“Oh, is this where the baby will sleep?” Liliana runs over to the wooden cot stationed beside the bed and peers inside. It was entirely bare and newly dusted, but that did not stop Liliana from staring at it like it was the most fascinating thing in the room. She runs her fingers gently over the walnut wood, marveling at how smooth it was.

She turns to smile brightly at her older sister, “Where did you get this from? And why is it here? Won’t the baby have its own room? There is plenty of space in the house! I’m sure father would not mind! Oh, but then I guess you would have to change rooms, to be closer to the baby! Oh! I know, there is one that has two connecting rooms! But it is all the way in the eastern part of the estate, and so far from my own.”

Livia could practically see ears on top of her sisters’ head droop, from sunny to cloudy, her little sisters' mood changes are as quick as ever. Livia almost musters up a smile, instead, her mouth pulls down and she places her hand on her stomach with a slight grimace.

Liliana is at her side instantly, “Are you alright? Is the baby kicking a lot again? Does it hurt? Do you need me to go get Beth!?” Her questions become more frantic the longer Livia remains silent.

“Sister?” Liliana calls out, hovering by the bed.

“It’s alright Lily. My son is just very active today,” Livia says, and messages the spot her baby was still steadily kicking at. He has gotten quite strong since she felt that first little flutter.

Liliana peers down at her stomach, her eyes wide. They both watch as Livia’s stomach moves underneath her hand in a rhythmic motion. Even so far along, it was still a bizarre sight to see.

“It looks pretty strange, doesn’t it?” Livia mutters, shifting to find a comfortable position.

Her legs were becoming numb.

It was late in the afternoon, and she had been in bed all day. After working on the crystals for two days straight, she had finally put them aside. Her spells needed time to sink in and do their magic. Until then, she had decided that today she would gather what little strength she could so she could resume her work tomorrow. But before she knew it, most of the day had passed.

Liliana stares at her stomach a moment longer before she lifts her ruby eyes, looking a bit sheepish.

“It does look a bit strange,” She admits.

Livia smiles then, “It feels weird as well.”

Liliana shuffles closer, and Livia scoots aside without a word, making room for her on the bed. After kicking off her light pink wedges her little sisters shuffle under the covers and carefully snuggles into her side. Livia straightens out a white lock of hair before tucking Liliana’s head under her chin. Her little sister's slim and petite body, similar to her own, but a few inches shorter in height, easily curl up against her. Livia notices she is careful to not rest her full weight on her.

“Does it hurt?” Liliana asks again, but tentatively despite being very curious.

She never met a pregnant person in her life, and her sister had never taken offense whenever she musters up the courage to ask a question. Still, she knew it was inappropriate. It was not something a proper lady would wonder about. Even so, Liliana wanted to know. It was incredibly fascinating after all.

Livia had been home for only a month but her stomach has grown so much! And the spells Beth did to check on the baby. They were always so pretty and calming. Also, apparently, you can tell how far a mother was by just measuring the stomach! How cool was that? But nothing was cooler than the fact that her sister was growing a tiny little human inside of her! It was truly a wonderous feat. One Liliana never thought about until she saw it firsthand. It took so much strength! Liliana overheard Beth saying that baby was also very magically gifted as well.

That was good right?

But at the same time, a part of Liliana could not help but linger in a well of sadness. Her sister was back, but only after going through a horrible ordeal.

She had overheard the servants. They had said Livia had been taken. Kidnapped.

No one would tell her anything more. Not even her older sister.

Liliana knew something bad happened, that the princes had been wrong, and because of their mistake, her sister had been taken away and suffered, but she did not know the details. Her father had not thought she needed to know; therefore, she had been left out of the loop. But even so, Liliana could piece together the little information she knew of, but stops short.

Because Liliana knew her sister. She knew Livia about as well as she knew herself. Livia loved her yet-to-be-born nephew, she adored him despite the complications his existence brought to her life, but there was no denying the barrage of emotions that sometimes flicker over her face when Livia thought no one was looking.

“Sometimes,” Livia admits, pulling Liliana out of her thoughts. She blinks slowly and looks down at her sister's belly.

