Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 17

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟕
We were finally able to leave the Imperial Palace after three days.

Since there were a total of sixteen people, we decided to use a gate to get to Heim.

Lurik was of the opinion that there was no reason to waste the Tower Master’s energy, but Ren was indifferent.

“Whether it’s sixteen or twenty, how much energy does it take to go back and forth? More importantly, do we really need this many people?”

Lurik coldly ignored Ren’s defiant attitude.

Knowing that Lurik had harmed Ren after Louise’s death in the novel, it was nerve-wracking to watch.

“Let’s go.”

The moment I grabbed Lurik’s outstretched hand, Ren took hold of my other hand.

I was practically dangling between two large men, but I was so nervous about my first-ever gate travel that I couldn’t dare let go of either hand.

My vision swayed, and my eyes flashed.

I squeezed my eyes shut and gripped their hands tighter.

‘Ugh, are we there yet?’

How much time had passed?

With a strong tremor, jjeong, my feet touched the ground.

“Phew.”

As I let out a sigh of relief, Ren looked at me with amusement.

“Cowardly Lou. Still afraid of gates.”

Fortunately, being afraid of gates didn’t seem to be out of character for Louise.

I whispered an excuse into Ren’s ear.

“Ah, I-I was worried it might be bad for the baby……”

He laughed leisurely.

“That won’t happen. Don’t worry.”

Just then, Lurik turned to look at us, so I shut my mouth.

At that moment, guards with unfamiliar faces saluted us.

“We greet Your Highness, the Prince and Princess. Welcome to Heim.”

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

Things proceeded smoothly.

“I’ve already taken care of the refugee issue, Your Highness.”

This was because Callisto had come to Heim in advance and stayed there, carrying out the Imperial Family’s request as instructed.

“We intend to launch the ships starting next week, before the weather gets any worse.”

Indeed, Callisto had only provided me with an excuse to visit Kaisarea Monastery; he hadn’t intended to take the lead in highlighting the refugee issue from the beginning.

“Everyone who wishes to return home will board sequentially, and you can meet with a representative if you wish, but I believe it will be unnecessary.”

Lurik must have guessed as much, as he nodded slightly.

“That’s good. Bill the Imperial Family for the expenses.”

However, since Heim had been affected, he couldn’t refuse the lord’s request to host a banquet for the royal family.

The elderly lord seemed very excited throughout the dinner, but there was an aspect that I didn’t welcome.

“I had heard the rumors, but you are truly beautiful. The common saying that you inherited all the most beautiful and precious things of the Imperial Family was not an exaggeration.”

He kept showering me with compliments, looking at me as if I were his granddaughter-in-law.

“……Thank you.”

I could only give an awkward reply, but the lord leaned closer to me and added in a low voice.

“I heard that the only reason our Grand Duke is still unmarried is because of you, Your Highness. Indeed, it’s understandable, hmm.”

Lurik was discussing the cost issue with Callisto.

Before my fearsome older brother could notice the lord’s sly intentions, I decided to leave my seat.

“I have indigestion, I’ll go for a walk.”

I told Phoebe, and she quickly and perceptively helped me up and followed me out.

“It’s chilly, would you like to go to the glass greenhouse? The lord’s wife is very interested in growing plants, so they say there’s a wide variety of species.”

“Oh, yes, that’s good.”

As I left the room, I briefly made eye contact with Lurik, and he nodded.

He himself disliked attending official events, so he seemed to be lenient with me as well.

‘That’s a relief……’

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

“If you’re going to run away, please take me with you, Lou.”

I arrived safely at the greenhouse and breathed a sigh of relief, when I heard a voice behind me.

I giggled and looked back at Ren.

“Sorry. Lord Heim kept talking to me……”

Ren laughed along with me.

“Since he saw me following you, Cal will be quite annoyed.”

Come to think of it, it was a rare moment for just the two of us.

Before the trip, we were both busy preparing, and since the trip began, we had been with Lurik the whole time, with no chance to talk.

“How are you feeling? Are you taking your medicine?”

Ren asked, so I took out the two small glass bottles I had hidden in my bosom and showed him.

