I Became a Mother of a Sub-Male Son

“This is really surprising…”

 

The Emperor trailed off and slightly raised the corner of his mouth.

 

“It seems different from the rumors going around.”

 

“Rumors are just rumors.”

 

“The same goes for your calm demeanor, as if you’ve never been embarrassed before.”

 

“It’s quite interesting.”

 

After saying those words, the emperor leaned back. Once his breathtaking appearance dropped, he seemed to have some life.

 

“As you said, you must have been embarrassed because it was a sudden visit. I will formally invite you to the palace soon. Of course, that is what you want, right?”

 

The word ‘refusal’ was meant to be something that should never come out of his mouth. Of course that couldn’t be the case.

 

“I’m just so sad.”

 

“I have to go back soon. I don’t have much time left.”

 

The Emperor, who was tying the jewel necklace around his neck, rolled his eyes and smiled.

 

“See you later then.”

 

As he was about to bow his head and say hello, a strong wind blew again. His hair was fluttering, blocking his view for a moment, and then falling down. He looked down at the empty seat of the Emperor who had disappeared without a trace and lowered his head. He closed and opened his eyes, taking slow, deep breaths. Even after the emperor disappeared, things around him were still quiet. As he said, it seemed like there had been a spell. Because throughout the conversation with the Emperor, the surroundings were not noisy but eerily quiet.

 

“My heart was pounding and I almost died…”

 

For now, it seemed like he was able to handle it well, but sooner or later, he would be called to the Imperial Palace without making a move. Just thinking about it was dark and made his head ache. He sat down and sighed, pressing his eyebrows together.

 

“…Bring the council member!”

 

Suddenly, Jade’s urgent voice and footsteps were heard. What happened? Just as she was about to raise her head in puzzlement, her body suddenly appeared. When she raised her head, dark red eyes appeared right above her. The Duke, who she didn’t know when came, walked away while holding her in his arms. She blinked, wondering what kind of situation this was.

 

“Why are you doing this, Duke?”

 

“If you weren’t feeling well, you shouldn’t have gone for a walk.”

 

He was just taken aback by the harsh tone.

 

“I’m fine?”

 

“Didn’t you collapse because you were in pain?”

 

“It was just because my head was complicated…”

 

“…It wasn’t painful?”

 

A slight change appeared on the Duke’s face. For some reason, it was difficult to take her eyes off him, so she stared at his face. Slightly frowning eyes. The mouth was slightly turned up. Lips licking a few times. He lowered his gaze to his hands tightening his body. The backs of his hands were strangely bulging as he held her body. When she lifted her gaze, the Duke was still looking down at her. The expression on his face after the slight change was very strange. He clearly looked worried, as if he was confused about something. Feeling strange, she opened her mouth to try to change the atmosphere somehow.

 

“Yes. Of course. There is no pain at all… Ugh!”

 

At that moment, the Duke who suddenly dropped her to the floor walked away with great strides. She quickly got up and ran after him. It was ridiculous, let alone the pain in her butt. Was that person trying to play with her or something?

 

“Wait a minute, Duke!”

 

She almost ran and barely caught up with the Duke. She yanked the Duke’s collar, who still seemed to have no intention of stopping. The Duke, who stood tall, turned his head. He looked down and saw the collar she was holding. She gently took her hand back and made an excuse that wasn’t an excuse.

 

“Because you didn’t stop even when I called you… No, more than that, why did you suddenly do that?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“What is it that suddenly appears, picks me up, and then throws me away? Isn’t that too much?”

 

“Seeing that you’re talking so loudly, I guess it’s true that you’re not sick.”

 

“Why did you do that… Duke!”

 

She quickly followed the Duke, who turned his body and started walking again. As she walked next to him, she felt eyes on him.

 

“I have something important to tell you.”

 

“I didn’t say anything.”

 

“I feel like you’re looking at me like that.”

 

The Duke turned his head and looked straight ahead. After stopping the conversation for a moment, we walked side by side and arrived at his office. She walked over to the sofa and took a seat opposite the Duke who sat down.

 

“So what do you have to say?”

 

“Did you feel anything strange earlier?”

 

“No, there wasn’t.”

 

She thought for a moment and then opened her mouth.

 

“I saw his Majesty in the garden earlier.”

 

“You may not believe it, but it’s true. He appeared in front of me under a spell, spoke to me, and then left. That’s why I was the only one who saw him.”

 

“…ha.”

 

“He said he was curious about Lady Ladiana coming to the Duke’s house to see me and about my stay here.”

 

“Anything else?”

 

“It seems that His Majesty does not believe what the Duke said at the banquet hall. He is suspicious of what happened between me and the Duke. He is very curious about how I accidentally saved Liam.”

 

“…”

 

“And I think she also suspects the relationship between Lady Ladiana and the Duke. He thinks she’s using me as an excuse to come here and see the Duke.”

 

The Duke, who had been quietly listening to her, spoke.

 

“Do you know why I’ve been going out a lot lately?”

 

“No. I don’t know.”

 

“It’s because they called me into the imperial palace for trivial reasons and sent me on a useless inspection.”

 

That meant what she thought was correct.

 

“…His Majesty?”

 

“Yes.”

 

She was a little thirsty, so she picked up her tea cup and took a sip.

 

“His Majesty says he will invite me to the imperial palace soon. There is no reason to refuse, right?”

 

“Even if I build it, he will destroy it.”

 

After all, she had no choice but to go. A sigh escaped her without even realizing it.

 

“I don’t plan on leaving you alone, know that.”

 

“…Are you going to come with me?”

 

“Why? You don’t like it?”

 

Seeing the Duke’s brow slowly frowning, he waved his hand.

