As I stood there, unsure of what to do, he looked up at me.
“I returned that rascal Ren safe and sound, aren’t you going to praise me?”
Praise?
‘๐๐ฆ, ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ข๐ช๐ด๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ?’
I placed my hand on the silver-haired Grand Duke’s head, too overwhelmed to even dare to praise him.
The feeling of his hair against my skin was so vivid that it brought me back to my senses.
‘๐๐ณ๐ข๐ป๐บ, ๐ค๐ณ๐ข๐ป๐บ…!’
Who cares who the father of the child is, should I just marry this guy?
๐น๐น๐น
The yellow chandelier light reflected off his pale silver hair.
I awkwardly ran my nervous fingers through his hair.
Callisteon rubbed his head against my palm like a puppy and narrowed his eyes in displeasure.
“This time, I let him live even though he dared to call your child his.”
Lost in thought, I was startled and gently pushed him away.
‘๐๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ, ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ช๐ด ๐ข๐ญ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฉ๐ฆ’๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ.’
He looked at me with his autumn sky-blue eyes.
“you’ve been too fair to them all this time. You always turn a blind eye to my pain because I’m strong, so no matter how much I try, my heart aches.”
What?
He continued to speak to me, who was still dumbfounded.
“Well, there are plenty of women who want to choose me because I’m the Grand Duke.”
Then he chuckled and got up from his seat.
“It’s not that unpleasant that you’re not one of them. But……”
Now I had to look up to meet his gaze.
Callisteon tilted his head and gently cupped my cheek in his large hand.
“Thankfully, we have a child. The next Grand Duke of Babenberg.”
How on earth did Ren convey the message?
“But, Cal……”
But before I could even say that I didn’t know who the father of the child was, he cut me off.
“It’s the heir of Babenberg. There’s nothing to hesitate about, Lou. Just come to me.”
His low voice held the unique power of a commander.
For a moment, I almost went back to him and hugged him, but I managed to regain my senses just before my feet moved.
I took his hand, gently removed it from my face, and shook my head.
“Cal. The unborn child in my belly is not the heir of Babenberg, but just my child.”
“Lou……”
He sighed, but I repeated what I had said to Ernst and Ren.
“Please. It’s difficult for me to accept a proposal of marriage because of my pregnancy right now. My brother has just returned.”
His pupils stood out against the blue of his eyes.
Callisteon raised an eyebrow and insisted.
“I told you I didn’t want to hear any more family excuses.”
Of course, he is in the most advantageous position in terms of status.
I carefully persuaded him.
“My brother seemed really, really unwell. He’s more urgent than Marriage. Right now, at leastโฆ…”
He asked somewhat gloomily.
“Have I still not won your heart?”
I flinched, feeling pierced.
Didn’t Ernst say so too?
“If you were going to choose Cal, you could have done it anytime.”
But seeing as she didn’t, maybe Louise’s heart was with someone other than Callisteon.
‘๐๐ง ๐ค๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ด๐ฆ, ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐’๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ช๐ด๐ฆ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ’๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ธ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ด๐ข๐บ๐ด ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ฌ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ท๐ช๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ช๐ค๐ฆ๐ด…….’
Still, if Louise had not chosen someone, there must have been a reason.
As I avoided his gaze, unable to speak, cool lips touched my forehead.
“It’s okay, Lou.”
He pulled the corners of his mouth up as if in agreement.
As he bent down and straightened up again, his fur cloak slipped slightly to one side.
My gaze, which I had desperately lowered, stuck to his broad and firm chest and wouldn’t move.
“If the road to me is that far, I’ll build bridges and tear down mountains.”
His gaze was too intense.
Even though I didn’t meet his eyes, my face flushed red.
‘๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ญ๐ช๐ง๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ง๐ข๐ค๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ.’
How did Louise manage to do such a thing?
My heart tickled and my vision gradually blurred.
Then, the familiar sound of an explosion rang in my ears.
โBang!
After the acrid smoke disappeared at once with a thud, a chilly voice was heard.
“Get your hands off her, Cal.”