Chapter After Story 25

“Thank you for coming.”

Cedric said in a low, soft voice.

“But can you leave for a moment now?”

Lysia glanced back at Artizea. Artizea replied with a calm face,

“I’m sorry, Miss Lysia.”

“Don’t be sorry.”

Lysia gave Cedric a hint not to be angry with Artizea and left.

Cedric confirmed that the door was closed and approached Artizea.

Artizea said,

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“You are angry.”

“Because I am not the first person you discuss such an important issue with.”

“Did you know?”

Cedric wiped his face once.

“You started refusing to sleep in the same bed, so how could I not even notice that something was wrong?”

“You pretended you didn’t know until now.”

“Because I never thought it was a baby. I thought you wanted to hide it, so I was going to wait until you make up your mind and tell me. Now, I thought you would.”

There seemed to be no more concerns in her heart. So, he thought that her health had somewhat collapsed.

He kept getting reports from the doctor about her health.

It was said that she had a bad digestive system and she sometimes vomited until midnight, but it wasn’t out of the question considering Artizea didn’t eat well in the first place.

Then, it could just get better. The doctor said so.

He doesn’t know if she wasn’t seeing the doctor, but he knew Artizea was taking care of her body, so he endured it.

He believed the promise and waited. Because she said she’d talk about something really important.

But he was slowly reaching his limit.

When he heard that Lysia had rushed into the Capital, he knew something was really wrong with her.

So he immediately called and questioned the doctor. The doctor turned pale, knelt before him and apologized.

[“Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I didn’t mean to tell a lie, but the Empress has commanded those words not to come out of my mouth because she would make a decision.”]

[“It’s nothing else, but the health of the Empress. If anything happens to the Empress while I am unaware, Sir will be held accountable.”]

Cedric almost threatened him until he got an answer.

[“She has conceived.”]

The doctor said, trembling in fear.

Cedric sat by the bed, where Lysia had been sitting, and then stood up.

It felt like his stomach was burning, so he drank two cups of water but it didn’t go away.

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the situation. The Empress’ pregnancy was something everyone would be delighted with. She just had to be more careful than she was.

She didn’t have anything to reveal to anyone until she was in a stable state. Even more so if it was a baby she couldn’t bear to give birth to.

Better if no one knows. Artizea would have judged that, too.

“Still, you should have told me. I need to know. About your body and your baby.”

Cedric returned to Artizea’s side again.

“Both are my responsibility. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t mean to hide it. I didn’t mean to let it go and take responsibility alone without saying anything.”

Artizea said calmly.

“I wanted to check as many possibilities as possible before making a decision. It’s about my body, so I should check it first.”

“Possibility? What’s the possibility? Doctors will try to figure out which method is least harmful to your body.”

“I didn’t say it because I know you’d say that.”

Cedric looked at Artizea’s face and was silent for a moment. Then, he said with a painful expression.

“Are you planning to give birth?”

“If possible.”

“Out of the question!”

Cedric half shouted.

He, too, had heard the story from the doctor and had come to a half-final conclusion.

If she wants to end this pregnancy, the sooner the better. For now, it can still be ended by taking a less toxic drug without doing too much damage to the body.

Considering Artizea’s health, the doctor emphasized the meaning several times that it was better.

In fact, in the context of hearing those words from the doctor, Cedric should have guessed Artizea was going to give birth to the baby.

Had she decided to end it right away, she would have done it already.

But he didn’t even think about it because it was improbable.

“Are you going to leave me and Leticia?”

“I have no intention of risking my life.”

“You almost died once when you had Leticia! At the time, the doctor said you would be fine, so this time is. Much more!”

Cedric clenched his fist.

“Now, the doctor said that you will die with certainty, so what do you mean you’re not risking your life?”

“Calm down, Lord Cedric.”

“One child is enough. No, it didn’t matter if I didn’t have any. I still regret telling you to give birth at that time.”

“My health problems aren’t caused by having the baby.”

“It’s because that damn god gave you an imperfect power. Whatever the cause, you are already not healthy enough to have a baby!”

Artizea was quietly listening to the words he was pouring out with a smile.

Then, she realized that now she wasn’t afraid of Cedric at all.

She had no fear of physical pain, nor fear of being hated.

So, she held out her hand. Cedric grabbed her hand.

“Tia.”

He lowered his head and rested his forehead in the palm of her hand.

“Don’t be reckless. Even if you don’t know how many days you have left, you promised to try to stay with me and Leticia as long as possible.”

“I want to give birth.”

“Tia.”

“Because there is a possibility. I’m not giving the rest of my life to the baby. If Miss Lysia is by my side, I can stop at any time in any situation.”

“Are you planning to put a knife to your stomach again?”

“I can recover without any aftereffects. That alone is far safer than other pregnant women.”

“Not dying doesn’t mean you’re safe.”

“I think it’s an acceptable risk.”

Artizea grabbed Cedric’s hand that was trying to get angry again and shook it. Cedric suppressed his anger.

“Tia.”

“During Ticia…… I didn’t know anything about giving birth to a baby. In fact, if Lord Cedric hadn’t told me to give birth, I would have erased the child without hesitation.”

“…… I regret it.”

“You can’t do that. Without Ticia, I would have never known that I was a person who could fully love others.”

Artizea said softly.

“This time, I have decided. You told me to.”

“That…… It meant the opposite. I didn’t mean that I wanted you to have a baby while hurting your body and mind.”

“I just want to try as best as I can. Or do you not want a second one?”

“That’s not true. It’s not like that!”

“Whether it is a child who resembles me or a child who resembles Lord Cedric, this time, I will be able to cherish and raise them.”

“Tia…….”

“Trust me that I have become the person who can do that.”

Cedric didn’t say anything anymore. It was because he understood very well why Artizea said that.

He lowered his head for a moment and looked down at the hand holding him.

“I regret holding you.”

“You’ve succeeded in another unlikely task.”

“It’s no laughing matter.”

Cedric said in a cracked voice.

“There will be no third.”

“Really?”

“Tia, please. Promise me you’ll give up right away when you’re in danger.”

“Yes. I have no intention of exchanging my life for it.”

“If something went wrong with you, many people will resent it.”

“But I know you will love them in the end.”

“Stop trusting me now.”

Cedric moved to the edge of the bed. And he hugged Artizea.

“I told you. I can’t stand losing you anymore. I will really resent it.”

“It was Lord Cedric who taught me that the more people you love, the better it gets.”

Artizea said, burying her face in the nape of his neck. A soft, warm breath tickled his skin, and Cedric grimaced slightly.

“Then, I must blame myself first.”

“If you carry two babies like Ticia, you may feel resentful towards yourself.”

“Tia, I’m not joking.”

“I know you will always do well.”

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Artizea smiled and ran up along his jawline with her index and middle fingers. And she touched his bluntly closed lips.

“Tia…….”

Cedric tried to get a little more angry, but in the end he couldn’t.

He lowered his head and pressed his lips to Artizea’s. His stomach churned and the inside of his eyes was sore.

A mixture of pain and joy glided up to his throat. Cedric sighed in his troubled heart.

That sigh disappeared inside Artizea’s lips. The breath he exhaled returned and rested sweetly on Cedric’s lips.

Unlike when her tears disappeared into his mouth, the kiss didn’t taste salty.

He could only feel the breath of a living person.

Cedric: “There will be no third.”

me and somnium: NOOOOOOO

on the other hand, final 5 chapters T.T