Chapter 167 – Chapter 5: Saint – 1
Someone appeared in Tia’s head along with a surprising thought.
A year ago, Aunt Olivia was very skinny. But one day, she suddenly hated stir-fried vegetables, which she loved the most, to the point where she vomited, and she started begging to eat meat.
As her aunt’s strange behavior continued, her elders whispered that something was out of the ordinary. She also expressed anticipation, saying that soon a new life might be born.
The symptoms got worse day by day. Sometimes she would lie down in pain and often go in and out of her back room because her stomach was hurting.
Tia, who knew nothing, asked if she should go to Ritz since her aunt seemed to be very sick, but her elders shook their heads and explained.
‘When a woman has a child, that’s what she becomes.’
She had forgotten. Tia immediately remembered when she had her period. As soon as she moved to Gordburg, she was so busy that she didn’t even have time to think about it.
Counting the days by folding her fingers. Her menstrual cycle always varied by a day or two, but was generally consistent.
Looking back, she remembers that not long after she had her first experience, she had her period. It was mid-to-late January, so she had to come back in mid-February.
But now it is early March.
“…”
There was no way my ‘menstruation’, which came consistently at the same cycle every month, would suddenly come late.
The reason is… One.
Pregnancy.
Just as the elders said with a big smile.
It was because a baby was placed in this belly.
It was natural. Not a day has passed since she allowed herself to cum, and she received Po Sao’s semen into her womb. The two loved each other so passionately that it was strange that it didn’t happen.
And heaven rewarded that love.
I was prepared enough. She would sometimes fantasize about having sex and feeling the sensation of her semen running down between her legs as she was held against Po Sao’s big chest.
The moment when his baby was born, his belly swelled, and the baby was born.
Although she was a little afraid, Tia truly loved him, so she thought that if Posao wanted it so much, she wanted to do it. And on the other hand, he also had a wish to create a ‘family’ that he had always hoped for and longed for.
So Tia’s pregnancy… It’s a blessing for both of them.
Swoosh-.
Tia stroked her stomach again.
There were many emotions mixed in that hand gesture.
Even though my stomach wasn’t full, I was unsure if there was really a baby here.
Still, she is happy as a woman that she has finally made her love decision with Poh Sao.
Although I cannot meet you yet, my soaring love makes me want to cherish this child in my womb.
However, there was also a sense of discomfort that this body was no longer alone.
And she was also afraid that she would be able to raise her baby safely due to her current financially unstable situation.
“…”
Seeing Tia with her hand on her lower stomach… It brought back old memories of her.
‘Tia. When I become the village chief, will you take charge of the pharmacy?’
‘Me?’
‘You are the only one who can read.’
‘Umm-good! ‘I’ll take care of the pharmacy!’
‘Thank you.’
‘Yes-. Instead of me, a child who looks exactly like Ritsu will take charge!’
‘… What? A child who looks like me?’
‘Huh. ‘Our child.’
We talked like that. It was a short story, but he laughed and hit my arm, saying it was a joke.
I was dreaming like an idiot even then. Our future where we would have married Tia and lived happily ever after.
While living as the village chief of Brisden, I spend a peaceful day with the village people, go to Taildon and enjoy festivals with my neighbors, and sometimes, if Tia wants to go outside, we go on a long trip together, and I promise to see new things and teach them to my children. We worry about how to raise our children. I had trouble sleeping all night long, dreaming about such hope.
But all of those happy imaginations were completely taken away by Posao.
‘Our child’… I became Posao’s child.
Now I realize how meaningless my imagination was.
I realized that reality could never turn out the way I dreamed, and that I was headed down a path that I could never reach.
By the fact that she conceived Posao’s child.
This means that Tia has become his subordinate forever.
Will I be happy?
Tia… I neither laughed nor cried.
The guy was just shedding meaningless tears.
Crash!
Posao, who had left, returned home. Tia hurriedly wiped the tears from her cheeks and went out to greet him.
“Have you been there?”
“Ugh.”
“Jobs… What happened?”
“T, Tia.”
Posao said as he took off his coat.
“Me too, I’m trying. I’m not in a hurry, either. “Just wait a moment.”
“…”
If you say that much, Tia was a person who was patient enough.
Even though he heard that Posao was going to the gambling house with the money he earned through his hard work. After all, I understand that he may have been trying to relieve his pressure by gambling.
But things were different now. This house was no longer a house where only two people lived.
Tia lowered her head. And she spoke her truth with difficulty.
“I… “I’m pregnant.”
“… “What?”
Posao looked surprised.
“I didn’t get my period when it was supposed to come last month. And I also had morning sickness today.”
“Is it true?”
“Yes…”
Come on!
Suddenly, Posao hugged Tia tightly. He spoke in a voice full of emotion.
