Page 188 of The Villainess Chose Naps Over Death Flags

Her mother moved to Caspian next. "Your Grace, I cannot thank you enough. She looks so well. So happy."

"She makes me happy as well," Caspian said simply.

There was a brief pause, and then Caspian glanced around the ballroom. "If you'll excuse me, I should pay my respects to some of the other nobles. I'll leave Caroline with you for a bit."

He turned to Carol, leaning down to murmur in her ear. "I'll be nearby if you need me."

Carol squeezed his hand. "Thank you."

Caspian bowed to her parents, nodded to her siblings, and then moved off into the crowd with his usual commanding presence.

The moment he was out of earshot, her mother took both of Carol's hands.

"Caroline," she said, her voice earnest. "We've been so worried about you. Your letters over the past few weeks... they seemed different. Happier. But we weren't sure..."

"We haven't been able to visit," her father added, looking apologetic. "Your mother's parents—your grandparents—have been quite ill these past months. Old age, the physicians say."

"Mother has been caring for them," Beatrice explained. "And Father's been managing the estates and businesses. It's been difficult."

"I understand," Carol said immediately. "Truly, I do. You don't need to apologize. How are Grandmother and Grandfather?"

"Stable," her mother said. "Comfortable. But their age... we're doing what we can to keep them comfortable."

"I'm sorry I couldn't visit them," Carol said.

"No, no," her mother said firmly. "You're pregnant. You shouldn't be traveling more than necessary. They understand."

Her father cleared his throat, his expression pained. "Caroline, we also want to apologize for... for the marriage. We know how unhappy you were. How much you didn't want to marry Duke Vanthorn."

Carol's chest tightened.

"We tried," her mother said, her eyes glistening. "We truly tried to find a way out of it. But the Vanthorns are so powerful. Duke Winterhelm insisted, and we... we couldn't refuse. Not without risking everything."

"The scandal was already so significant," her father added quietly. "The spell, the pregnancy, the witnesses. Our hands were tied."

Carol looked at her parents—at the genuine guilt and sorrow in their faces—and felt a wave of emotion.

These weren't Caroline's parents in that moment. They were her parents. People who loved their daughter and had tried to protect her, even when circumstances were beyond their control.

"It's all right," Carol said softly. "I promise, it's all right."

"But you were so miserable," her mother said. "The way you cried at the wedding, how you avoided Duke Vanthorn afterward—"

"That was before," Carol interrupted gently. "Things changed. I changed. And Caspian..." She smiled. "He's wonderful. Truly. I'm very happy with him."

"You mean it?" her father asked, searching her face. "You're not just saying that?"

"I mean it," Carol said firmly. "I love him. He loves me. We're building a life together. A good life. The best life."

She placed her hands on her belly. "And in four months, you're going to have a grandson. Caelan Holloway Vanthorn."

Her mother made a soft sound, reaching out to touch Carol's belly. "A grandson. Oh, Caroline."

Beatrice joined her mother, her hand resting gently on the curve. "I'm going to be an aunt! I'm so excited!"

"You'll spoil him terribly," Carol predicted.

"Absolutely," Beatrice agreed cheerfully. "That's what aunts are for."