* * *
The priest guided Lowell to the bed and asked, but Lowell deflected by saying it was probably just an upset stomach from overeating.
“Ah, sudden changes in meal portions can do that. Let me check to see if there’s anything concerning.”
Tacey glanced at Felix for permission, and with a wave of his hand, Felix gestured for him to proceed without concern.
A soft blue light enveloped Tacey’s hand before settling over Lowell’s stomach.
The warmth spread, and Lowell felt his discomfort ease.
‘Maybe a warm compress is the best solution for an upset stomach after all.’
Lost in thought, Lowell barely noticed Tacey tilting his head and running his hand over his stomach once more.
This time, however, Tacey let out a thoughtful hum, as if something seemed off.
Felix, standing nearby, bit his lip—a rare sight.
“Is there something wrong? If it’s something serious, please tell me.”
“No, actually… there’s nothing wrong at all. Both you and the baby inside are perfectly healthy.”
Lowell felt both relieved and embarrassed.
He had caused such a fuss, only to hear it was nothing serious.
‘Still, at least I have confirmation that everything’s fine. A little embarrassment is a small price to pay.’
Recovering quickly with his usual optimism, Lowell slowly sat up.
Felix, however, did not seem to feel the same relief.
“But Lowell said he felt unwell. Shouldn’t we check if there’s a deeper issue that even a priest might have trouble detecting?”
Seeing Felix make such an absurd statement with such a serious expression made Lowell feel—just slightly, but undeniably—embarrassed.
“Your Highness, with all due respect, unless the priest is incompetent, that’s not possible.”
Tacey was an excellent priest, and Felix knew that. Realizing that pushing further would be like questioning Tacey’s abilities, Felix said nothing more.
“I must have been mistaken. I feel fine now. I think I just confused being full from eating too much with something else. I only mentioned it just in case, so you don’t need to worry so much.”
Still, Felix’s expression did not ease.
“If you feel even the slightest discomfort, tell me.”
The next day, and the day after that, Felix continued to check on Lowell’s condition.
Occasionally, Lowell did feel slightly uneasy, but it was mild enough to make him wonder if it was just his imagination.
So, for the most part, he simply responded that he was fine.
However, Felix was far more persistent than Lowell had expected.
“Are you feeling okay today?”
Lowell hadn’t anticipated this question to continue for so long, and he had to put in effort not to sound irritated.
“Of course, I’m—”
Lowell abruptly cut himself off. His stomach churned in a way that didn’t quite feel like simple digestion.
There was also a strange queasiness, making him momentarily pause.
Felix, sharp as ever, immediately picked up on the change and raised an eyebrow, stepping closer.
“Something felt off just now, didn’t it?”
“It’s not serious or anything…”
Lowell inwardly groaned.
Of all times, why now?
If they went back to Tacey, he’d probably just say it was fine again.
But Felix’s next action was unexpected—he leaned in and pressed his ear against Lowell’s stomach.
“…It feels like fetal movement.”
“Excuse me?”
Lowell instinctively tried to recall how far along he was, then gave up.
‘Is this when fetal movement is supposed to start? I mean, timing-wise, I guess it makes sense… But is this what it’s supposed to feel like? I thought it would be more like knocking, but this just feels like an upset stomach…’
Questions swirled in his mind.
It was nothing like what he had imagined fetal movement to be.
“When carrying their first child, most people don’t recognize fetal movement at first. They often mistake it for strange stomach noises or general discomfort.”
Lowell glanced at Felix, who, despite not being pregnant himself, had far more knowledge on the subject.
Lowell had tried to study up after becoming pregnant, but he was nowhere near Felix’s level.
“Books again?”
“I read about it, but I also consulted Tacey. Since Tacey hasn’t had much experience with pregnant individuals, he wasn’t certain at first. But after thinking it over, he agreed it was likely fetal movement.”
Felix moved even closer, practically pressing his face against Lowell’s stomach.
His voice vibrated against Lowell’s skin, sending a tingling sensation through him, making him shudder as if he were ticklish.
“But I can’t hear it very well. I thought my hearing was pretty sharp.”
“Well, it’s settled down now.”
Lowell still sounded a little uncertain.
He placed his hand over his stomach and rubbed it gently.
Once again, there was a faint, gurgling sensation.
Felix, who still had his ear pressed against Lowell, twitched slightly.
He had felt it too.
They both burst into laughter at the same time.
“It sounds like water droplets.”
Now that he was thinking of it as fetal movement, the strange sensation that had been bothering him suddenly felt… oddly endearing.
‘So it’s all about mindset, huh?’
Suppressing the urge to laugh out loud, Lowell looked down at Felix, who was still listening intently.
The sensation itself was cute, but seeing such a large, imposing man pursing his lips in concentration over it was just as amusing.
‘This must be what they call being blinded by love.’
Felix might have been handsome, but for Lowell to find this enormous, intimidating man childlike…
Well, it was certainly something.
Smiling fondly, he gently ran his fingers through Felix’s hair.
The tips of Felix’s ears turned red.
In that moment, any thoughts of fetal movement vanished—his entire focus was on Lowell’s touch.
“I was thinking about holding a banquet.”
Just when it seemed like Felix would stay like that forever, he suddenly pulled away and brought up something completely unexpected.
“A banquet?”
Lowell blinked, tilting his head in surprise at the unexpected topic.
‘That’s not really Felix’s style. Why bring up a banquet all of a sudden?’
A thought crossed his mind.
‘Wait… could it be because of the fetal movement? No way, right? He must have already been planning this.’
A bead of sweat rolled down the back of his neck.
Felix, oblivious to Lowell’s internal panic, calmly continued.
“We were supposed to hold one as soon as we returned to Nyx, but things were hectic.”
The truth was that Felix simply didn’t enjoy banquets, and that’s why it had been quietly skipped.
But, of course, he had no intention of admitting that.
“Since we’ve delayed it long enough, now seems like a good time. The tailor was just here, so we can have them prepare something for the occasion.”
Lowell recalled the tailor who had visited recently.
He had assumed the outfits would arrive quickly, but it was taking longer than expected.
Now, he had a feeling they would be far more extravagant than anticipated.
‘A banquet, huh…’
After a moment of contemplation, Lowell came to a decision.
“Alright, a banquet sounds good.”
The last banquet they had attended hadn’t been a pleasant experience.
The incident in the capital had left a bad memory, and this could be a chance to replace it with something better.
‘Plus, it’ll be a good opportunity to clear up any lingering rumors about Felix and me.’
Aside from the hassle, there were plenty of benefits. Felix, of course, hadn’t thought about any of that.
He simply wanted people to celebrate Lowell’s presence in the duchy—and, deep down, he might have wanted to commemorate their child’s first movement.
Though he wasn’t consciously aware of it.
“Preparations will keep us busy, then.”
* * *
