The Baby Isn’t Yours

‘It’s a dream.’

As soon as Kalia saw Simon’s eyes filled with longing, she realized that this was a dream. It was vivid and intense, but it was a dream.

Simon looked at Kalia with affectionate eyes and slowly kissed her lips. Their lips met seamlessly and then separated repeatedly.

The movement of his tongue, which glided freely in her mouth as if it were its own territory, was distinctly palpable.

The pace of his probing tongue was just right, but when it delved deeper, it became urgent, almost desperate.

“Kalia, Kalia… Kalia.”

Amidst the quickening breaths, Simon recited her name like a mantra, without a moment’s pause.

“…I miss you. I want to see you so much. So please, come back.”

Simon’s large hand, enveloping both of her cheeks, their foreheads pressed together, and their intertwined breaths. He was pleading, begging for her to come back.

With Kalia in his arms, Simon was pleading with her without stopping for a moment.

He wanted her to return. Please come back.

“Behave nicely. I won’t say bad things. I won’t pout like a child.”

“…So please, come back.”

Simon’s breath passed through Kalia’s cheeks and throat, infiltrating every pore, like a gentle whisper. The sensation of his moist and warm breath on her dry shoulders was as vivid as reality.

His touch was eager yet tender.

With her senses growing more sensitive, Simon delved into Kalia’s innermost self.

The smooth glide of his hands was an invasive intrusion that she couldn’t ignore. His lips descended upon her skin, slowly moving down, sensually caressing her.

Between their increasingly ragged breaths, there were sounds that didn’t seem to come from her.

The sounds weren’t her voice.

Simon explored Kalia with care and desire. He raised his gaze to meet hers.

His golden eyes stared at her as if they could devour her. In the midst of the intensifying heat, she felt the greed in his gaze.

Her senses became even more acute.

Was this really a dream? Could something so vivid be a dream? It was impossible.

Simon drew closer to her.

Their two bodies pressed tightly together, moving as if they shared a single dream.

It was scorching, intense, and overwhelming, as if their souls were escaping, yet sweet and fragrant, like aged wine.

“Kalia…!”

In the midst of the electrifying sensation, Simon held Kalia tightly without a single gap. His strong arms clung to her, never letting go even for a moment.

Simon’s lips pressed deeply against Kalia’s neck.

The sensation was so hot and sensual that Kalia’s consciousness reached its peak.

It was an indescribably passionate feeling.

* * *

“…Huh.”

Kalia blinked as she abruptly woke up, clutching the soft bedsheet unknowingly.

Her chest heaved as if she had just been running, and her face turned bright red.

‘What was that?’

She blinked rapidly, her head jerking back and forth. Her stiff neck turned to look at the window with the curtains swaying in the breeze, casting moving shadows.

She could feel the fresh morning air.

Gradually, a chill crept into Kalia’s head.

Startled, she subconsciously reached down, like a rusty iron door creaking open.

Her flushed body was hot and sticky, and the sensation felt extremely real as it clung to her neck.

She was horrified and gasped, blocking her mouth with her hand.

‘How… Could I, in this noble body, have such an obscene dream…!’

With a dizzying sense of guilt, she felt an inexplicable satisfaction, as if her body was unable to explain it.

Although her mind felt embarrassed, her body didn’t.

“What should I do? Maybe I’m just trash.”

Kalia murmured what was on her mind, before immediately going pale and hurriedly shook her head.

“Not.. no, I’m not. This is supposed to be natural. I’m not rubbish. It’s natural. Yeah, it must be the hormones.”

Kalia ran her fingers through her flushed ears, whispering to herself as she bit her lower lip.

Because the dream had been so vivid, every time she closed her eyes, fragments of the dream would replay, making her cheeks flush.

Though it was just a dream, her skin seemed to tingle as if Simon’s touch could still be felt.

Could it be that the photo of Simon she had looked at last night affected her somehow, causing her to have a dream?

Unknowingly, Kalia let out a deep sigh and pulled her heavy body to a sitting position.

She felt that her body was heavier than usual.

Her belly was swollen. The presence was heavy, and she could feel her uterus squirming beneath. It was somewhat tense.

‘…Did I shock our baby Sasha by having such a scandalous dream? I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention.’

It felt like the baby was reproaching her by tightening Kalia’s stomach; her heart was heavy with guilt.

She really didn’t mean to….

‘What’s wrong with me?’

She sighed, rubbing her round belly gently while lying down for a moment to let the discomfort subside.

The sensation of her belly relaxing brought her some peace of mind. As time passed, her belly grew larger, and her body followed suit. She had never experienced this kind of heaviness before.

It was uncomfortable, yet she didn’t dislike it. The presence of the growing baby made her appreciate this unique sensation.

