⚜️ Keywords ⚜️

Y/n -> your name
E/c -> eyes colour

🔱

《...Y/n.》

Katakuri tried to call you again, but it was useless. You were too busy with what you had in front of your eyes.

《Time to stop.》  But when he reached out his hand to you, you pulled it away from you.

《Don't. Touch. My. Food.》

You were ready to kill anyone who came between you and all those delicacies. Katakuri sighed deeply.

《I see, but you can't spend your time just eating.》  He crossed his arms in disagreement.  《At this rate, our son will become a balloon too.》

At that moment you stopped chewing.
《...what did you just say? Try repeating it again if you dare.》  You blinked menacingly.

Katakuri could hear the sound your throat made when you swallowed hard the food put in your mouth; of course, he liked to eat that way and in peace too, but he couldn't stand by and watch you overdo it with the risk of feeling seriously bad.

《It's obvious that I'm not only doing this for myself, but also for the baby...I have this sudden urge to eat and I'm sure that if I don't will end up passing out!》

You said out loud and in a desperate tone, as if it wasn't totally your fault.

《Uhm, wait a moment...how do you know it will be a boy?》  You looked suspiciously at your husband after he said "son" with conviction.

《I don't know, but I'm pretty sure about it.》  Katakuri didn't hesitate when he said those words. Anyway, neither you nor him knew the gender of the baby yet, as it was still early for that, but you didn't like his answer.

《What if it's a girl?》  You crossed your arms with determination.  《I see it already, with her big scarlet eyes, just like yours, and she would be soo cute~》

《She couldn't carry on the Charlotte name, if it's a girl.》  You suddenly plunged into darkness when you heard that.

《Oh my, you're not really saying that, Katakuri...》  You walked away from the table  《I see, she was the one who said it...》

You were obviously referring to his mother. You couldn't believe that woman was getting in the way and couldn't believe Katakuri was letting her do it! She was doing it again, just like she had done for your arranged marriage.

《Yes, that's definitely Mama's reasoning, but she has nothing to do with it.》

Then, you heard his spurs ringing inside the room and knew he was approaching you; he knelt behind you and with one arm he brought you close to him, with your back touching his chest.

《Are you mad at me now?》  His mouth and fangs gently stroked your head through your golden tufts. How could you get mad when he did that?

《I'm not.》  You answered by turning around and grabbing his face between your palms.  《But if you really want to be forgiven, you could find a good name for our little donut.》

Katakuri chuckled at that.
《Mpf, I can do better...》  Suddenly, he grabbed your hips and lifted you into the air in front of his face.

《I'll give you something tonight that you won't forget in the next few months either.》

You looked away blushing, of course.
《W-what do you mean, remember you can't do that  with a young pregnant woman...》

《But I'm curious to see your beautiful body that way too.》  His lips were in front of yours  《I want to make sure this little mommy doesn't forget her big hubby here.》

When he stopped talking, he stuck his long tongue out forcing your mouth to open...it was evident you couldn't do anything with Katakuri later and that was probably why you couldn't ignore his hunger.
He placed a hand on your left breast and began pressing it into his fingers and over your shirt.

《S-stop you can't do this here!》  You moaned as he pressed against the tissue above your nipple.

《You're not wearing a bra, Y/n. You did it on purpose, right?》  Your half-open mouth allowed his to devour you with his sharp tongue and you could barely breathe.

《T-that's not it...I took it off because I felt uncomfortable...》

But his persistent kisses didn't allow you to add more; moreover, he could clearly taste the sweets you were eating earlier.

《...during the day? Am I wrong or they became bigger all of a sudden?》  He said amused from that interesting discovery.

Meanwhile, you couldn't stop his movements on your breasts and his deep voice teased you more and more. If he had continued like this, you would have risked getting your pants wet losing the chance to run away from him.

《Please Katakuri, stop now–》  You begged him to stop but it was completely useless. He smirked when sensed you came in your clothes.

He looked at your red and sexy face and that made him really horny.
《Mpf, I see we can't wait until tonight.》

He took you in bridal style and walked towards the door, definitely headed for his bedroom to keep playing with you.

