Became Pregnant With the Demon King’s Child

Lowell thought to himself that hyacinths were a shade deeper than his own eyes, but didn’t bother to refute Felix’s comment. Felix didn’t stop there and now stared intently at the yellow daffodils.

“That one looks like your hair color. I think it’d resemble it even more when it sparkles under sunlight.”
When the topic of picking a favorite flower came up, Felix wasted no time in finding flowers that resembled Lowell. He didn’t seem to be speaking with much thought, but to Lowell, it came across as an unfiltered confession.
“That red one is…”

“Y-you don’t have to say any more.”
“Is that so?”
Lowell cut off Felix, who was staring at the red tulip, with a blunt expression. If she listened any further, her face felt like it might explode. Felix looked at her with a confused expression, as if wondering why she was stopping him when he was only answering her question, but didn’t continue speaking.

Is he that young that he speaks so innocently and without calculation?
Lowell recalled her own childhood and shook her head. No, that was just how he was by nature.
“Lowell, you were right. I think having flowers in the greenhouse is better.”
Felix, who had been quietly walking hand in hand with her through the greenhouse, finally spoke.

“I never thought flowers were beautiful before, but now that I look at them, they’re not bad.”
There were noticeably many blue and yellow flowers lined up. From the hand ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) he was holding, Lowell could feel a rapid pulse.
“Right?”

From Felix’s right hand came the sound of metal clinking. It was the bracelet inlaid with obsidian that he hadn’t taken off even for a moment.
Clink, clink.
The two of them produced a faint sound as their feelings collided. At times it shook them, at times it soothed them.

“The sun’s setting. If you’ve seen enough, we should head back to the tower before the path ices over.”
Though the greenhouse was kept warm by magic, the path back to the tower was chilly even with thick clothes. Lately, Lowell had been more sensitive to the cold, so she obediently followed his words.
“Ah!”

But perhaps the shaded part had already frozen over—Lowell staggered slightly. Felix, who had been walking half a step behind her, paled as he rushed to support her.
“Why do you always almost fall over like this?”
Unable to watch Lowell’s unsteady steps any longer, Felix picked her up. As her legs were lifted off the ground, Lowell was momentarily flustered, but soon awkwardly let herself be held. Because of their difference in physique, Lowell looked like she was buried in Felix’s arms.
I never thought the day would come when I’d be held like this.

In the past, whenever she thought about her old body, she missed its sturdiness. But today, she thought that this body wasn’t so bad either. Entrusting herself to someone else felt uncomfortable and unfamiliar, but the sensation was nice.
“Your Grace, when we return to the tower, let’s talk.”
Lowell, fully relaxed in the warm embrace, closed her eyes and spoke. Felix adjusted his hold on his beloved more comfortably and forced the corners of his mouth upward. Darkness clung to the awkward curve of his smile.

“There’s no need for that. We just need to get along like we did today.”
“Your Grace, you haven’t exactly been getting along well until now.”
The sound of footsteps on snow fell out of rhythm. The melancholy cry of a nocturnal bird, just waking up, brushed past the sky.

“I’m fine with how things are.”
“I’m not fine with how things are.”
The sun completely disappeared behind the mountains. A star had just begun to reveal its light, reflected in Felix’s eyes. He realized he could no longer evade this.

“Without trust, affection can’t bloom. It just withers into resentment. I don’t want our relationship to become like that.”
If Lowell had insisted on defending herself or said it was unfair, Felix had planned to say there was no need. He was prepared to push her to simply follow his will while he made an effort to trust her. But Lowell spoke of their future relationship—something Felix had never dared to envision.
“…Alright.”

He finally answered with a breath that sounded more like a groan. He was too frightened to move, but Lowell was too brave and direct. Felix couldn’t stop a storm like him. To find peace, he’d have to throw himself into the storm and reach its eye.
“Let’s do that.”
The sound of footsteps on the snow became steady again. His firm, upright gait carried the atmosphere of someone who had made a firm resolution. On the way back to the tower, the two of them remained silent, immersed in the evening air. Even without words, their hearts felt closer than ever.

