Outwardly, the change was barely noticeable.
But she had always been so slender that even the slightest swelling was impossible to miss.
Slipping his hand beneath her wool surcoat, he slowly traced the length of her abdomen beneath the thin silk undergarment, from just below her navel down to her pubic bone.
Through the delicate fabric, he could distinctly feel how much firmer her skin had become.
Her once-flat stomach had begun to take on the faintest curve.
The sight fascinated him so much that he kept gently stroking it until the woman, curled up comfortably in his lap, shifted her hips uneasily.
Looking up at her face with concern, he asked,
“Did I hurt you?”
“No, it's not that... It's just... down there...”
Talia stammered, her cheeks turning scarlet as she awkwardly lowered her gaze.
Until they had learned of her pregnancy, they had shared a bed almost every night.
He couldn't understand why she was suddenly acting so embarrassed.
Assuming she felt uncomfortable because of the changes in his body, he adjusted her slightly in his arms.
“It will settle down after a while. Please don't concern yourself with it.”
“How am I supposed not to?”
She shot him an incredulous glare.
Did she realize that every time she narrowed her eyes like that, her already alluring face became even more provocative?
Suppressing the urge to swallow those pouting lips whole, he remained silent as she continued rambling.
“I heard... when men get like that... it's actually pretty painful. Um... if it isn't taken care of for a long time... it can even start to hurt...”
“Who told you that?”
She flinched.
Only then did he realize how dangerously low his voice had become.
He had no intention of frightening her, so he deliberately softened his tone.
“Who told you something like that?”
“I don't know. I just... heard it somewhere a long time ago.”
She visibly panicked as she fumbled for an answer.
It wasn't difficult for him to guess where she had learned such things.
She had probably heard it from some man while attending the regular banquets at the Empress's Palace.
One after another, the faces of the men who had constantly hovered around her flashed through his mind.
He had already begun narrowing down the most likely suspects when she hurriedly changed the subject.
“Anyway... doesn't it bother you when you're like that?”
“...And if it does?”
Varkas answered dryly.
“If I told you it bothered me, what exactly would you do?”
Confusion spread across her clear face.
Nibbling anxiously on her lower lip, she murmured almost inaudibly,
“Even if... we don't sleep together... I heard there's another way to... make it better...”
“...”
“I could... show you how... if you want?”
Varkas felt a sharp throb at the back of his head.
The urge to demand who had taught her such things made the muscles in his throat tighten.
He swallowed the harsh words that had risen to the tip of his tongue.
Then he felt a featherlight touch settle against his waist.
Without looking away, he watched her lift the hem of his shirt.
Apparently nervous now that she was actually about to touch him, her fingers lingered near his taut abdomen before cautiously slipping beneath his belt.
In that instant, it felt as though all the blood in his body surged in reverse.
Simply watching those long, delicate fingers—beautiful enough to rival a masterpiece of craftsmanship—clumsily undo his belt was enough to push his arousal to a dangerous extreme.
He grabbed her wrist at once.
“No.”
She flinched and looked up at him.