Chapter 343: My Wife Is Pregnant!
"Still ... I’m quite confident the answer will be yes. So, congratulations."
In a heartbeat, Edmund scooped his wife into his arms and ran toward Dante, rushing back to the palace. He didn’t say another word to Leofric, nor did he even bother to say goodbye to Lorelle.
The only thing echoing in his head, over and over again, was: [My wife is pregnant. My wife is pregnant. My wife is pregnant.]
"E-Edmund." Primrose was just as shocked as he was, but at least she managed to keep a little bit of calm. "You need to calm down."
After all, they weren’t even sure yet if she was really pregnant.
Primrose clutched Edmund’s arm, the one holding her firmly around the waist. Her heart was pounding so fast, she thought it might explode right out of her chest.
Part of her wanted Leofric’s words to be true, but another part of her was scared. Deep down, she still wasn’t sure if she could ever be a good mother to her children, because she was still her father’s little girl, spoiled and emotional, crying every time she read his letters.
So she wondered, how could she possibly be a good parent when she herself still depended so much on her father?
Besides, wasn’t pregnancy a little terrifying? She had once seen her friend go through it, and her friend kept complaining that she couldn’t eat anything and that her body changed so much.
To make matters worse, she said that the pain of giving birth was unbearable. Her husband even cheated on her afterward because she couldn’t have sex with him for two or three months after the baby was born.
Edmund wouldn’t do that, right? Of course, he wouldn’t.
He loved her and would take care of her until the day she died, but why did her mind sometimes still wonder if her husband would always love her? Would he always stay?
Did all women ask themselves the same question?
Was this something all women wondered about?
It felt silly, but the doubt was there.
Even so, it didn’t mean Primrose didn’t want to be pregnant. In truth, she longed for it more than anything, no matter how many frightening stories she had heard. She wanted to build a small family with Edmund, to give him a child, something that would remind him of her even after she was gone.
But hadn’t Leofric just said there was a possibility their child could be a beast? Was it really possible for an ordinary human to carry a beast inside her womb?
What if the same thing that happened to her mother ended up happening to her? Would Edmund be able to accept it, just as her father once did?
"Wife, what’s wrong?" Edmund’s deep voice pulled her back to the present. He took her hands, gently cradling them between his fingers. "Your hands are cold. Are you feeling unwell?"
[Are these the early signs of pregnancy?! What should I do? What should I do?!]
Primrose let out a small laugh, even though her heart was racing. It looked like she wasn’t the only one panicking; her husband was probably even more nervous than she was. His hand was even cold too!
"No ... I’m fine." She shook her head quickly. "I’m just a little worried."
Edmund frowned, his thumb gently brushing over the back of her hand. "What is it that’s worrying you?" he asked, his voice low and full of concern.
Primrose bit her lower lip. If she told him all her fears directly, her already overthinking husband would only worry even more.
Still, it felt unfair for her to know his worries while keeping her own from him. That was why she finally chose to speak them out loud.
"I’m scared I won’t be a good mother," she whispered, her eyes dropping. "And I’m also afraid ... that my body isn’t strong enough to carry our child."
To her surprise, Edmund didn’t panic at all. Instead, he took a deep breath and gently wrapped his arms around her from behind, like he was trying to ease her fears.
In a soft and calm voice, he said, "I’m not sure I’ll be a good father either." Then he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. "But, my wife, we can learn how to do it together. Maybe ... I can even ask your father for advice on how to be a good dad to a wonderful daughter like you."
Primrose couldn’t help but laugh. "If you ask my father, then you’ll end up raising a spoiled daughter just like me."
Edmund smiled and replied without hesitation, "And what’s wrong with that? My father never spoiled me back then, so I think it would be nice to finally have the chance to spoil my own children."
Primrose fell silent for a moment, then gently hugged Edmund’s arm. "Maybe you didn’t have good parents," she said softly, "but ... let’s do our best to become good ones."
Edmund’s eyes softened at her words. He held her even closer, wrapping his arms around her like he never wanted to let go.
"And about your body ...," he whispered, "I’ll do everything I can to find the best doctors, whether they’re from the beastlands or the human realm. It doesn’t matter where they come from, as long as they can make sure you’re safe and healthy."
[My wife, I’m also scared.] Edmund admitted silently in his heart. [It won’t be easy ... carrying a beast child is dangerous, even more so for someone with a human body.]
[But I truly hope you’ll be alright. I hope the world will be kind to you, just this once.]
Edmund took another deep breath, and this time, he spoke directly to Primrose. "But ... if it ever becomes too much for you to bear this child, then I’ll find a way to end the pregnancy."
Primrose’s eyes flew wide open, stunned that he would even say something like that.
In her homeland, that word was extremely taboo, so forbidden that people wouldn’t even dare speak it. A woman could be shamed to death if she ever went through with something like that.
Even when the mother’s life was at risk, her family and even her husband would usually reject the doctor’s advice to let go of the baby.
That was why Primrose had never even considered it as a possible solution, and even more shocking was the fact that her husband, of all people, was the one to bring it up first.
"I ...." She hesitated, her voice trembling slightly. Then she gently shook her head and said, "Let’s not think about that right now. I really hope we never have to go that far."
Edmund didn’t answer right away, but the way he held her tighter said everything. He was scared too. But more than anything, he wanted her to be safe, and he would protect her, no matter what that meant.
As soon as they arrived at the palace, Edmund immediately called for Dr. Alina and Dr. Grace to examine Primrose and confirm whether his wife was truly pregnant.
He stayed close by her side the entire time, his hand never leaving hers, his eyes filled with worry. Even though he didn’t say a word, the tension in his shoulders and the way he kept glancing at her face made it clear that he was just as anxious as she was.
Primrose tried to stay calm, but her heart wouldn’t stop racing. What if it wasn’t true? What if something was wrong?
She squeezed Edmund’s hand gently, and he squeezed back, just enough to remind her: I’m here. We’re in this together.
After a thorough examination, Dr. Grace finally looked up with a soft smile. "Your Majesties ... congratulations." Her voice was calm and soothing. "We’ve double-checked everything, and we can confirm that Her Majesty is indeed pregnant."
For a moment, the room fell into complete silence.
Primrose blinked, trying to process the words. "Really? I’m ... really pregnant?" she whispered.
Dr. Alina nodded, her eyes filled with warmth. "Yes, Your Majesty. You’re about three weeks along. That’s likely why you haven’t felt any changes yet, it’s still very early."
Primrose lowered her gaze to her stomach, gently placing a hand over it as if trying to feel something, anything.
She then turned her head toward her husband, her voice soft and trembling as she whined, "Edmund ..."
Without saying a word, he immediately pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as if he never wanted to let go. His hand gently stroked her back, then moved up to caress the back of her head.
"I’m here. I’m right here," he whispered into her hair. The words sounded like they were meant to soothe her, but in truth, he was also trying to calm the storm inside his own chest. His heart was racing, wild with fear and hope all at once.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t bask in the happiness for too long, as Dr. Alina gently cleared her throat and said, "Your Majesties ... I’m sorry to interrupt, but I believe it would be wise to call a beast doctor as well."
Dr. Grace gave a slow nod. "Yes, it’s still very early in the pregnancy, so there’s a lot we don’t know yet. But ..." she hesitated, her voice turning more serious, "I can already sense that the baby’s presence feels a little too faint, even much weaker than what we’d normally expect at this stage."