The World Is Mine For The Taking

"Well, I guess, I don't really think of it as a big issue," Rose said suddenly. Then she pulled out a paper, something I didn't expect.

I blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She gave me a small smile.

"I mean, I never formally resigned last time. So I might as well make it official now and resign for good. I'll just devote myself to Leon and the child inside me," she said, rubbing her stomach gently.

It wasn't even guaranteed she was pregnant yet. Same for me. But she was already ready to move forward. Maybe it was time I started considering my own future, too. I liked being a lecturer… but now that I was pregnant, I honestly didn't know what would happen to me anymore.

As for me, I liked being a lecturer… but now, with the possibility of being pregnant, I had no idea what my future would look like anymore.

"Let's tell Leon," Rose said firmly.

I nodded, finally agreeing.

It was the only thing to do.

So, we decided to call Leon and wait for him at the usual bar we often went to. My heart was pounding just thinking about it.

But when the door opened, it wasn't Leon who walked in.

"G-Gabrielle? W-What are you doing here?" I asked, eyes widening.

"Well, I couldn't just sit still after hearing you called Master to come here, so I came too," she said with a soft smile, calm and confident as ever.

I stared at her, my chest tightening with unease.

What was she thinking?

Somehow, deep down, I had this gnawing feeling that this pregnancy announcement wasn't going to be normal—or easy—at all.

"You seem like a very busybody person to be doing something like this, Gabrielle. Did Leon know about this?" Rose asked, her brows knitting together as if she couldn't quite wrap her head around Gabrielle's calmness.

Gabrielle let out a small laugh, one that carried a hint of pride, before answering, "Well, I was right there with Kana and Master when Irene called him, so I ended up hearing what you said through the phone as well. Although I'm not active anymore, don't forget I've been a member too—and not just a regular one. I even became a captain of the Magic Knights. My hearing is sharper than most people's, so something like that? It's nothing. I could easily catch it." She smiled as she finished, the kind of smug smile I'd never seen from her before.

It honestly threw me off. This was Gabrielle, right? The same woman I'd known for years? I couldn't help but stare.

And then there was the aura she gave off now—so heavy and so mature, it almost pressed down on me. Was this what motherhood did to someone? It wasn't just her demeanor, either. It was her entire presence that had shifted. She didn't look or feel like the Gabrielle we had once known. She was different. She was more confident and more radiant.

What shocked me even more was her body. She had just given birth not too long ago, and yet… it was like her body had completely bounced back, maybe even improved. She looked sexier, fuller in some ways, yet refined. It made me feel a sudden pang of envy that I couldn't shake off.

Would we change like that too, once we became mothers? The thought stirred something inside me—an odd mix of nervousness and anticipation. I couldn't help but imagine Leon's reaction. How much love would he give me if my body turned out like that? Knowing him, it would be a lot. He adored that kind of change. He'd probably be overjoyed.

Gabrielle leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing in curiosity as she asked, "Well then? What do you two want to say to Master about?"

Her question made both Rose and me freeze in place. We glanced at each other, our expressions reflecting the exact same thing. And that was hesitation. Our lips parted but no words came out right away.

Because… how were we supposed to say this? How could we possibly announce something so big and that we were both pregnant with Leon's child—when Gabrielle had just given birth herself? It wasn't some casual topic you could just toss onto the table like it was nothing.

But the truth would come out sooner or later. Hiding it forever wasn't possible. After a moment of silence, Rose and I exchanged another look, and with a shared sigh, we finally faced Gabrielle.

Then, almost instinctively, we said it together.

"We're pregnant."

Our voices blended, overlapping so perfectly it was like we had rehearsed it. There wasn't even the slightest delay and not a single word out of sync. It was almost eerie how in unison we sounded.

The weight of the words settled between us like a stone thrown into still water. It wasn't the kind of thing you could say loudly in a place like this. If we had, people around us would have turned their heads in confusion, some maybe even judging us with sharp eyes. But luckily, the place was already noisy enough, the chatter of strangers loud and constant. Our voices stayed low, barely escaping the space between us. No one else heard.

Gabrielle listened quietly, and then… she smiled. Not a surprised one, not even a shocked one, but a knowing smile. "I knew it," she said.

That was all. Just that.

Her response caught me off guard. I expected more—something or anything—but that was it. She already knew. Maybe it wasn't that she literally knew, but rather that she had sensed it. Or maybe it was because of how close we had all grown recently. The words she chose felt almost too simple, but somehow, they carried weight.

Still, it made me wonder. Even though there was still a thin barrier between us—something invisible that hadn't fully gone away—it felt like that wall was slowly breaking down, little by little, the more time we spent together.

"That's all you have to say?" I asked, genuinely confused, maybe even a little annoyed.

"Well, what else could I possibly say?" she replied calmly. "I guess… congratulations. That's about it, really. Anyway, I am happy for you both." Her smile was soft, not smug this time, just genuinely warm.

I looked at her and realized just how much Gabrielle had changed. This was not the cold, distant woman we once knew. I didn't think she was even capable of being this gentle. It was strange… but also comforting. I guess Leon had changed her more than anything else.

And maybe I had changed too. Maybe not as much as her, maybe not in a big way, but even if it was only a little, I could feel it.

"Fufufufu… Master is surely going to be overjoyed. I have no doubts about that," Gabrielle said with a small laugh, her smile widening.

Her words lingered in my mind as the silence stretched.

After a while, we waited in anticipation, hearts beating faster with every passing minute.

And then… Leon finally arrived.

Now came the moment we had been holding back.

It was time to announce the double pregnancy to him.