《Damn this old man, why he drive me crazy like this...even now, I can't stop myself!》

You thought resignedly how much pleasure you would feel soon.

- - -

That wasn't the last time for you two. Of course, you almost always found the time to do it, whether it was day or night, and in the end you always died of embarrassment due to his incredible stamina...however, his manner was kinder and cuddled you more than usual, making you feel so precious and loved.

Three months passed quickly. Your belly was more evident and, in particular, Katakuri's family noticed it.

《Eeeh, hasn't it grown a little too much??》  Pudding was a great observer, but you had noticed it time ago and there was nothing to worry about.

《Shut up Pudding-chan, this isn't the way to talk to your big sister!》  Charlotte Myukuru scolded her.

《No problem and yes, I know it's grown a little but I think it's normal...》  You stepped in to calm down the two girls.  《There's his baby, after all.》

They were moved by your words; in that moment, Brûlée joined you.

《I hope it's a girl, there are too many males in this family!》  Pudding added later.

《Everything is fine for me, boy or girl, because I'll spoil him/her as only a good aunt like me can do, hihihi!》  Brûlée wrapped her arm around you showing her usual smile.

《I'm really happy for you two and can't wait to see onii-chan rock his little baby!》

Despite a few small quarrels between them, hearing all those things made you feel at ease; sharing your company with them was fun, but obviously this wasn't true for all...with the exception of Brûlée, the older sisters-in-law weren't particularly interested in your pregnancy and some of them didn't even believe it was Katakuri's baby! All this was absurd and disturbed your peace...

You knew it because Cracker told you; besides that, you met him while walking alone in the great garden of Big Mom's castle in the afternoon.
Katakuri himself had suggested doing so, but you didn't expect to meet his brother there...even if you cleared things up with him, you couldn't just forget.

He was sitting on the lawn, with his legs outstretched, and looking up at the sky through the leaves of the tree next to him, when he looked at you, as you passed casually following the walkway.

《It's a nice day for walking, don't you think, sister-in-law?》  He was the first to speak to you.

Of course, you couldn't ignore it.
《Yes, I think so too.》

After that, Cracker rested his eyes on your belly slightly swollen under the sweater; you noticed that and tried to hide it in your jacket, as it was still quite cold.

《How do you feel, Y/n?》  He said all of a sudden. Well, the last time he saw you, you passed out in front of his whole family.

《I'm fine, thanks.》  When you looked him in the face, you saw his pink eyes narrow into a smile.

《...do you know what they say? The baby you're carrying is not his.》  He said standing up showing his three meters tall.

You were shocked by that.
《Who told you this...》

《Oh yes, I know very well nii-san is the kind of man who is faithful to his wife, but you...have you always been loyal to him?》

You couldn't believe what he was saying and it made your blood boil with anger.

《Y-you know very well that's not true Cracker!》

You really wanted to kick his ass; your gaze was looking at him threateningly.

《What do you want to do now, you shouldn't do that, not in your condition–》  But all of a sudden, he stopped talking to parry a blow from you that you were throwing in the chest.

《Stop underestimating me.》  But Cracker laughed out loud when he heard that.

《Hahaha you're really a hoot, but that's what I like about you, Y/n-chan.》  He grabbed the hand you attacked him with and leaned towards you.

《What do you mean now...》  You didn't understand what he meant, until you saw it with your own eyes...

Cracker unexpectedly kissed the back of your hand.

《For you and for my brother's sake, I will never tell him that I loved you.》  Then, his lips formed a smile as they caressed your white skin.

What was happening was insane; you wanted to react and pull your hand away from him, but failed when you clearly felt a drop fall on top of it...you couldn't believe it was his tear.

《Cracker...》  That atmosphere was making you uncomfortable, especially after what he said.

《I really hoped that between you and Katakuri there was never anything...I was a total idiot, haha.》  He replied in a serious and restrained tone.

It was the first time you saw him so vulnerable; in another situation, you would have taken the opportunity to make fun of him, but his pain was more than obvious in that moment.

《Then, promise me you'll be a good uncle to our baby...》  You answered with a pure smile.

The purple-haired man couldn't react to your kindness and plunged his face between your neck and shoulder.

