Meeting with Mara had been surprisingly delightful, yet Eugene couldn’t shake the creeping sense of nervousness that had settled in without her even realizing it. The following day, she found herself confined to her bed, battling a relentless high fever.


    Throughout that day, courtiers loitered within the queen’s chambers, their respite continually interrupted by the king’s persistent messenger. It seemed that just as they were poised to conclude their responses, the messenger would materialize behind them, gently tapping their shoulders and inquiring, “How is the queen?” This cycle repeated so often that the courtiers began to feel as if they were ensnared in an unending ordeal.


    However, the ceaseless visits from the messenger were not the sole intrusion. The king’s own appearances became increasingly frequent as well. Some of the courtiers whispered amongst themselves, remarking that they had encountered the king more times in a single day than throughout their entire lifetimes.


    The atmosphere within the pce remained tense as Eugene’s fever persisted, stretching into a full day. And even after that, she remained bedridden for an additional two days. Marianne gazed at her with eyes that seemed on the verge of tears, pleading for more rest, though negotiation was out of the question.


    Though she concealed it well, Eugene couldn’t help but think that the reactions surrounding her were excessive. <em>I’ve heard that experiencing a fever during pregnancy is normal. It’s not as if I’m boiling hot</em>, she mused inwardly.


    Eugene felt a twinge of embarrassment witnessing the way people treated her like fragile ss. It was a peculiar sensation, grappling with the unfamiliarity of how to navigate her own body. Yet, despite the awkwardness, she couldn’t deny that she didn’t entirely dislike it.


    After three long days, Eugene finally regained her freedom and rushed to the ce that had been her constant yearning. As she gazed down upon the bustling city and the majestic pce from her elevated perch, she couldn’t help but be entranced. It was here that she had met Elber, even if it had been in a dream, a vivid fantasy that blurred the lines between reality and imagination.


    Elber had once told her that those who request a visit subconsciously choose the ce where they feel mostfortable and secure. Eugene’s affection for this spot extended beyond its picturesque beauty. It carried with it a childlike sense of ownership, a ce where she could revel in her solitude. But as she recalled Elber’s words while surveying the expansivendscape, each scene took on a profound significance. A surge of emotions overwhelmed her, and tears welled up in her eyes.


    <em>Now, I’ll spend my whole life gazing upon this view, and one day, I’ll rest in this verynd</em>,” Eugene thought, the notion of having a lifelong home feeling strangelyforting. The once unfamiliar and intimidating desert kingdom had unexpectedly be her sanctuary.“Eugene,” came a voice from behind, and she turned to find Kasser approaching.


    <em>Oh… I see</em>, she suddenly realized. The reason thisnd had be so special was because a special person lived here. She couldn’t help but love the kingdom that the man she cherished also held in his heart. Eagerly, she looked ahead to an uncertain future where they would build a life, raise children, and grow old together in this belovednd. A profound happiness filled her, and she beamed at him with a broad smile.


    Kasser’s steps briefly faltered before regaining momentum. He came to a halt just a step away from Eugene, extending his hand toward her, only to hesitate, leaving it suspended in mid-air as he let out a sigh. His uncertain posture was so peculiar that it drewughter from Eugene.


    “What are you up to now?” she asked, chuckling.


    “Adjusting my pace,” Kasser replied with a self-deprecating tone. The unexpected surprise had unceremoniously shaken him, and the impulse he had been barely containing burst forth when he saw her enchanting smile.


    He yearned to hold her tightly, her soft skin pressed against his, and shower her with kisses. No, it wasn’t enough. He longed to hold her and leap off this cliff into any avable room.


    Thankfully, he resisted the wicked temptation. However, he couldn’t help but feel self-conscious. Recently, he had be acutely aware of how limited his patience had be. Suppressing primal desires like lust was a natural part of ensuring the healthy development of their precious child within her.


    Yet, when that instinct seemed to overwhelm his mind entirely, he felt as though he was losing his sanity. It was a predicament he couldn’t confide in anyone about, so he grappled with it in solitude.


    “I shouldn’t startle you,” he muttered.


    Eugeneughed. “No, I’m not made of ss. I’ll be just fine. Is that what the courtiers are saying?”


    “Well, they do express a great deal of concern for you,” Kasser replied subtly, skillfully sidestepping the topic at hand. In truth, the courtiers had been saying that sudden fluctuations in body temperature were amon symptom among pregnant women, but he had no inkling of how much Marianne had fretted over it.


    Marianne attributed Eugene’s sudden fever spike to their outing the previous day, perceiving it simply as a romantic date between the couple. Despite her lingering exhaustion from the journey, she couldn’t help but feel displeased with the king for instigating a nocturnal excursion.


    As someone in a lower position, she couldn’t openly reprimand the king, so she chose to subtly express her disapproval. However, Kasser, who had been raised under Marianne’s care, was well-acquainted with her penchant for offering polite criticisms.


    Eugene shook her head and remarked, “They’re all treating me as if I’m gravely ill. Pregnancy is not an illness.”


    “If you’re upset, I can take action…” Kasser began.


    Eugene was taken aback by his sudden seriousness and waved her hand dismissively. “No, no. There’s no need to do anything.”


    She pulled him into an affectionate embrace and shifted the conversation. “Why did youe all the way here?”


    “I heard you were here.”


    “You missed having tea here too, didn’t you? If you’re not busy, let’s enjoy a cup together.”


    “Oh… that,” Kasser cleared his throat unnecessarily and hesitated before responding. “I’ll have tea elsewhere… and for a while, I’d prefer if you didn’te here.”


    “What’s going on? Can’t we have tea here anymore?” Eugene asked, surprised.


    “It doesn’t mean we can’t have tea here in the future.” Kasser nced at Eugene’s still inconspicuous lower belly and added, “It’ll be a few more months until the child is fully settled and things stabilize, maybe three or four months?”


    Eugene gazed at him, puzzled, momentarily at a loss for words. As Kasser continued to regard her, he averted his gaze and remarked, “It’s not advisable for a pregnant woman to be in a ce where her feet don’t touch the ground.”


    Eugene arched an eyebrow. “Did a doctor say that?”


    “Not a doctor… I heard it somewhere before,” Kasser replied.


    Eugene pondered for a moment and then responded with a look of surprise, “So, it’s baseless superstition.”


    Kasser fell into silence, and Eugene couldn’t help but smile at his evasiveness. It was hard to believe that he had hurried to her side upon hearing that she couldn’t visit a ce due to some strange superstition he had heard somewhere. He was the kind of man who would dismiss such talk as nonsense if it came from someone else.