𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟏
After the craftsman left, Phoebe asked curiously.
“Did you have that kind of thought when you were looking at the rocking chair blueprint? You’re truly amazing, Your Highness!”
I brushed off the maid’s admiration and fiddled with the pouch in my hand.
‘If even after the baby is born, the father remains unknown……’
And if Lurik doesn’t forgive me by then, what I need is, of course, money.
Even now, I have quite a bit of money on hand, but more money is always better!
‘I was so preoccupied with my scary older brother that I couldn’t think of anything else……’
It was a stroke of luck that I could earn money at this time.
So, I decided to more actively contemplate modern inventions that could be implemented with the Empire’s technology and magic.
🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
I entered my sixth month of pregnancy.
After reading about the ominous dream in the diary and being plagued by nightmares for a while, there’s been a change.
The diary began to reveal itself at a faster pace.
‘……Still not enough.’
Although three or four days’ or even a week’s worth of diary entries were revealed in a single day, it wasn’t enough to figure out who the baby’s father was before the birth.
‘Now, there are only about three months left until the due date.’
I sighed, looking down at my noticeably pregnant belly.
Over the past week, roughly a month’s worth of diary entries appeared, but there wasn’t much pleasant content.
It took a few weeks for the sensitive Louise to finally forget the nightmare, but it seemed she had the same dream again right after.
‘At least it’s a relief that she could confide in Ernst.’
The memory of Ernst’s face turning pale when she brought up the dream made me sigh involuntarily.
“It’s all in the past. You’re not going to tell me that the dream has changed or something, are you?”
He was so startled that he gripped my wrist so tightly that the mark remained until the next day.
Seeing Ernst’s reaction, it’s not difficult to guess how Louise behaved after having the dream.
Just then, I felt a flutter in my stomach.
“Hello, baby?”
As I whispered softly, the dormant fireplace suddenly crackled and sparked.
I happily paced around the room, waiting for the flames to grow larger.
It was the day Ren was scheduled to visit after a long three weeks.
Finally, black flames soared.
“Ren.”
As I approached with a smile, he smoothed out his habitually furrowed brow and stretched out his arms towards me.
I now knew that the black smudges on his palms were magic stone powder, not ash, but Ren seemed conscious of my gaze and blew a gust of wind to cleanse himself and his surroundings.
Only then did he embrace me tightly.
“Lou, my goodness. Your belly has grown.”
The familiar scent of ash and flames filled my nose.
I burst into laughter and took his hand, bringing it close to my belly.
“Feel it, the baby is moving.”
Ren flinched slightly, then cautiously moved his large palm and gently placed it on my belly.
“A little lower.”
I subtly guided his hand to the spot where the baby had moved.
We waited with bated breath until the baby moved again.
Ren nervously licked his lips.
For once, his always confident violet eyes were filled with tension.
Thump, finally, the baby moved again.
“Now?”
He asked with a hesitant expression.
“Yes, here. It just moved here, did you feel it?”
As I pressed down on his palm resting on my belly, Ren’s lips stretched into a wide smile.
“……I feel it.”
His voice was very soft, as if he was afraid to miss the baby’s next movement.
Neat shadows fell beneath Ren’s eyelashes as he looked down at my slightly swollen belly.
I hadn’t realized it until now because I was so focused on the baby’s movements, but he was too close.
‘If it weren’t for the height difference, our breaths would have mingled.’
Slightly pulling my head back immediately backfired.
Ren moved closer as I retreated, and then he lowered his head and kissed my cheek.
His warm lips touched silently, lingered leisurely, and then parted.
He whispered softly in my ear.
“I’m sorry for leaving you alone all this time.”
In reality, I had never been alone for a moment, so I blushed, feeling guilty.
The good baby moved a few more times, delighting Ren.
Only then was I able to move a little away from Ren.
🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
“Thank you so much for taking care of my brother, Ren.”
After the tense atmosphere eased a bit, I finally spoke, and he sighed.
“Don’t even mention it. The Imperial Palace was in an uproar.”
The story Ren told me next was truly astonishing.
The Empress had forged a new magic sword to save Hart, while once again attempting to offer Lurik as the sword’s host.
