Asti confessed to me, and we began a relationship with marriage as its premise.
“I’ll come back to this house every day.”
Because his work was in the capital, he traveled there daily by teleportation magic and returned home the same way. At first, I felt uneasy about waiting for someone to come home, but that anxiety quickly faded. He returned at the same hour without fail every day, and whenever possible, he even came back during his lunch break.
“I’ve put a surveillance spell on myself. If you ever feel anxious, you can look into this mirror anytime.”
He handed me the mirror that had once shown proof of Leon’s infidelity. So far, I’ve only looked into it once.
When curiosity got the better of me and I checked, Asti’s face was completely slack with happiness, earning him a look of exasperation from a noble. Even when he tried to compose himself, his expression softened again every three minutes.
‘Asti, your face is far too relaxed.’
‘My apologies. I’m monopolizing all the happiness in this world, so I can’t help it… Can you believe it?
When I get home, my adorable fiancée greets me, you know? I might just… trigger a magical overflow…’
‘Stop that. Don’t let it overflow. You’d put the entire country in danger.’
Watching Asti work so cheerfully, I found my own cheeks relaxing before I realized it.
The child in my belly kicked energetically, as if agreeing with me.
Doubting him felt foolish, so I only keep the mirror as a sort of charm now.
Those peaceful days passed by, and even the painful memories had begun to fade like a half-remembered dream.
Then—
“Ms. Sheila?”
I turned around at a voice I didn’t hear often, yet definitely recognized.
“Ah, it really is Ms. Sheila! It’s been a while.”
“Ah… um…”
I recognized the woman approaching me, her straight, silky hair swaying as she walked closer. If I remembered correctly—
“I’m Lamria. I was in Dylan’s party when you came to Marseize.”
“Lamria! It’s been a long time.”
I recalled now. She was the one who had taken care of me, helping me change clothes when I collapsed in Marseize.
As the party’s healing mage, she supported the others from behind. With the other women being rather flashy, Lamria’s calm presence had always been reassuring.
“I spotted you at the guild a little while ago and thought it might be you.”
“A little while ago… wait, does that mean the gaze I kept feeling at the guild was you, Lamria?”
“I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”
Realizing the eyes I’d felt back then belonged to Lamria, I felt relieved.
I’m glad it wasn’t someone suspicious.
“But what brings you here?”
Lamria had always seemed devoted to supporting Dylan, so her being here felt out of place.
Still wearing her gentle smile, she took my hand.
“Let’s talk over there.”
We sat down on a bench in the square, and I let out a breath without thinking.
I’d gotten into the habit of rubbing my belly, swollen enough to look as though I might give birth any day now.
“That’s quite a big belly. Is it soon?”
“Yes. I’m looking forward to it, but at the same time, I think I’ll miss having such a big belly.”
She narrowed her eyes, looking at me with gentle affection, and I found myself a little tense. But Lamria’s expression carried a hint of loneliness.
“The reason I’m here is… well, I left the party.”
She spoke with a wry smile.
“I loved Dylan.
But because of that… I ended up wanting a child with him.”
I understood that feeling all too well.
Most women, I think, wish to bear a child with the one they love.
“So I asked him.
Well, the result was a total defeat.
He’s the fourth son of a noble family who left his house. He said he couldn’t so easily leave his blood behind.”
Dylan, that dependable leader, used to be a noble? I was surprised, but then remembered how refined his movements had been.
“He doesn’t want children, and he doesn’t want to marry because he wants to keep a harem. He loves everyone equally and won’t treat anyone as special. Those were the conditions for staying by his side, but…
I ended up wanting more.”
After many long talks, the two of them decided to part ways.
After that, Lamria grew close to a man she met on a quest and began living in Alstrail, planning to settle there.
When she went to submit paperwork at the guild, she spotted someone who looked like me and hesitated over whether to call out.
“I’m happy now. Being loved really is a wonderful thing.”
The smile she wore as she said that was dazzling.
“Um, Ms. Sheila. May I tell Dylan and the others that I ran into you? They were quite worried.”
I hesitated for a moment, but I owed the leader a lot, and I hadn’t even been able to greet him properly, so I agreed.
Once things settle down, maybe I could learn teleportation magic and visit the capital.
I want to see Amelie too.
As I stood up to part ways with Lamria, a sharp pain ran through my belly.
I thought my due date was still some time away, but—
I sank down, clutching my stomach.
“Are you all right, Ms. Sheila?!”
“Ah… it hurts…”
Lamria’s face went pale as she ran off and brought back Bella.
“Mm, these are contractions. Ms. Sheila, can you move?”
I nodded, riding out the pain, and Bella began giving instructions to the people around us.
Supported on both sides, I was taken to the hospital, where I brought a new life into the world.
It seems Asti came partway through, but the pain was so overwhelming that I had no room to notice.
Yet the moment I heard the baby’s first cry, all of that pain vanished.
“Congratulations. You did wonderfully.”
Dahlia brought over the baby, cleaned and swaddled.
At first glance, the child looked so much like his father that my heart skipped, but the small warmth in my arms was undeniably precious.
“Ms. Sheila, may I come in?”
A hesitant voice came from outside the door. At my request, Dahlia let him in.
Asti came to my side and said, “Thank you for your hard work.”
Then he looked at the tiny child sleeping by my pillow, his eyes softening with a gentle gaze.
Seeing a child who looked so much like the father, would Asti accept him?
He’d said he loved me unconditionally, but—
That worry melted away when I saw his expression.
“He’s adorable. Look, he has eyes, a nose, a mouth, and he looks just like me. Even the silky hair is the same.”
He said it so happily that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“By that logic, every baby in the world would look just like you.”
“Only the child you gave birth to is my child.”
Asti’s long fingers brushed the baby.
When he touched the tiny hand, it curled around his finger as if saying, “Nice to meet you,” and Asti looked even more delighted.
“Have you decided on a name yet?”
“Yes. His name is Ralph.”
“Ralph… I look forward to getting along with you.”
After I was discharged, I registered Ralph at the guild.
At the same time, Asti and I planned to submit our marriage registration, but because Ralph was born out of wedlock, we were told we couldn’t remarry for six months after his birth.
After six months, the magical circuits would be mostly stabilized, even if not perfect, making remarriage possible.
Looking forward to that day, I was swept up in childcare, and another three months passed in the blink of an eye.
Then, that peaceful life was shattered without warning.
“Sheila.”
My body went rigid at the familiar voice.
Thinking there was no way he could be here, I turned around—
And there stood a man with the vacant expression of a wandering ghost.
