A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 195

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Side Story Episode 34
Side Story 6. A Time of Waiting
“Congratulations.”
Snow was falling on the day the Imperial Physician beamed with that radiant smile.
“You are indeed carrying a child.”
Though I had already suspected it, a surge of overwhelming joy flooded through me. In that same instant, Edmund pulled me into a tight embrace, and Piyak soared through the air with jubilant cries.
After we had made our plans to conceive, our child came to us within three months. And everyone began waiting for that child with happiness in their hearts.
“Kiki, in this world….”
Upon hearing the news of my pregnancy, Father’s eyes glistened with tears as he gripped my hand tightly and murmured.
“Enes had no morning sickness, but I wonder how you’ll fare. They say children usually take after their mother….”
According to Father, Mother experienced no morning sickness during her pregnancy and had a remarkably smooth delivery. Come to think of it, that’s probably why she was able to bear three children. I felt a bit concerned watching Seliet struggle with morning sickness beside me, but I decided to trust in heredity.
And in the meantime, Isaac’s Younger Brother was born, and I myself passed through the early stages of pregnancy without morning sickness, feeling quite comfortable.
【Are you really okay, Kiana? You’re truly not bothered at all?】
“Well, I feel a bit queasy sometimes, but it’s nothing serious.”
I sat by the window where the sunlight streamed warmly and answered with a slight smile.
“My condition is much better than when I was drinking endless cups of coffee during my Academy days.”
【….】
In any case, our child grew healthily. At every regular checkup, the Imperial Physician always said the condition was excellent.
I became deeply grateful to Edmund in a different sense. Thanks to him, I was able to live a healthy life, and for that I was truly fortunate. If I had continued living recklessly as I had before and become pregnant, I might have suffered even more.
“You know, Ed.”
So I often told Edmund this.
“The way I dragged myself through life back at the Academy… I think it was probably because I didn’t have anyone precious to me.”
In other words, when I was careless with my own body, there was no one to grieve over it, so I could live recklessly without guilt. Now I wanted to be healthy for my child’s sake, and I didn’t want to worry my family, including Edmund, so I felt I couldn’t afford to be sick.
“The habits from my Academy days lingered like inertia, but now I truly want to take good care of myself for the people I love.”
“Wow, Kiana.”
Edmund spoke with deep emotion.
“You’ve finally matured….”
His face looked more fulfilled than ever before.
“But what is all this? Don’t tell me this is prenatal education, Kiana?”
Edmund tilted his head as he looked at the number puzzles stacked high on my table.
“There’s no need to do prenatal education with something like this….”
“It’s not prenatal education.”
I blinked and replied.
“I’m just playing around because I’m bored. I’m not doing any work or research right now.”
“Ah….”
Edmund swallowed dryly as he looked at the number puzzles.
“…So this is how Kiana relaxes. I didn’t know.”
In truth, I had never played around like this before, so Edmund didn’t seem to know how I took my rest.
“Since I’m having fun right now, our Success will have fun too.”
【Success?】
Piyak blinked and interjected.
【Kiana, did you finally decide on the baby’s prenatal name?】
“Yes.”
Even Edmund’s eyes sparkled with delight.
“You pondered it so much—is Success the prenatal name for our child?”
Ever since learning I was pregnant, I had been deliberating over the prenatal name. The child’s formal name would need to be decided through Imperial Palace proceedings, so I took it upon myself to choose the prenatal name.
I had so many candidates that right up until the very end, two names were competing fiercely.
The first was Helium, the element closest to an ideal gas—symbolizing a life lived ideally. But then I thought a natural life might be better than an ideal one, so I also considered Hexagon, the most common form found in nature. That was my second choice.
So every single day, I wavered between Helium and Hexagon. Both were so good that choosing was genuinely difficult. Of course, Piyak absolutely despised both options and groaned endlessly about them. Perhaps because of that, Piyak seemed quite fond of the prenatal name Success.
【My goodness, neither Helium nor Hexagon! How wonderful! Success—it’s so ordinary and perfect!】
Piyak cried out with emotion.
