Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 11

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏
“Kaisarea?”

Kaisarea Monastery was where Lurik was imprisoned. It was also famous for being headed by Didio, the most renowned monk in the Empire.

‘Of course, it’s not Didio that’s the issue, but Helena being there……’

Lurik, with a furrowed brow, replied,

“Why would you go there? Do you have a wish you want to ask the revered monk to grant?”

Of course, I have many wishes I’d like granted.

But that’s not the problem, you see.

“I do have wishes, but……”

I trailed off, adding sweetly,

“I also want to see the famous Kaisarea Falls. And more than anything, I want to see the blue camellia flowers that only bloom there.”

At the mention of the ‘blue camellia flowers,’ Lurik’s expression darkened.

‘They were his deceased mother’s favorite flowers.’

In the novel, Helena brought those flowers and melted Lurik’s hardened heart.

“I know Kaisarea Monastery is far. But if you permit me, Brother, we could get Ren’s help with the travel.”

At the mention of the Tower Master’s name, Lurik’s eyebrows twitched.

Although he didn’t like Ren, he couldn’t deny the capable Tower Master would be helpful for this trip.

Seeing Lurik’s resolve wavering, I quickly added,

“Even though Ren is His Majesty’s man, wouldn’t His Majesty be pleased if it’s for a pilgrimage?”

The Emperor was a hypocrite who heavily employed mages in secret while striving to appear as a devout Emperor before his people.

‘That pathetic act ends when Lurik goes berserk and the Emperor’s involvement in giving him the magic sword is revealed.’

Lurik responded reluctantly,

“I will ask His Majesty.”

Feeling relieved, I planned the next step.

‘The Emperor knows Lurik is under the influence of the magic sword.’

Of course, the Emperor didn’t anticipate Lurik’s rampage, but after the incident, he immediately realized it was due to the magic sword.

‘And he tried to separate the magic sword from Lurik but failed.’

I glanced at the magic sword still hanging from Lurik’s waist and thought,

‘Should I pretend to be clueless and hint to the Emperor about Lurik’s condition?’

As I was devising this plan, Lurik suddenly said,

“You’ve really grown up, Lou.”

Suddenly……?

Looking up in confusion, he slowly shook his head.

“……I was so surprised when I received your letter.”

Letter?

I perked up my ears at the unfamiliar words, and he sighed.

“It was full of requests you usually wouldn’t make, so I thought something had happened to you. I was so worried that I hurried to end the war……”

Oh my goodness.

‘Louise must have sent a letter.’

However, Lurik’s letters were extremely rare among those in the drawer, and I couldn’t even guess the contents of the letter Louise supposedly sent.

‘Wait, she’s a character I created, why is she sending letters on her own?’

I barely managed to come up with an excuse.

“I-Is that so? Oh, maybe I wrote it on a day when I had too much wine and missed you, Brother.”

Then, cautiously, I added,

“I apologize for burdening you while you were on the battlefield, Brother.”

“Tsk.”

Lurik clicked his tongue, but his expression seemed lighter.

“You get red easily, so it’s best not to drink too much.”

Yes, yes.

I won’t be drinking for a while anyway.

‘Because I’m pregnant, you see.’

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

Only after the walk was I finally alone.

I sent Phoebe away with the excuse of being tired and lay down, lost in thought.

‘Something’s strange.’

Of course, there were more than a few strange things, but especially Louise’s relationship with the three potential fathers of her child.

If a woman was being relentlessly pursued by three men and hadn’t clearly rejected any of them……

‘Wouldn’t they normally be wary of each other?’

Of course, the three weren’t completely on the same side.

They were clearly jealous of each other and would even obstruct each other to some extent.

‘But I clearly saw in numerous letters……’

They were friends.

Even Ren, after all that commotion, eventually returned to Babenberg.

“I need to tell Cal about the current situation. If it’s Lou’s wish not to be proposed to, he might listen.”

And to Ren’s retreating figure conjuring black flames, what did Ernst say?

