Chapter 119

After the Crown Prince and Crown Princess left, I spent several days in earnest contemplation.

“Mmhm. Kai wants a baby bwuther! A sissuuh would be nice too! As a birthday present, please!”

Kai wanted a sibling.

Honestly, seeing the twin princesses had given me something to think about as well. Watching the two of them squabble like the best of friends, I couldn’t help noticing how Kai had sat quietly apart—looking a little lonely.

Well. Love them or hate them, siblings are worth having.

I could speak from experience on that front. There had been plenty of moments when I could have cheerfully pulled every hair from Jacqueline’s head—but if she hadn’t been there at all, I think I would have missed her terribly.

If Kai himself hadn’t wanted a sibling, I would have respected his wishes. But—

“Sissuuh! You can’t do that!”

“…”

“Why, why, bwuther? What did I do wong?”

Kai genuinely seemed to want one.

Lately he had been absolutely absorbed in playing with his twin sister dolls. Today he had spent the entire day playing siblings with the matching rabbit pair that Reina had made herself, and his vocabulary had been growing by leaps and bounds because of it.

My child wanted a sibling that badly.

And as his very first birthday wish, no less…

The problem was that my husband had issued a rather emphatic prohibition.

“From now on, no more sleeping together.”

“Hmm.”

I made a V with my index finger and thumb and rested my chin in it. I narrowed my eyes.

This was my thinking pose.

“Hmmmm.”

“It seems you’re deep in thought again.”

“Emily!”

I launched into my deliberations with the enthusiasm of someone who had been waiting for exactly this opening.

Emily, the finest problem-solver in the empire, might just know a way.

“I want a second baby!”

“Hmm.”

“Seeing the twin princesses really brought it home—siblings really are a good thing! Wouldn’t it be wonderful for Kai to have a little brother or sister?”

“Siblings are certainly a good thing. Being an only child can be lonely.”

“Right? You think so too?”

“Yes. And from what I’ve observed, the young lord seems like someone who gets lonely easily. He takes after you in that respect, I think—more than the master.”

“Then Kai might already be suffering from profound loneliness!”

I clenched both fists. My chin trembled with the force of my conviction.

“But my lady—weren’t you placed under a ban from sleeping together?”

“When you put it that way it sounds like I’m some outrageously licentious woman who had to be officially banned from her husband’s bed. But yes! My husband has banned sleeping together!”

“You’re the first noblewoman I’ve ever seen announce that fact with such brightness and cheer.”

“Hihihi!”

There was nothing to be done about it.

My condition lately had been absolutely excellent. My husband hadn’t been touching me, so there had been no opportunity to grow wan and exhausted. I was practically sparkling!

“Hmm. But one must look at the sky to reach the stars. Is a second baby even possible in this situation?”

“Hmmmm…”

The cheerfulness lasted all of a moment. Then I was deep in thought again.

First I would need to break through my husband’s iron wall…

“Oh! Emily! You know, since the ban was declared, I’ve never once tried going after my husband first.”

“You were always on the receiving end of things, my lady. Always. Without exception.”

“Hmm. That’s true…”

I had nothing to say to that.

As Emily so precisely observed, the number of times I had initiated could be counted without needing fingers at all: zero. My husband occasionally claimed I had come at him first when I was tipsy, but that could easily have been a fabrication designed to slander my character.

Ugh. Is there no good way?

I put my head in my hands and brooded—and then, quite suddenly, a memory surfaced. I snapped my fingers.

“Emily! I just had a wonderful idea!”

“What is it?”

“Remember back when we were courting—all those schemes to try to get dumped? We were always plotting!”

“Of course. Every detail.”

“And you remember how my husband would just about lose his mind over everything I did? Every single thing?”

“Ah—yes, now that you mention it. The master was rather taken with everything you did.”

“Exactly! That’s it! I’ll use it in reverse!”

“In reverse.”

“Yes! Oh wait—I should write this down before I forget.”

I dashed to fetch paper and a quill.

“The first thing we tried was… obsessive communication?”

“Let’s skip that one. You already receive a daily report and diary entry as it is.”

“True. Cross that out. I want a second baby, but receiving even more paperwork than this would be too much to bear.”

