“It seems rather fierce indeed…”

Frigga is fierce and Kaligo is reserved, while Somnia is unpredictable. Like a child in one moment and meaningful the next, sometimes even threatening. It certainly keeps things interesting.

“What’s it like… to have three contracted spirits?”

As Theodore scooped another spoonful of his ice cream, he asked. I took a bite of mine before responding. Um, sweet and refreshing.

“It feels overwhelming.”

“But you seem to handle them well.”

Theodore smiled faintly and asked again. I nodded as I took another scoop of ice cream.

“It’s a good thing the spirits’ personalities balance each other out. Kaligo’s role is crucial. He’s like an elderly man, holding the other two in check.”

Kaligo is indeed the oldest of the three spirits. Even the willful and arrogant Somnia calls him ‘Old Man’ and tries to show respect, though sometimes recklessly….

“Having three spirits is like having three children.”

Theodore burst out laughing at my comment, then took another bite of his ice cream before casually hinting another topic.

“Speaking of children, what should we name our daughter?”

The assumption that we would someday have a daughter seemed almost certain. Theodore fully believed in the dream I had about the little light. I also believed that someday, the little light would come to us.

“I’ve thought of a few names.”

“Oh, what are they?”

Theodore’s eyes sparkled in interest and delight. I cleared my throat and began.

“Luna, Lumiere, Diana, Celestine, Stella…”

As I listed about ten more names, Theodore looked blank. After a moment, he blinked and said,

“All those names you’ve chosen meant the sky, stars, moon, or light.”

“Yes, they do. Don’t they seem fitting? After all, she was the little light that guided me.”

The little light’s past life name was ‘Luciel’, meaning ‘morning star’, which is also a beautiful name. However, I wanted to give the little light a new name for this life, symbolizing a chance for happiness different from her past life.

“Which name do you like best?”

“….Well, I think…”

The early summer warmth caused our ice cream to melt. On that radiant afternoon, Theodore and I decided on a name for our child. Filled with excitement and anticipation for the child to come into our arms.

* * *</center.

It began one evening.

"I've been feeling a bit off lately. My appetite has increased."
"Now that I think about it, you even took digestive medicine at lunch. Maybe your digestive system is weakening? It might be wise to consult the doctor."

Five months had passed since Theodore and I celebrated our second wedding. The season had shifted to autumn, filling the world with a deep, melancholic beauty. Our lives were peaceful, free from worries or troubles.

A little indigestion hardly seemed to be a problem.

"Perhaps I should get it checked out… it is about time for a checkup."

"Yes, don't worry too much, it's probably nothing serious."

"Okay, I will."

After such conversations with Charlotte, it wasn't long before the doctor, Jane came to examine me more closely. Her expression turned quite serious as she felt my pulse, making me tense as I waited for the result.

After a moment, Jane released her fingers from the inside of my wrist and asked in a slightly lower voice.

"Viscount…, when was your last cycle?"

"Uh… about 46 days ago? It seems I'm a bit late this month."

"And with Duke Valentino… you've been having relationships regularly?"

"….Yes, that's correct."

At that moment, I averted my eyes without even realizing it. I was embarrassed by the question. I couldn’t quite bring myself to say that Theodore visits my bedroom nearly every night… But everyone at Arendelle Castle likely knew, including Jane. It was probably just a procedural question.

There could really be only one reason for her question.

After a brief pause, I asked.

"Could it be… am I pregnant?"

At this, Charlotte’s mouth fell open in shock, and Jane swallowed hard before replying after a noticeable pause.

"….Yes."

"I had a feeling that might be the case."

"Is it true, really? Is the Viscount having a baby?"

Charlotte was excited on my behalf. For me, a single thought crossed my mind: Finally, you came to me.

__