TWFLLYM Ch 119

Reasonable Suspicion

[Roserikta] "……Ugh, this is killing me."

Ever since that moment, she couldn't swallow any food. At most, she managed to take a single bite of an apple here and there. Even then, it felt like swallowing a poisoned apple.

[Roserikta] "Clobell. I am so hungry."

[Clobell] "Oh dear, what should we do? Shall I boil some porridge for you?"

Her words alone were remarkably sweet. The once lazy, gluttonous cat had transformed into a deeply considerate and mature companion.

Wow, I never expected this. I certainly raised a wonderful cat.

She shook her head.

[Roserikta] "No. You still can't handle actual cooking yet."

[Clobell] "This is the perfect chance to try! But even if I cook, you have to be able to eat it."

[Roserikta] "Yes. That is the real problem. I don't want to make you work hard for nothing……."

Roserikta let her head droop weakly. She had been confined to her bed for three days straight. Even when she forced herself up because her back felt broken, the strength left her legs, forcing her back down onto the mattress.

[Clobell] "At this rate, forget the baby, you will be in grave danger. Can't you make a medicine to cure morning sickness?"

Clobellina tapped her back gently to comfort her.

[Roserikta] "It varies from person to person, so there is no set cure. And Clobell, thank you for patting my back, but please stop for now. My head is throbbing."

[Clobell] "Oh, I see. I understand."

Clobellina pulled her front paw away immediately.

A sudden wave of sorrow brought tears to Roserikta's eyes. Though she didn't realize it, her limp form on the bed looked exactly like Kalart's worn-down state.

[Roserikta] "You know, Clobell……."

[Clobell] "Yes. Speak to me."

[Roserikta] "I can't sleep. Thoughts keep…… rushing into my mind."

[Clobell] "Thoughts about what?"

[Roserikta] "Him. His thin, pale face keeps flashing before my eyes."

[Clobell] "You are practically dying yourself, yet you only think of others. Stop that and think about what to eat. If you starve, the baby starves too."

[Roserikta] "I want to, but my body refuses to listen……."

Tears blurred her sight again the moment she thought of Kalart. Roserikta flicked her fingers toward the air, and a napkin flew over from the kitchen cupboard. She caught it mid-air and blew her nose loudly.

Clobellina opened her mouth in absolute wonder.

[Clobell] "Wow, you use magic perfectly now! Is it as easy as eating cold soup to you now?"

[Roserikta] "Yes."

[Clobell] "Then you don't even need the Axaca powder anymore."

[Roserikta] "Exactly."

[Clobell] "If you aren't going to use it, can I've the remaining powder?"

[Roserikta] "Yes, go ahead. That sounds better. It prevents me from relying on the powder out of habit, which helps me grow……."

Clobellina gave her a pitiful look.

[Clobell] "Why do you sound so completely drained while saying something so positive?"

She had a point. Roserikta knew exactly why. The magic, the witch's life, and the new recipes that had once filled her with intense passion now failed to give her any energy.

Before she could stop herself, she confessed her true desire.

[Roserikta] "Should I go visit him for a brief moment?"

Clobellina, who had been licking her paw out of habit, lifted her head in shock.

[Clobell] "Huh? What did you just say?"

[Roserikta] "Just that, somehow, I feel like I would recover if I did."

[Clobell] "By 'visiting,' you mean that Crown Prince guy? You want to go to the imperial palace?"

[Roserikta] "Mmm……."

Roserikta gave a small nod.

[Clobell] "Oh my goodness. Did you come all this way to live here just to do this?"

[Roserikta] "I never said I would live here until I died. I said I would return after living here for a while."

[Clobell] "Has it been a year or two since we arrived? You can't even endure this much, so why did you put him through all that agony?"

[Roserikta] "Back then, I thought we could both handle it…… Sniff, but this morning sickness makes my body so miserable that I can't take it anymore. I just feel incredibly sad, entirely broken, and so……."

I miss him so much.

[Clobell] "Sigh."

She clicked her tongue.

[Clobell] "Isn't it actually the opposite? Tell the truth. You didn't start missing him because of the morning sickness; you have morning sickness because you miss him so much."

[Roserikta] "How should I know……."

Yet Clobellina's logic held ground. Her morning sickness had triggered immediately after she used the telescope to watch Kalart during the day.

[Roserikta] "Ah, I really think I should go."

