Became Pregnant With the Demon King’s Child

The next day, Lowell still felt achy, but his fever had completely gone. He was sitting up in bed, eating potato soup. He did miss the beef and vegetable porridge, but without complaint, he kept moving his spoon diligently.
“It’s a relief the fever broke so quickly.”

“That’s what I told you. It was nothing.”
Lowell scratched his cheek, embarrassed that he’d come down with a fever just from having sex.
“I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“It’s because I didn’t imprint, really.”
Lowell was a bit dejected, since the imprinting had failed again. Until now, he’d believed it hadn’t happened because he hadn’t truly wanted it.
But this time, I did want it. I really did. I don’t think my feelings are any less than Felix’s… So why can’t I imprint?

Felix handed Lowell a plate of freshly peeled fruit.
“You can’t force feelings to change.”
The natural response only made Lowell feel more stifled. He’d said he loved him so much during sex, but since Felix didn’t remember, he still didn’t seem sure about Lowell’s feelings.

Still… there’s no way I can just blurt out “I love you” now, either. And come to think of it, Felix’s never said it while in his right mind, either.
Lowell sighed heavily as he ate a slice of apple. With no way to clear up the frustration, it seemed better to just change the subject.
“I’m pretty much better now, so could you tell me how the mission went?”

“You’re not completely better.”
Felix spoke firmly, but Lowell didn’t budge.
“Listening to a story won’t hurt anything.”

Tapping the table with his index finger, Felix eventually made up his mind and spoke.
“Fine. I suppose there are some things I have no choice but to tell you.”
At the word ‘things I have to tell you’, Lowell blinked in mild surprise and slowly chewed his apple. Having dismissed everyone but a few trusted knights, Felix took a sip of apple tea and began.

“We’ve decided to form an alliance with the Crown Prince.”
It was expected, but hearing that things had wrapped up without issue allowed Lowell to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
“According to ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) him, the Emperor, with a few nobles, was attempting to use dark magic to resurrect someone. The goal of the nobles pretending to support the Emperor is to make him lose his reason and turn him into a puppet.”
“That’s… terrifying.”

Lowell feigned surprise, but internally he was evaluating the accuracy of the Crown Prince’s intelligence. So far, it passed the test.
So he doesn’t know yet that the person they’re trying to resurrect is Felix’s mother—and that they intend to use Felix as a sacrifice to summon the Demon King.
In the original novel, the ritual fails, and Felix, upon seeing a monster resembling his mother, loses control. Contrary to the nobles’ expectations, he uses the Emperor as the sacrifice and becomes one with the Demon King.

I’d hoped that keeping Felix away from the capital would shift their target… but it seems the Emperor really is obsessed with him.
Lowell inwardly sneered at the Emperor, who continued to cling to a twisted love for his dead daughter. He hadn’t even blessed her happiness, had only spewed curses—and now, after her death, he was trying to bring her back. It was nothing short of pathetic.
“There’s a major ritual planned for the end of the year. I’m planning to stop it before they can carry it out. I was worried because of the baby, but it’s something that has to be done for the Empire’s future.”

Just as Felix said, that time of year would be close to Lowell’s due date. Personally, Lowell wished Felix could stay safely in Nyx, far away from the capital.
But judging by the Emperor’s ongoing schemes, it was clear he’d try anything to pull Felix into the ritual. The best course was to preemptively learn his plans and prevent the ceremony from happening in the first place.
In the original, it failed. But this time, Felix is siding with the Crown Prince, and if I leak the right information at the right time, we have a better shot. I just need to make sure Felix never sees that monster in his mother’s form.

Lowell kept his expression calm even as his mind whirred.
“It should be fine. The baby’s due early next year, remember?”
“Right.”

Felix paused for a moment, then spoke again like someone broaching a very difficult topic.
“And… the Crown Prince asked if I could shelter his mate here in Nyx. They’re supposed to arrive sometime next week, after receiving some treatment.”
“…Sorry? What?”

Lowell, answering automatically while crunching numbers in his head, blinked in shock and repeated the words. Felix looked equally displeased.
“His name is Robin, a personal attendant. Apparently, the family targeting the Crown Prince’s fiancé figured it out and tried to strike first. He asked me to hide him while things get sorted. It’s annoying—we just got rid of a troublesome guest, and now another one’s coming.”
Felix didn’t want to take in any more guests, wanting Lowell to be comfortable—but since they’d formed an alliance, it was difficult to refuse. Still, to Lowell, this was a good sign.

The Crown Prince wouldn’t send someone he didn’t trust completely. I don’t know his exact reasoning, but he clearly believes in Felix. Their relationship isn’t about to collapse anytime soon.
Lowell rested a hand over Felix’s, calming his own nerves.
“I don’t mind. If he’s on your side, Felix, there’s nothing to be uncomfortable about.”

“That’s a relief.”
Felix popped the last piece of apple into Lowell’s mouth.
“But now you call me by my name, not ‘Your Grace.’”

Felix, nodding absently, suddenly remembered—and despite himself, couldn’t hide his smile. Lowell burst into laughter so loud his shoulders shook. Felix didn’t know why he was laughing, but the sound pleased him.
“You were the one who asked me to, remember? Should I go back to calling you ‘Your Grace’ instead?”
Wiping tears from his eyes, Lowell teased. Felix was a little surprised to realize he’d said that, but accepted it easily. Whenever Lowell called his name, it made his chest feel warm.

“No. I like it better when you use my name.”
“So do I.”
Lowell squeezed his hand with a gentle smile.

“I like it when you say my name, too, Felix.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Please say it often.”

“I will, Lowell.”
The way Felix said Lowell sounded especially soft. Whether it was because his voice was so gentle or because it was filled with affection—Lowell couldn’t tell.
“Are you going to sleep more?”

“No. I was going to read.”
Lowell picked up the book he’d left at his bedside. It was about imprinting. He had no intention of telling Felix, but he wanted to figure out what it took to imprint.
I want to understand why I can’t do it.

Brushing off the gloom that tried to creep in again, Lowell adjusted his posture.
“Reading is fine, but don’t overdo it.”
“I won’t.”

Felix reluctantly got up to train with the knights. Left alone with the guards, Lowell read peacefully. After a long while, he finally found the passage he’d been looking for.
*[When imprinting occurs, one can no longer detect any pheromones aside from their mate’s. While it’s more stable than unilateral imprinting, if the pair does not regularly exchange pheromones, physical symptoms will occur.
Therefore, a strong desire to imprint is necessary—one that willingly accepts those inconveniences. If there is even the slightest resistance or hesitation toward imprinting, it becomes impossible.]*

Lowell traced the phrase ‘resistance or hesitation’ with his finger.
Have I been harboring hesitation all along?
He pressed his lips together and closed the book, unsettled. He wanted a clear answer.

So much for “a monk can’t shave his own head”—I counsel others for a living, but I can’t even understand my own heart.
He recalled the idiom—useless in this world—and stood. If he didn’t at least walk around the tower, he felt like he’d suffocate from the frustration.
“Make sure to dress warmly.”

Tia didn’t stop him from going out but insisted he wear something warmer than a few days ago. As Lowell pulled on the gloves Caris handed him, a question popped into his mind.
“Tia, you’re an Alpha, right?”
“Yes. My pheromones are weak, but I’m an Alpha.”

“Have you ever imprinted?”
“No. Imprinting isn’t that common.”
“I see.”

Lowell murmured, then asked the thing he was most curious about.
“Then… if you were the only one to imprint, would you feel hurt?”