I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince-Chapter 508: Daughter-in-Law (1)

Even though there hadn’t been a wedding, I was already treated as Ethan’s future wife in the Blackwood family.

We’d planned to get married right after graduation, and now that I was carrying Ethan’s first child, I couldn’t picture a future where I wasn’t his wife. I had already accepted my role as the future Duchess, as refusing to do so wouldn’t change how everyone else treated me.

“Good morning, Miss.”

“Oh, Head Butler Dietmeyer...”

“Just ‘Dietmeyer’ will do. The Young Master mentioned that you should feel free to set clear boundaries now.”

“Oh, right... Mr. Dietmeyer...”

Even the way I addressed Dietmeyer, whom I’d called “Head Butler” all my life at Blackwood Mansion, had changed. The other maids and servants had also started calling me “Miss Lilith” or “Lady Rosewood.”

Just months ago, I was a fellow servant, yet it didn’t feel strange to them to treat me as a lady. It was as if I had always been regarded as Ethan’s intended, and I was the only one who hadn’t realized it.

“Oh, Lili—uh, I mean, Lady Lilith. Do you need anything?”

“...It feels strange. Isabel, can’t you just call me Lilith like you used to?”

“But the Young Master insisted that we should no longer treat you as a servant. While I appreciate your kindness, Lady Lilith...”

“It’s not that. Even if we’re master and servant, we’re still friends, right? You’re my first friend, Isabel, and it feels odd to be so distant...”

“F-first friend... I see, Lilith...”

“I’ll talk to the Young Master. Can you just be an exception?”

“If that’s the case... alright, Lilith...”

Isabel was trying to distance herself by calling me “Lady Lilith,” but I felt uncomfortable with that formality from her. Isabel had been by my side the longest and helped me with everything, so I wanted at least her company to feel natural. Katarina had already been addressing me as “Lady” for quite some time, so there was no big change there.

“Lady Lilith, how is the water temperature?”

“It’s perfect, Ethan. As expected, I feel most at ease in the Blackwood mansion’s grand bath. Not having to light the fire myself, and having it all to ourselves...”

“If you understand that, please /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ don’t attempt to ‘run away’ again. If you leave the mansion without informing us again... it might be hard for me to stay calm.”

“I understand, Ethan.”

By now, about ten days had passed since Ethan began acting as my personal butler. And as I entered the sixth month of pregnancy, my belly was getting noticeably heavier, even when I was just breathing.

‘...I’m really going to be a mother.’

Looking down at my growing belly filled me with wonder, and my heart fluttered at the thought that in just a few more months, I’d be giving birth to Ethan’s child. I hadn’t had time to fully process it, but the reality of it was starting to settle in.

“~~~~~!!!”

“Lady Lilith, is there something wrong?”

“...Oh, it’s nothing. I just felt a little embarrassed thinking that I’d be having your child in a few months...”

“I... I see...”

Ethan’s cheeks turned red as well, as if he, too, was feeling a bit shy about becoming a father. In just a few months, this wouldn’t be a future plan but a real responsibility. I wondered if we’d be able to raise a child well, given how both of us were still adjusting to the idea.

Ethan’s original plan was to have children after we graduated from the academy. But because of my impulsive decision, we were having a baby before graduation. While I didn’t regret carrying his child, the thought of having to deal with it all without proper preparation made me feel uneasy.

How would I balance motherhood and returning to the academy next year? How would I take care of the baby, nurse them? As a new mother, I was facing a challenging beginning, though fortunately, Ethan’s family had plenty of maids who could help care for the child.

‘No point in stressing over it now. When I return to the academy, I’ll have to pump milk in advance and ask Isabel to bottle-feed the baby.’

I would likely have to choose classes that didn’t require long trips. If I had to leave for several days, I’d need to rely entirely on Isabel to take care of the baby. I wanted to provide as much breast milk as possible since it was the best nourishment.

I had thought about hiring a wet nurse, as other noblewomen did, but... I wanted to raise my first child by breastfeeding them myself.

“Ethan.”

“Yes, Lady Lilith?”

“Our baby seems to want some peaches. Could you bring some?”

“Yes, my lady. I’ll get them right away...”

As I tried to shake off my worries and continue our playful master-and-butler routine, we were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Young Master, Lady Lilith, the Master has just returned.”

“What?”

“Ahem, I see.”

With Harold’s return from the academy, our role-reversal games naturally came to an end.

“Welcome home, Father.”

“Welcome back, sir... I mean, Lord Blackwood...”

Read 𝓁atest chapters at fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm Only.

“Ah, yes.”

Ethan and I quickly adjusted our clothing and hurried downstairs to greet Harold. He glanced at Ethan, then at me, and finally at my noticeably rounded belly before giving a slight nod.

“It seems you’ve made the right choice, Ethan.”

“Yes. Thanks to your guidance, I was able to find her.”

“Yes, as a man, you should be able to keep hold of the woman you love. I still remember how much I regretted realizing my feelings for your mother too late. At least you didn’t take years to figure it out like I did. When I finally decided to pursue Tanasia, it was right as the war with the kingdom began...”

It seemed like Harold was about to launch into one of his endless stories, and Ethan subtly cut him off, noticing my discomfort.

“Father, Lilith has trouble standing for long. Could we save the long stories for later?”

“Ah, my apologies. I should have been more considerate... daughter-in-law.”

“...Pardon?”

“Would you prefer I call you ‘daughter-in-law’? I was considering how to address you once you returned.”

“Did... did you already know, Lord Blackwood?”

While I had expected Harold to deduce our situation from my belly, I hadn’t anticipated him addressing me as “daughter-in-law” so soon. Harold tilted his head, as if my surprise was strange.

“Hmm? Wasn’t it obvious? Unless... is the child not Ethan’s? I didn’t think you were that type of person...”

“No, no... it’s definitely Ethan’s child...”

“Then it’s only fitting to call you my daughter-in-law, isn’t it? You aren’t still clinging to the title of ‘maid’ with that belly, are you?”

“No... of course not...”

“Good. Well, congratulations. Although the order of things seems a bit off... it hardly matters now.”

...It seemed that, as far as his son was concerned, Harold was willing to overlook a hasty marriage.

It was still difficult to understand Harold’s unpredictable nature, especially when it came to his son.