【Does it mean our child will continue to succeed throughout life?】
“No, actually.”
I answered seriously.
“When I thought about it, both Helium and Hexagon were really just parents’ wishes for ‘live this way in the future.’ But the future is something one must forge for themselves, so I decided not to give a prenatal name based on the future.”
“I see.”
Edmund nodded as if satisfied.
“That sounds wonderful, Kiana. We wanted to be parents who support our child from behind, no matter what kind of life they lead.”
“That’s exactly what I mean. So I decided to give a prenatal name that simply accepts our child as they are.”
【…Then what does Success mean?】
“As they are. Our baby has already succeeded.”
【What? Succeeded at what?】
“At conception.”
【…Conception?】
“When the egg and sperm meet.”
At my explanation, both Edmund and Piyak’s mouths fell slightly open. I began explaining carefully.
“So out of Ed’s hundreds of millions of sperm, only one single sperm succeeded in meeting my egg…mmmph!”
Edmund hastily covered my mouth.
“Um, Kiana.”
His ears flushed bright red as he struggled with what to say.
“There’s really no need… um, no need to explain that….”
I easily pushed Edmund’s hand away and continued my explanation.
“No, but this isn’t an ordinary thing. The sperm that makes up our baby passed through odds of hundreds of millions to one. Roughly four thousand to three hundred million sperm at a time…mmmph!”
This time, Piyak’s wing covered my mouth. Piyak cried out desperately.
【Kiana, please… I’m begging you, just say you named her Success because you wanted her to succeed. Okay?】
Piyak’s face was earnest, even trembling with emotion.
【Absolutely, absolutely do not tell anyone the origin of the prenatal name…】
“Goodness.”
I sighed and removed Piyak’s wing from my mouth.
“I don’t understand why everyone makes such a fuss about something they already know. This is a genuine scientific phenomenon. It’s something taught universally. Without this, humanity would be doomed.”
And I furrowed my brow, muttering to myself.
“Surely there isn’t someone foolish enough to think a baby appeared just because Edmund and I held hands while sleeping together?”
【Children would definitely think that!】
Right. That made sense. I immediately understood her point.
“Ah, children.”
Now that I thought about it, I too had believed that before learning life sciences. Since explaining it properly had proven excessively difficult the one time I’d tried, I decided to simply go along with what Piyak said.
“Actually, I even considered naming her three hundred million. Since Ed is healthy, three hundred million would be more than enough…. Mmph!”
Edmund, his face flushed crimson, covered my mouth again and spoke earnestly.
“Let’s just follow what Piyak says.”
Looking at his expression, I could tell how relieved he was that we hadn’t named her three hundred million.
“Please.”
Well, if both of them insisted. Since this child wasn’t mine alone anyway, I never explained Success’s prenatal name to anyone. Besides, no one asked about it, probably because the name wasn’t particularly unusual.
In any case, we waited for our Success with joyful hearts.
Edmund began devouring all sorts of parenting books, while I, following the belief that an expectant mother must be happy and healthy, joyfully solved number puzzles. The Emperor and the Second Imperial Consort were busy preparing the baby’s room and purchasing various items. The Imperial Palace itself was making preparations for the arrival of the baby.
And surprisingly, Piyak also began preparing.
“Piyak?”
【Don’t interrupt me, Kiana. I’m going to raise our Success with true poetic sensibility.】
Piyak began reading all sorts of poetry collections, fairy tales, novels, and folk legends. In other words, she was deliberately selecting only the books I would absolutely never read.
【I… I can do this. I can do this. The future I glimpsed for a moment, I’ll keep it as just a moment.】
As everyone waited for our Success.
“Oh.”
The Imperial Physician, who had come for a regular checkup, delivered news that would turn the Imperial Palace upside down.
“It appears to be a beautiful princess, my lady.”
And surprisingly, upon hearing this news, Alex, who had just arrived in the Capital, wept.
“××…. No, since our niece will hear this, I shouldn’t curse….”
Alex muttered through his tears.
“I won’t be going to the Northern Region for a while….”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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