Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 77

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟕
“Just hearing those words makes me feel like my wish has been fulfilled.”

Behind the mask, Callisto Veil Babenberg’s long eyes curved into a thin crescent.

His blue eyes twinkled with a gentle light.

It was impossible to miss the sincerity contained within them.

“Lou, are you resting already?”

Following Ernst’s loud voice, candy poured down on my head.

Looking up in shock, I saw it was Phoebe’s doing, not Ernst’s.

“Phoebe, you……!”

I quickly got down from the table and grabbed a handful of candy.

“Eek, Your Highness! I’m sorry……!”

Under the yellow lights of the dark night, white sugar powder scattered like fog.

I threw candy until my hands were completely white.

While trying my best to ignore the burning gaze glued to my back.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

“Then, rest well.”

Callisto Veil Babenberg said goodbye to Louise while watching the maids bring in the bathwater.

Sugar powder sat softly on her pretty, feather-like pink eyelashes, making her look like a doll.

“Good night, Cal.”

She looked tired, blinking her eyes drowsily as she dipped her feet into the bathtub with her stained dress still on.

She had a naive expression, seemingly uninterested in Callisto Veil Babenberg’s surprised turn.

“Ha……”

He slowly walked out into the hallway.

He reluctantly took out the communication orb that had been vibrating noisily in his pocket.

‘That damn wizard.’

If it weren’t for Louise, if it weren’t for that damn revelation or prophetic dream, he would have never dealt with that reckless wizard in his life.

But he followed his words and came this far, and now Louise was within reach.

‘I can’t abandon him now.’

Thinking so, Callisto Veil Babenberg irritably activated the communication orb.

The impertinent wizard sighed first.

―Hey, I told you to answer on time, right?

Callisto Veil Babenberg offered a careless excuse.

“I was busy with the festival.”

―Get a grip, Grand Duke. Is this the time for you to be playing around?

Just as he was about to retort angrily, asking how dare he speak to him in such a manner, the wizard’s voice continued.

―The Crown Prince has been deposed.

“……Already?”

The wizard’s low voice leaked from the small, glowing sphere.

―He’s been publicly humiliated, so the Empress won’t stay still. Damn it! It’s difficult for me to leave my post right now……

His voice was briefly mixed with a chaotic noise, then Ren quickly spoke in a lower voice.

―I’ll personally select and send a few defensive mages that I can mobilize. I entrust Edessa to you.

“Ren.”

He called his name belatedly, but the communication orb had already been turned off.

―Crack.

The useless communication orb shattered in Callisto Veil Babenberg’s hand.

He rummaged through his pockets and took out a red summoning orb, causing white sugar powder to fall out.

Callisto Veil Babenberg brushed off the powder with a bewildered look and activated the summoning orb.

Soon after, three sturdy men cloaked in black appeared in the hallway, kneeling on one knee.

“We greet Your Excellency, the Grand Duke.”

When Callisto Veil Babenberg just silently looked down at his subordinates without saying a word, one of them spoke up to explain.

“The Knight Commander remained to defend the main castle.”

Callisto Veil Babenberg finally nodded.

Then, he gave a solemn order in a deep voice.

“From this moment on, guard this hotel as if it were Babenberg Castle itself.”

No one asked why.

The men, leaders of the Babenberg Knights, known as the heart of the North, bowed their heads in unison.

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

The next day, Phoebe sighed as she looked out the window.

“Oh dear, I guess we should refrain from going for walks outside until it rains.”

“Why?”

The capital would be in the middle of winter, but Edessa was just pleasantly cool.

So, I asked curiously, and Phoebe frowned as she replied.

“It’s because of the sugar powder on the streets. It won’t disappear easily even after cleaning. It needs a good downpour to wash it away.”

Then, before I could answer, she added.

“Oh, because it’s warm in the south, even in winter, there are bugs……”

“Ah, I know!”

I hurriedly cut Phoebe off with a pale face, remembering a certain creature that existed here, defying the world’s setting just because it was warm.

Phoebe giggled and asked.

“What did Your Highness call that bug last time? Something like, Professor? Elder?”

“……Roach.”

Even after experiencing death and possession, I still hated them, but Phoebe looked completely indifferent.

“Your Highness is truly kind. You even use honorifics for mere insects……”

It wasn’t because of any good intentions, but because the word itself was so repulsive that I couldn’t bring myself to say it……

Just thinking about it made me lose my appetite, so I moved away from the window.

But who was Phoebe?

“Should I bring you some persimmons?”

She could read my mood like the back of her hand, so she asked the perfect question.

As if by magic, my appetite returned.

“Yes!”

After Phoebe left the room giggling, I opened my diary and placed my finger on the embossed pattern.

Ever since diary entries started appearing in chunks of three or four days, it had been overwhelming just trying to keep up with each day. But the diary entry that appeared this time was quite serious.

The exam period is approaching again, so I’m spending a lot of time in the library.

But today, a messenger came all the way to the library to deliver urgent news to Senior Callisto Veil Babenberg.

He jumped up and glanced at me once, but in the end, he turned around and left the library without saying a word.

No, now that I think about it, I’m not even sure if he actually saw me.

Checking the date, it was around early summer.

‘Could it be that the previous Grand Duke passed away at this time?’

Curious, I turned to the next page.

I placed my finger on the pattern again, and thankfully, the next diary entry followed immediately.

The Academy was abuzz all day with rumors about Babenberg.

They said the Grand Duke of Babenberg was critically ill, and if he were to die like this, Senior Callisto Veil Babenberg might become the Grand Duke……

If I had known, I would have said something to comfort him yesterday.

If Senior doesn’t return to the Academy because he’s taking on the role of Grand Duke, I’ll never be able to offer him a word of comfort again……

Although I couldn’t fully accept it due to my cynical heart, Senior was actually kind to me from the very beginning.

I then thought about the countless letters that arrived from Babenberg and the changes in Callisto Veil Babenberg’s attitude, and chuckled.

‘Maybe it was Louise who regretted it?’

Not a ‘Regretful Male Lead,’ but a ‘Regretful Female Lead.’

Knock, knock, I heard a knock and quickly closed the diary.

Phoebe entered the room, beaming, holding persimmons.

“Would five be enough, Your Highness?”

But then, I suddenly felt curious.

‘What’s Callisto Veil Babenberg doing?’

He always came to see me early in the morning whenever we stayed in Edessa.

Maybe he’s busy because of the New Year, as Ernst said?

‘He shouldn’t overwork himself.’

Perhaps pretending he’s not struggling, pretending he’s fine, is the same now as it was back then.

The Ice Festival was supposed to be around the full moon, right……

“Phoebe, could you call Dr. Zita?”

Phoebe nodded as she trimmed the tops of the persimmons.

“Yes, I’ll bring him right away.”

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

That same night, Imperial Palace Annex.

Under the cover of darkness, large men gathered silently like shadows.

Deputy Commander Jesus spoke first.

“Your Highness and the Tower Master were right. Some of the Damiani family’s soldiers have moved.”

Ren nodded.

“It will be alright. I’ve sent defensive mages, and a significant number of Babenberg Knights are on their way to Edessa.”

“The Grand Duke……”

Lurik sighed anxiously, his dry lips barely managing to ask.

“The Grand Duke, can we trust him?”

His already red eyes were stained even more vividly with worry.

Ren smiled faintly, like a gentle breeze.

“To be honest, he and I aren’t the best of matches……”

But in the next moment, he looked directly at the Prince and nodded seriously.

“Yes. If you’re asking whether we can entrust Louise’s safety to him, my answer is ‘yes’.”

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