LUCIA

Epilogue

Hugo suddenly stopped upon seeing the empty bed. He felt like he knew where she would be, so he heaved a helpless sigh and turned around.

As he expected, the light in the dining room on the first floor was on. She was there, sitting alone on the wide dining table and cutting a steak. Jerome was standing by her side, waiting on her, then he discovered his master and bowed his head. Lucia momentarily locked eyes with her husband as he walked into the dining room, but she turned away with a sullen expression.

Hugo didn't know if her food would digest when she ate so late and he was sincerely worried about her, so he tried to give her words of concern. But when he glanced sideways and saw his butler furiously shaking his head, he quickly shut his mouth. Right. He was better off not saying anything. These days, everything he said kept rubbing her the wrong way.

A few days ago, Hugo was surprised at her ability to devour a couple slices cake in one sitting at such a late time in the day, so he commented on it. There was no other meaning behind it. It was really just something he said without thinking about it.

[I think you eat too much at night.]

'What if you get an upset stomach?' was what he planned on following up with but she immediately put down her fork noisily, sprang to her feet and left. And she was completely in grouch mode; even if he tried to talk to her, she didn't reply and he didn't get to even touch her all night.

Several days passed, and her sulky energy still hadn't disappeared, so he was continuously on his tiptoes.

'Master, please.'

Jerome was afraid that his master would say the wrong thing.

Although Jerome was unmarried, he had watched the process of his nephews being born. Around the time when the baby was almost due, Fabian always made the same mistake and would end up getting kicked out in the middle of the night, then he would come to Jerome to whine.

[I only said I think she has gained some weight. Why is she throwing dishes at me because I said she's gained a few?]
[I mean, I felt like she was eating too much, and I was worried she might have an upset stomach, so I said it out of concern.]

When he heard it, he didn't think Fabian had said anything overboard. His sister-in-law was an easygoing person, so she wasn't the type to get angry over a slip of the tongue.

It was thanks to this that Jerome became enlightened. He gained the precious knowledge that pregnant women became very sensitive and one especially shouldn't speak about anything concerning food or body shape to a pregnant woman.

"Is there anything for me?"

When Hugo asked as he sat down at the table, Jerome swiftly replied.

"It will be brought out soon."

Lucia slightly glanced at Hugo, who had taken a seat, and she put a piece of steak into her mouth. It was really delicious. She savored the taste of the delicious meat that seemed to melt inside her mouth.

She didn't used to be the type to enjoy eating a lot of meat. However, ever since having a child in her stomach, her appetite had changed. Even she herself was aware of the fact that her appetite had dramatically increased and that she was eating a lot all the time.

'It's because the baby is hungry.'

Even the doctor said that it was good for the child's development, so she should eat as much as she wanted. Although she used the excuse that it was the baby, when she turned around after eating and found herself hungry again, she felt like she was seized by her instinctual appetite and she felt oddly frustrated. And her husband's comment in the midst of this made her very upset.