Emily nodded in agreement.

“Then the next thing…”

“Oh! The third-person speech! That one absolutely drove my husband wild! He’d come at me on the spot!”

“Oh. So you’ve used it again since then?”

“Not once. Not even a single ‘Ivelina.'”

“Do you think you could manage it? You seemed rather pained by it back then.”

“The first time is always the hardest! Now it’ll be easy as breathing!”

I gave a confident wink and raised my thumb.

“My, what splendid self-assurance. Shall we practice a few times together?”

“Yes! Emily! Ivelina wants a second baby so, so badly!”

“Oh my.”

“Ivelina would love it to be a girl. Kai looks exactly like our husband, so for the second one, wouldn’t it be lovely to have a daughter who takes after our husband? Ahh, Ivelina is already so excited!”

I even put my whole body into it—clasped my hands, twisted back and forth.

“That was perfect.”

“Right! I’ve got it now!”

“If you added a little sweetness and maybe a pet name, I think he’d fold immediately.”

“Ooh! Good point! Pet names! I can do that!”

“All right. Shall we put the plan into action? I’m eager to see the second young miss myself.”

“Let’s do it! I’ll be right back!”

I burst out of the bedroom and sprinted down the corridor.

My husband would certainly be in his study. At this hour he would be buried in papers!

Click.

I eased open the study door with great care.

My husband was indeed completely buried in documents. Several stacks, arranged in neat rows, had risen high enough to block his face entirely.

Heheh. Hard at work, I see.

Between the mountain ranges of paper, only the occasional glimpse of dark hair was visible.

The room was filled with nothing but the scratching of a quill and the soft flutter of turning pages.

First: walk in beaming.

“Heh.”

My husband could not resist my smile. Could not—not even a little. He utterly lost himself over it.

When I smiled at him like this, he had a habit of emptying his pockets for me. He used to press cheques into my hand and tell me to eat well while he was busy.

If I launch straight into third-person speech, he’ll be thrown off, won’t he?

Better to ease in with something conversational first. And then—

“If you added a little sweetness and maybe a pet name, I think he’d fold immediately.”

Pet names! Right! Let’s go!

I clasped my hands behind my back and pushed the study door shut with my shoulder. Then I twisted back and forth as I tiptoed forward.

My husband’s favorite pet name was darling.

“Daaarling.”

“…”

“Are you terribly busy right now~?”

“…”

…Did he not hear me?

I raised my voice a little.

“Sweetie! Ivelina’s here!”

At that, the scratching of the quill skipped—and stopped entirely.

The head visible between the stacks of paper went still as well.

“…”

Eh. Why is it so quiet?

Why isn’t he answering?

Hmm. Was that not enough sweetness?

“Sweetheart. Doesn’t sweetie want to see Ivelina?”

“…”

“Want to play with Ivelina for just a teeny bit~? Hmm~?”

“…”

“Hmph! Ivelina came all this way and you’re just going to keep working? Ivelina is so bored right now~!”

I tottered forward, putting my weight onto the tips of my shoes with each step, advancing toward the desk one careful step at a time.

I peered around curiously, stealing glimpses of my husband’s hair—but there was not a single movement from him.

Why no reaction? This isn’t a husband who would be unmoved by my third-person speech.

Hmph. So that’s how it’s going to be.

I drew a deep breath, folded my arms, and raised my voice.

“Hmph! Are you really going to leave Ivelina here all alone?! I’m going to sulk~!”

Pat pat. I tottered forward—and there, bent over the desk, was the back of my husband’s head.

At that very moment, from the direction of the sofa, came the sound of laughter desperately suppressed.

“Kph.”

My husband—sitting lazily on the sofa—had his hand clamped over his mouth, fighting with everything he had not to burst out laughing.

Why is that man over there…?

A chill ran straight up my spine. Then who was the man at the desk?

I whipped my head back to stare at the black head of hair.

The figure that had gone so perfectly still slowly, reluctantly, raised its head.

“…D—dear daughter-in-law.”

“…F—Father…?”

“A—a fine morning, isn’t it. …But was that just now… the third-person speech…?”