“I’m so happy. I have you in my arms, and our baby too.”

“…”

Alec, too, was happy for the same reason.

He was so deeply happy he couldn’t put it into words. Sighing with overwhelming contentment, he moved out of her embrace.

This time, he wrapped her gently in his strong, solid arms.

Louise raised her head slightly and reached out to him, her hand moving down his shoulder to his chest. As broad and loving as her embrace was, it could not compare to the mountainous expanse of his.

Strong, beautiful, and unyielding like the harsh northern landscape that withstood fierce blizzards without ever surrendering—such was this person she so deeply loved.

And he spoke with such warmth,

“I’ll be a wonderful father. I even started studying parenting to catch up with you.”

“Oh my, I heard about that. How could you start studying parenting when I haven’t even done that?”

“…”

Alec simply smiled.

He wanted to be a father so good that he would hold the role just as well as the mother, becoming a great dad to their children and a steadfast partner to her.

Alec wanted to be a dependable father for their children.

“From now on, you might have to ask me about anything you’re curious about when it comes to the baby.”

“That’s reassuring.”

*Muah.*

“You’re doing so well.”

Louise’s praise filled Alec with energy.

He got down from the bed first and then picked up Louise, still wrapped in blankets.

“Ah!”

“Now, let’s go feed my beloved wife and baby.”

“…You have to feed me yourself!”

“Hahaha.”

Their laughter faded softly beyond the open door.

—

*Ding!*

[The final chapter, Chapter 3, is starting!]

The modern world lay in ruins.

The top-ranked hunter, known by his grand title as Viscount Wiltsbrook, Duke Brent, and the godfather of Emperor Ridit Kaisley, Alec Myers.

Or, to keep it short, simply Duke of the North, Alec pierced through the heart of the last remaining demonic beast.

It was a minion of the ‘Lady Torn from the Portrait.’ True to its origins, as it faded, it dissolved into pigments scattering in the air.

‘So now there’s just the final boss left.’

Everyone else realized it too. The surviving hunters in the chat window were in an uproar.

—

“Oh, as expected of our Number 1! Where has such a person been hiding?”

“We’ll join in when you go to face the final boss!”

—

“I said I’d face her alone.”

—

“We’ve found the gate entrance!”

“Do you need support? It’s an SSSSS-rank boss, after all, with beauty that can entrance you…”

“Please, kill that wicked woman for us! You must survive!”

—

Alec received only the gate location, then shut down his hunter watch.

Now, only the final battle remained.

This fight would decide something crucial.

‘…Whether I can bring the quest reward to our resilient little angel baby or not.’

The quest involved the fate of the world.

He had to save this world, defeat the ‘Lady,’ and claim the quest reward. Otherwise, his real wife would be truly disappointed.

Though the final boss here was formidable, she was no match for the ultimate boss waiting back home.

In an instant, Alec moved to the gate leading to the boss room. As he stepped in, the entrance sealed behind him as if it had been waiting for him.

Inside, it was as grand as a palace.

No noble estate could rival this. Chandeliers lined the ceiling along the corridors, dazzling to the point it was hard to look directly at them.

The wallpaper, adorned with vine patterns, was covered with masterpieces framed in solid gold.

Gentlemen and ladies dancing in the middle of a ball, portraits of people from all walks of life, and even paintings of people posing with their cherished animals.

Then, many of those people and animals stepped out of the frames and blocked his path.

Each wielded a weapon, threatening him.

[Skill: Hot Touch of the Superior Husband.]

*Crackle!*

Screams echoed as the beings from the portraits vanished without a trace under his scorching touch. It seemed fire skills were particularly effective against paintings.

‘Where is the final boss?’

He missed his beloved wife already.

He faced more attacks afterward. In addition to the paintings, he had to destroy sculptures.

They were beasts of the boss room, but against the transcendent powers of the top-ranked hunter…

Alec’s various skills surged, flashing as if they would bring down the entire mansion. It took him less than an hour to reach the mansion’s deepest part, where the final boss awaited.

It resembled an aristocratic dance hall, with its high ceilings and marble-decorated floors.

At the farthest end, the final boss rose to her feet.

With a transparent gem atop her head like a goddess, she looked down at him with a regal gaze.

Her charismatic beauty nearly overwhelmed Alec with an urge to surrender.

“You must have come quickly, thinking I’d be waiting for you. My, you really are husband material.”

Louise’s smile slowly curled at the edges.

Her outfit was different from Chapter 2. Flowing and delicate, the sheer fabric subtly revealed the contours of her body from her upper to her lower half.

