Chapter 28
Another half month passed.
Under the pretext that Brunhilde’s stomach was unwell, Carlos visited her room every day.
Hearing that her mother-in-law was ill, Emily came by from time to time as well. The gentle-looking girl, with chestnut hair and olive eyes, would always offer sincere concern and wish for her recovery.
“I’ve brought some herbs that are said to be good for the stomach and left them with the maids. Please take them and get well soon, Lady Brunhilde.”
“Thank you, dear.”
Though she smiled faintly on the outside, Brunhilde’s insides churned like a storm-dark sky.
To stand before Carlos’s wife while carrying his child—her own position felt no different from that of a criminal. And the sight of her daughter-in-law, smiling so kindly without knowing any of it, only deepened her guilt.
Unable to bear the weight in her chest, Brunhilde pressed her fingers to her temple.
“I’m feeling a bit tired. Could you go back for today?”
“Yes, Lady Brunhilde. I’ll come see you again.”
Emily bowed with an untroubled smile and left the room.
Only then did the suffocating tightness ease slightly. Brunhilde pressed her chest and let out a long breath.
It had already been twenty days since she realized she was pregnant, yet she still hadn’t decided what to do.
Holding her still-flat abdomen, she recalled Carlos’s words.
“If you wish to get rid of the child, I’ll obtain the medicine for you. And if you wish to keep it… we can keep the entire pregnancy and birth a secret, and then take the child in as an adopted heir.”
The thought itself felt unbearably sinful yet the life inside her was both hers and Carlos’s.
The seed of sin growing within her horrified her… and yet, when she thought of it as her beloved son’s child, an indescribable feeling bloomed in her chest.
Carlos’s first child.
Her grandchild.
If only this child had not been conceived through such a forbidden relationship between son and mother, she would have blessed its existence without hesitation.
How could she not bless the child of the son more precious to her than her own life? And so, she could not bring herself to destroy it.
Gradually, within her spiraling thoughts, she began to erase herself.
Yes… this child is Carlos’s.
The child of the son she loves most.
Perhaps… perhaps God had chosen her as nothing more than a vessel—for Carlos, who needed an heir. To borrow her womb and continue the line of Brandt.
The sinful days between her and her son were already over. Since that night she had tried to take her own life, there had been no more desire between them.
The sin between them has already been severed. His desire is no longer directed at her.
Then perhaps… she could simply think of it as lending her womb to her son. That she had merely been entrusted with carrying his precious child for ten months. That pregnancy and birth were nothing more than the process of nurturing what would be returned to him.
Yes. She had simply carried the child in place of Emily, who had not yet conceived. She would keep it safe, raise it within her, and when the time came, return it to Carlos.
How happy Carl would be, holding his first child in his arms. And she… she could return to her place as a grandmother and love the child as such.
With each passing thought, the sinful nights she had shared with her son grew fainter, worn away until even their shape could no longer be discerned.
At last, having blurred even the memory of that sin, a faint smile rose to Brunhilde’s lips.
“My child… my beloved grandchild.”
Grandmother will carry you safely for eight months, and then return you to your father. You are simply Carlos’s first child, passing through my womb.
At last, the life inside her became something she could cherish without reservation.
She gently cradled her abdomen, smiling softly. Then she sat by the fireplace once more, knitting anew—this time for her first grandchild.
That evening, Carlos came to her room as usual.
And for the first time, he looked slightly surprised to see his mother sitting there, eating raisins with a bright expression.
“You look cheerful today. Did something good happen?”
“Carl, my beloved son.”
She pulled him into an embrace and kissed his hollow cheek.
Then, smiling warmly, she said,
“Congratulations, my dear.”
“…What do you mean?”
“You’re going to have your first child.”
“….”
Carlos narrowed his eyes briefly, then quickly understood. As though nothing had puzzled him at all, he smiled brightly and nodded.
“That’s right, Mother. I’m going to have my first child.”
“My child becoming a father… it feels so strange, and yet so wonderful. I’m truly happy.”
As she spoke, her hand drifted to her abdomen.
Seeing her like that, Carlos’s eyes curved beautifully, like a blooming flower. He pressed a light kiss to her cheek and replied,
“I’ll come to see you every day from now on, Mother.”
“Will you?”
“Yes. My precious first child should hear their father’s voice.”
A satisfied smile bloomed across the princess’s pale face.
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