New series here! This is the prequel for the of the same name the author did. It was made 2 years after the oneshot. Just a heads-up, this was written as a joke kind of story so don’t take it too seriously.
Chapter 1 – First Step
TL: Januva
Editors: Puissansa & Momielxai
Within the carriage that was constantly shaking, I pressed down on my chest in an attempt to cope with the nausea.
Haa- fuu-, my breathing was pained and I felt many concerned looks directed my way.
「The window, I"ll open it, okay? It"d be better if you get some fresh air, right?」
「Y- yes….sorry…for… troubling you….」
If I spoke normally, I"d definitely puke.
But, there"s no way I could do that in this air-tight imperial carriage. I could only squeeze the words out intermittently to hold it back.
My face is definitely as white as a sheet right now.
I did not have the composure to respond to the concerns of the ones around me.
So this is morning sickness, huh….
As I thought about it in a daze, I gently caressed my stomach.
While there isn"t any swelling yet, there"s a child in there, without a doubt.
An emotion I don"t quite understand struck my chest.
How should I explain it?
This feeling, that I must protect this child.
This is the self-awareness of a mother, isn"t it?
Or would it be more accurate to call it the self-awareness of a father?
Right now, I"m definitely female, though.
I caressed my flat stomach while mouthing 「be good」 repeatedly, and felt my cheeks loosen slightly.
As I did so, the kind obaa-san who opened the windows for me placed a blanket on my lap.
When I was about to bow to thank her, she interrupted me-
「How long has it been?」
She said while taking a glance at my stomach.
「I don"t really know」, I tilted my head in response.
Even if I do say so myself, this squirrel-like behaviour is cute, isn"t it?
Obaa-san looked towards my stomach once again with a gentle smile.
「Can I feel it?」
I didn"t have any reason in particular to deny her request.
「Sure.」
I gave a small nod.
「Excuse me.」
Obaa-san said and gently stroked my stomach with her wrinkled hands.
「Based on the state of your morning sickness and the feel of your stomach, it"s probably been about 3 months. Although it would be better to consult a doctor….」
「I see, so that"s how it is….」
I felt slightly troubled and made a wry smile as I said so.
There were many things I wanted to do, but for now, I wanted to leave this country.
Probably…. no, it"s definitely fine, but just in case something happens.
I wanted to leave this 『Hero Kingdom Makugaia』 as soon as I could.
For safety of this child, and above all else, for the sake of my own freedom.
Although not seeing a doctor was for a selfish reason, there are still many sympathetic gazes in my surroundings.
When I boarded this carriage, they amiably asked me what"s wrong. Perhaps due to my morning sickness, I accidentally revealed what had happened to me.
Basically, I was kidnapped by a big shot and impregnated before being chased away for being a nuisance.
Right after I spoke, the fellow pa.s.sengers all raised their voices in indignation, and therefore we have reached where we currently are.
Because of this, when they saw my current state, they once again…
「This is why n.o.bles….」
Etc.
「d.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! They"re always like that!!」
Etc.
「How irresponsible!」
Etc – outrage and indignation.
They simply voiced out their complaints against the n.o.bles, doing as they pleased.
But, well, no matter how much the ruling cla.s.s is hated, to see them loathed before my eyes….
My wry smile deepened further.
After all, I was a n.o.ble of Hero Kingdom Makugaia, the second daughter of Duke Madereido – Rifirudeidoa Kiaru Madeireido.
I was called Fria by my family and close friends, and was a respectable member of n.o.bility.
That"s why I felt somewhat apologetic.
I"m one of those n.o.bles after all.
…..No. It"d be more accurate to say I 『was』 a n.o.ble.
I was abandoned by the father of the child in my womb, the King of Makugaia, and am now trying to leave this country. I am no longer n.o.bility.
But, I was certainly a n.o.ble so I do feel sorry~. While I was feeling a little depressed, the obaa-san from earlier,
「That"s enough! You idiots!」
She raised her voice in a rage.
Her voice caused everyone in the carriage, including the driver, to jump bikun.
This caused me to leak a slight smile.
Because they went bikun… pupu.
「Oya? You finally smiled. That"s good.」
「Eh?」
「You"ve been hanging your head down all this while.」
Obaa-san said that and her deeply wrinkled face creased further as she smiled.
「Your morning sickness got better because you got distracted, right?」
「Ah- you"re right….」
Now that I think about it, that"s true.
The nausea I"ve been feeling all this while was gone too, and I"m feeling much better now.
The wind blowing in from the open windows felt pleasant.
I smiled and slightly closed my eyes.
I"ve not felt this comfortable in a long time.
「A mother"s smile is the best thing for the child inside.」
As she said that, she patted my head repeatedly as though she was soothing a small child.
The others in the carriage seemed relieved when they saw how comfortable I was while I was being patted.
….well, that"s natural.
After all, 『I』 am currently 『11 years old』.
My previous self… who died at the age of 29, would also be worried to see an 11 year old suffering from morning sickness.
That said, I would want to rip off the culprit"s p—– … no, first shred it and then trample on it!
Furthermore, I currently look 2 years younger than my actual age.
11 – 2 = 9
That"s right, the adults around me are angry from the bottom of their hearts that a n.o.ble made a girl below the age of 10 pregnant.
I actually have 29 years" worth of a man"s life experience though, so you guys don"t have to be so angry, you know~!
After I died from a flu, I realised that I became a baby when I opened my eyes. My parents were n.o.bles, but when I had my 11th birthday, I was abducted by the King and made to attend to him every night. When I became pregnant, I became a bother and was told that 「The Queen is scary so leave the castle」. It was truly a life full of ups and downs.
With close to 30 years of life experience, my determination was beyond what a young girl of my appearance would have.
I, ehehe, smiled with all my might.
Obaa-san covered me with a blanket up to my shoulders.
「It isn"t good to let your body get cold.」
She said with a smile. The others too, gave me blankets and some citrus fruit-like thing that was probably rich in vitamin C.
As I ate the delicious-looking fruits, I thought to myself.
Saa- 『My』 life starts now.
Becoming a parent at 11 years old would probably be the start of a difficult life, but for me….
I"ll show the world that I"m strong enough to live through it.
「Oh yeah, I"ve not asked for your name. Ojou-chan, would you tell me your name?」
「Yeah, I am….Ri….a. I"m Ria.」
「I see, Ria-chan, is it? You have a beautiful name.」
「Yes!」
The legend of the Hero"s mother….Holy Mother Ria, began today.
She abandoned her name as a n.o.ble and even her nickname, Fria.
Rifirudeidoa was shortened to Ria.
It was chosen rather casually….
Future generations who would grow up reading the picture book 『Holy Mother Ria and Hero-sama』 will probably cry if they knew the truth.
「Ria-chan, where are you heading to?」
「Out of Makugaia"s borders, to Freedom City State.」
「….That"s well, quite a long journey. Do you know someone there?」
「No, I don"t. But…. doesn"t the name "Freedom" sound nice?」
「Ahahahah, I guess you have a point there….」
In the years to come, Holy Mother Ria would eventually become the symbol of Freedom City State.
If people were to find out that she came to Freedom City State with this kind of mindset….you"d expect that they would cry, wouldn"t they?