The Forgotten Field - Chapter 135

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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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Chapter 135
He carefully swept aside her disheveled hair, tracing with his fingertips the smooth curve that descended from beneath her ear to her shoulder.
Beneath her delicate skin, faintly dampened with perspiration, he could feel the intricate framework of her bones.
A strange unease stirred within him at the thought that the slightest pressure might crush such a fragile form.
Her body was so slender it seemed scarcely adequate to contain one person’s blood, flesh, and bone. The fact that new life might be dwelling within her felt almost impossible to believe.
Barcas, who had been gazing down at her with worried eyes, carefully raised himself to sit upright. Then he drew the sleeping woman onto his lap and positioned her head against his chest.
“Talia, eat dinner first, then sleep.”
“It’s bothersome. I just want to sleep.”
She whimpered like a petulant child and pushed against him. Barcas paid no mind, keeping one arm wrapped around her back as he reached for the soup bowl on the tray.
“You must eat something, even if only a little. It will help restore your strength.”
He held the bowl steady with the hand that supported her, while his other hand lifted a spoon.
Thin wisps of steam rose from the light broth—clear chicken stock infused with softened barley and various herbs. Once cooled to an appropriate temperature, he brought it to her lips, and the woman, whose nose had wrinkled in resistance, reluctantly opened her mouth.
He carefully guided the food past her lips, watching her expression intently. Fortunately, her rosebud mouth worked as she swallowed the broth, suggesting it pleased her palate.
He released a small sigh of relief and lifted another spoonful of the clear broth.
“One more spoonful.”
The woman, who had been nodding drowsily against his chest, opened her mouth again—precisely like a young bird opening its beak to receive food from its mother.
He felt something heavy rise from the depths of his heart as he moved the spoon at measured intervals.
Unlike her usual behavior, when she would have complained about not wanting to eat, she finished the entire bowl of porridge without leaving a trace.
Barcas gazed at the empty bowl with satisfied eyes, then gently rubbed her lips with his thumb as he asked.
“Shall I bring more?”
“No. I’m full.”
She scrunched her face and curled her body into a ball.
He set the bowl aside and began gently stroking her solar plexus.
Was this what fullness felt like? Though his own stomach was not full, a peculiar sense of satisfaction welled up within him.
Intoxicated by that strange sensation, he exhaled slowly.
For over a decade, he had not experienced hunger. Consequently, he had never indulged in gluttony, and the memory of eating until satisfied had grown distant. He had always consumed only the necessary amount of food as circumstances dictated.
Yet if desire for food still remained within him, he thought this current sense of fulfillment would resemble the feeling of eating one’s fill of something beloved.
He rested his cheek against her fragrant hair, which carried the scent of rose oil, and ceaselessly stroked the spine that rose and fell at steady intervals.
Her soft, even breathing melted gently into the quiet evening air. Listening to that sound, he gazed for a long while at her innocent, childlike face.
Perhaps this overwhelming sensation was merely a natural response any man would feel.
Was not the instinct to feed one’s mate well and care for her comfort an impulse inscribed in the blood of all males?
With that thought, his unusual reaction seemed entirely natural.
Having swiftly organized his thoughts, Barcas wrapped both arms around her without gaps and gently closed his eyes.
* * *
“Congratulations, Your Highness. You are indeed with child.”
The Priestess, having completed her examination, spoke with a bright smile playing at her lips.
Talia merely blinked blankly. Only when she heard the Nursemaid’s voice, brimming with excitement, did she snap to attention.
“Oh, my dear young lady! How wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!”
She pulled me into a tight embrace and struck my back vigorously with her thick palms. Beyond the Nursemaid’s round shoulders, I could see the Head Handmaiden’s face, hardened into a menacing expression.
Was she displeased with news of my pregnancy? As I felt my eyes sharpen, the Head Handmaiden gripped the Nursemaid’s shoulder roughly and spoke in a clipped tone.
“How dare you treat a pregnant woman so roughly? What if the shock harms the child?”
The Nursemaid’s face flushed crimson under the sharp rebuke.
