The Baby Isn’t Yours

Just a moment ago, Simon was serious, and now he’s laughing because he thought of Kalia. It was so amusing that it tickled his heart in an unbelievably pleasant way.

Being next to Kalia was enough to make his heart feel this peaceful. Just having Kalia made the pain he felt when she wasn’t around disappear, as if it had been washed away.

He had thought he was crazy for her, but it was even worse than he imagined. He was crazy for her, for love, for her salvation, and for the meaning of his life.

-Tweet-tweet?-

-Kyuu?-

The spirits gathered around Simon, curious about his change from seriousness to laughter.

“You don’t need to know.”

He wouldn’t tell them. Not to anyone except Kalia…

How crazy he was and how much he could become kinder…

* * *

The next morning.

Kalia, who was staring blankly at the pouring morning sunlight, mumbled with a tired voice:

“…I’m awake.”

The sunlight was glaring, making her eyes uncomfortable. When she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her head throbbed.

She hadn’t slept all night. Every time she was about to fall asleep, Simon’s face would appear in her mind. His lips, which had come so close, the red tongue that said ‘I love you’ and that blatantly seductive smile!

“I must be really crazy.”

Did she tear up Derek’s dangerous scroll again without realizing it?

Kalia couldn’t stay still in bed because her heart was still pounding hard even after Simon left.

Her heart was pounding so much that she wondered if she had a heart disease.

And why did Simon’s smile keep coming to mind, and his voice, as if he was whispering in her ear? It was driving her to the brink of madness.

As she tossed and turned on the bed, Sasha’s cries were heard.

In the early hours of the morning, the old nanny, Hemmie and Allen took turns taking care of the baby. They had volunteered to take turns taking care of Sasha for Kalia, who had given birth not long ago.

Simon, who found out about it later, said he would do it too, but Hemmie and Allen didn’t agree.

‘…Are you going to fight over taking care of the baby in the morning?’

Anyway, Calia was dissuaded from looking after the baby in the early morning, but it seemed like she desperately needed it now.

She had woken up and headed to Sasha’s room as she had a strong desire to take care of the baby. Hungry Sasha was whimpering with the bottle in his mouth that the nanny had given her.

Kalia softly knocked on the door to attract the nanny’s attention while Sasha was crying.

“No! How could you come without sleeping!”

Surprised nanny quickly said in a low voice.

Her kind face resembled Mrs. McCanna, who had taken care of Kalia’s meals.

Kalia smiled slightly at the warmth she felt and carefully approached the baby.

“I couldn’t sleep, and… I want to see Sasha today.”

“Ah, you’ll still be tired in the morning. Give it to me; you’ve suffered so much since giving birth not too long ago. A baby’s mom needs to take care of herself well at first to avoid getting sick later.”

The nanny, who had a somewhat gossipy personality, spoke without taking a breath in a whispering voice.

“From tomorrow, I’ll ask you to take care of him. I really want to see him today.”

But she couldn’t defeat Kalia, who simply smiled silently, holding out her hands.

In the end, the nanny gave up trying to persuade her and handed Sasha over as if she had no choice.

“It’s really not possible… Mr. Allen might scold.”

“I’ll talk to him.”

“Not me, but Miss Lia.”

“Oh.”

Kalia laughed quietly, and she made a small request in a hushed voice.

“Then, how about we keep it a secret between us? Please, I don’t want to get scolded.”

“Uh…”

“Huh? Latricia.”

Latricia also laughs at that sly look.

“Oh, I understand. Then I will come early in the morning.”

Even after everything, the nanny reluctantly went back, but she turned around a few times, as if feeling sorry, even though she was supposed to be the one to do what she was supposed to do.

In the quiet room where Sasha and Kalia were the only ones left, Kalia watched Sasha’s face all night.

A beautiful baby; she didn’t get tired of seeing him over and over again. No matter how much she looked, she was still amazed, her baby.

Kalia gently touched Sasha’s face while holding him. She caressed his face and continued to do so.

Sasha smelled of a baby, and his tender skin alone comforted her heart.

However, that peace was shattered precisely two hours later.

“Waaaaah! Waaaaah!”

“Baby, why are you crying? Huh? Baby?”

Having slept well, he suddenly woke up and began to cry sorrowfully.

Kalia held the crying Sasha, soothing and breastfeeding him, and finally, the baby found solace even while crying.

