The Beloved New Daughter-In-Law of the Wolf Mansion Chapter 198 - Side story 11

On a morning when the sunlight poured down brilliantly.

 

I was receiving a check-up from Doctor Hern.

 

‘My stomach feels bloated.’

 

Because I haven’t been feeling well lately.

 

Could it be related to my healing ability weakening?

 

‘I thought I had gotten fairly used to it by now.’

 

It’s already been half a year since I regained my memory and met Arsene again.

 

It’s also been quite some time since we remarried and became official couples.

 

In the meantime, I thought I had adapted to my weakened body.

 

‘Maybe I hadn’t, after all?’

 

I didn’t tell Arsene, worried that he might worry.

 

‘Probably, once the check-up is over, Arsene will hear about this too.’

 

I scratched my cheek.

 

Arsene tends to be overly caring and protective of me, wanting to know every little thing I do.

 

Of course, I didn’t dislike that side of Arsene either.

 

Who would dislike actions that come from affection?

 

‘At least, I don’t.’

 

I always found Arsene—who constantly worried that I might get hurt or disappear—both pitiful and lovable.

 

Just then, when my head was completely filled with thoughts of Arsene.

 

Hern, who had been checking my condition, stood up.

 

And then he cautiously spoke.

 

“Young Madam.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Congratulations, you’re pregnant.”

 

Mr. Hern nodded.

 

At that moment, the room quickly became quiet.

 

The maids in the room and the head butler, Ethan, who had come worried about me, looked at Hern in shock.

 

Thud.

 

Betty, who was holding a wet towel in her hand, dropped it.

 

Drip, thud.

 

The monocle that had been perched in Ethan’s eye socket fell with a soft clink onto his palm.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

Silence fell again.

 

And…

 

I blinked, and in a very cautious voice, asked Hern again.

 

“Mr. Hern.”

 

“Yes, Young Madam.”

 

“…What did you just say?”

 

Pregnancy?

 

***

 

“It’s still very early, so you need to be careful. Limit your movements, and for the time being, you can’t use your ability either.”

 

“You’re not joking with me, are you…?”

 

“Why would I joke about something like this? I’ve been your personal physician since you were this small, and I’m also a doctor of the Deer Clan.”

 

Hern shrugged.

 

“Children born between different clans have a slightly lower chance of survival in the womb compared to children born within the same clan. Above all, you must be careful—extremely careful.”

 

Even hearing those words didn’t feel real.

 

‘Pregnancy?’

 

When on earth?

 

I absentmindedly placed my hand on my stomach and reflected on my “past deeds.”

 

“…Back then?”

 

The maids’ heads tilted to the left.

 

“Or back then…?”

 

The maids’ heads tilted to the right this time.

 

“…Madam?”

 

Ethan cleared his throat loudly.

 

I was startled and turned to the maids.

 

Their faces were slightly flushed.

 

“Ah!”

 

I said it out loud!

 

Realizing that, my face flushed bright red.

 

Feeling embarrassed, I fiddled with my still-flat stomach while looking at Hern.

 

“I can’t believe it, Mr.”

 

“I can hardly believe it myself; it feels like just yesterday that both of your heights were much shorter than my leg length…”

 

“When will my belly start to show?”

 

“It will start to show a little earlier. Bird clan members tend to have a relatively short period from pregnancy to birth.”

 

“We won’t be able to tell which clan the child belongs to, right?”

 

“We won’t know until the child is born.”

 

Young beastmen can’t identify their animal forms until they first transform into beastmen at age ten.

 

Because they grow up in human form from birth until the age of ten.

 

However, from the aura or energy felt from a child growing up after birth, one can roughly tell which clan the child belongs to.

 

“Both the Young Madam and the Young Master have distinctive appearances, so it should be possible to make some guesses based on hair and eye color.”

 

Moreover, Arsene and I both had distinctive hair and eye colors.

 

Raniero’s dark green eyes, and Yeckhart’s silver hair with pale eyes.

 

Of course, that was a story for the far future.

