After burning all the replies without leaving a trace, Antor spoke to Hari who had awakened from sleep.

“I hear you’re with child.”

“Child… what?”

The woman’s eyes, which had been blinking drowsily, furrowed. She seemed unable to believe what she had just heard.

Only the sound of burning logs could be heard in the silence. After a long while, the woman still showed no change in expression and muttered in a cracked voice.

“What did the doctor say? Is it just a simple cold?”

“He said you’re pregnant and need to rest…”

“What are you talking about since earlier? Stop saying such ridiculous things!”

She tried to deny reality, but when the same answer came back, Hari bolted upright. Her large eyes were filled with confusion and fear. Her hands gripping the blanket trembled with anger. 

Antor, who had been watching the expected reaction, smiled mysteriously.

“When Achilleon finds out you’re carrying a child, he’ll never give you up.”

“I’m just a slave captured from Galate.”

“But half of that child is royal blood.”

“……..”

“That bastard will search from Rodos to the ends of the earth to find you and lock you up in the royal castle. Just because you’re carrying his child.”

Hari’s face turned pitifully pale. Her frightened eyes were filled with tears of complex emotions that might have been anger or regret. Watching Hari’s reddened eyes, Antor licked his lips with his tongue.

Without realizing it, he placed his hand on Hari’s belly covered by the blanket.

“Don’t touch me.”

The woman flinched and pulled back.

“So you should deceive Achilleon just like you’ve been doing.”

However, Antor pressed his hand even closer to Hari’s belly, matching how far she had retreated.

“Say it’s my child.”

“What?”

“Wouldn’t that be better? Think about it. Wasn’t your purpose from the beginning to bring down Achilleon? Then there’s no more certain method than saying what’s inside is my child.”

He narrowed his eyes like a snake. Her heart was pounding so hard that Hari could only grip the edge of the blanket tightly. Her head was confused by the series of shocking news.

The moment she unconsciously placed her hand on her belly, her gaze met Antor’s, who had been staring intently at her stomach. His eyes were filled with desperate greed.

* * *

“Miss Karnos requests an audience with Your Highness.”

“Selina Karnos?”

Achilleon, who had been examining documents, raised his bloodshot eyes. Due to not sleeping properly for days and overworking his body, he had lost weight and his complexion was poor. 

Even though the doctor tried to dissuade him, the secretaries watching nearby were restless. The Third Prince would listen to nothing except news related to Hari and Antor. He irritably put down his quill pen and commanded.

“Send her away.”

“Well, she seemed to have something to say regarding Miss Hari’s disappearance.”

“What could come from that mouth is obvious. Tell her that if she came thinking to spout useless nonsense, I won’t let it slide.”

However, the attendant who had withdrawn returned with the still annoying answer that Selina was still waiting. Achilleon swallowed his curse and called Selina in. She’s persisting even when given the chance to leave?

It would probably be nonsense anyway, but rather, using Selina’s insolence as an excuse to pour out his anger on the Karnos family might cool his boiling heart a little. With that mindset he called her in, but what came from Selina’s mouth were unexpected words.

“I heard the Second Prince kidnapped Hari. Haven’t you found her yet?”

Rainan beside him was shocked and tried to drag Selina out, but Achilleon raised his hand to stop him.

“What do you want to say?”

“I know. If she’s nowhere in Hitais and not in neighboring countries either, there’s only one place she could be hiding. She’ll be at the Second Prince’s private villa in the southern forest.”

“Do you think I haven’t looked there?”

He had searched not only the royal castle grounds but the entire capital thoroughly.

“You wouldn’t normally see it. It’s called the Black Symposium, something Antor made to play dirty with his noble friends. You know, orgies and drug trafficking. Things like that. It’s near the lake. He set up some device with holy relics so it’s normally invisible, but on the full moon when divine power is weakest, it reflects on the water surface. I know because I’ve been there several times.”

There were two large lakes in the southern forest. Just a few days ago, they had conducted their sixth search but found nothing.

‘Full moon… ten days from now.’

Achilleon immediately ordered Rainan to assemble the troops. The commander-in-chief said not to believe the words of such a drug addict, but he was desperate enough to cling to even such a woman’s nonsense as evidence.

