Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 86

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟖𝟔

“……Yes?”

The brilliant golden eyes of the Damiani family flickered anxiously.

The Empress could not understand how the sparks of today’s incident could possibly fly to her son, who was lying in bed.

“Your Majesty, what on earth do you mean……?”

“Since the Empress is acting so foolish, how can I not take action? Using the excuse of protecting the child who is only alive through magic, you put his sister in danger?”

The Empress came to her senses.

She quickly opened her eyes wide and retorted.

“Wha, what are you talking about? I don’t understand at all! I only prayed for Hart all day……!”

The Emperor sighed as if in disbelief.

“Someone who has lived in the Imperial Palace for over 30 years, you still don’t know that the walls have ears? Or do you think I look like a fool now?”

While the Empress pursed her lips and trembled, the Emperor declared firmly.

“By pretending to believe the pathetic excuses of your brother, Duke Damiani, in front of the Second Prince and the Tower Master, I have paid off all the debt I owed to Damiani.”

Unable to contain her anger, the Empress shouted.

“You stripped my brother of his title!”

“Not just his title!”

The Emperor also shouted back.

“He committed a grave crime for which he could have been executed! He dared to cast a sleeping spell on my daughter, my daughter who is ill and recuperating, and kidnapped her!”

Large tears streamed down the Empress’s wrinkled eyes.

“You deposed my son! My living son! Knowing how much Lurik hates me! If that bastard becomes the Crown Prince, he’ll be obsessed with driving me and my family out……!”

“I hope so.”

The Emperor said coldly.

“Because there will be no Damiani family left to drive out.”

The Empress’s lips twitched unattractively.

“Your Majesty, surely……?”

“You committed the crime of insulting the Imperial Family in front of foreign royalty, so the Duke’s title and property will be confiscated, but in consideration of the Empress, I will spare his life.”

The Empress swayed as if about to collapse and asked.

“Wh, what did you say……?”

“The same goes for the Empress. Fortunately, I am the only one who knows that you directly ordered this, so I will guarantee your life. But that will be all.”

“Yo, Your Majesty……!”

The Empress belatedly knelt down, but the Emperor turned away.

He threw one last word, almost mockingly.

“You’ve been criticizing the Tower Master who cares for Hart every day, saying that magic is useless. I didn’t know you would be so saddened by the prospect of that magic being taken away.”

Only the bedridden son and the Empress were left alone in the room where the Emperor had disappeared.

“How could you do this to me……?”

The Empress muttered blankly.

“How could you do this to me!”

Her piercing cries mingled with Hart’s groans, but no one could come in and comfort her.

Because everyone knew who the sole owner of this Imperial Palace was.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

―Knock, knock, knock.

The next morning, the door burst open after an unusual knock.

I was sitting in the vanity chair and jumped up in surprise at Ren’s appearance.

“Ren.”

He approached without greeting and began massaging my shoulders and stroking my arms.

Even though he was wearing gloves, the heat from his palms remained.

The smell of flames and ash from him seemed to awaken my drowsy mind.

“Ren……?”

Ren finally caught his breath and hugged my shoulders.

“Everything’s alright, right?”

I asked in an anxious voice, hugging him back.

Ren dropped his head on my shoulder.

“I saw a fake and I’m so tired. I used way too much magic on something that wasn’t even important.”

I patted him cautiously and asked again.

“What fake?”

“Something happened.”

While Ren was holding me like that, there was another knock.

―Knock, knock.

I peeked out from Ren’s embrace towards the door.

Callisto appeared through the open crack and approached leisurely, extending his hand towards me.

As I instinctively grabbed it, as if by magic, I was instantly released from Ren’s embrace.

Callisto led me straight to the bed and sat me down, saying,

“Sit and listen. It’s not good for you to stand for too long.”

As if I had been standing for that long.

I couldn’t say anything because Ren’s aura was so ominous, but Callisto added seriously.

“Lately, Lou has been complaining of discomfort, perhaps because her belly is getting bigger. I examined her yesterday as well.”

Ren sighed and asked.

“Then how can you participate in something like the Ice Festival? How could you do that without telling me…… Lou, for whom am I even……?”

“Suffering in the Imperial Palace.”

Callisto quickly interjected, completing the sentence, and immediately added,

“Remember this, Tower Master. I understand your suffering, but keep the bragging to a minimum.”

“……Is that really something the Grand Duke should be saying to me right now?”

I watched the sparks fly between the two men and realized.

‘Ah, I hate being with these two at the same time……’

Soon, a very effective excuse came to mind.

“Ugh.”

I groaned slightly and touched my belly, and both of their faces turned white at the same time.

“Lou?”

“Are you uncomfortable?”

I frowned as if in pain and replied.

“Yeah, a little. I guess the babies know you two are about to fight.”

As expected, Callisto was quicker with the excuse.

“Fight? As I said before, the Grand Duke of Babenberg can’t fight with the Tower Master……?”

However, instead of answering me, Ren just said to Callisto,

“Would you mind leaving us alone, Grand Duke?”

“……What if I don’t want to?”

“If you don’t want to, I’m not going back to the Imperial Palace. I’ll stay here. Of course, you won’t offer me a guest room or anything, but fortunately this room is spacious. Lou won’t be able to turn me away.”

After a brief silence, Callisto bent towards me and kissed my forehead lightly.

“We’ve already talked amongst ourselves. Early this morning, while you were asleep.”

“……You did?”

His thick hand gently caressed my cheek.

“Will an hour be enough for that grumpy bastard?”

I nodded quickly before Callisto could change his mind.

“Thank you, Cal.”

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

As soon as he left, Ren scoffed.

“You’re thankful for a lot of things. Our Lou has become quite the angel lately.”

“Lennn……!”

But when I called his name and reached out, he reluctantly approached and sat on the stool.

As he rested his chin on the bed, our eyes met at a very close distance.

“……I’m upset.”

Ren truly had the right to say such a thing.

“I’m sorry.”

“If you’re sorry, can I have just one kiss?”

That question made my heart sink.

I pretended to be nonchalant and sat up, giving Ren’s sullen cheek a light peck.

‘This would be a normal greeting here, but for me, who came from South Korea, it requires immense determination.’

He still seemed dissatisfied, but he quietly accepted the kiss.

“Sneaky Lou……”

Ren muttered one last word and then, as if he had forgiven me, removed the hand that was supporting his chin.

Then he took one of my hands in his large hand and started talking about something completely different.

“Last night, Damiani family soldiers broke into the Edessa Hotel, detonated sleeping bombs, and kidnapped the youngest Imperial Princess.”

I tilted my head and asked.

“……Me?”

One corner of Ren’s mouth lifted in a crooked smile.

“One of the maids volunteered to take your place. She said you were kind to her during your stay there. She said she wanted to help as long as her life was guaranteed, for your safety.”

My eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh my god, wasn’t that dangerous?”

“Who do you think I am?”

The great wizard Ren Dapht asked and then, before I could answer, said himself,

“I cast a confusion spell on the maid to make her look like you for half a day. It was so perfect that even I was confused.”

Ren added with a bitter smile.

“When I saw the pink hair spilling out of the sack, I momentarily exploded in anger. If it had been you, that mansion would have become the graveyard of the Damiani soldiers.”

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