Became Pregnant With the Demon King’s Child

Among the goods brought in from the upper district was a letter—encrypted, just like last time. It didn’t even need to be checked; it was obviously from the Crown Prince.

So the Crown Prince’s engagement was successfully annulled. Given the timing, this must be a message telling us to send Robin back to Phoebus.
Lowell glanced sidelong at Felix opening the envelope, his thoughts calm and unhurried. Parting was a bit regretful, sure, but it wasn’t like they’d never see each other again. However, as Felix read the letter, his gaze slowly darkened, and Lowell straightened his posture.
“Did something happen?”

“It seems the ritual will take place earlier than scheduled. I’m likely to be summoned to the capital sooner than we expected.”
Felix spoke only after habitually checking their surroundings. His face looked no different from usual, but his voice carried a subtle weight—it gave away his unease. Lowell understood immediately what ritual he meant, without needing any further explanation.
Why? That didn’t happen in the original story.

Lowell’s thoughts grew disoriented. He couldn’t tell just how far the butterfly effect of his involvement had spread.
No way… the outcome isn’t going to change too, is it?
He tapped his fingers on the table, pushing away the first negative thought that had come to mind.

No use worrying for nothing. I should focus on what to do next. Even the noble faction would find it burdensome to push the schedule forward from what they’d originally planned. That means there must be a compelling reason to rush like this…
Just as Lowell was sinking deeper into thought, Felix noticed his suddenly tense expression and reached out to hold his hand. The gesture broke his train of thought completely.
“There’s no need for that worried look. Nothing’s been decided yet. All the letter says is that they’re planning to summon me under some pretense soon.”

“So they haven’t found any concrete evidence of Your Grace meeting with the Crown Prince, correct?”
“Right. Judging by their response, it seems something’s gone wrong on their side.”
Lowell rolled his eyes.

In that case, it’s not that any critical information leaked. More likely, they concluded the original plan would fall apart because of how Felix has changed.
That was the most favorable assumption among all the possibilities. The more desperate the enemy grew, the more leeway they would have.
And the most likely basis for that judgment… is probably the intel Zephyros gave them. He’d been in the capital for quite a while. I don’t know what exactly he said, but he wouldn’t have been able to keep completely silent about us.

Seeing Lowell once again deep in thought, rubbing his chin, Felix shook his head.
“This time, I’ll take you with me. I can’t bring you all the way to the capital, of course, but I’ll escort you to a nearby territory I trust.”
Lowell’s eyes widened. He had naturally assumed Felix would leave him behind at the castle. Seeing his confusion, Felix offered a further explanation.
“Normally, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° staying in the castle would be the safest option. But they say that in the final stages of pregnancy, being apart from your alpha isn’t ideal. For someone strong, it might not matter, but for those with weaker bodies, being without pheromones for more than two weeks puts a strain on the system. It may be frightening, but this will be better for you. We’ll teleport there, so it won’t be difficult.”

That was something Lowell had read about as well.
“I’m not scared. Honestly, I would’ve hated waiting alone at the castle even more.”
Lowell gave a weak little smile, thinking that this frail body of his was occasionally a blessing.

Then I’d better get as much done as possible before we leave.
He was just about to sort through his tasks in his head when—
“How about we go on a trip?”

“…A trip?”
The topic felt like an abrupt change in direction. Still, Felix continued as if this had been the main point all along.
“Yes. It’ll only get harder once your belly gets bigger. I was going to wait a bit longer, but before things get too hectic, I think it’d be better to go now.”

Looking down at his belly—which had become unmistakably round, clearly showing he was pregnant—Lowell recalled a conversation they’d had before. They had talked about wanting to travel together and had even discussed possible destinations. Back then, it had been a vague “someday”, but now they were speaking in specifics.
“Alright. Do you already have somewhere in mind?”
Lowell was certain Felix had brought up the trip in an effort to offset the anxiety caused by the letter. If so, then Lowell wanted to play along with him.

