* * *
“Alright, I will, Ed!”
“And I hope you’ll accept my gift with joy. Young master Ronen, happy birthday once again.”
“Thank you so much.”
Expressing his gratitude, Ronen held both of Ed’s hands tightly.
“Ed, I promise. When something good happens to you, I’ll be the first to celebrate. I’ll even throw a party so everyone in the northern castle can know about it!”
“Your words alone mean so much to me, young master.”
At that moment, the door opened, and the Grand Duke entered, carrying a tray.
Ronen exclaimed, “Brother!” but quickly lowered his voice.
“Brother.”
“I heard the good news that Ed is awake, so I came by.”
Ronen quickly helped Ed sit in a chair and dragged over a table.
The Grand Duke lightly tousled Ronen’s hair before setting the tray down.
The dishes on the table, steaming warmly, caught Ed’s eye—soup, strawberry soufflé, and crepes garnished with lemon preserves.
Despite not feeling particularly hungry, the beautifully arranged food, adorned with petals, stirred his appetite.
“Did you make all this as well, Your Grace?”
“Yes, I went to the kitchen earlier and gave it a try. I hope it suits your taste.”
With the Grand Duke’s skills, there was no doubt it would be perfect.
Ed picked up a spoon and tasted the warm soup first.
Its creamy and savory flavor lingered in his mouth, and after several spoonfuls, he used a fork to try the strawberry soufflé.
“Your Grace, this is truly delicious.”
But just then, “Urk,” contrary to his words, Ed let out a small retch.
The sight left both the Grand Duke and Ronen frozen in place.
It was Ronen who reacted first.
“Oh no, brother! What do we do? Ed must be seriously ill!”
He stomped his feet in worry, only to be lifted lightly by the Grand Duke, who patted his back before handing him off to Irtel, waiting outside the room.
“Ronen, let’s give Ed some time to rest alone. He needs peace right now.”
‘But then, why is brother staying in the room?’ Ronen wondered, confused, but as the door closed, he caught a glimpse of his brother kissing Ed’s forehead.
Somehow, it seemed like a treatment he didn’t understand, so he decided to keep his mouth shut.
“Ed, how do you feel? Does this taste better?”
The Grand Duke gently rubbed Ed’s stomach while watching him sip a drink.
It had been three days since Ed began experiencing morning sickness.
The Grand Duke stayed by his side, witnessing his struggle.
The child growing in Ed’s womb sometimes gave him a hard time, but Ed endured it all without a single complaint, almost as if he relished the experience.
However, the Grand Duke, unable to bear seeing Ed’s pallid face and diminished appetite, wished he could take on the burden himself—or even carry the child in his own body.
“Yes, it’s sweet and tangy. I really like it.”
The doctor had reassured him that Ed’s condition was fine, but the Grand Duke wasn’t convinced. Ed, who usually ate very little, now consumed even less and spent most of his time lying pale on the bed.
“Is there anything else you’d like to eat?”
Ed shook his head weakly but rested his head against the Grand Duke’s shoulder, seeming dizzy.
He let out a soft sigh, composing himself before speaking in a teasing tone.
“The child must really like Your Grace.”
“That’s heartening, but I feel a bit jealous. Is that something the baby secretly told only you?”
“Maybe it’s just shy? But the other day, it said something to you that it didn’t tell me.”
“Ah, that’s not all. Recently, it even said something else to me.”
“What did it say?”
“It asked me to take good care of you.”
With a soft laugh, Ed intertwined his fingers with the Grand Duke’s as he gently rubbed Ed’s belly.
“Whenever Your Grace rubs my belly like this, I feel so at ease. The baby must really love you. Although, it seems a little mischievous, too.”
“Why do you think that?”
“It keeps nudging my mind with cravings for food, but when Your Grace goes to great lengths to get it, the baby just loses interest.”
Early that morning, Ed had woken up craving strawberries and had quietly murmured the word.
The Grand Duke, instantly awake, rushed out and returned with a basket full of fresh fruit from the greenhouse, despite the freezing temperatures outside.