 

“I don’t dislike it. I’m just relieved to hear that the Duke is coming with me.”

 

She was gloomy at the thought of meeting the Emperor on her own, but she felt relieved when the Duke said he would come with her. She sighed in relief, but somehow it’s quiet. As she raised her gaze, she was slightly surprised.

 

“Why are you doing this?”

 

“What?”

 

“No, you’re just making a strange expression.”

 

“I?”

 

“Yes. You had a strange expression, as if your clothes were dry.”

 

“Gibberish.”

 

“…It’s true.”

 

“Okay, just leave now.”

 

She got up from her seat at his congratulatory message. He bowed his head and quietly walked out. Feeling strange, she quietly looked down at his toes.

 

“It looked like a face that wanted to smile because it was in a good mood…”

 

Standing in front of the main gate, she muttered for a moment and then slowly walked away.

 

* * *

 

That evening, the child and she were the only ones attending the meal. She asked the maid about the Duke’s whereabouts, and she said he had been out for a while.

 

“Purr!”

 

She mechanically stroked Charles in front of her. The child wanted to see Charles, so he was currently in the stable. She was so busy stroking the horse that he couldn’t even see the child.

 

“Do you like Elia that much?”

 

“Purung!”

 

“I like Elia the best too!”

 

“Purr!”

 

She laughed when she saw Liam and Charles acting as if they were having a conversation. While watching the two, she found Bruno struggling with a black horse far away. It was a bit surprising to see Bruno, the stable manager, having a hard time with the horse. What do you mean that Bruno was having such a hard time?

 

“Huh? Those are my father’s words…”

 

She turned her head to the child’s words.

 

“You mean the Duke?”

 

“Yes. This is my father’s horse, Rex. Rex is difficult to handle except for my father. He is very fierce.”

 

“That’s why Bruno was so upset.”

 

“Yes. Rex barely listens to Bruno. I guess it’s because he doesn’t speak normally.”

 

“Are you saying it’s because he’s a special horse?”

 

“I heard that Rex is a horse that was specially improved through magic research. That’s why it’s different from ordinary horses.”

 

That’s not a general statement… Yes, the atmosphere itself definitely seemed different. It was completely different from the Charles in front of her. Of course, it was obvious that Charles was a special horse, but that horse was so special that the atmosphere it gave off was foreign. It was then.

 

“…uh?”

 

Rex, who was confronting Bruno, suddenly raised his head towards her. The big black eyes that met her at that moment slowly narrowed. It was a moment when she looked at it quietly, not knowing what it meant.

 

“Rex? Where are you going, Rex!”

 

The black horse trotted towards her, as if it didn’t even hear Bruno’s cries. When Charles saw Rex coming, he walked away as if he had just hit her. Rex came a short distance away and circled around her. He looked as if he was examining her, so she was confused.

 

“Hey, so Rex…?”

 

“…purr.”

 

Rex snorted in response. The problem was that it was snorting so close that it was a burden.

 

“Rex, how many times have I told you that you need to take a bath? Let’s go, okay?”

 

Before they knew it, Bruno came running and gently comforted Rex as if comforting a child. But Rex was busy snorting at her without even paying attention to Bruno.

 

She asked Bruno, pointing at Rex.

 

“…Why is he doing this?”

 

“Well, Rex is a male too… but I’m not sure this time.”

 

Bruno gave an ambiguous expression.

 

“You don’t know?”

 

“Yes. Rex behaves so rudely to everyone except the Duke that it is difficult to understand his true feelings. Moreover, he is not a normal horse.”

 

“Because it’s a horse that has been improved through magic research?”

 

“It looks like you heard the explanation from the master.”

 

She nodded.

 

“Rex, you can’t do that to Elia.”

 

The kid next to her spoke harshly to Rex, but he didn’t seem to listen. Even though she wanted to comfort the child who quickly became sullen, she was distracted because Rex kept looking at her.

 

“Why are you doing this?”

 

Sniff.

 

This time Rex sticks his snout closer and sniffs the top of her head.

 

“Okay, let’s go now. You need to clean up before the Duke comes.”

 

It was the moment Bruno pulled Rex’s reins.

 

“Purr!”

 

Rex turned his head as if getting angry, bit the hem of her clothes, and threw them up into the air. It was so incredibly powerful that her eyes widened.

 

“Ahh!”

 

She closed her eyes tightly, thinking that if he continued like this she would fall to the floor without moving.

 

“Ugh!”

 

But strangely, she didn’t feel any pain like falling to the floor. She only felt a little pain as she hit something hard yet smooth. When she opened her eyes, she screamed again at what she saw.

 

“Ugh!”

 

“Where are you going, Rex?”

 

“Wow, Elia!”

 

Rex, who had her on his back, started running vigorously. She was beside herself with the sudden situation. She held onto Rex’s mane tightly because she felt like she would die by accident if she fell in this state.

 

“Stop!”

 

“At there!”

 

Richard, Jade, and the other two knights chased them, but to no avail. Rex ran without hesitation, easily jumping over whoever was in his way. She had no idea why this guy was saying this. The best thing to do was just hold on so as not to fall.

 

“Can’t you stand there?!”

 

“That damn thing is crazy!”

 

All kinds of curses were heard from behind. She also wanted to swear at Rex, but all that came out of her mouth was a scream. When she finally raised her head, shaking as if in an earthquake, she saw that the area around her was full of trees. Rex, who was accustomed to running over obstacles, surprisingly jumped over the incredibly high wall at the end in one go.

 

‘Oh my god.’

 

Only then did she realize that she was completely out of the mansion, so she closed her eyes tightly and lowered her head.

 

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