[Clobell] "You lack the strength to even get out of bed, so how can you ride a broom?"

[Roserikta] "I've to try."

Suddenly, a surge of energy filled her body. She leaped out of bed and snatched her broom.

[Roserikta] "Clobell! I can make it! My body suddenly feels much better!"

[Clobell] "Sigh. Look at that. If it was going to be like this, you should have gone sooner instead of suffering. Even the baby in your belly must be complaining."

Her body felt miraculously light, so Clobellina's sarcastic remarks entirely missed her ears.

[Roserikta] "I will be right back. No, Clobell, do you want to come with me?"

[Clobell] "Of course, you must take me! I am too anxious to let you go alone. You look fine now, but who knows when the morning sickness will strike again."

[Roserikta] "Then let's leave right away. I must go while my body feels well."

Clobellina snorted in disbelief.

[Clobell] "This morning sickness turned her into a fool. The path hasn't appeared yet, so where do you think you're going? Wait until the moon rises. It's broad daylight out there."

[Roserikta] "Ah……."

Her energy vanished in an instant. She sank back onto the bed, completely limp.

[Roserikta] "Since I lie down every day, I can't even tell if it's day or night. Ugh, I am dying……."

[Clobell] "Sigh."

Watching Roserikta return to her pathetic state, Clobellina felt certain that this morning sickness was merely intense longing in disguise.

---

The moon finally rose. Roserikta released a pink butterfly toward the castle where Grandmother Mazi lived. She used it to send a message explaining that she was going to see Kalart for a short while.

[Roserikta] "Clobell, hurry, let's go!"

[Clobell] "Look how full of energy she is again. This is ridiculous."

Complaining that her mouth would dry up from clicking her tongue so much, she climbed into the lap of Roserikta, who sat on the broom.

[Clobell] "Let's go."

[Roserikta] "Yes!"

The broom soared into the air, flying swiftly down the path embroidered with starlight.

---

Whenever the moon rose, Kalart always stood by the window. Therefore, Roserikta looked toward the window at the same time. She believed that even if he couldn't see her waving with all her longing, he would feel it.

[Roserikta] "That's strange."

Tonight, however, Kalart was missing from the window. She tilted her head, staring at the window, which remained closed contrary to his habit.

[Roserikta] "Did he go somewhere today?"

The mere thought of his absence made her stomach churn again.

[Clobell] "Doesn't it look like he is in the adjacent room? The light is on in the next room."

[Roserikta] "Ah, really?"

Thud!

Roserikta used her magic to fling the window open. Stepping into her own dark bedroom felt strange. Kalart had used this room constantly since she departed for the Witch's Kingdom.

Despite that, nothing inside the room had changed. The sheets, pillowcases, tablecloth, and cushions remained exactly as they were the day she left. Kalart had stubbornly kept everything identical.

Thinking about his stubbornness brought tears to her eyes once more.

[Clobell] "What are you doing? Go check the next room."

[Roserikta] "Right."

She stood the broom against the wall and headed toward the adjacent room. Driven by her racing heart, she flung the door open without knocking.

[Roserikta] "Oh……."

Her entire body froze. An impossible, unimaginable sight unfolded right before her eyes.

[Kalart] "Is this a dream?"

Discovering Roserikta, Kalart muttered blankly. She wanted to utter the same words.

[Roserikta] "Right? This is a dream, isn't it?"

Kalart was not alone. Princess Aika, beautiful enough to look like a female version of Kalart himself, stood beside him. Finding him with another woman at this hour in a bedroom was shocking enough, but their actions made it far worse.

Kalart was sliding a ring onto Princess Aika's finger. A dazzling, brilliant blue diamond ring.

[Clobell] "What on earth are they doing?"

Clobellina's jaw dropped in sheer disbelief.

[Aika] "This is no dream."

Princess Aika provided the answer.

[Aika] "I heard you traveled far away, yet you have returned, Marchioness Martianan."

Reality struck her, shattering the illusion of a dream. With that realization, the morning sickness that had briefly paused returned with a vengeance.

[Roserikta] "Then why on earth are you doing this…… Ugh! Vomit!"

As she bent over and began to gag, Kalart finally snapped out of his daze and rushed forward.

[Kalart] "Are you hurt? Why suddenly…… no, you must sit down first."

Fumbling with uncharacteristic panic, Kalart tried to gather Roserikta into his arms.