And that mysterious purple—her dress, the same color as her eyes, seemed to make her presence even more elegant and timeless.

Alec took a step forward and climbed the low steps. She stood there with the grace of a lady, while he wore a form-fitting black hunter suit.

Oddly enough, Louise was the one actually from the modern world.

Finally, he uttered the activation phrase:

“It’s over, My Lady. If you don’t want to suffer a messy defeat, surrender now.”

“Oh, really? Seems like your world is just about to collapse, so why don’t you surrender before I make my way outside?”

“I don’t want to cause you pain.”

“Oh my.”

She covered her mouth in surprise, as if his words were unexpected, then lowered her hand and grasped the edge of her dress, approaching him seductively.

“When you say things like that, it makes my heart flutter. Do you have a talent for seduction?”

“Are you saying you’re drawn to me too?”

“…”

Having just said it, Alec felt baffled, his pupils dilating in realization. The quest’s activation phrase had pushed him into acting deadly serious.

As he clenched his teeth, Louise also bit her lip, her shoulders trembling slightly. If they were supposed to pretend to be seductive, Louise was giving it her all, too.

They both recalled the conditions for success in this parenting quest. Louise was supposed to defeat Alec, and Alec had to vanquish Louise.

But actually fighting was out of the question. Could they clear the quest without fighting?

With unhurried, sultry steps, Louise approached Alec, and he met her halfway.

Somehow, she felt she knew how to complete this quest. The key was to conquer each other’s worlds.

She leaned in, looking deeply into his eyes with a captivating gaze.

“How about you just become my man?”

She raised her hand and traced her well-manicured nails along Alec’s handsome face. No more activation phrases came.

“I, too, couldn’t bear to see a scratch on this perfect face. Victory isn’t only about fighting and winning. We could capture each other in a different way.”

“If that’s the case, then I don’t mind making you my woman.”

The hunter wrapped his arm around the final boss’s waist, pulling her slender frame close to his.

It felt like a battle of seduction, but neither was about to surrender easily. Honestly, they both wanted to skip the quest and just kiss right then and there…

“Why don’t we both just collapse together?”

As soon as Louise finished speaking…

They pulled each other close, their lips meeting in an intense embrace. Like magnets, they clung to each other without anyone leading or following.

Instead of a fight, they chose a different kind of battle.

Alec urgently caressed her waist and back, while Louise clung to his neck tightly.

Smooch. Smooch.

Their heads tilted naturally, and their lips brushed smoothly over each other’s, savoring the sweetness.

As much as they desired.

After sharing an ample kiss, Alec pulled away, his gaze turning serious as he challenged her.

“I’m going to claim your bedroom next. Where is it? Show me, right now.”

She laughed in amusement.

“And what if I end up making you submit in bed?”

“Whatever happens. As long as we’re in bed, the world should be safe.”

“That sounds like a fine plan. Go ahead, make me pass out.”

“You’ll regret saying that. I won’t stop until you beg me to.”

“Pfft.”

“Haha…”

Alec and Louise rested their foreheads together, chuckling.

But soon they remembered the quest they needed to fulfill. Without further laughter, they held each other in a passionate gaze and embrace.

Locked in a kiss, they slowly disappeared somewhere together.

Somewhere that just might be the bedroom.

Ding!

[Bonus Quest ~ The Most Perfect Prenatal Education! ~ has been completed!]

[Quest reward is being issued!]

[The child’s physical prowess will increase. Future Sword Master guaranteed. Eligible for advanced classes.]

[A strong bond with the child will form. No rebellious teenage years.]

[The child’s health will be enhanced. No colds ever.]

“Oh my!”

With the quest’s success, Luise returned to reality.

Next to her, Alec also came to his senses, just as he received a notification of the quest’s success.

“Our little one has been rewarded!”

How delightful!

Louise beamed, rubbing her belly, and Alec’s hand overlapped hers. Whispering joyfully, he added,

“That’s wonderful. Now, we just need them to be born safely.”

“We can’t wait to meet you, little one.”

Louise and Alec, hands entwined over her belly, exchanged a loving look.

Hoping their children wouldn’t find their affection too overwhelming…

With the sound of joyful laughter, they shared a long, warm kiss.

…It was a rather passionate kiss for a couple on the brink of parenthood.

~~END OF THE SIDE STORY~~
TL NOTE: Thank you so much for reading this story. I hope you enjoyed the whole reading journey. For more interesting stories, visit duskblossoms.