Although the attempt failed, Lurik eventually learned the whole truth and was furious.
‘Lurik won’t stand for it anymore, either?’
This damned Empire was finally going to unfold similarly to the novel I had written.
However, even more surprising than the fact that the Crown Prince was unconscious was the news that Moghald had returned.
“What? Master Moghald has returned?”
Ren nodded.
“Otherwise, how could Helena Garnier have travelled from the Duros coast to the Imperial Palace in such a short time?”
Since it had been months since I left the letter at the monastery, I didn’t know how many days it took for her to reach the Imperial Palace.
‘Was it intentional that neither Lurik nor Helena informed me of Moghald’s news?’
My head was spinning, so I lightly touched my forehead and asked.
“But now, you’re saying Master Moghald is also unconscious? How did that happen?”
Ren’s expression darkened.
“My teacher recently broke the Tower Master’s oath, which is bound by his life. He pushed his weakened body to destroy the Book of Studites that day, all to pay the price for breaking the oath.”
“Ren……”
While empathizing with Ren’s pain, I perked up my ears at the mention of the ‘Tower Master’s oath,’ which I was hearing for the first time.
‘Was this what Lurik meant when he said the Tower Master was the Emperor’s man?’
Ren said dejectedly.
“That foolish old man. No magic works on him……”
Despite his harsh words, Ren truly respected and admired his teacher.
‘It’s easy to tell from the expression on his face when he talks about his teacher.’
Feeling sorry for him, I stroked the back of his hand, but Ren comforted me instead.
“My teacher would want to see you too.”
I had hoped to get clues about the diary if I met Moghald……
No, if that had happened, he would have realized that I wasn’t the real Louise.
Still, I definitely don’t think this is for the best.
‘If it’s the book I wrote, please, just go in the direction I want it to!’
I desperately wished that the non-mage Ren loved wouldn’t leave this world like this.
Meanwhile, it seemed Ren would be stuck at the Imperial Palace until the Crown Prince either died or Lurik ascended to the throne.
Before leaving, he slowly looked around the nursery, where the number of items had slightly increased.
“The lighting and the organ are in the final stages of implementation. Even if I can’t visit, I’ll send them as soon as they’re ready.”
Then, as if just remembering, he asked.
“Do your legs or back still not hurt? I asked married mages, and they said calves often swell during pregnancy.”
“Really?”
I slightly lifted my dress hem and looked down at my legs anew, but I didn’t feel anything different.
“I don’t know yet.”
As if reluctant to leave, Ren asked again.
“Is there anything else you want to eat? I wonder if they found the fruit you were craving before?”
No one had been able to find persimmons.
I chuckled and shook my head.
“They couldn’t find it, but it’s okay. I don’t really crave it anymore.”
Actually, I still craved it, but sometimes you have to know when to give up.
I couldn’t make everyone busy searching for just one fruit because of me.
Just then, there was a knock.
—Knock, knock.
Had Callisto arrived already?
‘To buy time to meet Ren, I told Cal that Erni was leaving in the evening.’
Annoyed at the interruption, Ren asked again.
“Cal and Erni are taking turns staying here for a week each?”
“Usually, yes.”
Even I thought his irritation seemed justified.
“This is truly unfair. It’s absurd.”
If it weren’t for the magic sword incident, Ren would have been the baby’s father candidate who spent the most time by my side.
As the door opened, he mischievously kissed my cheek again.
A sharp gaze shot from the doorway.
Unfazed, Ren whispered leisurely.
“I’ll come again.”
Callisto deliberately made the sound of his boots as he moved and leaned against the doorframe.
The two men, clearly meeting after a long time, didn’t even greet each other.
Ren approached the fireplace with unnecessarily slow movements and scattered magic stone powder.
Whoosh, the flames erupted.
🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
After Ren left, Callisto approached me and abruptly offered a handkerchief.
“……Cal.”
If he was telling me to wipe the cheek Ren had just kissed, I wouldn’t do that.
Callisto frowned.
“If you refuse, can you give me at least one reason why I shouldn’t kiss you right now?”
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Translation-(COMPLETED) – Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥《⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐》!!
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