Epilogue 2
“Who said I didn’t want to?!”
I shouldn’t be swayed by this. It was our wedding, after all.
If I left it to Cesar, he would rush everything and just hurry to our wedding night.
“There’s an order to things. It’s my first wedding!”
“It’s my first wedding, too, Lily.”
As if I didn’t know that.
I tried to reason with the man who said such things so casually.
“There’s a certain… romanticism to it. I want to carefully prepare everything, from the dress to the venue. Because a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event.”
He looked down, as if in thought.
‘Please agree.’
If we rushed the preparations, not only I, the bride, but also the Dukedom’s servants would suffer.
His answer, just as I had hoped, followed,
“Then it can’t be helped. We’ll take our time and prepare for a perfect day, as you wish, Lily.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
“But I’m still angry.”
“Pardon?”
“You said you would do anything. And that wasn’t it.”
Oh, right. I was supposed to be appeasing him.
I nervously grabbed his hand.
“Th-then!”
“Then?”
“I’ll stick to you like glue for a week, wherever you go!”
“Like glue?”
“Ah, like… this!”
I sat on Cesar’s lap and wrapped my arms around his waist, nuzzling my cheek against his neck.
“Like this!”
“You won’t regret this?”
“Of course not!”
As I confidently replied, Cesar smirked.
And I suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.
“Isn’t it hot, being so close like this?”
“It’s still winter, Lily.”
“And the stares are uncomfortable…”
“You have to take responsibility for your words. You shouldn’t have said anything you would regret.”
“Sigh.”
I covered my face with my hand and listened to the scratching sound of his quill.
That’s right. I was in Cesar’s office, sitting on his lap.
He could have put me down while he worked. But he was calmly handling his work with magic, while holding me.
“Even if I transform into a bird…”
“Then you’ll have to stay by my side for a month.”
Seeing his determined smile, I resigned myself to my fate and stayed put.
Honestly, I wasn’t uncomfortable, but the others at the Dukedom seemed to be. Some coughed awkwardly, and some even closed their eyes, as if unable to bear the sight.
I should have known when I saw his unsettling smile at my answer, but it was too late for regrets.
After that, I obediently stayed glued to his side, whether in his office, the dining hall, or even on his trips around the Dukedom. I grumbled,
“So, are you satisfied with today?”
He gathered my hair in his hand, kissed it, and replied,
“Very satisfied.”
“I can see that. Sigh.”
“I can reduce it by a day if it’s too uncomfortable.”
A single day wasn’t enough, considering the constant stares I had to endure today. I immediately accepted his offer.
His hand gently caressed the back of my neck. And as his fingers played with the ribbon of my dress, I rolled my eyes and pulled him closer.
“It seems you don’t dislike this, Lily.”
Annoyed by his nonchalant remark, I kissed him, and he stopped teasing me.
He was endlessly annoying, yet so endearing.
The tumultuous emotions that swayed me back and forth ultimately settled on love.
Poke. Poke, poke!
“Ouch! That hurts!”
I woke up startled. My mind was hazy, and I was about to cry out in alarm, seeing that the bed and Cesar were gone, when,
My feet sank into something soft and fluffy, like a cloud.
I tried to move forward, wondering what was going on, when something poked me again. My calf stung, and I looked down and saw a white lump nestled among the fluffy, cotton-candy-like… things.
‘It’s as white as a cloud.’
Just as I reached out to pick it up, I heard a sound coming from it.
“Beep!”
“Beep?”
As I asked, a louder chirp followed.
“Beeeep!”
Small, wing-like things flapped on either side, as if to announce its presence.
I crouched down and, looking closely at the white lump, realized it was a small bird.
“Why is there a bird here? It’s just a baby bird, covered in fluffy down, not even able to fly yet.”
Just then, cute, light purple eyes appeared amidst the white fluff.
“Beep?”
It tilted its head, as if aware of its cuteness, reminding me of someone.
“Your eye color is just like the person I love.”
The bird chirped energetically in response.
“Beeeep.”
“I can’t understand what you’re saying now that I’m not a bird…”
The bird waddled towards me. It seemed to be using its little legs since it couldn’t fly over with its tiny wings.
