Anna had built a new house near Kali’s humble home and was living with Zeki. She had tried to return to her position as a palace maid, but her pregnancy delayed that.

One year after Kali’s twins were born, she also became pregnant. Having a child was wonderful, but it ate at her that this child, born between a noble and a commoner, would have to be born a bastard.

‘It’s Zeki’s and my child. Why…?’

When Zeki went to the battlefield, he wouldn’t return for a month or two. She was often alone. Even when lonely and isolated, she relied on the fetus in her belly and thought she wasn’t alone.

And Kevin often visited her house. He was the second son of Viscount Hall and the Emperor’s attendant.

“Tomatoes. I also have oranges and meat. You’re pregnant, so you need to eat a lot.”

Every time he visited, his hands were full with bundles. Anna smiled brightly.

“Thank you. Let’s chat for the first time in a while.”

Anna brewed tea. Her ten years of experience working in the imperial palace had made her very skilled at brewing tea. Since she was pregnant, she couldn’t drink her favorite tea and drank warm water instead.

Anna glanced at Kevin. With his brown hair and brown eyes, he was popular because he showed a fair attitude to everyone and a warm demeanor to the maids, just like he did with Anna.

Zeki hated Kevin, and whenever Kevin visited, he would corner Anna.

[Don’t let that bastard into the house when I’m not here! Understand?]

[What’s with that tone! Lord Kevin helped me a lot when I was at the palace. He still looks after me now.]

Zeki slapped Anna’s cheek.

—Smack!—

Anna looked at him in shock. She had never been hit by Zeki before. Zeki, rather, was shocked himself and knelt before Anna. He bowed his head to the floor.

[I… I’m sorry! Anna. I don’t know what came over me! Please forgive me!]

[Zeki…]

Zeki would accept a commission tomorrow and participate in battle. Another month or two. Maybe even three months. She wouldn’t be able to see him for a while, and Anna would have to stay home alone.

If she went to her parents’ home with her pregnant body, they might collapse from shock. Especially if that man was a commoner.

Anna had chosen this path herself, but she had truly abandoned so much to love Zeki. Now she had nowhere to go except to him.

[Kevin is a noble, right? I’m scared he’ll take you away! I’m sorry. Really!]

[…I’m even pregnant, who would take me away? Zeki. Trust me. I’m not going anywhere. Don’t you know I’ve abandoned so much to stay by your side?]

Zeki raised his head to look at Anna and spoke. His face looked sad.

[But I saw you sigh, saying our child won’t be recognized.]

[That’s…]

Anna was at a loss for words. She didn’t know Zeki cared about such things.

Zeki was a commoner with nowhere lower to fall, but Anna was born a noble. She was carrying a child with half noble and half commoner blood mixed together.

Thinking about that child’s future was inevitably bleak. She didn’t care what happened to her own life, but she felt the child shouldn’t end up that way.

Anna sighed and hugged Zeki.

[I’m the one who should be sorry, Zeki. Our child will be fine as long as they’re happy, whether commoner or noble.]

‘That’s a lie. You actually think they can’t be happy unless they’re noble, right? Commoners have to work under nobles their whole lives. The salary too… They can’t have power either.’

She bit her lip hard while thinking this to herself. But she had to reassure Zeki. Zeki was moved by her words and kissed her.

[As expected, Anna… You’re an angel! How did I get so lucky!]

Anna smiled at him. Zeki was truly honest and kind. Anna’s heart gradually darkened.

‘How wonderful it would be if Zeki weren’t a commoner.’

Anna opened up to Kevin as she looked at him. She spoke bitterly.

“This child is so ambiguous. Neither noble nor commoner. I feel like I’ve sinned against a child who hasn’t even been born yet.”

Kevin nodded at Anna’s words. He actually knew a solution, but he wasn’t sure if Anna would go through with it.

“There’s a good way. You could marry a noble. Then that child would become a noble’s child.”

“What? …How could that be? I…”

Anna thought of Zeki.

‘Abandon Zeki? Abandon him for the child’s sake? No. I can’t do that.’

Kevin looked at Anna, who was two years younger than him. Dark skin with blue hair and black eyes. Her unusual appearance always drew attention when she passed by.

And thanks to Kali, he often looked after her as she came and went from the Crown Prince’s palace.

He never dreamed she would fall in love with a commoner and set up house. When he heard the news that she had set up house and was carrying a commoner’s child, Kevin finally realized his own feelings.

It was far too late. But knowing Anna was troubled, he thought this was an opportunity. He lifted Anna’s chin and caressed her lips.

“…Kevin?”

“Anna. Marry me. Then I can register that child as mine. I’m the Emperor’s attendant. I have money and power too. That child will become my child.”

Kevin inserted his tongue into Anna’s mouth. His rough yet soft tongue began licking every corner of Anna’s palate.

Anna pushed Kevin’s chest hard.

“Hah. Kevin! …I’m sorry, but I have no intention of doing that! Thank you for the offer, though!”

Anna’s heart pounded. She hadn’t seen Zeki’s face for two whole months. At night, she missed his body. Kevin’s kiss confused her in this state.

Kevin smirked and removed her top, gently squeezing her br*asts. When he touched them like a light massage, Anna shook her head with a flushed face.

“Ha…ngh! St… stop!”

“Anna. Think carefully. If you become my official wife, you can keep that man Zeki by your side as a consort. As a consort. How could a noble like us be equal to a commoner?”

