479 Maternal Instincts
Selma Payne’s POV:
Maxine silently looked at me, waiting for my final decision. I knew that what happened next would have nothing to do with me once I made up my mind. She would become a real wild wolf and disguise everything as a terrifying beast attack, and then the dust would settle.
I had lost a future threat, the palace had dealt with its threat, and Carey had gotten rid of the parasites that kept her awake at night. It seemed like there were only benefits and no disadvantages.
But was the truth really as simple as it seemed?
If someone had to kill this child, I believed the only one with power in the palace would be Carey. It was because she was the mother who was forced to live her life. She was the victim who had been tortured and almost lost her life. Also, no one could easily decide whether the child would stay or leave.
I believed I should talk to her.
This old King’s Garden was secretly called ‘the Sunflower House’ by the servants because the garden had once been planted with large patches of sunflowers. The sunflowers had been enchanted with a seasonal spell by a werewolf grandmaster under the instruction of the former Lycan King, so they bloomed in spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Now that he was gone, the sunflowers that had never withered had long turned into nutrients for the soil under the fermentation of time. Since a pregnant woman was living in the garden, fragrant or pollen-spreading flowers were no longer there. Instead, many green and tender shrubs and large-leafed plants were planted, lifting people’s moods when they saw them.
Carey was reading a book in the pavilion, occasionally exchanging her reading experience with the servant beside her. Occasionally, she would subconsciously touch her bulging lower abdomen. It seemed to be a habitual action, but it exuded a full maternal glow.
“Hello, Carey. How have you been?”
I walked over to her with light steps. Carey immediately stood up and bowed to me when she saw me, but her heavy body made bending her knees a form of torture. I quickly instructed the servant to support her. “Your health is more important, forget these formalities.”
We sat in the pavilion, and the evening breeze brought a refreshing coolness. I could smell the freshwater vapor of the plants, which made me relax a little. But when I saw Carey’s stomach, I felt my breath choke again.
Perhaps it was because my expression was a little obvious, but it made Carey ask carefully, “Is there something you want to tell me, Your Highness?”
Kara sent the servants away at the right time, and Carey looked even more ill at ease.
Facing her bewildered expression, I tried to organize my gentle words and asked tentatively, “How have you been feeling recently? Is the child giving you a difficult time?”
Carey shrugged and pursed her lips. “Just… As usual. The child is very quiet, but I still had symptoms like morning sickness and insomnia. Sigh, how should I put it? Maybe every pregnant woman has to go through this. As long as you’re pregnant, you can’t escape.”
Carey grumbled, but I could keenly sense that her attitude had softened. She no longer rejected this child as sharply as she had before.
“Dr. Lester will come to check on you regularly. If you feel discomfort, don’t be shy to let him know. Your health is the most important.”
‘Thank you, Your Highness.” Carey smiled shyly. “I feel fine. Perhaps it’s because of the change in the environment. Once my tense mood is relaxed, even those annoying reactions are much weaker.”
She subconsciously touched her lower abdomen again. This pierced my eyes and made me look away in a panic.
I stiffly chatted with Carey about some random things. She gradually relaxed and asked me, “Speaking of which, Your Highness is already a mother. The little guy must be a lovely child, right?”
My child?
I couldn’t help but smile when I thought of the tiny body of the wolf cub. However, this made my current situation even more awkward – I was also a mother, but was I going to take the life of another person’s child?
“Oh… Indeed, he’s very cute,” I replied uneasily.
“So it’s a boy?” Carey winked slyly. This made me realize she had misunderstood the pronoun I used for the wolf cub.
After this ascendance, should I use ‘he’ or ‘she’ to address the wolf cub? Or was this child still unwilling to make a choice?
𝒇𝘳𝗲𝚎w𝑒𝚋𝚗𝐨v𝒆l. 𝒄𝒐𝚖
I realized that the more we talked about children, the more I couldn’t open my mouth. Thus, I went straight to the point and asked her, “If… What would you do if something happens to the baby in your stomach and the problem can’t be solved?”
Carey’s face gradually turned pale with every word I said. Ultimately, she hugged her swollen waist in fear and asked, trembling, “He… what’s wrong with him?”
“I can’t reveal the details, but I have no intention of deceiving you, so I must let you know that this child has some trouble, and it’s very difficult to solve. Do you still remember the pregnancy symptom that almost killed you? It wasn’t entirely a pregnancy symptom, at least, it shouldn’t be that serious. The child brings you fatal danger.
“Furthermore, this child is still young. No one can guarantee whether the situation will escalate when he grows up. The unconscious danger is always the most dangerous, I… I’ve broken my promise because I can’t promise you your safety now.”
