She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 130

SS 3: A Baby Has Arrived (3)

Sierra nodded vigorously. Hanael opened her eyes wide and reached out her hand.

[Hanael] "I-Is there a baby in your belly?"

Unlike her energetic voice, the hands approaching Sierra's belly moved twice as carefully as usual.

Sierra nodded, gently patting Hanael's hand. Atop their hands rested Cassius' thick hand as he stood beside them like a reliable knight.

[Sierra] "Now our family, including Grandma, makes five people."

Opening her mouth wide in wonder, Hanael shouted.

[Hanael] "Yup!"

As soon as those words ended, a soft shower of flower petals drifted around the walking path like a coincidence.

It was a joyful moment.

---

The following afternoon.

Learning that a younger sibling was coming, Hanael stepped inside the toy shop her father gave her.

A younger sibling is coming, so I want to give my sibling a present.......

As a proper toy shop owner, she wished to buy a toy—a meaningful one.

Beside the little shop owner whose brow furrowed deeply in contemplation, a clerk asked carefully.

[Clerk] "What kind of item do you desire?"

[Hanael] "Hmm...... Something suitable for a one-year-old kid."

[Clerk] "Usually, at that age, infants use mobiles rather than toys."

[Hanael] "Mobiles?"

The clerk skillfully guided Hanael like an escort. She arrived at the "Mobiles" section in an instant.

Staring at the array of mobiles filling an entire wall, she widened her eyes.

[Hanael] "Things like this exist too......!"

Come to think of it, memories resurfaced of her mother making a mobile for her during her younger years. Hanael offered a soft smile at the past memory, looking at the clerk.

[Hanael] "Which mobile usually sells well?"

[Clerk] "Ah, that depends on gender. Is the recipient a boy or a girl?"

Nobody knew the baby's gender yet. Though gender-determining potions existed and Sierra could easily brew one, neither her mother nor father intended to test the baby's gender.

[Hanael] "Umm, I don't know. Just...... I like cute mobiles. I will look around more."

When she asked with wide eyes, the clerk nodded in understanding.

Hanael examined the mobiles closely. Because this served as the first gift for her sibling, taking something strange proved unacceptable.

A few minutes later, right when even the professional clerk grew fatigued, a flawlessly cute mobile caught her meticulous detection radar.

Cherry-shaped! Cute! Dangling!

She opened her eyes wide and pointed her index finger toward the cherry-shaped mobile—with immense energy!

[Hanael] "That one, the cherry one!"

[Clerk] "Ah, yes! I will wrap it up immediately. By the way, what is the baby's name?"

Everyone called the baby "baby." Sierra had not chosen a name yet, right?

Hanael tilted her head.

[Hanael] "Why do you need a name?"

[Clerk] "We offer a complimentary service to engrave the name onto the mobile."

There is no name......

Clutching her head, Hanael's eyes sparkled as a thought struck her.

There is no name, but......!

[Hanael] "Then make it Little Sprout!"

I must give the baby a nickname!

Little Sprout, so the baby grows big and strong. Accidental as it was, Hanael created her sibling's fetus nickname, smiling softly.

---

At that exact moment, Sierra faced a similar obstacle.

I must name the baby.

The moment she realized that fact, her mind went completely blank.

A baby name? What should I do about this......?

For context, she possessed no talent for naming. She could barely remember how her past self came up with Hanael's name.

Fortunately, in this world, a method existed for people who lacked naming sense to survive: a naming bureau.......

[Hanael] "Can I name the baby?"

......Or rather, Hanael barged through the bedroom door with immense energy.

[Hanael] "Mommy! Can I?"

[Sierra] "Huh......?"

She walked toward the window where Sierra sat, placing her hand atop Sierra's barely swollen belly while whispering.

[Hanael] "Little Sprout, you must grow big and strong, okay......?"

My goodness, she even brought a fetus nickname.

Sierra adopted the nickname Hanael created right away.

[Sierra] "R-Right. Our Little Sprout."

Coming up with a nickname for her sibling at such a young age, as expected, is our daughter a genius, just like the Academy certified?

Sierra seriously contemplated while looking down at Hanael's neatly tied hair.

Regardless, Hanael rested her hand on Sierra's belly, whispering something carefully—surprising Sierra with comments like, "I want to name you," and "I should prepare a hundred candidate names!"

[Sierra] "By the way, Hanael, do you want to try naming your sibling?"

Whispering to her sibling for a while, Hanael snapped her head up at Sierra's question and answered energetically.

[Hanael] "Yup! I want to name the baby!"

Sierra answered brightly.

[Sierra] "All right, then come up with a few names and tell me."

I can pick among those, presumably.

[Hanael] "Yup! Tee-hee, I will work super hard to make names!"

The corners of her lips stretched wide. What special meaning did this little girl place on choosing a single name?

Reaching out, Hanael patted Sierra's belly, attempting to convey her feelings to her sibling once again.

Fascinating...... Usually, firstborns feel jealousy when a second child arrives.

Hanael displayed no such envy, merely blinking her innocent eyes while touching Sierra's belly. Still, just in case.......

[Sierra] "Hanael."

Without taking her eyes off Sierra's rounded belly, Hanael replied.

[Hanael] "Hmm?"

[Sierra] "Who is the person Mommy loves and cherishes the most?"

