Finally, Lucretius looked at her and replied seriously,
You are overreacting. Our second baby isn’t even born yet.
But what about what Beatrice said…!
When Bina was about to yell at him, Lucretius held her hands and gently had her sit on the bed.
This is too early to worry about things like that.
Bina became speechless. Lucretius was right. Beatrice was only five years old. She was very mature for her age, but she was still only a child. Her second baby wasn’t even born yet. Her belly was still flat.
Bina knew it was unreasonable to worry about what may or may not happen decades from now, but just thinking about the possibility was enough to make her tremble.
Bina replied,
But I… I can’t breathe just thinking about it.
Lucretius hugged her.
It won’t happen. You and I both will make sure nothing like that will happen, right? We will raise them right.
Bina smiled weakly and nodded.
She replied jokingly,
I guess. They are my children after all, so I’m sure they won’t be all bad.
Lucretius grinned.
True. I suppose we better hope they don’t resemble me in this department. I don’t want my own children to fight each other either. That is why I am trying my best to stabilize this sovereignty.
Bina nodded as she caressed Lucretius’ cheeks. He tried to calm her down.
How’s your nausea? Any morning sickness? Remember how bad it was with Beatrice? I have been worried about you because you have been looking thin. I hadn’t realized you were with child.
Bina shook her head.
It’s not bad even though I’m already three months pregnant. I think it will be very different than with Beatrice.
Lucretius murmured quietly,
Hmm. I wonder if Beatrice gave you such a hard time in your womb because she resembles me so much.
Bina grinned.
You’re being silly.
However, Lucretius was serious.
No, really. I was surprised when she said what she said. Beatrice is more like me that I expected.
… What do you mean?
When I was little, I said the same thing to my own mother. I told her I wanted a little sister, not a brother.
…
In the end, no one ever found out if it was a boy or a girl. After looking at Bina’s face, Lucretius smiled awkwardly.
I guess I shouldn’t have said that. Sorry.
No, it’s not that…
After a short silence, Bina added,
After our baby is born… Let’s go visit her again.
…
We should show her that her first granddaughter was named after her. We will also show her our second baby.
… Alright. Thank you.
Lucretius hugged her gently. It has been already over five years since they got married and his love for her hadn’t changed. In fact, they were in love with each other even more as time passed.
Just being close together made them feel confident that everything would be alright.
Lucretius had her rest her head on his lap, and he started to massage her arms and legs. He remembered well how her limbs became painfully swollen during her first pregnancy.
Bina said to him,
By the way, I agree that Beatrice is just like you.
I know. Sometimes, I wish she wasn’t. I want her to call me daddy, but she started addressing me as your highness since she was three.
Lucretius looked truly disappointed and Bina agreed.
She even tried to call me your highness too. She has such a cute face, yet she doesn’t act like a kid. I wish she would.
Bina sighed, but Lucretius replied proudly,
I agree, but in a way, it makes me feel relieved.
Relieved?
Lucretius caressed her belly and whispered,
You never know what kind of personality our next baby will have. A ruler requires the kind of confidence and authority Beatrice has.
I… suppose.
Bina had to nod in agreement. No matter how stable their reign was, whoever would be the next ruler needed to be strong.
They didn’t know if the second child would have a suitable character to be a good leader, so knowing at least that their first child Beatrice had it could be considered a blessing.
One thing was for sure. Either Beatrice or the new baby would be the next ruler after Lucretius.
Bina murmured,
Even then, I wish she would act childish for now.
Both parents felt the same way. As her mother and father, they wanted their daughter to have a happy and normal childhood. Lucretius especially felt strong about this as he never had a childhood at all.
I agree. I wish she would stay being a kid for a while longer.
Bina knew how Lucretius felt. As he looked pensive, Bina lightened her voice on purpose and changed the subject.
At first, I liked that Beatrice resembled you, but maybe she is too much like you! Of course, I am relieved that she has your face.
During her pregnancy, Bina made it well-known that she wished her child would look after Lucretius. Perhaps her prayer was answered because other than the black hair and the slightly darker skin, Beatrice did greatly resemble her father in appearance.
Lucretius wanted the opposite as he wanted their daughter to look just like Bina, but overall, he was very happy especially with her black hair.
Since Bina wanted to do everything to make sure this happened, she took the time to stare at Lucretius every day while she was pregnant. There was a myth in Korea that if a pregnant mother stared at pretty things a lot, her baby would look pretty as well. She knew it was just an old wives’ tale, but it worked out in the end, so she felt satisfied.
I hope our second baby resembles you again, whether it’s a boy or a girl…
Bina reached out to make sure Lucretius’ face was facing her. It was a firm movement, and Lucretius continued to smile gently as he let her have her way.
He replied,
But I hope the next one resembles you.
Bina shook her head.
You are prettier, so it has to be you. It never hurts to be beautiful.
When she happily studied his gorgeous face, Lucretius sighed.
Sometimes I wonder if you like me, or you just like my face.
Bina smiled widely and replied,
[No comment.]
You…!
Lucretius started to tickle her, and their happy laughter quickly filled the bedroom.
About six months later, Empress Sa Bina gave birth to a healthy daughter.
The second princess Liselotte.
Bina’s wish came true again as Liselotte looked just like the emperor.
That same month, six-year-old Princess Beatrice was officially assigned to her own wing. It was where Lucretius stayed when he was the heir. Everyone knew what this move signified.
