## Chapter 135
He carefully adjusted her disheveled hair and traced with his fingertips the soft curve that went from the base of her ear to her shoulder.
He felt a delicate bone structure beneath her soft skin, which was moistened by a light sweat. He even experienced a strange uneasiness before that body so fragile, which looked as though it would break with the slightest pressure. It was an extremely thin body, in which there barely seemed to be space for the blood, flesh, and bones of a single person. It was difficult to believe that a new life could be hidden inside it.
Varkas, who contemplated her with eyes full of concern, settled himself with care. Then, he lifted the woman deeply immersed in sleep, sat her on his knees, and rested her head against his chest.
"Talia, eat a little dinner and then sleep."
"I'm tired. I just want to sleep," she complained like a sleepy child and pushed him lightly.
Varkas did not mind; he wrapped one arm around her back and took the bowl of soup from the tray.
"You must eat at least a little. This will give you strength."
He held the bowl with the hand that enfolded her and took the spoon with the other. A light steam rose from the light soup, cooked with a clear chicken broth, softly soaked barley, and various herbs. After cooling it down to an appropriate temperature, he brought it close to her mouth.
The woman wrinkled her nose and then opened her mouth reluctantly. He carefully introduced the food into her mouth and watched her expressions attentively. Fortunately, it seemed to be to her liking, as she moved her lips, which resembled rosebuds, and swallowed the soup.
Varkas exhaled a slight sigh of relief and took another spoonful of the clear broth.
"One more bite."
The woman, nodding off to sleep resting on his lap, opened her mouth again. The scene recalled that of a small chick opening its beak to receive food. Varkas felt something warm and heavy accumulating deep within his heart, and he moved the spoon at regular intervals.
The woman, who usually complained by rejecting food, finished an entire bowl of broth. Varkas contemplated the empty bowl with satisfied eyes, wiped her lips with his thumb, and asked:
"Shall I bring more?"
"I don't want any. I'm full," she grumbled and curled up into herself.
He set the bowl aside and gently caressed her belly. Was this what it felt like to be full? He experienced a kind of strange satisfaction, even though it was not his own stomach that had been satiated.
He let out a long sigh, absorbed in that strange sensation. He had not felt hunger in the last fifteen years. By nature, he never ate in excess and did not even remember the last time he had been full. He always consumed just the right amount of food according to necessity. However, if he still had any desire for food left, he felt that this current fullness resembled the sensation of when a person eats something they love.
He rested his cheek upon her fragrant hair, which gave off a soft scent of rose oil, and caressed her back, which rose and fell rhythmically without stopping. Her regular and soft breathing mingled calmly with the still evening air. He listened to the sound of her breath and contemplated for a long time her face, which looked like that of a docile creature.
Perhaps this overflowing feeling was a natural reaction experienced by any man. Was not the desire to feed one's partner and care for her with comfort an instinct engraved in the blood of every male? Thinking about it that way, his unusual reaction took on a completely natural meaning.
After straightening his thoughts immediately, Varkas closed his eyes tightly while holding her completely in his arms.
---
"I congratulate you, Your Highness the Duchess. You are pregnant, without a doubt," said the priestess, concluding the examination with a bright smile on her lips.
Talia blinked in a daze. Then, she reacted suddenly upon hearing the enthusiastic voice of her nanny.
"Oh, my God, my little lady! You are very brave. Extremely brave!"
She hugged her tightly and patted her on the back with her plump hands. Over the nanny's round shoulder, Talia saw the face of the head maid, rigid and severe. Was she perhaps not pleased by the news of her pregnancy? She looked at her cautiously, but the head maid abruptly pushed the nanny aside by the shoulder and reclaimed in a harsh tone:
"How can you treat a pregnant woman so roughly? What if the baby gets a scare!"
The nanny's face flushed red at the severe scolding. She grumbled, twisting her lips:
"Who says I treated her roughly? I am the one who has cared for my little lady since she was a baby! I know the state of her body better than anyone!"
"You talk too much for not having noticed her pregnancy until now."
The head maid's observation left the nanny speechless. And the reason for that was that not even Talia herself had noticed the change in her body, despite how much the subject was talked about. The same happened to Talia; her period had stopped quite some time ago, but she never linked that fact to a pregnancy. Perhaps, deep in her heart, she never believed that she would actually conceive a child.
She looked down at her lower belly with a bewildered expression. Even at this moment, she could not entirely process it. Is there really a child inside me?
While she caressed her flat belly with a hesitant hand, a firm voice resonated near her head:
"Until now, I have followed the wishes of Your Highness the Duchess, but from this moment on, you must receive the care of the maids of the ducal house."
Talia contemplated her with a suspicious look. Automatically, she tightened her hands around her belly.
"Why? I am perfectly fine just as I am now."
"Your Highness the Duchess is no longer alone. We cannot entrust the safety of the baby, who could well be the next heir to the ducal house, to an incompetent maid," she declared rigidly.
Talia clung tightly to her nanny's dress, her face full of anguish.
"And what are you going to do if I say I don't want to? How dare a maid like you command..."
"Your Highness the Duchess, please, think of the child you carry in your womb," suddenly intervened the priestess, who had remained silent. Talia turned toward her with a tense face.
The priestess, who was writing something on a parchment, continued serenely:
"At this moment, the pregnancy by itself can be a heavy burden for Your Highness's body. To carry the gestation to term safely, you must receive specialized care."
Talia expressed her fear:
"Is my body that bad?"
"In your current state, it is almost difficult to maintain the pregnancy."
Talia's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the cautious response. The priestess, who lowered her gaze with regret, added:
"Fortunately, the baby is in very good health, but Your Highness's condition is not optimal. If the child grows more, the burden on you will increase uncontrollably, and that impact will completely affect the fetus. So that you can maintain the pregnancy safely during the ten months, you must begin a strict regimen right now."
"...What is it that I must do?"
"You must consume enough nutritious food and rest both physically and mentally. In addition, you must pay special attention to the way you move in these early stages."
Talia asked, biting her lips with a pale face and evident signs of fear:
"...If I do what you say, will I really be alright?"
A gentle smile formed on the priestess's lips, as if she were pleased by the patient's docile attitude.
"Of course. If you take care of yourself from now on, you will be able to give birth without setbacks."
Talia looked at her with skepticism, but in the end nodded her head.
The priestess gathered the medical instruments she had brought and stood up. Then, she handed the written parchment to the head maid and explained in detail the points to which they had to pay attention in the early stages of pregnancy.
Talia managed to see out of the corner of her eye her nanny twisting her lips, resentful for having been displaced from her position as exclusive companion, but she feigned not to notice. Was not the nanny careless and clumsy? If she had been alone it would not have mattered, but thinking about the baby she carried inside, it seemed better to have expert companions by her side.
'The baby in my womb...'
She looked at her lower belly once more. There is a child of Varkas inside me. While reflecting on this incredible reality, she stopped the head maid in a hurry.
"Don't tell Varkas."
The head maid looked surprised for a moment, and then directed a serious look at her.
"I cannot do that. Of course His Highness the Duke must know..."
"I will tell him myself," Talia interrupted her quickly. "Therefore, keep the secret until then."
When she arched her eyebrows and warned her with severity, she saw that the maids filling the room exchanged glances with uncomfortable expressions. One of them opened her mouth cautiously:
"Your Highness the Duchess, His Highness the Duke..."
"It's fine. We will keep the secret until you yourself tell him today."