《Damn, how can you be so...》

You patted your hand on his shoulder.
《It's alright, Cracker. It doesn't matter anymore.》

You accepted his apology with low guard and could see that he was sincere...he did nothing but hug you, as if you two were brother and sister.

《Heh, he can be tender too, sometimes...》  You smiled in an amused way.

Soon after, a cold wind picked up and moved your hair slightly, while Cracker didn't shiver a bit, even though he was shirtless...he must have had good endurance, but you were sure it wasn't like your husband's. In your eyes, he was the best in everything.

However, things didn't always go as hoped and this time turned out just like that too...neither you nor Cracker noticed that someone really mischievous was spying on you right there.

Very soon, you would faced the consequences of that gesture.

- - -

When you went back inside alone, you thought again about the encounter you just had with Cracker; you were sure he would have teased you like always did or anything, but not what really happened. You had never seen him so vulnerable and his clumsiness made you realize it was the first time he had done it.

In any case, you were calmer now. If something had happened, you definitely wouldn't have wanted to see your husband's angry expression as he tried to kill his brother for some nonsense...
Without making sure it wasn't busy, you walked in a room on the ground floor and sat on the comfortable sofa; now that your belly was growing, you lost the urge to walk for a long time, but you sighed bitterly when you remembered that you had to calm down with food, especially snacks, although you were somewhat hungry.

《It's because of you that I feel this way...you are really a naughty baby...》  You whispered to yourself as you gently stroked your little swollen belly with both hands.

In truth, you let out a smile. Whoever was inside of you, you couldn't wait to meet that little life.

Although it was still early, the sun had already begun to fall, giving way to the darkness of the night. In the last hour, Brûlée had come to keep you company by sneaking into the room from the large mirror and thanks to her you were able to savor an excellent cup of hot tea.

You asked her where Katakuri was, but she had no idea.

《Unfortunately, I don't always know where he goes, although I would have no problem finding him if I wanted to. Anyway, I've decided to stay with you...it's not a good thing if you were alone, don't you think?》

The tall woman sipped her cup knowing she was right.

《Well, it's not that I want to be alone...》  You said rolling your eyes  《And when I think I am, I'm not for real. I know there's someone who listens to me when I speak.》

《And realized has a weird mom, huh.》  She replied with an ironic tone, while you pouted.

《Mmpf, who is not today...》  You said putting down your empty cup. At that moment, Brûlée began to think to herself.

《Come to think of it, I ran into Flampe before I came here and she seemed oddly pleased. That girl just wanders around doing nothing!》

When she mentioned that annoying brat, you looked up with an uninterested look, because she wasn't one of your favorite topics.

《Let's go back, before they give us up for missing.》  You said laughing in a low voice and Brûlée agreed.

However, there was something bothering you and didn't know what exactly.
《...where exactly did you see Flampe?》

《Oh, she had just come out of the inner garden...it's too much to go out anyway!》

Your expression changed suddenly, but your older sister-in-law didn't notice. What if she saw you and Cracker and misunderstood? In any case, she wasn't to be trusted.

But the worst thing was about to happen.

Yes, the giant figure of Katakuri appeared before you and Brûlée.

《Onii-chan!!》  The sister was happy to see him and so you were the only one who realized that something was wrong.

Katakuri didn't answer, but you could feel his eyes on your little figure.

《Sorry Brûlée, but I need to talk with my wife. In private.》  He said seriously.

You didn't have to, but the way he said it made you feel worried. And guilty.
Without replying, you followed him up to the stairs, where Katakuri took you behind your knees and walked them with you in his arms.

You held yourself with his shoulder; his half-covered face was so close and you could clearly see that he was thinking about something...soon, you would find out what it was.

He threw open the door of your room and locked it immediately afterwards.

《Uhm, you can put me down now, Katakuri...》  You said feeling no discomfort. You wanted everything to be fine.

But he wasn't going to put you down, his arm encircled your legs and you couldn't move.

《How did it go this afternoon, you must have been bored to death in here, alone...》  He said turning in your direction. It sounded almost like a trick question.