“How about the place I mentioned before? It’s called Cania. The flowers should be in full bloom this time of year. Or we could go to Cray Island. It’s more secluded, so it might be more comfortable.”
Lowell had a hunch Felix was mistaking him for someone who adored flowers—but decided to let him keep thinking that.
If it’s something Felix is offering, I’ll like it either way.

They had only just decided to take a trip, but his heart was already racing like he might leave tomorrow.
“I’d love that. When should we go?”
“Three days from now should be good. I need some time to prepare.”

***
After much discussion, the two decided on Cania. A trip to the island would have been nice at any time, but Cania was at its most beautiful during this season.
“We’ll take care of the packing, sir.”

“I’d like to handle what I’ll carry myself.”
Clothing could be whatever was prepared, but things he’d carry with his own hands were different. Ignoring the servants’ protests, Lowell packed a variety of essentials himself and read up on Cania. The trip was now just a day away.
Well, it’s not like I have a smartphone—just flipping through travel booklets, really.

It was a popular tourist spot, so there were plenty of guidebooks. Even if there weren’t travel documentaries or promotional videos like in Eunoh’s world, there were at least essay-style travelogues. Reading them, he could enjoy imagining the scenery.
Looks like they’re famous for their street food. Guess all tourist spots are the same.
Lying in bed, Lowell flipped through the latest travelogue. It was probably at least two years old, but in this world, that counted as fairly recent.

“Looking forward to the trip?”
Felix had just returned and sat beside him, wearing a gentle smile. He’d known Lowell would be pleased, but not this pleased—and that satisfaction showed on his face.
“Of course. It’s been so long since I’ve traveled.”

Nyx was lovely in its own way, but after being there so long, it had become overly familiar. When he’d first seen the Snowy Mountains, they had looked breathtaking—but seeing them every day had turned them into mere background.
They say humans are creatures of adaptation.
Lowell found his own situation a little funny, but that didn’t stop him from feeling excited.

“We can teleport partway there, but from there we’ll have to take a carriage to Cania. Will that be alright?”
The plans had been made somewhat hastily, so they weren’t perfect. But even that seemed fun to Lowell. Teleportation only let you see a limited space—riding a carriage meant they could watch the scenery along the way.
And thinking back to the last carriage ride, it wasn’t all that uncomfortable. Shockingly smooth, even. Felt like riding a train.

Seeing Felix still anxious since yesterday, Lowell reassured him again. But Felix’s eyes kept drifting to his belly.
“Everyone said it was fine.”
Felix had questioned every servant and priest with pregnancy experience about whether it was really okay to ride a carriage at this stage. Judging by their exhausted expressions last night, he must’ve harassed them even when Lowell wasn’t around.

“True, but… your body is delicate.”
“Let’s just focus on the good things. Like what we’re going to eat when we get there, what we’ll do—that kind of stuff.”
Lowell passed Felix the booklet with a bright voice. Felix, who had been squinting in worry, sighed in defeat and took it.

“Anything in particular you want to do?”
“Well, there’s a boat ride you can take. Down a river filled with blooming flowers. It’s apparently beautiful both during the day and at night, when magical spheres light up the water.”
Lowell chattered away as if he’d been waiting to be asked. Honestly, he was more drawn to the food—but knowing Felix still hadn’t regained his appetite, he thought it better to focus on the scenery.

“What if the boat tips and you fall in?”
Felix, about to nod, mumbled the thought aloud as another worry surfaced. Lowell, amused by his growing list of concerns, silently laughed to himself at the overprotectiveness.
“Well then, you’ll have to save me, Your Grace. Come to think of it, we should ride during the day. The water would be colder at night, wouldn’t it?”

And so, until the moment they went to bed, they carried on that odd rhythm—Lowell suggesting something, Felix worrying about it, and Lowell coming up with a backup plan.
But travel rarely goes as planned.
Lowell realized that the moment dawn broke the next day.