......"
"But now matter how much he hates it, what can he even do about it?"
"That's..."
"Other than greeting with an irritated tone while fully showing his discomfort, what can he do?"
Of course.
Would he turn away his wife's grandfather at his doorstep where the ruthless cold was rushing in?
"You may leave now. Tell them to bring dinner to my room. I'll sleep early today."
"Yes. Understood. Elder."
Without voicing the thought of what if the child born is a daughter, the retainer who received the dismissal order bowed deeply, keeping it only in his heart.
Afterward, with the sound of the door closing, Corleone left alone in the room, looked at the setting sun outside the window and was imrsed in a strange feeling.
The granddaughter had been previously raised from a young age only to receive Brutein's seed.
At last, his goal would be fulfilled and a child bearing both Brutein and Alfred's blood would be born in this world...
Corleone felt a euphoria running through his whole body, like a high from taking drugs.
Should I stop by Brutein on the way back?
If he said he brought the offspring his younger brother gave birth to, even Jeremiah, the head of the Brutein family, would have no choice but to greet him.
"Hehehehe."
Brutein,
The family who always acted superior and always dismissed Alfred...!
Yet, now they would beco entangled as family.
Just by imaging this...His long shriveled mber twitched....
Straightening his back, Corleone picked up the docunt on the desk.
「 Elphisia. 」
「 Farnese. 」
「 yer. 」
「 Hazel. 」
What was written on the docunt was all the families that had their daughters married into Brutein over the long story of the Empire.
Although the Brutein blood in their families had been greatly diluted over generations, there was no greater match for the child that would be adopted by Alfred.
"Heh...Heh...Since you won't be with your mother and father...This grandpa will make sure to give you lots of love..."
In his twilight years,
The Old Snake was approaching his natural end.
Yet, for a man like him, Yuriel yet-to-be-born so was......
The last motivation and driving force of his life.
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