《No, Brûlée kept me company until now.》  But unfortunately for you, you totally fell for it...and the confirmation was on your left shoulder; there, wedged between the woolen threads of your sweater, he clearly saw a long purple hair.

Well, Brûlée also had purple hair, but he was sure it didn't belong to her.
At that moment, his eyes lit up a fiery red. He was using the Perception Haki on you.

《What did you do with Cracker in the garden...》  But your expression frowned like his, as you couldn't stand it when he had to read your mind without your permission.

《I met him by chance but nothing happened–》  But you stopped when you looked up at something that Katakuri was holding with two fingers.

It was a photo. A picture of you and Cracker hugging each other.

- - -

《Then explain this, Y/n.》  His eyes looked at you menacingly.  《Tell me why you did it.》

You hated seeing him like that because it meant he was misunderstanding.

《I tried to comfort him after he apologized for what he did to me long ago.》  You sharply grabbed the colored piece of paper  《And you? Who gave you this photo?》

He did nothing but stare at you carefully, then pulled the scarf down and brought his face to your neck.

《It wasn't a simple hug, it seems. I can clearly smell him on your skin.》  Suddenly, you felt his tongue stretch out on you. He grabbed your arm hard to keep you from pulling him away.

《S-stop it you're hurting me!》

His silence made you suspicious and you were more and more sure that it was that puffy brat of Flampe who took the picture and brought it to him. She did anything to destroy your reputation and you should have put an end to this, sooner or later...
But now, you had to try to calm Katakuri, who apparently believed more in a stupid picture than in your words.

Meanwhile, his long tongue reached the back of your ear and, due to his movements, you let out a little scream.

Like a dominant male, he hated the smell of another man on you.

《Nobody should touch the things that belong to me.》  He said looking at your aching face. He began to walk slowly again, this time in the direction of the bed and when he placed you on top of it, he placed his palm on your belly.

《And this is supposed to be mine too.》  He added in a low voice. Could he have heard those terrible rumors circulating among his brothers and sisters, even though they weren't absolutely true?? It was really frustrating, in any case...

With his fangs, he took off a glove and slipped his hand inside your sweater to touch your bare skin without any hindrance.

His hand was pleasantly warm above your stomach and you softened your expression because of that.

《Please, believe me when I tell you that nothing happened between Cracker and me...》  You tried to explain, before he could do something crazy.

《I don't care anymore, but I can't accept someone touching you without my consent.》  Katakuri took the photo and tore it out in front of your eyes.

To your surprise, he turned away to head for the door.
《W-where are you going now?》

His answer petrified you.
《I'm going to kill him.》

You got up as fast as you could to reach him, but Katakuri locked you inside.

《Y-you can't be serious and open this damn door!!》  You didn't believe what was happening. Of course, Katakuri would never hurt anyone in his family, but he wasn't the kind of man who let himself be taken for a fool, and he probably felt that way.

His footsteps drifted away until you heard them no more.

- - -

With the hands over your face, you were sitting on the corner of the bed, upside down.

《No, he can't really do it...》  You couldn't believe your husband's unexpected gesture.

Well, he tried not to be mad at you, but it was obvious he was, yet his decision was far too drastic. You had to stop him somehow.

But you were locked inside. In order not to increase his anger, Katakuri didn't want to risk seeing you defending his brother from him...

The last light of the day illuminated the floor of the room, which was strangely really bright; you turned in its direction and where the balcony was.
You stood up to reach it and went out, where the cold wind didn't hesitate to hit you in the face again.

You looked down over the pink railing. Whatever you thought, you couldn't do, not with a height like that...they were 20 meters long, at least, and there was no way you could jump from there.

What if you used your power? But could it work even if you were far from the sea? You weren't in a position to take risks, anyway.

Suddenly, you heard a whistle. It wasn't a sensation, as you heard others following and leaned over to look down.

It was that shaved head of your brother-in-law.

《DAIFUKU-SAAAN!!》

The man turned completely to the voice that had called him with such energy, but he didn't expect to find you.

《Hey there!》  Then, he moved under your balcony.  《What can I do for you, princess?!》

《You have to help me! The door is closed and I have to leave this room, it's an urgent matter!》  You screamed as much as you could.

