Chapter 169 – The Man’s Woman
“Oh my goodness.”
“Ah, dear.”
All in all.
Alina made a puzzled expression.
The other maids and maids around her also hardened their faces in an instant.
***
It was her fault for accepting Leoric’s offer to tour the castle’s garden, which is said to be the countess’s hobby.
It’s like building a new city where you picked the land or something. When she said that she was skeptical about the story, she immediately nodded her head.
Anyway, now Leoric leaves for the capital, and he returns to Müller.
Before that, he thought it wouldn’t be bad to take a look at the castle, so he moved to the garden.
“It’s really good. The garden here is very beautiful, but not overdone, and the balance of nature is just right.”
“Thank you.”
The manager and attendant of the garden where Alina is enshrined bows in gratitude.
“It is the will of our gardeners to pursue naturalness.”
“I also think it is the most beautiful.”
Could it be because of the magic of the earth sleeping in Alina’s body?
Although it is an artificial nature forcibly created, Franz’s garden, which values coexistence with each other, is infinitely close to naturalness.
People from the Duke of Earthlane family, as well as Alina, like this kind of garden. The balance of the magical energy felt in the nature around her is not tilted to either side.
Alina, too, was interested in tending her garden as a member of the Earthlane family and as her personal taste.
“It wouldn’t hurt to go to Müller and decorate it like this.”
“How did you grow it, would you like to organize a list?”
“No, I know this part well, so I will fill it with something suitable for the land.”
“Exactly. Each land suits it differently, so it would be rather strange to make it based on this place.”
He took a walk in the garden, leading the servants in charge of the garden and the ladies-in-waiting to wait on Alina.
Originally, Grace wouldn’t have to go for a walk at this time, and she probably wouldn’t come this far in the first place.
It’s not that they’re at all wrong.
It was only by chance that Alina went a little further inside, and Grace met Leoric for a longer than usual walk.
The two met by chance.
“Oh my goodness.”
“Ah, dear.”
For a moment, the garden became quiet.
Alina, who was looking at Grace, and Grace, who was looking at her Alina, also looked at each other.
***
‘She…’
Grace Hamillion.
She is the wife and next countess of Aidan Franz, the current deputy head of the Franz family and the heir to the next count.
And at the same time, since she is currently pregnant, her body is confined to the deepest part of her tolerance.
Perhaps, she is the most important woman in the current Franz family.
She didn’t think that she would ever meet her.
Alina’s gaze wavered at her sudden meeting.
Even more so, she herself thinks of a future with Leoric Franz.
Yes. While she is thinking about the future.
I think it’s an ambiguous relationship. She’s likable, and the background isn’t bad.
She even thinks she’s behind in her chastity fight with Irina, but she thinks it’s not too late, and even if she becomes a second wife, she’s not too bad.
She said, but as it turned out, she was not the only woman who would become her husband.
There’s one more, she says.
She doesn’t blame it, she says, but there’s an emotional exchange between the two of them, as opposed to simply giving her seed.
Alina involuntarily lowered her gaze.
Grace’s stomach is wearing a dress designed so that even pregnant women can wear it and go out.
There is his child.
***
‘That one…’
Grace also put on a surprised expression at this meeting.
She didn’t know about her. Because I’ve already talked about it with Leo.
The name Alina Earthlane was rare in Brahms Kingdom.
Appearance, skills, pedigree. All of them are women who are one step different from other women. And most importantly, she’s still single.
You are a beautiful person.
At the same time as that thought, I had a complicated thought.
‘Why is Leo so popular?’
He’s a long guy, of course he’s not going to be popular.
So he fell in love with himself, but he also had a complicated mind because a woman was twisted like this.
At the same time, he almost got his hands on the boat without realizing it.
His own child. A child connected with that person.
If I hadn’t been with her yesterday, I might have shed tears over her complicated heart.
But he loves himself
The love is not the only one, but even so, he is the one who occupied the most of that love.
When I thought about that, my trembling fingertips calmed down.
Smile at her, see her at her.
He is above himself
***
“What?”
“Those two met by chance while taking a walk.”
“How come…”
“Sorry!”
I was at a loss for words when I saw the servant bowing down.
How did the two of you meet?
Mmm.
Both of them were rational people, and I knew they weren’t quick-tempered women, but I had to think about what if. After all, one of them is pregnant.