He licked Anna’s n*pple. When he bit and sucked it, Anna’s m*ans deepened.

“Ahh. Hnngh.”

Kevin had already lifted her and laid her on the bed. He removed his pants and climbed on top of Anna.

Anna didn’t know what to do and kept sobbing. Kevin looked down at her. His member stood firmly *rect.

“Accept me, Anna. Then both that child and you will be happy.”

“Lord Kevin. You can’t. Hnngh. If that happens, I’ll have to break up with Zeki!”

Anna quickly tried to escape from the bed. But Kevin grabbed her wrist and laid her back on the bed.

He licked Anna’s ear and whispered. Kevin’s hardened manhood pressed firmly against her panties.

“Anna. I won’t give you many chances either. I knew you before Zeki did, and I held you in my heart. I’m not confessing based on a hasty judgment. Think of the child. Do you want to raise that child as a commoner?”

“Hnngh. Ahnngh. Lord Kevin. I…”

“If I take you, you’ll be my woman now. Not in this shabby commoner’s house where you can’t even register your marriage, but you’ll live as my wife in my mansion. ‘Anna Hall.’ It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

He pressed firmly against her panties, wanting to enter her. Love juices flowed and quickly soaked her panties.

While licking Anna’s br*asts and pressing his manhood against her v*lva, he urged her for an answer. Anna panted.

‘This is ridiculous. Zeki’s worry is becoming reality! Ah. But… why is this so…!’

His manhood kept rubbing the small bean on her v*lva, creating a strange sensation.

Kevin was quite kind to the maids and was popular. But Anna had never once felt him as a man.

Sometimes, since her brother Willas was the same age as Kevin, she had thought it would be nice if Willas were as dependable as Kevin.

But the fetus in her belly was Zeki’s child. Anna pushed Kevin’s body away again.

“Anna Hall doesn’t sound good. I’d rather just be ‘Anna Greco,’ a reputable noble.”

Anna rejected him. Kevin immediately removed his hands from her and put on his pants. He sat at the table and drank tea like nothing had happened.

“Actually, I also thought ‘Anna Hall’ didn’t sound great. Since you can’t change your surname, I’ll have to give up on you.”

Anna felt a bit relieved at his words. She gathered her top, put it on, and straightened her clothes. Then she sat across from Kevin. Kevin glanced at her and said,

“Won’t you regret it?”

“…No. I won’t regret it. I won’t regret it anymore!”

Anna clenched her fists at Kevin’s words. She could never break up with Zeki. The fetus in her belly was proof of their love.

“Hmm. I’m quite disappointed.”

Kevin handed Anna an envelope with regret. Anna tilted her head looking at the envelope. It had the imperial seal stamped on it.

Kevin hurriedly prepared to leave.

“Lady Kali told me to give this to you. She says it’s a pregnancy congratulations gift.”

“What?”

“Read it after I leave. Oh… don’t hate me too much. I liked you a lot. …Let’s see each other often from now on.”

“…Yes.”

Anna’s face reddened at Kevin’s confession. Anna tore open the envelope. A letter came out.

<To Anna Greco

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I’ve been so indebted to you. You helped me a lot when our twins were born too.

I heard you and Zeki set up house, and I wondered what I could do to help.

You’re my ally, after all.

So I begged Lord Cliff for a gift to give you.

Um. Lord Cliff wanted strange positions from me, but I granted them all. (It was tough… There are all sorts of positions in the world. How does Lord Cliff know all of them?)

The dirty talk I could casually do with Adolf is hard to do with you.

First, I’m going to give Zeki the surname ‘Martinez.’ Martinez is a viscount, but all his relatives died and there’s no one to inherit the name. So both the title and territory were returned to the imperial family.

Perfect timing, right? And I’m going to have Zeki take the knight’s exam.

He can’t make a living as a mercenary forever. What if he goes to a dangerous battlefield and dies? Then you and your child would be in big trouble, right?

I can’t give you the territory since another noble has already entered it, but since Zeki received a surname, he’s clearly a noble.

Your child can use that surname too. Your name as well. ‘Anna Martinez’ sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

Oh. You should be careful of Kevin. The way he looks at you isn’t ordinary.

Come to think of it, he told me to be careful with my behavior too. Saying that people around me, not me, might get hurt.

Kevin has a cautious personality, so I don’t think he’ll cause trouble, but even such people can change unpredictably when it comes to love.

He might have secretly stolen and read the contents of this letter before it reached you.

Anna. Take care. Come visit the palace with Zeki sometime.

-Kali Lopez>

“Hnnnngh. Lady Kali…!”

Anna cried, so moved. She stroked her swollen belly.

“Thank you, Lady Kali. Hnngh. Ahh.”

‘Ah. Come to think of it, did Lord Kevin perhaps read this letter?’

[Read it after I leave. Oh… don’t hate me too much. I liked you a lot. …Let’s see each other often from now on.]

Thinking about it, Kevin was outrageous. Knowing Anna’s troubles, he made such a proposal. Anyway, this letter washed away all those worries.

Anna wiped her tears. She should visit the imperial palace tomorrow.

‘I’ll go meet Lady Kali after so long and have a fun conversation! And thank her too!’

“Anna! Anna?”

Just then, Zeki also returned from the battlefield. He was covered in dust.

Blood stained his armor. He frowned looking at the expensive fruits and vegetables.

“Don’t tell me Kevin came by again?”