Daifuku looked puzzled. He wasn't aware that something serious had happened.

《Where is Katakuri?!》  Besides, he didn't even know where his older brother had gone.

You told the truth.
《...he'll kill Cracker if we don't do something right away!》

There was a few moments of silence.

《Don't worry Y/n-chan, he won't do it for real!》  But then he thought about it.

《Yes, I'm sure he was definitely kidding...》  He said softly.

You saw him thoughtfully; you were wasting your time and Katakuri may already have knocked out Cracker...the only one present was Daifuku and only he could have done it.

《Catch me!》

You didn't think about it and threw yourself into the void.

Of course, you didn't touch the ground because his Genius grabbed you on the fly.

《A-are you out of your mind?? What if I hadn't been here?!》  Daifuku was shocked; if he hadn't caught you, he would be the next to be eliminated after Cracker...

The worst thing was that you did it with your baby bump.

Once back with your feet on the ground, Daifuku crossed his arms in disapproval. You giggled to see him imitating Katakuri.

《You little brat, you need to be more careful since you have another one there with you!》

He growled as you rolled your eyes. To be honest, your heart had stopped beating...that gesture had been extreme, but you were sure that Daifuku, one of Katakuri's few brothers you could trust, would make it.

To hurry up, the giant made you sit on his shoulder.

《Anyway, who is that idiot who left you there?》  He said as if he had no idea.

《Uhm, is it really necessary to tell you?》You sighed; Daifuku kept walking realizing that he had just said idiot to his brother.

《So, what happened to lead him to such a decision?》  He added, but you didn't answer.  《Don't tell me you have something to do with it...》

《Maybe yes. That's why I have to fix it.》

Daifuku saw you serious but determined and didn't add anything else...whatever happened, you weren't afraid to face the problem and so speed up the pace to look for Katakuri.

- - -

You and Daifuku walked the whole garden as the Genius flew over Big Mom's palace; your tension grew...what would you have found once you reached your destination?

Daifuku noticed your worried expression and let out a loud chuckle.

《In addition to being tied to his family, Katakuri would never do such a thing because of his strong self-control.》

You turned to his face.
《But Cracker would be able to get himself killed so as not to go against his brother! How can you be so superficial...》

At that moment, your brother-in-law thought you were the only person there capable of such empathy...they themselves were Big Mom's pawns and, if she wanted, they could get rid of a family member; moreover, Katakuri was Linlin's right hand in this and, in part, Daifuku was relieved that he had met a girl like you who had managed to change him forever...

But soon, the blond giant had to change his mind...in front of him, he saw his older brother on his knees, as he held the purple bump of Cracker's hair, unable to move. He looked really awful.

His face was a total mess, you almost had a hard time recognizing him. You put your hands on the mouth, horrified by your husband's killer eyes.
Right there, Katakuri crushed the youngest's face to the ground and Daifuku had no choice but to intervene.

《W-what the hell, stop it now Katakuri!!》  Cracker hadn't seen you as his face was pressed against the suffocating grass.

Katakuri slowly looked up and, to his surprise, noticed his twin wasn't alone. Sitting on his shoulder, it was you who couldn't stop shaking.

At that sight, he stood up.
《I told you to stay in the room.》

And as if that weren't enough, he had to see you with the most womanizer of his brothers and that made him even more irritated.

《Put her down Daifuku, I'll take care of her from here on.》

Daifuku was listening to him, until he checked the situation; until that moment, you hadn't been able to say a word and your firm grip on his beige fur made him realize that something was wrong.
After all, this wasn't what a young wife, who was expecting a baby, wanted to see from her husband...

《I don't think that's a good idea now, bro. Can't you see you scared her to death??》  He hated dealing with Katakuri, as Oven knew how to do it well. But now he was alone, with your little silent figure on his shoulder.

As the twins exchanged intimidating glances, you placed yours on Cracker's sprawled body. You couldn't believe what was happening without doing anything wrong!

On the contrary, Katakuri was fully aware of the situation.

