In This Life I Will Be The Lord Novel - Side Story, Chapter 39

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
I heard that the first quickening is usually hard to notice.
But with such vigorous kicks, how could I not notice?
“I think it wanted to tell Mom and Dad, ‘I’m here, and I’m healthy.'”
After stroking my round belly several times, Perez finally spoke.
“…Yes. It seems very vigorous and healthy.”
A relieved smile, as if painted on, spread across his lips.
It was a face that made my own heart feel at ease just by looking at it.
Perez slowly moved closer to me.
And he carefully kissed my belly.
It was the spot where the baby had been kicking vigorously just a moment ago.
“Hello, baby.”
He had massaged and stroked my belly before.
But this was the first time he had spoken directly to it.
My heart ached for a moment at the sight of him smiling and talking to the baby in my womb.
“Can you hear Daddy’s voice?”
Then, miraculously, the baby kicked again, tap, tap.
“It seems to be listening. Hurry, say more.”
At my urging, Perez pressed his lips closer and whispered, “Baby.”
Tap, tap.
“It’s Daddy.”
Tap, tap.
“Stay well in there and let’s meet. Don’t make Mommy suffer too much, okay?”
…Tap, tap.
“Pfft. What was that, Perez? Is that the first thing you want to say to our child?”
“It was the most important thing to me.”
Perez replied quite seriously.
“Okay, okay.”
I stroked Perez’s black hair, messing it up.
“But I don’t think you need to worry about me too much.”
“Why?”
“Look now. It’s moving diligently, just in time to tell us not to worry so much.”
It wasn’t an empty compliment.
My chaotic mind, which had been in disarray until a moment ago, was now as clear as if it had been washed clean by Mother’s diary and the baby’s quickening.
“Let’s not be anxious. Neither I nor you.”
I urged, meeting Perez’s eyes.
“So, you should sleep soundly at night now, Perez.”
“You… knew?”
He gave a bitter smile.
“You get up in the middle of the night, sit there staring blankly at me, and then stroke my belly several times before going back to sleep. Did you think I wouldn’t know?”
There had been no signs of it in early pregnancy, but it had become a daily occurrence since the second trimester and my belly started to swell.
If left alone, Perez would become even more anxious as the due date approached.
“How are you going to manage if you keep losing sleep every night? One of us has to conserve energy, don’t we? Child-rearing is a long game, Perez.”
When I repeated myself, Perez reluctantly nodded.
“…Okay.”
“Good boy, that’s right.”
I spoke to him as if he were a baby, and messed up his hair again, making Perez chuckle helplessly.
“Yawn.”
Perhaps it was because I had cried so much and my mind was at ease.
Sleepiness suddenly overwhelmed me.
I should go to bed.
It was then.
My body felt like it was floating, and I was suddenly in Perez’s strong embrace.
It was so stable that I didn’t even need to wrap my arms around his neck.
His movements were as light as if he were carrying a book.
“Hmm.”
His red eyes, looking straight ahead, and his sculpted profile came into view.
Behind them, my gaze lingered on the first button of his shirt, which he had probably unbuttoned in the carriage on the way home, and my messed-up hair.
This side of the man who was always perfect from head to toe was something only I could see.
“You know, Perez.”
Sleep was slowly fading away.
“I asked Estira today. She said it’s completely stable now.”
“That’s a relief.”
Perez smiled brightly.
Ah, he’s so dense, he doesn’t get it.
“No, it’s not that. It’s really stable now, so things we couldn’t do before are okay. …Do you know what I mean?”
No answer was needed.
Perez’s steps, which had paused for a moment, suddenly sped up incredibly.
At the same time, the relaxed smile disappeared from his handsome face.
“What are you thinking so seriously about?”
“I’m calculating the shortest route to the bathroom.”
Oh, he’s hopeless.
I chuckled for a moment, then pointed with my finger.
“It’s faster to go through that door over there.”
Feeling his steps quicken, I buried my face in Perez’s embrace.
And as I slowly closed my eyes, I thought.
With this person by my side, I truly felt I could accomplish anything.

For a first child, the pregnancy went smoothly.
At least, that’s how Estira described it.
Although I was tormented by all sorts of symptoms that came with my growing belly.
To think these were the “smooth” parts.
I realized every time that bringing a new life into the world was far more amazing than I had imagined.
And today was two weeks before the due date.
It was Perez’s last day at work before his paternity leave.
“Be careful on your way to work, and if anything happens, you can postpone your leave for a day or two. Okay?”
“I’m worried about you, so no. I’ll finish everything today, Tia.”
There was still plenty of time until the due date.
Well, Perez had originally planned his leave a month in advance.
He had finally agreed to two weeks before, due to the tearful dissuasion of his aides.
“I’m leaving.”
Perez greeted his family, who were eating breakfast with him, and left the dining room.
“Have a good day.”
I smiled and even waved my hand.
After confirming that Perez was completely out of sight, I dropped my smile.
I rested my elbows on the table and scanned my family.
Grandfather, Father, Shananet, the twins, Craney, and Clerivan.
These were the people I had deliberately called to sit down.
“Now then.”
I slowly clasped my hands together.
“Shall we begin the Lombardi family meeting?”
I saw the shoulders of my family members, sitting around the table, twitch slightly.
