Became Pregnant With the Demon King’s Child

When Lowell woke up in Felix’s bed, he was baffled, yes—but it was the second time, so he just rolled with it. What caught his attention more was his returning appetite. Even without apple pie, he felt like he could eat anything. That confidence sent him hurrying down to the dining hall. And sure enough, even after just the appetizer, his stomach wasn’t merely stable—it was howling with hunger.

Does morning sickness just… end this suddenly?
The suspicion came and went quickly. Filling his stomach took priority. Lowell picked up his fork and «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» took a large bite of food—
“Ugh.”

—and the man sitting across from him suddenly gagged. The tall, broad-shouldered Felix, who looked like he'd never had so much as a stomachache in his life, was clutching his mouth with a grimace that defied description, staring down at his hand.
I’m fine… so why is Felix like this all of a sudden?
Lowell glanced between the gagging Felix and his food.

“Take this away,” Felix muttered, clearly unable to endure the meal. While Lowell awkwardly chewed with a guilty look, wondering if he should have his own food removed too, Felix waved him off.
“Don’t mind me. Eat.”
There was no longer any trace of the unpleasant aftertaste in the salad. It tasted fresh, aromatic—even appetizing. His stomach demanded the next course without pause.

Lowell knew he should probably feel a bit more self-conscious with Felix suffering across the table. But his hands refused to stop moving. His body was practically rejoicing at eating something other than apple pie for the first time in ages.
“This is a soup made with apples.”
Felix rejected the next dish as well. Meanwhile, Lowell enjoyed the delicate blend of corn and just the right hint of apple, casting subtle glances across the table. At this point, it was undeniable: Felix was the one experiencing morning sickness.

He didn’t eat when I was nauseous. Is it really okay for me to eat like this now?
He still worried—but his hand wouldn’t stop moving. The dishes were hitting all the right notes, urging him to keep going.
“Are you feeling all right?”

Lowell, now a little embarrassed after polishing off his bowl, looked up at Felix’s pale face.
“You’re the one with the weak body. You need to eat well. Eat more.”
Felix must’ve picked up on Lowell’s hesitation, because he urged him again. Encouraged, Lowell took a bite of the grilled fish served next. It had been so long since he’d tasted clean, healthy protein—he was practically giddy. The tender white meat melted on his tongue with the aroma of herbs, and the lingering light richness made him want to hum in satisfaction.

In contrast, Felix looked utterly miserable, sipping only water to keep the nausea at bay. But even as he struggled, watching Lowell enjoy his food brought a faint smile to his face. He still couldn’t believe he’d imprinted, but the outcome—surprisingly—wasn’t all that bad. He even began to question the book that claimed imprinting only occurred with overwhelming, all-consuming love.
“This is steak with a honey glaze.”
The next dish was served. The head chef placed it before Lowell, then cautiously approached Felix. At first, it had been impossible to imagine someone like Felix in a romantic relationship. But seeing how he behaved at meals now, he looked like any ordinary Alpha in love—actually, if anything, one of the especially intense ones. Seeing Felix nauseous today seemed to disturb the kitchen staff less than when Lowell had been sick. There was a strange sense of relief in the air.
“Shall I take this back too, Your Grace?”

Felix didn’t refuse this one immediately. He leaned in, sniffed the aroma—and for once, allowed it to remain.
“No. Leave it.”
At first, the smell of meat had turned his stomach. But then the subtle honey scent teased at his nose. Compelled, he picked up his knife and cut off a piece.

“Oh—does that one work for you?”
Felix chewed, focusing on the honey. The scent reminded him of Lowell’s pheromones, which made the food bearable. The idea that Lowell had probably done the same—eaten while thinking of his pheromones—warmed him further.
“Yeah. It’s fine.”

He watched Lowell, cheeks puffed like a hamster, happily chewing. Felix took another bite of the honey-glazed steak. Even with the nausea lurking, everything felt strangely okay.
“Your chef’s talented. Everything’s been delicious.”
“Seems so.”