“While you’re at it, help with the fire cleanup. Cal’s the type to repay tenfold, twentyfold.”

Those were clearly words meant to help Cal, disguised as concern for Ren.

‘In other words, he played the role of a mediator.’

Moreover, Ernst also said this:

“It doesn’t matter if it isn’t. I can raise it as my own.”

How?

What kind of mindset allows someone to say such a thing?

‘He’s the Crown Prince of a kingdom……’

I jumped out of bed.

With renewed determination, I scanned every corner of the room and started searching again.

‘Is there really no diary?’

It was something I desperately tried to find for days after becoming Louise.

However, even after pulling out and rummaging through every single book on the bookshelf, I couldn’t find any hidden notebook.

‘There must be a diary or a schedule……’

I lifted the cushions I had already checked and looked under the sofa, and even reached under the mattress to no avail.

‘She was a student just until recently!’

So, shouldn’t there be a class schedule at least?

But the drawers were still filled with letters, and there were only a couple of empty notebooks on the desk.

In one of them, I had meticulously written down the novel’s settings in my proud Korean language.

“Sigh.”

I sighed and reread the settings I had already gone through countless times.

‘Wait. Just in case, should I compare the timeline I remember from the novel with the actual timeline and write it down?’

With that plan, I opened another notebook.

But before I started writing, I habitually rubbed the paper.

Suddenly, I felt something like braille against my skin.

‘What’s this?’

I held the notebook up to the light and examined it closely.

Upon closer inspection, there was a small embossed pattern near the corner of the open page.

‘What is this?’

As I traced it with my fingertip, letters miraculously began to appear on the blank paper.

“Ah!”

I was so startled that I almost threw the notebook.

But the hidden letters slowly revealed themselves, unveiling their secrets.

It was as leisurely as the speed of writing by hand.

Year 16 of Charles, Ninth Month, Second Day.

Arrived at the Academy and was assigned a dormitory.

I only observed the notebook sprawled on the desk with my eyes.

‘It’s a diary!’

I carefully pulled the notebook back.

Letters were still being engraved on the blank paper.

‘It must be magic……’

I widened my eyes and continued reading the emerging diary.

While all other freshmen shared a double room with a partner, I was given a single room.

To be subjected to piercing glares right after enrollment because of an undesired privilege……

The beginning was mostly filled with expressions of unfamiliarity, fear, and discomfort with the new environment.

However, from the middle, familiar names started to appear.

……But the most tragic news of the day was the assignment of mentors.

That infamous Snake of Babenberg became my mentor.

He’s so tall and bulky, with a scary expression, that I wonder if I’ll be able to say a single word to him until graduation……

It wasn’t just a matter of saying a single word……

‘Cal would cry if he saw this.’

Of course, Ernst appeared as well.

……While everyone stares at me like I’m a monkey, Sister Chilla and Sister Jenais are giving me the cold shoulder.

So I can’t help but be grateful for Ernst’s presence.

I’m so glad I enrolled with him……

So that means Ernst was a friend even before enrollment……

And then, Ren’s name briefly appeared at the end.

Oh, and I heard a rumor that Ren, the Imperial Tower Master who enrolled two years ago but was held back and took a leave of absence, is returning to the Academy.

Judging by the diary entries filled with fear of the Tower Master whom she hadn’t even seen, Louise seemed to have been timid and passive.

‘At least in the early days of enrollment, anyway.’

After a page was filled, I quickly turned to the next one.

As expected, there was an embossed pattern.

‘Let’s see……’

However, no matter how much I rubbed it, the diary entry didn’t appear anymore.

‘Are you kidding me?’

I glared at the diary that only revealed a single page.

A single-page diary is better than none, but……

‘Why is there magic on the diary?’

I couldn’t figure it out at all in my current state.

I kept the diary with me until I fell asleep, and even put it under my pillow as I went to bed.

I tried tracing the pattern from time to time, but unfortunately, the diary didn’t reveal anything further.

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