Chapter 249 – Childbirth
As the days passed, a war of nerves broke out with Dongbu.
In fact, both we and the Marquis of Kilias knew very well that the war would happen sooner rather than later.
The eastern part is a difficult province for self-sufficiency.
In the first place, many of the regions near the Kingdom of Brahms depended on food from the south.
Of course, I wouldn’t do the stupid thing of relying on the South for everything, no matter what province or country.
East was the same.
“Even if the war lasts for more than 10 years, they will not surrender.”
“Is that tidy?”
“Yes.”
I looked at the report Zeke posted.
“They are thoroughly managing the common people. Food is one of them. All traded food is directly managed and distributed by the Marquis.”
“You are thorough. Really.”
At the same time, I felt that I was living a very tired life.
“It won’t work at all, though. Cut the food line as scheduled.”
“Yes. All right.”
“Now it is a war. You don’t know what to do, so don’t be vigilant.”
“Yes.”
“I will go to Franz for a while. The Dawn Knights should also move to the East immediately. The arrangement of nobles in the main base was over. Let’s test the phone we deployed this time. This is top secret.”
“All right.”
Information is important in war.
To that end, many technicians secretly moved and installed the phone.
Wireless is ultimately a failure. After all, radio waves and mana are not the same.
Instead, it was installed long enough to connect castles to castles using magic power lines.
In the long run, there are many things that need to be re-installed or supplemented, but it was judged to be useful for exchanging information between castles that are in contact with the East right away.
Anyway, a long time has passed since winter has passed and spring has arrived while fiercely fighting Dongbu.
In the season when it gets hotter, there was one more important thing to me than war.
“Is it later than expected?”
After finishing the last task, I looked up at the sky.
He wanted to fly alone, but in a state where he was not moving in secret, such an action was not polite enough for a noble.
“The preparations are complete.”
“Thanks.”
I moved immediately at Zeke’s words.
I left the building and boarded the waiting carriage.
The wagon, which started leaving with only a small number of people, headed for Franz like that.
* * *
“Whoa. Are you late?”
“No. It came just in time.”
He came face to face with his father who was waiting. Arrived at Franz and immediately ran to the castle.
He sighed in relief at his father’s words.
It seems that you did well to come in a hurry even if you were overdoing it.
“Now, it will be a visit. How about seeing your face?”
“Hmm.”
He paused for a moment at his father’s words.
I want to see your face, but… What I’m looking for here.
“What, how are you?”
A small smile crept across his father’s lips.
After inheriting the title of count, his eyes met with his father, whose face changed more clearly than before.
“There is no need to hide any more.”
“Yes?”
I stared blankly at my father.
Of course, I didn’t actively hide it, but I never talked about it openly.
“Aidan has a child.”
“… Yes?”
His father’s words turned his hair white.
* * *
“Haha. Fortunately, it’s not too late.”
As we moved inside, there was Aidan-hyung.
Except for a small number of trusted personnel in the inner sanctum, all other people withdrew.
In the quiet castle, my older brother sat down in comfortable clothes and greeted me.
“Congratulations. Older brother.”
“Hmm? Ah. You heard from your father.”
At my words, Aidan hyung-nim smiled bitterly.
“Okay. It happened.”
“The opponent… ?”
“My lady-in-waiting, whom you know, Milene.”
“Okay.”
My older brother, who had been rumored to have no seeds, finally got pregnant.
It was good news for the Franz family.
In reality, Aidan hyung-nim also had a relieved expression on his face.
“I wish it had been like this before… If I say that, it may sound unpleasant to you.”
“No.”
Certainly, it wasn’t that she didn’t have those feelings for Grace, but she didn’t mean to commit her affair.
“Still, just because she’s pregnant, I don’t know if that child will become Franz’s successor.”
“Is that so?”
Reminds me of Mylene.
I’ve seen it a few times passing by, but that’s all. It was like someone else I had never spoken to.
Brother Aidan narrowed his eyes.
“Millene cannot be said to be good enough as a mother to give birth to Franz’s heir.”
“Older brother…”
How cold-hearted those words are.
As a child’s body, it made me think in many ways.
“If the child is safely born and I think she deserves to be Franz’s successor, that’s it, but if not, I have no choice but to have a new child.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hmm. I will probably get married again.”
