“You climb mountains like a squirrel, yet you can’t swim. That’s unexpected,” said the Emperor.
“I’ve been afraid to enter the water ever since I nearly drowned in a river due to my carelessness as a child,” Arabella replied hesitantly to the Emperor’s remark.
Thinking about her fear of water, yet her willingness to cross the river for the fawn, the Emperor, carrying Arabella across the river’s current, looked down at her slender, reddened neck.
She must have rescued wild animals before, like she did with the beast… and probably faced danger due to her so-called family.
Arabella remained silent, but the perceptive Emperor had already somewhat figured out the girl in his arms. His intuition was surprisingly accurate.
Arabella, terrified, tightly closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight of the overwhelming river current. The current had been weaker earlier, and her focus was on the fawn’s safety, not to mention she was out of her senses being carried across the river by the Emperor after the incident in the carriage.
It was when she was nine, the year her mother left. Her father, to test her and her sisters’ healing abilities, would bring home injured newborn livestock, breaking their legs or necks. Those animals never recovered and died.
Once, while fleeing to the mountains with a lamb her father and sister Camille had brought for experimenting, she got into a scuffle by the river to avoid them taking the lamb. She was flung into the deep river and nearly drowned in the sudden rough current.
“I was losing consciousness in the water… that’s when my master saved me,” Arabella said.
The Emperor’s grip tightened as he held her. “So, that was your first encounter with your ‘most handsome and perfect’ master.”
“Yes, if my master hadn’t saved me, I would have been dead. When I first saw my master after regaining consciousness, I thought an angel had come down from heaven to take me away,” Arabella innocently replied, not detecting the sarcasm in the Emperor’s tone.
The Emperor, who had been pleased with Arabella wrapping her arms around his neck as they crossed the river, suddenly felt his mood plummet.
“If you ever need to cross a river again…” the Emperor began emotionlessly, “never let another man carry you.”
Arabella looked up at the Emperor, and his neck reddened slightly before returning to its normal color.
“Men are all wolves. You must never let your guard down,” he warned.
Arabella’s wide eyes grew even larger at the mention of ‘wolves,’ realizing that the Emperor carrying her also counted as a ‘wolf.’
The Emperor quickly added, “Yes, all men are wolves, but I am different… because I am the Emperor. Do you understand?”
Feeling embarrassed to use his imperial status in such a childish way, the Emperor coughed to cover his shame.
“The incident in the carriage earlier… it happened because I had only recently returned to my human form from being a beast. I was hungry at lunch and temporarily lost my senses. You know better than anyone how a carnivore can turn vicious when starved.”
Arabella seemed to finally understand, nodding as if his flimsy excuse made sense.
“There won’t be a repeat of such an incident. Do you believe me?” the Emperor reassured her.
“Yes, I believe you,” Arabella nodded in response, trusting his words.
The corners of the Emperor’s mouth slightly raised as he lifted Arabella a bit higher, ensuring her feet wouldn’t get wet. His strength was unparalleled on the continent, and the girl in his arms felt feather-light. In his arms, Arabella suddenly jumped, causing her lips to brush against the Emperor’s neck.
Both froze momentarily, and the Emperor’s steps halted abruptly. The sensation on his long, firm neck was as ticklish as petals falling on it, leaving him dizzy.
Resuming his walk, the Emperor, with a subdued voice, spoke to Arabella, who was biting her lip and looking down.
“There’s a famous lake inside the Imperial Palace. Once we return, I’ll teach you to swim next summer. It’s too cold for swimming in late autumn. So you can cross rivers without the need for wolves, um, other men’s help in emergencies.”
“I won’t be in the Palace next summer, right? I’m supposed to leave two months after the competition ends, as I wrote in the letter to my master…” Arabella reminded him of his earlier promise.
Annoyed again, the Emperor somewhat gruffly replied, “Then, as soon as we return to the Palace, prepare to learn swimming. The lake used to be a hot spring, so it won’t be too cold.”
The hot spring had flowed there 300 years ago; now, the lake was fed by glaciers underground. That’s why it was a prime resort spot in summer.
Unaware of the Emperor’s fluctuating mood, Arabella’s lips curved into a gentle smile, thinking of him as truly kind for wanting to teach her to swim even in cold weather.
She rationalized the incident in the carriage as due to his transformation from beast to human just a day ago, resulting in a starving beast’s instincts during lunch.
Helterd Empire Imperial Palace
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.