And indeed, when the full moon came and they went to the lake, a small but antique villa faintly reflected on the surface of the large lake.

‘There’s no substance.’

But he knew how to break such tricks.

Achilleon rode his horse following the lake’s shadow. The door handle of the mansion reflected in the lake. The moment he groped for where it might be, calculating the distance, the empty air that had contained nothing suddenly rippled and the hideout revealed its true form.

The soldiers hiding in the grass swallowed their gasps.

They held their breath and listened for signs of life inside the mansion, but heard nothing. The holy relic might be blocking sound.

The windows were thoroughly covered with thick curtains, making it impossible to see inside.

‘Margharita.’

He hoped it was a lie, but…

‘Lord Rainan was affected by sleeping anesthetic poison. There are traces of being stabbed in the back of the neck with a needle while off guard… It must have been planned from the beginning.’

“Surround it.”

Achilleon opened his eyes that had been tightly shut. Those eyes contained only clear murderous intent with no hesitation or sympathy.

When Achilleon quietly gave the signal, soldiers divided into two units charged toward the front and back doors of the mansion.

* * *

“Don’t do this, Antor.”

Food that seemed carefully prepared was set on the dining table. Antor called Hari troublesome for not touching the food and personally scooped up soup to push toward her.

“If you don’t eat like this, your child will die. The child will resent its mother from inside the womb.”

Hari had to forcefully swallow the curses that were about to burst out.

“What business is it of yours? And stop constantly bringing up the child.”

“Why isn’t it my business? It’s going to be my child now. So do you want to go around advertising everywhere that you’re carrying Achilleon’s child? Or will you keep your mouth shut until your belly swells? There are many here who shudder just hearing Achilleon’s name. If they knew the truth, they might try to do something sinister to you behind my back. The mansion’s people already know that child is mine, so play along appropriately.”

At the whispered words, Hari bit her lips. She had no words to refute, but still, to say it was Antor’s child.

It was a disgusting lie. She had undergone initial examination and several more tests, but unfortunately it was indeed pregnancy. Such an impossible thing.

Hari had torn at her hair all night. When she should be doing everything to cut ties, another entanglement with that man had to arise. But just like Antor said, if Achilleon found out about this fact, there was no telling what might happen.

So Hari endured even Antor rubbing her belly that she hadn’t even started showing yet, acting like he was really her husband.

The servant standing at the door watched with apparent interest. The eyes of the maids who came and went from the bedroom to care for Hari were the same. A man who stole his enemy brother’s woman and planted his seed.

A woman carrying her lover’s brother’s child. It was even more humiliating because she could guess what dirty thoughts they had while looking at them. It was shameful like becoming a spectacle in a cage.

However, what was even more annoying and incomprehensible was Antor’s attitude over the recent days. He would glare at Hari murderously like she was his enemy, but on the other hand…

“People in the mansion only talk about us. This way it really seems like you’re my wife and what’s inside is my child.”

He would stand at the door with a complex expression, quietly looking at Hari’s belly before leaving.

But it wasn’t just words, sometimes he would change completely like a different person, gently feeding Hari directly or trying to massage her belly or limbs, which was the problem.

His expression was gloomy and dark, making it even more creepy.

“Don’t you see how the servants are looking? Who knows what those bastards might spread about me. At least we need to put on an act, don’t we?”

Antor grabbed the resisting Hari’s forearm and muttered ominously. He dragged her to the vanity table, picked up a hairbrush, and began slowly brushing Hari’s blonde hair. The pale face reflected in the mirror looked ghostly.

“For our child to be born well, yes. We need to make an effort together… What kind of blood this child will inherit.”

He’s after the child’s divine power. Hari realized. Perhaps because she had figured out Antor’s hidden intentions, the burden in her belly was indeed a shackle that would make her unhappy, but she instinctively wrapped her arms protectively around her belly.

Antor’s incomprehensible dark gaze and unpredictable erratic behavior were all unpleasant.

“Still, suffering under me would be better than under Achilleon, right?”

Seeming to sense such thoughts, Antor gripped Hari’s hand placed on her belly with strong force, overlapping it with his own.

It was in the middle of the night when sudden violent commotion struck.