“Well, I’ve finished my meal, so I’ll be taking my leave.”
Grandfather attempted to escape.
“Sit down, Grandfather. I’m not letting you off the hook today.”
“No, I’m old now, and it’s hard to sit for a long time…”
“You just got back yesterday from a three-day, two-night hunting trip. Don’t say strange things and sit down.”
No matter what, I would say it today.
“Ahem.”
Seeing Grandfather’s attempt fail due to my perfect blockade, those who were also eyeing an escape route soon gave up.
I took a sip of water and spoke again in a calm voice.
“Today’s meeting will discuss the baby room situation.”
“Oh, well. Is it really a ‘situation’?”
Grandfather said, subtly avoiding my gaze.
Taking advantage of the opening, Giliou and Mayron added a word or two.
“That’s right. Tia is too strict.”
“It’s something that could happen in any household. Don’t you think?”
“Something that could happen in any household?”
Ah, I was trying to stay calm.
“In which household do five baby rooms appear for a baby that hasn’t even been born yet?”
I wasn’t calling it a ‘situation’ for nothing.
“Even if it’s Lombardi, there are four cradles and one room filled only with toys!”
“But, Tia.”
This time it was Father.
“You told us to reduce it, and we already reduced a lot, didn’t we? It’s a shame there are still more gifts we couldn’t bring from Chesayu…”
“Father too…”
Where had the Lombardi, who disliked extravagance and waste and lived a simple, frugal life compared to other nobles, gone?
“Grandfather, stop making cradles. Don’t overexert yourself when your shoulder isn’t well. And Father, stop buying books unless you plan to put every storybook on the continent in the baby’s room. Craney, same goes for you.”
Father and Craney got along strangely well in this regard.
Both of them, true to being second to none in Lombardi when it came to loving books, were filling the baby’s room with all sorts of books.
“T-then, there’s a set of children’s storybooks I ordered from the Eastern Continent this time. Can’t you just accept that one?”
“Me too, Sister. I ordered a storybook that plays a music box when opened. C-can you just accept that one…?”
“…Alright. Just that.”
Next were Shananet and the twins.
“…Thank you, Aunt, for preparing plenty of pure cotton baby clothes and handkerchiefs.”
As expected, someone with experience was different.
“Still, we have enough clothes now.”
“Yes, I was going to stop soon too. We can always call a designer to make more when the child is a bit older.”
…I decided to let Shananet off the hook for now.
I narrowed my eyes at the twins next to her.
“Giliou, Mayron. You’re aware that you two are the ones who filled a whole room with toys, right?”
“This is all for the baby that’s about to be born. It’ll be so boring with no other children its age in the mansion.”
“That’s right. It needs lots of fun toys to play with. We’re just thinking about the baby.”
“You two are really too much.”
“A-are we too much?”
The twins’ eyes widened in indignation.
“Then you’re not? You’re just trying to make do with toys because there are no other children its age in the mansion. You’re not even thinking of playing with it yourselves.”
“Ah…”
“T-that’s true.”
The twins scratched their cheeks awkwardly.
“So, how about you stop buying toys and learn how to play with newborns from Estira?”
“Indeed. We don’t know much about babies yet.”
“It would be terrible if we made it cry or hurt it while playing with it.”
“Yes, that’s a good idea. And if you buy even one more toy, you’ll be banned from the baby’s room.”
“That’s unfair!”
After that, I heard the twins muttering something, but I ignored it.
I still had one more target.
“Clerivan.”
“Yes, Lady Lombardi.”
“You know that newborns can’t even open their eyes properly, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then why are you already writing lesson plans and making teaching materials yourself, not to mention decorating a classroom?”
Honestly, among the people gathered here, Clerivan was the most severe case.
He was so busy running the Lombardi trading house, yet he was sacrificing sleep to prepare to be the child’s teacher already.
“In Lady Lombardi’s case, I met you late, so it couldn’t be helped, but for the baby who is about to be born, I will personally provide gifted education from infancy…”
“Clerivan.”
“Yes, Lady Lombardi.”
“Do you have a lot of free time these days?”
At my chilling words, Clerivan’s blue eyes began to tremble rapidly.
“It’s not that I have free time… it’s just that education is so important…”
“Since you seem to be bored due to a lack of work, there’s nothing for it. You’ll take over as acting head of the household during my maternity leave.”
“I’m sorry… what did you just say?”
“I said, Clerivan, you’ll take over as acting head of the household. Then you won’t have time to talk about gifted education for a child who hasn’t even been born yet.”
“…Lady Lombardi.”
I finally smiled at my deliberately expressionless face and nodded.
Grandfather had me.
And I had Clerivan.
“…Thank you for entrusting me. I will live up to your trust.”
I smiled brightly at Clerivan and wiped my mouth with a napkin.
With Clerivan taking over as acting head, all preparations for my maternity leave were complete.
Now, all that remained was to rest comfortably and wait for the baby.
“Then I’ll head to my room…”
But as I stood up, I stopped, gripping the table.
“…Tia?”
I had felt a dull ache in my stomach since morning.
“Hoo.”
I took a deep breath and then asked Shananet, “Aunt, could you please call Estira?”
“Perhaps…”
“Yes. It seems the labor pains have started.”