Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 21

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟏
You attended the dawn prayer?

Don’t tell me, your expression was bad because you were unhappy about that?

“It’ll be in the room. Thank you, Lu.”

He should be thanking Helena, not me!

I inwardly lamented the missed opportunity and asked,

“You attended the dawn prayer?”

Lurik still had a displeased expression, but his red eyes were much brighter than before.

“The Head Priest recommended it…… But Lu, to be honest, I……”

He lowered his voice and whispered in my ear.

“I’m much more comfortable and happy taking a walk with you. If the Priest keeps doing this, I won’t be able to stay here for ten days.”

No, you can’t give up like that!

“Then should I attend the prayer with you?”

Flustered, I asked urgently, and Lurik laughed in amazement.

“The dawn prayer starts while you’re still fast asleep.”

“I, I can wake up early!”

A large hand patted my head.

“The prayer won’t suddenly become interesting just because you attend with me. It’s a rare trip, so you should rest comfortably.”

This isn’t right……?

After Lurik left the dining hall, leaving me sitting alone, Ren leaned towards me as if he had been waiting, his violet eyes sparkling.

“Your Highness is also having a hard time staying here, right? Haa, I never thought the day would come when I would agree with the Crown Prince.”

I glared at Ren and grumbled.

“My brother just had a hard time with the dawn prayer. Will the picky Tower Master, who never has to attend a prayer, please be quiet?”

“You can’t say a word to His Highness, but you only take it out on me.”

Ren chuckled and pushed a piece of chocolate into my mouth.

The soft, fresh chocolate melted the moment it touched my tongue, but the warmth of his touch lingered on my skin.

“Cheer up, Lu. At least we have chocolate today.”

Seeing his smile, I suddenly remembered the diary I left in the Imperial Palace.

‘Since when was Ren so affectionate?’

I’m looking forward to the rest of the diary……

The thought made my clueless heart pound again, but I had to pull myself together.

‘What if Lurik shortens his stay at the monastery?’

The remaining time was a week, maybe even shorter.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

There was more bad news.

The monastery gets busier as the Sabbath approaches, and the Sabbath is only three days away.

‘I can’t come all the way here and go back empty-handed.’

My heart grew more and more impatient, but as expected, Lurik and Helena still didn’t run into each other by chance.

“The evening prayer is only held the day before the Sabbath. So, a day at the monastery usually starts early in the morning and ends early.”

In the afternoon, I recalled what Helena had told me in the morning and embarked on my next plan.

“Phoebe, tell my brother to meet me at Kaisarea Falls.”

“You’re not going to the falls with him?”

Phoebe diligently confirmed, but I nodded.

“I went there yesterday, and the falls are quite far. My feet will be burning trying to keep up with my brother’s pace.”

Phoebe burst out laughing but left the room to go to Lurik.

Then I called Helena again.

“Helena, I think I’ll go to the falls again today.”

Helena smiled shyly, as if pleased.

“I’m glad you liked the falls.”

“Yes. I’ll go with my brother for a walk, so could you explain about the hot spring waterfall like you did yesterday?”

Fortunately, Helena asked proactively without being asked.

“Then should I go ahead and prepare a place for you to sit?”

“That would be great.”

After that, I was left alone in my room and dressed warmly.

My morning sickness seemed to be getting worse these days, and my stomach felt nauseous again as evening approached.

‘Maybe my head is ringing because the nausea is so bad……’

Should I tell Ren?

‘Baby, are you okay?’

I gently stroked my still-flat stomach and took another spoonful of anti-nausea medicine.

After all, all of this was to safely meet the baby, so I couldn’t hesitate.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

As soon as Helena received Princess Louise’s order, she ran to the kitchen.

She got a picnic basket and packed snacks, and also packed enough blankets to spread on the ground and cover herself with.

She gulped, thinking that she might see the rumored Second Prince for the first time.

‘He’s the brother of the gentle Princess, but as the ‘Emperor’s Sword,’ he must be very strict, right?’

Thanks to Priest Didio’s fame, Kaisarea Monastery had a constant stream of visitors all year round.

High-ranking nobles were not uncommon among the guests, but this was the first time Helena had been in charge of serving one of them.

It had been less than three years since she entered the monastery, and she had no experience serving nobles up close.

‘He’s the commander who led the three-year war to victory, so even though he’s scary……’

They said the Prince had come all the way to this remote monastery to heal the wounds he had received in the war.

‘Then he can’t be a bad person.’

Helena nervously gripped and released the handle of the basket with her stiff fingers.

As she left the monastery and hurried towards the waterfall, the red sunset fell over her head.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

In order for Lurik and Helena to meet alone at the waterfall and exchange even a single word, I had to be nowhere near them.

‘If I’m there, Lurik will only pay attention to me and won’t even notice Helena.’

But I couldn’t just stay in my room alone.

‘Then Phoebe would be suspicious, and Lurik would be too worried.’

Overly stimulating Lurik would only backfire.

So I carefully calculated the time.

‘They should both have left by now, right?’

I had to give them some time to talk, but Lurik couldn’t be too late to surprise them.

“I’ll be back, Phoebe.”

“You’re not calling for a maid first?”

“I’m meeting Helena downstairs because she said she’d stop by the kitchen.”

“Ah, yes. Please be careful!”

Phoebe smiled brightly, holding the embroidery frame faithfully.

“Thank you.”

She had been holding the needle as if it were natural ever since she drew the camellia flower picture I asked her to do the day before.

She praised me for just making a plan, and she didn’t even urge me to embroider.

‘I guess she’s not very confident in my skills.’

I swallowed my laughter and quietly left the women’s quarters.

It was when I was just passing the entrance of the monastery.

“……Lu?”

Someone called my name.

Startled, I turned around to see Ren.

“Oh my……”

Ren sighed.

“Surprised? I’m more surprised. Where are you going alone? Where’s Phoebe?”

“Ah……”

If I told him I was trying to get the monastery maid and my brother, the Prince, to spend some time alone, even the reckless Tower Master would be surprised.

I made up an excuse.

“Phoebe is in the room doing something I asked her to do. So…… I told my brother I would go to the falls with him.”

Ren looked around and tilted his head.

“Where is the Prince?”

“He said he would go to the falls with the monastery maid, and I told him to meet me there. But then I realized I told the maid to go ahead and wait there too.”

He asked, dumbfounded,

“So?”

“So what? They’re both waiting for me at the falls right now. So I have to go quickly.”

“Oh my god, Lu……”

Ren frowned and rubbed his forehead.

“It’s already getting dark. Why are you acting so carelessly in this countryside? What are all those Imperial Guard doing?”

I pretended to be nonchalant and shrugged.

“I told them I didn’t need an escort because I’d be meeting my brother soon.”

“If you do this, the ten Imperial Guards His Highness brought are really useless.”

Ren, who was rattling off complaints, didn’t seem to have the slightest intention of letting me go to the falls alone.

I was already losing confidence looking at the setting sky, so I thought it was a good thing and said,

“What’s wrong with having Ren here?”

“I just happened to run into you……”

Just now.

Ren must have been trying to say that, but he seemed to have finally realized the current situation where he was alone with me.

“Hmm! Then, shall I take you…… there?”

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