LUCIA

Chapter 116 The Beginning and the End

Lucia slowly got up from the bed, facing the morning sun. She had fallen asleep late in the afternoon as it was getting darker but when she opened her eyes, it was morning.

"Oh my goodness. Did I sleep that long?"

She didn't wake up at any intervals and slept like a rock. She kept on feeling tired lately, but her body didn't feel that refreshed. Rather than feeling sluggish due to the excessive sleep, her head felt light.

Lucia called her maid and asked her to bring water for washing her face.

"Has he left?"

"No. Master is in his office."

Hugo came to the bedroom after hearing that his wife was awake. He arrived just when Lucia was about to change her clothes. Once the maid attending to Lucia discovered Hugo, she bowed her head and withdrew.

Hugo quickly approaching his wife, who was smiling at him, and hugged her. Lucia was taken aback by his sudden action and asked carefully.

"Did you hear...from the doctor?"

"I did."

Hugo had been worried yesterday because he felt she was sleeping for too long. When he concernedly asked if it would be better for her to wake up and eat something, the doctor said:

[It's okay for one day. Milady told me she felt tired these days, so it would be better to allow her to just sleep.]

While holding her sound asleep figure, Hugo could barely sleep all night. Her body had a slight fever, so it felt warm to the touch. Upon recalling the doctor's statement that a mild fever was common early in pregnancy, Hugo tried to assuage his worries.

His mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts, so he ended up not getting a wink of sleep.

"Thanks. And...congratulations."

"...What?"

"..."

Pfft. Lucia burst out laughing.

"Did the doctor tell you to say that?"

"...Mm."

The doctor made a long-winded speech as if she was taking the chance to make up for the past times when she felt inadequate before the Duke. For Hugo, listening to the doctor's prattle was very excruciating, so he momentarily considered changing to a male doctor.

The doctor talked to Hugo about the sensitive mood of an expectant mother and scared him with examples of patients with various and extreme symptoms of depression.

She emphasized that due to their severe changes in mood, pregnant women tended to be more sensitive and could be easily hurt by something minor. Thinking that his own manner of speaking wasn't exactly sweet, Hugo was worried.

[The Madam is currently showing signs of anxiety. At times like this, the husband has to comfort the wife and show your sincerity in welcoming the child.]

He didn't know what to say so he recited it exactly like the doctor had told him to. Lucia lifted her head and cupped his face in her hands.

"Your words have no sincerity."

"...It's not that there's no sincerity, I just honestly don't know what to do. I don't hate it."

"I know what you mean. I'm also like that. It doesn't even feel real. And it may not be pregnancy."

"The palace nurse definitely didn't diagnose wrongly."

Lucia looked into his eyes. It was hard to tell what he was thinking from the neutrality of his gaze. She didn't know whether she should be happy that her husband's reaction was much calmer than she expected or whether she should be worried.