Lady Dhampir
Chapter 197

After that heavy talk that involved both her possible death and her father's failing health, the De Cres Manor's repairs, and Raphael assured her everything was fine with the family's states. Thankfully, a fa chance to shine again after a few decades of quietness. Their family traditionally invested in weaponr were needed. Even without waiting for wars or rebellions, the family had several shops and estates th only bought what they needed on the daily, and even Milena's shopping fees for her clothes had neve "Of course, the renovations are digging a wall in our pockets, but it's fine," said Raphael. "It's not as if "Indeed!" nodded Eugenie, putting her teacup down. "I heard this is one of the oldest houses in the K "Only the main building," nodded Raphael. "Our archives show our ancestors added more buildings as parts are definitely in dire need of some changes..."

Milena couldn't help but smile behind her teacup. She had fond memories of Lucian and herself playi to sneak into the most secret places of the Manor as if they were on some epic adventure, or make th masters in a matter of minutes. Their father, too, was always careful to lock the rooms he really didn't They had to wait until the second young master woke up himself from hearing the giggles, and kicked Milena's eyes went to the empty seats at the table. The three of them were naturally sitting next to ea Raphael's expression fell. That table felt even emptier with half of the family missing.

"...I always thought that table was too big anyway," grumbled Raphael.

Milena silently agreed. The long table of dark oak had probably been made in a different era, when a Eugenie caught on the expression of her in-laws, and smiled.

"Well," she said gently, taking Milena's hand. "We will just have to work hard on filling those seats! For invite my sisters, or some more of our friends!"

"You can give me more adorable nephews and nieces," chuckled Raphael.

"I am all for that," replied Eugenie. "And perhaps you could give us a new sister-in-law..."

mily resumed chatting about lighter matters. Although, there weren't so many, to begin with. Eugenie proceeded to give Milena a detailed account of the

ho had always been oriented towards military matters ought to be thriving in times of war. It was as if the De Crescent Power, always half-awake, now had a ing new soldiers and lending their power to the Crown, for good money. They invested in the new technologies of war, and would get the benefits once those e plenty enough to fund their living. It wasn't as if the De Crescent family had ever really been very spending-inclined, either. They didn't have a lot of staff, as much as it could have been for a noblewoman her rank, and Yasina wasn't ever giving her a full price either.

ole Manor didn't need some renovations anyway. That building is so old... We can at least think the explosion gives us no choice."

! Built even before the Grand Catastrophe, before we moved the Capital to here..."

went on and the rest of the De Crescent family joined them here, but yes, some of our family was already established here a while ago... Hence why some

running through those long corridors and halls. They were lucky to have one of the biggest playgrounds a child could imagine all to themselves. They loved maids and servants run after them and search for them for hours. Sofia, their nanny, and Digory the Butler were the only ones who could find the young hem in, and they had been scolded more than once for hiding in Raphael's bedroom during the daytime, so the servants didn't dare enter and wake him up... bublemakers out.

er at one end, but the rest of that table was scarily empty. She let out a long sigh, which they heard, and both turned their eyes in the same direction.

ht generation of the De Crescent family had a lot more members to sit around it. Now, so many seats were empty, it only felt unnecessarily ceremonial.

le, we shall hold a party to celebrate once my husband and your brother return! We can make sure your father also gets better soon, and perhaps even

Milena and Eugenie exchanged complice glances, smiling, while Raphael's expression fell, and he loudly put his cup down, baffled. His eyes went from one lady to another.

"Ladies, this isn't funny!"

"Why not?" Chuckled Milena.

"I thought you were on my side, you traitor!" He exclaimed.

"I am, but I'm not saying we couldn't get one more lady on our side as well..."

"You guys can't be serious! You know I can't..."

Although he was loud just then, Raphael suddenly stopped himself, and looked around at the servants. They were all quiet and lined up against the walls to give them some privacy, but they probably could hear. He grimaced, and leaned forward to whisper. "...I can't possibly give a woman children!"

"No one asks you to," shrugged Milena.

"Right?" Added Eugenie.

"What nonsense is that! What woman wouldn't want a husband who can't fulfill his... matrimonial duty!"

The two women exchanged another glance, and Milena raised her eyebrows briefly while grabbing her cup.

"Probably a lot more than you imagine..."

"A lot!"

Raphael seemed completely lost in this conversation, but his sister and sister-in-law weren't done yet. Eugenie turned to Milena, a bit excited. "Lady De Tourmal could be a good match!"

