The Monster Knight Wants Maternity Leave (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 13
“Then, I’ll be off. It won’t even take an hour.”
“Right, Heath is nearby, so don’t worry and just wait here, little boss!”
Gilliana and Vernon waved from the carriage toward their lodging.
The coachman, unaware of the child timidly peeking through the gap in the curtained window, stared at them oddly.
Gilliana had hurriedly left due to urgent matters at home, and Vernon had also gone out to buy groceries for dinner.
Since both were busy, they entrusted the child to Heath, but the boy seemed completely absorbed in reading a book in a corner of the lodging’s courtyard, not even showing his face.
Nia was left alone, if only for a moment.
After they left, the child quietly surveyed the now-silent lodging.
A dollhouse, a rocking horse, wooden blocks, and an unopened toy box.
Nia still found the new toys—seen only from afar over the past few days—utterly unfamiliar.
With nowhere to rest her gaze, Nia rolled her eyes around and finally looked down carefully at her own clothes.
A delicate dress adorned with a small sky-blue ribbon.
The child fiddled gently with the tiny ribbon on her dress.
Though the elegant dress still felt foreign, there was one thing about it that piqued the child’s curiosity.
—Rustle, rustle.
To Nia, the ribbon’s crisp texture felt like the crackling wings of a sparkling fairy, and she let out a soft giggle.
Thus, standing still while touching the ribbon, the child suddenly seemed to recall something pleasant and headed straight for the bedroom.
There, with some effort, she climbed onto the bed and stared at the two pillows lying side by side.
Then, she buried her face into one pillow and rubbed against it.
“This one’s Nia’s.”
Though no one had asked, she muttered as if speaking to someone, then shyly turned up the corners of her small mouth as she looked at the other pillow.
Afraid someone might catch her, Nia quickly straightened the blankets again, hopped down, and headed toward the bathroom.
With her tiny steps, Nia reached the bathroom and stared intently at the two toothbrushes placed neatly side by side.
Then, picking up her small toothbrush, she mimed brushing her teeth while looking into the mirror.
“This one’s also Nia’s. And this one….”
Suppressing a fit of giggles at her own reflection, she carefully placed it back beside Lucia’s toothbrush.
“Lucia’s.”
Resting her chin on the sink, the child cheerfully smiled as she gazed at the large toothbrush next to her own.
Then,
“Hello, my name is Nia. Lucia gave it to me. Lucia is….”
The child, who had been babbling absentmindedly to the mirror, couldn’t finish her sentence and instead blushed deeply.
Then, bursting into laughter again, she started babbling her name once more.
The child seemed very fond of the new name Lucia had given her.
Having been assigned a name in sequence at the orphanage, it had never felt like her own, and knowing that another Annie would take her place after she left, Nia was happy to finally have a name that belonged solely to her.
And though Nia never expressed likes or dislikes openly in front of others, among all the gifts Leon had sent, secretly looking at the items that matched her mother’s set brought her great joy.
That utterly carefree demeanor was a rare glimpse of the innocent naivety of a five-year-old, unlike her usual self around others.
With lively, skipping steps, the child headed off somewhere again.
The kitchen windowsill.
Under the bright sunlight, a tiny scrap of cloth had dried completely. Nia stood on her tiptoes and barely managed to pull it toward herself.
Then, clutching the scrap tightly, she went to the bathroom and dampened it with water.
Holding the wet cloth, the child headed to the living room and stared wide-eyed at the mess there.
From Nia’s perspective—unable to fulfill her role properly due to Vernon and Gilliana’s constant presence—the moment the house was empty was the perfect opportunity.
Imagining herself as the best child possible, she began diligently wiping the floor.
The glass display cabinet, under the sofa, beneath the table—even the tiniest spots.
The small child scrubbed everything so vigorously that sweat beaded on her forehead.
Just then, a breeze blew in, cooling her brow, and Nia instinctively lifted her head, closed her eyes peacefully, and inhaled the scent of the wind.
When she opened her eyes again, she noticed a plate precariously placed on the open windowsill—the source of the breeze.
Gilliana had set it there after deciding to discard it due to a crack.
Nia stared fixedly at the plate.
“…Plates belong in the kitchen!”
Dangerously determined to tidy it herself, she stood on her tiptoes and reached for the plate.
—Clatter.
Suddenly, the sound of someone entering startled Nia.
Had Gilliana and Vernon already returned?
It was Heath who stepped through the door.
The boy’s dry eyes immediately fixed on whatever Nia held in her hands.
The child slowly looked down at her own hands under his gaze.
“…!”
Predictably, it was the broken plate—split cleanly in two.
Though they shared the same space, their expressions stood in stark contrast: one radiating despair, the other utter indifference.
“This one’s Ni… Nia’s. Ah, no, no….”
Heath’s indifferent stare held not a trace of kindness that might listen to Nia’s words.
“It’s broken! The plate…! What’ll I do? Nia’s gonna get kicked out…! Waaahhh…!”
The child began sobbing uncontrollably, her words jumbled and frantic.
“….”
Watching her, Heath briefly entertained the thought that if he could simply drive her away right then and there, he might as well do it.
But since Lucia wouldn’t possibly expel a child just for breaking a plate, he quickly dismissed the idea.
At that moment—
Holy power radiated uncontrollably from the crying child’s entire body.
Seeing that brilliant holy energy, Heath’s expression changed.
Her black hair and the immense, age-defying holy power—these were unmistakably the traits of the Holy Maiden the entire continent, and especially the Temple, had been desperately searching for.
If anyone else had noticed this, they might have knelt in awe and kissed the hem of her robe.
