CFCF 30

Episode 30

Unlike the three potential fathers, Phoebe understood Rurik perfectly. Above all, she understood that he would never tolerate a premarital pregnancy. That’s why she advocated for leaving the palace even more strongly than I did.

‘Phoebe is right.’

Even after the trip to the Caesarea Monastery, my problems remained unchanged. One was Rurik’s potential rampage, the other was the premarital pregnancy. They were separate issues, yet interconnected.

‘If the premarital pregnancy is revealed, Rurik will most likely go berserk.’

So, even though I failed to bring Helena back, the fact that I needed to leave the imperial capital hadn’t changed.

‘Although I’ve gained the clue of the diary, the probability of the father being identified within two months is still almost zero.’

At this very moment, the baby in my womb is growing. I can no longer stake my and the baby’s fate on uncertain odds.

‘Unlike the initial plan, I’ve already lost Helena…’

Come to think of it, at the monastery, Rurik simply believed the physician’s words that I had fainted merely from dizziness and fatigue. Judging from that, Louise probably wasn’t usually very robust.

“Phoebe, what if we use this opportunity to keep pretending to be frail and request a convalescent leave?”

That seemed more stable than hastily finding a man to marry. After a moment’s thought, Phoebe slowly nodded.

“Not a bad idea.”

“If I go for convalescence, I could hide until the birth, and if I use an epidemic as an excuse, I could avoid my brother’s visits.”

But there was something to do first before leaving Rurik’s side.

‘Namely, separating him from that damned demon sword.’

While mulling over my proposal, Phoebe spoke calmly.

“Alright, let’s prepare slowly. You’re still tired, right? Would you like to have dinner quietly in your room?”

I quickly nodded.

‘If I have time, I need to sift through the letters and look into Ren’s teacher too…’

For now, I should just hole up in my room and pretend to be sick.

“Rue, are you ready…?”

The next day, Ernst came to see me, started asking that, then firmly closed his mouth. It had been a long time since I’d seen his always gently curved red lips stiffen like that. Phoebe, amused, adjusted the black wig she had put on me.

“What do you think, Your Highness? It’s pretty convincing, right?”

The eye drops Len brought were said to make my eye color blurry for about half a day. In the mirror, I had hair as black as Crown Prince Hart’s and pinkish eyes that had lightened to resemble my original hair color.

“Ha…”

Ernst sighed with a dazed face.

“I thought I fell for your hair color.”

Len lightly brushed my wig and sneered.

“I already used that line earlier.”

Then he gently touched my eyelashes with his fingertip.

“Only the eyelashes are pink. So cute, Rue.”

“Ahem, ahem!”

Phoebe interjected with a fake cough.

“So, Your Highness Crown Prince of Flavi, where is the physician?”

“I’ve called him to a hotel in the city. Since it was arranged through a secretary, it’s better if I don’t accompany you.”

Ren answered bluntly.

“I’ll go with her, so don’t worry.”

Come to think of it, Ren’s eyes were also blurred like mine, now a mysterious pale lavender.

‘Looks like Ren used the eye drops too.’

Well, if the physician used magic tools, he might recognize the Magic Tower Lord’s face. As I was thinking that, Ren spread his arms.

“Come here, Rue.”

I knew, even from just the monastery trip where I used Ren’s earth-attribute teleportation magic twice, that he could take me without a hug. So right now, he probably just wanted to tease Ernst.

“Ren…”

So I tried to point that out with my eyes, but Ren didn’t budge.

“Hurry up.”

The moment I approached, strong arms pulled me into an embrace, and there was a sound of roaring flames. Then my vision went black. When I opened my eyes again, I saw a hotel garden.

“Would you like to hear the baby’s heartbeat?”

At the physician’s question, I blinked.

‘It’s not the 21st century, is that even possible?’

Ren asked for me.

“Is such a thing possible?”

The physician puffed out his shoulders proudly.

“This is actually a trade secret. I’ve connected an amplifier from the Magic Tower to the stethoscope’s function. It’s the mystery of birth that only I on this continent can let you hear.”

The incognito Magic Tower Lord twitched an eyebrow and requested.

“Let’s hear it then.”

The physician placed something shaped like a paper cup on my belly and handed another cup attached to a cord to Ren. As Ren pressed the cup-shaped device to his ear, his expression gradually softened and became dreamy.

“What do you hear?”

Since we had introduced ourselves as a foreign noble couple referred by the Crown Prince of Flavi’s secretary, I asked Ren in awkward formal speech.

But he didn’t answer, seemingly focused on the sound.

“Can you hear it? Hmm?”

When I asked again, he finally snapped out of it and handed me the cup. The area under his eyes was flushed red, and his voice was slightly higher than usual.

“You listen too.”

Hesitantly, I put the device to my ear and felt a loud vibration.

—Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump, thumpthumpthumpthumpthump!

I frowned slightly.

“This is… the heartbeat? Isn’t it… too fast?”

The physician gave a kindly, broad smile.

“A baby’s heart beats fast. Because they’re small.”

I wouldn’t know, having never been pregnant in the 21st century. I was suspicious if this rapid heartbeat was a trick, but Ren’s face was more serious than ever.

“Darling.”

When he called me that, fully immersed in our couple act, I almost hiccupped.

“…Yes?”

“I’ll really become a good father. I’ll treat you well.”

Wow, Len Daphte.

‘This is really crossing a line.’

He was now spouting words forbidden under our ‘truce’ agreement, under the guise of our couple act. I figured Callisteon would probably try to kill him if he heard, but since we were in front of the physician, I just smiled quietly.

“…I’ll look forward to it.”

Ren took a deep breath as if overwhelmed. His usually strong-looking dark brows drooped submissively at the ends, and his dreamy, pale lavender irises were the picture of a man in love. He kissed each of my cheeks in turn, a smile on his glossy lips.

‘No, he might not be the father.’

Thinking that, I pressed a fist firmly over my own heart, which wanted to beat as fast as the baby’s.

That same morning, Rurik was catching up on the past week’s news with his adjutant.

“I heard the relocation of the Heim refugees has been decided. Should we increase the troops stationed in Duros as a precaution?”

“…What?”

Rurik’s adjutant, Jesus, found his superior’s unusually distracted attitude very puzzling. He had heard the Heim matter was resolved satisfactorily, yet the Second Prince seemed uncharacteristically anxious.

“Hmm.”

Jesus, watching his expression, spoke again.

“I suggested increasing the Duros garrison to prepare for the movement of the Heim refugees.”

“Ah, that…”

Rurik nodded.

“Do so. You are dismissed.”

Jesus was about to bow but spoke again.

“My apologies, but wasn’t the matter in Heim resolved smoothly?”

As Rurik let out a heavy sigh, Jesus momentarily misunderstood, thinking there might be some hidden story about the refugee relocation he hadn’t heard.