Chapter 10
Then, Ren glared fiercely at Ernst.
“Why, what, why.”
Ernst, even in this situation, smiled beautifully.
“Ah, well… Don’t tell me you thought you were the only one who knew about the pregnancy…? Did you come back working so hard thinking that? Thanks to you, it was quite cozy and nice.”
Now Ren’s gaze was directed at me.
‘I did promise not to tell Ernie….’
B-but I had already told him before that!
‘I didn’t know! Sorry!’
…But I couldn’t say that.
“Th-the medicine you gave me, Ren… it works well. It’s a relief. Thank you.”
Feeling I had to say something, I muttered, and Ren petulantly averted his gaze.
“I suppose my promise to keep you from pain wasn’t trustworthy?”
“No, no, it was trustworthy! Trusting and being grateful are separate things……”
Ren still had a pouting expression.
Oh dear, now I see he’s a girl who’s not easy to handle.
Having no choice, I reached out and gently touched his cheek.
‘Why is his skin so good…?’
I got distracted for a moment but quickly snapped out of it and spoke again.
“Thank you, Ren.”
Only then did Ren seem to soften a bit, rising from his seat.
He then sighed and approached Ernst.
“Ha, I really thought I was done associating with you high nobles…”
Contrary to his words, one hand was extended as if for a handshake.
“Let’s call another brief truce. First, we need to protect Lu and our baby.”
‘Another brief’ truce?
So, they’ve had truces before?
‘And, didn’t he just say “our” baby again?’
But it didn’t seem strange to Ernst’s ears.
“Truce established.”
He nodded as if complying and grasped Ren’s hand.
“But, Lord Tower Master, isn’t that going too far with Babenberg? If the Grand Duke goes astray, there’s no solution.”
A crown prince of a nation uses the honorific ‘-nim’ for the Tower Master but calls the Grand Duke ‘that guy’…
‘They really are best friends.’
I watched their conversation with interest when Ren shrugged.
“What can I do? Without me, Lu can’t even eat a spoonful of soup.”
I nodded seriously.
Because this time, he was absolutely right.
“If you won’t seek other help, Lu, you need to get married right now.”
At Ernst’s words, Ren tilted his chin sideways.
“To whom?”
At that, Ernst prettily flushed under his eyes.
“Of course, I think it’s my child…”
Ren cut in coolly.
“It’s my child.”
Wow….
‘What is this mess?’
At this point, I almost expected the insane claim of ‘everyone’s child’ to come out.
Leaving me sitting there like a screen, the conversation continued.
“Even if it’s not, it doesn’t matter. I can raise it as my own. So……”
—Whoosh.
Even though it wasn’t winter, the fireplace flames suddenly flared up madly.
Ernst tried to continue speaking amidst it, but Ren was faster.
“No need. It’s my child.”
A brief silence fell.
I stared blankly at the two growling at each other, making their earlier talk of a truce seem hollow, and remembered Callisteon from the screen earlier.
“I, you……”
Even as an inexperienced single, I could tell.
‘That was clearly the expression of someone right before a confession.’
It seemed Callisteon also intended to insist he was the father.
Seeing all of them insist so vehemently, it didn’t seem like they had no basis at all.
‘Louise, you little troublemaker!’
But now that I’ve become Louise, calling her name is useless.
‘I can’t figure out who the father is….’
Right now, they’re all insisting they’re the father, but just looking at them, the three look too different.
Ernst has blond hair and gold eyes, Cal has silver hair and blue eyes, Ren has black hair and amethyst eyes.
‘If I have the baby, wouldn’t it naturally resemble one of them?’
What if I married Cal, trusting his word, and gave birth to a black-haired baby?
What if I married Ernst and had a blue-eyed baby?
‘It would be lucky if the baby only resembled me, but what if not?’
What happens then!
—Mom, why are my eyes this color? Am I actually adopted?
If the child says that and cries!
The plot of a morning drama the grandmother in the next hospital bed used to watch came vividly to mind.
‘……Right, no matter how I think about it, this isn’t it.’
No matter how much of a ‘speed violation’ this is, I can’t just marry anyone in a hurry.
‘Besides, look at Rurik’s condition right now….’
If I leave him alone without the female lead Helena, Rurik will definitely go on a rampage.
‘When he rampages, dozens of innocent people die, and even after meeting the female lead and being healed, Rurik endlessly blames himself.’
After all, even if I leave, making sure he meets the female lead would be less troubling, right?
“Both of you, stop!”
Finally having made up my mind, I proclaimed to the two bickering men.
“It’s my child.”
Their gazes froze stiffly.
“And I will protect the child.”
In the end, that was my conclusion.
Even if I never find the father.
“I’ve been thinking ever since I went to the doctor alone.”
I resented possessing a pregnant woman, then felt grateful for surviving, resented the unknown father, then felt grateful again that everyone was trying so hard for me.
‘I just happened to land in Louise’s position.’
I didn’t spend my childhood in the imperial palace suffering as much as she did, nor was I tormented by a scary brother.
Without paying any price in this world I created, I just luckily possessed Louise, who just happens to be of marriageable age.
‘Even if she is pregnant….’
Honestly, isn’t this a lottery-level fortune?
The position of being loved by the empire’s strongest mage, the richest Grand Duke, and a prince as beautiful as an artwork.
The beloved full sister of the future Emperor.
‘I possessed such a sweet extra role.’
It would be extremely irresponsible to carelessly handle the life inside me just because I don’t know who the father is.
‘And I’d feel too sorry towards the real Louise, who disappeared for who knows what reason.’
The same goes for the men who are each stubbornly insisting they’re the father and courting me.
“But right now, Brother needs me too.”
I continued, desperately hoping to persuade them both.
“Others might not know, but I see it clearly. Brother is very tired from the long war. If I suddenly leave after having premarital sex, he’ll be shocked. I’d probably never be forgiven by him.”
Instead of saying one of you might be killed by my brother, I said that.
“So I need your help.”
A very brief silence passed after my words.
Ernst scratched his forehead with one finger.
“You know that right now, that sounds incredibly hurtful, right? Was there a need for such a long speech when you just need our help?”
Ren playfully knelt on one knee, took my hand, and kissed the back of it.
“Just give the command, Your Highness.”
Only then could I smile with relief.
“Help me keep the pregnancy a secret until Brother calms down a bit. Before that, no one should rashly propose or cause any strange commotions.”
Ren let go of my hand and immediately answered nonchalantly.
“Who else could help you but me anyway? Tell that ‘don’t propose rashly’ talk to that Cal guy.”
Rurik came for me in the evening, as promised, for our walk.
I had been anxiously worrying, unable to follow him back to the unwelcoming banquet hall, but thankfully, it seemed nothing major had happened during the day.
‘His pupils are clear and bright today.’
Thinking that, I felt a weight lift from my worries.
Then, watching his mood, I cautiously said.
“Um, Brother. Now that you’ve achieved victory, how about going to a monastery to offer prayers of gratitude after the banquet ends?”
“A monastery?”
Rurik looked displeased.
I quickly added to persuade him.
“Returning to the imperial palace so suddenly feels stifling… and I thought it would be nice if I went along too.”
At that, Rurik slightly smoothed his furrowed brow.
“……You want to go too?”
Then, in a reluctant tone, he proposed.
“I hadn’t planned to… but if you wish, I can take two or three days to visit a nearby monastery like Tool Monastery.”
No, going to another monastery is useless.
“But, I want to go to the Caesarea Monastery this time.”
