The Cursed King

Loriel placed the tray carefully on the bedside table, close to Elise before he suddenly moved to the foot of the bed. Then, what he did next was totally unexpected.

The man lifted the blankets and then situated himself close enough to touch her feet. Elise quickly looked up to him startled when he touched her feet.

"W-what… what are you doing, Loriel?" Elise asked at last.

"I am trying to give you a foot massage," Loriel explained. "Zaff has told me that pregnant women's feet can get a bit swollen and sore so I will prevent it from happening. You should not suffer if I can help it."

"..."

The truth was that Loriel went to the library and picked up some books about taking care of pregnant women. He did his best to absorb all the necessary information and then implement them today to the best of his ability.

As a first-time father, he wanted to make sure that his wife had the most comfortable pregnancy.

"Oh… it seems a bit too much," Elise couldn't help but say. Would he say that a foot massage was good for the baby too? Wasn't this only thinking about the woman itself? 

"Do you not want me to touch you?" Loriel asked bluntly. "If you refused to have me touch you, then I have to think of another way to take care of your health."

Elise pursed her lips and then looked away. "Why not have some tea with me first? Did you have breakfast already, Loriel?" 

Loriel actually had not eaten yet. It was as if he found a new source of energy by putting all of his efforts into taking care of his pregnant wife. 

"You must be tired after last night." His words immediately made Elise's cheeks flush red.

Ahh… she remembered they did the deed last night. Loriel cleared his throat and continued his words. "I already asked Zaff about it and he said husband and wife can have sex during pregnancy. Just don't overdo it."

Elise coughed when she heard his words regarding their intimacy last night. Her cheeks heated and she couldn't hide her blushing face. So, Loriel woke up early this morning so he could immediately ask their physician about doing sex that is safe during pregnancy?

This was hard to believe. So... did this mean they would do it often?

These thoughts made Elise's heart flutter.  She watched her husband massage her legs and serve her tea, making her feel like a queen. Well, she was, in fact, a queen, but she didn't feel that way before.

Why he could be this doting and sweet? Elise was wondering. If she remembered his treatment of her before he knew about her pregnancy... it was nothing like this. He was nice and polite, but cold. Today, Elise felt his warmth.

"I'm fine…" she said shyly, "You can stop now."

"Are you sure? I can keep doing this..."

"Yes, I'm sure..."

"What about your morning sickness?" Loriel looked up at her and finally stopped his massage.

"It's coming and going," Elise said.

"Well, you should try to drink this potion from Zaff." Loriel took out a small bottle from his pocket. "This will help you not feel so dizzy when you get up."

"Oh, thank you, Loriel." Elise smiled a bit at her husband. Even though her morning sickness only began, her husband already prepared such a thing for her.

Loriel couldn't help but return his wife's smile. For some reason, now that Elise was pregnant… Loriel thought she suddenly grew even more beautiful. Was this a side effect of pregnancy?

"Loriel, now that I'm feeling a bit better, I think I will be going to the garden," Elise said after she took a sip of her medicine. "I would like to take care of the plants."

"How about you stay inside and simply rest?" Loriel suggested. "The royal gardeners can take care of it while you try not to overexert yourself."

Elise shook her head. "I think it is good for me to stand up and walk a little. The air is fresh in the garden and I can also get some more sunlight, I do not think it is good that I stay in one place."

Loriel considered her words and then approached her. He offered her his arm and said, "Then I will accompany you today to the garden and make sure that you do not tire yourself."

"What about the affairs of the kingdom, Loriel?" Elise scrunched up her nose at him.

Loriel chuckled. "I am not the only one who runs the kingdom, Elise. I have many delegates who can help run it with me. So you can rest easy that I am not neglecting the kingdom."

"Then that is good," Elise smiled as she accepted her husband's help. The two of them went to the garden together.

Every now and then, Elise looked up at her husband and wondered if she was actually talking to Loriel or if the man had a twin just like Dante. Elise did not realize that Loriel could be like this around her.

She did not know how to explain it. Before all of this happened, Elise was sure that the two of them would remain distant emotionally and only fulfill the marital duties as husband and wife. 

Even when she became pregnant, Elise only expected the bare minimum with Loriel.

She did not think that it would now include romantic walks to the garden, gentle foot massages, and doting actions that were done with such sweet sincerity. Elise considered them as surprise bonuses.

However, this was what Loriel wanted to do. Loriel was not the type to suddenly quit halfway through anything that he did. The man did things with a certain passion and he did not change his mind easily.

It was why it took Loriel six months before he finally let his guard down around Elise.

When the king decided to do one thing like not touch Elise and stay celibate because he could not obtain his first love… Loriel put his entire effort into doing just that and even filled his head with everything that he disliked about Elise to stay strong.

Now that Loriel made the decision to become husband and wife for real with Elise, the strong willpower and determination that Loriel had were now redirected into fully taking care of her and their baby.

Loriel glanced at his wife and mindlessly kissed the top of her head. "Is it not too hot right now for you?"

"Huh?" Elise looked up at him with blushing cheeks.

Loriel cupped her face and looked her in the eye. "Your face is a bit red so I am worried if it is hay fever or the heat. But it is a good thing that I have already had this in consideration before the two of us came here."

"What do you mean, Loriel?" Elise asked but then she noticed something new in the garden.

There was a beautiful addition to the garden in the queen's residence. 

A newly built gazebo stood in the center of the garden and contained elegant chairs and an ornate table that seemed perfect for afternoon tea.

"You can stay there and sit down if you'd like to enjoy the crisp morning air," Loriel said. "The two of us can also have breakfast there if you grow tired of eating it in bed. You are quite right that some walking is good for your condition so let us take them during sunset or sunrise?"

Elise looked at Loriel's face and couldn't help but ask. "Am I daydreaming? I can't help but wonder if I am seeing and hearing things."

"What do you mean?" Loriel's brows furrowed. "Is this another symptom of pregnancy that I have to check? Do I need to summon Zaff immediately, Elise?"

Elise bit back a laugh and shook her head. "No. I just want to thank you for all the effort that you are showing, Loriel. I… am incredibly happy that I can't believe it is real."

Loriel could have gotten happy about her looking so pleased right now, but instead, he couldn't believe that Elise would assume that she was only daydreaming and it was not real. 

Was he that terrible to her before she thought this way?

Ahh… Loriel was really the worst. 

"Thank you, Elise." Loriel looked at his wife and took her hand as he led her to the gazebo. 

Elise raised a brow. "Thank you? I did not do anything except become pregnant, Loriel. I feel like I am not doing anything, actually."

"No. You are doing a lot of things," Loriel shook his head. "You've been at my side all throughout the last months… I am surprised that you did not leave at all. You could have done that." 

Elise looked at her husband's face and decided to be honest. 

"It's because I love you, even if you don't feel the same," she said truthfully.