Chapter 3.

“From now on, you are my empress.”

What is this madman saying! Didn’t he just hear me? I said I’m pregnant with another man’s child!

‘Could it be he doesn’t believe me?’

Suddenly, he firmly grasped her stomach.

His touch sent shivers down her spine.

“This child is also mine.”

It was the brightest expression she had seen from him yet.

Especially in his eyes, beyond joy, there was madness.

Beyond a tyrant, could he be completely insane?

Bellian saw her confused expression and barely suppressed his elation.

“I’ve been looking for a woman carrying a child. That’s why I was at that inn.”

Her mind couldn’t keep up with his unexpected words.

“What exactly does that…”

Though he was smiling, his cold gaze wandered over her face.

“Because I needed a woman to create my child.”

Please speak so I can understand! I absolutely cannot follow this with modern thinking!

He cupped her cheek with one hand and looked into her eyes as she stood bewildered.

“It’s better not to think about escaping from my hand. I’ve never let go of anything I wanted and obtained.”

He rubbed her cheek with his thumb, applying pressure as if caressing it.

The movement made Shuvien’s entire body twitch repeatedly with tension.

“Especially since you have what I’ve wanted so badly.”

‘What do I have?’

“I cannot have children.”

Her mind went blank at the statement that came without warning.

“You can’t have children?”

“That’s right. So I need to take someone else’s bloodline and establish them as my heir.”

The Emperor being infertile.

Is this another side effect of his magical power!

Was this in the novel? I don’t remember! If this was the setting, I wouldn’t have told such a lie!

“I’ve been deliberating for a very long time. I needed a woman of humble birth who would just bear a child. Plus, I needed to silence the woman who would become Empress and her family, which made things complicated. So I chose a lady from a family that would keep quiet forever for money.”

So that’s why he chose the Felisa family that was on the brink of ruin.

And to perfectly hide the secret of the child’s birth, he planned to bring someone from the very bottom.

‘Because it would be easy to dispose of them without anyone knowing.’

“As long as they’re not an illegitimate child, any noble lady would do. It’s so vulgar how easy it is. Preserving the imperial bloodline.”

His words, spoken almost to himself, crept coldly into her ears.

‘What, what is this feeling…’

“Ugh!”

As the pressure from his hand on her cheek gradually increased, she involuntarily let out a low groan.

“But now the woman who will become Empress is already carrying a child.”

It truly felt like being a mouse before a predator, but she had to struggle in his grasp with a sliver of hope.

“B-but if you try… You probably aren’t completely unable to have children… I, I could help in other ways…”

Though gynecology wasn’t her specialty, perhaps she could buy some time?

“No. There will absolutely never be a child of my bloodline.”

“No matter what, raising a child of unknown lineage as the next Emperor will surely cause problems in the future!”

Yes. No matter how desperate you are for an heir because you can’t produce seed, please think sensibly!

We’re talking about the next Emperor, of all things!

“If you’re worried about someone opposing the marriage, don’t be. Why do you think an Emperor would participate in such a matchmaking in the first place?”

It’s because selecting an Empress is solely the Emperor’s authority.

The Emperor, called the ruler in the Alcanta Empire, is absolute.

The Emperor only commands and chooses.

The selection of an Empress is also solely the Emperor’s.

It was just a formal matchmaking as a small courtesy to the nobility.

‘Especially, what noble would dare defy this man called the creator of hell.’

No noble opposed him when he said he would take a lady from such a family as his Empress.

If they opposed, he would have killed them.

“You just need to bear the child. If you do that, I’ll give you everything as the Empress of the Great Alcanta Empire, and make everyone kneel before you.”

No thanks. I don’t need any of that.

I just want to survive normally even after a year!

“Rather, if the child in your womb had really been mine.”

At that moment, a completely different killing intent from before froze the surrounding air, making it impossible to breathe.

‘Suddenly, what is this…’

Bellian stared at Shuvien with pitch-black eyes devoid of any warmth.

“You and that child would already be dead.”

The hand on her cheek had somehow gripped her slender neck.

As if it would snap if squeezed tightly.

With the suffocating malice clinging to her entire body, only one thought came to her mind.

‘This man can really kill me. And very easily at that.’

“But fortunately, that’s not the case.”

Bellian released his grip and smiled brightly. But that smile no longer looked like a smile.

“Now then. Wait quietly until I come for you again. My lovely Empress.”

He pressed his lips deeply against the back of her hand like a brand before turning away.

Only after Bellian had completely disappeared did Shuvien collapse to the ground.

***

Lloyd fluttered over when he spotted Bellian walking leisurely from a distance.

“Your Majesty! Where did you go? I was searching until I was breathless! What about Lady Felisa? You didn’t frighten her again, did you?”

“I did scare her a little.”

“Pardon?”

“I can’t have her running away again. Now I really need to put a leash on her and tie her by my side.”

“What terrifying things are you saying again. Surely…”

“I found it. Before welcoming an empty shell of an Empress, a baby to fill that shell.”

