Chapter 120

   “…….”

   “…….”

Everyone in the dining hall gaped in astonishment at the young doctor’s words.

And soon, cheers erupted.

“Oh, my! My dear, congratulations.”

“Really?! There’s really a niece or nephew here?”

Kate, who had been stroking my back, continuously caressed my hand, her eyes glistening with tears.

Adel, delighted at the mention of a niece or nephew, hugged my knee and looked up at me with shining eyes.

I, momentarily stunned by the unexpected news, nodded slightly at the child’s gaze.

“…It seems so. Adel’s niece or nephew.”

“Wow!”

Adel was so excited he stamped his feet.

“I-I’m going to be a super cool uncle! I’ll even give them all my favorite toys!”

Touched by Adel’s thoughtful words, I stroked the child’s head.

However, Nine and Roana, whom I had expected to be the loudest in their joy, were looking at me with serious expressions.

“Nine? Lady Roana?”

Unsure why their faces were so grim, I looked at them questioningly. Roana rubbed her face roughly with her hands.

“You! So you went to the Imperial Palace and the Countdom while pregnant?! Are you out of your mind?!”

“Ah.”

Now that she mentioned it, I had suffered from nausea and received a check-up at the Imperial Palace, too. Though it was dismissed without a special diagnosis.

‘Perhaps my pulse wasn’t strong enough to be detected then?’

Thinking that, I realized just how many dangerous situations I had been through.

A forced march to the capital, meeting a human-shaped monster, taking long-distance portals, infiltration, being captured by Begner…

Nine’s complexion grew paler and paler, as if he wasn’t the only one recalling these events.

“Haha. But I’m safe, so…”

As soon as I spoke to comfort him, a tear finally fell from Nine’s eye.

Since I had seen Nine cry a few times before, I was only slightly flustered, but the rest of the family was not.

Everyone stared at him in surprise, frozen stiff, as if this was the first time they had ever seen Nine cry.

In place of the stunned family, I stood up and walked over to Nine.

“Nine, why are you crying? On such a happy day.”

“…”

I gently reached out and wiped his tears, and Nine immediately pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Chacha…”

“Yes.”

“If, if only I had known earlier… To push you into danger without even knowing your physical condition. It’s all my fault.”

Nine seemed delighted that we were having a child, but equally distressed that he had allowed me to rush into danger.

In fact, it was not Nine’s fault at all. It was my will to choose to run into danger.

However, the fact seemed to have been completely erased from the shocked Nine’s mind.

I hugged him tightly and gently patted his broad back.

“I didn’t even know, so how can it be your fault? Besides, I was the one who insisted on going.”

“…”

“Are you going to keep crying and blaming yourself on a happy day? Hmm?”

Nine, who had buried his face in my shoulder for a long time, raised his head.

His reddened eyes looked at me intensely, and he whispered, “Thank you. I love you.”

“Me too.”

Feeling that he had finally calmed down, I released him from my arms and was about to turn away when he suddenly knelt on one knee in front of me.

“Nine?”

Then, he fumbled in his pocket, took out a box, and offered it to me.

It was the flat box that Iris had been clutching even while lying in the field hospital.

“I wanted to prepare the very best when I proposed to you again.”

Click.

As he said that and opened the box, a necklace intricately set with pink diamonds lay beautifully inside.

My eyes widened in astonishment.

‘The Eternal Promise?’

It wasn’t an ordinary necklace. It was the Laurel Countdom’s family heirloom known as ‘The Eternal Promise,’ said to have been a gift from the first Archmage to his lover, the first Laurel Count.

While it was a beautiful piece of jewelry, its hidden function was extraordinary, given that the giver was an Archmage.

It nullified various debuffs like poison and curses, and it contained embedded 5th Circle defense magic and 3rd Circle attack magic.

Furthermore, since it was rechargeable and did not use the wearer’s mana, it was a magically perfect artifact in terms of efficiency.

‘…He received The Eternal Promise from Iris as compensation.’

Only then did I realize that Nine must have discussed this proposal with Iris.

And I finally understood why Iris had held onto this box so dearly.

As a family heirloom, it was already precious, but she had striven to deliver it fully to me.

