âSighâ¦â
Once again, the queenâs long sigh filled the day.
âYour Majesty, hereâs a cookie that has been baked with nothing. How does this look to you?â
It was a plain cookie with a wheat color due to nothing being added to it.
Selina glanced at the cookie with disinterest, then immediately groaned and turned her head.
âAaa, I feel dizzy when I look away.â
âOoohh, Iâm sorry! I should have brought it closer for you to see!â
The maid exclaimed in surprise.
Selina waved her hand as if annoyed. Please, be quiet.
Even with the simple motion of waving her hand, it felt as if all the blood in her body rushed from head to toe and back again.
Selina was currently in a dizzying state of nausea at the slightest blink. And it wasnât stopping, it had been going on for several days, intensifying each passing day.
The maid, who had become increasingly perceptive in the last few days, quickly handed her a lime-flavored sparkling water.
Selina barely managed to take a sip of the sparkling water.
But even swallowing a mouthful made it frighteningly gush back out of her mouth.
âUhhgg!â
âOh my goodness! Is this not going down either?â
âItâs fishyâ¦â
âOh my, what should I do? How about trying lemon or grapefruit?â
Selina, who had spilled the sparkling water on the grass, had no strength to respond and could only groan and moan helplessly.
She had come outside, dragging her heavy body with the hope that the cool breeze would make her feel better, but it was all in vain. Instead, the dizziness worsened as she moved and shaked.
Even lying on the ground felt like floating on water, with the world spinning around her as if she were on a merry-go-round. Closing her eyes didnât make it disappear.
âUuhhgg!â
Unable to contain the nausea, she retched loudly once again.
She ate nothing and the only thing that came out was the scratching sounds of her throat.
During almost all waking hours, she couldnât eat anything and would be like this.
This was her sickness
Selina, the first queen of Selinia, was pregnant.
Kalcion had tried to figure out a way to get himself pregnant instead, but even in the extensive records of the great wizard Songtullek, he couldnât find any.
Although it was a pregnancy they had desired, it didnât make the hardships of pregnancy any less difficult.
The only difference was that as a queen, she could receive more extravagant treatment than others, but the pain she had to endure remained the same.
His cool palm-covered Selinaâs forehead, which was lying limp on the chair.
âAre you okay?â
She didnât seem okay, but being able to moisten her mouth was all she could do.
âItâs refreshingâ¦â
Selina mumbled in a dying voice.
Kalcion gently touched Selinaâs face here and there with a slightly bowed posture until his hand became warm.
He had made sure to bathe in cool water after training.
âDid you eat anything today?â
When it was just the two of them, the maidsâ rule was to leave without a sound. There was no one to answer now.
âNo⦠I canât even swallow water.â
Selina whimpered, grabbing Kalcionâs wrist as he tried to move away.
His hand had already warmed up, but just the feeling of his touch was enough to soothe her nausea.
Kalcion obediently offered his hand and plopped down on the floor under Selinaâs chair.
âWhat to do if you canât eat anything?â
There was deep concern in his voice. Seeing Kalcion lamenting like he was about to die made Selina want to lessen his burden, but that was easier said than done. She didnât even have the energy to care for him right now.
âKuuhâ¦â
Struggling to speak, Selina leaned her face into Kalcionâs hand, emitting a groaning sound.
Every smell in the world was repulsive, but Kalcionâs scent was the only one she found pleasant. Since realizing this, Kalcion hadnât used soap or perfume even when bathing.
Her stomach settled a bit at the fresh yet warm scent.
Watching Selinaâs pale face as she pressed her nose into his palm and took deep breaths, Kalcion also let out a silent sigh.
âIf anything comes to mind, please tell me. Anything. Even when you wake up.â
âThereâs nothingâ¦â
Even thinking was difficult. She was supposed to recall things easily, not force herself to think of something.
The persistent nausea had driven away any appetite to eat. She didnât even want to think about eating, even if she were to starve.
She knew she had to eat to live, but eating while nauseous was as difficult as breathing underwater.
âIâve heard that the taste of home or dishes prepared by family members sometimes come to mind. There are also fruits from that region.â
âHmmâ¦?â
She had only thought about things existing in this world so far.
Occasionally, something from her original world would flash in her mind, but she would just forget about it. The extreme morning sickness made even the fleeting thoughts vanish into thin air.
However, Kalcionâs words instantly sparked a reaction.
âMandarin?â
âMandarin?â
The word âMandarinâ was not translated and was conveyed as is. It meant that the word Mandarin didnât exist in this world. So, it meant that the Mandarins itself didnât exist in this world.
