Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 9

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟗
I was so startled that I stopped sneaking a peek and hurried out into the hallway.

“Older Brother? Erni? Everyone, what’s going on in my room so early in the morning……”

Before I could even finish my sentence, Lurik interjected, as if making an excuse.

“I wasn’t trying to go to your room, I was just passing by and ran into the Crown Prince……”

Ernst handed the tray he was holding to Phoebe and bowed very politely.

“Your Highness the Second Prince, it is an honor to see you, though I know you must be busy having just returned.”

It was the most elegant way of saying “get lost” I had ever heard in my life.

It was the moment when Lurik frowned, looking bewildered.

I saw a black shadow flickering over his red eyes.

“Older Brother!”

Flustered, I grabbed his wrist.

‘Please don’t go berserk here……!’

Lurik looked back at me with questioning eyes.

“Lou?”

“W-Would you like to take a walk with me later? If…… you have time.”

I was just babbling whatever came to mind.

Thankfully, the black shadow that was about to engulf his red eyes slowly dispersed.

“I’m tired of attending banquets all day. If I have time…… I’ll stop by around evening.”

I sighed in relief behind Lurik’s back as he turned away.

‘Does he calm down a little when I hold his hand?’

But if I’m not there, who will hold Lurik’s hand?

‘As expected, should I find Helena and bring her here through another route?’

With that thought in mind, I glared at the pretty madman approaching me.

“A serious matter? Surely you’re not talking about the name again, Erni?”

“Name?”

His beautiful golden eyes widened and then softened, as if melting.

“Ah, the name is a serious matter, but……”

As I entered the room, Ernst naturally followed behind me.

Phoebe tactfully put down the tray and left, and Ernst approached the tea table, hooked the infuser onto a teacup, and scooped in tea leaves.

I managed to calm down and take a seat, watching him gracefully tilt the teapot and brew the tea.

‘I’m confident I could drink anything he brews with those beautiful hands and find it delicious.’

Ernst sat down opposite me only after he had meticulously completed all the steps with delicate and familiar hands.

“Lou……”

When he trailed off with a sullen expression, I immediately straightened up.

After all, I’m the one who’s pregnant.

‘Pretty boy, you can pretend to be pitiful all you want, but you’re either the culprit or an accomplice!’

Ernst continued.

“If you don’t want to ask the Prince for help, there’s only one way. You have to get married before the news of the pregnancy gets out.”

That’s what you think.

Because you think you’re the father.

‘But Ren thinks so too.’

……Wouldn’t it be a bit trashy of me to say that?

How can I say something so embarrassing?

‘I come from the land of Confucianism, where conscience and shame are valued.’

Have I been possessed by the ultimate player, after all?

But then Ernst continued.

“I won’t deny that Cal is in the most advantageous position, as he claims. But I think……”

He reached across the table and gently took my hand.

“If you were going to choose Cal, you could have done so at any time. But in the end, you’re sitting here in front of me.”

Wait, what’s the reason Cal’s name is coming up now, not Ren’s?

‘He doesn’t even know I’m pregnant!’

In fact, I’ve never even seen him in person……!

Just then, a very unpleasant vibrating sound rang out from somewhere.

―Buzz. Buzz.

Ernst’s brow furrowed slightly for the first time in front of me.

It was still heart-stoppingly beautiful, but he was no longer looking at me.

Ernst sighed and pulled something out of his pocket.

―Buzz. Buzz.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

It was the communication orb I had been wanting to get even if I had to go all the way to the city.

Ernst grumbled.

“Cal has been making a fuss since last night. A messenger brought it yesterday, so I received it on your behalf, but I haven’t been able to give it to you yet.”

‘Haven’t been able to’ give it to me yet……

‘Wasn’t Erni practically glued to my side all day yesterday?’

As I brought my hand to the shining orb, a white light exploded like last time, and an image filled the entire wall.

But the state of the image was a bit……

“What is that?”

Having nowhere else to ask, I questioned Ernst, and he shrugged.

“……Well, there’s a fire.”

We were silent for a moment.

The Northern Grand Duke, consumed by rage amidst the flames, appeared and forced a smile in my direction.

“My lovely Lou.”

However, I could clearly see his chest heaving with barely suppressed fury.

And what about those cold, icy blue eyes?

“……Uh, huh?”

I managed to respond, and he requested.

“Although you probably don’t need it, would you mind summoning that mad Tower Master? I know he’s an Imperial asset, but my patience has its limits.”

The opponent was the Snake of Babenberg, and he was really, really, incredibly angry.

“O-Of course.”

I swallowed hard.

“Ren? Ren, are you there? C-Come back now……”

Instead of an answer, the flames in the screen intensified, and the little color that remained on our Northern Grand Duke’s face drained away.

I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again.

“I miss you, Ren. You said you’d come back soon……”

The next moment, the flames that were flickering behind Cal disappeared in an instant.

Poor Cal rubbed his forehead.

“Can you give me one more reason why I shouldn’t kill that lunatic?”

We can’t kill Ren.

Absolutely not, because……

“I’m pregnant.”

Ren might be the father, and he’s the only one who can make medicine for my morning sickness.

While I hesitated, unable to add those words, an astonishing sight unfolded on the screen.

Cal, who had been grinding his teeth with an expression that could tear through hell itself, froze for a moment, then suddenly smiled as softly as if in a dream.

His blue eyes, filled with laughter, softened in an instant with a gentle light, as if he had become a different person.

“Lou, did I tell you that day?”

Standing on the desolate hillside, covered in swirling ashes, the sight was so out of place that it was a little eerie.

Whatever he had said that day, even if I had known, I wouldn’t have been able to answer.

“Uh, what……?”

Callisto turned his back on his burned-down territory and lowered his gaze shyly.

“I, you……”

―Bang!

With a familiar explosion, a barrier began to rise within the room.

My gaze naturally went to the fireplace.

―Crack!

There was a loud noise, and the magic orb, which had been fine just a moment ago, fell to the floor and shattered.

Cal on the screen also disappeared in an instant.

‘What?’

I instinctively looked at Ernst, but he shook his hands as if he knew nothing about it.

At the same time, a dark figure emerged from the dust-filled fireplace.

He walked confidently towards me, as if exercising a rightful privilege, and knelt on one knee before me.

Then, with his ash-covered gloves still on, he took my hand and kissed the back of it.

“I’m back. Lou, did you wait long?”

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

Black soot trailed from the fireplace he had crawled out of, reaching all the way to his feet.

It was a truly shocking sight for someone from the land of Eastern etiquette.

“Ren……”

I looked down at the powerful madman with a sorrowful face.

“If you’ve been playing with fire, you should wash your hands and feet, shouldn’t you?”

I said through gritted teeth, and Ren opened his eyes wide and released my hand.

There was soot on the back of my white hand.

“Whew.”

But when Ren took a short breath, the soot on the back of my hand disappeared without a trace.

Looking up, I saw that the soot that had fallen on the floor was also gone.

“Is it alright now?”

I silently glared at Ren’s robe.

The robe, which would have originally been a vibrant blue, was now almost black from being scorched by the fire.

He resignedly took it off and threw it away.

Then he looked up at me with hurt eyes.

“I came back after working for Lou, and I didn’t expect you to call me dirty. Since when has my Lou been so cold……”

Really?

While I was reflecting on whether I had applied the K-country patch too strongly, Ernst interjected.

“Pregnant women are sensitive.”

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