Mary held the small baby in her arms with William at her side beaming with joy. Seri felt her stomach which was now protruding from the child inside. William turned to her, "How did you know it was going to be a girl?"

Seri chuckled, "I am psychic. I told you."

​​

Dante stood behind her. The corners of his mouth twitched up. Dante knew that "psychic" actually meant she knew because of her knowledge from either the novel or the so-called Original Seri. Either way, she was only certain because she knew.

Seri peered at the baby with blonde hair and bright blue eyes, "What did you end up deciding for her name?"

Mary smiled proudly, "Merigold."

Seri raised an eyebrow, "That's the name you both decided on?"

"Yes. Merigold like the flower. M-e-r-i-g-o-l-d."

"That's not how you spell Marigold. It's with an a, not an e."

Mary giggled, "But Meri sounds like a combination of Seri and Mary. I think it is spelled the right way."

Seri: "…"

William sighed, "She said that if I let her name this child then I could name the next one."

Mary giggled, "The doctor said I only need to wait a few months, and then we can try for another baby!"

William froze upon hearing this, "M-Mary… We don't have to rush…"

Mary coddled her baby, "I should have Queen Hypatia come visit so we can discuss more of those techniques."

William's face paled, "Please Mary… No more techniques... I don't think I have recovered from last time..."

Seri tilted her head, "Well it's good to see your married life is still as strong as ever."

Mary smiled at her, "I can't wait for you to have your child Seri. If it's a girl, they are going to be best friends. If it's a boy, they are going to get married."

Seri frowned, "They can't get married. They would be cousins."

"Half-cousins." Dante reminded gently.

Seri crossed her arms, "Marriage between cousins is weird."

William glanced at her, "Why is it weird? It's normal for the Royal family to marry their cousins."

Her face twitched, "What?"

William nodded, "It's true. Ilene was my cousin and I was supposed to marry her."

Mary looked up, "Who is Ilene?!"

Seri, William, and Dante: "Long story."

Within the next few months, William gave Seri maternity leave. It wasn't that he was being nice. It was more that he did it for his own self-preservation. It seemed that Seri was the type of pregnant woman that was always in a bad mood and always complaining or shouting. He was sure his heart would give out before her baby came, so he quickly gave her time off.

Not paid of course.

Seri rubbed her large stomach as she walked through the city. Dante walked with her protectively trying to prevent anyone from walking into her. Seri let him fawn over her as she grumbled to herself.

Dante leaned forward, "Seri… Do you think that you should be walking this late into the pregnancy? The doctor said you should rest."

Seri scoffed, "The doctor doesn't know sh*t. I'm from the modern world. I remember hearing a doctor say that if a pregnant woman wants to give birth, she should walk around. And I want this little alien out already."

Dante chuckled, "Alien?"

Seri looked at him with watery eyes, "Dante… I just want a glass of bourbon."

Dante rubbed her head affectionately, "Seri. The doctor said it was fine to have one glass a day. He said it is good for the baby."

"Pah!" Seri tossed her head angrily, "That's another thing. If I do that, the baby will be born with fetal alcohol syndrome. I know they haven't discovered that yet, but the doctor could at least listen to me when I tell him about it."

Dante smiled warmly, "Yes."

She continued, "This is why I will only have a female doctor. They at least listen to their female patients."

Dante listened to Seri complain without interrupting her. As they walked, they heard two familiar voices arguing.

Lucius whined, "Artie! I promise it wasn't like that!"

Artie glared at Lucius, "Oh?! It wasn't like that!? You were clearly gawking at that woman in my store! MY store Lucius!"

Lucius tugged on him with a pitiful expression, "Artie… I wasn't gawking…"

Artie held their child in his arms with a frown, "Just what kind of mannerisms are you trying to instill upon our little Leopold? Hmm?!"

Lucius bobbed his head as Artie continued to berate him. Seri and Dante stopped when they overheard the argument. Two women in front of them whispered to each other, "Say, don't you think the Young Duke Lucius is a bit too friendly with that Arthur boy? The Young Dukes son is even calling Arthur his mother."

"You haven't heard? The two of them live together."

"Oh my. That's a bit distasteful…"

The other woman pinched her, "SHH! Don't say that!"

She blinked, "What why? Two men shouldn't be in a relationship like that. It goes against the laws of nature."

