Everyone around was running away in a state of confusion, and no one tried to help the pregnant woman.

“A doctor! I’ll call a doctor.”

In this chaos where people from District 3 were rushing in and those from Districts 1 and 2 were fleeing inside, how could a doctor be easily found?

Lin hurriedly picked her up and placed her down in an alley near the wall.

“Wait…stay here for a moment.”

He quickly ran into the crowd.

Fortunately, after sitting on the ground and catching her breath, the throbbing pain in her belly subsided a bit.

Only after the pain had passed could Delphine lift her head and properly survey her surroundings.

‘This place is…’

Even amidst her panting breaths, Delphine smiled faintly at the familiar place.

It was the alley where Ioan had come to rescue her when she was in danger after crossing the central wall for the first time.

She missed him.

If she put a knife to her own throat again, she could probably summon him.

It’s not that she hadn’t considered that method, but this time she quickly gave up on it.

Because she still vividly remembered the expression on Ioan’s face when he found her trying to stab herself with a knife last time.

It was the first time she had seen the usually calm and cold man look so desperate.

Of course, it was also for the sake of the child in her belly.

‘You won’t know how much you’ve changed me, my little one…’

Delphine was rubbing her aching belly as if to soothe it and smiling painfully, when it happened.

“The city wall is completely collapsing!”

At the sharp cry from somewhere, Delphine, who had been enduring the pain, lifted her head.

It seemed that the barrier part of the central wall and the gate had been loosened by Lin’s attack.

The pile of stones from the precariously maintained wall collapsed before Delphine’s eyes in slow motion.

“Over there! Everyone get out of the way!”

“Inside! Further into the city!”

Listening to the frantic shouts of people, Delphine sat motionless and only lifted the corners of her mouth.

It wasn’t intended, but it was rather fortunate.

Ioan. I’ve returned inside this empire.

As promised, to see you again.

So hurry and appear before me.

At that moment, when the shadow of a huge boulder really loomed over her head, even though she had made up her mind, her eyes instinctively shut tight.

The sound of the pile of stones collapsing loudly rang in her ears.

However, Delphine felt no pain at all.

Instead, what she felt was the familiar breath pouring into her ears.

The next thing that reacted was her sense of smell.

The scent of his body that she had missed so much engulfed her.

Delphine immediately opened her eyes that had been closed.

Ioan was there before her eyes.

With his arms outstretched, embracing her as if to protect her.

Delphine already knew that the scattered rocks around couldn’t even scratch his strong physique.

“Ioan…!”

That name escaped her lips like a sigh.

Flames sparked in his auburn eyes as he looked down at her.

“Where on earth do you think this is for you to come here…!”

His gaze was on her swollen belly.

He shouted in an intense tone as if he had lost his reason from worry.

“Didn’t I tell you to forget about me and live comfortably!”

“But…”

Delphine grabbed the sleeve of his arm that was wrapped around her, her eyes glistening with tears.

“You never taught me how to forget you…”

“…!”

In the midst of this whirlwind of war, what words were there to hold back?

Delphine spoke first the words she had been holding back.

“I missed you.”

A ripple passed over Ioan’s face, which had seemed about to get angry.

He tilted his head as if to kiss her.

But just before their lips touched.

He squeezed his eyes shut as if suppressing something and muttered softly.

“…I’m going to teleport.”

His large hand rested on her waist.

The noisy surroundings changed in an instant.

Delphine looked around, barely enduring the throbbing pain in her belly.

A quiet mansion without a single person.

A familiar scene unchanged even after being away for over half a year.

It was the Pryde mansion.

Even after teleporting, Ioan did not let go of his embrace around her for a while.

There was so much strength in that hand holding her waist that Delphine thought for a moment he would not let her go like before.

He would lock her up in this mansion and never let her go again.

But after a moment.

He loosened the force of his hand that had been wrapped around her waist on his own.

The two bodies that had been pressed together separated.

“…Del.”

He whispered very softly and caressed her cheek.

Without realizing it, her cheeks were already damp with tears.

With a tearful, blurry vision, Delphine closely examined the face of her husband whom she was seeing again after half a year.

Because he had become a little thinner than she remembered, his characteristically precarious and sharp aura had intensified.

“Del, your breathing is uneven. Are you all right?”

Pryde also intently examined the appearance of his wife whom he was seeing again after half a year.

Fortunately, she looked healthy, as if she had spent the pregnancy period well in the Holy Kingdom.

Although her face was excessively pale.

“My belly was hurting a bit… but it’s okay now.”

Delphine mumbled, resting her head on his firm shoulder.

It wasn’t just words; the pain in her belly was really subsiding more and more.

Did the child also recognize its father?

Thinking that, a faint laugh escaped.

“Your belly… was hurting?”

In contrast, Pryde had an indescribably complex expression.

There were definitely times he had thought, just one last time. He wanted to see her face just one more time.

Before entering the eternal pain of imprisoning the demon with his body and soul, he wanted to see her face one last time.

But now, seeing her nearly in danger, his heart became endlessly disturbed.

That disturbance soon developed into guilt because of her pregnant belly.

The child whose face he had not even seen yet did not become the object of Pryde’s attention.

In fact, he had never felt attachment to any human other than Delphine.

He knew that if the child was a daughter resembling her, he would surely love her as soon as he saw her, but it was something he couldn’t yet feel as reality.

Right now, he was only worried about her health.

Coming to the battlefield with such a precarious body.

He had known since childhood that she had a reckless side, but…

He could no longer stay by her and the child’s side…

‘What have you done, Ioan Pryde.’

He wanted to kill his past self who had been happy thinking he could tie her to his side using the child as an excuse.

“Now my belly really doesn’t hurt so don’t worry. More importantly, the war… The Holy Knights have come.”

Delphine shook Ioan, who seemed to have fallen into a state of panic for a moment, and blurted out in a flurry.

“It wasn’t on purpose. I wasn’t trying to harm you… I, I was trying to find a way to save you…”

“I know.”

Her words, poured out with sobs, were gently interrupted.

Ioan whispered, stroking her neck as if to soothe her.

“Calm down. It’s not good for the baby…”

Delphine panted.

Ioan’s face, which was too calm, made her feel uneasy.

That expression, as if he had let go of everything, seemed like he had let go of not only his obsession with her but also his lingering attachment to life.

“I’m sorry.”

In the end, Delphine confessed with sobs.

“I couldn’t find a way to save your soul after all…”

“It’s not something you should apologize for.”

Ioan gently shook his head.

“Because I’m the one who made the contract with the demon and committed all those murders.”

But you did that to protect me.

My father also had a part in plunging your life into the mire.

Watching his transparent face as he seemed to accept everything as his own fault and brush it off.

Delphine suddenly whispered.

“…Let’s run away together.”

Tears flowed down.

Without realizing what she was saying, Delphine continued to blurt out.

“We’re running away. Let’s go to that beautiful island in the south they say exists.”

We’ll live there, the three of us with the child.

“My soul is already bound by the contract with the demon and cannot cross the border of this empire.”

Something overflowed in her heart.

She had to let the man with that serene face know how she felt.

Delphine whispered in a low voice, looking at him with a desperate heart.

“I love you.”

It was the second confession.

But unlike the last time, this time he did not answer that he loved her.

Instead, he said this:

“Forget me.”

“Ioan…!”

“Do you remember the promise I made a very long time ago?”

“What…”

“That I would give you whatever you wanted within three days.”

He smiled slightly.

It was a smile unlike any she had seen from him before.

“Ioan…?”

“Since you have returned to my side, I will keep the promise I made then.”