Meanwhile, Franz, the eldest son of the King of Heyworth and Annette’s brother, rushed over upon hearing the news and wept.
“I’m sorry, Annette. Your brother was so incompetent that he couldn’t even speak a word about your marriage. How could our father be so indifferent? You have dedicated so much to the kingdom…”
Franz, seeing Annette’s silent and awkward expression, eventually wiped his tears and tried to smile.
“I’ve heard from the servants that Duke Hargzent is a kind and highly respected man. You are kind and tender-hearted, so surely the Duke will cherish you.”
Hmm. Duke Hargzent was originally said to be so stunningly beautiful that he could mesmerize anyone with a single glance.
Could he, having lost his beauty to demon blood, really harbor any affection for her, someone with the same red eyes as a demon?
Annette thought it was impossible, but she didn’t show it in front of Franz.
Her brother, frail since birth due to a weak heart, had grown up sickly after their mother’s death, receiving little care.
Having never socialized or left the palace, Franz only had the palace servants to relay news to him.
It seemed they had refrained from telling him the terrifying rumors surrounding the Duke, fearing it might cause him to collapse.
‘But to say he is kind and respected… after being afflicted with demon blood, he became a cruel murderer who delights in blood and slaughter.’
He was a warmonger before that.
Regardless, Annette was relieved Franz didn’t know the full story and told him,
“Don’t worry about me. Just focus on your health so you can attend the wedding.”
Due to the need to guard against the Bayendor Empire, the alliance between the Alcan Empire and the Heyworth Kingdom was conducted in secrecy.
Although the engagement was hastily arranged, the royal wedding would be a grand affair in the Empire.
Annette hoped that Franz, whom she considered her only family, would attend and celebrate her wedding.
But she worried that by then, he would learn the rumors he heard were false.
‘Maybe it’s better if he knows nothing…’
“?!?”
Just then, Annette abruptly raised her head.
With a harsh sound slicing through the air, something pierced through the carriage door, and thump!
Annette quickly caught the arrow flying towards her.
With her bare hand, and notably, her right hand, not the left she usually used.
If Queen Esther and the nobles who had stripped her of her position as head of the royal knights and urged her retirement upon learning she could no longer wield a sword saw this, they would be astounded.
In fact, apart from the royal knights, no one in the Heyworth Kingdom had ever seen Annette confronting demons.
Despite her prodigious talent, she was only seen as the seed of a demon, born after killing her mother. Her strange powers and healing abilities were suspected to be demonic sorcery, hence not closely examined.
While the Alcan Empire’s royalty, too, were born with powers beyond human capabilities, they were considered blessed by the gods, a stark contrast to how she was treated.
But no matter how much they covered their ears and eyes, Annette was undoubtedly the greatest swordsman on the continent.
Ignoring the slight numbness in her palm, she examined the arrow.
The faintly red shaft and the two large feathers were unmistakably from the Bayendor Empire.
As Annette’s eyes narrowed upon confirming the blackened tip, she thought,
‘An ambush from Bayendor at this time?’
It was only last evening that the messenger returned from the Alcan Empire with the engagement contract.
As soon as the documents arrived, Annette signed them, and immediately after, the King of Heyworth commanded her to take the oath and depart for the Empire.
It wasn’t strange, as the King had always detested her presence in the palace, but the impromptu decision to send her to Alcan meant one thing: the Bayendor Empire, opposing the alliance of the two nations, had collaborators.
‘Who could it be?’
Since the Alcan Empire didn’t yet know of her departure, the informant must be from her kingdom.
‘A noble? Or perhaps someone from the palace?’
It was hard to ignore the possibility that Bayendor had planted spies from the start.
“Hoek, a demon!”
That’s when it happened. Amidst the sudden chaos caused by the incoming arrow, a cry erupted from outside.
Recognizing the voice of Count Randel, terrified, Annette immediately leaped out of the carriage.
She clearly remembered him calling her junk earlier, but she didn’t care.
Most people had always mocked and scorned her, and Annette had always wielded her sword even for such people.
“Ugh!”
But as she stepped out of the carriage, Annette nearly tumbled to the ground.
Only then did she realize she was wearing a long, flowing dress and high-heeled shoes, not her usual knight’s attire.
The King had ordered her to wear a dress as befitting a princess on her strategic marriage trip to the Alcan Empire.
He had even added that she should leave the palace cloaked in a full black hood, seemingly despising even the sight of her in a dress.
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
