By Zephyria 
I liked children.
Both my parents in my past life and my parents in this life were affectionate. Perhaps that’s why. Seeing little ones toddling around always brought a smile to my face. They were so endearing and lovely that I’d be restless, wanting to give them even a single dumpling or candy.
I often thought about raising children in the new land. It didn’t have to be my own child. I had also thought about becoming a professor at the Academy like Sansone in my old age. Seeing how my maternal grandfather received an honorary professorship at the Academy after retiring from his ducal position, it didn’t seem like a difficult feat.
Yet, I never dared to dream of having my own child. It was partly because the child I loved was male, but even if Ruben had been a woman, it would have been the same.
If Ruben’s fingertip were to get cut, it felt like the world would split in half. How could I ask him to undertake the terrifying and magnificent task of conceiving and giving birth to a life? Just hearing my mother talk about her morning sickness when she was pregnant with me made me feel so apologetic and embarrassed that I couldn’t lift my head. I’d rather suffer myself than cause Ruben any distress.
However, the thought of Ruben having a child without any hardship, just a child appearing out of nowhere, made me greedy.
I possess strength many times greater than Karzentia. Spiritus also affirmed that the child would live for at least a hundred years once born. And I had already helped Ranunculus hatch from its egg. Was I the only one? Ruben could certainly do that much.
Would a child born from Ruben’s Mana resemble Ruben?
I could easily picture a tiny child with black hair and black eyes, just like Ruben, giggling happily. Michael and Asdel were so cute and lovable when they were young, but what about a child born from Ruben and me?
Now that the world was saved, there wouldn’t be many occasions for traveling abroad. I could stay by the child’s side, watching them grow up. Thinking about it, my heart was uncontrollably swayed. I had already grown fond of this tiny egg.
“…What if it breaks if you carry it around?”
“A dragon egg? It won’t break unless you throw it with all your might. It can withstand a fall from about 3 meters. It’s the strongest species on earth, despite its appearance.”
“Mmm.”
“Still, it’s better not to throw it if possible. Dragons mature mentally before physically, so once they grow to a certain extent inside the egg, they start listening to sounds from the outside and assessing the situation.”
After pondering a bit longer, I gently pushed Spiritus’s hand away from my arm and detached it.
“First, is this place truly safe?”
“Well, yes. An egg that hasn’t even woken up mentally is not much different from a pebble.”
“Then, I will decide after speaking with my wife. It’s improper to have a child before marriage.”
“…Huh?”
“I want to formally bring her here after the wedding. And only after receiving Ruben’s consent.”
Spiritus stood still for a moment, then nodded.
“Alright, do that. I’ll set up a portal from that room, the study, to the sofa in the middle of the Lair so you can come and pick her up anytime.”
“You can do that?”
“Isn’t it a place you visit often? Your Mana was quite stable there.”
“That’s right. Then… I gratefully accept.”
“While I’m at it, should I also block it so others can’t enter? I should probably surround the area so only those entering through the portal are allowed.”
A dragon directly casting a magical barrier to prevent others from entering? Rubel’s study was already well-secured. If Rubel could control who came and went, the child would be safe.
I recalled Sam Marcus’s face, and then Marianne’s face, who was guarding him. Now Marianne would be free. The thought made me feel immensely grateful.
It was truly a good decision to bring Spiritus here.
I quickly told him to do so and closed the lid of the box. As I was relocking the box, changing the seals back to their original positions, I felt a sense of unease and changed the position of a few seals again, securing it tightly.
Even then, my startled heart continued to pound for a long time.
❖ ❖ ❖
I waited for Ruben to finish his work and then lay down on the bed, facing him.
As I slowly informed him about Karzentia’s egg, Ruben remained quiet. No breath escaped the child’s slightly parted lips. I carefully examined the child’s pale face, which showed no smile.
After a long moment of silent contemplation, Ruben whispered in a gentle tone.
“…Our child?”
“Yes.”
Was he not happy?
Yes, Ruben might dislike children. But I was truly confident in my ability to raise one well.
I took Ruben’s wrist and pulled him towards me. Ruben was led willingly and leaned against my shoulder. After a moment of thought, the child looked up at me.
“Do you want it?”
“Yes. The orphaned egg is pitiful… and thinking of it as a child embodying Ruben and me naturally made me greedy.”
“… ”
“…Do you dislike it?”
“It’s not that…”
His reaction was more lukewarm than I expected.
Ruben slipped his fingers between mine, and we intertwined our hands. Pressing the soft skin between our fingers together, he gently stroked my hand with his thumb. Looking down at his hand, I added softly,
“…I will be good.”
“Good? How will you be good?”