Ed had eaten only one strawberry before his appetite vanished, leaving the Grand Duke visibly disappointed.
“Maybe it’s pouting because I wasn’t paying attention to it until now. Looks like I’ll have to try even harder to earn its affection.”
The Grand Duke lightly knocked on Ed’s belly as if to say, “Are you listening, little one? I’ll do my best, so be kind and give me a good score, okay?”
The soft laughter from Ed’s lips matched the gentle rise and fall of his stomach.
“Oh, Your Grace. I’ve thought of a name for the baby.”
“A name? Have you found one you like?”
As the Grand Duke massaged Ed’s hands, he responded with a contented sigh.
“Yes, I thought of ‘Singsing (Healthy)’ or ‘Jjukjjuk (Clingy)’.”
“I understand ‘Singsing,’ but what about ‘Jjukjjuk’?”
“It means to stay close and not wander off until we meet.”
The Grand Duke paused mid-sentence, lost in thought, before pressing a soft kiss to the side of Ed’s head.
“Perhaps it means to grow fresh and lively?”
‘Is every suggestion related to the child’s health?’
It hadn’t been long since they learned about the pregnancy, yet Ed’s mind seemed entirely consumed with thoughts about their child.
‘He doesn’t even realize how worried I’ve been about him struggling with morning sickness…’
As soon as the Grand Duke learned of Ed’s pregnancy, he contacted the High Priest to arrange a sacred blessing and to discuss the steps ahead.
They were now awaiting the arrival of a physician recommended by the High Priest to the northern region.
The Grand Duke gently massaged Ed’s shoulders.
“Which name do you like the most so far, Ed?”
“I like all of them, so I was planning to ask Your Grace.”
“Then how about choosing a name that’s easy to say? We’ll be saying it a lot, after all.”
“‘Singsing’ or ‘Jjukjjuk’ roll off the tongue pretty easily,” Ed muttered, repeating the names under his breath several times before shaking his head lightly.
“I want to give the child a meaningful name, but it’s not easy, Your Grace. I want to say every day, ‘You’re such a precious and beautiful existence, so grow well and let’s meet soon.’ But it’s hard to capture all that in one name.”
The Grand Duke caught a glimpse of the deep meaning behind Ed’s words—his hopes, mixed with an undercurrent of anxiety.
Even though Ed was pregnant, he couldn’t help but worry.
Would they meet the child safely?
Would they raise them well?
Though he couldn’t erase Ed’s concerns entirely, the Grand Duke wanted to soothe and reassure him, even if only a little.
“How about this?”
“What is it?”
“‘Tobagi.’”
“Tobagi?”
“It means ‘always steadfast, always constant.’”
“Always steadfast… always constant…” Ed echoed softly, and the Grand Duke continued.
“It could mean growing steadily and healthily, or it could mean staying closely and firmly with you, Ed.”
Ed listened intently to the Grand Duke’s gentle voice.
“No matter how many happy and precious words exist in this world, they would all suit our child perfectly, Ed.”
The Grand Duke entwined his fingers with Ed’s and added, “A sharp consonant makes a good name for a child to hear. If we call the baby ‘Tobagi,’ the sound will carry clearly, and our child will perk up their ears whenever we call, no matter where we are.”
Watching the Grand Duke puff up with pride about reading every book on pregnancy and childbirth in the library, Ed broke into a grin.
“Your Grace, I love it.”
“Good. Tobagi it is. Just as Ed hopes, let’s grow healthy and strong, Tobagi.”
The Grand Duke smiled warmly as he spoke to the child, then raised his head.
“Now that the name is settled, shall we move on to another matter? So, when will you start calling me Asnel?”
“…Ah, about that…”
As Ed tried to turn his head away, the Grand Duke stopped him with the back of his hand against Ed’s cheek, demanding an answer with his gaze.
With a small sigh, Ed replied, “I’m not ready for that yet.”
“If you’re not ready…”
‘Wait, why is his face suddenly zooming in here?’
As the Grand Duke’s face moved closer, Ed felt the soft touch of lips against his own.
* * *
So lovely 😍😍😍
Tobagi?? 😭