âThey are a type of fruit that was in the other world, similar to oranges but with thinner skin and a stronger sweet and sour taste.â
âI see. Mandarins, a fruit. What else?â
âYakgwa?â
âWhatâs that again?â
Once she started, it all came pouring out effortlessly.
Since there were no smells wafting in front of her right now, she didnât feel nauseated just by imagining it. It only made her mouth water.
Selina explained it to Kalcion diligently. When her words faltered, she even drew pictures.
As she explained, her desperation grew. Wanting to convey the feeling more accurately, Selina did her best to describe it.
Kalcion listened to her words late into the night without tire.
It were a hundred times, a thousand times more welcome than the words âI canât remember anything,â or âjust give me some waterâ.
ââ¦But what good does it do to talk about it like this?â
Selina, who had been enthusiastic and excited just a moment ago, suddenly looked sullen.
Kalcion was taken aback and adjusted himself.
The changes that came with pregnancy were not limited to the body alone. There were significant emotional fluctuations as well.
Selina was always calm and good at controlling herself, but the emotional changes due to pregnancy were beyond the scope of human will.
âI wonât be able to eat it, so why bother describing it? Itâs just pointless.â
It was heartbreaking not to be able to eat what she craved during pregnancy, tears swelled up in an instant.
âIâll make you eat it.â
Kalcion urgently consoled her.
âHow?â
âFirst, Iâll have them cook something as similar as possible to what you described.â
âBut how can I eat it? The ingredients, the fruitsâ¦â
âIâll try to find something as similar as possible. If I have to search beyond Renbird to other countries, Iâm sure Iâll find it. Since it had a similar climate to where you lived, it must exist.â
âWhen? How?â
Selina cried and stomped her feet like a child. Then, in a moment, she abruptly stopped and mumbled absentmindedly.
ââ¦Why am I like this? Why do I feel so heartbroken just for a few things?â
She burst into tears and then immediately felt disappointed in herself for being so emotional.
Even Kalcion, who could put up with Selinaâs tantrums for a lifetime, didnât want to see her slumped in sadness.
âI must have been too impatient and thought too lightly of it. Iâm paying the price for thinking lightly of it.â
Selinaâs self-deprecating remarks continued in her gloomy tone.
The pregnancy was a product of Selinaâs insistence.
Once fixated on the idea of a âchild like Kalcion,â Selina had followed through with it.
When Selina threw herself into something, how could Kalcion refuse? He had wholeheartedly endured and patiently witnessed the results.
Despite the child not appearing suddenly, Selina kept blaming herself for being too impulsive.
She hadnât expected pregnancy to be such a challenging process.
âItâs just my condition.â
After investigating every possible angle, Kalcion found that not every pregnant woman went through this. There was a wide range of individual variations.
Unfortunately, Selina happened to be on the severe side of it.
Feeling powerless to help her suffering, Kalcionâs shoulders slumped. But he couldnât let Selina see that. She was already fighting a difficult battle alone, and she needed someone to lean on.
âAnd enduring what you want to eat is not your job.â
âWhat if I canât endure it?â
Despite feeling sorry for having such thoughts in this situation, Selinaâs teary-eyed expression was quite cute.
Kalcion cupped Selinaâs cheeks with both hands.
Her already small face seemed to shrink further from not being able to eat. It felt like even her lips were about to disappear into thin air despite being encased within his hands.
âYou should hurry and pester your husband to get it for you.â
âWhat? But thatâ¦â
Selina chuckled softly at Kalcionâs suggestion.
It finally brought a smile back to her face, only then could Kalcion smile.
âComforting the wifeâs heart when she has a child is the husbandâs job. Itâs not the wifeâs responsibility.â
âThatâsâ¦.true.â
âSo, if youâre dissatisfied with the current situation, blame it all on me. Itâs my fault.â
Selina raised an eyebrow, and her lips curled mischievously.
âYes, sure, blame it all on you.â
âRight, itâs my fault.â
âSo take responsibility.â
âIâll take it.â
ââ¦Boring.â
However, the playful mood didnât last long.
Facing an opponent who quickly surrendered, brandishing a wonderful sword would only result in a sword dance alone.
Pursing her lips, Selina buried herself in Kalcionâs embrace.
It felt as if a warm bowl of soup was poured over her, making her chest warm.
Embraced by Kalcion, it seemed like that was all she needed.
But the embrace couldnât feed her.
With the real food laid out in front of her, she didnât even think about Kalcionâs embrace.
ââ¦.this how?â
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