“I’m fine. I took the medicine before we left, and I took it again after we arrived here.”

“That’s good.”

Ren touched my cheek, and I suddenly came to my senses to find that Phoebe had already cleverly disappeared.

It was early evening, so the surroundings were dark, and there wasn’t even an ant stirring inside the greenhouse.

The soft lighting cast shadows on Ren’s sharply defined face.

His deep violet eyes were exceptionally clear, and he stared straight at me without the slightest tremor.

‘……Get a grip. He might not be the baby’s father.’

I belatedly realized the reality and took Ren’s hand, gently pulling it away from my face.

“Ah, right. I was curious about something.”

I had to start talking about something, and thankfully, I had a topic prepared.

“What is it?”

Ren asked, still fiddling with my hand.

‘Is it because of the darkness, or is it because I saw Ren in the diary?’

His affection for me felt so tangible, like I could almost grasp it.

‘He’s completely different from the man in the diary.’

I pressed down on my fluttering heart and brought up the topic that had been bothering me for days.

“Well, I was wondering if there’s such magic. The kind that hides a part of an object and then reveals it unexpectedly.”

“A part of an object?”

I thought the magic on the diary might be Ren’s, so I gave a more specific example.

“For example, a book…… where hidden pages are revealed one day.”

Ren stopped playing with my hand and asked seriously.

“Suddenly? In what way?”

Wouldn’t it be too obvious if I mentioned the pattern here?

I thought for a moment and asked a slightly different question.

“Hmm, or how about this? The page I touch suddenly turns black? Wouldn’t that be interesting?”

He smiled faintly.

As he tilted his head to one side, half of his face was hidden in the shadows.

“Anyway, ‘one day’ means that the magic has to work when the caster isn’t around, right?”

“That’s right, isn’t it?”

Ren shook his head and came back into the light.

“That’s difficult, Lou. It’s not about controlling it from afar, but ‘suddenly one day’.”

He added an explanation.

“It’s too complex and sophisticated magic to be used for such a trivial matter.”

“……Why?”

The process of the diary revealing itself was so simple to the eye that I couldn’t understand.

“Oh, Lou. Do you still think magic is just a game you can play with magic stone powder?”

Ren asked, pinching my cheek and shaking it lightly.

“It’s cute when you do this sometimes, but still……”

Then he scattered black powder in the air.

“Magic is divided into two categories.”

He flicked his finger, and the magic stone powder formed a right angle, drawing horizontal and vertical lines.

“Those that use the axis of time, and those that use the axis of space.”

I watched, mesmerized, as Ren gathered the magic stone powder again and looked back at me.

“The magic you’re talking about clearly uses time. You have to use transformation magic, or conversely, restoration magic, but to control it from afar, you usually install a magical tool.”

Judging by his expression, it seemed like he had given Louise a similar explanation before.

So I put on a sheepish expression, as if I had forgotten.

“That’s right…… So it’s difficult to use surprise magic because of the tools.”

Ren chuckled.

“Of course. Our old man could probably design it without tools, but even then, there would have to be a mark.”

By mark, does he mean something like that pattern?

And who is this old man?

“Old man?”

I asked casually, and Ren shrugged.

“Well, my teacher likes that kind of prank.”

Ren’s teacher?

I’ve never created such a character!

‘Maybe I can find it in the letters in the drawer?’

Actually, there were quite a few unfamiliar names in the letters, so I had summarized the contents focusing on the names I knew.

While I was thinking about this, Ren added,

“But don’t ask my teacher for help. Our old man would take it completely seriously.”

Judging by his tone, his teacher must have known Louise as well.

It seemed I couldn’t pretend not to know such a teacher, so just as I was about to change the subject, I heard another voice.

“Your Highness, His Highness the Prince is coming.”

Phoebe, what an excellent maid you are.

As soon as I took two steps away from Ren, Lurik and Callisto appeared.

“Lou, let’s go see the room they’ve prepared for us.”

Lurik reached out to me and looked at Ren.

“Tower Master, would you mind coming along and helping with the inspection?”

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