25 Their wedding night (2)

''Are you still feeling nauseous?'' Dante asked, worriedly. His hand that held annalise's hand went to her belly. He gave the bump a gentle rub.

''Dante, I am fine, and this is the fifth time you asked again,'' Annalise shook her head with a smile and also overlapped her hand on his.

''I didn't know that the pregnancy would make you suffer like this.'' He removed his hand from hers and stood up from the bed. He then walked to the other side and took off his shoes before crawling to sit beside annalise.

''But I thought you knew,'' His words confused annalise, ''Isn't her grace pregnant?''

His hands, that were about to bring annalise into his arms, paused at her question.

Indeed, the duchess is pregnant, but he never bothered to know about the baby. He neither knows how old the baby is in her belly, nor has he felt the baby like he had done many times with annalise.

His first moments with a pregnant woman were never with the duchess but with annalise.

''Yes, she is,'' The duke did not want that uncomfortable ache in his heart to come again and forcefully pushed away his thoughts about his first wife. He brought annalise into his arms, gently and carefully, of her baby bump.

''But I never saw her this way.''

No, he does not see her regularly, like a normal husband and wife. Her presence is always scarce in the duchy, even though she is his duchess.

''That can't be. You heard the doctor. A pregnant woman will feel nauseous at the beginning of her pregnancy,'' Annalise argued, not believing his words.

''Yes, my love. But why are we talking about the duchess when our little one has been naughty in his mother's belly?'' The duke felt uncomfortable talking about his first wife and quickly changed the conversation.

''It's not the baby's fault, Dante.'' Annalise giggled as she snuggled her head into his chest.

''Right..'' The duke chuckled. After a while, he asked a question that has been on his mind since he discovered annalise's pregnancy, ''Annalise..when did we do it?''

He has always wanted to ask that question.

To conceive a baby, they must have had intercourse.

Dante knows himself. He might be in love, but he is not one to be lustful. He never planned to have a baby with annalise until after his divorce from the duchess.

They kissed, hugged, and had a lot of intimate moments together, but not sex. Now that he thinks about it, he was very sure that he never had made love with annalise.

Then...who is the father of the child in her belly?

As the duke was lost in thoughts, he did not notice the frozen person in his arms. Annalise's face was as if the blood circulating had been drained out thoroughly.

'He can't know…He can never know...Unless...' Annalise was scared of the truth being known by her lover, who is now her husband. She did not want to lose him, even if she was deceiving him.

As a slave, it was her first time experiencing this warmth...this love for another human being, and she did not want to lose it at all.

With many thoughts in mind, her eyes became watery, and she asked with a sob, ''Dante, do you doubt me?''

''Do you doubt our baby?''

How could Dante bear to see the crying face of his new wife?

''Shh, it's okay.'' He used his other fingers to wipe her tears and explained, ''I am just confused as I was sure that we did not do it.''

''Y-You don't remember that we had a drink. You wanted me to try a wine that noble's drink...'' She stared at him through her tears. ''M-Maybe we did it that day.''

Dante stared at her for a while, then his red eyes shook as if he just recalled that moment, ''Ah..''

He remembered that night.

How could he forget? That moment was probably one of those times that he was truly scared to have done something very bad.

Then, he wanted annalise, who had never drank before, to try a wine that nobles drink, for the first time. All he remembered was taking the weakest wine from the duchy and drinking it with her.

The next morning, he found himself naked in bed beside a sleeping and naked annalise. He could not believe that he had done it with annalise and left before she woke up from her sleep.

When he saw her again, she looked the same as if nothing happened, and did not talk about it.

'I thought nothing happened, but it seems something did happen,' He sighed and apologized out loud, ''Sorry, I guess I am stressed. I can't believe I said that to you.''

''It's okay. I am happy that you remembered, although we were drunk,'' Annalise laughed through her tears, and the Dante also smiled and continued to wipe her tears with his fingers.

''But Dante...if the child is not yours...would you still love me?'' Annalise hesitantly asked. She just wanted to know what he would do if that time ever comes, when the truth would be exposed.

Pausing his fingers, Dante stared at her as it was strange that she was seriously asking this question. Though he was not sure why she was asking, he gave a truthful answer.

''Yes, I will. But it would pain me that you did not have your first child with me. Nevertheless, I will love that child like my own because you gave birth to the baby.''

Annalise stared at him and could see that he was telling the truth.

She couldn't help but shed tears once more, as she was happy to be loved by this man. Though he was her target from the beginning, he found her in that bakery.

''Why are you crying annalise?!'' Dante was confused as he was sure his words were not bad for someone with a soft heart like hers. His fingers resumed back to wiping her tears.

''No, I am just happy to be your wife and that you are the father of our child,'' She smiled through her tears.

'Even if the baby is not yours, Dante.'

>>>Who is the father of annalise's child? Read more to find out about this unexpected revelation. As always, Vote, Vote Vote, dear readers.<<<