Chapter 4
How much time had passed?
―Bang!
Suddenly, an explosion erupted from the fireplace.
Startled, I instinctively jumped up and ran towards the door.
But the next moment, a white, translucent film rose from the wall, sealing the room shut.
‘𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦…!’
Then came the sound of coughing.
“Cough! Cough!”
As I stared nervously at the smoke billowing from the fireplace, something dark and shadowy began to swell and take shape.
“Aah!”
I screamed in surprise, and the shadowy figure, shedding a dust-covered robe, frowned.
“It’s always the same reaction. Must you be so surprised every time?”
…It was Ren.
His violet eyes, set beneath jet-black hair, flashed with annoyance before softening as they met mine.
“I told you to stop making such a fuss. A wizard’s senses are far more sensitive than a human’s. You’re causing me immense pain.”
He approached me and reached out a hand.
I stood frozen as his soot-stained palm touched my forehead.
The scent of embers and the hearth clung to him.
“Do you have a fever?”
But his hand was so hot, it was impossible to tell if I had a fever or not.
Unsure, he tilted his head and touched his own forehead.
Every time Ren moved his sharp chin, the afternoon sunlight would catch the healthy tan of his cheeks, making them shimmer like gold dust.
Even the fireplace ash clinging to his thick, black eyelashes seemed beautiful, and I couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
‘𝘞𝘩𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦…?’
You guys aren’t even the main characters!
‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 ‘𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦’ 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘌𝘳𝘯𝘴𝘵…’
Ugh, ‘handsome’ shouldn’t be a requirement for an ideal father!
‘𝘖𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵?’
Well, ‘handsome’ does tend to be genetic……
As I was lost in thought, Ren spoke again, his voice laced with displeasure.
“I told you to send a detailed report when you’re unwell. If you just wanted to see me, I would have forgiven your honesty, Lou.”
And he even flirts on top of that handsome face.
When I simply stared at him, speechless, Ren tilted his head again.
“Lou, are you really sick? I was hoping you just missed me.”
What is with this story’s development?
My commoner’s mind, accustomed to the Confucian values of my homeland, was thrown into utter confusion by the presence of another man who was supposed to propose.
‘𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯?’
And so I said,
“Ren, I…”
“Yes?”
The Mage Tower Master’s deep eyes sparkled innocently.
“I’m pregnant.”
🔹🔹🔹
Silence fell.
I watched as Ren’s face froze, briefly flushed like a flower, and then barely managed to regain its composure.
Of course, this young Mage Tower Master was perfectly handsome throughout all of those stages.
‘𝘈𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘦……’
Then he came closer, hugged me, and stayed that way for a long time.
‘𝘈𝘩… 𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘶𝘺, 𝘩𝘶𝘩?’
Just as I was about to feel relieved at the unexpected success, he asked,
“Who knows?”
I looked at him in bewilderment.
If he’s the father, isn’t this a very inappropriate thing to say as the first words after hearing the news of the pregnancy?
‘𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵?’
However, Ren just waited for my answer with a face that seemed almost sorrowful.
He stroked my hair endlessly.
“……No one.”
As soon as I answered, he sighed as if in relief.
“Come here.”
As if it were his own room, Ren naturally led me to the bed and sat me down.
“I’ll take care of you. You won’t have to go through any pain. Okay?”
So…… you’re the father, right?
I couldn’t bring myself to ask that, so I said something else.
“W, Well, you know. I heard that Grand Duke Callisteon is going to propose to me at the victory celebration…”
Ren exclaimed as if amazed,
“That crazy bastard.”
Then, as if he hadn’t said anything, he closed his mouth for a moment and spoke the next words gently.
“How could that be? That won’t happen. Never, so don’t worry.”
I wished it was just my imagination that his violet eyes were flashing like a madman’s.
He hid his menacing gaze and forced the corners of his lips upward.
“Are you in pain?”
“I, I have morning sickness…… I feel like I’m going to throw up all day.”
“My poor Lou.”
Ren lowered his head and kissed my forehead.
Every movement was so natural, and every time he moved, more points were added.
‘𝘏𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳…’
Unaware of my inner thoughts, Ren spoke affectionately,
“You’ll need medicine, and to prepare this and that, I’ll have to go back to the Mage Tower. Until then, drink this.”
What he took out of his pocket and handed me was tea in a triangular tea bag.
“Steep one bag every morning as soon as you wake up and drink it throughout the day. Tell Phoebe it’s good for your skin.”
Seeing him naturally mention the name of my maid, I felt reassured.
‘𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵.’
At this point, shouldn’t I make a bold move?
“This tea, is it safe? I’m worried that it might be bad for my…… baby.”
As if I had hit the nail on the head, Ren twitched his eyebrows and said,
“Of course it’s safe. For ‘our’ baby.”
His black pupils were extremely clear, and his tone was unmistakable.
As I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, he called me affectionately.
“Lou.”
“Yes?”
But the next thing he said was unexpected again.
“First… let’s keep it a secret from Erni.”
Erni.
That was the signature Crown Prince Ernst attached at the end of his letters.
‘𝘈𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦.’
They mentioned each other’s names freely in the letters, but hearing them naturally call each other by nicknames made me even more certain.
“Why……?”
If I’m pregnant, I should prepare quickly and either get married or run away, so what does Erni have to do with this?
When I asked with that thought in mind, Ren shrugged.
“I can predict what Cal will do, but not Erni. He’s like the brain I want to dissect first if live experimentation is allowed.”
Isn’t Ernst the crown prince of a country……?
Ren said something terrifying as if it were nothing and got up.
“I might not be able to come back before your brother. If that happens, I’ll send the medicine first, along with instructions on how to take it.”
“Okay.”
He smiled softly and stroked my hair.
“What did I say?”
What did he say?
I stared blankly at his seemingly firm cheeks and realized the answer.
“……You said you’d protect me.”
An attractive smile appeared in his long, narrow eyes.
“I, Mage Tower Master Ren Dafte, said that you won’t have to go through any pain. Lou, don’t be scared and just stay here.”
Those were the most reassuring words I had heard since I woke up in Brentania and became Louise.
“Okay.”
If a great wizard like this is the father, wouldn’t things work out somehow…?
‘𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭.’
Fortunately, it seems I won’t be taking the unwelcome single mother route.
Ren went back to the fireplace with a regretful look on his face and stirred the embers.
“Hoo.”
As he put his robe back on, there was a light gust of wind.
Something like black flames engulfed Ren, a short gust of wind blew, and then everything disappeared.
“……That was surprising.”
It seemed he used the embers to move.
The translucent white curtain that had enveloped the room was slowly lifting.
I quickly put the tea bag Ren had given me into the teapot.
—Knock, knock.
There was a knock on the door, and Phoebe hurriedly opened it.
“His Highness Lurick has arrived in the capital! He’s currently in the victory parade, but it seems he’ll arrive by the evening after tomorrow!”
Hurry up and brew.
Like a true member of the ‘hurry, hurry’ nation, I shook the teapot and managed to smile at Phoebe.
“Yes, I can’t wait to see him.”
As long as I can keep the pregnancy a secret.