“…Eclas Bitel, Baron.”
“The temple has received special privileges up until now.”
Eclas smiled again as he put down his teacup.
The temple has enjoyed numerous privileges under the pretext of divinity and faith.
They were exempt not only from import taxes but also from passage taxes and port usage fees.
However, that was only a custom based on faith.
“As you know, hasn’t the Paradel been damaged again? That… because of Dietrich, the ‘Cardinal’ and demon.”
When Dietrich’s name came out of his glib mouth, the faces of Giselle and the other priests froze coldly.
“We need repair funds. Baron Sched Lester said we should collect the port usage fees and passage taxes at each gate in Hellingen a bit more strictly.”
“Baron Lester…?”
“Ah, I met him briefly on the way to Paradel. He said he had something urgent to tell me….”
A calculating smile spread across Eclas’ lips.
[This is the timeline separator]In other words, Eclas was originally scheduled to arrive in Paradel a few days earlier than now.
However, due to a troublesome hindrance, his schedule was disrupted.
On the day he was hurriedly riding his carriage towards Paradel.
“What is the meaning of this, Baron Lester.”
The one who stopped the quickly moving carriage was none other than Sched Lester.
He seemed to have come out in a hurry, dressed simply.
“I have something to say.”
Sched shamelessly summoned Eclas outright.
Eclas twisted the corners of his mouth in displeasure at his brazen attitude.
“Baron Lester. I have many regrets towards you.”
The expression ‘regret’ was an overly polite and refined expression.
His feelings towards Sched were closer to anger or hatred.
“Still, I hope you can help me.”
As if not caring about Eclas’ ‘regret’, Sched pushed his own agenda.
Although Eclas rarely got angry, his anger boiled in the face of such shamelessness.
“Help you? After causing this mess?”
Eclas’ fist clenched tightly.
The disaster that unfolded in Paradel.
And the judgment passed upon Louise.
If only Louise had been left to live on Janna Island, such a tragedy would not have occurred.
But Sched Lester finally sought out the hidden Louise and Eve and dragged them out into the world.
And this was the result.
The wolf that broke into the perfect cage he had made.
The terrible beast that finally bit his beloved bird to death.
“Are you satisfied after personally sending Louise to hell with those hands?”
Sched, who had hated the Ideanas for a long time.
It was a sufficient ending for his revenge against the Ideanas who killed his brothers.
However, he had become a fool who offered the woman he loved as a sacrifice for revenge.
“Damn it, I’ll listen to your anger later.”
However, even at Eclas’ insult, instead of getting angry, Sched deeply rubbed his sunken eyelids and made a dry wash.
He also knew.
Because he had the same thoughts as Eclas thousands of times.
If I hadn’t found you.
If I hadn’t brought you here.
If we had each lived our own lives, knowing nothing.
Regrets piled up in the face of an unbearable tragedy.
If he could go back to the past, he wanted to cut off his own feet that had set out to find her.
However, he had to push his regrets behind him.
Before leaving deeper regrets, he had to act.
“…I don’t want to waste the little time we have by using our strength in different directions when we have the same goal. Isn’t it said that the enemy’s enemy is a friend?”
Sched’s fingertips fumbled with the hilt of his sword somewhat impatiently.
Every moment was precious.
Louise’s disposition was fast approaching.
“Friend?”
“Please, I beg you. I need your help now.”
Sched’s plea sounded quite desperate.
The head of the mighty duke was respectfully bowed towards the ground.
Eclas narrowed his eyes thinly as he looked at him.
“Do you know how many people have made emotional appeals to me, saying they have no money, and shed tears?”
“….”
“If I had been swayed by those appealing to my compassion, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”
Eclas’ voice was still cold.
At the uncooperative answer, Sched stared at Eclas with a cold gaze.
It was clear that he would not cooperate.
Faced with Eclas’ stubborn attitude, Sched roughly brushed back his hair.
There was no other way when Eclas Bitel was being so uncooperative.
“Then let’s forget about cooperation and just settle things.”
His polite and weak demeanor from earlier suddenly turned irritable and sharp again.
As if his previous politeness and weakness were just an act to get what he wanted.
Stiff head, pressuring downward gaze, straight back.
Eclas let out a hollow laugh at the sudden change in attitude.
Yes, this is your true feelings.
“Settle things, you say?”
“I’m talking about the bet we made a long time ago.”
Sched spoke coldly, throwing away the last bit of courtesy.
Eclas frowned for a moment, not understanding the context of the sudden mention of a ‘bet’.
But soon he recalled the bet he had made with Sched long ago.
The bet on whether Riana would get into the duke’s bed first, or the duke would leave him first.
“Since Louise got into my bed first, didn’t I win?”
He was going to ignore the outcome of this useless bet, grateful that at least Louise and Eve were safely protected, but he changed his mind.
“I should receive the value with interest added.”
When dealing with a merchant, use a merchant’s logic.
If the other party owes a debt, it must be relentlessly collected.
Sched made a sharp eye aiming at the prey’s neck and raised the corner of his mouth obliquely.
[This is the timeline separator]Eclas still didn’t want to go along with Sched’s plan.
But.
‘…I can’t refuse either.’
In the end, he had no choice but to accept the proposal Sched had put forth.
Not only for the bet but also for Louise’s sake.
Although annoyed, Eclas decided to exercise the power of the capital he possessed as Sched suggested.
‘The relationship with the temple will become quite bad….’
It doesn’t matter.
It seemed like a strong wind was about to blow anyway.
“I hope you can delay the Cardinals’ arrival in Paradel. You should be able to do that.”
“You’re not going to Paradel at a time like this?”
