“Hello.”

When the doctor’s swollen eyes opened and his vision cleared, Rael awkwardly greeted him.

“Y-yes, hello.”

He anxiously kept glancing sideways at Esh, who stood nearby.

“I’ve been suffering from a cold for a while now, and lately I have no appetite and just can’t seem to get better. Once you check this for me, they’ll quickly return you to where you came from.”

At Rael’s words, the doctor looked at Esh again, who nodded and handed him his medical bag.

The doctor approached Rael, hunched over and clutching his bag to his chest. He sat on the chair beside the bed and opened his medical bag. He tried to grab something but his hands trembled, causing him to fumble repeatedly. Rael completely understood his reaction—he was actually handling this better than she had when she first arrived.

“I’m sorry about this,” Rael said in a low voice to the doctor. He stared at her for a moment. Perhaps realizing she was human just like him, he seemed to take some comfort in this and drew a deep breath.

“Please extend your arm.”

“Yes.”

As Rael stretched out her arm, the doctor began checking her pulse.

“When did you start feeling unwell?”

“I’ve been feeling under the weather for several weeks. I haven’t been eating well either… my strength has declined significantly.”

“Have you engaged in any strenuous physical activity?”

Rael debated whether she should ask if s*xual activity counted as “strenuous physical activity.”

“Well, not particularly… though perhaps a little at night?”

The doctor quickly understood what Rael meant.

“You’ve had body aches and a slight fever?”

“Yes.”

“And you feel nauseated when you see food?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm.”

The doctor concentrated on taking her pulse.

“Is it something serious?”

Rael wondered if they might let her leave if she had contracted a disease. Or perhaps the doctor would have to stay here longer… Either way, something would certainly change for either herself or the doctor. She desperately hoped this castle wouldn’t become her grave.

“It appears…”

The doctor withdrew his hand, and both Rael and Esh focused their attention on him.

“It seems you’re pregnant.”

“What?”

“Pardon?”

Rael and Esh simultaneously responded with shocked expressions.

“These are early pregnancy symptoms. The loss of appetite and nausea are likely morning sickness. Some women experience morning sickness quite early…”

“W-wait a moment.”

Rael raised her hand to stop him.

“What did you say I’ve done?”

“You’re… pregnant.”

Her eyelids fluttered rapidly. Beyond the doctor, she could see Esh’s shocked face. Let’s think about this. Pregnancy meant…

“With Rubellan’s child?”

“Oh!”

Esh gasped at Rael’s words. Silence filled the room for a while, broken only by the occasional sound of the doctor swallowing nervously.

“…Good heavens.”

As her momentarily frozen mind began working again, Rael started to understand what had happened. She raised both hands and roughly ran them through her hair and across her forehead.

“Thank you for examining me. Esh, please escort the doctor back safely.”

Rael spoke while shifting her trembling gaze. Following her instructions, Esh left the room with the doctor.

This was no time to worry about the doctor. The current situation was truly…

“Ha.”

Insane.

* * *

Some time later, after presumably sending the human doctor away, Esh entered Rael’s room. Rael remained sitting on the bed exactly as she had been when they left, looking dazed like someone whose soul had departed.

“Are you alright?”

When Esh asked cautiously, Rael’s head creaked sideways.

“…Esh.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll tell Rubellan myself. Please don’t mention this to him.”

“Um… well, uh…”

Esh scratched her head, looking uncomfortable.

“At the very least, something like this should come from my own lips.”

“…Yes. I understand.”

Not knowing what to say, Esh lingered awkwardly in a corner of the room. The atmosphere was too gloomy for congratulations, yet she couldn’t offer consolation either. It was quite an awkward situation.

“I’d like to rest now.”

“Oh! Yes! Please rest well. Ring the bell if you need anything.”

“Yes.”

After Esh left, Rael sighed deeply. She’d already sighed dozens of times, yet remarkably, she still had breath left for more.

“…Pregnant?”

She raised her hand and stroked her belly beneath the blanket. It felt no different than usual.

“There’s something in here?”

The thought that she carried something born from demon seed made her shudder. No matter how much she touched her belly, the reality of pregnancy didn’t sink in.

“Rubellan’s child…”

Would what her human body had conceived from demon seed be human or demon?

While the creation of life was sacred, Rael was now plunged into deep anguish. If by chance a demon were to be born from her body…

“Ha… haha.”

