Reina of Hanneau (English)

NIGHT OF SURPRISE

Three days after Helen and Ryouta’s visit, Helen returns with an intent to stay in the Sou estate until Reina’s due date.

Haru and Helen arrived before nightfall. He did, however, leave shortly after, as Miki seemed to be ill. He did not want to waste time returning to Haran because he was worried.

They had a wonderful dinner together. Helen was then given a tour of the residence to familiarize herself with the surroundings. She had the same room as Reina did, just next to Kayomi's.

Shortly after the tour, Mitsuei served them tea in the sunroom. It was cold out, so the doors in the hallway were closed. Thankfully, they have a charcoal brazier to keep the surroundings warm. 

Helen later retired for the night, stating that she needed to unpack her belongings. Kayomi volunteered to help, and so did Reina. However, her mother insisted that she should be resting since it was going late. 

Reina wanted to spend time with her mother. With the sole purpose of wanting to avoid a certain inevitable event. And her heart cannot stop pounding the moment she enters the master’s bedroom.

Reina and Mitsuei remain quiet while both are staring into a blank space. 

“I will sleep on the floor if you are not comfortable,” Mitsuei whispers as he sits on the edge of the bed.

“Please don’t. That will only make me feel more guilty,” Reina pleads with a grim look in her eyes.

She despises the thought of him continually bending over backward to make room for her. He continues to tolerate her and the consequences of her actions. As a result, she is slowly being eaten alive by her guilt. She is afraid that she cannot keep this farce forever.

“I-- I do not mind sharing this bed with -um- you,” Reina averts her eyes, shy of the concept she said herself. 

She wants to scream at the top of her lungs. Saying such inviting words makes her feel terribly embarrassed. If she continues being bothered by this, Mitsuei might be troubled, too. He might even bring out the futon and lay on the cold floor. 

And so, before that happens, Reina takes a deep breath to compose herself. She wants to make this less uncomfortable for both of them. Furthermore, she was the one who made a bold suggestion. It is not like they had any other choice, though.

Mitsuei is still silent as if contemplating their current situation. 

“Mitsuei,” Reina calls out to him. “Please don’t think of this as a problem. I know I am asking too much from you. But if you could just endure for a few weeks until I give birth, I would appreciate it.”

Mitsuei straightens his back as he turns to her with a blank stare. His eyes appear stern, like his usual expression in the past. 

‘Oh, no. Did I annoy him somehow?’ Reina mutters in her head.

Mitsuei sighs, slumping his shoulders. He shakes his head while slowly looking away from her.

Without saying anything, Mitsuei gets up from the bed, walking to the opposite side of the bed. The only sound heard is the rustle of sheets against his movements. He then gently reclines beside her, his back facing her.

Reina carefully rests her head on the cushion in front of her, not wishing to anger him any longer. She learned to lay flat on her back as her belly grew larger. She generally sleeps on her side, but with a pregnant belly, it is difficult.

She closes her eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. However, as much as she wants to drift off, it never came to her. 

It suddenly becomes a difficult task to achieve.

But somehow, the cold nights become warm. Reina can no longer feel the cool breeze blowing on her sides. She even feels like she would drift into sleep at any moment now.

Before she could finally doze to sleep, Mitsuei surprisingly turns on his back flat on the bed. Like her, he seems unable to sleep even with the pin-drop silence. 

“I’m sorry,” Mitsuei says, almost in a whisper.

“Sorry about what?” She asks in confusion. He is talking nonsense. If someone is to apologize, it should be her. She is always pushing responsibilities to him. 

Mitsuei turns to his side and stares her in the eyes, to her surprise. He appears to be both serious and sad.

“I should have told you about Tomohisa before.”

‘Oh! Right,’ Reina blinks her eyes in realization. 

She forgot about that. During dinner time, Helen had asked about Tomohisa’s whereabouts. She honestly overlooks his absence. It is not like she expects him to be present in her life. He probably should be having the best time of his life right now, still enjoying his bachelor life.

“Don’t worry about it.” Reina smiles at him. “But is it true that he is not Moulen anymore?”

