Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 13

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑
To be precise, it was me who grabbed his hand.

‘Of course, it was to remove his hand from my cheek, but I missed the timing to let go.’

However, Ren approached me, or rather Callisto, with an unprecedentedly oppressive attitude, and I was surprised and froze for a moment.

Callisto clicked his tongue as he released my hand first.

“Seems like you left your manners back at the Magic Tower. Can’t you see that Lou is frightened?”

As he said that, Callisto’s hand brushed against the hilt of the sword at his waist.

The fireplace, from which Ren had just emerged, flared up menacingly with a strange whistling sound.

“Manners? The guy who’s talking about manners tried to use a trick to separate us?”

Callisto scoffed.

“How long did you wait to get so angry? How much of my land was burned by the fire you carelessly started?”

Ren retorted sarcastically.

“Wasn’t it too barren to be of any use anyway? Who knows? Maybe with my help, some slash-and-burn farmers will appear.”

“How dare you suggest slash-and-burn farming in Babenberg……”

One was the best Sword Master on the continent, along with Lurik, and the other was a mage called the genius Tower Master.

I felt sorry for myself, having to intervene between the two, but I couldn’t just stand by and watch.

“Both of you, stop it.”

The density of the indoor air, which had been suffocating, immediately returned to normal.

I sighed in relief, trying not to show it, and spoke to Ren first.

“Ren, it’s difficult for you to appear through the fireplace anytime, especially since my brother is back. You should at least give me a warning.”

“What?”

The genius mage asked back with a shocked face, but even if he was the real father of the child and Louise’s one and only lover, my opinion remained unchanged.

‘How can you just appear in a lady’s room without notice?’

What if I was changing clothes, doing something secret, or looking unpresentable!

“Can’t you give a warning?”

“No, he can’t.”

Callisto interjected mockingly.

“He can do it, but he doesn’t. That’s the extent of the ill-mannered bastard’s etiquette.”

As the atmosphere became tense again, I spoke to Callisto.

“Ren returned to Babenberg at my request. But it was too much of you, Cal, to shake him off and come back alone.”

“Lou, but.”

I didn’t give him a chance to make excuses and continued.

“Of course, Ren did something wrong a few days ago…… but don’t do that again, okay?”

When I persuaded him as gently as possible, Callisto nodded slightly.

“……I’ll try.”

Ren gritted his teeth and held out his hand to Callisto, then pulled it back with an expression as if he would get a rash if he touched him.

“Erni and I have agreed to a truce again. You promise in front of Lou too.”

Callisto didn’t look like he wanted to at all, but when I purposely looked at him with expectant eyes, he reluctantly nodded.

And he added pointedly.

“Don’t use cowardly tricks.”

Ren also gritted his teeth.

“Look who’s talking.”

So, their relationship seemed much worse than Ren’s and Ernst’s.

‘Well, a strong character and an even stronger character.’

Reasonably satisfied with mediating between the two, I brought up what I wanted to say.

“Anyway, it’s good that you both came. I have a favor to ask.”

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

“You want to go to Kaisarea Monastery?”

I nodded at Callisto’s question.

“As I said, my brother seems very depressed. I heard that the monk Didio there is very wise.”

Callisto shrugged.

“But judging by the fact that you’re asking me for a favor, it seems that His Highness the Second Prince isn’t very keen on the idea.”

It’s good that we can communicate so well.

I replied with delight.

“I can persuade my brother, but I’m not sure how Father will react.”

“Do you have a map?”

At Callisto’s words, Ren rummaged through his pockets with an annoyed look and unfolded a map.

Map

I secretly licked my lips, surprised that the world I had created was so detailed and concrete.

We sat around the table where the map was spread out.

Callisto pointed to the corner of the map without even bothering to read the tiny letters.

“This is Kaisarea.”

“Yes.”

When I nodded, he pointed again to the coast, the border between the Empire and Babenberg.

“If you ask for help around here, His Highness the Prince will be able to stop by the monastery on his way.”

“That’s exactly it.”

He sighed reluctantly.

“To be honest, the fewer opportunities I have to talk to His Majesty the Emperor, your father, the better.”