"You haven't heard? Do you know the person that set the two of them up? It was Knight Seri!"

"What!?" The woman gasped in fear, "H-Her?! Isn't she the one that could just ruin your reputation and drive you to poverty with a snap of her fingers?!"

Seri and Dante looked at each other. Seri mockingly snapped her fingers with a wry smile. Dante smirked at her childishness.

The other woman continued, "It gets even worse! Rumors say that Lucius bought the favor of the Black Death! Any that dare insult their relationship will face calamity."

Seri stepped past them bored with eavesdropping, "Excuse me."

The women nearly fainted from the fright when they realized just who had walked past them. Without waiting for their reputations to be tarnished, they ran off. Seri and Dante walked over to Artie and Lucius who were still arguing.

Lucius whined, "Artie… Can't you give me a break? Do you realize how much my backside hurts?!"

"That's not my fault. Just ask for more of that liquid from Seri."

Lucius blushed from his shameless response, "Ahh! I can't ask for more! Then she will know we did… That…"

Artie smirked playfully, "Just what do you mean?"

Lucius glanced away, "Ugh. Don't make me say it… Can't you just ask Seri where she got it from?"

"It was a homemade recipe." They both jumped and looked at Seri who had suddenly appeared, "If you needed more, you should have asked. I was sure I gave you enough to last for several months. How did you use it all up within two weeks?"

Lucius turned bright red, "AHH!!"

Artie skipped over to her, "Ah! Seri it's been so long!"

Seri smiled at him and squeezed the baby's cheek, "Oh! Little Leopold is getting so big now. I see he still demands his mother to carry him."

"I see you are getting big as well." Artie looked to her stomach, "Just what gender do you think it is?"

Seri scoffed, "Eh. Who knows without an ultrasound."

Lucius glanced at Dante, "Which gender do you want it to be?"

Dante answered, "A boy."

Artie looked at Seri, "And you?"

She shrugged, "I don't really care. I just want this alien out of me."

Artie chuckled, "Seri… If you keep talking like that then people will think you aren't excited to have a child."

Seri rubbed her large bump, "I am excited to have a child. I just hope that it doesn't come out with any birth defects…"

Artie chuckled, "We should go catch up over dessert."

Seri grinned, "Oh. I wouldn't mind having a bite or two."

Lucius sighed, "You mean eating all the cake in the entire store?"

Seri turned to the baby with a mischievous grin, "Leo. Do you know how to say loser? Say Daddy is a loser!"

Lucius shouted, "Oi! Don't teach my son that! He won't stop once you get him going!"

Artie chuckled, "Come on."

As they began to walk away, Seri suddenly stopped. They all turned to her in confusion. Seri blinked, "I don't think I will be able to go get dessert with you anymore."

Artie blinked in surprise, "What? Why?! Do you not like cake anymore?"

"No. It's not that."

Lucius scratched his head, "You are busy?"

"No."

Artie furrowed his brow, "Then… What is it?"

Seri looked at them with a blank face, "My water just broke."

Dante nearly fainted from the shock. Artie let out an excited squeal. "EEEEE! You're going to have your baby!!!"

Lucius turned as pale as Dante, "Right now!?"

Seri rolled her eyes, "No. Not right now. But soon."

"Lucius, go back home with Leopold. I'm going to take Seri to a doctor." Artie gave Lucius Leopold. He started pulling on her arm, "Come on! I will take you because I think Dante may be too shocked to move."

Seri looked to Dante who was frozen in his tracks. Seri sighed, "You have a point. Okay. Let's go. But we are going to a midwife. I will be d*mned if I let a male look up my-"

"Alright, alright. I know one that is close."

Seri raised an eyebrow, "How do you know one?"

Artie chuckled, "It's a long story. Now come on."

They went to leave but noticed Dante didn't follow. Artie pulled him away and together he took the two towards the midwife. As Seri walked, she chuckled, "This isn't so bad. I wonder why everyone made it seem like giving birth hurt. I haven't even- OH MY &$#@%!"

Artie and Dante froze when Seri suddenly doubled over. Dante panicked, "Seri!?"

She held up a finger gasping, "I-I'm fine… Just a contraction…. Nothing major just- AHHHH F*CK!"

