Movement (1)
“Miss?! What’s wrong?!”
The door burst open and a young girl with a youthful face ran in.
It was Roina, Yuriel’s only maid. She must have come running after hearing the scream.
But Yuriel couldn’t say anything.
What could she say?
That something inside her stomach had moved?
Not—those words could never be spoken aloud.
“…It’s nothing,”
She barely managed to move her stiff lips.
But her weak excuse didn’t seem to convince Roina.
“Heavens, it’s not nothing! Your face is pale!”
“…I just had a bad dream, that’s all.”
Yuriel tried to calm her down while continuing the excuse. Yet, she kept glancing at her stomach.
She gently placed her hand over it, trying to act normal. It was quiet—no movement at all.
She finally let out a breath. But the shock hadn’t left her.
“I’m fine. Help me get ready. I can’t keep the family waiting for breakfast.”
“…Yes, Miss.”
Though Roina still looked worried, she moved to help Yuriel get dressed.
Normally, noble ladies had several maids for each task, but Yuriel had only Roina. So they always had to hurry.
It was something she was used to—no reason to feel hurt anymore.
While Roina worked, Yuriel focused on something far more troubling.
‘It wasn’t my imagination.’
Not at all. It was too real, too vivid to ignore.
‘There’s something inside my stomach.’
Her face hardened as she gently rubbed her belly. It felt slightly more swollen than usual.
But she couldn’t think of any reason why.
Pregnancy? Impossible.
Her former lover—now engaged to her sister—had never even held her hand properly. They had only spoken a few times.
Unless… in a dream?
Yuriel’s body froze.
She had shared countless dreams with Akron—dreams that felt real, too real.
But they were just dreams.
No way could a dream cause this in real life.
‘When was my last period?’
Her heart pounded as she thought about it. Her cycle was irregular, so she didn’t always keep track.
‘…It’s been two months.’
Yuriel’s face turned deathly pale as she counted.
The truth felt unreal—but it gripped her like a noose.
And yet, that wasn’t even the most unbelievable part.
‘…A baby moved, after just a few months?’
Even if she were pregnant, it was far too early to feel the baby move.
Yuriel might not know much about medicine, but she knew that.
“……”
Fear and panic choked her.
She bit her lower lip and swallowed the cry rising inside her.
“Miss… It’s done.”
“…Okay. Thank you.”
Roina stepped back after finishing her hair and dress.
Yuriel slowly turned to look in the mirror.
A woman with a pale face stood there in a house dress.
“Miss… Are you okay?”
“…Yes. I’m fine.”
Yuriel replied, then reached for her neck with trembling hands.
She touched the necklace she always wore—a beautiful gem that gleamed peacefully.
It gave her blissful dreams every night.
But for the first time, she was scared of it.
“…Let’s go downstairs.”
She tucked the gem under her dress and turned around.
Her head felt like it was spinning, but she couldn’t miss breakfast.
She didn’t even know how she made it to the dining room.
“Good morning, Father, Mother.”
Yuriel bowed to the middle-aged man and woman seated at the table.
“You’re late.”
The man at the head of the table looked at her and spoke.
With brown hair, a thin face, and sharp, upturned eyes, he looked sly and cold.
He was her father, Count Baumtide Rayten.
“Sorry. I overslept a little.”
“That won’t do. Sit down.”
His wife, Rosalyn, added sternly.
She was a beautiful woman with red hair, but her sharp personality was clear in her features.
“Yes, Mother.”
Yuriel nodded quietly.
She’d gotten scolded a bit, but the mood wasn’t too bad.
Just as she thought that and sat down—
“Good morning, Father!”
A young-looking woman with a sweet smile hugged Baumtide.
When she kissed his wrinkled cheek, his unhappy face lit up with a smile.
“Fiona, be careful now.”
Baumtide said in a scolding tone, patting her head—but his voice was warm, like spring.
“My lovely rose. Aren’t you going to greet your mother?”
“Oh, Mother!”
Fiona giggled and kissed Rosalyn’s cheek, too.
With that, the room suddenly felt cheerful.
“Did you sleep well, sister?”
“…Yes.”
Yuriel gave a short answer as her younger sister sat beside her, smiling.
With her red curls and pink eyes, Fiona looked like a newly bloomed rose.
Since childhood, Fiona had been weak and delicate, drawing all the love in the house.
Yuriel had always been expected to give up everything for her.
Dolls, pets, dresses—even the maids who cared for her.
She had once complained to their parents, only to be scolded.
“You must show virtue as the eldest. Don’t you feel sorry for your sickly sister?”
Their words were absolute.
As she grew older, Yuriel stopped feeling jealous. It became natural to give Fiona whatever she wanted.