Fortunately, it was so light that its feet didn’t sink into the soft ground like mine did. Its clumsy movements, like a baby taking its first steps, made me chuckle.
I carefully held out my hand for the bird to perch on. It hopped onto my hand, looked at me, and flapped its wings.
“Oh dear. You must have fallen out of your nest. What am I going to do?”
“Chirp!”
The white lump nuzzled my hand. It was so endearing.
I looked around, trying to find its nest and its mother. But the surroundings were hazy, like a thick fog, and I had to push through fluffy, cotton-candy-like clouds to move forward.
“This is… I don’t think I can take you back to your nest like this. What should I do?”
Then, the white lump suddenly chirped at me.
“Beep! Chirp!”
I stared at it, puzzled, and it hopped onto my palm, as if telling me to take it with me.
“Do you want to come with me?”
“Beep!”
It chirped as if understanding.
‘An intelligent bird with the same eye color as the person I love…’
“Alright, I’ll take you. I’ll gladly raise a lovely bird like you.”
Then, the bird suddenly transformed.
A child with white hair and purple eyes… it was definitely…
“Gasp!”
“Lily, what’s wrong?”
Cesar’s deep voice called out to me as I woke up startled.
Realizing I had been dreaming, I was a little bewildered by how vivid it had been.
“I… I had a dream.”
“A dream? A nightmare?”
“A nightmare? Should I call it that…?”
A cute baby bird, covered in fluffy down, had come to me, asking me to take it…
Before I could say more, Cesar gently pulled me back down and whispered sweetly,
“If you had a nightmare, just lie here beside me. I’ll stay awake and watch over you, so it won’t bother you.”
‘It wasn’t a nightmare, though.’
But I didn’t dislike Cesar whispering to me so tenderly, so I kept quiet.
I recalled the sensation from my dream.
A light, warm touch, like downy feathers. And those beautiful purple eyes, shining like jewels amidst the white fluff… I wouldn’t forget them.
‘It was so beautiful. And its eyes reminded me of someone.’
His hand, patting my back, lulled me back to sleep, the dream fading from my mind.
I soon learned what that dream meant.
After six days of being glued to Cesar, I finally regained my freedom and spent the next month leisurely roaming the Dukedom.
Of course, perhaps because of my honorary title, I had to attend some mandatory banquets for appearances’ sake.
‘But it’s okay since I made the excuse that I overexerted myself during the coronation and can’t move around too much!’
I knew I would be endlessly summoned to social events later, but I had a good excuse for a few months, so it was fine.
‘Staying home and resting during winter is the best.’
I sipped the warm tea the maids brought me, enjoying the beautiful snowfall.
As I was thinking about how I wanted spring to arrive quickly so I could enjoy the festivals with Cesar, I heard a knock on the door.
“Lady Twalett, a letter has arrived. May I come in?”
I paused, momentarily confused by the unfamiliar title, and then realized it was my last name.
It seemed like my name had changed from “Valerie Witten” to “Valerie Twalett” because of the honorary title, though Viscountess Twalett would be the more accurate term.
I didn’t really care, but the change in how the servants addressed me felt unfamiliar at times.
“Come in.”
The butler entered and bowed his head.
“Who is the letter from?”
“From Her Majesty the Empress.”
“Leave it on the table.”
The butler left, closing the door behind him.
‘It would normally be delivered to Cesar first. Why did it come directly to me?’
Wondering what she had to say, I carefully opened the envelope.
As I read the letter, my eyes widened at the news, and I jumped up and ran to Cesar.
Cesar, as always, was working in his office. Seeing my surprised expression, he looked at me with a questioning look.
Knowing that the news would soon spread throughout the Empire, I spoke without hesitation,
“Cesar!”
“What is it, Lily?”
“Her Majesty the Empress is pregnant!”
The aide, who had been quietly working, dropped his pen, and the knights guarding the door turned their heads.
But Cesar, who I had expected to be surprised, just replied indifferently, “That’s good news.”
He only reacted after I continued,
“So I’m going to the Imperial Palace now to congratulate her!”
“What?”