I Became a Mother of a Sub-Male Son

“When I noticed something strange, I saw a group of priests. I was in a hurry and ran after them by myself, but I ended up missing them…”

 

She paused for a moment and took a deep breath.

 

“At some point, the place changed. I don’t know why. It may be hard to believe, but it’s true.”

 

Even as she confessed her words, she noticed his feelings. For those who only listen without seeing, it would be nonsense.

 

“Then, let’s go to that forest later and check it out.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes. Instead, you will have to accompany me when I go there to investigate.”

 

“It doesn’t matter. I was planning on going anyway.”

 

“So what did you see after the location changed?”

 

“Ah, yes. What I saw there…”

 

She told him most of what she saw there. After finishing the story, excluding the existence of the ‘white bird’, the Duke’s face was surprisingly calm.

 

“You knew that, right?”

 

“What?”

 

“That High Priest Laud is not actually a good person.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Did you already know, Duke, when I asked about High Priest Laud before?”

 

He nodded. As expected, what she guessed back then was correct. It was when she unconsciously lowered her gaze while watching him answer obediently. The bracelet on her wrist came into view. Would she like to release this too now? After thinking for a moment, she held out her bracelet-covered wrist to the Duke.

 

“Don’t you think you can release this? You know that I won’t do anything hasty.”

 

Even though she saw the corners of his eyes narrow slightly, she spoke steadfastly.

 

“So please release me, Duke.”

 

“What if I say I don’t like it?”

 

“Why?”

 

“I guess you still don’t know how I found you.”

 

She blinked for a moment.

 

“…So this was a bracelet with that function?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Are there any other functions besides that? Please tell me everything right now.”

 

“No.”

 

She was a little taken aback by the rejection that came without hesitation. No, what if he told her a little bit?

 

“You’re so nasty.”

 

“…?”

 

“You really have unique tastes. I wonder if you get pleasure from knowing where everyone else is.”

 

She immediately turned her head, ignoring the fierce look in his eyes. It’s her business. While she was grumbling and thinking about something else, a small sigh came from next to her.

 

“Who do you call a pervert?”

 

“Then it’s not right? If you don’t want to be misunderstood anymore, please take off this bracelet.”

 

“I told you I didn’t like it.”

 

“Please release me.”

 

“I can’t.”

 

“If you can’t let me go, I need to know why.”

 

“I’m not obligated to give the answer…”

 

“There is no obligation? Don’t say things like that anymore. Because it doesn’t work anymore.”

 

She looked at the Duke with her eyes wide open. Instead of answering, the Duke chose to keep his mouth shut. He always seemed to be at a disadvantage and kept his mouth shut. She decided that further fighting was pointless, so I decided to give up.

 

‘Bracelet… I just have to be careful like I have been up until now.’

 

It was when she stood up with the thought of taking a shower. Because her legs suddenly lost strength, her body leaned forward helplessly.

 

“Ugh!”

 

It was the moment she closed her eyes and screamed. She felt like her body was spinning around, and then she felt a soft sensation behind her back.

 

‘?’

 

As soon as she slowly opened her eyes, she took a deep breath at the sight of smooth lips.

 

‘Huh!’

 

She slowly lowered her gaze to check what her current posture was. It seemed like the Duke caught her as she fell forward and turned around when he saw her crushing her body on the bed. Coincidentally, both her palms were resting exactly on his chest.

 

“So you really like touching here? You did that last time and you still do that now.”

 

“…W-what?”

 

“You seem to have nasty and unusual tastes. Well, I’ll respect you.”

 

Wasn’t the Duke who said that slightly raising the corners of his mouth?

 

‘Huh, indeed. I’m so dumbfounded…’

 

Seeing that he was repeating exactly what she said earlier, she guessed he felt quite unfair to others. Anyway, when she saw it like this, she didn’t know who the kid was. She curled up the corner of her mouth without going down from his body. It was because of a useless desire to win. Well, let’s see who wins this way.

 

“Yes. That’s right. I have a taste for touching the nape of the neck, a taste for touching the hand, and a taste for touching the cheek like this…” 

 

As she moved her hand upward and lightly touched him, the Duke’s expression gradually changed. It started to distort. It was when she held both cheeks and held her face out to him, smiling to herself that she had won.

 

Bamm!

 

“Elia, wake up now…”

 

The child hurriedly came in and stopped in his seat. Wide-open eyes were fixed on them. After looking at the child blankly, she finally came to her senses and explained.

 

“Lian, this is so…”

 

The child who had walked right in front suddenly let out a bewildered sound.

 

“Elia, when are you getting married?”

 

“…huh?”

 

“The date of father and Elia’s wedding.”

 

In her embarrassment, she looked at the child and hurriedly got down from the Duke’s body and waved her hand.

 

“No, that’s not it! Lian, I think there’s some misunderstanding…”

 

“Are you two completely on good terms now?”

 

“I said it wasn’t like that. You misunderstood, misunderstood.”

 

“But Elia climbed on top of father…!”

 

She felt like she couldn’t even lift her face because of the embarrassment, so she ran out of the room with the child covering his mouth.

 

“…Ugh, yes…”

 

She lightly pinched the cheek of the child who was muttering earnestly even though his mouth was covered. She set her child down in the hallway and tried to explain.

 

“Lian, it’s not what you think, so forget what you saw earlier. Okay?”

 

“But you seemed to get along really well with my father, didn’t you?”

 

“It was just an accident. My legs were weak and I almost fell. The Duke caught me.”