But Heath was different.
His mind was filled only with the thought that if he left her right in front of the Temple, this child would vanish from Lucia’s side.
.
.
.
If the child disappeared,
it would mean returning to the days when he and Lucia roamed the Empire freely, enjoying life together as before.
Having made up his mind, Heath raised his hand without hesitation.
He intended to open a portal to send the child directly before the Temple.
But just then, the holy power swirling around the child began to flicker restlessly.
Mirroring the child’s anxiety as she wailed, the energy shifted by the second.
Its erratic movement, seemingly on the verge of spiraling out of control, made Heath dizzy.
Had it been mana instead, its aggressive nature would have damaged the surroundings, but harmless holy power affected nothing nearby.
Yet, watching that unsettling, flickering light before his eyes only brought back memories of his own past.
Heath was the son of a pitiful conman.
His father had traveled from village to village selling medicine, but when rumors reached the capital, they hid in a remote mountain village.
However, monsters appeared in that small village, and seeing an opportunity, his father exploited his son’s supposed magical abilities, posing as a protector to extort money.
Though young Heath was terrified even at the sight of monsters, he had still been happy.
For the first time, in that settled village, he had made a friend.
But that joy was short-lived. An overwhelming monster invaded, one too powerful for a child mage to handle, and young Heath was gravely injured.
Yet the villagers—his own father and even his friend—shoved the wounded Heath toward that terrifying monster.
The cruelty inflicted upon a mere ten-year-old shattered his mind and caused his magic to spiral out of control.
Just like the disorienting holy power flickering before his eyes now.
Would this child suffer the same fate?
Heath remembered the screams and the monsters’ roars from that time.
Having experienced such magical instability himself, Nia’s surging power felt all too familiar.
Quietly, Heath used his own magic to calm the violently fluctuating holy energy.
Immediately, the child, sensing sudden stability in her body, stopped crying and looked up at the boy.
Seeing that dazed expression, Heath sighed softly, thinking it must resemble his own face after Lucia had quelled his magic surge.
“…Do you want to stay here?”
Heath asked Nia.
Tears and snot streaking her face, Nia sniffled again and, after a long pause, finally answered.
“…Yeah….”
A small but certain reply.
After watching her for a moment, he used magic to mend the plate and set it down.
“…Whoa! Wow!”
The child, amazed for only a second, carefully placed the repaired plate on the table, vowing never to touch it carelessly again.
“If you do things like this, you’ll stand out. It’s better to live normally. You too.”
You too.
Those words likely referred to himself.
Heath, who possessed immense magical power comparable to Nia’s holy energy, concealed most of his abilities and chose potion-making over joining the Mage Corps—not just because he wished to stay by Lucia’s side, but because he trusted no one else’s greed.
He believed this child Lucia had taken in was no different.
“Normal…? Wha’s tha’?”
Nia asked about the word from Heath’s sentence that caught her ear the most.
“Dunno.”
“….”
Nia looked dejected.
Watching her, Heath reconsidered the word “normal” he’d uttered so casually.
Then, for the first time, he recalled the friend from that village.
If “normal” meant anything, that friend—who had pushed him into mortal danger—was the first person who came to mind.
Heath sifted through his memories of that friendship.
“…Laughed a lot. Ate well. Had many friends.”
That those memories remained whole and warm was thanks to Lucia and his fellow knights of today.
“Fwiends…?”
As Nia pondered his murmured words, someone opened the lodging’s door.
True to her word, Gilliana had returned quickly.
But she wasn’t alone.
A small child nestled in Gilliana’s arms.
The red-haired child, stepping down from Gilliana’s embrace, blinked her bright eyes and boldly scanned the room as if claiming it as her own.
“Hmm. This place’ll do.”
*
In front of the Imperial Palace’s central library, groups of nobles dressed for an outing murmured among themselves.
“Look over there. Unbelievable.”
“Right? They say she asked for parenting books!”
“Good heavens… So it’s really true she has a child…!”
When Lucia turned at their whispers, they all quickly pretended ignorance and scattered, sweating nervously.
Indeed, as they’d said, Lucia was on her way out after borrowing parenting books from the library during her visit to the palace.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen looks like this.’
Having lived in the mountains until just days ago and faced people who avoided her, Lucia glanced around, reminded of her youth.
Eyes filled with fear yet unable to look away out of curiosity, and small lips eager to spread the news.
Honestly, it felt less disappointing and more fascinating—exactly like her younger days before her return.
Then, she noticed a crowd gathering a short distance away from her.
Lucia guessed who stood among them.
Light and darkness.
Someone belonging to a world of light entirely unlike her own must be amidst that group.
And just as she expected, a man emerged from the crowd and strode toward her with quick steps.
Appearing as if wrapped entirely in pure, spotless light,
“Lady Lucia. I see you’ve come to borrow books.”
Leon Luwins—whose earlier haste to reach her now gave way to feigned calm, pretending their meeting was mere coincidence—looked suspicious even in his attempt at nonchalance.
Lucia didn’t even reply; she simply nodded.
Leon’s eyes, busy scanning the book in her hand, suddenly softened.
“Ah… Parenting books… I see.”
Only upon seeing the illustration of a child on the cover did it truly sink in that she really had a child.
As Lucia, seeing him standing silently, turned to resume her walk with the book,
he suddenly cried out in flustered urgency.
“…Ah! Th-that book…!”
When Lucia turned back, she saw his face flushed red, his eyes fixed intently on the book’s back cover.
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
_____
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.]
they’re so cute i’m gonna cry 😭😭 i adore them sm