However, along with it came the inconveniences of frequent bathroom trips due to her expanding uterus pressing against her bladder.

Despite the discomfort, she loved the feeling of being heavily pregnant. She marveled at the undeniable presence of her growing child.

Kalia showered and descended to the first floor earlier than usual. Mrs. McCanna, who helped with the kitchen work, was already preparing breakfast. The kitchen was filled with delightful aromas.

“You’re up early, Mrs. McCanna.”

“Well, I couldn’t sleep in with all the noise in the streets. There’s a festival happening in the neighborhood soon, and the excitement is already building. Have you ever seen Gypsies, Miss Lia?”

“Yes, a few times.”

“Oh! I suppose there are more Gypsies in the capital, right? They’re intriguing people, although a bit noisy.”

Mrs. McCanna responded with lively chatter to Kalia. She filled the large pot in front of her full with savory, mouth-watering food.

“You woke up early, by the way. If you’re headed for the market, would you like me to prepare your meal right away?”

“No, thank you. I’ll eat breakfast with the others. It’s too much trouble to prepare it twice. Just a simple juice will be fine for me.

“The kale is fresh today. I’ll grind it with kiwi. Please wait a moment.”

Mrs. McCanna, with a friendly smile, swiftly retrieved fresh kale, kiwi, and apples. She blended them into a delicious and healthy juice and handed it to Kalia.

As she sipped the juice, Kalia enjoyed the warmth that remained in the buttered bread and jam that Mrs. McCanna had given her. The portion was generous, but Kalia’s appetite was even larger.

She watched Mrs. McCanna’s back as she worked, and her thoughts wandered.

Mrs. McCanna was a mother of five, with three sons and two daughters. It was astonishing to Kalia, as she knew that an average family in the Empire had no more than four members. Yet this family had seven.

“It’s crowded when you go home, right?”

Kalia suddenly asked as she ate her bread.

Mrs. McCanna, who was now making salad, glanced back and smiled affectionately:

“It’s not just crowded. I feel like I’m going deaf sometimes. My 2nd and 3rd fight a lot. The youngest is the youngest and the oldest never comes back from dorms. At least the 4th is a bit more docile, but… oh, that kid got into a fight with his father a few days ago and is still upset.”

Mrs. McCanna seemed to glow with warmth and light up with joy as she laughed and talked about her noisy family.

Is that what it would feel like to be a mother?

VCome to think of it, Mrs. McCanna has a very good relationship with her husband.

They had been childhood friends and married as soon as they reached the age of 20.

It was different from Kalia’s situation.

Kalia and Simon didn’t intend to marry each other.

Her stomach tightened again but…

Her stomach tightened again but…

“Hmmm. Hmm.”

Kalia, who had gotten a little lost in her own thoughts, poured herself another large glass of fresh fruit juice.

After finishing the last piece of bread, she sat at the table by the kitchen and lingered there, seemingly with something weighing on her mind.

Mrs. McCanna, who was busy grinding nuts, looked back at Kalia.

Sensing that she seemed a little antsy, Mrs. McCanna asked what was wrong:

“Is there something you want to ask?”

“What? Oh, oh, no!”

Kalia stood up in surprise, and hurriedly shook her head. However, a moment later, she then sat back down as if she had made up her mind about something.

“Hey, actually. I don’t know if I can ask you something like this.”

Unlike her usual self, Kalia spoke haltingly and she chose her words carefully.

What in the world does she want to say, hesitating so much like this? Mrs. McCanna looked at Kalia, puzzled.

“Well, you’ve experienced it five times so I was wondering if you’d know.”

Even though it was strange to Mrs. McCanna to see Kalia shrink like this, she thought her red cheeks were very lovely.

Mrs. McCanna washed her hands, dried them on her apron before turning around and laughing, her dimples flashing. Kalia propped her face up with her hands as Mrs. McCanna replied:

“Please feel free to ask. Are you feeling uncomfortable? Are you worried about the actual birthing experience? It may be scary to go into your first labour but it’ll pass by quickly so don’t worry. If you scream a few times, the child will be pushed out. Ah! Actually, it’s better not to scream. You’ll have more energy to push.”

“What? Ah, yes. I won’t make a sound. I have some tolerance for pain but that’s not what I’m curious about.”

Mrs. McCanna’s eyebrows shot up, wondering what Kalia was getting at.

Kalia, who had been biting her lip in hesitation, let out a short breath before spitting out her next words very quickly:

“I had a strange dream last night. It was a dream about the baby’s father but it’s my first time having such a dream. I was wondering if it was normal and why I did it. I don’t know why I had such a dream but it’s weird and embarrassing…. haha.”

Mrs. McCanna listened with a tilted head and her face lit up in sudden realization.

“A dream about the baby’s father? That kind of dream…? Ah! That kind of dream!”