Side Story 11 Part 1
* * *
Normally, people couldn’t tell they were pregnant so early.
However, Aristine had felt a clear wave of power.
Instinctively and also because of her previous experience, she knew what that meant.
A child conceived with authority.
She was feeling a ripple from that child.
“…Rineh?”
Tarkan immediately noticed something odd about his wife’s expression.
“Khan…”
“What’s wrong? Does something hurt?”
When she saw her husband question her worriedly, Aristine’s lips moved slightly.
A second child had arrived like a surprise gift.
She was happy.
How could she not be?
Aristine already felt an overwhelming love for this tiny ripple within her.
It was so delightful, wonderful and loveable.
“My gosh!”
Aristine smacked Tarkan’s chest a few times.
“Why now of all times?!”
“What, what’s wrong?”
Tarkan didn’t bother stopping her; he just left his chest available. Frankly, it didn’t hurt at all.
And even if it did, he would still let her do it.
“I wanted to go to the sea.”
“Aren’t we going? We’re leaving tomorrow. Or did you want to leave today?”
The sea was their next destination after the winter palace.
Aristine had seen the sea so many times through the Monarch’s Sight.
An endless lake with ceaseless waves crashing onto it. She wanted to walk barefoot on a sandy beach and dip her feet into that pure white foam.
But now…
“We can’t go. We can’t!”
“…?”
The winter palace that Nephther gifted to Aristine was property of the Irugo royal family.
Naturally, it had a portal installed.
However, the sea that Aristine and Tarkan planned to visit was different.
They wanted to enjoy the hot springs at the villa then stay at a hotel resort near the sea. To get there, they needed to travel by carriage, which would undoubtedly put strain on her body.
“Why can’t we go? We can go anywhere you want.”
Tarkan cupped Aristine’s cheeks with his hands.
“…I.”
“Mhm.”
“I’m pregnant.”
“…?!”
Tarkan’s eyes grew wide.
“What, what did you say?”
“I said I’m pregnant. We’re having our second child—kyaa!”
Before she could finish her sentence, she was suddenly lifted into the air.
Tarkan held Aristine in his arms, his cheeks flushed with excitement.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“I already said yes.”
A shower of kisses rained down on her face, shoulders, and any space he could find.
“Ach, Khan— Stop.”
“I love you.”
Aristine blinked at the soft whisper that followed his kisses.
Her violet eyes were filled with her husband’s face.
‘…I’ve never seen this look before.’
Despite seeing all the expression Tarkan could make, she had never seen this one before.
He looked happy, overjoyed, on the verge of tears, thankful, sorry, worried, and filled with endless love—.
‘Come to think of it…’
This was the first time she had told Tarkan about a pregnancy.
When she was pregnant with Actsion, Tarkan was not by her side.
Actsion was also born with authority, so she needed the Chrysea flowers. When Aristine fainted, Launelian took her back to the Silvanus Empire.
So when Tarkan returned to the palace from the demonic beast plains, he must have come back to an empty home.
And when he got to that empty home, he must have heard that his missing wife was pregnant with his child.
“…”
She never thought about that before.
What Tarkan might have felt at the time.
Because before she could even think about it back then, Tarkan spoke first.
He apologized for not being by her side at that moment.
She didn’t really know what to do with this husband of hers.
“What’s wrong? Did I make you dizzy?”
Tarkan quickly tried to set Aristine down.
Aristine wrapped her arms around Tarkan’s neck and shook her head. She looked into Tarkan’s puzzled eyes and whispered.
“I love you too.”
“…This is a bad time to tempt me.”
“I wasn’t tempting you.”
“…”
“I really wasn’t.”
Somehow, Tarkan’s expression looked like he was complaining.
“Ahem!”
Right at that moment, Nephther cleared his throat.
“My dear daughter-in-law, you always manage to surprise me beyond expectations.”
“Father…”
“And your outrageous surprises always bring me the greatest joy.”
Nephther smiled.
“It seems I’ll be returning with you to the palace. I can’t possibly miss watching my second grandchild grow up.”
“…You don’t need to come, really.”
Nephther simply ignored Tarkan and turned to Hamill.
“Hamill, you should come too.”
“…I—. I think my presence will only complicate things.”
“All of that is in the past.”
“…”
“And even if you wanted to complicate things, there’s nothing left to complicate. The amount of support our two Emperors have, is beyond compare.”
Hamill laughed at those words.
“I’ve been living among the people, so I know that the best.”
Despite that, Hamill didn’t say he would go with them.
“Everyone is waiting for you. None of us have forgotten you,” Nephther finished.
Hamill’s eyes, the same hue as Nephther’s trembled for a moment.
Then he turned to look at Aristine. As if asking if it was really okay for him to come.
“My precious friend is always welcome. And I know Actsion would love to see his uncle.”
“…If you say so.”
Hamill broke out in a smile.
Early Access available on Patreon.
- Forget My Husband, I’ll Go Make Money – Side Story 12.2 - October 14, 2024
- Forget My Husband, I’ll Go Make Money – Side Story 12.1 - October 13, 2024
- Forget My Husband, I’ll Go Make Money – Side Story 11.2 - October 8, 2024
Ah, my heart. Dear God… when….? hahahaha