[Roserikta] "Get your hands off me!"

She screamed fiercely.

[Roserikta] "Tell me what you are doing first! Why is Princess Aika wearing my ring…… Ugh!"

[Kalart] "The ring? Ah, that is…… ……Oh no!"

When Roserikta pushed him away, Kalart recoiled instinctively, but the sight of her renewed gagging made him hold her again, desperate to help.

[Roserikta] "I told you to take your hands off me! Why that ring…… Ugh!"

Unable to fight the intense nausea, her stomach violently expelled liquid.

[Kalart] "Good heavens!"

The vomit soaked his clothes. Ignoring the mess entirely, Kalart lifted Roserikta and ran toward the nearest couch. He lay her down halfway across the cushions, his face completely pale.

[Kalart] "Are you alright? Should I summon the royal physician? No, there is no need to ask. That is best. I will go right now—"

[Roserikta] "Where do you think you are going! Answer me first!"

She shouted fiercely, gripping his collar. Kalart sank directly to the floor by her feet.

[Kalart] "Very well. What do you wish for me to say?"

[Roserikta] "The ring. Wasn't that ring meant for me?"

Forgetting all decorum, Roserikta pointed directly at Princess Aika.

[Roserikta] "Why are you giving my ring to the Princess? And placing it on her finger yourself……."

[Kalart] "No."

He cut her off instantly.

[Kalart] "It is your ring. Rather, I commissioned it specifically for you. But I decided to change it. I heard diamonds lack any practical use for you. So I intended to remake the ring, but suddenly……."

His explanation followed.

Kalart had spent every single day consumed by longing. Thoughts of Roserikta provided the sole source of energy for his broken spirit. Remaking the ring was part of that focus.

Yet, when he attempted to remake it, sudden terror gripped him. He lost all confidence in her ring size, a detail he had felt certain about when working with the blue diamond. He feared that losing these details meant he would slowly forget her entirely.

Princess Aika, visiting the Empire for diplomatic reasons, learned of his struggle and made a suggestion. She mentioned her finger size matched Roserikta's.

Desperate, Kalart believed her words without verifying them. To him, it was a way to hold onto fading memories. They chose the bedroom simply because the ring remained stored there. He hadn't been placing the ring on her finger; he had merely extended it toward her. Princess Aika offering her hand was an action he never anticipated.

[Roserikta] "Is that the absolute truth?"

Panting heavily, she questioned Princess Aika. Looking away in shame and embarrassment, Princess Aika nodded.

[Aika] "I believe I should leave you two alone now. Please, enjoy your reunion to the fullest."

Princess Aika set the ring down and vanished quickly.

Kalart finally let out a sigh of relief, pressing a burning kiss against the back of Roserikta's hand.

[Kalart] "Thank you. For believing me."

[Roserikta] "Your Highness."

She called his name with extreme gravity. Kalart stared back at her, anxiety returning to his face.

[Kalart] "Why?"

[Roserikta] "There is something else you must do right now."

[Kalart] "Tell me. Anything."

[Roserikta] "Go change your clothes. The scent is terrible…… Ugh!"

As her anger cooled, the morning sickness struck again. Kalart calmly used his own clothes to catch the vomit. After repeating this a few times, her stomach finally settled.

Once she stopped vomiting, Kalart pulled away gently.

[Kalart] "Are you finished? Then I will change and return."

[Roserikta] "Yes…… hurry."

He rose quickly, making sure to add one final statement.

[Kalart] "I will hurry. Don't disappear while I am gone."

[Roserikta] "I lack the strength to even walk away……."

She let out a weak laugh and lay back on the couch. His bedroom felt strangely chilly, like a place left empty for too long.

[Roserikta] "Once you finish changing, please carry me to the adjacent room. It is a bit cold here……."

Roserikta whispered faintly like a mosquito, yet Kalart, who was pulling clothes from across the room, managed to catch her words perfectly.

[Kalart] "Wait just a moment."

Ultimately, he shed his ruined garment, slipped his arms into a fresh shirt without buttoning it, and carried Roserikta back to the adjacent room. The bed they had shared every night before her departure felt completely warm and cozy.

She smiled weakly.

[Roserikta] "It feels like I've come home."

He replied after a long silence.

[Kalart] "That is the most welcome phrase I could hear right now."

His voice choked up as he spoke. She felt the same way.