“Can I feel? If it is not too much trouble,” Liliana asks shyly.

Mentally, she shakes herself of her own thoughts. Livia obviously was not ready to tell her about what happened to her when she had been away, and Liliana would not push her. She would wait until her older sister was ready, but until then, she was just happy that her sister had returned to her.

Livia lifts her shoulder in a casual shrug, “Go ahead. Though, I think he is starting to calm down.”

Liliana gently places her hand over her sister's stomach and gasps a bit when she feels movement. That was her nephew. She lifts her hand, and can almost make out the small shape of a foot when her nephew goes for another kick.

“He is strong!” Liliana says, her voice one of amazement.

Livia settles into the pillows, her eyes closing, “Yes, he is.”

She opens them again, and they land on the pink ribbon curling around Liliana’s snowy hair. Her sister had it up in a simple ponytail today, and the ribbon goes perfectly with her dress. Despite the temperature being warm, her little sister seems to be rather fond of long-sleeves and high collard dresses as of late. The material was breathable, but even so, it was a little odd.

“Your birthday is coming up,” Livia notes, somewhat out of the blue

Liliana nods absently, her attention back on the cot, “Next month.”

“Father has been planning for the day for years. You will be making your official debut in high society,” Livia's eyes become distant, “You will be turning sixteen soon. Time has passed by so quickly.”

Liliana shivers and reframes from hugging herself.

Her sister was not the only one keeping mum.

Liliana had not told Livia about falling sick to Red Death and going into a coma. She did not tell her sister that she had only woken up from that coma five months ago or that her arms and torso were now riddled with the trademark scars of Red Death.

But that was a small secret when put beside Livy.

Liliana shivers again. Livy had appeared with increasing frequency over the past month. Just last night...

“Lily? Are you cold?” Livia pulls the blankets around them higher, tucking them into her little sister's side.

Liliana startles slightly and stares at her sister with round eyes.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling faint?” Livia asks instantly as she presses a cool hand to her forehead, looking concerned.

Liliana shakes her head, “Um, no, I’m fine. Just thinking.”

Livia removes her hand, and Liliana instantly misses the contact despite being cuddled into her sister's side.

“About your birthday?” Livia asks.

Liliana shakes her head again, “No, about the cot. The baby.”

Livia hums, “What about him?”

“Oh, um. Is he going to stay here? Not in the nursery?” She asks.

“You mean in our old room? The one we shared when we were kids? No. I intend for him to stay in here with me,” Livia says, leaning back in the fluffy pillows and taking Liliana with her.

Liliana is a bit confused, “But won’t it be invasive when the nanny and nursemaids take care of him? You hate it when others invade your privacy. Wouldn’t it be better if the baby has his own room?”

“That will not be a problem, seeing as I will not be hiring on any nannies or nursemaids,” Livia says and then yawns.

Liliana sits up, her mouth falling open, “What?”

Livia lets the arms that had been around her sister fall limply to her side and raises an eyebrow.

“What?” She parrots. She knows what her sister is trying to get at. Liliana thought she would hire a nanny and nursemaid to help her raise her son since they had been raised the same way. But Livia did not want or need the help. She may have never been a parent in either of her lives, and this may be her first go around, but she was not a novice. With Beth's help, she was confident she would be just fine.

Liliana's mouth gapes and then she closes it, “B-but then who will help you take care of the baby? Miss Beth? Miss Amaya?”

The door to the connecting restroom flings open, and Amaya steps through wearing her uniform and with Noctis, wet and dripping in her hands, held away from her body.

“What about Amaya?” The maid asks as she grabs a towel and swaddles a squirming Noctis inside it.

Liliana turns to her, “You are going to help my sister take care of my nephew?” She blurts out.

Amaya sits down on a nearby recliner and places Noctis in her lap to dry him off properly, “Sure. Lady Livia is bound to need time away from the baby every now and then once he is born.”

Liliana bobs her head but then blinks, “Time away? Huh?”

The bedroom door opens and Sen steps into the room, carrying a piece of furniture, with Miss Beth appearing behind him. Her hands were full of pastel-colored boxes and bags.

