Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 27

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟕
The letter only contained a brief sentence asking her to come to the Imperial Palace because there was something important to discuss.

Sister Melots nodded seriously.

“Of course, Your Highness. Even if Helena doesn’t return, if there’s a chance to send a letter through someone, I will do so.”

After saying goodbye to Sister Melots in advance, Lurik came to visit.

Now that Helena was gone, the daily routine at the monastery seemed to be a burden to Lurik.

‘His eyes are dark again today……’

Is he feeling rebellious towards the prayers and meditation recommended by Priest Didio?

Every evening, my older brother’s eyes, which came to see me, always had a faint black shadow cast over them, and then it quickly disappeared when he touched my forehead or held my hand.

‘Now, all Lurik has left is truly just me.’

The male protagonist, who must be redeemed, has to endure with the affection of his younger sister who has no special abilities……!

‘In reality, I’m not even his real sister, just a clumsy creator……!’

As I looked up at him and sighed, Lurik, oblivious to his bleak reality, nonchalantly asked,

“Are you upset that you can’t go to Babenberg?”

My brow furrowed involuntarily.

I’ve said it over and over again, but I was only going to stop by Babenberg by chance.

“No.”

I answered curtly.

It was true that Callisto was waiting for my visit, but he wouldn’t want a woman, who was believed to be pregnant with his child, to continue a strenuous journey.

“I already contacted them and said I wouldn’t be able to visit Babenberg. Of course, the Grand Duke understood and said it was alright.”

This time, Lurik sighed and asked,

“Then why are you sighing? The maids said your body has recovered enough to return to the Imperial Palace.”

I avoided his gaze and replied,

“Just…… There’s something I’m worried about.”

Yes, I can’t keep putting off the fate of this pitiful male protagonist to the female protagonist, who doesn’t know when she’ll return.

‘How did things turn out like this?’

I gritted my teeth and decided to more actively save my male protagonist, who is my blood relative in the world’s setting.

“Something you’re worried about……?”

Lurik asked cautiously.

“Is there anything I can help with?”

“Brother, do you know?”

Come to think of it, the only key I had from the beginning was Helena.

“What are you talking about?”

So I decided to make the most of the clues Helena left behind.

“The maid I liked, you know? She said she developed spiritual abilities during the three days she spent with me and became a nun.”

Lurik showed no particular interest and tried to laugh it off.

“Is that so? Then I guess it’s impossible for you to bring her to the Imperial Palace.”

I replied dejectedly,

“Of course. She’s already left on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.”

“Already?”

Lurik seemed surprised by those words, and his red eyes widened slightly.

“But she left me a message on the last day.”

“What was it?”

I arbitrarily adapted and changed the fact that Helena had noticed the pregnancy.

“Helena said that she felt a different energy from you, brother. Another energy that doesn’t belong to you.”

“What do you mean?”

Lurik frowned.

“Louise, should I tell you what I think?”

He said skeptically, without waiting for my answer.

“Everyone in this monastery is looking for the cause of war and carnage in me, hoping for repentance and reflection. They try to make me kneel as if I can wash away my sins through prayer, but the truth is……!”

His calm voice suddenly became agitated, and Lurik spoke grimly,

“They are not interested in my suffering. They want to torment me so that I remember the unjust sacrifices of the dead even more, to give me the hell I deserve.”

I looked straight into Lurik’s eyes, where the black shadow was beginning to flicker again.

“No.”

Then I suddenly got out of bed and found a mirror.

“Look closely, brother.”

I held a palm-sized mirror right in front of Lurik’s nose.

“I don’t have any spiritual abilities, but if there’s a black shadow lurking around, trying to devour you, I can definitely see it.”

Lurik in the mirror frowned in disbelief.

“What is this……?”

He cautiously raised one hand and lifted the thin skin under his eyes.

The darkness that lurked from deep within was clearly visible.

“Keep looking, brother.”

I placed my palm on the back of Lurik’s other hand and watched the mirror with him.

During the brief moment we shared body heat, the black shadow dispersed and disappeared without a trace.

Lurik stammered, uncharacteristically,

“What…… What does this mean? Has it always been like this? My eyes?”

I deliberately shrugged as if it were nothing.

“Sometimes. It only happened when you were feeling down. When I comforted you like this…… It got better quickly.”

Lurik asked with a suspicious look,

“Do you have some kind of…… special ability?”

I burst into laughter.

“I wish I did, brother.”

Then I looked straight at Lurik.

“Your powerless little sister doesn’t have any abilities. Except for the love she has for you.”

“……Hmm.”

Lurik averted his gaze, looking embarrassed.

‘Why is that stiff man blushing at the mere thought of affection between siblings?’

I almost laughed out loud, but instead, I tightly grasped Lurik’s hand.

“It’s definitely not my ability. It’s just that you probably don’t have many people to rely on emotionally other than me.”

“Not many, indeed.”

Lurik scoffed.

“Not a single one. Except for you.”

That’s right, you should have tried to win over Helena to increase the number of people you could rely on!

I looked at him with regret.

“Helena said that you should be careful of that energy. If you don’t handle it properly, it could hurt you or the people around you.”

“For example…… you?”

I was half convinced that he wouldn’t hurt me even if he went berserk, but I hoped Lurik himself wouldn’t know that.

“I guess so?”

The more precious I am to him, the more I want him to be unaware of that fact.

So that he would fear and avoid the unidentified black energy even more.

“I’m always close to you like this.”

Then a belated fear flashed across Lurik’s face.

“But I don’t feel anything. How can I be careful then……?”

Then he suddenly ruffled his hair in anguish.

“Maybe the priest is right. I…… I must be possessed by a deathly evil spirit. It wouldn’t be strange even if I was possessed by a ghost. The number of people who have bled at my hands……”

Oh dear……

‘My seemingly strong male protagonist is this mentally fragile!’

It’s like he’ll shatter into pieces with a crisp sound if I tap him!

“No, brother!”

I shook my head and started making up stories.

“But, um, well, it could be that bad energy is clinging to something you’ve been carrying since the battlefield! Is there anything like that……?”

Magic sword. Magic sword. Magic sword.

I chanted it like a spell in my mind, but Lurik just tilted his head.

“I threw away most of my clothes. The only other thing I brought is…… a belt? Well, that’s about it.”

No, it’s not a belt……!

I felt a strong urge to shake my head, but it was too much to point out the sword directly.

‘That sword was even bestowed by the Emperor himself.’

The sly Emperor coaxed the young Lurik by saying that he would give the royal sword to the son who was more skilled in martial arts, and as a result, the magic sword had long become Lurik’s pride.

I glanced at the magic sword and forced a smile.

“Yes, it could be the belt. Not only that, find everything you brought from the battlefield and throw it away. And after that, I’ll check on you from time to time to see if the black energy is still there.”

But I don’t have that much time right now, you know?

‘If time passes like this and he finds out I’m pregnant, my brother will go berserk, right?’

So please, let’s get rid of that sword before that happens……!

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