Chapter 385: Moving on [1]

"My back," Eloise groaned as Damien set her down on the bed. "That was a bit of a mistake."

"It seems we’ll need to make some changes to the bathing chamber, and quite soon," Damien said, his frame hovering over Eloise’s.

"You would change the bathing chamber all because I injured my back? That is not worth all of the trouble. It is partly my fault for not being careful. The other fault lies with you," said Eloise.

"Me? I don’t think I should be blamed, but allow me to make it up to you," Damien said, lowering himself to kiss Eloise’s exposed neck.

Eloise giggled. "While the bed is comfortable, I think I will have a sore back if we continue from here. And do you not think it is odd that they have not come to bother us?"

Damien placed his finger on Eloise’s lips to silence her. "We mustn’t call upon them. We need to make the most of our time alone. How are we to have a child if we are always disturbed?"

"Believe me, I do enjoy this moment alone, but it is quite odd. I only hope we don’t go back out to a mess. I do think I am fortunate to be able to inspect that you didn’t gain any bruises in my absence," Eloise said as she wrapped her arms around Damien’s neck.

"Did you? I don’t believe you got a good look," Damien said, eager to strip for Eloise.

"Damien, you are such an easy man. I say very little, and you are quite fast to act upon it. I wonder if you have always been like this," Eloise said, though she hoped it wasn’t so.

"You would try to think of my time with someone else?"

Eloise lowered her arms and replied, "That was not the correct answer from you. A pity, since you always know what to say, but you don’t in this very moment. I must get up and get dressed."

"Why does it appear that I am getting scolded when you are the one who opened the door for this topic?" Damien asked, remaining towering over Eloise so she could not move. "You mustn’t concern yourself with the past. I am only this way with you. I did not think of marriage or a child before you."

"You are fortunate that I love you, Damien. I will accept that I am the one who spoiled our moment. I truly wish to carry on where we left off, but unless we soothe the ache in my back, I will not last quite long," Eloise admitted.

"Turn to your side. I will soothe it for you. The day is long, so we mustn’t overwork ourselves," Damien said and gently placed his hand on her back, moving in circles. "Perhaps I overdid it."

"It was two of us in there. I underestimated how much I missed your company, and I have a confession to make. I have been thinking about children and am curious what would happen if I were incapable of having a child. I think of Rosalie," Eloise said, unable to share the anxious feeling.

"You are not Rosalie, and while it would be disappointing, I would not stop loving you. I have three siblings. We can use one of their children."

Eloise’s body shook as she laughed. "I cannot fathom telling one of your siblings that we must use one of their children. The topic of children came up at Viola’s gathering."

"I find it quite annoying when others meddle in a marriage that is not their own. Let me guess. They made you think it is so unusual not to be pregnant by now," Damien said, annoyed.

"Two ladies did. I know they meant no harm, but it makes you think," Eloise said, her attention going to the wall. "I try not to get in my head that there is no news yet," she admitted, unable to completely silence her worries.

"While I am eager to share a child with you, one does not need to come soon. Whenever it happens, I will be happy because that is the time it was meant to come. Should we not be so fortunate, I had planned from the start to use my siblings," Damien said.

"That does bring me some comfort. I hope we are lucky so we won’t need to depend on your siblings. I also hope that we have so many we can look back on this very moment and laugh," Eloise said.

"Or cry because we shall miss how quiet our chamber once was. Perhaps I should move the chamber further away from us," Damien considered.

"No. I know it is perfectly normal in your world for a servant to care for a baby, but I prefer to be more involved in raising my child. That is how I was raised and would like to raise my children. Should there be any crying throughout the night, I would like to hear it and go," Eloise said, sticking to her father’s ways.

"I see. I am starting to realise that your eagerness to hear news that you are pregnant also stems from wanting to know what I have done to the chamber near us," Damien noticed.

"Guilty," Eloise smiled. "Wouldn’t it be fair for me to have a chamber to decorate as well? Even if there isn’t any use for it?"

"Or, you would have to have twins, but there haven’t been many twins in my family."

"The better answer would be to save it for the second child. I am impatient to see what you are coming up with, but I shall wait. My back is better now. Thank you," Eloise said, sitting up. "To think I would be so eager to have a child. To experience the pain others speak of," she added, astonished by how deeply she longed for it.

"I will find the best doctors for you, even if I need to steal them from the king and queen," Damien said, quite serious.

"I wouldn’t dare entertain you doing so because I know you would be so bold as to do so. If news about a child doesn’t come now, I hope it will wait until after the season ends-"

"Why?" Damien interjected, unable to hold his tongue.

"Because it will be Iris and Zayne’s moment then. I would hate to spoil it with news about us having our first child. All the attention should be on them," Eloise explained.

"Then they should make their wedding so interesting that it wouldn’t be overshadowed by our news."

"You must think about others, Damien. Besides, it would be better to keep it a secret until it is safe," Eloise said, preferring that the town wouldn’t know too soon.

"The day I find out you are pregnant, you will be more protected than the queen," Damien assured Eloise.