“W-where?”

“It’s already filling that empty shell now. Without me having to do anything, the whole world will believe it’s my child. Is this what they call fate?”

Bellian’s mouth corner rose even more eerily to one side.

“Finally. I can destroy everything.”

***

“He’s insane. Truly insane… Now I can’t even say it’s not true…”

Is this what it feels like when your life flashes before your eyes?

The original story wasn’t this spectacular.

Or is the content changing to something even more absurd because she did something absurd?

‘Even so, this is too much! The Emperor being infertile. Having no substance!’

It was too late to try to escape now.

“We will protect you thoroughly until you enter the imperial palace!”

The Emperor’s guards surrounded the count’s house in layers.

Protection, my foot.

This only sounded like “run and you die.”

If it became known that there was no child in her womb, the ending would be death as in the original story.

“I might die even more miserably.”

‘Let me think, think. There’s still time until the royal wedding preparations. I won’t have to see the Emperor for at least a few months. Until then, if I use my brain well…’

…or so she thought.

Her heart pounded as if it would burst.

Bellian was staring intently at her from right in front of her!

‘Now my heart isn’t racing because he’s handsome. It’s racing because I’m terrified!’

She never expected to see him again after just a month!

“Your Majesty. What brings you here? Is it alright for you to leave the imperial palace empty like this?”

“I missed you.”

“……Pardon?”

Bellian whispered as he coldly raised his exquisite lips.

“I wanted to come sooner, but it took a whole month. I’m sorry.”

“No, if you’re busy, you really don’t need to come like this……”

“You are precious to me. So I must check on you frequently.”

He casually reached out and wrapped his fingers around Shuvien’s calm blonde hair.

“I’m anxious, wondering if you might break with a touch or fly away with a breath.”

Who exactly is he talking about?

I’m strong. Like a weed.

I endured two years of residency through sheer grit!

His fingers that touched her hair somehow traced down her cheek.

But she was too preoccupied to register such things.

“Even though it’s still early, your body must feel heavy? Your energy must be lower too. Don’t you have many food cravings? Since no one knows about your condition, you probably can’t even show it properly. So tell me everything. I’ll do it all for you.”

“Ha, hahaha. Ah, I don’t really feel it yet……”

“Really? But no one knows that you’re pregnant, right?”

Suddenly his voice sank coldly.

“O-of course. I only found out recently myself.”

Bellian grabbed her chin at her somehow awkward response and properly captured her gaze.

Shuvien unconsciously gripped her collar tightly as she faced him directly.

If she awkwardly avoided his gaze, he might see through her lie.

Bellian stared at her face for a long time before eventually smiling.

“That’s fortunate. It won’t be troublesome.”

Shuvien deliberately ignored the bloodthirst hidden in those words.

“Now, even if you don’t feel it yet, you need to eat well for the child in your womb to grow strong. These are premium grapes brought from the neighboring empire. These are special pastries made by the imperial pâtissier this morning, and I also brought chocolate. I wasn’t sure what you and the baby would like.”

Bellian laid out luxurious foods in front of Shuvien that made her eyes widen.

Anyone watching would think he deeply loved and cherished his future Empress.

‘I feel like prey. Feed me well, tame me well, and eventually eat me!’

Despite being extremely wary, her eyes kept going to the food.

The sweet aroma tempting her nostrils shook her reason.

Lately, she had been strangely craving food!

‘But no. I shouldn’t eat. That’s a poisoned apple!’

“Don’t you want to eat? Or should I feed you?”

“What?”

“Here!”

When Bellian picked up a fork himself, Shuvien snatched it away in shock.

“No! I’ll eat it myself. I’ll eat with my own hands. I really want to eat so much!”

“Hmph, alright. Eat plenty.”

Damn. Damn. Damn!

She tried to eat reluctantly, but there was nothing reluctant about it.

The moment she put the food in her mouth, everything was so delicious that it was hard to control her pace.

‘This damn appetite. Even though they say a ghost who died after eating looks good! How can this be delicious at a time like this? Is it delicious?’

…It was too delicious.

Bellian watched Shuvien eating heartily with satisfaction, then suddenly grabbed her stomach.

She tensed up at his touch.

‘What is this? Did he notice? Well, even in early stages, my stomach is too flat…’

“It’s not moving around yet, is it? But your stomach seems a bit rounder.”

“……Surely not. That’s absolutely, absolutely impossible, Your Majesty.”

Shuvien became serious.

Not even a month had passed, how could her stomach be showing!

No, it couldn’t possibly be showing in the first place!

“No. It seems a bit rounder. Is it a fast-growing one?”

“Ha, hahahaha! I guess so. It’s a fast-growing one. Should we name it Teunsil [Robust] for now?”

“A prenatal name?”

Shuvien laughed in resignation.

Noticing? As if.

Thanks to her thoughtlessly increased fat, she had gained a “Teunsil” instead.