101st Confession - Side Story Episode 14 - Herwin's Troubles (1)

Side Story Episode 14: Herwin’s Troubles (1)

Last February, during the household succession ceremony, the Phoenaeus family celebrated the news of Lucia’s pregnancy by hosting a congratulatory party for a week, celebrating the birth of a new child.

The young ladies who had been fond of Herwin hid their teasing, and the northern nobles, who had worried whether the petite Lucia could endure this harsh northern region, realized that their concerns were unnecessary.

The entire Phoenaeus family took care of her to ensure Lucia and the baby were not overburdened.

Herwin also watched over Lucia every day, doing his best to ensure she was comfortable.

As the harsh winter passed, Lucia entered her stable period in April.

Three doctors took turns examining Lucia’s condition, and despite the harsh winter weather in the north, both the mother and the baby received a diagnosis of being healthy.

Now, even though she had entered a stable period, they had to pay attention to safety because her belly was starting to show.

As soon as the stable period of pregnancy approached, Lucia and Herwin informed the Agnes family of the news of their pregnancy.

Now that the cold winter had passed, they decided to go to the island in May when the snow completely melted.

It was days of happiness and perfection.

But… Herwin had one thing bothering him.

“Does she keep looking out the window like this every day?”

“Yes, she does.”

The maid brought directly from the Agnes family, Sean, told Herwin about Lucia’s condition with a dark face.

For the past two weeks, Lucia hadn’t eaten properly at all and spent a lot of time lost in thought while looking out the window.

Since she always presented herself with a smiling face, it was something he hadn’t noticed until now. If it weren’t for Sean and Jerome telling him, he might never have known.

According to the two, Lucia seemed to have lost all enthusiasm for life.

Even when asked if she wanted to try a new hobby, she just said it was okay and sat blankly with a sad expression………….. As a husband, he couldn’t help but worry.

“Sean, is there anything she confided in you separately? Any worries or concerns?”

“Yes, I was worried too and asked her, but she just says she’s okay.”

“That may be a difficult thing for her to talk about. All the more reason for the Duke to take good care of her.”

At Jerome’s words, Herwin nodded with a dark face.

Lately, due to the pressure of managing the estate, he could count on one hand the times he had meals with Lucia. He thought they should at least have lunch together.

“Sean, go ask Lucia if she wants to have lunch together, and Jerome, tell the butler to prepare some healthy food for her.”

“Yes, understood.”

At Herwin’s command, the two left the study. Left alone, Herwin furrowed his brow at the sudden worry that crossed his mind.

It’s indeed a joyous occasion that a child is on the way, but he worries whether Lucia, who is already frail, can safely deliver the baby.

Moreover, they say that pregnancy brings about various emotional changes and physical strains. He feels sorry for not being able to take better care of her due to his busy schedule.

‘It’s okay, everyone else is taking care of her, and you’re always talking to me at night, I know you’re doing the best you can.’

Whenever he shows a hint of remorse, Lucia becomes a comforting sanctuary for him rather than showing any petulance.

She truly was the woman he loved. But sometimes, he wished she could lean on him comfortably too. The desire to share her burden was strong within him.

“I should have a serious talk with her.”

With determination, Herwin got up from his seat and headed straight to the dining room.

* * *

“Herwin, what’s the occasion? You’re suggesting we have lunch together?”

When they entered the dining room, Lucia, who had arrived first, was sitting stroking her belly.

As she tried to get up, Herwin swiftly approached with his long legs and gently guided her to sit down, planting a kiss on her fair cheek.

“I feel like I haven’t been paying enough attention to you because of work. The important matters are mostly sorted out now, so we can have a meal together once a day.”

“It doesn’t matter. We talk about it right before bed anyway.”

Unlike other couples who had separate rooms, the two shared a room. It was Herwin’s strong will.

While the prudish ones murmured about the duke and duchess not maintaining proper decorum, Herwin sternly asserted that he couldn’t compromise on this.

Thanks to that, they were spending their honeymoon without a hint of discord.

There were times when Herwin wished he could be more affectionate toward her.

It was the opposite of when Lucia had a crush on him. He had said all he could; if Lucia showed a lukewarm response again this time, he would be secretly disappointed.

“…So, you don’t want to?”

Seeing Herwin scrunching his nose and wearing a pouty expression, Lucia burst into laughter.

“No, of course not. There’s no reason to dislike it. I’m just worried you’ll get tired.”

“Lucia, I’m a sword master. Something as trivial as this won’t tire me out.”

“Okay, okay, I got it.”

While Lucia let out a carefree laugh, the food arrived. It was all dishes suitable for a pregnant woman. Amidst that, a plump roast turkey was placed on the table.

Unlike Lucia’s hesitation, Herwin turned away, pinching his nose.

