Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 30

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟎
Unlike the three potential fathers of the child, Phoebe properly understood Lurik.

Above all, the fact that he would not tolerate my pregnancy before marriage.

That’s why she insisted on leaving the palace even more strongly than I did.

‘Phoebe is right.’

Even after visiting Kaisarea Monastery, my problems remained the same.

One was Lurik’s outburst, the other was my pregnancy before marriage.

The two were separate issues, yet connected.

‘If the fact that I’m pregnant before marriage is revealed, Lurik will most likely have an outburst.’

So, even though I couldn’t bring Helena with me, the fact that I had to leave the Imperial Palace remained unchanged.

‘Even with the diary as a clue, the chances of the child’s father being revealed within two months are still almost non-existent.’

Even now, the child in my womb is growing, and I can no longer gamble my and my child’s fate on uncertain probabilities.

‘Unlike the initial plan, I’ve already lost Helena……’

Come to think of it, at the monastery, Lurik believed the physician’s words that I had simply fainted from dizziness and fatigue.

Judging from that fact, Louise probably wasn’t very robust in her usual state.

“Phoebe, how about we use this opportunity to pretend to be constantly ill and request recuperation?”

It seemed more stable than hurriedly searching for a man to marry.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Phoebe slowly nodded.

“That’s not bad.”

“If I go for recuperation, I can hide myself until the birth, and using an infectious disease as an excuse, I can avoid my brother’s visits.”

But there’s something I need to do before leaving Lurik’s side.

‘That is, to remove that damned magic sword from him.’

Phoebe, while pondering my suggestion, calmly said,

“Alright, let’s prepare slowly. You’re still tired, right? Would you like to have dinner quietly in your room?”

I quickly nodded.

‘When I have time, I should rummage through the letters and look for Ren’s teacher as well……’

For now, I should confine myself to my room and pretend to be sick.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

“Lou, are you ready……?”

The next day, Ernst came to find me and asked, then closed his mouth.

It had been a while since I had seen his usually softly curved red lips stiffen like that.

Phoebe, amused, adjusted the black wig she had put on me.

“How is it, Your Highness? It’s perfect, right?”

Ren said the eyedrops he brought would make the color of my pupils hazy for about half a day.

In the mirror, I had black hair like Crown Prince Hart and light pink eyes, similar to my original hair color.

“Ha……”

Ernst sighed with a dazed face.

“I thought I fell for your hair color.”

Ren scoffed, stroking my wig.

“I already said that line.”

Then he lightly touched my eyelashes with his fingertips.

“Only your eyelashes are pink. Cute, Lou.”

“Ahem!”

Phoebe coughed, interrupting.

“So, Your Highness the Crown Prince of Flavi, where is the physician?”

“I called him to a hotel in the city. Since I called him through the secretary, it’s better that I don’t go with you.”

Ren replied bluntly.

“I’ll go with you, so don’t worry.”

Come to think of it, Ren’s eyes were also hazy like mine, turning into a mysterious light purple.

‘Ren used the eyedrops too.’

Indeed, if the physician used magical tools, he might not know the Tower Master’s face.

While I was thinking these thoughts, he spread his arms.

“Come here, Lou.”

During my trip to the monastery, I had used Ren’s earth attribute transportation magic twice, so I knew he could take me without a hug.

So, he must just be trying to annoy Ernst right now.

“Ren……”

So I tried to point that out with my eyes, but Ren didn’t budge.

“Hurry up.”

The moment I approached, his strong arms pulled me into a hug, and the sound of flames roaring erupted.

Soon, my vision turned black.

When I opened my eyes again, what I saw was the hotel garden.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

“Would you like to hear the baby’s heartbeat?”

At the physician’s question, I blinked my eyes.

‘This isn’t the 21st century, is that even possible?’

Ren asked on my behalf.

“Is that even possible?”

The physician puffed up his chest and said,

“This is actually a trade secret, but I connected the function of a stethoscope with the Magic Tower’s loudspeaker. It’s like the mystery of birth that only I can show you on this continent.”

The Tower Master, who concealed his identity, raised an eyebrow and requested.

“Let’s hear it.”

The physician placed something that looked like a paper cup on my stomach and handed another cup attached to the end of a string to Ren.

While he was listening with his ear to the cup-shaped device, Ren’s expression gradually softened.

“What do you hear?”

Since we introduced ourselves as a foreign noble couple introduced by the secretary of the Flavi Crown Prince’s Palace, I asked Ren in awkward honorifics.

But he didn’t answer, as if he was focused on the sound.

“Do you hear it? Huh?”

When I asked again, Ren finally came to his senses and handed me the cup.

He was blushing under his eyes, and his voice was slightly higher than usual.

“You listen too.”

Unsure, I put the device to my ear and felt a loud vibration.

―Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump, thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!

I frowned slightly.

“Is this…… the heartbeat? Isn’t it…… too fast?”

The physician let out a good-natured, hearty laugh.

“A baby’s heart beats fast. Because it’s small.”

I don’t know since I’ve never been pregnant while living in the 21st century.

I was suspicious whether this rapid heartbeat was a trick, but Ren’s face was more serious than ever.

“Honey.”

When he called me, immersed in his role-playing as a husband, I almost hiccuped.

“……Yes?”

“I’ll be a really good father. I’ll be good to you.”

Wow, Ren Dapht.

‘This is really crossing the line.’

He was pretending to be role-playing as a husband while uttering the words that were forbidden under the truce we had agreed upon with Callisto.

I guessed that Callisto would try to kill him this time if he heard it, but I just smiled quietly because the physician was present.

“……I’ll look forward to it.”

Ren took a short breath as if his chest was full.

His usually strong, dark eyebrows drooped gently, and his dreamy light purple irises were the very image of a man in love.

He kissed each of my cheeks with a smile on his glossy lips.

‘No, he might not be the father.’

Thinking that, I clenched my fist over my heart, which wanted to beat as fast as the baby in my belly.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

That same morning, Lurik shared the news of the past week with his deputy commander.

“I heard that the relocation of refugees from Heim has been decided. Should we increase the troops stationed in Duros just in case?”

“……What?”

Lurik’s deputy commander, Jesus, was quite puzzled by his superior’s inability to focus on the report.

He had clearly heard that the situation in Heim had been resolved smoothly, but the Second Prince seemed unusually anxious.

“Hmm.”

Jesus gauged his mood and spoke again.

“I suggested that we increase the troops stationed in Duros to prepare for the movement of the Heim refugees.”

“Ah, that……”

Lurik nodded.

“Do so. You may leave now.”

Jesus was about to bow his head when he opened his mouth again.

“I apologize, but didn’t the situation in Heim resolve smoothly?”

Lurik let out a heavy sigh, making Jesus briefly misunderstand that there was a hidden story behind the refugee relocation that he hadn’t heard.

“There’s no need to worry about Heim. It’s just a personal matter that’s on my mind.”

“Yes, then……”

But as Jesus was about to truly leave, Lurik stopped him this time.

“……Deputy Commander.”

“Speak, Commander.”

Lurik hesitated for a moment before opening his lips.

“You must have heard it too. The rumors the soldiers spread behind my back, that I’m possessed by an evil spirit and sometimes my eyes……”

Jesus turned pale in an instant and, greatly flustered, dared to interrupt his superior.

“Which lunatic dared to say such a thing? I’ll punish them severely……”

“Jesus.”

However, as Lurik stopped him, Jesus had to close his mouth.

“What I want to know is…… have you seen it too? My eye color changing, that is.”

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