Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 60

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔𝟎

Your Excellency the Grand Duke……

‘Please, could you use your turn signal before entering.’

I pressed my fist over my startled heart and moved my lips, but in the end, I couldn’t say anything.

“There’s one thing I want to make clear.”

Callisto Veil Babenberg chuckled, having watched the meaningless movements of my lips, and spoke first.

“I definitely intended to propose even before I knew you were pregnant. And if there’s a chance now, I’ll do it as many times as it takes.”

“Cal……”

When I quietly held out my hand, he took it.

His large palm was unusually hot, unlike usual.

“It’s precious because it’s ‘Lou’s’ baby. You know what I mean, right?”

Only then did I realize what he was trying to say.

Maybe I had been too mischievous.

“I was just joking earlier, Cal. I’m sorry if you were bothered.”

Rough fingers gently stroked the back of my hand.

He was a man who always understood me and forgave me countless times.

I gathered my courage and added.

“Even if it’s ‘my’ baby, I’d like it if you liked it, Cal.”

As soon as I said it, I realized it was an excessive desire.

But Callisto Veil Babenberg’s blue eyes sparkled with a strange light.

His glossy lips stretched into a long smile.

“If I were to arm wrestle with you, I would lose. Whether we run, compete in a jousting match, or do anything, I would lose somehow.”

When I looked up at him, wondering what he meant, he answered confidently.

“As always, I’ll lose to you until the very end. So I should like ‘Lou’s’ baby too.”

His arrogant voice was firm, as if he had never given a wrong answer in his life.

Just then, a gentle breeze passed between us.

The jet-black cloak he wore billowed in the wind and then settled back down.

Looking up, I saw the west wind ruffling his silver hair.

Under the clear sky without a single cloud, Callisto Veil Babenberg stood as if bathed in the sunlight like a halo.

‘Would that man ever lie?’

Overwhelmed by the unique aura he exuded, I suddenly realized.

‘He’s just letting me win now, isn’t he?’

In other words, he was as certain as that vast lake that the baby in my belly was his.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

“You bought Fortune Bread?”

Ernst asked in a somewhat bewildered tone.

I shrugged.

“Yeah, it’s fun.”

“You bought Fortune Bread…… for fun.”

While Ernst was lost in thought, Phoebe clapped her hands and said.

“I thought both His Excellency the Grand Duke and I got something about travel, so it wouldn’t be accurate at all! But guess what, our Highness got a fortune for a son.”

Ernst’s beautiful face crumpled.

“A son?”

I showed him the small piece of paper I had kept as a souvenir, thinking it might be meaningful if it was a son.

You will have a son.

Ernst suddenly looked at me with a serious gaze.

“So, you think it’s a son?”

“What?”

I looked up at him, bewildered.

“I just looked at it for fun, Erni. If it were true, Phoebe and Cal would have to go on a trip together somewhere far away.”

Phoebe burst into laughter again, but Ernst’s serious face remained unchanged.

As if trying to ease the somewhat strange atmosphere, Phoebe said.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, but it seems like your morning sickness has stopped.”

Ernst’s already round eyes widened even more.

“Suddenly?”

As he blinked, his golden eyelashes fluttered elegantly.

“Yes, we passed by the fish stall earlier, and you were fine. You haven’t taken any morning sickness medicine today either.”

“That’s a relief……”

Ernst replied, seemingly relieved, and subtly took the piece of paper I had shown him.

“If you just looked at it for fun, can I keep this?”

I hesitated, unable to readily agree.

“Huh? But I was going to keep it as a memento if it really was a son……”

The doll-like, blond-haired, handsome man smiled like the sun.

“Whether it’s a son or a daughter, I’ll return it after the baby is born.”

I looked at his hand with longing eyes, but it was the first time Ernst had been so resolute, so I couldn’t refuse.

“Alright, Erni.”

The lucky piece of paper with the fortune for a son eventually fell into Ernst’s grasp.

Ernst then left, saying he would have a new dessert made with fresh fruit.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

“This is absolutely delicious……”

It seemed my appetite had returned.

I emptied bowl after bowl of mango coconut milk pudding, as if to make up for all the food I hadn’t been able to eat.

“It’s so good……”

Of course, thanks to Ren’s morning sickness medicine, I hadn’t starved during that time.

‘But it’s been a while since I’ve tasted food while eating.’

Callisto Veil Babenberg, watching me repeat the same words like a fool, had a face full of satisfaction.

Still, worried, he called the chef and asked.

“What are the ingredients in this pudding?”

“It contains coconut milk, mango, and sago tapioca pearls, Your Excellency.”

The chef was someone Callisto Veil Babenberg had brought all the way from Babenberg.

He had apparently fallen head over heels for the ingredients of the southern territories since arriving in Edessa.

“What are sago tapioca pearls?”

“I hear they are small grains made by extracting starch from the stems of sago palm trees. They are not harmful even if you eat a lot.”

Callisto Veil Babenberg, uninterested in sweets, looked at the pudding with suspicion before taking a teaspoon and eating a tiny amount of the pearls.

Regardless, after eating about five bowls of pudding, I turned my attention to other desserts.

“This is also delicious, Your Highness.”

Looking at the plate Phoebe handed me, there was a small tart decorated with halved grapes.

As I obediently ate the tart, Phoebe asked.

“But His Highness the Crown Prince isn’t eating with us? Or is he still preparing something else?”

“I’ll be full if I eat this……”

Even though I said that, my hand didn’t stop.

Callisto Veil Babenberg said with a smile.

“You should drink tea too, Lou. You’ll get sick if you suddenly eat a lot too quickly.”

“Okay.”

I sipped the lemon tea he handed me.

After indulging in sweets and drinking the tart tea, I felt like I could fly.

As Phoebe had said, new desserts arrived soon after.

“Wow……!”

We sat side by side and admired them, but Ernst still didn’t appear.

‘But why did he take that lucky piece of paper earlier?’

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

That night, Ren’s name finally reappeared in my diary.

I was able to sneak into the back row a couple of times, pretending to be late, but it seemed Ren had noticed.

It felt like I had been caught enjoying the whole day after sending him back, so I clutched my pricking conscience and continued reading the diary.

But, it seems like the way he addresses me has become a bit more familiar?

I deliberately approached the back door stealthily after the class had started, but today, before I could even open the door, my wrist was grabbed.

“Are you avoiding me?”

His violet eyes shone so eerily when he asked that!

It seemed that Louise had been deliberately avoiding Ren.

‘She must have been afraid he would try to extract information about Moghald!’

Please go easy on her, Ren.

I prayed to the Ren of the past, even though it would be useless.

As I was too surprised and just stared with wide eyes, he frowned.

“Do you really not know me?”

It was the umpteenth time I’d heard the same question, and I wanted to get into class quickly.

“I said I do!”

When I shouted back, he let go of my wrist as if in disbelief.

But just as I opened the back door and stepped inside, I heard a small voice.

“It’s Lennie.”

Lennie?

It was a name I had never heard before.

I ignored him and went to my seat, and Ren also sat next to me as usual.

It was in the middle of class.

As I glanced at his profile, staring straight ahead with dissatisfaction and no longer looking at me, I suddenly remembered someone!

‘Right, you two knew each other originally, didn’t you?’

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