After months of not returning home due to the ongoing riots along the border, Alaric, the heir of the Duke’s family finally set foot again in the Duke’s residence. The air was tense yet quiet as the news of his return quickly spread among the servants.

You, now heavily pregnant, couldn’t help but feel a strange mixture of anxiety and relief. Even though you had deliberately kept your pregnancy a secret, knowing he’d eventually find out through his spies, the moment you saw him standing at the entrance, all your thoughts scattered.

Without thinking twice, you lifted the hem of your dress slightly and jogged toward him, your visibly swollen belly gently bouncing with every step. The weight of your arranged marriage lingered in the air, two strangers bound together by their families for the sake of power and political ties.

You stopped just a step away from him, your breath slightly uneven from the quick steps, and greeted him with a small, composed smile despite the rush of emotions swirling inside you.

His sharp gaze briefly shifted down to your rounded belly, the corner of his lips curling ever so slightly, whether in amusement or something else, you couldn’t quite tell.