《From the start, Cracker has always tried to impress Y/n by approaching her in my absence. Despite her refusal, he continued to harass her both verbally and physically, until he got his hands on her...I forgave this shameful attitude of him once, but he did it again today, ignoring the fact she was pregnant. Killing him is the least I can do and Mama won't complain about that.》

Daifuku was unable to reply, as if he was justifying his brother's actions. In the meantime, you regained your composure.

《Cracker would never do that again, not after what he said today! He was sincere when he apologized to me and promised he wouldn't do it again because of the respect he has for you, Katakuri.》

Katakuri couldn't help but soften his gaze at those innocent words of yours.

《I understand your intent, but Cracker is definitely not the man you are describing. He is an unscrupulous man who just took advantage of your kindness, Y/n, and I can't allow that.》

He took a step towards you with his back to Cracker. On his scarf, you noticed some blood.

How couldn't you believe him? You were wrong to trust Cracker so easily just because he was able to show you a different side of him.

However, you couldn't justify his extreme brutality...seeing Katakuri like that made you feel bad.

Your body slid forward and Daifuku grabbed you instantly.

《Oh my, you exaggerated this time!》  Daifuku leaned your delicate and unconscious body towards him, so that you didn't tire your swollen abdomen.

《That's why I wanted her not to follow me.》  Katakuri stood in front of his brother and stretched his hands towards you, but the other stopped him.

《Better not, Katakuri.》  He looked down right at his gloves.  《Your hands are stained with blood.》

Katakuri clenched them in a fist and backed away; when he turned around he saw Cracker was struggling to get up.

《I would say that's enough for today, he must have understood that you're not going to joke...》

Fortunately, Daifuku had managed to calm him, but the tension between them didn't lessen and Katakuri seemed irritated by his brother's intervention.
You were breathing regularly, as if you had fallen asleep, but he couldn't accept that you weren't well because of him.

《Bring Y/n inside, I'll go back to her as soon as I'm done here.》

He didn't usually ask for a favor, but Daifuku sensed it in his changed expression and was happy to please him.

《Of course, she's in good hands.》

Katakuri knew that very well. After he was gone, Katakuri ordered the homeys and palace servants to take care of Cracker...he hadn't killed him, but he was sure he wouldn't move for a while.

Now, his only thought went back to you. He shouldn't have reacted that way earlier...but, when he received that picture, he couldn't help himself anymore.
He wanted to see and be close to you, but before that he had one more thing to do to be forgiven by you...

- - -

You woke up shortly after without any pain. You were in your room again.
You sat down and checked that your belly was all right...you were tired of passing out so suddenly.

At that moment, a young maid entered came in through the door; she brought something to eat and hot water with a white cloth placed over the pitcher.

《I hope you are better, Mrs. Charlotte, I have brought you something to eat and some hot water, it will help you with the pain.》  Despite the girl's kindness, you politely refused her help.

《I feel better now, thanks, and I have no pain anywhere.》  You tucked your legs under the covers.  《Call me Y/n please, we are probably the same age and it's embarrassing when you call me that.》

The maid just bowed her head slightly; maybe, she had specific orders and unfortunately this wasn't Komugi's palace...Big Mom must have been very strict with them.

When you were alone again, your mind went back to the previous events; you felt helpless as Katakuri violently beat Cracker, but in the end it was because of you...if you hadn't been in the garden that afternoon, if you had ignored Cracker and rejected him in every way, this wouldn't have happened.

You wrapped yourself under the covers. All those sudden and conflicting emotions couldn't have pleased your baby, that's why you wanted to think more about him/her.

At that moment, some tears fell and wet the underlying sheets.
《...your dad isn't bad, but I hate it when he gets like this...he's better than all this and it's only my fault it went like this!》

You said out loud, as if to throw that stuffy feeling away.

《...》

《That's not true, Y/n.》

A manly voice replied inside the room making you come out immediately. You stood silently, staring at him when you saw Katakuri.
His aura was no longer the same, but his expression was still frowning.

《L-leave me alone now, I'm not ready to talk to you yet.》  You said quickly removing the tears from under the eyes.

《I shouldn't have left you here, but I had no other choice...and Cracker must understand that he has to stay away from you.》  You kept your head down and Katakuri noticed he was expressing himself in a harsh tone again.

