Yes, pregnancy! Rubica had forgotten about it, but since pregnant women could get tired easily, they were given some privileges, and one of them was eating in the bedroom.

Moreover, Rubica previously ate a full breakfast when it had been in the bedroom.

“Elise, come here.”

Elise had been working on something else downstairs and came when Rubica’s breakfast was ready on the table. Her hair was in a pretty knot again, but she was wearing a flea-colored dress that was even worse than her mouse-colored dress.

Why was she insisting on such dresses when she could be much prettier? Were balls the only excuse to make her wear splendid dresses?

‘Oh, but the balls season is months away.’

Rubica had to hold back a sigh. Wasn’t there a good excuse to make the girl wear a pretty dress? Should she suggest a picnic? But Elise would surely come to the picnic in one of her simple dresses with a shy smile even if all the other women were wearing their best dresses.

‘Should I ask her to behave like a princess? I can say I want to pretend to be a maid.’

When Rubica’s thoughts were going in a strange direction, everyone left the room except for Ann and Elise. Two people were too few to serve a duchess when having breakfast, but Rubica didn’t mind and sat down. She rather had some expectations.

‘Will Elise eat with me again?’

Maybe she had told Ann that Rubica had eaten well when she ate with her. Although Ann and Elise already knew Rubica’s pregnancy was fake, there was a need to put up the act for the others for a month or two.

However, her hope wasn’t answered. Instead, Ann whispered to her as she poured her a glass of water.

“Did you have a good time with your husband last night?”

Thankfully, Rubica had nothing in her mouth yet, or she would have spewed out everything.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh, you know what I’m talking about.”

Ann narrowed her eyes and laughed. Rubica only then recalled the door being opened and closed again while Edgar had been passionately kissing her.

Oh, that must have been why the maids had been blushing, smiling, and giggling.

Rubica wished she could hide, but Ann was quite in the opposite mood. She hummed as she poured juice into another glass.

“Maybe there wouldn’t be any need to put up the act with the doctor.”

She was clearly saying Rubica could actually get pregnant without acting. However, that made Rubica only afraid. She had fallen asleep in Edgar’s arms and had woken up on the bed. They hadn’t slept together, right?

Edgar had been acting like the most well-mannered gentleman in the world. However, it wasn’t easy to get rid of the memory of him kissing her without permission and sleeping with her in his arms on that bed.

“Oh, umm…”

Was it okay to ask the question when there was Elise with them? Rubica wondered that for a moment.

‘But she’s 17. She’s old enough to know about these things.’

Really, nothing had happened between her and Edgar. Moreover, if there had been anything, it had been light kisses which Elise could know about. But then again, she found it sad that she had to worry about that.

Who would believe her if she confessed the truth? She and Edgar were married and, unfortunately, to many people they appeared like a couple in love.

Oh, she had gotten rid of one of her worries after Edgar promised her to find Arman for her, but how was she supposed to get divorced now? Was spending all the money of the family and being accused as the evil duchess who destroyed the family the only way?

“He just moved me to the bed. That was all, right?”

“Oh, you shouldn’t say that in front of a little girl.”

Ann slapped Rubica’s back who almost dropped the spoon she was holding. Ann was surprised by what she had done and rubbed her back. However, she kept smiling, and Rubica could clearly see what she was imagining.

Rubica started to feel truly worried. What if Edgar had really done something to her? She couldn’t understand how she had been so relieved in his arms yesterday, and Edgar had moved her to the bedroom while the others were watching? She blushed hard in embarrassment.

“He just put me on the bed and left, right?”

“Hohohohoh.”

Unlike the anxious Rubica, Ann laughed out loud. The two were so close. They were now practically pleading to each other, and she found the situation extremely satisfying.

“He left after watching you sleep for a long time.”

Elise answered instead of Ann.

“Re, really? He didn’t do anything else, right?”

“Yes. I don’t know why he was so embarrassed, but he even looked away when we changed your clothes.”

The duke had even closed his eyes and urged the maids to get it done quickly. After that, he had only love as he looked down on the sleeping Rubica. Elise smiled at recalling that scene. She even wished she could be loved like that.

“Oh, thank the gods.”

Nothing happened. Rubica was relieved but, at the same time, she was a little irritated. She was not thin. Thinking about how Edgar must have felt her weight the moment he stood up while carrying her, she felt so embarrassed.

‘You could have woken me up.’

Then Rubica would have gotten up and walked to the bedroom without any protest. Why had he done that when there was no need for it?

‘And we had so many things to talk about…’

Many things had happened during their time apart. She wanted to tell him about what had happened during the audience with the relatives and about the new dresses she had ordered to Khanna.

Moreover, she wanted to hear what happened to him at the capital. Were the hallways of the king’s castle as brilliant as people said? Were there really so many people at the capital?

She had been told the capital was different from the downtowns of the domains. There were merchants at the ports, but they mostly sold fishing basic supplies. As for expensive goods, the merchants who sold them would go to the mansions themselves.

At the capital, there were some shops that sold goods carefully chosen by great merchants. Perfume shops were the most popular. Of course, counts and higher nobles still summoned masters to their mansions, but some arrogant merchants didn’t go first unless they at least send a messenger to their shops.

Rubica wanted to hear about that from Edgar. Of course, he was a busy man and didn’t have the time to go to such places himself, but at least he could tell her about the king’s castle, the princess and the crown prince.

He had only listened as usual while she told him about Ann’s misunderstanding.

It was a little disappointing. Was he not curious about her as much as she was curious about him?

He was extremely busy. She could see him and talk to him only during dinnertime. He had to be working hard in his office even now. When he went there, it was just impossible to see him. Carl, who guarded the door, acted like Rubica was a living being trying to cross the door to hell.

‘I can’t bother him. He’s so busy.’

He must have woken up early, had a simple breakfast, and working hard while she was sleeping sound till noon. Thinking about that, she lost all her appetite. She tried hard to eat the food in front of her, but it felt like sand.

“I don’t want to eat anymore.”

“But you’ve eaten way too little, you should have some more.”

“I can’t.”

Why was she doing that every morning when she had no problem with eating at dinner? Ann was worried.

Rubica had eaten well the time she let Elise serve her when she had been busy. She thought eating in the bedroom had made her feel comfortable, so she had asked the doctor and got a diagnosis so that she could have breakfast in the bedroom.

“Please, at least have some juice.”

“Can’t I just say I’m having morning sickness?”

Rubica didn’t know how worried Ann was and asked. Elise glanced at her, and she knew how to make her eat.

‘Oh, please. Why are you doing this to me?’

Rubica kept trying to give her good dresses and share good food with her, but Elise wanted to live with her own means. However, just like how she had been tricked by Rubica to eat with her, she had a soft spot for her.

It was hard to ignore when the person who was willing to share everything with her was staring at her fork so sadly.

In the end, she made up her mind. She brought extra plates, spoon and fork from the cart.

“Elise?”

Ann was confused, but Elise didn’t mind. She sat next to Rubica. She split a piece of bread in two, put half on her plate and the other on Rubica’s plate.

“I’ll eat with you, but you must eat too.”

Ann was about to scold her for being rude, but then she shut her mouth at seeing Rubica starting to eat the bread.