It's been a few months since the Duke and Ripley first spent the night together, right? And we know feeling tired and exhausted is one of the symptoms of pregnancy and so are swollen feet/hands. We can blame the exhaustion on her work, but maybe the author is trying to blindside us with that!
Conclusion: Ripley is pregnant and maybe we'll find out after she gets rescued in an angst filled moment where she collapses and the doctor after checking up on her goes, 'congratulations!'
How do I know the puppy is the second ml? Check the hair sweaty~