《I brought you these.》  A sound of paper caught your attention and then placed something on the bed next to you.  《I'll stay out here in case you need me. Forgive me, Y/n.》

Eventually, Katakuri respected your decision and left the room. You hadn't even looked at him once and soon you wanted to feel him close to you so much.
Anyway, you went to see what he had left you; there was a large bouquet of colorful flowers...you loved them and the smell was incredibly sweet. But when you moved them, something fell.

You opened a small white box and found a really delicious looking donut cake. But there was something on the soft surface; your vision blurred again, this time with happiness...there were two names written on it, one pink and the other blue.

You read them aloud.

《YUI. DAIGO.》

You didn't think of anything else but they were beautiful; you were forced to dry your tears again.

You wondered when he did it; that gesture made you forget everything and so you rushed to the door.
As he said, he was waiting outside, standing against the wall with his arms and legs crossed.

When he saw you, he still didn't move. He waited for you to be the first to speak.

《...they are beautiful.》  You said slowly.

《I knew it was your favorite color.》He replied in a serious tone, but you shook your head.

《I didn't mean the flowers.》

After that, you heard him chuckle.

《You are free to change them anyway.》  He added narrowing his eyes as if you were forced to say that.

《I won't, because I really like them a lot.》  You denied  《Well, this is the only right thing you did today...》

You turned your head, but secretly looked at him. Of course, he was staring at you intently and noticed you were crying...you were tremendously adorable with those chubby and red cheeks.

He wanted to hold you tight and kiss you, but he believed that wasn't the case now...you probably didn't want to be touched by a monster like he was, who had used those same hands to try to kill his brother...

You were about to go back into your room when you stopped in front of the open door.

《Uhm, you come? You need to wash anyway.》

Katakuri moved slowly, although his steps were incredibly long and closed the door behind him.
He said nothing more and headed for the bathroom. After that exchange of words, the silence was once again unbearable...when your husband was dry and clean again, he stood in front of the bed without saying anything.

Was he really waiting for your permission? His silent but majestic figure was beginning to make you uncomfortable.

《W-why are you standing there? I don't understand you...》  You said looking up as much as you could on him.

《I don't want to do anything that will hurt you again, or I would never forgive myself.》

At that point, you got on the bed.
《Please come here Katakuri, I want you next to me.》

Your smile made him move in your direction; you were leaning against the back of the bed with your legs slightly bent, while Katakuri stopped in front of you with his arms on the both sides.
Your faces were close enough to meet, but unexpectedly he leaned further towards your baby bump.

He began to smell and caress it on the heavy wool fabric, but found the presence of other smells on it. They were really boring.

《Let me take it off.》

You hesitated but then you let him; under that, you wore a comfortable white undershirt and blushed because of that.

《That's better.》

Then, he continued to pass your skin under his nose, pausing often to kiss it. You were hoping the scent you had was good and the feeling of his caresses made you feel relaxed.

You closed your eyes and sighed deeply. However, you needed to ask him something and hoped that didn't spoil the mood.

《What happened to him...?》  Of course, you were referring to Cracker and Katakuri guessed it.

《He's still alive. The servants are looking after him.》  He replied simply, letting his breath give you some chills.

Well, Katakuri's mind was also troubled...he needed to ask you something, but he wanted to put that speech aside once and for all.

《What exactly did he tell you?》  He asked calmly.

《...he apologized to me saying he never wanted to interfere in our life...》  You started saying but Katakuri didn't seem very convinced.

《Y/n, I know Cracker liked you, otherwise I wouldn't have reacted like this every time he tried to get close to you.》  Katakuri explained that as he adjusted his hands along your hips.

You had hesitated to say those words because you had promised yourself not to tell him, but apparently Katakuri had already figured it out.

《I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to worry you, that's why I wanted to take care of it myself...》  But you knew who was to blame for all of this.

Yes, Charlotte Flampe would have to face all your anger soon. You had enough of that brat.

Katakuri noticed your sulky expression and giggled repeatedly.

《Mpf, you are really cute when you get angry.》  Finally, his expression was relaxed.