 

“Uh, but…”

 

The child trailed off as if he had something more to say. She smiled awkwardly and stroked the child’s head.

 

“It was definitely an accident, an accident. Okay?”

 

“…okay.”

 

The child nodded and said “Ah” and started looking here and there over her body.

 

“By the way, are you okay, Elia? You came back hugged by my father.”

 

“…huh? What?”

 

“My father rode a horse to the mansion holding Elia. He was the one who carried Elia to her room.”

 

He came from that forest on a horse with her the whole time and carried her all the way to her room? With his own hands?

 

She looked down at the child in bewilderment.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes.”

 

While she was dazed for a moment, she heard the child’s voice again.

 

“But how far did Rex take Elia? Father scolded Rex so much.”

 

“Oh, I went to the forest near the temple.”

 

“The forest near the temple? Why did Rex go there?”

 

“Well, I’m not sure.”

 

Even as she said that, a hypothesis came to mind. The absurd hypothesis was that he took her to that forest to make her see the High Priest’s suspicious activities.

 

“Anyway, you don’t know how surprised I was that Elia returned safely.”

 

“I’m sorry for making you worry.”

 

“Why are you sorry, Elia? It’s all Rex’s fault not yours.”

 

“I guess I have some trouble with horses. Charles was the one who got into trouble last time, and this time it’s Rex.”

 

As she sighed deeply, the child let out a small laugh.

 

“Isn’t it true that Rex likes Elia, just like Charles? It’s the first time I’ve seen Rex let someone other than my father ride on his back.”

 

“Rather than letting me on, wouldn’t it be more accurate to say he tried to carry me away like a piece of luggage?”

 

“But since he gave away her back, I’m sure Rex likes Elia.”

 

He made a proud expression and stuck out her upper body. As if he were bragging. It felt strange to see him feel proud even though it wasn’t his doing. Would she feel this way if she were married and had children?

 

“Why, Elia?”

 

“No, it’s nothing.”

 

“I thought Elia was sick again.”

 

The sight of her child exhaling deeply as if she was relieved was just beautiful.

 

“Wow, pretty thing.”

 

She spun in place, lifting her child upright.

 

“…Ugh, I’m dizzy.”

 

“It’s just so pretty I’m dying, huh?”

 

“No, Elia is prettier.”

 

The child smiled at her words and gave her a pretty smile while rubbing her cheek.

 

“Tsk.”

 

At that time, the Duke, who she didn’t know when she came out of her room, passed by them, clicking his tongue… That human being really.

 

She glared at the back of the Duke’s head for a moment and then went back into the room holding the child.

 

* * *

 

After dinner, she went for a walk alone and when she left the garden, Richard came back. He seemed to have returned to the mansion and washed up, as his brown hair was slightly damp.

 

“Richard, where did you go out?”

 

“I went to the capital for a while.”

 

“Is it so?”

 

As she looked at Richard nodding, she noticed a scratch on the inside of his neck. It was a wound that looked like it had been grazed by something sharp.

 

“Did you have a fight with anyone?”

 

“No, why are you asking?”

 

“You have a wound on my neck.”

 

She lightly touched the wound on his neck with her fingertip.

 

“Here you go.”

 

“…ah.”

 

“What happened outside?”

 

“…A little bit, something like that happened.”

 

“Did you happen to be attacked on the way there?”

 

For just a moment, she caught Richard flinching with her own eyes. She just asked the question without thinking, but I never thought it would be the right answer.

 

“That’s right?”

 

“…It’s not something you should worry about.”

 

“Well, that’s true. But be careful.”

 

“Okay.”

 

She fumbled around in her pockets to see if she had anything to clean, and pulled out a bundle of cloth that caught her fingertips. It was Richard’s handkerchief that she had put in her pocket to return later.

 

“Wait a minute. I’ll clean it for you.”

 

As she pressed the handkerchief to the wound on Richard’s neck, his eyes widened slightly.

 

“Is this the handkerchief I gave you earlier?”

 

“Yes. I originally washed it clean to give it to you later, but I kept forgetting. Anyway, I’ll wash it again and give it to you.”

 

“No, you don’t have to give it back.”

 

“Why? It’s Richard’s.”

 

“I gave it to you, so you can handle it yourself.”

 

“You want me to have it?”

 

She looked at Richard for a moment, who nodded.

 

“Well, I understand.”

 

She was slightly bothered by his insistence that she went out of her way to have it, but she decided not to care. It was a moment when she felt like she had to go back to her room.

 

“Wow, be surprised.”

 

The Duke was standing not far away, glaring at her. Why was that person standing like a statue and glaring at her? The fierce look in his eyes didn’t make her feel good. She looked at him quietly, and then she looked at Richard with a feeling of uncertainty.

 

‘What if…?’

 

Richard was bowing to the Duke. As she stared, his eyes turned to her again.

 

“Why do you do that?”

 

“…No. It’s nothing.”

 

She turned to walk and deliberately stumbled and pretended to fall. Then Richard grabbed her body, which was leaning to the side.

 

“Be careful.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

She smiled at Richard and glanced at the Duke. Before she knew it, she was walking along with her body stretched out. She didn’t know exactly whether the Duke saw that Richard caught her as she was about to fall. But after seeing it, she felt like she had turned around. Feeling like she was gradually grasping his strands, she gently squeezed his fingertips. She stood still until the Duke was out of sight, walking in a direction other than the mansion.

 

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