Surprised by his unexpected reaction, Lucia and the servants in the dining room stared at Herwin with puzzled eyes.

“…Is there a smell?”

“A bit? No, it’s fine. Let’s eat quickly. I can endure anything for our baby and Lucia.”

With a worried expression, Lucia looked at Herwin and asked the servant to separate only enough turkey for her to eat, requesting the rest to be cleared away. Though the smell hadn’t entirely dissipated, it felt somewhat relieving to have it out of sight.

“Would you be okay with this? I’m so sorry.”

“If I can’t handle this much, how can I call myself a father?”

In truth, Herwin was struggling with indigestion. When they first learned about the pregnancy, Lucia suffered from severe indigestion, but after two weeks, it suddenly disappeared, only to be passed on to Herwin unexpectedly. Others around him were quite surprised, but the eldest servant revealed something they hadn’t known before.

‘If a couple gets along too well, sometimes the husband experiences the indigestion or after-effects of pregnancy instead. Hoho, it seems the duke is very much in love with the duchess.’

Herwin’s complexion had been gradually worsening, but the thought of alleviating Lucia’s suffering made him very happy. Though Lucia occasionally felt nauseous, seeing her eat well made him feel somewhat relieved. Despite what Sean and Jerome said about her not eating well lately, seeing her eat so well now eased his worries a bit.

While Herwin watched Lucia eat her meal, feeling somewhat calmer, he finally picked up his utensils when the meal was nearing its end. But in his late hunger, Herwin failed to notice something important – Lucia’s movements were slowing down.

It wasn’t until the meal was almost over that Herwin noticed the dishes in front of Lucia.

They didn’t seem much different from before.

Seeing Herwin’s gaze on the dishes, Lucia awkwardly smiled and hastily instructed the servant to clear the table.

Of course, Herwin didn’t let that slip by quietly.

“Why did you leave almost everything? Is there something wrong with your stomach?”

“Oh, no. I just don’t have much of an appetite…”

“Still, you should eat well. For the baby’s sake, but also for your own. Could it be that your taste buds aren’t agreeing with you?”

At Herwin’s words, Lucia flinched. It seemed his guess was correct.

Herwin examined the dishes on the table. They were all known to be good for pregnant women, and each had a healthy and non-irritating taste.

But there shouldn’t be anything Lucia dislikes…

‘But tastes change during pregnancy, right?’

“If there’s something you want to eat, just tell me. I’ll get anything for you.”

“Hmm…”

Even at Herwin’s inquiry, Lucia remained silent for a while. Herwin waited quietly until she answered.

“…Something spicy.”

“Huh?”

“I want to eat the special hot sauce from the skewer restaurant I used to visit often.”

Herwin blinked his eyes and soon burst into laughter. Lucia blushed in embarrassment.

“If you wanted to eat something specific, you should have said so. Come on, I’ll go straight to the chef and ask him to prepare dishes that suit Lucia’s taste.”

“…Um, I’m sorry, but spicy food isn’t good for the baby.”

At the cautious words of the elderly maid, Lucia bowed her head deeply. Seeing her like this, Herwin furrowed his brow. Now he understood the situation.

“Did Lucia already mention this before?”

“Stimulating foods aren’t good for the fetus. However, we’re making sure to provide all other foods that are good for the baby. So please don’t worry.”

Herwin let out a sigh, and Lucia hurriedly tried to rectify the situation.

“I think I said something unnecessary. I should endure it for the sake of the baby.”

But with a hint of regret in her tone, Herwin couldn’t contain his anger any longer.

As Herwin stood up abruptly, all the servants, including the maid who spoke, lowered their heads.

“While the baby’s health is important, what’s even more crucial is the well-being of the mother carrying that baby. Eating a little spicy food won’t harm the baby.”

“But, Your Grace, it’s important to refrain from anything that could potentially harm the fetus…”

“Dailey, do you still see me as a young master in your eyes?”

Dailey had worked in the ducal residence for a long time, even changing Herwin’s diapers in the past, so she still saw him as a young master. Therefore, she made a mistake without realizing it when faced with Herwin’s dignified appearance.

“From now on, don’t intervene in what Lucia wants to do for the baby’s sake. I am the duke, and Lucia is the duchess who will lead the ducal family with me in the future. I will only tolerate this mistake once.”

“I misspoke. I apologize, Duchess. Please forgive this old woman.”

“It’s alright… it’s all for me and my child.”

Looking at Lucia’s gentle smile in response, Dailey realized her mistake.

Honestly, she had been thinking more about the child who would inherit the blood of the Phoenaeus family than Lucia herself. He felt like she had made a big mistake.

Dailey immediately conveyed Herwin’s order to the chef to prepare new dishes.

After some time, skewers with the spicy sauce Lucia desired were brought out. 

Lucia’s face lit up brighter than the sky.