**Chapter 76**

Elisa stared blankly at Richard.

Her startled heart began to thump loudly. Only the sound of her heart echoed in her ears.

They had shared even deeper kisses during their intimate moments.

But why?

Why was her heart racing so much at this light kiss?

Without understanding why, Elisa tightly clutched the collar of her clothing with the hand not held by him.

She was afraid his dangerous gaze, which seemed to devour her, would pierce through her wildly beating heart.

She didn’t want him to notice this sound.

“I feel… strange.”

Elisa hesitated, her lips moving slightly as she struggled to speak in the face of his persistent gaze.

“What do you mean all of a sudden…?”

Just as she was about to ask what he meant, she felt a sudden movement in her belly.

When Elisa abruptly stopped speaking, Richard sensed something unusual and called her name in confusion.

“…Elisa?”

“The baby move.”

Elisa quickly pulled Richard’s hand and placed it on her belly.

What initially felt like a faint ripple, like a droplet bursting, was growing stronger with each passing day.

Thanks to this, Elisa was currently immersed in the joy of talking to the baby moving inside her.

However, Richard, busy preparing for the founding festival, had yet to feel any movement.

The baby seemed to be teasing Richard, not moving at all during the mornings and nights he was present.

Knowing that Richard was secretly waiting to feel the baby’s movements, Elisa wanted him to experience this miraculous sensation as soon as possible.

But as soon as Richard placed his hand on her belly, the baby quieted down as if it had made a promise.

Unlike Richard, who was bewildered by the sudden change of topic, Elisa felt anxious and lay down on the bed.

Lying down on her back made it easier to feel the baby’s movements.

“Baby, try calling out like this.”

Hurry.

Elisa fidgeted with Richard’s hand on her belly, urging him on.

After a moment’s hesitation, Richard cleared his throat and called out the baby’s nickname.

“Baby.”

But even after waiting a moment, there was no response from the baby.

“Hmm, does it want to play hide and seek with Daddy?”

Richard, who didn’t have high hopes, could tell Elisa was more disappointed than he was.

Richard tried to hide his own disappointment and began to pull his hand away. Just then…

Thump!

She felt a small movement inside her belly.

At the same time, Richard froze, his hand poised to pull away.

Then, the belly stirred again. Richard’s gaze wavered as he felt that movement.

Noticing his reaction, Elisa smiled and spoke to the baby.

“Baby, Daddy has been waiting a lot to hear from you.”

In response to Elisa’s words, the baby kicked once more, right where Richard had his hand.

Richard stared blankly at Elisa’s belly.

‘A baby…’

It finally hit him.

Inside this small belly, Elisa’s and his child were growing.

The realization that he was becoming the father of this little child.

Until now, the existence of the baby hadn’t felt real to him. It was just a connection between him and Elisa.

But now, the child, having grown a little, was asserting its presence.

With hands and feet smaller than the knuckles of his fingers, it was growing up healthy.

At the moment he felt the baby’s existence, a heavy weight settled in his heart.

With the weight of life he had created, came that very sense of responsibility.

An indescribable, overwhelming emotion pressed down on his heart.

“What are you doing? Daddy has to say hi too.”

Elisa, watching Richard’s frozen reaction without saying a word, whispered softly.

Richard followed Elisa’s words and greeted the baby near her belly.

“Hello, baby.”

The nickname he had always called out casually and habitually suddenly felt awkward.

“It’s Daddy.”

Referring to himself as “Daddy” also felt strange.

The baby responded to his call with a slight stir, a beat behind. After a brief flurry of movement, it became quiet again.

Richard continued to stare blankly at Elisa’s belly even after the baby’s movements had stopped.

Elisa smiled in relief at his reaction.

She had felt from his actions that, unlike in the original story, he did not dislike children, but she still worried that his feelings might change upon truly realizing the baby’s existence.

However, seeing his current reaction, it seemed she could set that worry aside.

“How do you feel about saying hi to the baby?”

“……”

“Richard?”

As she wondered at his lack of response, Richard suddenly pulled Elisa into an embrace.

“Thank you, Elisa.”

He didn’t know how to explain this feeling he was experiencing for the first time, but he felt the need to thank her.

If it weren’t for her, he would never have experienced this emotion in his lifetime.

