The Tyrant Won’t Let Me Go Chapter 125 - Side Story 9

 

When Ciel, who had kept her eyes closed, opened them in surprise at Caliberne’s voice, Cedric quickly examined her face.  

 

“What’s wrong, Ciel?”  

 

“Ah, nothing.”  

 

Then, Ciel closed her eyes and called out to Caliberne.  

 

‘Caliberne?’  

 

[Yeah, it’s me.]  

 

Once again, Ciel lay motionless, seemingly unable to move a finger.  

 

Seeing Cedric hovering beside her with a satisfied yet apologetic expression made it obvious.  

 

[Did you get any sleep?]

 

‘Uh, I did sleep, but I’m not sure how long…’

 

[Sigh, people need to sleep. Are you feeling okay at least?]  

 

‘No, honestly, I don’t think I’m okay.’  

 

At Ciel’s weak reply, Caliberne pressed a hand to her forehead.  

 

[Please, just rest today. If your husband has any conscience, he should let you rest today. Honestly, that guy is really—]

 

“Ciel.”  

 

It was Cedric’s voice that cut off Caliberne’s outburst.  

 

“…Yes?”  

 

Ciel barely managed to answer, her voice hoarse.  

 

“Do you want some water?”  

 

Without making a sound, Ciel simply nodded.  

 

“Okay, got it. Just wait a moment.”  

 

He poured water into a glass and brought it to her lips.  

 

Thanks to Cedric tilting the glass slowly, Ciel could drink without having to move at all in her exhausted state.  

 

‘Hmm…’

  

Watching the scene, Caliberne thought that even though he was an emperor who could easily order a servant to do it, the fact that he was personally tending to Ciel showed how much he truly cared for her.  

 

‘Still as insufferable as ever, though.’

  

But if the two were happy together, who was she to interfere?  

 

“Ah, sorry. A little spilled.”  

 

Ciel shook her head slightly to indicate it was fine.  

 

“Okay, I’ll wipe it for you.”  

 

Caliberne, who had been watching Cedric’s calm demeanor with disinterest, was soon horrified by what happened next.  

 

She expected him to grab a handkerchief or cloth to wipe the water away, but instead, he pressed his lips directly to the corner of Ciel’s mouth.  

 

“Huh?”  

 

Ciel, still lying down, opened her eyes in shock, and Caliberne yelled in disbelief.  

 

[What the hell, this crazy—!]

 

Eventually, under the pretext of wiping the water from her lips, Cedric continued to kiss Ciel.  

 

“There, I think I’ve wiped it all now.”  

 

Having kissed her as much as he wanted, Cedric grinned as he spoke.  

 

Even Ciel, who was accustomed to Cedric’s touch, was left dazed by his satisfied smile.  

 

[Hey.]  

 

At the sound of Caliberne’s voice echoing in her head, Ciel finally snapped back to reality and spoke to her.  

 

‘Ah, Caliberne, sorry. What were we talking about earlier?’  

 

[I’m leaving.]  

 

‘No, wait! Just a little longer—’  

 

Though she regretted not being able to talk longer with Ciel, Caliberne couldn’t bear it any longer.  

 

‘Staying in that sickeningly sweet scene any longer…’  

 

In the end, she surrendered.  

 

‘I give up, I give up.’  

 

Then, as if resigned, she flopped down in midair and muttered,  

 

“I’ll leave you two alone, so have a good time…”  

 

Wishing them happiness, thinking it was better to let them be.  

 

💫

 

And it was less than two months after their wedding.  

 

“What… did you just say?”  

 

At Cedric’s dazed reaction, the royal physician, Dr. Dalton, cleared his throat.  

 

“As I said earlier,”  he replied with a slightly excited voice, clasping his hands together.  

 

“Her Majesty the Empress is pregnant.”  

 

“P… pregnant?”  

 

At first, I thought I had misheard.  

 

“Yes. Congratulations to both of you. This is a joyous occasion for the imperial family.”  

 

But hearing Dr. Dalton’s next words, I realized I hadn’t misheard at all.  

 

“Ciel…!”  

 

Cedric looked even more stunned than I was. Clearly, he was both flustered and overjoyed, but his expression seemed at a loss for words.  

 

“Doctor, is Ciel’s condition alright right now?”  

 

“Yes, everything is fine. However, she may feel more physically exhausted than before, and her immunity could weaken, so extra caution will be necessary.”  

 

Dr. Dalton adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses as he spoke.  

