A young woman sat on a rocking chair on the porch of her house, in the morning just after the sun had risen.
She caressed her heavily pregnant belly.
From inside the womb, the unborn baby gave little kicks against the mother's belly, sometimes the tiny soles of feet appeared from beneath the fabric covering her stomach.
Her breath was panting, not from exhaustion, but because she couldn't hold back her laughter, "Hehe… you're so active, my child…" Her smile bloomed until her eyes squinted.
While rocking on the chair, she gazed at the black-haired man tending the family's field.
The expectant mother murmured to her unborn child, "My child… if you are a boy, be like your father. Just be the child of your mother and father who protects with love and affection."
She glanced warmly at her belly, her soft palm touching the baby from outside the womb.
Her smile faded slightly, though the corner of her lips still lifted sweetly, "If you are a girl, don't be like this weak mother… Be like your grandmother, who is patient and loving."
She was eagerly awaiting the arrival of her child into the world.
Her drowsy eyes swept over the entire field, looking at her husband working. She rose from the chair, walked a little out from the porch, and held onto the house pillar.
She called out but not loudly, instead her voice sounded soothing to the ear, "Morcant, dear… I want to go shopping… I'll take money from the drawer, okay…"
From afar the man in the field slowly turned his head, "…Raven, wait!" He stepped quickly towards her, his arm still holding a hoe.
When face to face, the man gently stroked his wife's hair, "You're eight months pregnant, you should be resting more… Let me do the shopping instead," unconsciously he let go of the hoe from his grip.
A farming couple living peacefully in the countryside. Raven was the expectant mother, while the man, slightly muscular from his work, was Morcant.
The wife puffed her cheeks with lowered brows, for she was too weary of staying home all the time, "It's still morning, you have to tend the field. I also get bored if I just stay home."
Raven turned her face away and quickly went into the house, "I'll take more money… Also for charity to the orphanage."
Morcant only let out a deep sigh, "Hah," while scratching his hair.
The farmer went back to the field, grumbling about his stubborn wife, "Women really are hard-headed…" He forgot that he had left his hoe behind.
Despite the warm morning, she hurried to the bedroom drawer to prepare some gulden. She then took a shopping basket and placed the coins into the woven purse she had sewn herself.
"…Is this enough gulden? 2 silver and 100 bronze, or is this too much?"
Her head lingered in thought, but she decided to bring the amount she had already put in the purse.
"Yes, better to bring more, in case anything happens it'll be easier."
Raven thought deeply, for she wanted to shop more than usual. She counted with the only ten fingers she had.
The index finger of her right arm lifted to start counting, while the other fingers clenched.
"100 bronze equals 1 silver."
Then her left arm raised its index finger and placed it next to her right.
"100 silver already equals 1 gold gulden, if it's just for groceries with the gulden I carry… 2 silver is already too much…"
She smiled confidently, hurrying off to the village market. She walked while holding her large belly.
"Besides, bread only costs 10 bronze gulden,"
"Hehe… Sorry, my husband… I want to buy clothes for our child."
Raven stepped away from the house, waving her hand to her husband in the field.
"Morcant, dear… I'm leaving to shop."
But Morcant didn't hear, he was too busy looking for his missing hoe in the field.
Her steps were slow as she passed through the village, greeting some neighbors and villagers.
Raven was very careful when crossing a bridge over the river, holding the rail tightly while supporting her heavy womb.
Her legs felt tired from walking, she muttered softly, "Why is our house at the far end of Merseyside village, Morcant?!" She felt hot as sweat trickled down the back of her neck, hidden under her long hair.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Morcant in the field sneezed and coughed, "Hachoo! Ugh, ugh! Who's talking about me now?" and he was still looking for his missing hoe, "This field feels haunted… my hoe disappeared somewhere."
Raven walked slowly until the village market gate came into view, and the noisy sounds began to echo.
When she entered deeper into the market, the merchants offered their goods.
Her eyes caught sight of a vegetable stall, she approached, "Wow… thornleaf flowers… Madam, how much are these…?"
"This pregnant mother wants to buy? Only around 3 bronze gulden per bunch, Ma'am,"
"The petals are good for immunity, suitable for the little baby."
Raven bought them to make vegetable dishes, not forgetting to buy some other ingredients, "I also want draemvine roots, hmm… oh yes this too, Ma'am, sky mushrooms."
