Mulberry

If this story was set in the victorian era or the 19th century, it's possible that they hide the belly with a corset and voluminous dress to follow the modesty norms. Idk tho

She is also still early in her pregnancy. And not all women’s body show their pregnancy the same way. It can be both psychological and physical.

My aunt wore tight suit until she was six months pregnant. She was a business woman that didn’t really want to have children and wanted to focus on her career. The pregnancy was planned but she was damned if it would let her impact her word. And in the finance, back then, pregnant women could have negative reviews. So it didn’t show at all for long. For all her three kids.

My mother on the other hand (her sister), she was wearing six month pregnancy clothes on her first month. It showed right away and it was spectacular my family said. But in the background this is what happened. My parents tried for three years to have a child without success. And my mom really wanted one. So when she finally fell pregnant it was a victory that deep down she wanted to show. She was a doctor but give no fuck about what people thought. Since she was independent.

This probably is what is going here. Rashta pregnancy showed right away because that was the only thing she got for her to justify her position in the palace. While Navier is an empress through and through. Her status isn’t dependent on her pregnancy even if this is a pregnancy she really wanted. She is an elegant woman who has a lot to do and is moved by grace. Therefore her psychology might be reflected through a more tuned down pregnancy.

And like the other person said: the clothes played a lot as well. It a dress that is made to reduce the appearance of pregnancy. During Victorian era pregnancy displayed was frowned upon since it showed you had sex and they were extremely repressed in that matter. So you couldn’t show it unless it was in the last months and the further away from “the sinful act”.