“Is there anywhere you’re feeling uncomfortable these days?”
Maria was always fidgeting, busy asking about Eliya’s condition.
“If there’s anything uncomfortable, it’s best to resolve it right away. A mother’s health is also the child’s health.”
“Yeah. I understand.”
Pregnancy can be tough in many ways.
Both physically and mentally.
Even doing the same daily routine can lead to quick fatigue or exhaustion.
But Eliya, well, she hasn’t really experienced those.
No morning sickness at all.
The only noticeable change is that her appetite has suddenly grown strong.
She sleeps more and deeper than before.
Is that it?
Even her already abundant libido has suddenly skyrocketed.
This is a secret known only to Judas and herself.
Thank goodness it’s a time when love is permitted.
“Symptoms don’t always occur at the same time for everyone. You never know when morning sickness might suddenly hit. You should always talk to Mei about it.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Eliya enjoyed Maria’s nagging.
Even though it’s called nagging, it’s not like she’s being scolded.
It’s all about worry and reassurance.
Judas was also attentive to her.
It was already known that he cherished her dearly.
But since she got pregnant,
Especially after her belly started to grow, it became even more pronounced.
“Eli. What do you want to eat today?”
“Hmm…”
With her increased appetite, Eliya craved different foods every day.
“Today, I want chicken. Roasted in oil.”
Even though he wasn’t the one cooking, Judas asked daily.
He just wanted to know about Eliya’s condition.
Enjoying his interest, Eliya would respond with a cheerful smile each time.
“I guess the baby wants some chicken too.”
“Yeah. And I want you to have some too, Judas.”
“…That will be saved for snack time later.”
At Judas’s playful remark, Eliya burst into laughter.
Judas gently caressed her noticeably rounded belly.
It’s a complicated feeling when you see it.
The fruit of the love between her and him is alive within.
It felt unreal.
Respectful feelings towards Eliya began to blossom.
Fortunately, she was not suffering greatly from pregnancy, but surely it wasn’t completely easy.
Yet Eliya always smiled and said,
“Our baby is inside me, I can’t be having a hard time.”
Judas was grateful for her.
“Shall we check if it’s doing well today?”
Every day without fail, he placed his ear on her belly.
He hadn’t heard any movements yet.
Once, he did hear a sound like thunder, but that was just Eliya’s tummy growling.
How surprised he was.
‘It’s quiet today too.’
Just then,
-Boom!
A dull sound vibrated from Eliya’s belly.
“?!”
He jumped up in surprise.
He met Eliya’s round eyes.
“Did, did you just feel that…?”
“Did you feel it too?”
“Yeah…!”
Judas hurriedly returned his ear to her belly.
And a moment later,
-Boom!
The vibration spread again.
Like a dull shockwave spreading through water.
Fetal movements had begun.
“……”
Judas momentarily lost his words.
He just held his ear against Eliya’s belly quietly.
Unfortunately, there were no more movements.
When he looked up, Eliya was beaming with excitement.
“Our baby just said hello! Right?”
“Yeah. Must’ve wanted to see us quickly.”
“I want to see them soon too.”
Eliya chuckled as she rubbed her belly.
Today, for the first time, the baby made its presence known strongly.
Judas was curious.
What would they look like?
“Indeed. I want to see them soon.”
He wished for nothing more than for it to be healthy.
*
The colors of the royal palace garden were changing.
It adorned and transformed in various shades with the seasons.
Colorful flowers bloomed and faded into green.
As the weather grew colder, the garden painted itself in a cozy brown hue.
To welcome their child, Judas and Eliya studied child-rearing diligently every day.
Knowing the information was too precious to keep to themselves, they shared it with Richard and Beninita as well.
Richard spoke in a rare serious tone.
“…Ah. Honestly, I never thought about this… I might not have had a plan. Thank you, Judas. Truly.”
“Ah, it’s no big deal.”
Richard and Beninita were already loving Erin.
Their unconditional attitude added to Eliya’s child-rearing theory.
The former demon realm, now the northern lands.
People had migrated to the empty land.
Cities were built.
Farming began, and commerce flourished.
Under Eliya’s logic, the world accepted a new order.
Crimes like robbery and theft, which had flared up frequently, slowly disappeared.
