Her body had gone stiff, but her heart was pounding wildly.
Herbs to erase a child…
So, if she got pregnant, was he planning to get rid of it?
Yuliana remembered Kallion once saying that he would never allow Heister's bloodline to continue.
So you were prepared for this from the start. In case we ever had a child…
Beneath the table, her trembling fingers clenched tightly.
A chilling thought struck her—maybe Kallion really had killed Denian in her previous life.
Of course, she couldn't fully trust what Layla said. It was possible she had made it up, hoping to break Yuliana and Kallion apart.
But even so, her instincts as a mother screamed that Kallion was a danger to Denian.
She had already planned to leave him in secret if she became pregnant. But now, thinking that Kallion might be behind Denian's death, she felt an even stronger fear—she could never let him find out about this child.
"Madam, are you all right…?"
Layla's worried voice made Yuliana flinch. She turned and glared at her sharply.
"Are you sure about what you said?"
Meeting Yuliana's eyes, Layla spoke firmly:
"You will find those herbs in Lord Kallion's office, in the third drawer."
If Layla had put them there secretly, there was no way Kallion—who practically lived in his office—wouldn't have noticed.
And Layla couldn't have predicted this question today. That meant if the herbs were really there, Layla had told the truth.
Yuliana's clasped hands shook faintly.
Layla calmly added:
"Right now, Lord Kallion should be out on official business. His office will be empty."
She was telling her to go see for herself.
Yuliana forced her shaking hands still and replied as evenly as she could:
"Thank you, Layla."
Layla only smiled politely in return.
As Layla had said, Kallion's office was empty.
Even up to the moment she opened the door, Yuliana still wondered if Layla was lying.
But when she opened the desk drawer with trembling fingers, she could no longer deny it.
Inside two small boxes were present, pouches of herbs she recognized—ones to prevent pregnancy, and the more vicious kind that could kill a child in the womb.
Her knees nearly gave way, and she staggered back a few steps.
Forcing herself to breathe, she closed the lid and pushed the drawer shut with trembling hands.
Her chest tightened, her head spun, and she felt a dull ache in her lower belly.
Clutching her stomach, she staggered out of the office.
But as she leaned against the wall to steady herself, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Startled, she turned—and saw the one face she least wanted to meet.
"Are you all right?"
Kallion had just returned from his outing, the cool wind still clinging to him.
She shook his hand off immediately.
"Let go."
Her voice came out cold without her meaning it.
He frowned, clearly unsettled, but asked gently:
"Are you unwell?"
The concern in his tone made her flare up inside.
The man who might have killed my child. The man who might kill this child too.
The herbs in his drawer were like bloodstained knives in her eyes.
How dare he speak in such a caring voice?
She wanted to grab his collar and demand if he was truly the father of her past child. How could he be so cruel, so heartless?
But she bit her lip and answered icily:
"Don't worry about me."
Sensing her hostility, Kallion's frown deepened.
"Do you know what you look like right now? Like you've seen a ghost."
And he was right. There was no one she feared more than him.
Turning away, she forced her voice steady.
"I'll take care of it. Leave me alone."
He seemed to accept her words reluctantly, replying in a resigned tone:
"At least see the physician."
With that, he walked away. She didn't care what expression he wore. She only wished he would disappear from her sight.
"Madam, are you sure you're okay?"
At Kate's question, Yuliana forced a smile.
"I'm fine, Kate."
But she wasn't. Her headaches had grown constant, and her belly ached dully.
And then she remembered—her monthly cycle was late.
"Kate, could you ask the physician for some medicine for the pain—"
She froze mid-sentence, realizing something.
Kate blinked. "Should I fetch the doctor?"
Yuliana quickly shook her head.
"No. That won't be necessary."
Kate still looked uneasy. "Your complexion is pale. Maybe you should be examined properly."
Absolutely not. If these symptoms were from pregnancy, she could never let Kallion's physician find out.
"Kate, help me get ready to go out."
It had already been four weeks since she returned from Dalrot.
Kate looked shocked. "In your condition? You want to go out?"
"Please."
Seeing Yuliana's desperate expression, Kate finally nodded.
"Then I'll go with you, Madam."
They took a carriage to the city, stopping in front of the busy shopping streets before slipping into the crowd.
But this time, Yuliana felt eyes following her.
Someone was trailing them.
"Why do you look uneasy, Madam?" Kate whispered.
"Someone is tailing us."
Kate looked around nervously, but the crowd was too thick.
"Stay close," Yuliana said, steering them toward the crowded market.
It wasn't hard to guess who sent the tail.
Kallion. He had done it before.
That made it even more important that he never learned she was going to a doctor.
Sensing her worry, Kate suddenly pulled her toward the crowd of people. She swapped veils with Yuliana, putting the black one on herself and covering Yuliana with her white veil.
"I'll pretend to be you and draw them away."
Yuliana's eyes widened, but she nodded gratefully.
"Be careful."
"Once you're done, come back to the carriage. I'll meet you there."
With that, Kate walked off in the crowd, the shadowy follower trailing after her.
Yuliana slipped away in the other direction, heading for the shabby little clinic she had visited before.
The doctor recognized her at once.
"Oh, you've returned."
"I need an examination."
He nodded knowingly and led her inside. This time, he produced a strange device she hadn't seen before.
"I managed to borrow a pregnancy tester," he said proudly. "Don't worry—it only requires a blood sample."
He took her pulse, then quickly drew blood from her arm, dropping it onto the device.
Yuliana sat in tense silence until the doctor looked up, his eyes bright.
"Congratulations, Madam. You are pregnant."