Mitsuei sits on the bed with his back against the headboard. He proceeds to stare into deep space as he answers her inquiry.

“Yes. Shortly before our wedding ceremony, I have not heard from Tomohisa. Then, later on, I heard that he left town permanently. I went to his residence in Moulen and found it empty.”

“Is that so?” Reina lowers her gaze, not thinking much of the ordeal with her ex-fiance. 

She lost all concern when she caught him in the act. Worse, tried to blame her for not understanding the nature of his business. Such a selfish man. 

Thinking about it now, she regrets ever staying with him. And even giving up her womanhood. But he wasn’t like that before. She never knew what happened to him to change.

“Honestly, I forgot about him. I only want to focus on my child right now, and since he isn’t ready to give up his bachelor life, then I see no point in concerning him,” Reina utters after a minute of silence.

Mitsuei silently stares at Reina for some time. It is as if he is trying to measure the integrity of her statement. 

‘Is he not convinced of something I said?’ Reina questions, keeping the words to herself.

The expressions on Mitsuei’s face make her confused as time passes by. One moment he would look pleased, but then, he would look sullen in a snap of a finger. She does not want to go to sleep like this. She wants to know what is going on in his mind. 

But could she do that? She worries that it might upset him further if she does. Or that she might come out nosy.

“I’m sorry if I upset you in any way,” Reina apologizes. Apologizing is the only thing that came to her mind to appease him.

Mitsuei then looks at her with surprise. “Why do you say that?”

“You seem -um- upset about something I said. If I offended you in any way, please forgive me.”

“I look upset?”

Reina only nods her head in response. Mitsuei did not seem to like her statements from earlier. Even if she did not know which part, she at least wanted to apologize to lighten the mood. After all, they will be sleeping together for a long time. 

It would only make things worse if they sleep with an ongoing problem.

“I am not upset. I just -- just have a lot of things in mind,” Mitsuei answers with a sigh. 

Reina gently turns to her side, positioning herself to sit on the bed. He, however, stops her before she can lift her hands to climb up.

“Really. There is no need to worry about it.” Mitsuei reassures her. He then smiles, seemingly with care. “It would be bad for the baby if you stay up late. Remember, your mother is here. She might reprimand both of us if we are careless.”

What Mitsuei said is right. Aside from her mother’s presence, it would affect the baby if she kept getting worried like this. Stress is neither good for her nor the baby.

She nods at him in agreement before she slowly lowers herself in the warm pillow. It still seems wrong to leave the matter like this. Unanswered and troubling. 

With a heavy feeling, Reina closes her eyes to pursuit sleep. However, shortly after she lays in her bed, Reina feels something different in her stomach. It feels like it is fluttering of some kind. Like tiny bubbles are forming and popping on her stomach. 

This is all familiar to her. It only feels different if it happens inside of you. 

In too much excitement, Reina grabs Mitsuei by the hand and turns to him with an ecstatic look.

She takes his hand on top of her belly. She was expecting him to be pleased, but he appeared alarmed all of a sudden.

“What is happening? Does it hurt?” Mitsuei jolts out of bed in a state of panic. If something is wrong, he wants to call Helen right away to check on Reina. 

Despite the hysteria, Reina does not seem bothered. She pulls him back to bed and again takes his hand to her big stomach.

“Don’t fret. Can you not feel the baby moving inside?” Reina smiles with eagerness. 

Mitsuei has been speechless for a second before he slowly descends back to the bed. Reina can see how amazed he is with the feel of an unborn child moving inside its mother. The fear in his eyes before now shines in wonder. 

He already has a child. This experience should not be a surprise for him.

“Does it not hurt?”

Reina shakes her head as a response. This child's movement strangely improved the previously dreary tone. Mitsuei seems to have liked experiencing the baby’s movements in her belly. He couldn’t take his hands off it. 

She is happy to at least bring him this kind of joy. 

And so, unknowingly, both of them have fallen asleep in the comfort of each other’s arms. Reina’s hand still holds his, while Mitsuei still has his hand over her belly.