Each city deployed the Royal Knights under Eliya’s command to maintain law and order, even forming organizations to oversee them.
Eliya adjusted the world for the child she would meet in the future.
Was it because the light that spread from Canaan illuminated the world?
This year, there were no poor harvests anywhere.
Every farming field reaped bountiful yields.
So, on a certain autumn day, just right to play in the piles of fallen leaves,
Eliya’s due date arrived.
“Eli…!”
From that morning, Eliya’s condition felt unusual.
The contractions that had come intermittently for the past few days were particularly intense today.
Amidst the pain that felt like lightning tearing through her body, Eliya was sure.
‘Today is the day…’
Hurrying, Mei and Maria finished prepping for the birth, and Eliya lay down with her legs spread on the blanket.
Eliya swallowed her fear as she imagined the pain of childbirth.
While there was a magic for pain relief, it paralyzed the muscles and nerves of the subject and prevented them from feeling pain.
In other words, it might hinder the delivery if used during childbirth.
It would be problematic if her muscles couldn’t function properly.
Therefore, Eliya had to accept the pain as it was.
“Hoo…”
Judas held her hand beside her and prayed.
Even without believing in a god.
‘Please…’
He knew that Eliya was healthy.
As long as the mother was healthy, the child would be healthy too.
He knew it all, yet the vulnerability of doubt was a human instinct.
What if…
Just in case, at the very very slim chance, something bad were to happen.
He was terrified that something irreversible might happen to Eliya and their child.
‘Please, not that…’
Eliya squeezed his hand tightly.
“It will be alright.”
“…….”
Only then did Judas loosen his grip.
He had been squeezing too hard.
“…I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Just being here is already a strength.”
Sweating profusely, Eliya said so.
Judas collected his thoughts.
Eliya was the one suffering more than him.
So he couldn’t let himself fall apart.
Looking into her golden eyes, which had grown resolute, Eliya felt reassured.
But pain surged suddenly.
“Ugh…!”
She gritted her teeth and endured.
Childbirth had begun.
It was pain close to death.
Perhaps it was only natural.
Bringing a new life into the world must accompany such trials.
“Elly. Breathe. Slowly.”
By now, Judas had become calm and held her hand, soothing her with a low gentle voice.
His voice, like light that she had relied on since childhood.
“It’s alright. It’s okay. It will be fine.”
When he said that, it truly turned out that way.
He was her miracle. Her light, her solace.
The pain was not long but unlike anything she had ever experienced.
The sense of weight leaving her body was bittersweet.
As Eliya gasped for air, she heard it.
The first cry of life emerging into the world.
“Waaaaah!”
That strong greeting was vividly heard by Eliya.
Mei shouted after receiving the baby.
“Your Majesty! Congratulations! It’s a healthy little princess!”
Judas received the baby with gloved hands.
His hands trembled uncontrollably.
He was afraid he might drop her.
Mei carefully placed the baby in his hands.
That tiny thing, covered in amniotic fluid.
So small that moving it carelessly was frightening.
“Waaaaah!”
The little one cried desperately; this was truly their child, Eliya and Judas.
Judas bit his teeth and held back tears.
Though he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.
He simply showed the baby to Eliya cautiously.
“Eli…. Look. Our baby.”
Maria also laughed while crying.
As her mother arranged the baby’s hair, Eliya gazed at the life held by her partner.
The life that had been a part of her for nearly ten months.
The reason to nurture this world.
Their child, born of love.
“It’s my turn to hold them….”
Judas slowly placed the baby into her arms.
“Waaaaah!”
Feeling the warmth of the baby, Eliya realized.
When she gave birth, Maria felt like she had become a goddess.
As if she could do anything for this child.
Eliya perfectly understood that feeling.
For this child, she could achieve anything in the world.
No matter what it took. Unconditionally.
‘This child’s name is….’
What should she call them?
Now she could decide without a doubt.
‘Our child is now….’
The beginning will be Judas.
He first loved her and gave love.
That was the start of their meeting.
So this child’s name will also mean love.
Love saved me, saved you, and will save this world.
“Love….”
Eliya said through tears.
“This child’s name is Love… Amor…”
A child named Love.
A child who would be called Love.
Judas smiled in agreement with her words.
“Yes…. Amor. Good. That’s a beautiful name.”
This was the day Amor de Bevel was born.
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