Kalia didn’t expect the baby to be so hungry again after just two hours. He had eaten his fill and even burped before falling asleep earlier.

Kalia changed Sasha’s diaper while he slept, and when she tried to sit down and rest for a moment, Sasha cried again.

“Waaah!”

“…Baby?”

It hadn’t been even an hour since he last ate. Why is he crying again?

Maybe he needs a diaper change? But the diaper was dry.

Is he in pain somewhere?

Does he have a fever?

Why is he crying so much without any clear reason?

Kalia had no idea why the baby was crying, and this situation made her as nervous as anything.

This tiny baby felt more threatening to her than a vast army of 100,000 soldiers. She didn’t panic in front of charging armies like this.

Kalia held the crying baby, trying to comfort and calm him.

“Waaah! Waaah! Waaah!”

“Sorry, Sasha. I’m sorry. It’s my fault that you’re uncomfortable.”

Kalia held the crying baby tightly and walked around the room anxiously.

Then, surprisingly, the baby stopped crying.

Sleepy, his face rested on Kalia’s shoulder.

The slightly protruding lips were as cute as a newly hatched bird.

“Did you cry because you wanted Mom to carry you around?”

Kalia, relieved, securely supported the baby’s head on her shoulder to make him more comfortable and continued to move around the room.

She gently stroked the baby’s back.

She even sang a song with an amateurish melody, and the baby miraculously fell asleep in Kalia’s arms for two hours without moving.

Kalia nursed the baby again, changed his diaper, burped him, and repeated the process while the morning sun rose.

“Oh, why are you carrying the baby for so long… Now give me Sasha.”

“Latricia.”

Just 7 hours had passed.

In just seven hours, Kalia realized that her face had become pale.

‘Taking care of a baby is really not an easy task.’

Kalia looked at nanny Latricia with newfound admiration.

“You’re amazing, Latricia.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Latricia, who had changed the diaper and swaddle in a matter of seconds, widened her eyes as if asking what Kalia was talking about.

“I think you’re really great with babies. As his mother, I spent the entire night panicking and making him cry…”

“Ohohohoho. What do you mean, Miss Lia? It’s only been a week since you became a mother. I, on the other hand, have taken care of about twenty babies in the last ten years, so it’s almost second nature to me.”

“Twenty?”

Surprised by Kalia’s reaction, Latricia smiled and draped the shawl over Kalia’s shoulders.

“There was not a single baby who was easy to care for. Of course, the same goes for young master Sasha.”

“I didn’t know that Sasha cried so much at night.”

Latricia shook her head at Kalia’s apologetic tone.

Such crying can no longer be discounted.

“These difficult times will soon pass and more beautiful days will come. Please don’t worry.”

“I’m not tired. I’m just worried that it will be hard for the child because of me.”

“Take your time to get used to it. Even if you grow slowly as a mother, the baby grows up with you, so over time, it will get easier.”

Latricia hugged Kalia and gave her a warm pat on the back.

“Even if it’s hard, just hold the baby a lot and love him. That’s all you need to do, Miss Lia. Of course, I’m sure you would do that even if I didn’t say anything.”

Ohohohoho!

Latricia, who laughed with a high octave voice, waved and urged Kalia to go rest, then rushed to the room.

Just as Hemmie entered the baby’s room, she noticed Kalia, who had a pale complexion, and jumped up.

“You stayed up all night? Oh! You had to wake me up! Go inside and get some sleep now! Sasha will be well looked after by the nanny. Go rest now!”

Hemmie pushed Kalia back into her room and quickly handed her some breakfast.

Kalia, who had her hunger forcefully awakened, shivered at the headache that had slightly subsided.

Has she become weaker?

Just because she stayed up all night once… It was unbelievable.

“Haaam…”

However, thanks to that, she felt that she could sleep without any thoughts.

Kalia stretched and yawned.

‘…Still, I should tell Simon that I’ll take care of Sasha at night from time to time.’

Taking care of Sasha was her responsibility, and it was the right thing to do.

A mother’s duty. The words were comforting.

‘I’m Sasha’s mother. My baby. I’m a mother. My child.’

“Hehe… It’s so nice.”

Kalia smiled, her panic forgotten, and she gradually fell asleep.

The morning sun that sneaked in behind the closed curtains gently caressed her relaxed hair.

At the same time…

“Hmm…”

Simon, with his white face, stood in front of Kalia’s door, as if he had just had a peaceful night’s sleep.