Felix made a mental note to give the chef a raise. For breakfast, he’d managed only three bites of steak and a cup of apple honey tea—but it was enough.
But Felix’s antics didn’t end there.
Ordinarily, having returned to the estate in a rush, he should’ve headed back into town to follow up on unfinished business. But instead, he hovered ceaselessly around Lowell. When Lowell moved through the house to check which rooms got good sunlight, Felix’s presence made sense—it was security, after all, following yesterday’s near-miss.

But now? They were back in the bedroom. There was no danger here. No one to watch over. And yet Felix had pulled up a chair next to the bed and was calmly reading.
“You’re not going anywhere?”
“No.”

Lowell gave him a not-so-subtle hint, but Felix didn’t budge—just gave him a look like, Why are you even asking?
Felix, flipping through a thick magical tome sturdy enough to use as a pillow, would glance over every time Lowell moved, asking, “Something wrong?”
Lowell had grown tired of repeating, “No,” or “I just shifted a little.” Three hours of this was pushing anyone’s patience.

“Where are you going?”
“To the restroom.”
The moment Lowell made to get up, Felix set down the heavy tome and stood as well.

“It’s dangerous. I’ll come with you.”
The bathroom was right there. There were four guards stationed outside his room. Unless Lowell slipped, rolled down three flights of stairs, and somehow impaled himself on a sword, he was perfectly safe.
“I’m going to the bathroom, Your Grace.”

Ignoring him completely, Felix swept Lowell up in his arms. He buried his nose in the crook of Lowell’s neck, inhaling deeply. A giant question mark hovered over Lowell’s head. He had no idea what Felix was doing, but the way he clung to him like a kitten following its mother was… odd, to say the least.
“Please don’t follow me in there.”
Lowell snapped back to reality just in time to stop Felix from escorting him all the way into the bathroom. Felix drooped a little, visibly disappointed.

“Why not?”
“Because it’s embarrassing! Who the hell follows someone into the bathroom?!”
“If it’s that embarrassing, I’ll wait outside.”

What was even weirder was that Felix didn’t seem to realize how weird he was acting. Lowell, desperate to vent, wished he could post about this on a forum—but there were no smartphones, no internet here. He moved slowly and washed his hands extra thoroughly. When he peeked out, Felix was still standing right there, waiting.
“Come here.”
Felix opened his arms and scooped him back up. Carried once again, Lowell could only stare in disbelief at this completely transformed man. It wasn’t until long after lunch that Felix finally left his side.

“A guest has arrived. I’ll be back shortly.”
A diplomat from a neighboring nation had come with a letter that needed to be delivered personally. Even then, Felix had tried to refuse, only agreeing after the butler pleaded with him.
Lowell took the opportunity to summon a nearby servant.

“Please fetch Priest Taishi. I have something I want to ask him.”
After witnessing more than ten staff members being fired yesterday, the servant responded quickly and ran off. Taishi arrived at Lowell’s room in under twenty minutes.
“Good morning, young master. Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, not that. I just have a question.”
“I see. May I take a look at your arm first?”
“Yes, of course.”

Taishi examined Lowell’s arm from several angles and nodded.
“Mmh. It’s healing nicely. So, what did you want to ask?”
“There’s something… odd about the Grand Duke.”

Taishi blinked in surprise and tilted his head.
“In what way?”
“He seems to be experiencing morning sickness in my place. And today, he’s been following me around all day. Like, obsessively. Is this something all Alphas do when they want to protect their unborn child?”

Lowell was starting to wonder if yesterday’s incident had triggered some primal instinct in Felix.
“Certainly not. Not all Alphas behave that way.”
Taishi let out a chuckle, as if the idea was ridiculous, and added—

“That’s a textbook case of imprinting. And a one-sided imprint at that.”
Lowell’s jaw dropped.