“Um… I’ll feed it, bathe it…”
“Even a wet nurse can do that, can’t she?”
“… ”
What else could I do?
More importantly, Ruben’s lack of enthusiasm worried me, and my heart cooled. If Ruben didn’t want it, then perhaps that egg wasn’t meant to be mine. Thinking so, I stopped pestering him and closed my mouth.
Then Ruben released my hand and wrapped his arms around my neck. I naturally placed my hands behind his back and embraced him.
Ruben’s eyes curved into a gentle smile. Our bodies pressed close together.
“…Baby.”
“…Hmm?”
“Shall we make a baby, us?”
Huh?
Startled by his subtly suggestive voice, I quickly shut my mouth.
His dark gaze looked directly at me. Our legs were already entangled. I quietly watched the corner of Ruben’s lips curve.
Ruben, who had been savoring my flustered stiffness, let out a soft laugh after a moment and pushed me away, creating a gap of one arm’s length. So surprised, I remained frozen, only blinking, even after Ruben had moved away.
Ruben said in a playful voice, like a song.
“I like it.”
“…Yes?”
“I like it too, let’s do that. A child that can resemble our traits by pouring Mana into it. Then it will naturally resemble you more than me, right? It’ll be cute.”
My voice felt hoarse, so I cleared my throat.
“I hope it resembles Ruben more.”
“Mmm. Though I won’t raise it like me.”
I quickly said this, thinking it was something I couldn’t concede, but Ruben seemed to take it as a joke.
Still, my heart swelled with relief now that I had his permission. Not knowing what else to say, I acted demurely, and Ruben chuckled, opening his arms to Ikyun. I naturally rested my head on his arm. The child’s voice then reached my ears, close by.
“I’ll be good too.”
“Hmm. …How will you be good?”
I mimicked Ruben’s playful tone. Ruben answered without much thought.
“I’ll dote on it, discipline it well, and scold the baby’s father a lot.”
“…Me?”
“Yes. If you spoil it too much, it’ll develop bad habits. You can’t feed it just anything, and training should start at eight.”
How far was he imagining?
A smile naturally bloomed. With a mix of gratitude and embarrassment, I gently patted Ruben’s shoulder. Then, Ruben’s laughter gradually subsided.
He continued in a choked voice.
“Instead… I’ll love the child too, so you have to love me more.”
“Hmm…?”
“Why, don’t you like that?”
“It’s not that. I love Ruben whether we have a child or not. I don’t see the connection…”
“…Good. Just do this.”
His lips pressed against my cheek like a reward and then pulled away, making me inexplicably ticklish.
I repeated what I had told Spiritus.
“Still, it’s best to leave the egg in the Lair until the wedding.”
“Of course. I’ll be busy until the wedding day. I’m also anxious about losing it by mistake… We can’t have a child before we’re even married, after waiting so long.”
“Yes?”
“No?”
“…That’s right.”
I let out a small cough, washing away my embarrassment.
Ruben was delighted when Spiritus mentioned he had created a portal connecting the study and the Lair.
When I mentioned that Marianne could go home now, Ruben replied that he was still concerned about Iver Marcus. I now knew something about this.
Ruben laughed for a long time after hearing why Iver Marcus had specifically chosen that statue.
“What’s so funny?”
“Well, it was us two who ended up having a child through that statue, not Sam Marcus.”
“…Mmm.”
“I feel a little sorry too. So, will the child be a son or a daughter?”
“I wonder…”
We talked a lot about the child to be born.
The conversation mainly revolved around what to name the child, whether the child would take human or dragon form, and what to feed a newborn.
When I mentioned that dragons supposedly tear orcs apart alive, Ruben was greatly horrified, and I quickly retracted my statement. He asked me to inquire Spiritus about the diet of a Hatchling.
Ruben made a playful remark, saying he felt overwhelmed at the thought of carrying a child for five years, as I had said it would take five years of Mana infusion.
I also mentioned that I hoped the child would be interested in the Emperor’s Throne, and if not, we could just have them play rock-paper-scissors with my cousin.
“Where is Spiritus now?”
“He’s staying at an inn in the capital and will come for the wedding. He asked for some space as other gods will be attending the wedding.”
“Then, in the VIP section… should I reserve a seat for you? First Goddess, Oasis, Spiritus, and Gano Paquin?”
“Hmm. I don’t know if Oasis will bring Nadi along.”
“Then, just in case, let’s add an extra seat for a partner… We’ll set up six chairs and remove them right before the ceremony if they’re not needed.”
“Yes.”
“Did Spiritus call you again tomorrow?”
“No. He’s grown up now and should entertain himself. Tomorrow, after finishing my etiquette lesson, I’ll go straight to the study.”
“Good. Let’s do that.”