 

“Of course, I’ll be monitoring everything closely, so there’s no need for excessive worry. Her Majesty need only focus on positive things, and Your Majesty, as you’ve always done, should continue to take good care of her.”  

 

As he listened, Cedric’s eyes burned with determination. His gaze showed a fervent resolve to care for me even more than he already had.  

 

‘For a while, I’ll be treated like a fragile little bird…’  

 

I worried he might stubbornly refuse to leave my side, abandoning even his duties.  

 

“Also, for the time being, check-ups will be more frequent. Is that alright with both of you?”  

 

“Yes, no problem.”  

 

I nodded in response.  

 

“But Doctor, can you tell how many weeks along she is?”  

 

“Hmm, it appears to be around seven weeks.”  

 

“I see.”  

 

It had already been that long.  

 

“Ciel.”  

 

Cedric, who had been silently listening to Dr. Dalton, tightly grasped my hand and spoke.  

 

“I’ll take really good care of you from now on.”

 

💫

 

Even though my belly hasn’t started showing yet, Cedric insisted I lie down in bed as soon as Dalton finished the checkup, saying pregnant women need to keep warm.  

 

He canceled all his work and schedules for the day, too. He said there was no way he could focus on work on such a happy day.  

 

“Are you really okay with this? What if you struggle tomorrow because of it…?”  

 

“No.”  

 

Cedric shook his head firmly.  

 

“What could possibly be more important than you?”  

 

Wow. ‘Even after marriage, lines like this still make my heart flutter.’  

 

I wonder if it’ll still be like this after the newlywed phase passes.  

 

Given how long we’ve been together and yet his words still make my heart race, maybe it’ll stay this way even after the honeymoon period.  

 

“But Cedric.”  

 

At the name I only use when we’re alone, Cedric paused while pouring water.  

 

“Yeah?”  

 

“You have something to tell me, don’t you?”  

 

“How did you know?”  

 

Cedric looked down at me with a faint smile.  

 

“I can just tell. We’ve known each other for so long.”  

 

“Still. Sometimes you notice things even Phil doesn’t.”  

 

“That’s because I pay so much attention to you. My eyes are always drawn to you.”  

 

“That’s a really touching thing to say.”  

 

Cedric laughed and gently kissed my forehead. The ticklish sensation was adorable, and I loved it.  

 

“So, what did you want to say?”  

 

I reached out, brushing Cedric’s hair aside as I asked.  

 

Naturally accepting my touch, Cedric took my hand and pressed it against his cheek.  

 

“Well, there’s a lot.”  

 

Indeed, a whirlwind of emotions swirled in Cedric’s eyes.  

 

Countless feelings that couldn’t be defined in a single word.  

 

“I guess… I’m a little dazed, but also incredibly happy.”  

 

Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real to me either that we’re having a baby. Cedric must feel the same way.  

 

“Ciel, I’m so grateful to you, and I really want to see a child who looks like you.”  

 

Cedric stroked my still-flat stomach with his other hand as he spoke.  

 

“But I’m also a little worried. About your body taking on too much.”  

 

“Dalton said it’ll be fine as long as we take care, so you don’t need to worry too much.”  

 

“Right. From now on, I’ll pay ten times more attention than I ever have.”  

 

“Wait, even more than now?”

 

Even when I wasn’t pregnant, Cedric’s attention and care for me were beyond imagination.  

 

‘What more could he possibly do here, and how?’  

 

Then again, this was the same man who had barely let an hour pass after hearing the news of my pregnancy before insisting I rest and laying me down in bed.  

 

It was entirely possible he could go even further.  

 

“You don’t have to feel burdened. I do this because I love you, Ciel.”  

 

“Ah, no…”  

 

Another unexpected attack.  

 

“Oh, your face is red. Did you like hearing ‘I love you’?”  

 

“No, stop teasing me.”  

 

“You’re adorable. I’ll say it often from now on.”  

 

“Are you making fun of me right now? Is this how someone who claims to care for me should act?”  

 

In response, Cedric laughed and ruffled my hair.  

 

“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Anyway, my point is, you don’t need to feel so burdened by my attention.”  

 

“I understand that well enough. But please, Your Majesty, don’t overexert yourself either. If you push yourself too hard just to take care of me, it would only make me feel worse.”  

 

“Hmm… But even if there’s a risk of that, I still want to watch over you, even if it means overexerting myself.”  

 

Cedric scratched his cheek and spoke cautiously.  

 

“After all, I bear the greatest responsibility.”  

 

His voice was calm.