Became Pregnant With the Demon King’s Child

“If… if you don’t go…”
Lowell trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. He knew it was a useless thing to say. Unless Felix was far away, it made no sense for him not to participate in battle when he was right here. He was the lord of Nyx—the very symbol of victory.

Felix wouldn’t get hurt in some minor skirmish like this. There’s no reason to dredge up trauma.
He understood it rationally, yet he still wanted to reach out and grab Felix’s sleeve. Maybe sensing that, Felix—now fully dressed and ready—approached and knelt in front of him, searching Lowell’s face as he sat on the bed. Realizing he was holding Felix back in an emergency, Lowell felt ashamed.
“What’s making you so worried?”

“It’s nothing. I misspoke.”
Felix, unbothered by urgency, calmly examined Lowell’s expression. Lowell tucked his trembling hands under the blanket, trying to hide them.
Why am I so anxious?

He had thought he’d fully adapted to this world, but in truth, Lowell had never actually seen or encountered a monster before. This was the first time he’d had to acknowledge that such threats were always lurking nearby.
Is this really just concern for someone close to me?
Confused and uncertain, Lowell hung his head lower. Felix gently cupped his chin and lifted his face.

“These kinds of monster hunts are nothing. I promise I’ll come back in one piece.”
It was the opposite of their usual roles. The always-confident Lowell was shrinking back, while the cautious, reserved Felix was now resolute.
“Understood.”

“Lowell. You must stay here quietly. Even if someone knocks, don’t open the door. And make sure to eat with the knights. Don’t skip meals.”
He spoke like an adult leaving a child home alone, rattling off instructions. Lowell was frustrated that he couldn’t even ask to come along, but he swallowed that frustration.
“Yes. I believe you’ll return safely.”

“Good.”
Only after hearing that promise did Felix rise to his feet.
“Tia, Karis, Phil—stay here.”

Felix called out to the three knights waiting outside and ordered them to remain with Lowell. The three bowed low, waiting for the next instruction.
“Protect Lowell no matter what happens until I return.”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
They responded in unison.

“Take care.”
Lowell stood up from the bed and bid Felix farewell. With only a small nod in return, Felix disappeared from the inn with the knights at his back.
“Phew…”

Lowell moved to the window and stared blankly as Felix rode away from the village.
“There’s no need to worry.”
The scene must have looked so pitiful that even the usually cold and curt Tia was the first to speak.

“You think so?”
Even as she tried to reassure him, Lowell couldn’t take his eyes off the window. Felix had long since disappeared from view.
“Since it happened on the border between the forest and the monster domain, there was concern the monsters might move into populated areas—hence the urgency. But it’s not the kind of monster that poses real danger to a well-trained knight or mage. And His Grace is the strongest knight and archmage in the Empire. Nothing will happen.”

Tia continued her unusually verbose explanation. It was in stark contrast to her usual silence.
I must really look that worried.
Lowell touched the back of his head and stepped away from the window, returning to the bed.

“Thank you for explaining. I guess I was worried since it’s the first time I’ve seen His Grace go off to battle.”
He clenched his still-trembling hands into fists. Tia noticed but didn’t comment, only nodded calmly.
“You’ll grow used to the victories His Grace brings back.”

Her words radiated unwavering trust in Felix. Whatever others said about him, on the battlefield Felix was the most reliable person there was.
It’d be nice if people trusted him like that no matter where he is.
A bitter taste rose in Lowell’s mouth. Whether in dangerous battlefields, a peaceful castle, or even the capital Phoebos—Felix never changed. And yet, the way people looked at him was completely different.

“I hope so.”
Instead of expressing his bitter thoughts, Lowell smiled and gave Tia a polite reply.
“I’ll try to sleep a bit more.”

He shut his eyes tightly, pretending not to notice the storm still raging in his chest. His body, exhausted, begged for rest—but his overstressed mind kept him from sleeping.
He promised. He’ll be okay.
Even knowing that promises meant nothing in battle, Lowell kept repeating it to himself.

