Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 78

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟖
Jesus looked at Ren with a serious face.

“Then how should we respond?…… There will be more to come, so how about we behead one as a warning and send them back?”

“For now, I’ve ordered them to capture as many as possible alive, but how many will survive……?”

As Ren trailed off, Jesus exclaimed indignantly.

“Mobilizing private soldiers without the Emperor’s knowledge to harm Her Highness is an act of treason. Of course, it’s presumed that they intended to secretly capture her and negotiate with the Second Prince, rather than pose a direct threat to the youngest Princess. However, considering Her Highness’s health condition, they would have shamelessly ignored the possibility of things going wrong.”

Ren slowly added, as if affirming his words.

“I’ll tell them to stop it as much as possible, but most of the intruders are bound by magical oaths and will commit suicide the moment they are captured.”

Lurik opened his mouth heavily.

“……It’s not like he only has one son whose life is in danger. I don’t understand why he’s resorting to such petty tricks. What does he plan to do with his remaining daughter?”

While no one dared to answer, Ren was the first to lower his head.

“I can’t be away for long, so I’ll be going back. It’s better for the First Prince to be alive until His Highness ascends to the throne.”

If that meant he was going to look after the First Prince himself, it was a remarkably cold statement.

Jesus flinched, but Ren left the room with an indifferent expression.

Jesus asked with a troubled look.

“Can we trust the Tower Master?”

“Ren Dapht, in this very room, saved Louise instead of the Crown Prince at the time. Depending on how that is perceived, it could have become a very difficult situation.”

Jesus silently closed his mouth at Lurik’s immediate answer.

“I, too, couldn’t trust him for a long time, but……”

Lurik quietly concluded.

“Ultimately, I trust Ren Dapht. So be careful what you say. For my sister and me, we need the Tower Master more than a living First Prince.”

Jesus hurriedly bowed his head.

“I apologize. I misspoke.”

Not long after, the Second Commander of the Charles Knights arrived.

“The Second and Fifth Knight Orders will follow the Commander-in-Chief.”

Jesus carefully asked.

“Second Commander. Then the Third and Fourth Knight Orders are……”

“The Third and Fourth Commanders are stubborn fools. But they’ve agreed not to interfere. Don’t worry.”

Lurik nodded.

The night was deep, but the serious discussion continued for a long time.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

A day later, in the basement storage of the Edessa Hotel.

“One, two, three, four, five……”

Callisto frowned as he looked down at the intruders tied up like dried fish with magic-bound ropes.

“……Fifteen committed suicide, you say? So that means only twenty came?”

Ernst chuckled.

“The Empress doesn’t know you’re here. The Second Princess found out that you were openly coming and going here and stopped her. Still, it’s a bit unpleasant. They’re taking Flavi lightly.”

Toruan, Ernst’s secretary and right-hand man, interjected.

“It’s strange that you’re suddenly concerned about your feelings when your wish was to be seen as the most harmless Crown Prince in the world. The problem is not Your Highness’s feelings, but them.”

As Toruan glanced at the intruders, Ernst frowned and replied.

“You always have to be a killjoy, don’t you?”

Callisto placed his boot on the face of a trembling intruder on the floor.

“If these guys don’t go back, they’ll send others again. What should we do? The Tower Master said to get a confession out of them somehow…… but I wonder if they’ll even open their mouths.”

Then one of the mages Ren had sent stepped forward.

“Even the Empress wouldn’t be able to mobilize hundreds of private soldiers. So, I’d like to ask how many mages of above-standard qualifications are under Your Excellency’s command?”

Callisto asked nonchalantly.

“How many are you hoping for?”

“Fifteen…… no, even ten would be enough. If you could provide that much support, I could devise a trap within today to completely capture any future intruders.”

Ernst spoke up with a crooked smile.

“Flavi can provide about ten standard mages, so don’t worry and get to work.”

“Thank you, Crown Prince Ernst of Flavi.”

After the mage withdrew, Ernst casually asked.

“So, how many are there?”

Callisto chuckled.

“Can I answer excluding the mages on the northern border? The size of the Northern Defense Force is confidential.”

Ernst shook his head.

“I figured as much. I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear anything. More importantly, I heard that Lou got permission from her doctor to travel.”

A slight crack appeared in Callisto’s calm face.

He spoke, looking embarrassed.

“Ah, that. I think I made a slip of the tongue, not knowing things would turn out so urgent. Louise did say she wanted to go to the Babenberg Ice Festival, but……”

Ernst cut him off and asked.

“The Ice Festival is on the full moon of this month, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. I’ll try to persuade her to postpone it until next year……”

Callisto explained as if making excuses, but unexpected words came out of Ernst’s mouth.

“Why don’t you just not postpone it?”

“What?”

As Ernst tilted his head to one side, his golden hair fluttered like an illusion.

With an innocent face like a baby angel, he whispered his scheme.

“No one would expect Lou, who was supposedly recuperating in the warm south, to have left for Babenberg. Without Lou, we can use more diverse and interesting tactics. Don’t you think?”

As he winked with one eye, Toruan beside him grimaced.

“Please don’t waste your beauty here. I’m immune to it, you see.”

Ignoring the Flavi secretary, Callisto asked Ernst again to confirm.

“You mean you want me to take Lou to Babenberg?”

Ernst frowned slightly.

“What are you talking about? Not just the two of you. You’ll take Phoebe Nillo, two of your Knight Commanders, and the Imperial Guards sent by His Highness Lurik.”

“Can the hotel be defended if I take that many people?”

At the doubtful voice, Ernst clicked his tongue.

“What’s there to defend once Lou is gone? Are you worried about me, Grand Duke?”

“……Ha.”

Callisto chuckled.

“I’ll give you full authority. Take this opportunity to put some competent people to work.”

Ernst shrugged.

“I won’t refuse, senior.”

The rare sound of being called ‘senior’ made the corners of Callisto’s mouth curve upwards.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

“Oh? It’s raining.”

The rain we had been waiting for finally came after several days.

As I looked out the window with delight, Phoebe subtly drew my attention with different words.

“Now, shall we apply the oil one more time?”

I looked up at Phoebe in horror.

“Again? We just applied it a while ago.”

Phoebe shrugged and held up the oil bottle.

“Your belly is quite big now. They say your skin will stretch if you don’t apply it often.”

“But……”

In the end, I was led back to bed by the maid and had to apply the oil.

‘Why is she clinging to my side so much today?’

No, it wasn’t just today.

Yesterday, and the day before, Phoebe had been clinging to me so much that I could barely open my diary in the middle of the night.

‘The diary I managed to check only showed Louise agonizing for over a week about whether to send a letter to Callisto, which was frustrating.’

Come to think of it, all of this seemed to be related to Callisto’s absence.

‘If Cal had come to see me, Phoebe would have naturally left.’

The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

If he had left Edessa altogether, it would be one thing, but to stay here and only visit me once a day?

I frowned without realizing it and asked.

“Is Cal busy preparing for the trip?”

“Pardon?”

As if it was such a big question, Phoebe was startled and her shoulders trembled.

I looked at my maid with suspicion.

“Cal, I mean. He only came to me once yesterday. Is it really such a big deal to take me all the way to Babenberg?”

Phoebe quickly regained her composure and replied.

“Oh my, are you that upset that His Excellency doesn’t visit often? Alright, I’ll call him for you, so……”

“Phoebe.”

I called my maid again, who was persistently rubbing oil on the same spot without any effect.

“……Yes?”

Phoebe’s lips trembled as she answered.

“Cal, what’s he doing right now?”

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