WCMBI - Chapter 221: Baby Milestones (Patreon)

The child grew day by day, and I realized for the first time how delightfully fortunate it was to witness these moments of growth.

"Dia must have gotten even bigger since then, right?"

As Adella grew older, thoughts of Dia came to her mind even more frequently. Sometimes she found herself entertaining absurd notions of sneaking into the palace to see her child, although such thoughts were entirely unreasonable.

In the midst of such musings, Ian never crossed her mind. Occasionally, he might surface in her thoughts, but she was certain that these were feelings of fondness and nostalgia, devoid of any genuine affection.

"Well, well, Dela. You devoured the apple all 'nom-nom'!"

Lately, the sight of her daughter imitating speech amused her to no end. After finishing the apple slice she had neatly cut, the child naturally reached out to her.

"Shall we go to the studio together, my dear?"

"Uh-huh."

"Our Dela seems to be quite astute. Does she already comprehend her mother's words?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Do you know that the wizards are greatly anticipating your growth?"

As Adella matured, all the omegas in Matap were filled with expectations. Being an extreme-omega and born within the confines of Matap, they hoped for her exceptional magical prowess to manifest.

Of course, Lucia never explicitly burdened her with such expectations, but the glint in her eyes couldn't hide the anticipation.

"They truly are endearing and affectionate individuals."

I didn't find their attention burdensome; in fact, I regarded it all as an expression of affection. Upon entering the studio, I familiarly set Adella down in a corner I had arranged like a playroom before proceeding to my desk.

A paper listing the magical items to be crafted today lay on the desk. I recalled Lucia mentioning that the demand for magical artifacts had been increasing, prompting me to begin etching the magic runes right away.

Having spent several seasons in Matap, I often wondered what life I would have led had I not come here. But it was mere idle speculation.

The world outside was unaware that there were only about twenty wizards in Matap, all of them omegas. Pedro was present as an alpha, but he had to avoid revealing himself publicly, acting on behalf of Lucia instead. Consequently, his time spent in Matap was limited. Considering how he came every day while I was pregnant, offering pheromones, it was a surprising change.

Lucia had mentioned that there were quite a few omega wizards hiding in the empire. Each of them carried their own burdens and chose to be alone, which seemed to weigh somewhat heavily on her, as I sensed a hint of sadness in her gaze.

While I had come to believe that it was no longer my concern how the world operated, I couldn't dismiss it when it came to Adella. What did other countries think of omegas? Would they view them with the same disdain as the empire did?

If Adella wished, she could live in Matap, but the options for residence were limited. There was a difference between being confined and making a choice. Wanting to provide my child with as many options as possible, whenever Pedro traveled all over, I made sure to meet him on the day he visited Matap.

* * *

After a long absence, Pedro, who had come to the Aeris Empire, heard an unusual rumor.

"What does that mean?"

"Your Grace, are you not aware? Oh, please don't mind my words. It's something known not only to nobles but also to merchants."

"Who instigated this gossip?"

"Well, Lord Bryant, the duke, is said to be the instigator."

"I see..."

Having stopped by the upper chamber, where formal deliveries of magical artifacts to the Matap were made, Pedro couldn't hide his bewilderment.

He heard all sorts of strange things. How could someone who had undergone the imprinting leave their Omega alone? If he had imprinted her, that would have been one behavior he would never have undertaken.

Whether his Omega disliked him or not, he might have become possessive and confining. After all, alphas were known for such behavior. Having closely observed such alphas, Pedro, despite his astonishment, signed several documents with a solemn expression.

"What other rumors are there?"

"Ah, Lord Duke is said to be searching for his Omega."

"If he imprinted her, why would he need to search for her? Shouldn't an Omega exist for the imprinting to occur in the first place?"

"I can't say. How could I, a mere Beta, know?"

"One should not readily believe in rumors."

"Of course, but..."

Unconvinced, Pedro fell into contemplation. No, ever since he found Melissa in the gorge and travelled with Lucia, questions lingered in his mind.

Why did the carriage catch fire, and why was she left all alone? If something had happened, then the coachman or maids should have been harmed too, if they were indeed traveling together.

The evidence of a deliberately set fire weighed heavily, and Melissa, who survived alone in that place, couldn't properly fathom the cause. She only remembered that there had been some noise, and then the fire started, nothing more.

Was it right now to dredge up her past, especially when she was finally able to smile like a human being?