Became Pregnant With the Demon King’s Child

Lowell finished his daily routine and sent a letter to Felix. The contents were slightly different from usual.
To summarize, it was a veiled threat: “Grand Duke, I’d like to learn how to dance from you. I’ll be waiting at Swain Hill. I won’t resent you if you don’t come, but I’ll wait until nightfall. I might catch a cold by then.”
The weather was mild even in the evening, so there was no real danger of catching a cold from being outside. Still, Lowell had written those playful words as a way of saying he sincerely hoped Felix would come, fearing the absurd request to be taught how to dance might be ignored.

“I’d also like to talk about the rumors that are already spreading.”
He figured that if he emphasized it that much, Felix wouldn’t refuse. More than that, what weighed on Lowell’s mind was the location of the meeting. The only place both of them knew well that was also secluded from others’ eyes was Swain Hill. When he first thought of the place, he felt strangely guilty, as if he were stealing a private refuge Felix had carefully carved out for himself. Even so, he chose Swain Hill because he sensed that even in that cherished space, Felix seemed haunted by sorrowful memories.
Maybe I can give him a good memory there instead.

Lowell sighed deeply, suddenly recalling his atrocious dancing skills.
Though I don’t know if it will actually turn out to be a good memory.
Even as he lay down to sleep, he feared what tomorrow would bring.

***
The next day, dressed lighter than usual, Lowell slipped out unnoticed by the servants. They, who had rarely paid him any mind before, had been casting him strange glances ever since the rumors began. If they found out he was going to meet Felix, those glances would only become more blatant. He had no intention of inviting that kind of trouble.
Outside, Lowell pulled his hood up carefully, wary of being recognized. When the carriage dropped him off, he arrived slightly earlier than the appointed time.

Maybe the exercise has paid off?
The difference was barely noticeable, but his limbs ached less than the last time he’d come. As he wiped away sweat and looked around, he could see clear signs of Felix’s meticulous upkeep—at least around the spot where his mother’s keepsakes seemed to be stored. The rest of the hill was overgrown, but that area was neat and trimmed.
Lowell leaned against a nearby tree, letting the cool wind wash over him as he gazed up at the sky. A massive bird soared across the heavens.

“I really do adapt fast, don’t I?”
Nothing in Lowell’s world resembled the one Eunoh had lived in. During the day, he was usually too busy to dwell on it, but at night, the moon’s ever-changing hue stirred strange emotions in him. It wasn’t exactly longing for his original world. But still, the fact that the world had changed, that Eunoh had become someone else, and yet everything continued on as if nothing had happened—that was unsettling. Even he, now Lowell, had begun to adapt so naturally that the thought sent a chill through his chest.
“Let’s not get carried away.”

Lowell was adept at severing negative thoughts. To block out the noise that cluttered his mind, he closed his eyes and focused on the pleasant wind and the chirping of birds.
He’s later than I thought.
His head began to nod. He hadn’t slept well the night before, anxious over the impending dance.
Felix will wake me when he arrives.

He didn’t resist the drowsiness that gently pulled at his eyelids and rested his back fully against the tree. His breathing soon slowed, and he drifted off. But the weather had no intention of waiting for a sleeping guest. Clouds rolled in, dark and fast.
Drip. Drip-drip.
Raindrops began to fall on Lowell’s head, gradually turning into a downpour that obscured his vision. Stirring from deep sleep, he blinked blearily.

“Ah… it’s raining. A shower?”
But it wasn’t the kind of brief sprinkle one could wait out easily. He debated whether to keep waiting or seek shelter when—
“Lowell! Lowell Clarke!”

Felix’s voice rang out powerfully from afar. Lowell’s eyes widened; he’d never heard Felix raise his voice like that before. Moments later, Felix appeared, galloping full speed through the rain on a black horse. Stunned, Lowell forgot to respond and could only stare.
“Grand Duke?”
Water—sweat or rain, it was hard to tell—streamed down Felix’s face as he dismounted. His expression was pale, even as he rushed toward Lowell.