"She's just a bit ill, and she's not that bored," Chuckled Milena. "...Your sister Clorence?"

"She's got a crush on someone, I think it might be a bit too soon for her... How about your friend Bella De Camellia? She would be a good match!"

"She's a vampire too," Milena shook her head. "We don't have to make it that obvious. No, I was actually thinking about Lady Briseis. She could use a harmless husband, and she definitely won't care about him not being active in the bedchambers..." "Excuse me, I am still sitting right here, Ladies!" Exclaimed Raphael.

They both turned heads to him, and chuckled, but grabbed their cups rather than resuming. Raphael was still a bit upset though, he could almost hear the maids chuckling too...

"You two are getting much too naughty... This is no funny joke to me."

"Oh, we're very serious," retorted Milena. "People will keep talking if you don't get married, Raphael, and Rowe could use a mother figure." "Eugenie can be a mother figure!"

"I can't take care of all the children in the house," shrugged his sister-in-law. "And we are in dire need of a more feminine presence around here. With Lady Milena living in the Castle, once your brothers come back I'll be outnumbered!" Milena's brother rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in a pouting stance. In any case, it was clear he had lost this fight already. He wouldn't be able to talk those ladies out of it, they were both scarily stubborn... Moreover, they were a bit right, he had to admit. When most men were at war, the choice was scarce for the Ladies, and as a second-born of one of the four Duchy House, he was an eligible bachelor, and a rather handsome one too. Perhaps an understanding wife would leave him be... "Do whatever you want," he sighed.

Milena smiled and put her hand on his, gently.

"It wouldn't even change anything for you, big brother. You'd still live here, but Eugenie would have someone else to help around the house and with the children..."

"If I agree to this, you'd better find me a good wife who leaves me be, and give me plenty of nephews and nieces!"

Milena and Eugenie exchanged a little laugh. Raphael wasn't fond of women, but he sure liked children. He was an amazing father to Rowena, and probably just as good with Antonin. Milena hoped her children would get to meet all three of their amazing uncles soon... She gently rubbed her belly.

"Working on it," she sighed.

"We're getting a room ready here, for the babies," said Eugenie with a hint of excitement. "We will be all ready long before you give birth, I promise! Sophia is supervising it when she doesn't watch Antonin, and I have placed all the orders already. We picked a room in the same aisle as your former bedroom too, of course! As close as possible, since you'll probably want to give birth there. We figured you'd feel better in a familiar environment."

"She only left a few months ago," shrugged Raphael. "It's not like we burned what you had the minute you left the Manor..."

"Still, it was fully cleaned recently! If you don't watch it, dust gets everywhere, especially in this old house... Oh, and you should see the beds, Lady Milena! I ordered the cribs from the same artisan that built Antonin's, they'll be perfect for your twins! Lady Chartiana provided the best choice of wood, of course!"

Milena chuckled. She had left Olivia and Dinah to prepare the babies' bedroom in the Royal Castle, but everything was done almost secretly, so it didn't feel too real yet.

"May I see it?" She asked, suddenly curious.

Milena hadn't gone back to the aisle where her bedroom was for a while. Each time, she came to have dinner, and left right after they were done with the tea, perhaps afraid she'd miss her life there even more if she saw her childhood bedroom. Now though, she was a bit curious to see it all, and especially the babies' nursery.

"Of course!" Exclaimed Eugenie, overjoyed. "Come on, let's go, it will be a nice little walk after dinner."

They all agreed, and left the dining hall to go upstairs. Milena was always feeling terribly nostalgic in those corridors. In each room behind those doors, she had memories. Playing with Blanche and Lucian, or reading with Raphael. Sometimes, acting like the youngest one of the family, doted on by her father and older brother... Milena's heart suddenly got filled with the warmth of those memories. If she gave birth here, she'd have an excuse to stay longer away from the Castle, and surrounded by her family... "...What about the Ancient's Rooms?" Milena suddenly asked. "The access was blocked by the debris and the building had collapsed over it after the explosion. Have they been able to clear it yet? Father was worried about it..." "Yes," nodded Raphael. "We got it. Since Father was anxious about it, you can figure it's the first thing we all focused on... We also retrieved more of great-grandmother's belongings if you want to take a look later." "Thank you, I will."