This was absolutely no laughing matter.

Should she kill it?

What mother’s first thought while carrying a child would be whether to kill it? This was tragic—a situation with neither the blessing of birth nor the sacredness of conception, just pure tragedy.

She remembered what he had said when she first set foot in this place.

‘The Magic Tower has offered you to me.’

‘Those greedy mages seem to want my seed.’

‘That’s why they sent you.’

Those horrifying words she had pushed to the back of her mind were now growing like thorny vines, piercing her heart. If his words were true, she had ultimately done exactly what they wanted—conceived the Demon King’s child.

For whose benefit?

How would Rubellan react when he learned of this?

And what would happen to the child? Would it be sent to the Magic Tower? Or raised as Rubellan’s offspring?

Rough waves crashed through her mind. The endless chain of questions made her head spin.

* * *

She had merely opened her eyes. Yet even that simple action of opening her eyes and rising, something she did every day, now felt different—likely because of the life taking root inside her.

As she carefully sat up, a slight dizziness washed over her. Her body still felt sluggish, and her nerves were heightened to an indescribable degree.

“Good morning.”

Even Rubellan’s familiar morning greeting irritated her.

“Sure.”

Though her life had completely changed overnight, the weather remained pleasant.

“Seems like someone visited.”

Rubellan sat perched on the windowsill, still radiant in the bright morning sunlight.

“How do you know?”

“I can smell human.”

He wasn’t an animal, yet he could tell someone had been there by scent?

“Esh brought a doctor.”

“Are you feeling very unwell?”

His eyes reflected concern—genuine worry that even someone as emotionally detached as herself could clearly perceive. This complicated her feelings further.

What was she to this demon? Just the object of a madman’s inexplicable affection? An obsession? Or an amusing toy?

“I’m curious about something.”

“What is it?”

Rubellan answered with his usual gentle smile.

“What am I to you?”

Rael had asked him ‘why’ before, but she had never asked what she meant to him. She had deliberately avoided this question, fearing that if he defined their relationship through his words, they would truly become bound by cause and effect.

Based on Rubellan’s usual behavior and words, she expected him to answer quickly and easily, without considering his emotions, just saying whatever came to mind—playfully, as always.

But his lips remained firmly closed for quite some time. He tilted his head slowly, first to the left, then to the right, clearly deep in thought.

“Why so thoughtful? That’s not like you.”

Rael asked again, growing impatient.

“…Well.”

Rubellan lowered his head slightly, his hair cascading down.

“I was wondering what answer would satisfy you.”

This behavior was unfair. Acting shy like someone in love, pretending to be considerate—this side of him was no help to Rael at all.

“I was also wondering why you suddenly asked such a question.”

“Isn’t that something I should naturally be curious about?”

“You’ve never cared before.”

“What?”

Rubellan was still smiling.

“Why, with what feelings, I want you. Hasn’t that been outside your concern?”

His words somehow weakened a corner of her heart. He seemed almost like an ordinary human experiencing insecurity.

“I’ve never once lied to you. Think back carefully. Remember what I’ve told you. If you paid just a little attention, you would know.”

What had he said?

At first, he spouted nonsense, and it only got crazier over time. And then one day…

Perhaps he had also said that he loved her.

The formless emotion that had been hidden behind his frivolous actions and words was gradually taking shape.

Rael rubbed her face with her hands. She felt trapped in the worst possible situation.

“If I had to define it, you are my salvation.”

“Salvation?”

Who was saving whom?

“You’re the only person who could make me self-destruct.”

Once again, incomprehensible issues blocked her path. What could that possibly mean?

“My head hurts.”

In the end, Rael chose avoidance. Digging deeper would only split her head open.

“Would you like some water?”

What was Rubellan thinking as he smiled and offered water, knowing full well she was cowardly retreating? With what feelings did he keep her here? As an ordinary human, she had no way of knowing.

What if Rubellan’s goal, like the Magic Tower’s, was the child? If he got the child, would he let her go? Could she then find the peaceful life she had once known?

Rael’s hand moved to her lower abdomen.

Even while entertaining these absurd thoughts, she felt guilty toward the child in her womb—a child she hadn’t even properly greeted yet.

Why? Even though what resided inside her might not even be human.

Rubellan. The Magic Tower. And herself.

The connections she had set aside while thinking of escape now clanked and tangled in her mind.

Whom should she trust in this situation?