“Yes.”
“Really?!”
“What else could it possibly be if not genuine? I’ve always yearned for an heir.”
“Yearned…” Elise lapsed into silence, lost in contemplation for a moment.
“Aren’t you intrigued?!”
“About what?”
“About your… well, our progeny. How they might manifest, the essence of their being, and other such musings.”
Elise hesitated, grappling with the words that eluded her. She recognized the futility of such concerns given her circumstance. Nevertheless…
After their passionate union concluded, superfluous thoughts danced through her mind as she rested against him, her weary body seeking solace. The intensity heightened, particularly when Rezette didn’t assertively withdraw from her, and each realization that a fragment of him lingered within her left her with an undeniable curiosity.
If she were to conceive a child, what sort of child would it be? What gender would they assume? Whose features would they inherit? Questions like that waltzed through the corridors of her imagination.
Elise turned her head, hoping to catch a glimpse of his expression, and let out a quiet sigh. Rezette, in response, appeared to raise his eyebrows, reacting to a distant sound. His reply was cool and indifferent.
“I’m not particularly curious.”
Surprised, Elise questioned, “Not at all?!”
“We already know it won’t be something ordinary,” he replied coldly, his words pointing to the potential offspring of a dragon-man, delivered with an unbelievably icy demeanor. In reality, that statement alone conveyed enough information.
Rezette acknowledged the excessive sensitivity in his tone. He despised providing justifications, even to himself, and for him, certain questions required little consideration. However, there was no need to intentionally respond harshly. Eventually, he tempered his tone with restraint.
“If it weren’t for you, I probably wouldn’t have committed the folly of presenting to the world the being who inherited a part of me.”
“Nevertheless, I don’t regret the need for a successor in various ways, even though that time has passed,” Rezette admitted. However, Elise remained unaffected by his sentiment. Rezette, assuming her darkened complexion stemmed from fear, reassured her:
“Since you’re a Gallian descendant, there shouldn’t be any major issues during your term. Above all, as long as I’m by your side, the child won’t harm you. Don’t worry.”
“I was prepared for that from the beginning, so it’s okay,” Elise replied. She refrained from expressing that such matters were unimportant and decided against casually inquiring about her preference for a son or daughter, deeming it another pointless curiosity.
But still… I thought I would want a child, Elise thought silently. She couldn’t fathom his reaction, given his deep-seated aversion to a child born from his bloodline.
“Complicated,” Elise murmured.
“What is?”
“What exactly you want… ah.”
Elise’s murmurs didn’t seem to capture Rezette’s interest. As her lips and hands once again encountered the warmth of his neck and abdomen, she emitted a soft sound. It was then that a realization dawned upon her.
Perhaps, from the outset, Rezette harbored little concern for the fundamental purpose of their relationship. Despite his casual remarks about needing a successor, there was no indication of a fervent desire for an heir. Even though he emphasized ‘our’ baby, there was a noticeable absence of deep contemplation about the child’s existence. In fact, he had recently admitted that, in his own words, the child was merely a means to address peripheral and troublesome issues.
While Elise viewed the union of man and woman as a sublime process to bring forth the fruit of life, Rezette seemed to attribute a different significance to the union itself. More precisely, he appeared to find pleasure in the physical aspect of their connection.
So, if I have a child and leave, you won’t love that child, will you? Elise pondered silently, hoping to avoid the usual disdainful tone from Rezette. Although she hadn’t anticipated much, the bitter taste of disappointment lingered.
Elise worked through her thoughts with a sense of awkwardness. The optimal solution still seemed to involve prioritizing contraception, even if she had to manage it on her own. Contemplating the possibility of pregnancy, she resolved that if it happened, she wouldn’t give birth to the child in Rotiara, nor would she leave the child behind.
If I become pregnant before autumn comes…
In that scenario, Elise decided she would depart with the unborn child.
