~CHAPTER 93~
Harvich wiped Lincia’s forehead with a damp towel.
She fidgeted with her fingers, anxious, seemingly seeking an answer from him. Harvich knew exactly what made Lincia uneasy.
It was all his fault.
“It’s alright.”
“But—”
“Did you want to become the Emperor?”
Lincia’s eyes flickered at Harvich’s sudden question.
“…What? Ah, no.”
“Then that’s fine. If Yulias had died this time, you would have had to wear the crown of the Emperor.”
“Ah, I see.”
Of course, if that happened, the retainers of the Grand Ducal Palace would have welcomed it with open arms. But Harvich did not want Lincia to do something she didn’t wish.
“If Yulias dies, would you feel sad?”
Lincia hesitated, unable to answer immediately, but Harvich knew what she wanted to say.
Lincia’s long eyelashes trembled. After a moment of thought, her lips slowly parted.
“If I were to become the Emperor, would it help the Duchy of Cassius?”
She had lived a life far removed from politics. Harvich did not answer but stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.
“That is not something you need to worry about.”
Harvich set the damp towel down. Simply wiping her forehead, the once-cold towel quickly became lukewarm.
Lincia’s face still looked gloomy. Her body was prone to frequent fevers, and he did not want her worrying over needless issues.
Harvich hesitated briefly before speaking again.
“I will read you a storybook.”
“…A storybook?”
Harvich wanted to read to the child in her womb and had previously taken the time to gather storybooks. Since then, many things had happened, and he had not yet confirmed the contents.
He knew it was improper to read to a child without knowing the story. Still, he had impulsively collected various storybooks at the urging of a retainer who had many children.
“Yes. They say it’s good for the child to hear the father’s voice often.”
Lincia murmured the word ‘husband’ softly. Harvich’s gaze fell on her belly. He slowly reached out. The now-pronounced curves made it real—Lincia was truly expecting.
“Soon, isn’t it? Honestly, I’m a little afraid. Afraid of losing you.”
Harvich’s voice trembled slightly. Lincia’s pregnancy remained a difficult reality for him to accept.
Of course, regardless of his feelings, he knew he could love the child she would bear.
“It will be alright.”
Lincia looked at Harvich’s hand on her belly and carefully placed her own on top.
“I’ve been too busy to focus on the child lately. Now, I want to make sure it hears my voice. May I?”
Lincia hesitated, then gave a faint smile. It was a fragile, almost disappearing expression. It had been a long time since she smiled at him, and yet, seeing her face look a little sad made his chest tighten.
Harvich gripped the bed sheet, feeling an undefined emotion.
“…It’s moving.”
Harvich stiffened. Feeling the fetus move through his palm was strange and unfamiliar.
Lincia stared at his face and asked,
“Which storybook will you read?”
Harvich withdrew his hand from her belly, removed the now-lukewarm towel, and rose from his seat.
“In the Duchy, there are storybooks every child must read as they grow. They contain lessons, so they are good for education.”
Harvich added the remark briefly. He himself, the sole heir of the Grand Ducal Palace, had never read such books in his youth. He had duties as heir and no one to read them to him.
“I will have them brought. I have prepared them for you.”
“Have you read them yourself?”
“Embarrassingly, this is my first time as well.”
Harvich summoned a servant to fetch the storybooks. There were more than he expected, and while waiting, Lincia began to nod off.
“If you’re tired, we can postpone until tomorrow.”
Even children’s storybooks required confirmation of content before reading. This would take additional time. Yet Lincia shook her head, her eyes heavy with fatigue.
“No, tomorrow you have work too.”
Even sleepy, she was firm, and Harvich thought her endearing.
Soon, a servant appeared with a tray full of books. There were more than Harvich had originally prepared. One title immediately caught his eye.
He picked up a book titled “The Sword and the Knight”.
Lincia rested her head on Harvich’s shoulder. It seemed impossible to preview the content beforehand.
Though slightly embarrassed to begin, he started reading aloud, encouraged by Lincia’s expectant expression.
“Once upon a time, there lived a knight in the north. The northern knight was strong.”
He turned the page.
“The knight who set out on a journey…”
Harvich read the next sentence with his eyes and quickly closed the book.
Hadn’t this been a children’s story? The illustrations showed a knight in armor drawn in a cute, chibi style.
[The knight encountered a lion. The knight tore the lion apart with his bare hands and cooked it.]
The following story was rather violent for children… Harvich skimmed through the book. The northern knight slaughtered all the animals in the mountains. The methods were gruesome, and Harvich frowned.
“…Harvich? Why aren’t you reading more?”
Fortunately, Lincia seemed about to fall asleep. Harvich read slowly, using his hand to select other books that seemed appropriate after quickly checking their contents.
But every book contained brutal tales. Kings tested knights’ loyalty with poison, some knights died on the spot, some refused and were executed, and some barely survived while entire families were poisoned by the king.
Harvich broke into a cold sweat. How could such cruel stories be required reading? Were all storybooks originally like this? He didn’t think so. Even without reading them personally, he had encountered famous stories during academy education, and they were all lively and cheerful.
Harvich quickly skimmed the titles of the remaining books, able to guess their content just from the names.
“The Love Potion”
Seeing a title that seemed free from cruelty, Harvich grabbed it eagerly.
“Once upon a time, there was a young king. He ruled a vast, cold land.”
“What about the knight story?”
“That… might be a bit too cruel for a child.”
“Understood. Please continue.”
Lincia said this while holding Harvich’s waist.
“Even while ruling a harsh land, the king did not lose hope. Someday, hope would dwell in this land.”
Harvich turned the page and paused.
“A magician watched over the king. The magician wanted the king’s love.”
He read slowly, elongating the words.
“But the king, responsible for his land, refused the magician’s love. The magician then…”
Listening to her even breaths, Harvich looked at the sleeping Lincia.
[The magician gave him a love potion. Though it was called a love potion, it could not give love to the king. The king asked the magician for an antidote, but the magician said it was in the empire.]
Harvich skimmed the unreadable parts and closed the book. He checked the remaining storybooks with his eyes. Children’s storybooks were thin, and the first few lines were enough to grasp the topic, so it didn’t take long.
After checking all the books, Harvich exhaled a low sigh. Surprisingly, many stories involved poison. He carefully rose from his seat to avoid waking Lincia and moved the tray outside the bedroom.
He intended to summon a servant to put them away.
From afar, he saw Hue’s messenger approaching.
“Count Hue Grentia says he has something to deliver to Your Grace, the Grand Duke.”
