Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 43

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟑
Phoebe was so engrossed in a thick book that she seemed to be getting sucked into it, and she answered my question a beat later.

“No.”

“……Is that so?”

She finally pushed the book aside, stood up, and approached me.

“Are you feeling upset that your brother doesn’t seem to be concerned about you while you’re unwell? Oh dear, our Princess has become quite the baby these days.”

“Wh-What……!”

Well, I’ve heard it all now!

‘I’m worried he’ll go on a rampage on his own when I’m not looking!’

While I was fuming inwardly and making excuses, the morning preparations began.

Phoebe dipped a towel into a basin gleaming with gold, and white steam billowed up.

“His Highness, the Crown Prince, said he would visit this morning. And I will see if I can request a separate visit from Prince Lurik.”

In any case, I had to make sure Lurik was doing alright, so I suppressed the strange feeling of injustice and replied.

“Thank you, Phoebe.”

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

“Did you sleep well, Lou?”

Ernst arrived a while later.

He had visited me almost every morning for the past few days, but just like how today’s sun was different from yesterday’s, he was always refreshingly beautiful.

I gazed, mesmerized, at the pair of dazzling golden eyes beneath his wavy light blond hair before responding with a smile.

“Erni……”

The smile of the most handsome baby daddy candidate seemed to be as effective as the magic morning sickness medicine.

But before I could say anything more, Phoebe interjected.

“Oh dear, don’t even get me started, Your Highness. This morning, the tinnitus started. It seems like she’s going through every single pregnancy symptom imaginable.”

You can say that again.

‘Wouldn’t it be nice if you’d take it easy, body!’

Of course, such complaints would occasionally sprout, but I didn’t forget my previous life where I was bedridden, just waiting to die.

So I said to the maid,

“Don’t say that, Phoebe. It’s all part of the process of meeting our beautiful baby.”

“……Oh my, I never thought I’d hear you say that, Your Highness!”

Phoebe was so moved that she covered her mouth, and I felt a little embarrassed.

Ernst also held my hand with a touched expression.

“I won’t forget your sacrifice.”

When his gentle lips touched the back of my hand, I naturally thought,

‘Of course you shouldn’t, if you’re the baby’s father.’

Flavi is the largest and wealthiest vassal kingdom of the Brentania Empire, but it is still a vassal kingdom in every sense of the word.

Therefore, Crown Prince Ernst of Flavi had to participate as actively as the Imperial Prime Minister in all imperial events.

‘Thanks to that, he can visit me often and gauge the atmosphere among the Imperial nobles.’

He lowered his voice and said,

“But Lou, the Empress and the Crown Prince’s movements are a little……concerning.”

“You mean that war talk from before? Are they serious about that?”

I asked back, unknowingly sharpening my tone, and Ernst pinched my cheek playfully.

“If the Second Prince agrees, we might be able to buy some time.”

I finally understood what Ernst was trying to say and widened my eyes.

Was he suggesting that we resolve the pregnancy and childbirth while Lurik is away at war?

“Erni!”

Ernst’s golden eyes sparkled so innocently that I thought I had misunderstood him.

But he didn’t offer any excuses.

“That’s not what you want, is it? I’m not saying that’s what I want, I’m just asking for your opinion. As always.”

“I, I don’t want my brother to go to war again.”

How could he give me such a choice?

Lurik is precious to me, both as the male protagonist I created and as my brother in this world.

I answered breathlessly,

“I hate it even more if it’s because of me. If it’s because of me, if it’s because of me……”

I’d rather just bite the bullet and ask Callisto.

To propose to me right away.

‘Then the Imperial Family would achieve their goal of having Babenberg as in-laws, so they’d stop trying to get rid of my brother.’

I don’t dislike Callisto anyway, and he’s a perfectly fine marriage partner in everyone’s eyes.

It would be awkward if we got married and the baby was born with blond hair or purple eyes, but Callisto wouldn’t kill me for that.

‘Things might get a little complicated then……’

But it’s definitely better than Lurik risking his life on the battlefield.

‘Even if he luckily survives the war, the magic sword will eventually consume him.’

And the clever Ernst understood my intentions without me having to say anything.

“I understand what you mean, Lou. I’ll keep a closer eye on the nobles’ movements. So we can detect any traps the Empress or the Crown Prince might set.”

I finally felt relieved and grabbed Ernst’s hand.

His long fingers intertwined with mine as if he had been waiting for it.

“Please, Erni.”

He promised in a honeyed voice,

“I am your eyes and ears. You can rest assured, Your Highness.”

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

After Ernst left, the afternoon arrived.

I was still waiting for Lurik, but there was no news from him.

Phoebe, sensing my mood, said,

“His Highness the Crown Prince left some new tea leaves earlier. How about inviting Prince Lurik over with that as an excuse?”

But he knows (or thinks) I’m sick!

‘Does he need an invitation to come see me?’

It seemed I had adapted quite quickly to this brother-doting brother.

Suppressing the undeniable feeling of hurt, I picked up a pen.

Brother, if you’re not busy, would you like to join me for a tasting of the new tea leaves?

However, even as dinner time approached, there was still no reply from Lurik.

Phoebe said with an embarrassed face,

“I guess it’s because the banquet is still going on. Prince Lurik must be busy, I feel bad for suggesting the invitation……”

But isn’t it strange that there’s not even a reply?

Now, beyond mere hurt feelings, I felt suspicious.

‘Is something really wrong? Could it be that he’s about to go on a rampage because he’s upset about me collapsing again……’

The awaited knock finally came when my anxiety was at its peak.

—Knock, knock.

Phoebe jumped up.

“It must be His Highness the Prince! I’ll go prepare the tea!”

Fortunately, Phoebe’s prediction was correct.

However, I was startled when I saw my brother’s face as he entered the room.

Because one of his eyes was pitch black.

“Brother……?”

Lurik met my gaze and blinked slowly, as if he had stumbled upon an unexpected person.

“Cough, cough!”

I coughed loudly on purpose to get his attention.

“Cough, cough! Cough!”

Until he came to his senses and approached me to pat my back.

It took a while, but Lurik eventually did so.

The moment he touched me, the black shadow that had filled his red eye seemed to lose its adhesive power and floated, swirling within his pupil.

Terrified, I asked in a small voice,

“Why are you angry again, Brother?”

“What?”

Lurik snapped back.

He seemed to be patting my back out of habit, not because he was worried and came to see me.

Tears welled up in my eyes involuntarily.

“Am I, cough! Am I disappointing you because I keep getting sick? Because I didn’t listen to you and went to the banquet hall?”

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

‘I want to see blood.’

Surprisingly, Lurik had been thinking that until just a moment ago.

‘I want to hold a sword.’

He wanted to hear the dull thud of a sword being drawn.

He wanted to see the bloodstains scattering like mist under the crimson sunset.

He wanted to hear the pained whinnying of horses, the screams of the insignificant enemy soldiers.

‘I want to be covered in blood.’

He wanted to behead the enemy general, seize his helmet, and trample the fallen enemy horses.

He hated the Imperial Palace, where banquets were held at the drop of a hat under flimsy pretexts.

‘I want to run across vast fields, climb mountains, and cross rivers.’

But then a familiar voice asked,

“Why are you angry again, Brother?”

Had he heard those words before?

“Am I disappointing you because I keep getting sick?”

Lurik finally noticed his sister.

Her clothes were crumpled, probably because he had roughly patted her back with his large hand.

“……Lou.”

He had wanted to cherish her, but……

With tears welling up in her eyes, she asked again,

“Why are you angry, Brother? Did you really throw away all the things from the battlefield?”

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