651,

While choosing a gift for little Wind, Elyse felt happier than she ever had before.

After her father and mother died, all Elyse had left of a family was her perverted older brother.

Back then, Elyse could see only two paths ahead of her.

She could become the heroine of a forbidden romance between siblings, be the king’s pet, and spend every day asking her brother for a man’s strength.

The other path was to heed the prophecy from her childhood and wait for the strongest man in the world to appear.

She’d added “the strongest” herself, but Mikoni had said that man was one of the best in bed.

Even at a young age, Elyse understood one thing: if a woman wanted to be happy, she had to choose a good husband.

And Elyse thought her happiest moments were when she was alone in the bathroom, secretly doing things that brought her to the brink of ecstasy.

That fleeting pleasure was the joy Elyse chased every day.

Elyse chose to wait—to wait for the man from the prophecy.

At last, she found him.

Ever since she got together with Cyclone, every day had been exciting.

It wasn’t until she was carrying Cyclone’s child that Elyse remembered.

She’d forgotten that feeling: a simple, warm love.

“Honey~”

Elyse said softly.

When Cyclone turned around, Elyse leaned forward.

She kissed him on the lips, then pulled back after just one second. No more than that.

“……”

Cyclone stared at Elyse as if he were stunned, but she only giggled to herself.

“What’s wrong? You’re not happy with me being sweet all of a sudden?”

Cyclone tilted his head and said helplessly.

“Of course I’m not satisfied~ A kiss like that~ has to happen every day to make me happy~”

“Heh~”

“By the way, where do you want to go next?”

“Hmm…”

It had been a long time since Elyse had gone out, and this trip had come up so suddenly that she hadn’t thought of anywhere she wanted to visit.

But that was all right. Elyse knew the man before her was a prince who could see right through her.

Cyclone smiled and said,

“If you can’t think of anywhere, then I’ll decide~ There’s a place I’ve been wanting to take you~”

Cyclone called for a carriage and helped her into it like a prince.

“It’s not that far, but you’ve bought so much stuff~”

That was what Cyclone said, but really, he’d arranged the carriage because he didn’t want his very pregnant Elyse walking around.

Elyse wouldn’t call him out on it. Right now, simply being a good, obedient little wife was the happiest she could be.

But…

Cyclone didn’t get in with her. He closed the carriage door.

After closing it, Cyclone didn’t get in for a long time.

That made Elyse uneasy.

“Honey?”

She waited a little longer, but Cyclone still hadn’t climbed in.

Elyse shifted to one side and tried opening the door in front of her.

Just then, a child’s voice suddenly rang out.

“Mama?”

Drawn by the voice, Elyse looked toward the front of the carriage.

A shadow sat opposite her—a tiny, dark shadow, sitting quietly at the front.

“……”

“Mama…”

“You’re…”

For some reason, when Elyse looked at the black, ghostly figure, she wasn’t frightened at all. Instead, tears spilled from her eyes without her realizing it.

“Mama…”

“Are you… little Wind?”

“Does Mama not want Wind anymore?”

“How could that be? How could Mama ever not want you, Wind?”

The shadow reached out a tiny hand and pointed at Elyse’s belly.

Beneath her ample breasts, her stomach was flat.

“But Mama already… abandoned Wind…”

“That can’t be…”

Elyse looked up. The shadow had vanished.

“That can’t be… Honey? Cyclone?!”

Elyse tried to push the carriage door open, searching for Cyclone, who had disappeared.

But the moment she pushed the door, the carriage vanished.

With the carriage gone, Elyse suddenly began to fall freely.

The terror of that moment jolted Elyse awake from her dream.

When she woke, Elyse looked down at her belly.

The baby was gone, but her belly was still swollen.

Even so, Elyse began to cry.

Because inside that hollow, swollen belly, there was no life anymore.