Celebrity Lady - Chapter 178

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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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Celebrity Lady
Side Story, Episode 20
“Duke Diolus!!!”
Lark rushed toward his father with apparent joy.
“Welcome back! I’ve been waiting so long for you!”
Father stared at me intently, then stepped forward deliberately and opened the box to show me.
“Here. Strawberries.”
* * *
The Former Emperor and Former Empress, Leonard Diolus, Emperor Lark, and Fabian, the half-brother of the former Emperor, had gathered in Rubetria’s sitting room.
“You remember, don’t you? When I went to the Spirit Spring to make a contract.”
Fabian smiled as he recalled the memory. The Former Emperor laughed along with him.
“Right, you were so confident about making a contract with the Wish Spirit.”
It was well-known that Wishit, the Wish Spirit, lied about being a spirit with insignificant power.
Because of this, countless members of the imperial family ended up contracting with lower-tier spirits in their quest to obtain Wishit.
Fabian was one of them.
“He claimed to be the Spirit of Spring Flowers, but even to look at him, it seemed like a lie. Flowers bloom in spring anyway—you could just see them naturally. Why preserve their scent and force yourself to see them year-round like that?”
The Spirit of Spring Flowers, who had preserved the fragrance of spring. The flowers, saplings, and fruits that emerge in spring were frozen in time by the spirit’s power.
It was a trivial ability that would be eliminated first in a succession struggle drenched in blood—and yet.
“Ha. I suppose it was meant to be useful in times like this.”
Fabian gazed fondly at Rubetria, who was absentmindedly shoving strawberries into her mouth, like a man watching his daughter.
The strawberries, which had crossed the sea again after a month’s journey, were as fresh as if they’d been picked moments ago. There were so many—enough to last through the entire winter—that half were sent straight to the kitchen to be prepared in various ways.
“Are they really that delicious?”
Lark laughed in surprise as Rubetria devoured the strawberries like they were disappearing before his eyes.
“Mm-hm. So, so…”
Rubetria continued to eat, her cheeks puffed out full as she stuffed another strawberry in her mouth.
Do children inherit such things? Leonard gazed at his daughter—who looked exactly like his late wife during her pregnancy, when she would search for strawberries day and night.
Soon Rubetria, who had been focused solely on the strawberries, paused and lifted her head. Father and daughter’s eyes met.
“…Dad.”
“Yes.”
Rubetria smiled through tears, then put another strawberry in her mouth.
“They’re so, so delicious… Thank you…”
Everyone laughed at the sight. Leonard also chuckled and nodded.
“Of course.”
* * *
Time flowed slowly, and sometimes rapidly.
Morning sickness was severe through the winter, but the strawberries made it bearable, and thankfully it subsided as the weather grew warmer.
A skilled physician drew up both a diet plan and an exercise regimen, and she lived carefully by it. The baby in her belly grew healthy and robust.
In spring, she went to the Central Territory to view flowers with her father, both brothers, and her husband—and that was when she felt the first fetal movement.
The mystery of the human body…
“Wow! Did you feel that? Did you?”
Her husband pressed his ear against her belly and was deeply moved. After that day, he would ask to hear the baby’s movements whenever he had a chance.
“Strong and Healthy… don’t make mom struggle, just stay calm and come out healthy…”
“Heh.”
The in-utero name was Strong and Healthy. Victor teased that Strong and Healthy was asking for too much—why not pick one or the other?—but.
‘Hehe. Actually, between Strong and Healthy, there’s a comma!’
She was keeping this fact a secret, hoping everyone would be surprised when they found out.
In any case, time continued on.
By summer, when the weather turned hot, her belly had grown substantially and her body became heavy, which made things a bit difficult.
“Honey, do you hate my belly now that it’s so big?”
“What are you talking about?”
Thanks to her husband, who attended to her every need without fail, she scarcely noticed the hardship and managed to endure.
“You’re the most beautiful thing in the world.”
* * *
October 24th.
It was the final month of pregnancy, and the physician said the baby could come at any time without being unusual.
So she’d been confined to bed, on standby twenty-four hours a day. Had it been three weeks already? Or was it a month?
“When will the baby come?”
“Don’t ask me. I don’t know.”
I lay in bed as always today, having idle conversation with Wishit.
“What if the baby never comes…?”
“It’ll come when it’s time.”
Honestly, I didn’t believe it. My belly had swollen so much it looked like the baby would come right away, but.