She bought several bunches of vegetables, the total cost was 30 bronze gulden, still leaving her with plenty, and she intended to find a children's clothing shop.
Raven knew her husband didn't like vegetables, but she still filled the shopping basket with them, "Sorry my dearest husband… I want to tease you with today's menu."
After thanking the vegetable seller, she went on to find a children's clothing store.
Until her eyes were drawn to a narrow alley.
Two small children ran into the alley, Raven's eyes widened in curiosity, she approached it.
There, she clearly saw with her own eyes, two demi-human children with cat ears and long tails.
Their clothes were ragged, Raven came closer, "…Hello." Suddenly one child, who seemed to be a boy, turned around. He spread his arms to shield the other child, baring sharp teeth as if to protect.
Like a fierce dog glaring at Raven, "Grrrrr!" But his growl stopped when his eyes fell on Raven's big belly.
"It's okay, I don't mean harm. Behind your back… is that your sister…?"
From behind the boy's back appeared what looked like a girl, with long hair blending into the ears on top of her head.
The boy did not answer, though his fierce gaze had softened.
Raven understood when she saw the little girl holding her stomach in fear, she pulled out 1 silver gulden from her purse.
She handed the coin to the boy, "Here, take this… Your sister is hungry, sorry this is all I can give," her gaze was tender, the corners of her lips lowered.
"…Sister."
"…A-ahh."
Raven laughed, quickly grabbing the boy's arm and placing the coin in it, "Hehe… Just take it… Buy some bread, that money is enough for weeks."
The boy was startled by the sudden move from the woman grabbing his arm, "…Th-thank you," said the boy, lowering his guard, "M-my name is Felrin… This is my sister Nysa… I'm only 13 years old, b-but when I grow up I'll find you… to repay this debt… Hics!" Slowly tears fell, sobs broke from the brother, followed by the little sister's weeping.
The boy wiped his tears, hiding his face with his arm, while the sister only hid behind her brother's back.
Seeing the children crying, Raven's chest tightened, she imagined if they were her own unborn child.
Raven replied, lowering her body.
"No need to repay it,"
"Ahh, I just remembered, if this child is born and has no friends, will you two be siblings to the child in my belly?"
"I'm afraid this child will be like me when I was young."
Raven said that just to comfort them, perhaps after this she would never meet them again.
At least, Raven only wanted to help, hoping that every kindness she did would be passed on to her unborn child.
She felt, the bond and thoughts of a mother would be transmitted to her unborn child in the womb.
Leaving the demi-human children with warmth.
She hoped they had a mother who would embrace them with love. Because her own heart was the same, she didn't want her child to be born and grow without affection.
With a heavy heart she walked slowly, her hands continually caressing her belly on the way home.
She decided not to buy baby clothes, thinking there was always tomorrow to shop again. Before returning home she visited the orphanage, donating the remaining gulden to those in need.
Until upon arriving home, she saw her husband sitting pensively at the corner of the field near the road.
From behind Morcant's back, she asked in wonder, "Dear… what's wrong with you?"
Morcant was startled, quickly turning around, "Ahh! You scared me. Raven, this field is haunted, my hoe disappeared and I still haven't found it."
Raven slapped her forehead, because before leaving for the market she had seen the hoe lying near the balcony, and she didn't know her husband had wasted half the day searching, "Morcant… my dear… my love…"
Morcant raised his brows, "Wh-why suddenly?" He felt uneasy hearing his wife's tone.
Raven pointed to their house porch, "If you're looking in the field, of course you won't find it. Look there, that's your hoe!" Her brows furrowed in annoyance, as the sun had already climbed high and Morcant was still sitting by the field.
Her husband only turned away with a silly face, quickly scratching his head, "Hehehe… I thought this field was haunted."
Raven let out a deep sigh, "Hah," she hurried to leave her husband, "Enough… I'll cook vegetables today."
Shocked at his wife's menu choice, the man's voice rang loud across the area, "W-WHAT VEGETABLES?! NO…! DON'T…! MY BELOVED WIFE IS GOING TO COOK VEGETABLES…!"
Raven laughed as she entered the house, she hoped her child would be born healthy.
Praying that the warmth she always felt would last forever.
"I hope our little family will never change."