However, Euclase ordered Jade into action as well, as if to say time was of the essence. “Your Majesty, please finish your current work quickly—and I mean super express quickly. Prioritize any matter that can only be sanctioned by you personally, as quickly as possible. You have no time to sleep.”
“R-Right,” Jade replied, doing as he was told, picking up a new pen, his hand still shivering. However, as if it had just come to mind, his head jerked up. “Oh! I have to come up with a name for the child!”
“Work comes first!” yelled Euclase.
Jade started working, spurred on by Euclase, but he was so flustered that it was doubtful he would retain anything from the paperwork.
“Ruri! You have to rest in your room!” Euclase ordered.
Ruri returned to her room as instructed and was soon greeted by the doctor Euclase had dispatched. She let the doctor examine her, skeptical, but the results showed that Ruri was indeed pregnant. It wasn’t until she was told that the baby would be born in a couple of days that she realized how serious the situation was. It was no wonder Euclase and the others were in panic mode. They had to prepare for the birth in only two days.
Since her belly wasn’t swollen, reality hadn’t sunk in for Ruri. Nevertheless, the surrounding area was kept on high alert to deal with the child who would be coming at any time. A doctor had been stationed to watch over Ruri, not only because she was the king’s wife, but out of concern for the nation’s Beloved.
As she took it easy in her room and pondered whether she was really going to have a child, her parents came to visit her. Ruri had been ordered to remain on complete bed rest and was forced to lie around despite feeling nothing was wrong with her. She was now sitting upright with a stack of pillows behind her.
“Ruri, I heard you’re expecting? Kotaro-chan came up to me and said a child was on the way, so I had no idea what he was talking about at first.” Riccia was all smiles, not very perturbed, possibly because she already knew the struggles of childbirth.
Kohaku, on the other hand, was different. “Are you sure you’re okay? From what I’ve heard, dragonkin give birth in a month’s time. Can a child grow properly in a human in such a short period of time?” Kohaku asked, his concerns being valid in terms of human logic. Ruri had had the same thought herself.
“Yep. They said it’s normal. I’m due in a couple of days or so, but it doesn’t feel real yet. Am I really about to give birth?” Ruri asked, putting a hand on her abdomen. Riccia’s and Kohaku’s gazes fell upon her hand.
“It’s as flat as a board. Wow, dragonkin sure are mysterious!” Riccia said in an easygoing tone. “Can I touch it for a second?”
“Sure.”
Riccia reached over to her daughter’s abdomen, her eyes brimming with curiosity. However, no matter how much she touched it, she couldn’t feel any movement inside.
“This really is mysterious,” Riccia commented, still cocking her head as she removed her hand.
“I don’t see His Majesty here, but what’s he up to? Leaving his pregnant wife like this...”
“Euclase-san has him confined to his office. They want to let him finish up his work while he still can. He will be with me when I deliver, so they want him to get through any work exclusive to the Dragon King.”
“It’s not easy being a Dragon King, huh?” Riccia commented.
Ruri smiled wryly, fully agreeing. She really wanted Jade to stay by her side, but considering his position, she couldn’t afford to make any selfish requests.
“Are you ready for this?” Kohaku asked worriedly.
“Yeah. Euclase-san is taking the initiative to get things in order. I wouldn’t know what to do on my own, after all,” Ruri replied. When it came to childbirth in another world, and dragonkin childbirth to boot, Ruri’s knowledge, based on childbirth in her own world, wasn’t going to fly.
“You have a point,” Kohaku replied. He must have been surprised to hear the sudden news. He was basically being told that his grandchild was coming without warning. Kohaku’s gaze then fell upon a stack of books on top of a chest of drawers near Ruri’s bed. “What are these?”
“Books on raising dragonkin children. Euclase-san prepared them for me and told me to study them, but it’s just gibberish.” Ruri shrugged with a smile. “For dragonkin children, mana is food. That’s what they have written in them, but do you know what that means?”
“If you have no idea, then we’d definitely have no idea,” Riccia replied.
“Yeah, I bet.” Ruri hadn’t expected to gain any answers from her parents. She’d tried to ask around, but everyone was busy preparing for the birth and she didn’t want to disturb anybody by flagging them down.
“Well, I’m sure it’ll all work out. Euclase-san has been preparing doctors and stuff for me.”
“True. I feel more relieved with Euclase-san around,” Riccia replied.
“True,” Kohaku echoed.
Euclase and Riccia seemed to get along well, so they would often pop into Riccia’s shop, order custom clothes, and mingle. Therefore, Riccia knew Euclase’s disposition well.
Perhaps because Kohaku had seen Euclase’s excellent work at the castle as chancellor, he had a lot of trust in Euclase and had no objections to Riccia’s opinion.
“Yeah, that’s right. I’ll have to inform my dad that you’re expecting, Ruri,” Riccia brought up Beryl, as if she’d just remembered him.
“Oh, Kotaro apparently contacted Chi, so I think Chi already told grandpa.”
“Oh my, is that so? That’s good to hear. But I’ll send him a letter just in case. I’m sure he’ll be rushing back,” Riccia replied.
It might have been difficult for Andal to keep up with him, but Padparadscha was in the castle, also in her last month of pregnancy. Andal probably wanted to see the birth of his grandson and possible heir to the Beast King throne. Ruri thought that both of them returning together would be killing two birds with one stone.