The discovery

Moments later, Dr. Louis burst through the doors, suitcase thudding against the floor. “Step aside!” he barked, rushing toward Flora, who lay trembling in Marcus’ arms.

“Sit,” Marcus ordered, pointing at a chair, but his voice cracked, betraying his fear.

Louis obeyed him, sitting on the chair next Flora check her pulse. “Your Majesty, stay back. She needs calm.”

Marcus’ hands clenched. “Calm? She—she’s—”

“She’s fine,” Louis interrupted gently, meeting his panicked gaze. “Not poisoned. It’s… something else.”

Marcus froze. “Something else? What… what else could it be?”

Louis gave a small, knowing smile. “Your Majesty, the Empress is… with child.”

The maids gasped. Marcus’ knees nearly gave way. He looked down at Flora, her lashes fluttering weakly, her lips pale yet serene.

His voice barely audible, he whispered, “With… child?”

Flora’s eyes opened, soft and frightened. “Marcus… is it… really true?”

“It is,” he said, voice breaking, his hands trembling slightly as he brushed her hair back. “Our child… our little one.”

Marcus sat rigidly at Flora’s side, eyes locked on her belly as if staring too hard could somehow reveal the secrets of life itself. A rare flicker of joy softened his features… before panic stormed in like an invading army.

He turned sharply to Dr. Louis, voice tight and commanding. “Wait… she eats… spicy food. LOTS of spicy food. Spices burn things… do they not? Could the baby… turn to ash inside her?!”

Flora blinked at him, half horrified, half trying not to laugh. “Marcus… it’s fine… I’m fine…”

The maid behind them stifled a giggle, clutching a basin like it was the only thing keeping her from bursting out laughing.

Marcus wasn’t done. He leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper so dramatic it could rival any imperial edict. “And another thing… if the baby is in her stomach… won’t the acid… like… eat it?! The body is full of danger! What if it… disappears?!”

Flora buried her red face in her hands. “Marcus… it’s the womb… not the stomach!”

Louis pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath. “Emperors can conquer nations, but apparently, the womb is the deadliest battlefield.”

Marcus froze. “The womb… is… another stomach?!”

Flora peeked between her fingers, eyes sparkling with exasperated amusement. “No, Marcus! Not a stomach! Completely different!”

Marcus leaned back, as if Louis had just given him a secret manual for war. “Completely different… so… it won’t… burn…? Or dissolve?”

Louis exhaled sharply, trying to mask a smile. “No, Your Majesty. The child is perfectly safe. No acid, no ashes, nothing.”

Marcus slowly exhaled, though his hands remained protectively hovering over Flora’s belly. “Good… good… I will stand guard. 24/7. No one… touches… my child. Not even a chili pepper!”

Flora shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. “Marcus… you’re ridiculous… but thank you.”

The maid spun on her heel, trying to hide her laughter. Louis muttered again, “I’ve trained emperors in war… diplomacy… and now… apparently, in biology too.”

Marcus’s gaze softened, still intense, still protective. “I may be emperor… but I fear only one thing in this world… harming my family. Especially this one.”

Flora nudged his shoulder, amused and touched. “Then guard well, Your Majesty… but maybe… lay off the stomach theories for now.”

Marcus froze, eyes wide. “Stomach theories… acknowledged… but I will not rest until I… understand… all the threats…”

Dr. Louis rubbed the bridge of his forehead, wondering what the previous emperor had taught him. Marcus, capable of leading armies and striking fear into enemies, now stared wide-eyed at the explanation, as if it were the most impossible riddle in the world.

“The child will remain safe for nine months,” Louis repeated carefully, “and you must ensure nothing harms the Empress.”

Dr. Louis explained calmly, “The child will remain safe for nine months…”

Marcus froze mid-breath. Nine months? One month already felt like she was carrying the weight of a thousand fortresses. His eyes widened as he pictured her belly ripping apart under the strain. “How… how will she survive the for nine months!? She’ll—she’ll—!”

Flora blinked at him, red-faced and stifling a laugh, while Louis groaned, realizing that the greatest emperor of the Veylarian Empire was now terrified of a single month of pregnancy.

The maids rushed out trying not laugh infront of the emperor, and the doctor was on the verge of giving up.

The maids hurried out of the room, pretending to fuss with supplies but desperately trying not to laugh in front of the emperor. Dr. Louis pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath, clearly on the verge of surrendering to Marcus’s panic.

“Marcus,” Louis said, voice sharp, eyes narrowing, “she will be fine! Do you hear me? Fine!”

Marcus’s hands were clenched around the edge of the chair, his eyes wide with horror. “Fine? Fine?! One month already and her stomach feels like it’s going to rip into shreds! How… how can she survive nine months?!”

Flora, lying on the bed, could barely contain her laughter, her red cheeks matching the blush of embarrassment. “Marcus… it’s okay,” she murmured weakly.

“Okay?! Okay doesn’t cut it!” Marcus whispered, his voice trembling as if the very walls of the palace might crumble under the weight of his concern. “She’s carrying a… a… a fortress in there!”

Louis groaned so loudly that even the maids flinched. “Your Majesty, you’ve conquered armies, commanded entire legions… and yet you are terrified of a single baby!”

Marcus’s jaw set. “I… I will protect her... Now you can go. Thanks for the help".

Dr. Louis finally gave a weary bow, signaling he was taking his leave. The maids, seizing the opportunity, dashed out of the room as quickly as they could. No sooner had the doors closed behind them than their laughter erupted—sharp, uncontrolled, and utterly contagious.

Even Dr. Louis, still clutching his medical bag, couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head as he replayed the scene in his mind. The image of an emperor, the conqueror of armies and master of strategy, panicking over the size of a single baby, was too much for him to bear.

All the commotion, however, remained safely unheard by Marcus and Flora inside. Behind closed doors, the emperor’s eyes were still wide with exaggerated worry, and the empress’s cheeks glowed with a mix of embarrassment and amusement, completely oblivious to the laughter echoing down the hallway.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***