A heavy vibration traveled up through the soles of his feet, resonating in every joint.
Though momentarily filled with terror as his skull vibrated, Vlady shook off the sensation and found Gillian.
“What is this!”
“An annoying thing has arrived.”
While the knights on the walls had fallen, only Gillian remained standing as firm as ever.
“It’s a Grace Worm.”
“Aren’t they just creatures that scuffle underground?”
Vlady looked at Gillian with an incomprehensible expression.
Grace Worm.
A monster resembling a snail of about two feet in length.
When it contracted its muscular body, which also served as its feet, a thin membrane spread out, reminiscent of a lady’s dress hem, hence its name.
It was just a nuisance to handle due to its tough skin and the slippery mucus on its surface; it wasn’t particularly threatening.
They barely formed a group of about ten.
Could the Grace Worm have caused this groundshaking vibration?
Vlady found it hard to believe.
“Yes. It was trying to crawl underground.”
“How is that relevant?”
The conversation was going nowhere.
Gillian removed his cloak and neatly placed it on the command room table.
“Didn’t I say that monsters are evolving?”
Even so, a Grace Worm was still a Grace Worm.
Of course, the monsters had grown more than twice their original size.
But two and four feet were still laughable sizes.
“This one seems to have grown a bit more.”
Thud.
Just as Gillian finished speaking, another skullrattling vibration resounded.
It felt as if an earthquake had occurred.
“What the… Ugh!”
Thud.
Blown away by the consecutive huge impacts, Vlady finally fell over.
Gillian, standing tall, looked down at him and spoke.
“Clearly, one or two castles won’t be enough.”
“……Huh?”
Between his stupefied words, a heavy rumbling resounded.
Kooer.
It sounded like the mountain echo before an avalanche.
“No way.”
Flipping his body over, Vlady grabbed the telescope.
But he didn’t need to use it.
Or rather, there was no need to.
The massive leather pillars rising above the Seven Castles were far too visible to the naked eye.
Each one was colossal, as if holding up the sky.
Nothing else could be disputed.
The flapping membranes or the stenchfilled slime covering the entire pillar.
That was undoubtedly a massively grown Grace Worm.
“My God…….”
“It grew much more than expected.”
As if complimenting an old acquaintance, Gillian spoke in a monotonous voice, to which Vlady’s face paled.
Bianca, who had been swallowing her dry saliva due to the tension, felt a strange sense of relief in that moment.
Before she could ponder what this meant, a man’s voice started.
“I suppose you’re most curious about the news from the capital?”
The conversation that started was deceptively light compared to his subdued tone.
Lately, monster skin is all the rage in the royal palace.”
“The demand for monster skin has been steady.”
“You can’t compare it to before. Previously, the demand was subtly directed toward equestrian goods, but now it has expanded to include not only gloves and boots but also footwear for ladies.”
His pronunciation was not only clear but also carried the strength of a man’s voice, pleasantly entering the ears.
“Many things have changed since you were last here, haven’t they?”
His hesitation at an odd point made his statement sound quite significant.
However, the man quickly spoke before Bianca could point that out.
“Previously, there was a shortage, but it’s nothing compared to now. People spare no expense to get something made of monster skin. As a result, prices are soaring day by day.”
“So everyone rushed into Barlock territory as soon as the snow stopped?”
“Yes, correct. You have no idea how anxious we were when the warp didn’t work.”
“So you got caught before you even had a chance to sell?”
“Greed to collect just one more piece held us back. Haha. Opportunities come only once.”
“Is that so.”
“Exactly. Once missed, it’s irreplaceable. Who would let go?”
Some knights from the Barlock estate still felt uncomfortable around them.
It was only natural to be wary of foreigners who took residence when the duke was absent.
Sensing their hostility, even merchants volunteered to help, walking around the castle.
But what about now?
Promising to share an amusing story, he chatted away about trivial matters, then naturally divulged his own situation.
The knights, who were previously on guard, seemed much more relaxed now.
However, Bianca became even more alert.
His flawless manners and unyielding confidence.
His smooth talking, subtly stirring emotions even before one realized it.
He was a dangerous character.
One to be avoided.
Bianca trusted her instincts.
“I think I’ll get up from my seat now. I’m tired.”
“Did I make you uncomfortable?”
The conversation had only been going on for about twenty minutes.
The man couldn’t hide his surprise as Bianca suddenly stood up.
“I apologize. If I’ve made a mistake, please forgive me.”
Eyes flew at them from all directions.
Pitying glances, most likely because they had heard of his unfortunate circumstances.
A cunning character, indeed.
He made her look bad with just a few words.
“There’s no mistake to invent. Just as you can’t help my fatigue.”
At Bianca’s firm words, the man’s mouth snapped shut.
“Don’t buy unwarranted sympathy for yourself. I’ve heard enough ‘interesting stories’ from you, and you’ve paid the price by wandering around the duke’s castle.”
“I did my best to…”
“Would my current state of affairs really interest the Duchess of Barlock?”
At Bianca’s sharp observation, the eyes of the previously relaxed knights suddenly sharpened.
So did the man’s.
Their eye contact was cold.
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.
