Athena was pregnant. It was truly an unexpected piece of wonderful news.
Chen Rui had once thought that, as a transmigrator whose soul had been reborn, he might be unable to impregnate women of this world. Dodo's birth had actually been an exception; the little phoenix had effectively used a secret art to be born through Catherine's body, rather than through true conception and pregnancy. Of course, that did nothing to affect Dodo's place in Chen Rui's and the women's hearts.
Now, Athena's successful pregnancy had shattered the restraint Chen Rui had always worried about. In a sense, the continuation of his bloodline meant that he, an "outsider," had truly been accepted by this world.
Darkmoon Royal Palace.
"Athena, rest for a while first. I'll finish these official documents right away."
"You don't need to practice swordsmanship or anything like that for now. Catherine said it's best not to exercise too strenuously, but you can't lie still all day either. I'll take you for a few laps around the palace later."
"Tonight, we're having mushroom meatball soup, vegetable stew, purple eggplant, white stonefish..."
"I know you don't like purple eggplant, but you're an expectant mother now. This is the nutrition menu Catherine specially prepared for expectant mothers. For your sake and the baby's, you have to eat it!"
"..."
Athena looked at this somewhat chatty man, a blissful smile appearing on her face.
For some time now, she had been feeling unwell, but she had not taken it to heart. It was only later, when Catherine brought Dodo to Darkmoon Territory, that she noticed Athena's unusual bouts of dry heaving. Her Majesty the Empress had always been meticulous, and she had been through it herself. She immediately realized what it might mean, and after repeated examinations, the pregnancy was finally