The Credentials of a Couple (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
Whose child is it?
That was the thought that filled my mind before any congratulations could.
Margaret’s husband, Viscount Fisher, had already been dead for over six months.
Considering the timing, her belly should have been visibly swollen by now.
Yet Margaret’s stomach was perfectly flat.
“Do you even know what people think of me? But the child who’s going to be born isn’t to blame.”
“…….”
“No matter what you say, I’m going to have this baby.”
Margaret stared at me with teary eyes.
I still couldn’t find the right words and only moved my lips silently.
Though the unborn child was innocent, this simply wasn’t acceptable.
Margaret was already suspected of having murdered her husband.
Carrying another man’s child in this situation was no different from deliberately inviting further suspicion.
“……Who’s the father of the child?”
“It’s just…….”
“Someone you can’t name?”
“You know my position.”
“Regardless of your position, you insist on having the child—then you must bear the responsibility accordingly.”
Both you and that man.
My voice unintentionally hardened.
Margaret shrank back, carefully watching my reaction.
“If you need my help, you’ll have to tell me his name.”
“…….”
“Do I know him?”
“It’s just…….”
After hesitating briefly, Margaret finally nodded.
Tears clung to the corners of her eyes, trembling on the verge.
She looked so pitifully desolate that compassion naturally stirred within me.
But this time, I couldn’t embrace her to offer comfort.
The matter of the child wasn’t something that could be brushed aside lightly.
At that moment, I thought of my young daughter.
“It’s Duke Pierne.”
“……Did you just say who?”
“Duke Pierne. He’s the father of my child.”
“What do you—”
“I’m sorry!”
Margaret dropped urgently to her knees before me.
Her hands clutching my skirt trembled violently.
“I’ve loved His Grace for a long time!”
“What?”
“I didn’t start with such feelings! You were his fiancée—there was no room for me to interfere! And besides, there was that incident too!”
“…….”
I instinctively staggered backward but couldn’t fully retreat because of her grip.
Slowly exhaling, I recalled the face of a man I’d tried so hard to forget.
It felt as if I’d been struck hard on the head.
“I thought I’d forgotten. You know how much I loved my husband. But once he disappeared and His Grace returned… maybe I truly went mad.”
Margaret sobbed desperately, pleading with me.
Yet I found myself utterly unable to speak.
I could only stare blankly at my skirt, helplessly crumpling in her grasp.
“But it wasn’t about love or longing—just loneliness.”
“……Loneliness?”
“I couldn’t forget him, and he couldn’t forget you.”
As my skirt tugged taut, my body swayed from the recoil.
Or perhaps it wasn’t my body that swayed.
Once again, I hastily covered my mouth as nausea churned inside me.
“He still loves you deeply. Knowing that, I just wanted to spend one night with him—even if only to keep it as a memory. But then… this happened.”
“Is that really all you have to say?”
“I’m sorry. But I swear—it wasn’t like that from the start! It was late at night, and I’d been drinking….”
That was impossible.
The man I knew wouldn’t do such a thing.
Reflexively chewing over that fact, I let out a bitter laugh.
Even my certainty that he wasn’t that kind of man felt like tragic irony.
That very day, I’d believed without doubt he wasn’t capable of such betrayal—and because of that belief, my family met a horrific end.
In truth, he hadn’t changed at all.
I’d just desperately wanted to believe otherwise.
I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them again.
Margaret was still kneeling before me.
“That’s no excuse.”
There was no need to hear more.
I reached out to push her hands away, but my fingers—tensed so tightly the veins turned pale blue—refused to yield easily.
Instead, she clung to me even more desperately.
“I know it’s shameless for me, who owes you so much, to ask this of you. But you know—you’re all I have left now.”
“…….”
“Let me ask you this: just promise me one thing.”
“…….”
“Promise that you’ll protect my child, no matter what.”
I gave Margaret no answer to her plea.
But I knew.
I knew I couldn’t turn away from my friend as she tearfully clung to me.
“What are you lost in thought about?”
“Nothing at all.”
No matter how distracted I felt, zoning out at a party was a mistake.
I took a sip of wine, pretending not to notice the curious stares.
Everyone’s thoughts were plainly visible, though no one dared speak them aloud.
Just then—
Suddenly, the area grew noisy.
“What’s all this commotion about?”
“Could something unpleasant have happened?”
“Maybe… a special guest has arrived.”
A cynical smile escaped me at the knowing smile curling Countess Popul’s lips.
Seeing the man who entered the ballroom, commanding everyone’s attention, I could only think: I’ve been set up.
This invitation had been deliberate.
Everyone was eagerly anticipating when Duke Pierne and I would finally meet eyes—so to avoid giving them any opening, they’d created an obvious one instead.
But that wasn’t a major problem.
The party hall was spacious, and unless either of us approached first, we wouldn’t exchange a word.
“It’s been a while.”
“…….”
Except for the man who strode straight toward me without hesitation.
I pressed my lips tightly shut under his downward gaze.