Of course, she still loved Fiona, as any older sister would.
‘At least, until I found out the truth.’
Fiona always wanted everything Yuriel loved. At first, she thought it was childish envy.
But that wasn’t it.
“So, where are you going with Evan today?”
“He’s taking me to look at dresses! At the biggest shop in the capital!”
“Why not just call a tailor instead?”
At Rosalyn’s suggestion, Fiona shyly smiled and placed a hand over her belly.
It had been three months since Fiona announced her engagement at the Grand Duke’s party.
Now, both families were busy preparing for the wedding.
It was happening faster than usual—for a reason.
“Do you want to come with us, sister?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Fiona even begged her to come when she refused.
With that look on her face—that proud, satisfied look.
Yuriel had gone to confront Evan, hoping there was a mistake.
But the truth was even worse.
‘Fiona seduced me first. She said she was better than you. I thought she was joking… We just had some drinks and…’
That was Evan’s excuse.
‘She said she was pregnant…’
After one drunken night with her sister, Evan claimed he couldn’t reject Fiona’s tearful begging.
‘And you know your parents don’t even like you. If I want a title, marrying you won’t help.’
His last words stabbed her heart.
Evan was from a noble family but had an older brother, so he couldn’t inherit.
The Rayten house had no son. Yuriel was the heir.
He had courted her from the beginning for that reason.
To gain status.
The betrayal from both her sister and her lover cut deep. But she couldn’t show it.
No one knew about her relationship with Evan—except Fiona.
If she made a scene now, she’d only look like a bitter older sister trying to steal her sister’s fiancé.
‘…Maybe it’s better this way.’
Better to find out now than waste a lifetime loving a man like that.
“Are you not coming, sister?”
Fiona asked with innocent eyes, clueless to Yuriel’s thoughts.
Yuriel wanted to rip off that fake mask—but not now.
Instead, she smiled coldly.
“I have somewhere else to go.”
“…Well, that can’t be helped.”
Fiona flinched slightly at the look in her eyes—but she still smiled.
She thought she’d won.
‘Let her think that.’
Yuriel had no energy for petty fights.
And she did have something to do.
Something was happening to her—and she had to find out what.
“……”
Under the table, she gently cradled her stomach.
Since she sat down, she’d felt a soft, steady vibration from deep within.
As if it was reacting to her emotions.
So faint, only she could feel it.
But impossible to ignore.
‘First… I have to go to the Lorven Library.’
The largest national library in the Empire. It held every document and record known.
Surely, there would be something—some clue—about strange events in history.
It sounded impossible, but she had to try.
Maybe someone has experienced something like this before.
“Yuriel, don’t stay out too late. A woman your age shouldn’t be wandering around. You’ve got responsibilities, too.”
“I’m just going to the library. I’ll be back soon.”
Yuriel answered obediently to Rosalyn.
She knew what her mother meant—Yuriel was managing the household finances.
That was supposed to be the lady of the house’s job, but Rosalyn had dumped it all on Yuriel while she spent her days at parties.
Yuriel had to promise to come back quickly before she was allowed to leave.
“…Sigh.”
Her stomach felt uneasy.
She took a deep breath and climbed into the carriage.
She didn’t know how long she’d been curled up with anxiety, but the carriage finally arrived.
“…It’s been a while.”
Yuriel looked at the huge building.
It was so big, it looked more like a fortress than a library.
Once, she had dreamed of working here as a librarian.
To do that, she had needed to attend the Imperial Academy—but her parents had never let her even try.
‘No point dreaming of the impossible.’
She smiled bitterly and walked inside.
Trying to forget her worries, she began to search through the old books.
Her knowledge of foreign and ancient languages helped her read many texts.
But she couldn’t find anything that matched her case.
‘…This makes no sense.’
To have a child from a man in a dream?
If it was even a child.
“…I’ll come again tomorrow.”
One day wasn’t enough. She lowered her gaze and stood up.
By the time she left the library, the sun was setting.
Her mother would scold her for being late, but she didn’t care.
‘…Should I stop by the temple?’
She suddenly remembered the nearby temple of the goddess Elinoa—protector of love and life.
Would the priests think she was a monster?
Still, she couldn’t go home yet. She was too anxious.
Yuriel turned her steps toward the temple to at least offer a prayer.
“……?!”
She had come, desperate for even a sliver of hope.
“I’ve wanted to see you for so long.”
A playful, flirtatious voice rang out like birdsong.
Someone else was already there.
Yuriel quickly hid behind a pillar and watched.
The red-haired beauty was her sister.
And the man standing in front of her…
“…Akron.”
At that moment, the man’s red eyes turned—directly toward her.