“Please, Cal……”

I clasped my hands together and pleaded earnestly.

Callisto, as if I was cute, smiled with his eyes curved and rested his chin on the table.

“If you promise to visit Babenberg Castle while you’re at Kaisarea Monastery, I’ll try asking him.”

Since we’re going into Babenberg anyway, what’s the problem with stopping by the castle?

‘Well, there is a problem.’

Ren immediately intervened.

“There’s no gate to the countryside where the monastery is located. His Highness the Prince will definitely want me to accompany him to save time, and I’m not so free as to visit your castle for no reason.”

It was quite brazen of him, considering he had caused all sorts of trouble there just a few days ago.

I shrugged helplessly.

“Then you can part with my brother at the monastery. I’m not busy, so I’ll stop by Babenberg Castle by carriage and return slowly. There’s a gate at the castle anyway.”

Callisto, with a very satisfied face, took my hand and kissed the back of it.

“It’s good timing since the banquet is still going on. For Lou’s sake, I’ll have an audience with His Majesty even today.”

Of course, there’s no way I’d be left alone at the monastery.

‘Not only Ren, but I don’t think Lurik has the temperament to leave me there and return first either.’

Unlike the two of us who were satisfied with the agreement, only Ren was looking at me with a shocked expression.

“Lou, how could you……”

Callisto interjected mischievously.

“Now that she’s graduated from the Academy, Lou is a true adult. It’s very commendable that she’s making mature and realistic choices.”

Ren was clearly on the verge of exploding.

I had no choice but to reach out with my remaining hand under the table.

When I gently placed my hand on his knee, Ren flinched and adjusted his posture.

Only then did he speak.

“Shut up, Cal.”

It seemed that the agreement was finally going to be finalized.

“I will take Lou and visit Babenberg Castle.”

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

“Grand Duke, didn’t you say there was trouble in the Duchy?”

As we went to the banquet hall together, the Emperor found Callisto and raised the corners of his mouth.

Callisto bowed his head slightly in a disciplined manner.

“I apologize for causing you concern. There was a minor incident, but it was difficult not to congratulate the Empire’s victory, so I arrived late as it is.”

“I’m sorry to have made you walk amidst the chaos, even though war is nothing special to you.”

Despite his words, the Emperor seemed to be in a good mood.

Babenberg was a sovereign state, so he seemed satisfied with the respectful attitude of the Grand Duke.

Callisto skillfully responded.

“Who else on this continent could understand His Highness the Second Prince’s hardships as well as I do?”

Based on the contents of the letter, it seemed that Callisto had also wandered the battlefields quite often since he was young.

The difference was that unlike Lurik, who was rolled around by his father, Callisto moved voluntarily for his brother.

‘But that brother died without an heir, and he suddenly received the title of Grand Duke.’

When the previous Grand Duke of Babenberg passed away, Callisto suddenly inherited the Duchy from his much older brother and took a year off from school to carry out the inheritance procedures.

‘In the letter, Callisto’s attitude changed quite a bit after that year of leave……’

While I was watching them with such thoughts, the conversation between Callisto and the Emperor proceeded smoothly.

“Is the fire completely extinguished?”

Callisto answered the Emperor’s question with an embarrassed look.

“I have something to tell you regarding that as well. In fact, it has been revealed that the fire was not a natural wildfire, but an accident caused by refugees from Duros trying to cultivate slash-and-burn fields to make a living.”

As the surrounding gazes on the two became more blatant, the Emperor asked with a groan.

“Refugees from Duros, you say?”

“Yes. It seems that a large number of refugees have settled in the southern part of Heim near Nianeman, coming up by sea.”

Duros was one of the small countries that had been incorporated into the Empire over the past three years of long war.

‘To be precise, it was Lurik who occupied it.’

So, if refugees from Duros flowed into Babenberg and caused problems, the Empire’s reputation could be damaged.

‘But wasn’t it Ren who started that fire?’

I admired Callisto’s calm face inwardly.

‘It was just a little while ago that he used a magic tool to sneak into my room to avoid attending the banquet.’

He was shamelessly deceiving the Emperor right in front of him.

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