“I have something I need to find.”
The violet eyes of Lupus, who had been looking up at the sky impatiently, came to mind.
What he was trying to find, what he was trying to do was unknown, but he was clearly desperate.
“Just buy me time until I arrive.”
He couldn’t understand why he was leaving Louise’s side when her end was approaching.
However, Eclas had no intention of stopping him.
Deep in his heart, there was a part of him that hoped he would never come back.
Of course, the desire for him to return was greater.
“Fortunately, it seems that His Holiness the Pope’s Seal of Protection will arrive without issue tomorrow.”
Eclas said to the woman sitting with a twisted noble brow.
The Pope’s Seal of Protection, which will arrive with the Cardinals.
The indulgence to be bestowed upon Eve is coming to Paradel.
“The Seal of Protection will come with the Cardinals, right?”
“Ah, there are taxes on people and ships, but not on the Seal of Protection. We can’t leave the holy seal bestowed by His Holiness the Pope floating in the middle of the sea.”
“….”
“Cursing will not please God, Cardinal Giselle Marlhein.”
Eclas smiled as he watched Giselle glare at him quietly.
He knew she had a habit of silently offering vulgar prayers to the elegant Cardinal.
Then Giselle folded her arms and raised her long eyelashes with a sneer.
“Do you think I will give Eve the Seal of Protection first just because of that?”
It wasn’t just their side that had a hostage.
Only a Cardinal can engrave the Seal of Protection.
If Giselle doesn’t give the Seal of Protection, it will be just as troublesome for Louise.
Then Eclas placed his clasped hands loosely on his knees.
“Then you’re saying you’ll just keep the Seal of Protection in Paradel. Oh dear…. I hope no one covets that precious holy relic in the meantime. If the Seal of Protection is lost, it will take time to receive a new seal from the Vatican, and the execution of Miss Louise Ideana will be further delayed.”
Brown hair swayed softly sideways.
At the meticulous concern, Giselle’s fingernails dug into her flesh.
As he said, the Seal of Protection was now being moved here by someone Eclas was aware of, leaving the hands of the Cardinals whose feet were tied in Hellingen.
If it disappears in the process….
“Are you threatening me?”
“A threat, you say? Since it’s a holy relic that can be seen once or twice in a hundred years, I’m just worried that a devout believer might covet it or an impious person might steal it for its astronomical value.”
Eclas narrowed his eyes slyly.
[This is the timeline separator]After spending the whole day with Eve and as the night darkened, Louise put Eve to bed and packed luggage for her.
Since she had come empty-handed, there wasn’t much to pack, but Louise carefully examined each of Eve’s small belongings one by one.
By tomorrow, she would bestow the Seal of Protection upon Eve and part ways.
She neatly folded the soft-scented clothes Eve had worn and placed them in the bag one by one.
Along with the clothes filling the bag, an early longing piled up.
At that moment, once again, an unbearable heat and pain swept over her body.
A pain like flesh being torn rose from her wrists.
“Ugh….”
The neatly folded clothes were crumpled by her white fingertips.
Plop, plop, drops of blood fell onto the back of her hand.
“Ah….”
Bright red blood flowed from her nose, wetting her chin and falling.
The moment she raised her head and reached out her hand towards a handkerchief, her head spun.
As her vision turned pitch black, her body lost balance and tilted.
At that moment.
“Louise!”
Someone reached out and supported her.
Her vision was blurred and she couldn’t see anything.
The voice speaking was also distant and difficult to understand.
In her hazy mind, she thought of him.
Sched. Is it you?
She unconsciously grasped his collar tightly.
Her hand trembled from the pain.
I’m scared.
Actually very, truly frightened.
I want to run away. To your side….
Top Celebrity Younger Brother Bears Her Child (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: Forced to live stream romance with a top celebrity in a female-dominant world.
Yan Jin transmigrated into a brothel, with a fellow transmigrated junior beside her.
Hearing the obscene words coming from outside, the unfortunate junior covered his ears tightly, his cheeks flushed red, and whispered to comfort her, “Don’t worry, I will definitely help you escape.”
“Don’t worry, I will definitely defend your chastity.” Yan Jin looked at the flawless and delicate features of the unfortunate junior and gently comforted, “Because we have transmigrated into a female-dominant world.”
※※※
Top celebrity Yu Shu suddenly fell into a coma during a concert.
Research scientist Yan Jin fainted in the lab after working overtime.
Two people with no connection were rushed to the same hospital.
Three days later, neither of them had woken up.
Suddenly, the entire nation discovered that a live streaming app had been forcibly installed on their phones.
Upon opening it, they heard the two discussing how to escape from the brothel.
The entire internet was in an uproar.
After the two successfully escaped from the brothel, Yu Shu’s fan group rushed to make a banner and sent it to the hospital overnight.
“Big sister bravely took action to defend the chastity of our idol!”
※※※
When Yu Shu was diagnosed with pregnancy, Yan Jin stared at his belly for a long time.
Covering his stomach, he muttered gloomily, “If you don’t like it, I’ll go get an abortion.”
“It’s not that I don’t like it.” Yan Jin hugged Yu Shu and said softly, “I just feel like I’m not human.”
Yu Shu comforted Yan Jin, “I was already an adult when we got together.”
Yan Jin hesitated, “But you won’t be of legal marriageable age even after giving birth to the child.”
At the same time, a flood of bullet comments appeared in the live streaming room that the two couldn’t see.
[Although it’s inappropriate, I also want a young and handsome boyfriend to have my child.]
①Male pregnancy (highlighted)
The female lead is five years older than the male lead, and the male lead is already an adult when he appears.
