Chapter 48

The Fifth Plan: To Protect the Child (5)

Carl waved at me before he started playing with his dog and friends once again. As I leaned against the cushion while stroking my stomach with my hands, other than breathing in the air outside, I gradually saw Viscount Desmond and Margaret walking slowly towards me from a distance. Her children had found their mother and began waving at her while the youngest of the children immediately waddled up to Margaret instead. Margaret then came up to me with her arms still coiled around the child. Margaret, who had approached me under the  bright sunshine, bent her knees slightly while shaking her hands as if to say no. She then grinned and placed the child down before moving up closer to me as she had already held me back from standing up.

“Amanda! I heard that you were somewhat ill. So, let me lower myself instead.”

“Thank you, Margaret. It’s not that easy to move since my body is getting heavy now.”

Afterwards—I didn’t mean to sigh at all, but perhaps due to my heavy body—I became out of breath just like that. I was now lacking in strength because my energy had not been as good as my stomach was all swollen. Margaret tactfully came close to me and bent her knees. It was actually fortunate that neither herself nor I had been wearing a large inflated skirt. Margaret’s child eventually came out of her arms and began to mingle back with the other children.

“I’m glad that I can see you like this. I really wanted to see Amanda before I left.”

“You’re leaving already?”

I opened my eyes wide at the first news that I had just heard. Indeed, Carl was no longer breastfeeding, so she did not need to feed him anymore. However, her youngest child was still Carl’s age as well as the other children who grew up in the nursery with him, so she thought that she would have to stay at least until he was five years old—when he could be properly aware of his own ‘friends’. The North was a region where a competent knight could ultimately win a title due to the annual border war, but it had been natural for Carl’s pair of nannies to stay in the castle for as long as possible—as much it was determined by the blood and connections within the aristocratic community.

“It has already been a while since I’ve been away and Young Master has grown up a lot as well.”

Margaret said so with a grin, but both herself and I knew that it was just an ostensible reason after all. Carl had two babysitters, but it was still a great pity since she considered Margaret to be much more special because it had been Margaret herself who put up a fight with Agatha—a candidate for the Duchess—by the hair before. On top of that, she was the one who had given me advice when I tried to drive Mrs. Blone away afterwards too.

And above all else, it made me sad that she actually gave me a rather formal reason—not an actual one.

“I see. Carl must have felt very upset.”

“My children are very sad too.”

As long as the children had already been informed that they were leaving the Duchy soon, it was unlikely that Margaret would rescind her opinion.

“What if I happen to miss Margaret so much?”

Margaret smiled broadly at my sincere joke as she pretended to be depressed in response.

“Then, it would have been a real honor. Since I, too, would definitely miss Amanda very much in return.”

There was no sign of deception in her expression at all. In fact, there was no other reason to make a guess, but from Margaret’s way of smiling and replying, it appeared that any problem between myself and her own was not the actual cause. The reason why she was truly leaving—Margaret then gave me a hint since I didn’t really have a clue.

“Nevertheless, now that a new person will soon arrive, one will then have to vacate their seat.”

The Duchy had already been wide enough and there was plenty of room for Margaret as well as her children to stay—no matter how many baby hairs were attached to the soon newborn child. Therefore, the reason why Margaret was leaving must have been because of the new baby. Still, the reason in reference to the new person was already clear.

“—I see.”

The Desmans planned on leaving in order to distance themselves from me while expressing their stand that they were solely for Carl—only.

I suddenly felt a bitter feeling in my stomach. For others, my pregnancy might have meant even more than a purely new, conceived life between a fine couple.

The birth of the new DeMancier child, which could ultimately threaten the position of Carlos Merlin von DeMancier—the former Duchess’s breath of life. I understood it in my head, but even Margaret, who had been seeing Carl and I for a long time, had thought so too. To the others, did my love and sincerity for Carl seem to be just like that of an evil stepmother who had no children in her own belly?

Margaret and I eventually turned our heads towards the children in silence. It was so disappointing that I no longer felt like talking to her and she didn’t speak up to me either. On the other hand, after running for a long time, the dog suddenly attacked Carl’s stomach as he had been lying on the floor just like he was rolling around on the floor. Licking people was something dogs were very fond of doing, but the puppy listened very well and instantly sat quietly while sticking out its tongue when Carl shouted; ‘stop!’. Carl stood up and looked back at me once again. I waved my hand slightly at Carl with his rosy cheeks that were all smiling and round. The child soon began to run around with the other children once more.

“My husband’s opinion is extremely strong. Men who had never actually raised a child properly would think very lightly. If he had ever truly raised a child—”

“Mandy—!”

Carl, who had been running to avoid the tagger, suddenly ran towards me instead. Margaret’s words were instantly cut off, but the running child still needed the prior attention.