"Mommy, are we going to have a little brother soon?" Agatha propped her chin on her hands, looking first at Grandpa, then at her giggling mother, unable to hold back her question any longer.
"Yes! But it might also be a little sister! Then you'll be the big sister!" Sophie patted Agatha's head, her smile sweet as honey.
"Teacher Sophie, does that mean I'll be the little aunt?" Milta's eyes sparkled.
"Yes!" Sophie sighed inwardly. No matter how many times she corrected Milta, the girl just couldn't stop calling her "Teacher."
Noticing Charles' gloomy expression, Sophie reached out. "Charles, come here. Let Mommy hold you."
She wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "Sweetheart, tell Mommy what's wrong. Why are you so upset?"
"Mommy, I'm sorry! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have gone to find Belinda. You wouldn't have fainted. It's all my fault!" Charles hung his head in shame.
"Silly boy! How could this be your fault? Even without you, Mommy would have gone after her. After all, she's always had her eyes on Daddy. Mommy had to protect the happiness we worked so hard for!" She kissed his forehead tenderly.
"Mm." Charles nodded, his guilt easing slightly. He'd already decided—if Mommy hadn't woken up, he would have gone after Belinda for revenge. Thankfully, Mommy was awake now.
Just then, Silei strode in, full of energy, carrying a steaming bowl of eight-treasure porridge. He'd memorized the recipe from watching Sophie make it before, and after a taste test, he was pleased with the results.
Gently helping Sophie sit up, Silei began feeding her spoonful by spoonful. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he'd one day take such joy in serving someone else.
Hall and Bradley, their scalps tingling with secondhand embarrassment, quickly retreated from the room thick with affection, dragging everyone else along with them. Even the usually silent Xiaobai slipped out without a word.
Agatha and Charles exchanged a glance before obediently leaving the cottage as well.
"Hubby, do you prefer a boy or a girl?" Sophie swallowed a mouthful of porridge, eyeing Silei's blissful expression with amusement.
"Either is fine! But if I had to choose… I'd want a daughter. She'd probably look just like you. And I've heard daughters are closer to their dads!" With a grin, he fed her another spoonful.
This wasn't what Sophie had expected. She'd assumed Silei would prefer a son—though she wasn't sure if this world shared the same patriarchal tendencies. Personally, she'd always leaned toward wanting a boy.
As a child, she'd envied boys their freedom—to run wild, get covered in mud, or dive recklessly into ponds to catch fish. So many things girls weren't allowed to do, boys could flaunt without care. Even when scolded, they'd just grin and dash off to cause more trouble.
Sure, they missed out on frilly dresses and flowing hair, but overall, boys seemed to have more fun.
"No wonder you adore Agatha so much!" Sophie chuckled, swallowing another bite. "But honestly, it doesn't matter. We already have a son and a daughter. Whenever our little one arrives, they'll have big siblings to watch over them. Not that anyone would dare bully them—the chances of that are practically zero!" Taking the bowl from Silei, she scooped up a spoonful and held it to his lips.
Her heart ached seeing how thin Silei had become. She longed to fatten him up overnight. But there was no rush—they had all the time in the world.
Ever since learning of Sophie's pregnancy, she'd been treated like a national treasure. King Elroiadin was so overjoyed he practically moved in, though he settled for assigning a top-tier matron to monitor Sophie's every move—with strict orders to report even the slightest change.
*Finally, a grandchild! The legacy of Kirisya will live on!* Seated on his throne, King Elroiadin grinned like a fool, completely missing whatever Count Xibia was saying.
*Is the king actually happy about a demon sighting?* Puzzled, Xibia glanced at the report in his hands.
*What exactly does His Majesty want us to do? Investigate the demons or ignore them?*
"Your Majesty! How should we handle this matter?" Count Xibia ventured cautiously.
"Eh?" Snapped out of his daydream about cuddling his grandchild, King Elroiadin scowled. "You bother me with this trifle? Do your job! Handle it yourself!" With a wave, he stormed off. What could possibly be more important than his grandchild?
*Since when is a demon invasion a trifle?* Scratching his head, Count Xibia watched the king's hurried departure in bewilderment.
"Sophie, how are you feeling today? Any discomfort?" King Elroiadin tiptoed to her side, voice hushed.
"Ghk—cough—!" Startled by his sudden appearance, Sophie choked on her pastry.
Since learning of her pregnancy, Sophie had skipped the usual morning sickness phase entirely, diving straight into bottomless hunger. King Elroiadin, determined to ensure his grandchild's health, had scoured the kingdom for every delicacy imaginable—from main courses to snacks and fruits—personally overseeing Sophie's diet.
Panicking as Sophie coughed, the king grabbed a juice cup nearby. "Easy now, drink this!"
Gulping down the juice, Sophie finally dislodged the stubborn pastry. "Father! Must you sneak up on me like that? You nearly scared me to death!" She shot him a glare before downing another cup.
"Ah, my apologies! It won't happen again!" Flustered, the king eyed the table laden with pastries. "Are these to your liking? If not, I'll have them replaced."
"They're delicious. Thank you, Father." Sophie smiled warmly. Despite knowing his doting was all for the baby, she was genuinely touched. His concern even surpassed Silei's—if not for his royal duties, he'd probably have appointed himself her full-time nanny, micromanaging everything from meals to sleep. As it was, Silei could only sneak into her room at night, leaving before dawn.
"Father, you really don't need to check on me so often. I can take care of myself and the baby." Aside from eating and sleeping, Sophie had nothing else to do. If she had to compare her current state to an animal, it'd undoubtedly be a pig—albeit a far happier one, feasting on gourmet food without fear of ending up as bacon.
"Of course, of course…" The king nodded amiably, though they both knew he'd be back tomorrow.
"Father, any interesting news lately?" Stuck in the palace with nowhere to go, Sophie was growing restless, despite Silei's efforts to entertain her.
"Interesting news? Let me think…" Stroking his beard, King Elroiadin's eyes suddenly lit up.
**Will the king's news bring joy—or unexpected trouble?**