You made me suffer so much.
But I endured all of it.
So you'd better listen to everything I say.
And you have to love me more than anyone else in the world.
Because I'll love you that much too.
She had been absentmindedly thinking such things when, before she knew it, she drifted off to sleep.
A gentle hand stroking her forehead made Talia slowly open her eyes.
Looking up, she found Varkas standing over her, his face shadowed.
She pushed herself upright drowsily.
"When did you get back?"
"I just finished my official duties. Lie back down."
"No. I've been lying down the whole time. My back hurts."
She brushed away the hand trying to ease her back onto the bed and leaned against the headboard with a cushion before leisurely looking him over.
Dressed in a reddish-brown doublet embroidered with the ornate patterns unique to the East and black leather boots, he looked every bit the dignified and elegant nobleman.
"Was there some sort of event?"
Talia eyed his unusually formal attire suspiciously.
Undoing the buttons of his doublet, Varkas answered calmly.
"I merely attended the Noble Alliance meeting."
"There's been a lot of meetings lately. Did something happen?"
"Nothing at all."
He paused before abruptly changing the subject.
"More importantly... why did you change rooms?"
There was unmistakable dissatisfaction in his voice.
Wrapping both arms around her knees, Talia lowered her eyes awkwardly.
"Because you can't sleep properly because of me. I thought it'd be better if we used separate rooms until the baby is born."
"Stop worrying about such pointless things."
Varkas answered rather sharply before leaning over the bed.
Realizing he intended to pick her up, Talia quickly retreated toward the corner.
"I prefer it this way."
His eyes narrowed.
Silently looking down at her, Varkas sat on the edge of the bed and replied in a cool voice.
"Weren't you the one who said everything became inconvenient if I wasn't beside you taking care of you?"
"That was then... It's different now."
"What's different?"
Talia looked at Varkas's strong, beautiful silhouette standing against the firelight before lowering her gaze to her own body beneath the thin nightgown.
Her breasts had swollen until they resembled those of a dairy cow.
Her stomach protruded like a toad's belly.
Her emaciated body had once looked pitiful enough.
But now this swollen body, stretched to its limit, disgusted her even more.
She was happy about the baby.
That was true.
But unlike Aila's effortless elegance or Senevier's sensual beauty, she found herself growing increasingly miserable every time she looked at herself.
Pulling the blanket higher around her shoulders, she answered irritably,
"It didn't hurt this much back then."
"That's all the more reason I should be beside you."
Frowning, Varkas reached toward her again.
Startled, Talia twisted away.
But before she could escape, his long arm wrapped around her back.
In an instant, she found herself lifted onto his lap.
Flustered, Talia hurriedly tugged the hem of her nightdress down to cover her legs.