Taken aback by his sudden hug, Elisa blinked in surprise before smiling and settling into his embrace.

That night marked the first time the two truly understood the meaning of “family.”

*

Late at night, when the servants had fallen asleep, Marquis Dion returned home.

Michaela, just about to doze off, heard the sound of a carriage and came down to the lobby.

Seeing her, Marquis Dion pretended to act as if he didn’t notice.

“Your Highness the Princess. Are you still awake?”

Michaela unconsciously frowned at the strong smell of alcohol wafting from him.

With his red face and staggering steps, it was clear he had been drinking heavily somewhere.

“Why did you drink so much of a drink you can’t even handle? It’s not good for your health.”

“I had something upsetting me, so I drank a bit.”

“What happened?”

“That arrogant kid, huh? Just because he went to war once, he’s all puffed up, looking down on people.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“That bastard Duke Rubellin. He’s been so dismissive of me in meetings!”

Marquis Dion gritted his teeth as he recalled the memories from a few days ago.

‘Isn’t it the chairperson’s duty to dismiss topics that aren’t worth discussing and return to the main point?’

‘What? What did you say?’

The glare he received when he suggested preparing a gift for the Emperor, only to have it brushed off as “not worth discussing,” was still vivid in his mind, grinding his teeth.

Marquis Dion raised his voice, cursing Richard.

“I’m not saying this for my own sake. I just thought, since there was some budget left over, we should take care of His Majesty, the light of this empire, and instead, they ignored me and only catered to those beggars.”

Michaela frowned at Marquis Dion’s complaints.

When Richard had first appeared as a young duke, she harbored feelings for him.

She had been so excited when her father had said he wanted to arrange a marriage with him.

But when Albert, having seen through the Emperor’s scheme, brought in a girl from a humble baron’s family, whose name she couldn’t even remember, to marry Richard, Michaela felt as if she had been rejected by him.

Seeing Richard get along so well with Elisa, someone she felt would never let anyone close to him, made her even more upset.

She was displeased not only with Elisa, who had married Richard, but also with Richard himself, who seemed to be living well without her.

And now, to think that her husband had ignored a proposal he made for the Emperor—it was simply unacceptable.

Michaela chimed in, echoing Marquis Dion’s words.

“That’s how it’s been since ancient times. They’re utterly arrogant, believing in their own strength.

That Duchess is the same.”

“That woman too?”

“They’re both exactly alike. Whether during the hunting festival or just recently at the tea party, anyone would think she’s the Empress.”

“Tsk, tsk, what a presumptuous woman who doesn’t know her place. There’s an old saying that people associate with their kind, and it fits perfectly.”

“You must be very upset, dear. They both need to get a good reality check before they realize they should be more careful.”

“That’s true.”

The two consoled each other, exchanging remarks.

At that moment, the butler approached.

“Your Excellency, Count Magenta visited this afternoon.”

“Again?”

At the mention of Count Magenta, Marquis Dion’s expression soured.

Count Magenta was his uncle.

He had inherited his share of the family estate from Marquis Dion’s grandfather and started a business, but it continuously failed and he couldn’t escape the red.

Despite the string of failures, he seemed unable to give up on his business and had been going from one relative’s house to another, begging for money to fund his ventures.

He had visited Marquis Dion about three months ago, and it seemed he had come again today.

“Yes. He asked me to let him know when you have time; he wishes to meet with you.”

The topics of discussion were predictable. He would have some ridiculous business idea and insist that it would surely succeed this time if he could just get some investment.

“Don’t send a letter, just ignore him.

Who does he think he is, a benefactor?”

After replying dismissively, Marquis Dion intended to head straight to his bedroom with Michaela, but suddenly recalled his previous conversation with Count Magenta from three months ago.

‘The stuff I made before was pretty decent, but maybe because public safety has improved, it hasn’t been selling well lately.’

Count Magenta had shown disappointment while introducing his business ideas.

An idea suddenly flashed in Marquis Dion’s mind as he recalled that “item.”

‘That could deal a significant blow to that arrogant fool.’

Marquis Dion raised one corner of his mouth in a smirk and turned to the butler. He then commanded:

“Send a letter to my uncle immediately.

Tell him I want to meet tomorrow.”