“Tia conceived my baby with a pendulum.”
And she giggled, burying her face in Tia’s stomach.
“You’re so small-. Hehe.”
“Because I’m pregnant…” Therefore…”
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“No, not yet…”
“Hihi – Tia and I – and ah, the baby. Let’s live happily!”
“…”
Tia seemed like she wanted to ask Po Sao to get her a proper job now.
But when she saw his innocently happy face with his ear pressed to her lower abdomen, she finally swallowed those words.
She withdrew her anxiously trembling eyes and immediately looked down at him lovingly with a faint smile.
“Yes. With our baby… “Live happily.”
Human instinct was stronger than reason.
No matter how smart and strong-willed T-ara was, she couldn’t overcome the woman’s nature in the end.
The baby’s father was Posao, and now Posao was the only one who could protect Tia and the baby.
* * *
Time passed again.
It was an unchanging daily routine. Other than the farmers becoming a little busier and Posao and Tia laughing a little more, there wasn’t much going on.
The two kept their pregnancy a secret. It was extremely dishonorable for an unmarried woman to become pregnant. So, usually, when an unmarried man and woman got into an accident, whoever the partner was, they would rush to get them married.
But that was only possible in the early stages of pregnancy. As Tia, who was quite thin compared to the women in the village, grew bigger as time went by, she could easily get caught.
Nevertheless, the wedding schedule was postponed day by day. Tia was busy taking care of her children, and I don’t know where Posao was doing, but she disappeared during the day, so there was no time to worry.
That day, we were on our way back from sending the children home.
“Posao Modales!”
The name of Posao suddenly rang out in Dongmun Village.
People returning home one by one looked back at that place.
“Posao Modales-!! Where is it?”
A man wearing a purple turban and colorful, high-quality clothes was walking languidly, looking for Posao.
He caught up with the villagers and asked where Posao lived, and they all pointed to Tia’s house with shocked expressions.
“Excuse me? Huh, hmm-.”
The man began walking towards Tia’s house with long strides.
The guy who didn’t know what was going on ran over and asked carefully.
“Hey, what’s going on…”
“Are you Posao Modales?”
Long beard and stubborn eyes. The man seemed very strict just by his appearance.
“I am a person who lives together.”
“Okay? Where is Posao Modales?”
“Please do not stay away for now. I’ll be back at night. If you have anything to say, please let me know…”
“Please convey this clearly to Posao Modales.”
The man took out one of his old pieces of paper. It was full of letters and numbers. Red eyes read the text quickly.
[Tax collection confirmation]
“The tax was billed to Posao Modales. I will give you 5 days. If payment is not made by then, punishment such as detention, correctional labor, or deportation may be imposed by order of the lord.”
Tia read the last number.
Total tax for stay in February is 450 gold.
I couldn’t believe it, so I rubbed her eyes and read it again.
However, the ridiculous amount was still written down.
“…”
He didn’t dare say anything and looked up at the tax collector. However, the man did not even meet his eyes and asked with an expressionless face.
“Did you come to the castle and confirm your identity?”
“I do not understand…”
“Because you did not report your arrival in the lord, an additional surcharge of 30 gold was added for additional investigation. So I looked it up, and it seems that Posao Modales has never been listed on the farm. What are you currently working on?”
“I am working in a village taking care of children…”
“Not you. Posao Modales. “I’m asking what he does.”
Kongdakkongdak.
Tia cupped her chest and let out her short breaths.
Looking around her, she saw that the villagers were peeking their heads out and spying on her conversation.
Barely able to overcome the mounting pressure, he stuttered his answer.
“Yet… “I’m looking for a job.”
“Okay. It seemed like that. “Is it possible that saving money means making money at a gambling house?”
“Yes?”
“This is an outrageous act. The lord tolerates your gambling, but he has ordered that all those who come only to gamble without putting in any effort for the good of this land be driven out. Therefore, a fine of 400 gold was added.”
400 gold.
It was not money that ordinary people could afford. In Gordburg, it was an amount that even merchants could not borrow. It’s money that I wonder if I can get it even if I work all my life.
400 gold… It was like telling me to just get out of here right away.
Sasasak-.
He signed the confirmation and handed it to Tia.
“Please bring this signature and the specified gold coins to the castle within five days. If you do not comply, I will execute your sentence immediately.”
“Now, wait a minute!”
Tia got down on her knees without realizing it. She asked in a pitiful voice in front of the collector.
“He’s looking for a job. I’ll get it soon, so can you give me a little more time? Please… Please…”
“Uh huh. “My lord, you have already waited a month. Are you asking for more mercy than this?”
“Please… I’ll do anything…”
But the man did not listen.
“Make sure to meet the specified deadline.”
