“She’s certainly pregnant.”
The doctor, who had been taking her pulse at her wrist, rose to his feet and delivered his verdict with absolute conviction. Leon remained frozen where he stood, leaning against the doorframe.
“I detect the distinctive pregnancy pulse. The morning sickness and dizziness she’s experiencing also align perfectly with early symptoms.”
Leon’s lips, which had parted as if to respond, slowly closed again. His intense gaze lingered on Veronica’s sleeping form for what seemed an eternity.
He had summoned the doctor after realizing that she was breathing irregularly even as she slept. He’d expected to hear it was merely accumulated travel fatigue and had planned to procure medicine for her temporary discomfort, but this unexpected revelation had rendered him speechless.
“Some women suffering from severe morning sickness may even refuse water, which can lead to dangerous dehydration, so vigilance is essential,” the doctor continued. “Since you appear to be travelers, and Roberdin is a bustling port city abundant with seafood dishes, please ensure she consumes only thoroughly cooked meals.”
The physician proceeded to list foods beneficial for the developing child, such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and various legumes. When he began emphasizing that the mother-to-be should be indulged with whatever foods she craved, Leon finally broke his silence.
“Is it truly safe for someone of her delicate constitution to bear a child?” he demanded. “Will the pregnancy not place excessive strain on her body?”
The question seemed to blindside the physician for a moment, who had been focusing on the unborn child until now. He blinked rapidly under Leon’s intimidating gaze, then shifted his attention to Veronica’s peaceful form on the bed.
“Despite your evident concerns… the mother doesn’t appear particularly frail to my professional eye.”
“Are you suggesting it’s perfectly normal for her to be rendered completely helpless by mere dizziness?” Leon challenged.
“Well, that could be attributed to the accumulated rigors of your travels… and right now, she’s simply in natural slumber. Her breathing remains within normal parameters.”
Leon’s expression betrayed his complete incomprehension. In his eyes, Veronica had always tired easily and possessed limited stamina. She was as fragile as spun glass; she might collapse under the additional burden of nurturing new life within her.
“As long as she doesn’t overexert herself beyond her usual limits, she should be all right,” the doctor assured him. “If you’re planning an extended stay in Roberdin, I can refer you to a specialist who exclusively treats expectant mothers.”
The physician, perhaps sensing that Leon’s deep-seated worries extended beyond what medical reassurance could address, offered a few additional precautions before gathering his instruments. By the time the consultation fee was settled and the visitor escorted out, the first heavy raindrops had begun their descent from the darkening sky.
Veronica slumbered soundly through all the commotion, curled on her side and embracing the pillow as if it were precious. Leon continued his silent vigil long after the doctor’s departure, his gaze never leaving her face. Even though he had heard the news clearly with his own ears, a part of him still struggled to accept the reality.
A child—mine and hers. Our child.
Perched on the edge of the mattress, he gently took her small, curled hand in his. The rhythmic cadence of rain against the windowpane and the comforting warmth radiating from her delicate fingers transported him back to their first night together.
On that fateful evening, he had surrendered everything he was to her keeping. His solemn decision had, naturally, encompassed this very possibility. If he hadn’t been prepared to shoulder the full weight of responsibility from the beginning, he would never have held her like that. Having endured a childhood marked by profound deprivation, he had always harbored the fervent wish to establish a proper family. So naturally, joy bloomed within his chest at the news—but it was also tangled with a thread of primal fear.
“…Will this news bring you happiness?” he whispered, his voice barely audible in the quiet chamber.
Leon tenderly pressed her hand against his roughened cheek before brushing his lips reverently across her knuckles.
Veronica was significantly younger than him, and they had barely begun to establish themselves in this new city. They had never engaged in meaningful conversation about children, so there remained the distinct possibility that she might react with anxiety or even fear to this life-altering development.
In truth, if she rejected this path, he would need no child to complete him. As long as you remain by my side, that would be enough.
A brilliant flash illuminated the room—in that stark moment of white lightning, the dark silhouette of his possessive nature revealed itself momentarily before vanishing back into the shadows of his soul.
He recalled their traveling companions’ jokes about him being such a possessive husband and thought that perhaps that hadn’t been too far from the truth, after all. He had recognized this dangerous tendency within himself since the first stirrings of jealousy at the innocent kindness shown to her.
The truth was, he yearned to monopolize every aspect of her existence, to possess her utterly and completely. The moments of bathing together, the melodious chatter that flowed from her lips, her radiant laughter, and the tender gaze she bestowed upon the world—he longed to capture it all and lock it away within the vault of his heart. Once ignited, this all-consuming desire could never be extinguished, regardless of his efforts to temper it. Now, without her, he was destined to burn alone in the flames of his passion until death claimed him.
I’ve crossed the point of no return with her.
Leon bent down to bestow a feather-light kiss upon Veronica’s temple before rising from the bed. More than anything, she desperately needed the security of a stable life.