“Where are you?”
“He is now in the inner garden.”
“I get it.”
I have to go right away.
I was talking about a new city and a research lab, but I can’t.
While secretly searching for magical power, I immediately walked to the garden as if running.
Rumors spread quickly, and people subtly dispersed the gathering. Of course, I didn’t really think that they came together out of curiosity. They must have been worried because they were family members.
Still, it’s not a spectacle.
“Whoa, whoa. I’m leaving, so you guys back off.”
“Oh that… Yes. All right.”
The butler, Sven, also met me at the entrance, but when he saw me, he lowered his head.
Lena, the maid of honor, was nowhere to be seen. If it was this way, she would have appeared first.
“What about Lena?”
“Yeah. Lena goes in first and is assessing the situation.”
“Then I’ll ask you to go here.”
“All right.”
At those words, Sven immediately started biting the people around him.
Because he is high in this kind of authority before simple status. When Sven’s movement quieted the surroundings a bit, he calmed down.
“Oh my.”
I looked up to see where the two women were.
Still, if you see that there are no traces of magical power, there must be no problem.
***
A small space of rest prepared among the flowers.
There were two women sitting there.
The other maids and maids surrounding them waited on them with stiff faces.
“Here is the car.”
“Thank you, Lena.”
“Thank you. Maid-in-waiting.”
Seeing Lena, the maid of honor, appear suddenly, the others sighed.
Among those people, I started pouring the tea that I had brought before I knew it, with the same expressionless face.
After thanking Lena, the two looked at each other again.
“Nice to meet you. I am Grace Hamillion.”
“Nice to meet you. This is Alina Earthlane.”
Their eyes met each other.
I had an intuition that they knew about each other’s relationship.
A strange air drifted around.
‘…’
As Alina touched the teacup, she sighed.
It’s not that I don’t feel complicated, but the other person is a pregnant woman. She knows very well how important pregnant women are to aristocrats.
How much more is it not the child of the man he loves?
She is aware of, and accepts, the carrying of one or two of her wives, as well as her concubines and maids-of-honour, in order to bear children.
It was the first time this had happened, so I was taken aback, but it wasn’t to the point of turning my eyes away from jealousy.
Swallowing the warmth of warm tea in one sip.
He squeezed the emotions that welled up in her chest.
She smiled slightly, then, looking at her Grace, Alina smiled at her and said:
“Are you feeling well?”
“… Yes. I’m in good shape today, so I went for a walk like this.”
“Fortunately, the.”
She must have felt a slight change in the atmosphere, and Grace also relaxed her body.
Gradually, the atmosphere around them began to change.
“Is your body changing too much?”
“Whoops. Yes. At first, I felt dizzy and had severe morning sickness. It’s not like it’s not there now, but it’s much better than before.”
When Alina asked a question with her curious expression on her face, Grace opened her eyes slightly, and she responded with a smile.
From there, we started talking to each other.
“It is also scary. What is pregnancy?”
“I’m still in the process, so I can’t say anything. Still, when I was anxious, regretful, or sad, thinking that there was a baby in my stomach eventually made me smile.”
“Indeed…”
At this time, regardless of age, Alina respected Grace just for the fact that she was pregnant.
“I am starting to realize that there is a baby in my belly. The body gets harder and harder, and the baby gets bigger and bigger. The more I think about it, the more I fall asleep. How happy she will be when this child is born. What if this baby gets taller and her body gets bigger?”
Grace’s hand touched her belly.
Her swollen belly was palpable against her slender figure.
Alina looked at him calmly.
“… So, Alina-sama too.”
“Yeah?”
Alina, who looked at herself, and Grace, who met her eyes, smiled quietly.
She is a woman who is attracted to men like her. As long as she and she were caring for herself, she thought, she should do her the favor she deserved.
“Alina-sama will feel it someday.”
“… Is that so?”
At those words, Alina’s cheeks turned red.
The day she never thought about it. The day she will have her baby.
***
“Oh, Leo. Welcome. I’m talking to Alina and her sister. Shall we have tea together?”
“Leo, you’re here. This tea and cookies. All pretty good. Come on.”
“Uh, yes, … Yes.
Yes.
What.
It’s more peaceful than I thought.
Even Lena closed her eyes and took a step back.
… Well, it would be nice if it was peaceful.