《And you, on the other hand, should never get angry so easily...》  You answered  《Plus, you look older. Because of that, you get scary wrinkles on your face!》

Katakuri smiled but pretended not to hear that and lay down next to you.
Then, both of you didn't touch the subject "Charlotte Cracker" again...your attention returned to the names Katakuri had chosen for your baby and you couldn't stop thinking about it.

《Who knows who will look more like between the two of us...》  You said resting your head on his sturdy arm.

《I hope to you.》  Katakuri gently stroked your belly with circular movements; seeing his hand so big on you made you think that, despite his tough temper, he would certainly be a good father.

Of course, you were hoping that you were up to it, that you would be able to teach everything you knew, despite your young age...until your baby became an adult himself, big, strong and caring. You couldn't think of anything else, as you fell asleep next to your husband, who was watching you so eagerly...you had to admit it had been a stressful day.

- - -

《So, what do you want from me now??》

Hearing her shrill voice early in the morning wasn't exactly good, but it was bearable anyway. You had an unfinished business to take care of.

《I know what you did yesterday afternoon. You better quit these little games or it will be the last thing you'll do...I think you already know what happened to your big brother Cracker...》  You said threateningly.

But Flampe began to laugh.
《Pff, he's not even my nii-san's fingernail, I don't care a damn about him!》

You really wanted to choke her, but you couldn't because there were other people around you.

《Not only Katakuri could have seriously killed Cracker, but I could have lost the baby in an attempt to stop him! You're just a selfish fool!》

Flampe didn't say anything, but she didn't seem too willing to apologize either.

《That's all your fault, not mine. And now get out of the way, I can't get through because of you, fat!》

She was just a stupid teen, but when she addressed you in an offensive way, you broke out.
Before she could take flight, you grabbed her long black ponytail taking her by surprise.

《What did you just tell me, balloon?》  You tightened your grip on her hair.  《Oh, no problem, I'll take care of getting you through!》

The inhabitants of Sweet City didn't believe their eyes...not only the two Charlotte "sisters" were fighting, but one was totally thrown away by the other despite being pregnant! Someone left for help, before the Empress came to find out, until they saw the second son advance through the crowd, in the direction of the fight.

《Kyaaaah, please help me nii-san!!》  Flampe was on the ground in tears and terrified.

You advanced towards her ignoring the giant presence behind you.

《It's useless, no one will help you. You have been a very bad little sister, Flampe-chan...》

But before you could do anything else, some mochi appeared in front of you.

《That's enough, Y/n.》

Katakuri had followed you to make sure you didn't get hurt, but apparently it wasn't you who desperately needed help...

《Everything happened because of her, she deserves this and more, my dear.》  You said harshly and Katakuri was sure it didn't suit you.

But then, he let go of the mochi causing concern in Flampe's eyes. She wanted him to help her, but was baffled when she saw her dear brother approach you.

《W-what, you leave me like this to stay with that seal?! I'm your loving little sister!!》

But Flampe was forced to regret having spoken like that, because Katakuri stared at her with a threatening light in his eyes.

《Watch how you talk to my wife, Flampe, or I'll make sure that Mama removes your authority on any Tottoland island and from any family position you have. Was I clear enough?》

Nobody could argue with Katakuri and his younger sister knew this very well; once you two left her alone, she began to cry like a capricious child.

《Oh and I thought I had exaggerated...》  You said while you were trying to keep up with Katakuri, but he caught you not to let you get tired.

《Hey I'm not old yet, I can even walk alone!》  You jokingly complained.

《We don't talk about it.》  He said raising an eyebrow as if you had said something strange.  《And I would do this and more for you, my mistress.》  Katakuri stared at you with soft eyes as he made you sit on his forearm.

You burst out laughing. Well, it was amazing how puppy he could be when it came to you.

《Anyway, what did she call me earlier? I haven't heard right.》  You asked all of a sudden. You were sure Flampe had mistaken you for something else.

《Nothing you, a smart woman, need to worry about.》  Katakuri concluded as he kept walking.

But then, he turned to you, where it came an unusual silence...he chuckled repeatedly when he saw that your face had turned red.

It was useless, his compliments had become your weak point.