Up close, he looked quite different from my memories—but his eyes, set in long, single-lidded slits, remained as profoundly black as ever, pupils indistinguishable from irises.
“Yes. It has been a while, Your Grace.”
Though I wanted nothing to do with him, now that all eyes were on us, there was no choice.
Fleeing would only make me look more foolish.
I chose to greet him calmly rather than show panic.
Duke Pierne stared at me a moment, then slowly opened his mouth.
“Could you spare me a moment of your time?”
“I’m sorry, Your Grace—”
“That shouldn’t be difficult.”
I tightened my grip on Bake’s arm.
Ironically, Bake was jealous of Duke Pierne.
The absurdity nearly made me laugh, but I feigned ignorance and narrowed my eyes at the Duke.
Though I loathed scandal and had resolved to uncover everything, a little revenge like this seemed justified.
Besides, I, too, had something I wished to discuss privately.
We moved to the terrace.
Though separated from the party by a door, the terrace was open on all sides except for the railing, leaving us visible to many onlookers.
It wasn’t truly private, but at least it prevented misunderstandings.
I was no longer the naive young lady I once was; I understood perfectly well what embarrassing expectations everyone harbored.
I also knew it was better to have observers—even with constraints—than to leave unnecessary room for speculation.
Of course, I was well aware that although the opposite terrace and garden had sightlines to us, they couldn’t overhear our conversation.
“Have you been well?”
“I think we’ve already exchanged pleasantries earlier.”
“…….”
“Don’t you know? We’re hardly on terms to exchange friendly words.”
Now that we were alone, there was no need to feign the airs of a refined noblewoman.
Frowning, I looked up at him without hiding my hostility.
From this angle, the long scar running down his neck was all too visible.
“It’s an old scar.”
Noticing my gaze, Duke Pierne added briefly, prompting me to quickly school my expression.
Staring so intently was impolite, no matter what.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s nothing.”
“…….”
“…….”
After those curt exchanges, silence stretched long between us.
I chewed my lip, then clenched my fist tightly.
However open the space, lingering alone together too long would bring no good.
The longer we stayed, the more Bake would be provoked—and public attention would only grow.
It was best to state my point plainly and end the conversation quickly.
“She’s pregnant. A little over a month along, they say.”
“…….”
For an instant, Duke Pierne’s brow furrowed.
But it was a subtle shift; his face remained otherwise expressionless.
“Whether it’s fortunate or unfortunate, the physician says the child is very healthy. With proper care, it should be born safely.”
“……And what exactly do you wish to say?”
“What do you mean?”
“You surely don’t expect my blessing.”
He suddenly stepped closer, narrowing the distance sharply.
Reflexively, I tried to step back—but winced as my back hit the rigid railing.
The terrace was narrow, leaving no corner to flee to.
There was no choice but to stop running.
I took a quick breath and straightened my spine.
In that moment, I realized afresh:
In the past, we could speak warmly only because he had been my tender lover, whispering words of love.
Now that the lover’s guise had fallen away, I could expect no kindness from him.
I fixed my gaze stubbornly on his pitch-black eyes.
Against their darkness, the blood vessels in the whites of his eyes stood out starkly red.
“If you’re doing this because you worry I might not have forgotten you, Your Ladyship… don’t.”
“…….”
“No matter how low I’ve sunk, I haven’t forgotten my humanity.”
His voice, strained through tightly clenched teeth, carried thick anger.
I took another deep breath before speaking.
“Then this should be easier—if you understand humanity.”
“…….”
“Because all you need to do is feed, clothe, and raise the child as a decent human would.”
With every word, Duke Pierne’s jaw muscle twitched visibly.
He was clearly restraining his fury.
“I don’t see why I should do that.”
“Because you’re about to become a parent.”
Margaret had refused to tell him, but this wasn’t something that could be hidden.
No matter how fiercely I protected Margaret and the child, I could never replace their true parents.
The child needed its parents.
After long deliberation, that was the decision I’d reached.
“Hah… you really are something.”
Duke Pierne roughly covered his face.
Uncharacteristically agitated, he raked his fingers through his hair several times before glaring at me.
Though his gaze felt as sharp as a honed blade, making my body instinctively shrink, I held my head high.
“So you really don’t want it. Understandable—the circumstances aren’t ideal, and scandal must worry you.”
“…….”
“But if you ignore my words, you’ll regret it.”
Of that, at least, I was certain.
Once he became a parent, he’d understand.
He’d see how beautifully a child grows day by day—and how extraordinary it is to live watching that happen.
Even I, who once believed I could never love anyone again, fell in love anew the moment I met Meriel.
Now, I couldn’t even imagine a single day without her.
“I won’t regret it.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“…….”
I struggled to keep my expression composed.
It would be a lie to say I didn’t despise him.
He was the one who’d caused my family’s death—my sworn enemy.
But for now, I chose to forget that fact.
And also the fact that my stomach still churned uneasily.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
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