“You said you’d wait even if I didn’t come—what if I really hadn’t? You could’ve caught a cold from all this rain! If that turned into pneumonia—do you realize how serious that could have been?!”
Felix’s words came out in a burst of urgency. Lowell hadn’t expected the joke in his letter to be taken this seriously. Feeling guilty and flustered, he couldn’t bring himself to respond. Instead, he gently grasped Felix’s trembling hands. Despite his mention of a cold, Felix’s hands were the ones that felt ice-cold.
“Calm down, Grand Duke.”

“You should’ve just gone home when I didn’t show up!”
“Felix!”
It was the first time Lowell called his name out loud. Until now, he had always spoken to him with a mix of jest and formal address, but saying his name seemed to snap Felix out of it.

“I’m really fine. The rain only just started, and the weather’s warm—I don’t feel like I’ll catch a cold at all.”
Felix fell silent. He looked like he still had much to say, but his earlier outburst seemed to have released most of his tension.
“His Majesty… summoned me. I hadn’t meant to be late. But the one delivering my reply said you weren’t at the mansion…”

He stumbled awkwardly through his explanation. Given how rare it was for anyone to demand an explanation from Felix, it was no surprise he struggled to express himself now.
“I’ve caused you trouble, haven’t I? I’m sorry.”
Lowell quickly picked up on Felix’s unspoken remorse and tried to ease his burden. But Felix’s expression remained taut.

“Let’s go back. There’s a good inn nearby where we can get warm and dry.”
Lowell didn’t want this encounter to end with guilt or apologies. Especially not here—Swain Hill, of all places.
“What if we danced a little before going?”

“…What?”
Felix blinked, dumbfounded by the suggestion. Even Lowell knew it came out of nowhere, but he’d summoned him under the pretense of learning to dance—he had no better excuse to offer.
“I just think it’d be a shame to part ways without even trying, since I came here to learn.”

He took both of Felix’s hands in his.
“You need to warm up first. Dancing isn’t important right now.”
“But the weather’s warm—I’m not cold at all. I don’t want to look awkward at the next ball. Please, just show me.”

Felix couldn’t bring himself to refuse the earnest request, still feeling guilty for arriving late.
“Spread your legs a bit more. Otherwise, your steps will tangle.”
They began dancing awkwardly. Lowell’s movements weren’t as terrible as he’d feared—perhaps his body remembered the steps, or perhaps Felix was guiding him that well.

“Wow.”
They moved carefully, one step at a time. As they spun gently, the distance between them would shrink and expand, again and again. Lowell nearly stepped on Felix’s feet a few times, but Felix maneuvered skillfully to avoid mishaps. As they danced without concern for anyone’s gaze, Felix’s stiff lead gradually softened.
The atmosphere between them eased. Lowell, caught in the waning rain, burst into a radiant smile, like a flower bud just beginning to bloom.

Who would’ve thought I’d dance in the rain one day? If someone had suggested it before, I’d have said they were crazy.
What began as a way to lighten Felix’s mood left Lowell feeling strangely liberated. Felix, seeing that smile, stared at him as if witnessing a god—a look of helpless awe.
Those sparkling blue eyes, the elegant bridge of his nose, the mouth that lifted into dimples while holding hands that others called monstrous—nothing escaped Felix’s attention. He didn’t even realize his own lips had curved upward. Lowell’s laughter brushed his ears and resonated through his whole body. For some reason, he wanted to laugh out loud with him.

“Grand Duke Felix.”
The rain, once their only music, faded along with the retreating clouds. The sun broke through, casting light on Lowell.
“Why do you call me?”

Through the soaked white shirt, Lowell’s pale skin was clearly visible. Felix’s gaze traced the line from collarbone to the navel with unmistakable heat. The hand he held pulsed, hot and frantic. His heartbeat thudded throughout his body.
Lowell, feeling the warmth in front of him, forgot to breathe—and tripped.
Felix caught him instinctively.

But their unbalanced posture tipped over, and Lowell fell atop him.
“Are you all right?”
Lowell, worried about using Felix as a cushion, tried to get up. But Felix held him tightly, unbothered by Lowell’s squirming. The movement only pressed them closer.

“G-Grand Duke?”
Felix reached out and cupped Lowell’s cheek. Before Lowell could make sense of what was happening, Felix kissed him—hungrily, as if discovering an oasis in the desert.