The Monster Knight Wants Maternity Leave (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 11
To the north of the Imperial Palace, an old building with large arched windows.
This four-story structure houses the administrative offices of the Order—the busiest among all the palace’s administrative departments.
Just as nobles began arriving with their various petitions, someone was pacing anxiously near the entrance of the building.
Whenever someone approached, he quickly vanished behind the building, only to reappear again, repeating this restless behavior.
Dark circles under his eyes and tousled brown hair—clear signs of worry.
Though slightly different from usual, his suspicious identity was unmistakable to anyone: Berel Altrood, Deputy Commander of the Black Knights.
He was the third son of the famously diligent and incorruptible Baron Altrood, and the only one in his family—whose ancestors had traditionally held administrative posts rather than martial ones—to become a knight.
Because of this, he was regarded as unusual even within his own house, yet his inherited traits were undeniable; his exceptional diligence and skill earned him recognition within the Order, leading to his promotion to Deputy Commander.
But today, that proud and diligent Berel Altrood was nowhere to be found.
The administrative clerks of the Black Knights bowed their heads respectfully as Berel entered, having just arrived for work.
To them, Berel merely raised his hand halfway without even glancing their way, then sat down at his desk.
Seeing this, a concerned squad member approached and asked,
“Um… Deputy Commander, is something the matter?”
Berel had served in the Order for nearly seven years.
The man who had never once been late was now arriving precisely five minutes late for several days in a row—an unprecedented occurrence.
“Do I owe you an explanation for my tardiness?”
“N-no, of course not.”
The squad member, worried for him, was taken aback by Berel’s unusually cold demeanor and quickly took his signed documents.
Berel watched the retreating figure with a bitter expression.
“Deputy Commander, do you know why he’s been acting like this lately?”
“I don’t. Could there be trouble in his family?”
“Oh dear, maybe he should take some time off then.”
“He’d never do that. Where else could we find someone as diligent as Deputy Commander?”
Berel, his face growing even darker, observed those whispering about him just out of earshot.
‘Right. So now you’ve finally realized I’m an utterly irresponsible person. Heh heh…’
Indeed.
Berel was in open rebellion.
He prided himself on being more loyal to the Commander than anyone else, and believed himself to be the Commander’s closest confidant.
For five long years, no matter what rumors or accusations arose, Berel had steadfastly waited for his Commander.
Yet what he received in return for such unwavering loyalty was news that his Commander—who for five years had relied solely on him as the only point of contact—had gone on parental leave without so much as a word, let alone informing him of her pregnancy.
Furious at this thunderbolt of a revelation, Berel had succumbed to darkness and was now enacting what he considered the ultimate act of defiance.
‘Yes. You must be suffering. You surely are. After all, I didn’t even bother to comb my hair today. It’s only a matter of time before the Commander hears about this. And of course, you’ll deeply regret it. Only then will you truly feel the void I’ve left behind. Heh heh…’
Watching Berel mutter to himself with a sinister chuckle, his subordinates made a decision.
“How can he look so neat despite clearly struggling so much? He’s amazing.”
“Exactly! And lately, with his bangs falling over his forehead, he looks much younger too.”
“Since the Commander isn’t here right now, let’s support him ourselves!”
“Yes! Let’s cheer him on!”
Berel watched them whisper once more and felt an even greater sense of satisfaction.
‘Go on! Tell the Commander about me—the me who’s late by a whopping five minutes, the lazy me, the fallen me! Tell her about this devilish Deputy Commander! Hurry up and report to her!’
The Deputy Commander was thoroughly immersed in the righteousness of his rebellious act.
Just then,
a strange document caught Berel’s eye on his desk—interrupting his dark revelry.
It was a list of replies to dispatches recently sent by the Black Knights.
“…Ed. We sent two dispatches this month—why are there three replies?”
At Berel’s question, a squad member quickly stood up to answer.
“A few days ago, right at the start of work hours, the Commander-in-Chief’s aide delivered a dispatch addressed to the Commander, requesting urgent transmission. We only received the reply today. Honestly, getting a reply from the Commander is always so difficult. Haha… Deputy Commander?”
As the squad member continued smiling brightly, Berel’s face grew steadily paler.
‘…A summons to the Council… addressed to the Commander…!’
It was a council meeting the Commander—who loathed such gatherings—always avoided, with Berel routinely attending in her stead.
Because of his mere five-minute delay, the invitation had already been sent directly to her.
And worse still, during the very period when her parental leave had become the talk of the court!
‘No! Commander…!!’
In an instant, he shot up from his seat and bolted toward the council chamber like a cheetah racing across the savanna.
*
It was something that had to be done anyway.
She arrived at the Grand Council Chamber right on time.
Stepping through the open doors, she saw a semicircular table opposite a large blackboard covering an entire wall, with four ornate chairs placed around it.