 

But at the same time, it was also a very immediate matter for me.

 

I absentmindedly rubbed my flat stomach.

 

No matter how many times I thought it over, I still couldn’t believe this reality.

 

Would I believe it a little if Arsene heard this and shared in my joy?

 

At that time.

 

“Ah, Miss… no, I mean, Young Madam… sob.”

 

Betty stammered, wiping her tears with a handkerchief.

 

“Congratulations, truly… Honestly, I still can’t quite believe it…”

 

At Betty’s words, the other maids, who were also flushed with excitement, began to speak up one by one.

 

“Really, truly! I just can’t believe it!”

 

“The child of the Young Madam and the Young Master! How small and adorable they must be…?”

 

“Will it be a baby bird young master? Or a baby wolf young lady?”

 

The excited maids, their cheeks flushed pink, offered their congratulations in excited voices.

 

Ethan, who had been watching them with delight, cautiously spoke.

 

“Madam.”

 

“Yes, Ethan.”

 

“We should hurry and share this joyful news with Sir Arsene and Lord Kendrick as well.”

 

He asked cautiously.

 

“Is there a particular way you’d like to inform them?”

 

“Way…?”

 

“Whether you’d like to announce it at the dining table or inform them secretly… if you have a preferred method, I’ll assist you.”

 

I listened to Ethan’s words and thought it over carefully.

 

Speaking about it at the dining table felt a bit overwhelming.

 

‘I won’t be able to swallow my food!’

 

What if they’re so shocked that they spit out their food?

 

I’d rather avoid that.

 

After pondering for a moment, I smiled softly and spoke.

 

“Thank you for caring, Ethan.”

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

“But it’s okay—I’ll tell Arsene myself. And it’s better to inform Lord Kendrick afterward.”

 

I carefully folded my hands on my lap and looked up at Ethan.

 

Then I looked around at Mr. Hern and the other maids and spoke.

 

“They’ll definitely be happy, right?”

 

It was immediately after I finished speaking that all of them burst out in unison with, “Of course!”

 

***

 

“Come here.”

 

I kissed Arsene’s forehead and gently tugged on his soft hair.

 

Arsene obediently followed my touch, offering no resistance.

 

“Come here, put your ear here. Arsene.”

 

Then I placed Arsene’s head somewhere between my chest and abdomen, just below my sternum, and asked.

 

“What do you hear?”

 

Arsene hesitated for a moment before answering.

 

“Heartbeat.”

 

Beastmen have keen hearing.

 

Moreover, a wolf beastman’s hearing is truly extraordinary.

 

“How many?”

 

“Of course, one. I can feel your heartbeat.”

 

However, even with that extraordinary hearing, it seems he still can’t sense the movements of a child who hasn’t been in the womb for long.

 

‘Is it natural since it hasn’t been long?’

 

Perhaps the heart hasn’t even formed yet.

 

Or maybe it has formed, but it’s beating too faintly and weakly to be heard.

 

Arsene raised his head.

 

“What happened?”

 

“Take out your ears.”

 

I urged Arsene.

 

Just sticking out only the ears and tail is certainly not something a fully grown adult beastman would do.

 

But it didn’t matter between a married couple.

 

At my urging, Arsene took out his large wolf ears and tail again.

 

I pressed those two ears firmly against the very thin clothing I was wearing.

 

Then I whispered carefully.

 

“Listen again.”

 

“What?”

 

“Maybe you can hear it.”

 

Arsene seemed confused.

 

I had asked those present to keep it a secret, and it seemed they had kept their promise.

 

I silently gave my thanks and stroked Arsene’s ears as if gently rubbing them.

 

Then his large tail swished.

 

Watching Arsene like that, I carefully stroked his ears and then spoke.

 

“Is it because it’s still too early that you can’t hear it?”

 

“….?”

 

“We’re having a baby.”

 

After saying that, I pulled Arsene’s head tightly into my embrace.

 

So that he could press his ears more snugly against my body.

 

“So listen carefully—maybe you’ll be able to hear it. Wolves have very large ears, after all.”