Grace’s older sister.
So what’s going on?
At my expression, Aidan hyung smiled mischievously.
“No matter what, I have no intention of taking away my sister’s.”
“You’re stealing it… Grace-sama is not a thing.”
That’s what he said, but I couldn’t help but feel relieved.
“Grace, she’s a good wife and she’s not a bad person. I respect her for her. So she will respect her choice too.”
Aidan hyung-nim looked at me with warm eyes.
“Please take good care of her.”
“… All right.”
I bowed down and greeted Aidan.
As a younger brother and as a man, he was always a nuisance to his older brother.
“Child.”
Tapping my shoulder, Aidan left the room without a word.
I sighed and moved further inside.
* * *
A building surrounded by strict security.
As I slowly went inside, Saren, who had been looking at me in front of her door, lit up her face.
“Leo… ! You are here!”
“Sorry for late.”
“No! No!”
Saren, who ran right away, looked at me and burst into tears.
Even her trained woman couldn’t help but feel nervous about her first childbirth, and she seemed to relax when she saw me.
I patted her like that and looked at her door.
“Inside me, Grace noona… ?”
“Yes. For now, it should still be fine. I don’t know when she’ll give birth because her contractions are starting to come in, but the doctor says she’s fine so far. Maybe the night will be a turning point from evening…”
I held Saren’s hand as he spoke with an anxious face.
As if I felt comfortable again, Saren led me straight to the door.
Smart!
“Grace. Leo is here.”
-Ask them to come in.
“Yes.”
I couldn’t help but feel nervous as well.
When I went inside, I saw a room filled with the smell of disinfection.
In the center of the room was Grayson, who was lying pale.
Her stomach had already swelled to the point where it would be noticeable even when covered with a blanket.
“Sister.”
“Leo…”
My sister’s eyes met as she turned her head in this direction.
Eyes like blue jewels. When he saw me, his heart skipped a beat as he burst into tears.
“Are you okay?”
“Um, it’s okay… !”
I was surprised by Grace’s older sister, who burst into tears.
Embarrassed, I approached my sister who was sobbing.
“Are you sick?”
“No… It’s not like that, but I suddenly burst into tears… I’m sorry, Leo.”
“Don’t be sorry. If something hurts or is difficult, tell me. I will stay by your side as much as possible.”
I held the hand of my sad sister.
Grace’s older sister wasn’t as bad as her Triana, but she was still not in great shape due to the effects of her pregnancy, she says.
She wants to be by my side as much as possible, but I can’t.
At my words, Sister Grace shook her head. A small smile appeared on her pale face.
“Leo was busy too. I understand.”
“You should have come more often, though.”
She came from time to time.
But she’s about once every two months. It’s too few encounters.
She only felt sorry for her sister.
“It’s okay, it’s okay…”
My poor sister’s hand stroked her face.
I passed my time quietly, placing my hand on top of hers.
And that night.
A baby was born.
* * *
“Hmm. Great.”
“Oh my, my God.”
Father and mother too.
Her eyes twinkle and she is quietly looking at the small bed.
“How cute!”
Grace’s baby was lying on the bed.
A baby who can’t even open his eyes properly yet. All of Franz’s relatives gathered to see the baby.
“She looks like Grace, but she looks like her second son too?”
“Is it so… ?”
I’ve seen the baby’s face, but I’m not sure.
It was difficult to find my face on my small, wrinkled face.
“Hmm. They definitely look alike.”
Even my father said something like that.
I think it was the father who continued to see the baby’s face a lot while pretending to be solemn.
Seeing his father like that, he smiled bitterly and fell away from the baby.
The baby can be left with her parents. I headed straight inside.
“Leo…”
I approached Grace’s older sister, who was lying with a haggard face.
The ladies-in-waiting had already cleaned it up once, but the hard look still ran to her and hugged her sister.
“Le, Leo?”
“Sister. Let’s go together now.”
I whispered to Grace, who hugged me with a startled face.
“With the baby. Go to Müller. We have a lot of work to do right now, but we still live together.”
“…”
She could feel her older sister’s breath taking her breath.
“I love you, sister.”
“… I love you too.”
We hugged each other
