Titicaca sat on the bed with her legs tucked behind her, leaving Zhao Si able to see only her upper body. A seemingly frail woman holding a Serpent's Egg—the scene looked bizarre no matter how he looked at it.
After confirming that she was the lawful wife, Zhao Si asked, "Is that... your child?"
"Yes, yes!" Titicaca smiled, the corners of her mouth stretching so wide they seemed about to reach behind her ears. The expression made her even more terrifying.
"Look, look." Titicaca cradled the Serpent's Egg. "Look how well it's growing. It will surely, surely grow into what Lord Rykard wants, won't it?"
According to the information available, Titicaca was merely the daughter of a noble family, and her marriage to Rykard had most likely been political. In a marriage arranged by their families, there was no love to speak of. They were simply partners sharing a life. Perhaps their noble upbringing allowed the couple to treat each other with courtesy, but over a long life without any worries about food or drink, anything could turn sour.
Rykard had found his "true love." Though curiosity and the desire for conquest had accounted for most of it, he had, in the end, found Tanith, who suited his interests.
Titicaca had not been so fortunate. She could not find another husband and had no hobbies of her own. She merely lived in the vast Volcano Manor, repeating the same days over and over again. A year was no different from a day.
Sleeping, waking, eating, staring into space-she was almost entirely cut off from the outside world, and even the information she received came from things her maids told her. Those dull little stories became the only diversion in her monotonous life.
Gradually, even those little stories disappeared. A life