These were reserved for the Commanders of the Black, White, Red, and Gold Orders.
Occupying the center of these chairs were two imposing men radiating formidable presence.
The Commander of the Red Knights, Bengert—a massive figure resembling a red bear, adorned with flamboyant epaulettes—and the Commander of the Gold Knights, Ashan, with his exotic bronze-toned skin.
Both were about ten years older than Lucia and, like her, had played pivotal roles in founding the Empire.
“Oh, who do we have here? Someone truly remarkable, aren’t you?”
“Long time no see, Commander Lucia.”
Though their eyes met and greetings were exchanged, their manner held little warmth despite the long separation.
“Long time indeed.”
Lucia crossed past them and took the seat at the far end, next to Ashan, Commander of the Gold Knights.
Then she fixed her gaze on the empty chair farthest from her own.
Its rightful occupant—Leon’s chair—remained unclaimed.
Threats, uncomfortable gifts.
Ever since her return, Lucia had endured his inexplicable schemes, and now, in this tense council chamber, she was already weary, anticipating what fresh trouble might unfold.
“I heard you’re on parental leave—is that actually true? Hard to believe, really.”
In the quiet chamber, Bengert, Commander of the Red Knights, spoke with a sneer that belied his bulky frame.
When Lucia offered no response to his not-quite-question,
“Hmph! A mother who just had a child becomes a Sword Master after five years! How can a woman who’s borne a child achieve such a thing? Impressive. Surely you didn’t deceive His Majesty, did you? Haha.”
It was clearly a deliberate provocation.
But such blatant goading was still far too mild to rattle her—after all, she carried the mental age of a 92-year-old.
Sensing the conversation might drag on, Lucia offered the bare minimum response: a slight upward curve of her lips as she glanced at him.
“…Hey, Commander! What’s with that smile? Are you mocking me right now?!”
Lucia had intended to let it pass quietly, but as always, that dry, faint smile only seemed to further inflame his anger.
If the Black Knights were likened to cold, cunning wolves, then the Red Knights were a boiling mass of lava—fiery and volatile.
Perhaps it was only natural, then, that their members constantly clashed like cats and dogs.
“Enough. It’s disgraceful for Commanders to behave this way. Ah, Commander Lucia—actually, we were just discussing that matter. There might be a military disciplinary hearing before your official return.”
The Gold Commander spoke calmly, though his words carried a sharp edge despite his attempt to change the subject.
The Gold Knights were a secretive unit serving directly beside the Emperor.
Though naturally closer to His Majesty than most knights, the Emperor always turned to Lucia in the most perilous moments—which made even the Gold Commander view her with some resentment.
‘…A disciplinary hearing. How tiresome.’
Since her leave had been granted with the Emperor’s explicit permission, she knew no serious punishment would follow.
It would merely be a minor spectacle staged by conservative nobles eager to voice their complaints.
Lucia recalled how their attitudes had shifted when she’d once announced early retirement and retreated into the mountains.
These status-obsessed nobles had always resented her imperial favor—yet when military strength waned, they were the very ones clinging desperately to her coattails.
Dealing with such foolish people again was exhausting, but for Nia’s sake, maintaining her position—where information flowed quickly—was advantageous.
As she dismissed the thought, the Red Commander sneered once more.
“A disciplinary hearing? Will it even be held properly? His Majesty personally granted parental leave to someone we sent for training—who then came back with a child! And what a long ‘training’ it must have been for the famed Black Commander to finish playing with fire.”
It was unmistakable harassment, regardless of gender.
At his crossing-the-line remark, Lucia’s eyebrow twitched.
Just then—
“That kind of statement… doesn’t even qualify as speech.”
A calm, resonant voice—gentle yet crisp and decisive.
The speaker entered the chamber with measured steps: Leon Luwins, Commander of the White Mages.
As always, Leon wore his clean, unadorned smile. Without hesitation, he lifted his chair and placed it right beside Lucia’s.
Though it was common knowledge that Leon had long harbored feelings for her, he had never so openly taken her side in an official setting.
Startled by his boldness, the Gold Commander quickly moved his own chair, forcing the Red Commander to awkwardly rise as well.
“What—what’s this? Why on earth must you sit there? No, wait—Commander Leon! Are you trying to lecture me, a fellow Commander? What is the meaning of this?!”
“Yes, precisely. I’m merely sharing what you failed to learn in your time.”
Bengert, Commander of the Red Knights, stood utterly shocked by this unexpectedly gentle yet cutting remark—something he’d never heard from Leon before.
Unfazed by Bengert’s stunned silence, Leon settled comfortably into the chair beside Lucia as if nothing unusual had occurred.
Then, wearing his usual saintly, angelic expression, he smiled with evident satisfaction.
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
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they’re so cute i’m gonna cry 😭😭 i adore them sm