Artie shouted, "We need to hurry! Your contractions are getting closer together! What's your bishop's score?"

"How would I know!?" Seri shouted back then paused, "Wait. How do you know so much about giving birth?!"

Artie scratched his cheek awkwardly, "Uhh…. It's a hobby?"

"A hobby?!"

Dante suddenly scooped Seri up in his arms and glared at Artie, "We need to run."

Artie nodded and the two of them began to sprint towards the midwife. Artie shouted, "Aaah! I hate running!"

Seri shouted, "AAAH! STOP BUMPING!"

They made it to the midwife where the door was flung open. She jumped, "Uh. Wha-"

Artie smiled, "Hello, Matilda. I am here with Seri who is due at any moment."

The midwife nodded, "I-I will prepare the room. You can set her on the bed and wait outside."

Dante turned to leave but was stopped by Seri. She glared at him and spoke through a clenched jaw, "You. Stay."

The midwife blinked in surprise, "B-But… My lady… Men aren't allowed-"

"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!" Seri roared at the woman who flinched back in fear.

"Ah! Okay! My apologies! He can stay!"

Dante stayed at Seri's side while the midwife and nurse frantically prepared the room. Seri's fingers dug into his wrists as she pushed, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOUUU!"

Dante panicked at the sight of Seri agonizing in pain while also cursing him. Now he understood why Seri was so traumatized from watching birth when she was younger. Finally, the baby was born after a long antagonizing hour.

The midwife held up the new baby, "It's a girl!"

The midwife gave her to the nurse who began to clean the baby off. Seri breathed out a sigh of relief, "Ah. Thank god that is finally over. Now I can have a large stiff drink."

Dante chuckled while he bent down to give her a kiss on the forehead, "Yes. You did very well."

"Oh! Here comes another one!"

Seri sat up with a strange smile, "Uh. Come again?!"

The midwife grinned, "It looks like you are having twins!"

Seri blinked, "One more time."

The midwife blinked back in confusion, "Um… Twins…"

Dante grinned, "Twins!!!"

Seri screamed, "HELL NO! TELL THAT F*CKER TO GO BACK WHERE THEY CAME FROM!"

Everyone flinched from her sudden scream. The midwife turned pale, "But… Uh… What?"

Seri shouted, "THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I WILL BE TAKING CARE OF TWO BABIES! I REFUSE! I DECLINE!!"

Dante smiled at her and held her hand, "Darling… I don't think you have a choice now…"

She squeezed his hand so hard he let out a small gasp. She shouted, "BULLSH*T!"

The midwife tried to ignore Seri's cursing and attempts at her life while she focused on the task at hand. While Seri was cursing, the second baby was born. The midwife let out a sigh, "It's a boy!"

Dante beamed, "A boy! Did you hear that Seri?!"

Seri stared at the ceiling with a blank face, "I've been destroyed…"

The nurse walked over to them with the two babies now cleaned and wrapped in a blanket. "Would you like to hold them?"

Dante nodded, "Please."

Seri clicked her tongue, "Hand it over."

Dante flicked her forehead, "They aren't it's."

The nurse handed them to Seri who held the tan-skinned twins in her arms. The baby boy was wailing with his eyes closed while the baby girl had her eyes closed like she was sleeping peacefully. If not for her breathing, one would think she was dead.

Dante bent down with a smile, "Don't you think they are cute?"

Seri's face twitched, "Well they both have our faces. There is no way they would be ugly."

The nurse smiled happily, "My Lady, Duke. What would you like to name them?"

Seri spoke quickly, "I already know what we should name them."

The nurse was surprised, "Eh? Shouldn't your husband help you name them?"

Seri glanced at Dante, "Dante. What would you call them?"

Dante spoke, "Riposte and Remise."

The nurse blinked in confusion, "Eh? What's that?"

Seri responded with a deadpan expression, "Sword moves."

The nurse cleared her throat, "Ah. I see… I suppose it is best if you name them, Lady Seri…"

Seri looked down at the two babies, "Hmm… Anais and Luther."

When the babies heard their new names, their eyes flashed open. The daughter had a golden left eye and a peach-colored right eye. The son had a peach-colored left eye and a golden right eye.

Seri gasped, "Oh no…"

Dante looked at her in concern, "What is it?"

"They are going to be main characters…"

"…"