It was the same after they returned to the tower. After changing out of their cold clothes, they sat on the sofa for a while. Naturally, Lowell was the first to speak.
“Please invite the guest.”
“…What?”

The request was shocking. Though Felix had braced himself to hear whatever she might say, he couldn’t help but ask again on instinct.
“Please invite the guest to the tower. It’ll be faster to talk with all three of us together than me explaining everything one by one.”
Even at his startled response, Lowell didn’t waver. On the contrary, her reply became firmer and more specific.

“By guest, you mean that young pup?”
“Yes. Since the one who gave the note was Lord Zephyros, it only makes sense to invite him. If we summon him during the day, word might spread faster, so I think it would be best to send a trustworthy knight to bring him discreetly.”
Lowell calmly explained the plan she had drawn up.

“We didn’t have time to coordinate beforehand, so you can even question the knights if you’d like.”
“…Got it.”
With a short reply, Felix didn’t hesitate for long before calling Tony and ordering him to bring Zephyros. Tony gave Lowell a brief nod in greeting before promptly leaving. Though he looked a bit thinner than before, his complexion didn’t seem bad, and Lowell felt relieved.

***
A knock echoed through the quiet tower. When Felix opened the door and saw Zephyros, who had gone pale as a sheet, he raised an eyebrow. Being summoned by the master of the tower at night was never a good sign, so Zephyros’s nervousness was only natural. But to Felix, who already disliked him, even that seemed displeasing.
“Have a seat over there.”

Felix gestured with a tilt of his chin toward the sofa across from Lowell. With stiff steps, Zephyros sat down opposite her, stealing glances at Lowell. Dressed lightly, she wore a gentle smile that only made her goddess-sculpted beauty shine even more.
“To leer at an omega who already has a mate… how utterly rude.”
Felix deliberately scooted closer to Lowell and scolded Zephyros. Zephyros, while reflecting on his shameless gaze, also reaffirmed his belief that the master of this castle clearly had a case of pathological jealousy.

“That wasn’t my intention. Please forgive my rudeness.”
Trying to avoid being caught glancing between the contrasting pair, Zephyros fixed his gaze. But the suffocating pressure from the duke who still refused to utter words of forgiveness left him breathless.
“Your Grace, we’re here to talk about something else today, aren’t we?”

Unbothered by the stifling atmosphere, Lowell lightly stroked Felix’s arm, like a circus performer skillfully handling a beast.
“…Yes. Lowell, as you wish.”
And Felix responded the same way. He instantly calmed his anger and submitted to Lowell. From what Zephyros had heard in rumors and from the emperor’s servants, Felix was said to be coercive and violent toward Lowell. The first impression Zephyros got from the two only strengthened his suspicions.

But now, seeing them in a private moment for the first time, Zephyros slowly began to doubt his own theory. He tried to argue mentally that they were only acting close because he was present, but their behavior seemed far too natural.
“Lord Zephyros, you gave me a note, didn’t you? Please tell me directly what it said.”
Zephyros reached to touch the sword that was practically his other half, trying to calm his unease, but of course he had left it outside for security reasons. His hand hovered awkwardly in the air.

“Th-that…”
“What happened here tonight won’t leave the ducal estate. Please don’t worry and speak freely.”
Even someone as dense as Zephyros could tell that Lowell was promising she wouldn’t hold him accountable and would make sure the emperor wouldn’t hear of this. Glancing nervously at Felix, who only grew more menacing when their eyes met, Zephyros finally began to speak, stammering.

“…It said that if Young Lord Lowell was being threatened by His Majesty, I would offer my help.”
“Please tell me why you thought I was being threatened.”
Feeling like a criminal under interrogation, Zephyros hung his head. In truth, he was being interrogated, though he hadn’t realized it.

“When I said I wanted to visit Nyx this time, I was told to be careful… That it might be better to pretend I didn’t know anything, since Young Lord Lowell could have been brought here against his will. I said I couldn’t accept that and asked if there was anything I could do.”
He spoke slowly and vaguely, his voice faint as if it might disappear at any moment, head bowed low. He didn’t see the twisted smile forming on Lowell’s lips.