A few more months passed by, quiet and fast, like time had learned to walk softly around them.

It was winter now. Cold winds stayed outside, while warmth filled the hall.

Vivian and Charlotte were sitting in front of the fireplace. The fire crackled gently, painting the walls with a soft orange glow.

Charlotte sat on a cushion near the fire.

Her stomach was slightly big now, showing that she was about six months pregnant.

One hand rested on her belly without thinking, like it belonged there.

Vivian sat on the floor beside her. He leaned close, his eyes fixed on her stomach with pure focus.

From time to time, he pressed his ear against it, moving his head slowly from one side to the other, trying not to miss anything.

Right now, he was listening again. He waited. And waited.

Nothing.

He pulled back, rubbed his ear, and leaned in once more.

Still nothing. A small frown formed on his face as he said softly, "I think the baby is sleeping."

Charlotte chuckled at his serious tone. She looked down at him, warmth clear in her eyes.

Reaching out, she gently patted his head, her fingers running through his hair.

"Yes," she said with a smile. "The baby is sleeping."

Vivian nodded as if he had received important news.

He stayed there beside her, resting his head against her knee, listening to the fire instead.

After a while, Vivian lifted his head and spoke softly.

"I was thinking about something…"

"Thinking about what, honey?" Charlotte asked. Her voice was gentle as she looked down at him.

"Will the baby look like you or like me?" he asked.

"Hm?" Charlotte hummed for a moment, then smiled. "The baby will probably look like both of us. Half you and half me."

"Half you and half me…" Vivian repeated. His eyes slowly drifted as his thoughts wandered.

If the baby looked like him, what would it have?

Black hair and blue eyes?

Or maybe the baby would look like Charlotte, the same way she looked like her mother.

Still, there would be some resemblance, right? Like how she had her father's nose.

Either way, the baby would be cute.

That much was certain. Charlotte was beautiful…not just normal beauty, but the kind that made people stop and stare.

Vivian believed she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

And even though he was sick now, when he was younger, people used to stare at him too.

When he was fourteen or fifteen, girls would often look at him wherever he went.

So their baby would be cute for sure.

And even if the baby wasn't, it didn't matter.

As long as the baby was healthy, that was enough.

Not like its father… who didn't even know if he would live long enough to see the baby being born.

Vivian let out a quiet sigh inside his heart.

Over the past few months, his condition had grown worse.

Some days, he truly felt that today might be his last day.

He looked at Charlotte's belly, and regret slowly showed on his face.

More than anything, he just wanted to see his child come into the world before he died.

Another soft sigh escaped him. Pushing those thoughts away, he spoke again.

"Do you want to eat something?"

Charlotte nodded lightly. "Mm."

"Alright," Vivian said as he stood up. "Your husband will make you a tasty meal."

Flashing a confident grin, Vivian walked toward the kitchen.

He was not good at cooking or house work before. But from the day Charlotte told him she was pregnant, everything changed.

He started doing all the house work. He woke up early every day.

He cleaned the house and made breakfast. He prepared warm water for her bath. He cooked lunch and dinner too.

He did everything he could so she could rest.

Charlotte had told him many times that she could do these things herself.

But he never allowed it. And in the end, she stopped trying to argue.

If Vivian knew he did not have much time left, then she knew it too.

That was why she did not stop him.

At least this way, he felt that he was doing his best for his wife and his child. It made him happy, so she stayed silent.

As these thoughts moved through her mind, Charlotte stared at his back as he entered the kitchen.

When he disappeared from her sight, she let out a soft sigh.

"It would have been better if we had more time…" she muttered, her eyes drifting back to the fire.

As she stared into the fire, Charlotte slowly closed her eyes. After a short moment, she snapped her fingers. A pendant appeared in her hand from her subspace.

The pendant was round like an orb, but flat. It was black in color. Just holding it gave off a heavy and dark feeling.

Charlotte looked at it quietly.

She rubbed its surface with her thumb. Her expression slowly became firm, and a strong resolve appeared in her eyes.

"It has been completed…" she muttered.

This was an artifact she had made with her own hands.

To create it, she had poured a large part of her vitality into it.

It was finished before she became pregnant, and that was a good thing.

If it had not been completed back then, it could have caused serious harm to the baby.

As she thought about that, time passed quietly.

After a while, Vivian walked out of the kitchen.

He was carrying two trays, and steam rose gently from the food. A smile was on his face as he sat down beside her and handed her one tray.

Charlotte took it with a small smile. Soon, the two of them began eating together, the fire crackling softly in front of them.

After eating, Vivian handed her a cup of water that he had warmed on the fire.

Charlotte drank it quietly and gave it back to him. He closed the lid and placed it beside her.

Then he picked up the trays and walked toward the kitchen.

As he walked, just as he was about to enter, he suddenly stopped.

"Hm?" Charlotte was watching him the whole time.

She noticed him pause, but it was only for a moment. Soon, he continued walking and entered the kitchen.

The moment he disappeared, a bad feeling struck Charlotte's heart.

She slowly stood up, a deep frown forming on her face. One hand held her belly as she walked toward the kitchen.

Her steps were slow and careful.

The moment she entered the kitchen, she froze.

"Honey…?" she called out as she hurried forward.

Vivian was on the ground. He was trying hard to hold back his coughing.

Black blood stained his lips, and the floor around him was covered in blood.

His body shook as he struggled to breathe. When he lifted his head, he saw Charlotte.

A bitter feeling rose in his heart.

He stopped holding it back.

"Guh—"

Another pool of blood spilled from his mouth.

"Cough—cough—cough—"

Charlotte rushed to his side and gently patted his back. Fear filled her face.

Worry was written all over her, and even that was not enough to describe it. Her eyes trembled as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Don't worry…" Vivian said weakly, forcing a smile.

"I'm… fine… cough—cough—"

"How are you fine?" Charlotte shouted as panic rushed through her.

She held him tightly, but there was nothing she could do to ease his pain. That helpless feeling made her hands tremble.

Vivian felt like invisible hands were crushing his lungs. No matter how much he coughed, it would not stop.

His chest burned, and each breath felt heavier than the last. A dark feeling slowly rose inside him.

'Is this the end?'

Bitterness filled his heart as his eyes moved to her belly.

'I haven't even seen my child yet…'

'Can't I at least see my child being born?

Was my whole life really that bad?'

The bitter feeling tasted dry, like sand in his mouth.

His coughing would not calm down.

Pain spread through his lungs and his heart.

But even that pain was nothing compared to the thought that he might die without seeing his child.

"Cough—cough—cough—"

Charlotte held him close. She did not know what else to do. She could only hope.

Hope that he would live. Hope that he could last until the child was born, just long enough to see.

'Please… don't die.

Not now… please…'

She prayed silently, her heart aching so badly it felt like it might break.

"Cough—cough—cough—"

The coughing grew even worse. Vivian's vision slowly turned blurry, like the world was sinking into fog.

A dark aura began to leak from his body. It was not something normal people could see. Only very few could feel it.

Charlotte felt it.

Vivian felt it too.

'So this is really the end…'

His strength faded fast. His mind grew heavy. His body no longer listened to him.

His legs gave out, and he fell to the ground with a dull thud.

"Charlotte…" he whispered.

Before his eyes closed, he looked at her one last time. Tears rolled down his face as his lips trembled.

"I'm sorry…"

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