“Is it really normal to feel nothing like this? I don’t feel at all like the baby is coming soon. Shouldn’t there be some kind of sign?”
“How would I know? I’ve never been pregnant either.”
“Ha ha ha ha!”
It was funny for no good reason. Perhaps because I’d done prenatal education well, despite my heavy body, my heart felt lighter than ever, and my mood was soft and pliable.
It would be nice if the baby came suddenly like this.
“Ah, my legs are so numb…”
Wishit sighed deeply and came over to massage my legs.
“I want to walk.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just lie down?”
“I’ve just been lying down for a month already…”
“Then take a light stroll and come back.”
“Maybe I will.”
Father and my brothers were due to arrive soon anyway.
* * *
At that moment, Lark was staying by his heavily pregnant wife’s side and catching up on urgent business in the gaps between. He couldn’t postpone his diplomatic schedule any longer.
Buried in mountains of documents, moving his pen without rest, Randian suddenly poked him in the shoulder.
“Hey.”
“What.”
“Why don’t you quit work for today and head back? You kept putting it off—why are you suddenly working so hard today?”
“What are you talking about? Because I put it off all this time, I’m working on it now while I have the chance.”
“Hmmm…”
“What’s wrong with you.”
Lark didn’t even look up from the documents as he spoke. Hmmm. Randian let out that same strange sound again.
What’s wrong with this spirit? Lark, who had been moving his pen thoughtlessly, suddenly froze.
“…Why are you suddenly working so hard today?”
“Why” today, of all days?
Lark’s head snapped up, and he turned to Randian with startled eyes.
Randian, who frequented the Spirit Spring, would know something. Even if he couldn’t say it outright, he was trying to tell him something.
Rubetria. Full term. Labor.
“Damn it!!!”
Lark shot to his feet in alarm and scrambled out of his office in a panic.
* * *
Rubetria, who had been bedridden for nearly a month not knowing when the baby would come, felt solid ground beneath her feet for the first time in ages.
At her side were, as always, her father and eldest brother, and her second brother, who had rushed over insisting on escorting the pregnant woman.
“It’s amazing every time I see it. Your belly really is huge. You look like a fat duck.”
Victor, holding her right arm firmly as he walked beside her, spoke. Biego, standing beside Victor, frowned.
“The way you say things…”
“Heh.”
Rubetria giggled.
“Brother, do you know why my belly is so big?”
“…? Because you’re pregnant.”
“Hehe hehe.”
What? Victor tilted his head in confusion, but Rubetria just smiled.
“Don’t you think it’s time to go back inside?”
Leonard sighed, watching his daughter waddle along precariously.
“The baby looks like it could come any moment. Why did you have to come out for a walk?”
“Dad, I’ve only been out for five minutes. And the baby hasn’t come yet, has it? I spent a month in bed just trusting what you said. At this rate, I’ll turn into a mummy. I want to walk for at least ten minutes today.”
“Sigh.”
Leonard firmly grasped his stubborn daughter’s left arm and began walking slowly.
Then, in the distance, a familiar silver-haired head came into view. It was Lark. Upon seeing her husband, Rubetria waved happily.
“Honey…!”
Lark, who had been hurrying, began running at full speed from where he stood.
And then, that moment.
“Oh.”
Rubetria’s expression became strangely uncertain, and she slowly lowered her waving hand. She stopped abruptly and stood rigid, and the three men gazed at her in confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
Leonard asked, looking at his daughter, whose body had gone stiff as she turned to face him.
“Um, Dad…”
“What?”
“I feel… weird.”
“What? Where does it hurt?”
“It’s just a strange feeling…”
“What do you mean? Are you in pain? Is the baby coming?”
“No, it doesn’t hurt…”
“Ruby, what’s wrong?”
Biego stepped in front of Rubetria to assess her condition. She swallowed, then slowly lifted her skirt to her knees.
Splash.
“…?”
Water dripped down between her legs. This liquid flowing down her calf was…
“Whoa.”
Amniotic fluid…?
“AAAAHHHHH!!!”
Victor screamed. Biego, startled, kicked him in the shin.
“Quiet! You’ll scare the baby!”
“Wahhh! What the—! What do we do! What do we do! Is the baby coming? Huh? Is the baby coming?!”
“Both of you, shut up! Listen—pick her up! Hurry, pick her up and move her!”
Leonard, pale as a sheet, spoke to Victor. Victor, not knowing what else to do, quickly caught Rubetria by supporting her back and knees.
And he ran.
“M-Make way! Make way! My niece is coming!!!”

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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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