She thrust out her lips in protest.
“Who said I treated her roughly? I’ve been caring for our young lady since she was a newborn! I know her body better than anyone!”
“Yet you failed to notice she was with child until now, and still you prattle on.”
The Head Handmaiden’s words silenced the Nursemaid like a fish out of water. Indeed, she had sung songs of pregnancy and motherhood, yet remained blind to the very changes occurring within her own charge’s body.
Talia herself had been no different. Her monthly courses had ceased long ago, yet she had never connected that fact to pregnancy. Perhaps some part of her had simply refused to believe she would truly carry a child.
She gazed down at her abdomen with a bewildered expression. Even now, it felt utterly unreal. Could there truly be a child growing within me?
As I awkwardly caressed my flat belly with uncertain fingers, a firm voice resonated from the bedside.
“Until now, we have deferred to His Highness’s wishes, but henceforth you must receive the proper attendance of the Grand Duke’s House handmaidens.”
Talia fixed her with a wary gaze, her hand instinctively tightening around her abdomen.
“Why should I? I’m managing perfectly well as I am.”
“Your Highness is no longer alone. We cannot entrust the welfare of an unborn child—who may become the Grand Duke’s House next heir—to an incompetent attendant.”
She spoke with unwavering resolve.
Talia’s anxious face crumpled as she seized the Nursemaid’s sleeve.
“If I say no, what can you do about it? How dare a mere handmaiden presume to order me about!”
“Your Highness, please consider the child in your womb.”
The Priestess, who had been silent until now, suddenly interjected. Talia turned to face her with a hardened expression.
The Priestess, who had been writing something on parchment, continued calmly.
“At present, the pregnancy itself may prove burdensome to your body. To ensure a safe delivery, you must receive specialized care.”
Talia’s face went pale with sudden dread.
“Is my condition truly so dire?”
“Currently, maintaining the pregnancy is already a considerable strain.”
My heart sank at those carefully chosen words.
The Priestess lowered her eyes apologetically before continuing with measured caution.
“Fortunately, the child is in excellent health, but your condition is far from ideal. As the child grows larger, the burden on your body will become increasingly unmanageable, and that strain will inevitably affect the child as well. To safely carry to term, you must begin rigorous management immediately.”
“…What must I do?”
“Consume nutritious food in adequate amounts and maintain both physical and mental calm. Particularly in these early months, you must be cautious about your movements and exertion.”
Talia, her face drained of color, bit her lip anxiously as she asked in a frightened voice.
“…If I follow your instructions, will I truly be all right?”
Satisfied by the patient’s newfound compliance, a gentle smile graced the Priestess’s lips.
“Indeed. If you take care from this moment forward, you will safely deliver your child.”
Talia, who had been regarding her with suspicious eyes, soon nodded in agreement.
The Priestess gathered her medical instruments into her bag and rose from her seat, then handed a parchment document to the Head Handmaiden, explaining in detail the precautions necessary during early pregnancy.
I noticed the Nursemaid’s lips protruding in displeasure at being displaced from her position as my primary attendant, but I pretended not to see. After all, the Nursemaid’s carelessness and negligence were undeniable facts.
If I were alone, it would matter little, but with a child growing within me, it seemed far wiser to have capable attendants at my side.
‘A child within me…’
I lowered my gaze once more to my abdomen.
Barcas’s child dwells within me.
As I turned that impossible fact over in my mind, I urgently grasped the Head Handmaiden’s arm.
“Don’t tell Barcas.”
The Head Handmaiden’s expression flickered with surprise before settling into stern resolve.
“That’s impossible. Surely His Grace must be informed of this matter….”
“I’ll tell him myself.”
Talia quickly cut off her protest.
“So keep it secret until then.”
She lifted the corners of her eyes in a commanding expression, issuing her warning with such gravity that the Handmaidens filling the chamber exchanged awkward glances.
One of them carefully opened her mouth.
“Your Highness, His Grace….”
“Understood. We shall remain silent until you speak with His Grace yourself.”

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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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