***
Lowell knew he had to eat, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He managed to skip lunch by pretending to be asleep, but he couldn’t put off dinner too. As the sun began to set, Tia came to wake him.
“His Grace will punish us if you don’t eat.”

If Tia hadn’t coaxed him like that, Lowell wouldn’t have even gone near the dining hall.
“I’ll get up.”
Throwing on some simple clothes, Lowell descended toward the dining room and asked Tia,

“When will the Grand Duke return?”
“If there weren’t more monsters than initially expected, it should be over by tonight. If you eat and rest, I imagine good news will [N O V E L I G H T] come soon.”
Tia didn’t sugarcoat the truth but explained the situation clearly. That honesty reassured Lowell more than hollow optimism.

“That’s a relief.”
This would surely happen more often in the future.
I need to be stronger about this.

Deliberately putting on a brave face, Lowell headed to the dining hall. He didn’t want Felix to worry if he found out Lowell had been in low spirits the entire time.
“What would you like to eat?”
The moment Lowell sat down, a waiter hurried over to take his order. Seeing the knights at his side, the staff must have assumed he was someone of high rank and acted more attentive.

“Do you have apple pie?”
He’d been eating well lately, but for some reason, he really wanted apple pie today.
“Of course!”

“Then I’ll have your most popular dish and a slice of apple pie, please.”
“Today’s special is tomato beef stew. Will that be all right?”
“Yes. Thank you.”

Lowell smiled brightly. Despite pulling his hood low, his looks couldn’t be hidden. The waiter blushed and quickly returned to the kitchen.
“You don’t have to eat if you’re not feeling well.”
Lowell turned to the knights and asked with deliberate friendliness. He wanted to show he was doing just fine, in any way he could. But all three shook their heads.

“We’re on duty. It’s our rule not to eat while guarding. We’re healthy and well-fed—please don’t worry.”
Phil noticed Lowell’s slightly awkward expression and softened his tone.
“Yes. He eats ten times as much as you do, so there’s absolutely no need to worry.”

Karis immediately jumped into the conversation. Having noticed that Lowell felt more at ease when talking, he was clearly trying to distract him. Lowell appreciated it—it helped dispel some of the anxiety.
“Well, he’s bigger than me and uses his body more, so that makes sense.”
“Please speak casually.”

Phil looked horrified at Lowell’s formal speech and begged. Lowell hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
It still feels weird to speak informally. Must be a habit from counseling sessions.
They weren’t married yet, but the knights already treated Lowell as if he were the Grand Duchess. It made more sense to build familiarity now than stay awkward, but changing his speech didn’t come naturally.

“I’ll work on it. Maybe when we get closer, speaking informally will feel easier.”
Lowell rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke. Karis and Phil both laughed.
“What’s so funny?”

“You’re just so honest.”
“That’s how I am.”
“And you have great initiative, too.”

“Right? He decided to come to Nyx almost immediately.”
Lowell responded playfully while receiving his stew, but deep down, he hoped people wouldn’t keep saying things like “he was brought here by black magic.” It was a relief to feel more relaxed than when he was alone upstairs.
“You really seem to like His Grace.”

“Huh?”
Startled, Lowell dropped his spoon just as he was about to take a bite.
“Sorry if that was out of line.”

“Do I really come across that way?”
Lowell was genuinely shocked that his attitude might be so obvious. He looked to Tia as if seeking help. She interpreted the look and nodded firmly.
“Yes.”

Picking his spoon back up, Lowell quietly reflected on his behavior.
What makes it so obvious?
Lost in thought, he picked at his stew when suddenly a group of people entered the dining hall—some of them wrapped in bandages. The noise drew attention, and the knights immediately tensed and cut off all conversation.

Lowell kept eating, pretending not to notice. But soon, his spoon clattered to the table again.
“I heard the priests were sent because the knights fighting in the forest were injured.”
“So they left mid-treatment?”

“Yeah. They were in such a rush. I overheard that even His Grace was wounded.”
Lowell’s face drained of all color.