[Hanael] "Hanael!"

Unlike before, she stated her own name as a matter of course, adding delight to her already happy expression. Furthermore.......

[Hanael] "Hanael knows Mommy's heart completely now."

Patting Sierra's belly gently, Hanael spoke.

[Hanael] "And Hanael loves Mommy, Daddy, and my sibling too."

It came as a completely natural statement.

Right at that moment—

Was the baby inside listening to their voices? The baby kicked outward against the belly. Hanael blinked in wonder.

[Sierra] "Mmm, no matter how I look at it, your sibling is saying 'I love Hanael too.'"

Hanael's eyes widened. Even without words, sheer excitement colored her expression. She clenched her fists with excitement.

I must come up with a cool name quickly!

---

Months waxed and waned steadily thereafter, and ten months passed.

Yet apart from her initial determination, Hanael had not chosen a baby name yet. The reason was simple: how could anyone easily perform a task as difficult as naming a child?

Sierra fully understood Hanael's precious heart. Furthermore, Hanael's thoughtful consideration took precedence over naming an unborn baby. Thus, everyone in the estate referred to the baby as "Little Sprout" while growing inside her belly for ten months.

Lacking a name didn't anger the baby, who remained quiet. Aside from occasionally kicking to show its presence, nothing occurred.

Around the time Sierra's belly swelled like a round gourd, labor pains struck.

After several hours of contractions continued and Sierra gripped Cassius' hair while crying out.......

A healthy baby entered the world.

Naturally, Sierra barely caught a glimpse of the baby's face, passing out the moment the midwife showed the healthy child in her hands.......

The second child was a son.

---

A week passed at the estate following the second child's birth. Sierra required a long postpartum recovery due to her labor struggles.

Swearing never to bother her mother, Hanael resolved to check from afar whether Sierra was healthy.

I can't see Mommy, but they said I can see the baby!

Wearing a rare mischievous expression, she peeked into a small room inside the estate. Over there, alongside the nurse, her younger brother lay inside a baby basket.

Her heart throbbed, and her hands and feet grew cold.

Facing her brother for the first time made her tremble. Unsure what to say or how to look at him initially, her heart felt ready to burst.

Tomorrow...... I will come back again.

Turning back several times like that—

The fact that Hanael stood outside the baby's bedroom door for a long time before returning to her own room became known to nearly everyone except Sierra.

Maids stamped their feet in pity for Hanael, and even the Grand Madam learned of the situation. Pushing back her chair immediately, she appeared before the baby's bedroom door, where Hanael hesitated over whether to enter.

[G. Madam] "My child."

[Hanael] "Grandma!"

Delighted that Hanael greeted her warmly despite the hesitation, the Grand Madam almost forgot her purpose while smiling brightly.

I must not act without dignity like this.

Clearing her throat twice, she squeezed Hanael's hand firmly.

[G. Madam] "Let us enter."

[Hanael] "Huh......?"

[G. Madam] "You should see your brother, my child."

Led inside the baby room by the Grandma's hand before she could react—

The room carried the distinct powdery scent of an infant.

Stopping at the doorway, Hanael stared intently at the basket holding the baby.

Reaching the room was one thing, but Hanael lacked the courage to step all the way to the basket. Yet the Grand Madam and the nurse urged her forward.

[G. Madam] "Come along and see your brother, my child."

[Nurse] "Indeed, Lady Hanael. Please look at the baby."

Hesitating at the doorway, Hanael stepped forward carefully. Step by step, her approaching feet moved with calm deliberation.

And finally reaching the baby crib—

Her younger brother lay without whimpering, eyes open, bright and sparkling. As Hanael looked down at the baby in wonder, the nurse and the Grand Madam began talking.

[Nurse] "The baby is remarkably mature."

[G. Madam] "Is that so?"

[Nurse] "Yes, Grand Madam. At times, it seems as if he is living a second life. He sleeps well, burps well, and never cries."

[G. Madam] "Indeed, he is the great blessing of our family."

Listening to the Grand Madam and the nurse, Hanael stared intently at her brother.

Something...... feels familiar.

A strange sense of déjà vu washed over her. Though newborn, red, and tiny, he brought to mind someone fair-skinned and chubby.......

No matter how I look at him, he resembles a familiar face.......

Yet Hanael knew almost no baby faces.......

Right at that moment, a flash of past memory flickered through her mind like lightning.

[Hanael] "I reincarnate into the world first!"

[Child] "Mmm-hmm. I will pray to God and reincarnate too, without fail."

[Hanael] "I will wait!"

The tiny child who spoke those words...... a victim of the Icarus murder case. A small child sacrificed by the Crown Prince.

Why did the thought suddenly strike her that this baby resembled that child's face?

Squeezing her brother's tiny hand, Hanael recalled the child's name. Back then, was that child's name...... Agnas?

The moment that thought occurred, the baby curled his body. A smile seemed to spread across his lips.

Gazing upon that adorable sight, whether the Agnas from back then matched this child no longer mattered. Hanael whispered aloud in a clear voice.

[Hanael] "My brother's name is Agnas."

May only happy things await this tiny younger brother in the future.

Holding such thoughts, she squeezed Agnas' hand firmly.

It felt warm beyond measure.

※End of Side Stories※

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