The Full Story of an Incomplete Divorce - Chapter 50

Guarding Charlotte and Yulia’s side.
Lucius did not dare wish for any happiness beyond that.

***

The year Yulia turned five.

“Mommy, where’s Daddy?”
“He’s probably on his way to see our Yulia right about now? Later, we’re all going to go on a boat ride.”

Looking at her daughter jumping around excitedly, Charlotte smiled faintly. It had already been nearly two weeks since Lucius had left for the capital on business connected to the royal family. They had planned to go on a boat ride for their wedding anniversary, but his return date happened to coincide with their plans. Due to the timing, they decided to meet directly at the boating location instead of him stopping by the estate first.

Charlotte sent Yulia back to her room and went downstairs.

“The table looks a bit bare. Would it be better to make a flower basket now? Since Lucius likes dahlias… Or perhaps changing the decorations would be good too.”
“Madam, please leave such tasks to me and get some rest! You barely slept yesterday.”

In truth, all the preparations for their wedding anniversary had been completed the day before, yet Charlotte continued to busily search for things to do. Driving herself to stay busy was one of her long-standing habits whenever she had something on her mind. Knowing this, her personal maid, Mei, added worriedly.

“Especially now, rest is important.”

Charlotte lowered her gaze and placed a hand on her lower abdomen. Though she appeared as slender as ever, a new life was currently growing within her.

When she first heard the news of her pregnancy from the doctor, Charlotte couldn’t believe her ears. Of course, she knew that the withdrawal method wasn’t a reliable form of contraception… She was worried about how to break the news of the pregnancy to Lucius. And above all, she was concerned about how he would react when he heard.

“I’m certain the Duke will be happy too. So please stop worrying and rest, Madam.”

At Mei’s repeated urging to rest, Charlotte had no choice but to return to her room. As she leaned back on the sofa, drowsiness soon began to wash over her, and her eyelids started to feel heavy. Whether it was because of the baby, late sleep would often overwhelm her at any time.

‘I shouldn’t fall asleep…’

With a final flutter of her long eyelashes, Charlotte’s consciousness sank into a deep slumber.

***

Charlotte was on a boat floating on the river, admiring the beautiful scenery with Lucius and their daughter, Yulia. The spring sunlight was warm, the current was calm, and a gentle breeze tickled her cheeks pleasantly.

Thud. A loud noise rang out just then. The boat, which had been moving forward smoothly, suddenly stopped as if caught on something. Wondering if they had hit a reef, she looked down into the water when a fierce spray erupted and something massive surged from the depths.

“…A dragon?”

A dragon, its sharp front claws gripping the railing tightly, blinked its large eyes and stared intently only at Charlotte. Before she could even feel fear at facing a mythical creature she had only seen in books, the boat began to list heavily to one side from the dragon’s weight.

Charlotte ran towards the dragon, slapping the top of its foot that was gripping the railing, angrily telling it to go away. Then, the dragon’s eyes welled up with transparent tears. Taken aback by this response, so mismatched with its house-sized bulk, Charlotte hesitated. Watching the dragon sniffle sorrowfully, her heart softened unreasonably.

Looking closely, it seemed kind of cute…