Chapter 36…
Kevin handed the drink he had brought to Julia.
“I got you some lemon water.”
“Thank you.”
The two women who had been watching were still staring blankly at them. They had assumed Julia was still Kevin’s mistress — not his wife. It seemed they never imagined he would actually marry her.
One of them, a woman he had played with once in the past, had tried to get rid of Julia. The other, who had been divorced for infidelity, had openly accepted Julia’s position as a mistress — though she had probably only done so in hopes of driving her away eventually.
Kevin wasn’t really in a position to judge others, but both women were rather promiscuous, and it was unlikely that any man would want to make either of them his wife.
“Welcome. I’m sorry we’re late — are you enjoying yourselves?”
The hosts of the ball, the Duke and Duchess, approached them.
“Count Carmine, Countess — congratulations on your marriage. Hehe. And it seems there’s another reason to celebrate, isn’t there?”
The Duchess said this while glancing at Julia’s drink.
How long had she been watching?
She had probably also noticed that Julia wasn’t wearing high heels.
“Thank you very much. We would be grateful if you could quietly keep an eye on us.”
Julia was in the early stages of pregnancy.
They had found out soon after registering their marriage.
Since she had conceived almost immediately after stopping contraception, it was clear that Julia had never been infertile.
“I’d heard from Michely… hehe, you make such a lovely couple. I wish you happiness.”
“Thank you.”
It seemed the Duchess was friends with Michely — perhaps they were around the same age.
Although Kevin and Julia knew they were likely just gossip material for Michely, they didn’t feel bad about it. In fact, it was reassuring — the Duke and Duchess showing interest in them meant powerful support.
As a young count and countess, they didn’t have many allies, so it was something to be grateful for.
After that, no one bothered them again, and they were able to return home safely.
“You must be tired.”
“I’m fine. I don’t even have morning sickness yet.”
Since this was supposed to be their first ball as a married couple, they decided to attend even after learning about the pregnancy. But from now on, Julia would likely be spending most of her time at the estate.
“Our child, huh… I can’t wait.”
He had once thought he wouldn’t mind if they never had a child — but now that it was happening, he couldn’t help feeling happy.
He had always thought Marianne would have been better off resembling her brother, but even so, he still found her adorable. Knowing she was his sister hadn’t changed that.
He hoped Marianne would come to love the new baby as her little sibling.
The scandal involving the Carmine family had sparked a trend — more nobles were now requesting paternity tests, even at high costs. Eventually, simplified kits even went on sale.
Terrifyingly, several cases revealed that the first child was the husband’s, but the second was not.
Apparently, many of these situations arose when, during the wife’s first pregnancy, the husband had an affair — and the wife, out of spite, began having one too, leaving the true father of the second child uncertain.
Incidentally, Julia’s ex-husband had divorced for that very reason.
The love he had pursued by neglecting Julia had only existed because she had been an obstacle — without her, it quickly crumbled.
But because of that, Kevin and Julia were able to find each other and fall in love — something he was truly grateful for.
The quiet classmate he had once barely noticed now stood beside him, offering comfort and peace.
She was carrying his child, and with each passing day, she looked more beautiful, more precious to him.
“Julia… I love you.”
He had never thought of himself as the type to say such things aloud — but it spilled out naturally.
Julia’s smile had become something he could no longer live without.