Livia, half dozing off, perks up on the bed, “Is that my order?”

Sen places the furniture right next to the cot, and Liliana all but teleports to his side to get a closer look.

“What is it? What did you get, sister?” She asks, her previous questions all but forgotten. When Sen steps aside, she lets out a little gasp.

It was a bassinet.

But it was not just any bassinet. It was the prettiest bassinet Liliana has ever seen in her life.

The stand was white and made up of solid vines and delicately carved roses. On top was a baby basket made up of creamy cotton, soft white lace, and sweet baby blues. It did not have an attached cover, but sheer sheets of lace draped over it.

It was probably the softest looking thing in the entire room, and rather extravagant.

Liliana was stunned.

This, well, it was gorgeous, but it was not in line with her sister's own personal taste. It was almost too dreamlike to be true, and something more on the lines to what Liliana would get.

She turns to her sister, a question in her eyes.

Livia grunts and ignores how the bed dips with her weight as she lifts off it with the help of Amaya. She does a small stretch that pokes out her round belly, wiggling her toes in her thick lush rug, before she walks over to her sister with a small pep in her step.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” She says and runs her hands over the soft fabric of the bassinet, inspecting it keenly.

Liliana nods her head eagerly, “Yes! It’s is the prettiest thing I have ever seen...but...”

“Not to my taste?”

Liliana nods firmly, “It is not.”

Livia snickers, “That is why I got the extra, just in case,” And she nods where Sen is bringing in another baby basket, this one mostly blue with white lace, and places it upon the vacated bed.

Liliana looks over the more simplistic design and simply says, “Adorable,” with a very serious expression. She then looks at the now seemingly plain wooden cot in comparison, "Are you going to keep that?"

Livia's smile turns into a grin. She holds out her hand, “I will. Just in case. Now, help me sit down. There is still much to unpack.”

Liliana guides her sister to a plush chair before running over to help Beth with her load.

Livia watches as Sen, Amaya, Beth, and Liliana sort out her large order of baby supplies and idly pets Noctis, who has settled on the armrest of her chair. His fur was still slightly damp, so she wiggles her fingers. When she reaches out to pet him again, he was purring deeply, and his fur was dry and warm.

“Oh, it’s a set!” Liliana squeals as she peeks inside one of the bags before setting it down in front of Livia. She takes a seat next to her older sister with sparkling eyes and squirming like a child during Yuletide.

Amaya soon joins them and dumps an arm full of boxes right next to the bags on the tea table.

“At this rate, I would be surprised if you had not bought up the entire store,” she says, sounding like she would have approved either way.

“Ugh, and have my son wearing such plain and basic garbs? No thanks,” Livia says, sticking her nose in the air. She grabs a bag, and nods to the two of them, “I will need help opening them all up.”

Liliana squeals again, while Amaya’s smirk blooms into a smile.

“Yes of course!” Liliana says.

“Fine, if I have to,” Amaya says and pretends to huff.

Sen walks over, adding the final haul of baby supplies to the pile before making a show of stepping away and turning around when Amaya catches him around the collar.

“Oh no, you don’t! We need all the help we can get if we want this all organized and clean up before the night end,” she says, and Livia and Liliana nod in agreement, pinning Sen down with unblinking stares and barely contained mirth.

As Sen sits down with a scowl and Liliana happily places a box in his lap, Livia turns to Amaya.

“Where did Beth go?”

“She went to start on dinner while she can,” Amaya mutters as she inspects the outfit she just unwrapped, “Also, what the heck is this?”

Livia smirks, “It’s a onesie dear.”

Amaya stares at her, “A what?”

Livia just smiles and pulls out little newborn socks in the shape of high-top converses.

She had once seen some at a store in her first life and found them super cute. Of course, the old seamstress who made them in this world was rather baffled by the design and the fact she wanted socks at all, but given the large quantity of Livia’s order, she simply added it to the list while only side-eyeing her a bit.

If Amaya was already this shock just from seeing the plain blue short-sleeve onesie, just wait until she finds the ones with words on them.