Milena strangely had come to peace with her great-grandmother's passing, even more so now that her brothers were in danger. She hadn't given up on the payback that was owed after her murder, but she knew Maribella, of all people, would have told her vengeance is a dish served very cold. Milena knew it would come sooner or later, once she got to the enemies of her family.... She sighed, and massaged her shoulder while walking, as it felt a bit stiff all of a sudden. It had been a while since she had such a good meal with her family, feeling so relaxed. She had definitely overeaten quite a bit, after the cakes from this afternoon... She didn't care much, though. Because of the complications from her k********g, her family had always been careful to never force her to finish her plates as a child, and she never f****d herself as an adult either. She ate what she needed, and stopped as soon as she felt a little full. Her pregnancy was making her eat unreasonably for the first time... Never had she experienced such cravings, but she was happy to give in. She knew she would have regretted not diving into that marvelous raspberry cake otherwise. Now, she was full, too full even, but at least she was satisfied.

"You should try to take warm baths for those pains," whispered Eugenie, covertly. "Lavender baths worked marvelously on me!"

"I'll try," nodded Milena.

She'd take any advice she could from her sister-in-law about pregnancy. She loved her children already, but carrying the two of them was definitely not going to be forgiving to her poor body anytime soon...

Thankfully, her room wasn't that far. They stopped by her bedroom first, but nothing wasn't like she already knew, except for the curtains that had recently been thoroughly cleaned, and the new bedsheets. Even the thick fur on top was one Lucian had gifted her from his best hunt, which had recently been delivered by a professional tanner. She could see from one glance that Eugenie had been a great mistress of the house; the windows were crystal clear despite the snow outside, and her books lined up on the shelves didn't even have a speck of dust on them.

"Thank you, Eugenie."

"I just give orders now and then," chuckled the Lady. "I don't do much myself, everyone here asks me to rest and focus on my son rather than on the Castle!"

Milena smiled. She didn't have a doubt that Eugenie was doing both wonderfully. Antonin was lucky to have his mother taking such good care of him even while his dad was away...

Then, they moved on to the newly established nursery. Milena was blown away as soon as she had passed the door. Her sister-in-law had truly done an amazing job here, it almost felt as if the babies could be here already. The cribs' wood did look sturdy while it had also been carved with perfect decorations. There were little curtains above, to shield baby vampires from the light in case Milena's babies turned out to be nocturnal. There was a thick, gorgeous carpet on the floor, two small infant wardrobes, tables, and dozens of toys in little chests. Eugenie walked in with her, as if she was showcasing the room.

"We are still waiting for the curtains," she said. "I insisted they must block out perfectly in case your children are vampires. Oh, and we also ordered all the furniture to be perfectly child-safe, and the room next door is also ready to welcome nannies if we need.... What do you think?"

Milena wasn't thinking right now, she was just amazed.

Seeing the nursery made it all... very real, all of a sudden. The cribs, all those items dedicated to the children that would be here sooner than she could imagine. Her children. Until then, Milena hadn't caught sight of a baby's crib, or little clothing, all those things she should have been able to prepare herself in different circumstances. Yet now and here, she could really feel it. It was all becoming very real, just like her heavy belly. The idea that, in a few weeks' time, those beds would be filled with two little beings were giving her a lot of emotions all of a sudden. Not only did she get a bit teary, with a strange feeling in her chest, but so many more things came to mind. She suddenly felt very grateful to Eugenie that, on top of raising her own son alone, caring for the manor, their family and everything else, she was dedicating all that time to ensure Milena and her children would be well and safe here. She turned around, and grabbed her sister-in-law's hands.

"Thank you, Eugenie."

"What are you thanking me for, we're sisters! Moreover, I am more than happy to do this, Milena. It keeps me busy, and makes me feel valid as the Lady of the House... I know everyone here still thinks of you as Lady De Crescent, but I also understand your burden is heavier than mine, so I'll just keep doing what I can about it."

"Well, she's a bit of a clean freak too," whispered Raphael.

The two women chuckled, but Eugenie smiled gently, and caressed Milena's hands with her thumb, in a very sisterly way.

"We are sisters, now. I know you... may have missed feminine support, but I'll be happy to help you any way I can. I may not be higher in rank, but I am still your older sister by six years. Don't hesitate to rely on me, alright?" Milena nodded.

Indeed, she wasn't all alone. She still had a lot of support here, in her family, and in her friends. Whatever was going to happen, to her or her children, she wouldn't have to face it alone.