Chapter 139: Good News
Apparently, Rosalinde-san isn’t feeling well.
A pale-faced Rosalinde-san stumbles unsteadily out of a carriage bearing the House Mortimer crest.
Her illness was supposed to be completely cured, but maybe it’s a cold…?
I quickly brought her to the examination room and asked her what was wrong.
“Um… I don’t have an appetite.”
“That’s not good. Since when?”
“Since about last week…? Even when I eat, the taste feels strange, and I end up throwing it up.”
Hmm…?
“Also, I feel feverish… and, well, you know? My period…”
Ahh…
Okay, wait, let’s calm down.
Deep breaths, deep breaths.
…Alright.
Using ‘Clairvoyance’ magic…
Ahh… ah, ahh…
“Rosalinde-san.”
“…?”
“Y-You’re, uh, expecting…”
Well, it’s true that when I was with Rosalinde-san, I didn’t use contraception magic.
Because Count Missgancia was nagging us to have a child…
But now that it’s actually happened, it’s kind of… well, you know.
Unpleasant memories from the past are flooding back, and it’s really… something.
It’s suuuuper annoying and I hate it, but I guess I’ll have to meddle in the child’s education to some extent…
In my previous life, I left it to my ex-wife, and that was no good. It’s like, of course, if an idiot raises a child, they’ll grow up to be an idiot.
So, I have no choice but to do it myself.
Well, I am pretty free, so I guess I can handle it to some degree…
“Rosalinde!”
Ugh.
He’s here, Count Missgancia.
Count Missgancia tightly hugged Rosalinde-san, who was smiling happily despite looking unwell.
“Andrews! When is it? When will the baby be born?!”
“Well, if everything goes smoothly, probably around the middle of next year.”
“I see…! Rosalinde, from today onwards, you are to stay by Andrews’ side. And Laurence and Lulaiya, continue guarding Rosalinde. I shall also send servants and guards from my house…”
“Ah, please wait. We don’t really need servants or guards…”
“That won’t do. Rosalinde’s child is going to be born, you know? Even if you oppose it, I will use my authority to station them here.”
Well… I guess he has a point.
Um… well then.
“If it’s Rosalinde’s Nanny, Linda-san, that’s fine. Linda-san’s daughters, Mina and Nonna. Also, for the guards, could you perhaps transfer Squire Godwin and Diane, Guard Yolanda, and Gatekeeper Mick?”
These people often met me as part of Count Missgancia’s retinue, and they’re the type who don’t complain much even though I’m friendly with a Mazoku named Tristia.
“Hmm… Very well. But that’s not enough. I shall station the hereditary Knight Emilian and Knight Mary.”
“Eh? But Emilian hates Mazoku, doesn’t he?”
“I will instruct him thoroughly. If there are any problems, we shall replace him.”
If he insists that much, I guess it can’t be helped…
“Understood. I’ll take Rosalinde-san in here. I’ll put her in the room next to mine, just in case anything happens.”
“Please do. …Rosalinde’s mother couldn’t endure childbirth and passed away. Such a thing must not happen to Rosalinde. I’m counting on you, Andrews.”
“Of course. I’ll use magic if necessary to ensure she doesn’t die, so please rest assured on that point.”
After watching Count Missgancia leave on horseback, about an hour later, the subordinates of the Count I mentioned earlier arrived at the house, arms in hand.
For the time being, I had the servants clean the rooms, and the soldiers stand guard in front of the house.
Honestly, the house has Barriers, magic traps, and various other things, so unless something extreme happens, there shouldn’t be any problems, but not assigning guards to a pregnant noblewoman would cause issues, you know…?
Since they’re all Knights or guards, I know them by sight.
Rosalinde-san said she had no appetite and felt cold, so I put her in a quiet, heated room together with her Nanny.
Ah, by ‘Nanny’, I mean Rosalinde-san’s Nanny.
Apparently, they’ve been together since she was little, possibly even more than her own parents. She’s the most reliable person of the same sex for Rosalinde-san.
So, for Rosalinde-san’s mental well-being too, having her Nanny look after her is probably best.
And, since Rosalinde-san didn’t seem able to eat anything, I gave her some plain hot water, telling her to at least drink something.
I entrusted an assortment of fruits to the Nanny and told her to feed them to Rosalinde-san if she seemed able to eat.
Meanwhile, I started making various preparations to care for the pregnant Rosalinde-san.
Placing handrails in the house’s hallways, setting up ‘Fall Negation’ Barriers so she wouldn’t trip. She’ll need clothes too.
Seeing the girls who still come over to hang out laughing even with all this going on makes me feel a bit iffy… but I guess it’s better than being gloomy.
Rosalinde-san probably wouldn’t feel good either if everyone around her was just worrying all the time.
And other than that…
“…Hey, Tris?”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Am I… going to be a father…? Seriously…?”
My mentality is the real issue here!