My eyes blurred with overwhelming emotion. Nine proposed to me in a sweet voice.

“Will you marry me?”

“…Yes!”

I couldn’t hold back and threw myself into his arms.

***

It was a month after the rebellion of the Urkel Cult was resolved that the Empire began to enter a period of stability.

That one month was filled only with good news.

First, the Imperial Family elevated the Eclipse Dukedom to the Empire’s first ‘Grand Dukedom’ in recognition of their service in stopping the rebellion and saving the Emperor.

Although the coronation was simplified due to the Empire’s situation, Nine and I were now officially the Empire’s first Grand Duke and Grand Duchess.

The second piece of news concerned the Spinel Tribe, which Wilhelm and I were most worried about.

The Emperor chose not to implicate all Spinelle Tribe members in the rebellion, instead allowing them to settle near the Kardan Forest.

They were given the role of protecting the Empire from monsters, leveraging their unique abilities.

Accordingly, the area was established to function as an autonomous city…

“Oh? Baron Wilhelm Khan, why are you so late?”

When I teased Wilhelm, who was walking in late in awkward attire, he unfastened his cravat in exasperation and said, “I can’t seem to get used to this.”

“Ahaha.”

With the creation of the autonomous city for the Spinelle Tribe, the Eclipse Grand Dukedom bestowed the title of Baron upon Wilhelm.

Wilhelm was to govern ‘Spinelia,’ the new city that became the new home for the Spinelle Tribe.

I listened to the Spinelle Tribe members express their gratitude for being given a place to settle, then handed a packaged item to Wilhelm.

It would be regrettable if my teacher was absent on such an important day.

Wilhelm unfolded the stiff, ornate card and asked, “What is this?”

“An invitation to the wedding!”

***

A dress of white and light blue that fit me perfectly.

A tiara and earrings set with pink diamonds to match my eye color.

A faint smile graced my lips as I admired my fully dressed appearance.

“Lady Chacha, it’s time to go out!”

“Yes, I’m coming!”

When I stepped out of the bride’s waiting room, which was set up in a corner of the newly built large greenhouse, Annie and my father, whose eyes were swollen, were standing there.

“Ahaha. Stop crying, Dad.”

“But, my child…”

I suppressed the moving emotions so as not to catch my father’s tears and smiled. I didn’t want to shed tears on such a happy day.

I took my father’s hand and slowly walked into the ceremony hall.

Looking around at the guests, I saw Helena, who had graciously attended despite being busy as a Duchess.

Iris also came, even though she was preoccupied with stabilizing the Laurel Countdom and heir lessons.

Everyone else I loved and who loved me was also present on this happy day.

Nine, who stood ahead, received my hand from my father. Honey dripped from his eyes as he looked at me.

My eyes must have been the same, as we chuckled softly at each other.

Though we rushed the preparations to hold the ceremony before my pregnancy showed too much, this was an incredibly happy wedding.

All the events of the past were now fading into beautiful memories.

“Grand Duke Nine Eclipse, will you love Grand Duchess Chacha Eclipse for the rest of your life?”

“Yes. I will love her for the rest of my life.”

“Grand Duchess Chacha Eclipse, will you love Grand Duke Nine Eclipse for the rest of your life?”

“Yes.”

After swearing our love for each other, the bouquet toss followed.

Since I hadn’t pre-selected anyone, I entrusted it to fate and tossed the bouquet hard over my shoulder.

Turning around, I saw the flying bouquet land in Helena’s arms. However, she looked at it indifferently and naturally handed it to Iris, who was beside her.

“Oh, huh?”

Iris’s face flushed bright red upon receiving the bouquet. Her gaze subtly drifted toward Norman.

“…”

“…”

Iris glanced up, and her eyes met Norman’s exactly. Norman’s face flushed deeply, which was unusual for him.

‘Wow, since when?’

As I stared blankly at the scene, which looked like a painting of happiness, Nine gently held my hand.

He, too, seemed as excited and happy as those two, his face flushed as he whispered in my ear.

“Chacha, I love you.”

I answered him with the happiest face in the world.

In this moment, no one could be happier than me.

“Me too.”

<End of Main Story>