The Monster Knight Wants Maternity Leave (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
The orphanage was filled with children who had painful pasts, making them wary and distrustful—even among peers, becoming friends was no easy matter.
Thus, this naturally blossoming friendship was truly the first of its kind for Nia.
Yet the child, who had always endured silently just to survive, might have thought this situation wasn’t all that different from before.
After all, she believed she had to do exactly as Ivane wanted in order to stay here.
“Big trouble, huh….”
At Ivane’s added remark, Nia finally looked away, gripping her teacup tightly as if to avoid facing the issue.
“Nia, look! Big trouble! I’ve got no allowance left.”
“…Huh?”
“You know, my mom said merchants shouldn’t just accept things for free. And since you’re my first girl friend, I can’t just take it without giving something back….”
Ivane frowned deeply, seriously pondering the matter—the toy had looked expensive, after all.
Caught off guard by Ivane’s unexpected reaction, Nia blinked her eyes in surprise.
And one phrase from the child made Nia’s heart flutter.
“…Nia, are we friends?”
“Yeah! You’re my first girl friend—fun, right? Older brother and Caesar get bored so fast. Boys are totally useless.”
Ivane crossed her arms and shook her head dismissively, as if thoroughly fed up.
‘…Nia is Ivane’s friend.’
Contrary to her own expectations, Nia’s chest swelled with emotion at having made her very first peer friend, turning her peach-like cheeks bright red.
“Huuuuuuum…! Good!”
Ivane suddenly smacked her palm with a tiny fist, as if struck by a sudden realization.
“I’m Ivane Berna! I swear on my name—I’ll help you practice calling your mom! That’ll be how you repay me! Right?”
Startled by Ivane’s abrupt declaration and clenched fists, Nia nodded eagerly yet quickly shook her head.
She’d already tried practicing alone, and it simply hadn’t worked.
“No! Everyone says it’s fine, but that’s all lies! You don’t understand, Ivane! Our mom said she likes me more than my older brother—if I tell her that, she’ll give it to me right away! Just point right here, right here!”
Ivane puffed out her cheeks angrily, recalling an unpleasant memory.
“…Does it hurt that much there?”
“Yeah! If I tell Mom I got hurt right here, right here, she’ll give it to me immediately. But… it might make me cry.”
The child pointed seriously to her side, warning Nia to be careful.
Unfortunately, Ivane’s mother had now become a monster Nia must never meet.
“Ah… No, Nia’s fine.”
“I thought you were dumb, but you’re actually smart! Hehe. Then go ahead—say ‘Mommy’!”
At Ivane’s words, Nia’s small mouth opened and closed soundlessly, until she finally covered her flushed cheeks with both hands, overwhelmed by rising heat.
Even though she’d practiced before, it seemed impossible to do it in front of someone else—even if the only observer had been her own reflection in the mirror.
“…I can’t do it…!”
“Whew, Nia, you’re hopeless! What’ll you do when you grow up? At this rate, you won’t even be able to make cookie dough, let alone get married!”
Ivane sighed heavily, crossed her arms, and cleverly reused words she often heard herself.
“…How come? Hic.”
Though Nia didn’t even know what “marriage” meant, she was genuinely shocked by Ivane’s remark.
*
Children cry easily and laugh heartily.
Watching Ivane and Nia happily chattering in the front yard, Lucia finally understood those words.
Though Ivane was the same age as Nia, she was similarly petite—almost as small as Nia herself.
Yet in terms of energy and drive, she possessed such tremendous vigor that she could’ve led an army into battle right then and there.
Had Gilliana been like this when she was young?
Gilliana placed some desserts on the living room table, prepared specially for her captain’s tea time.
There were tarts topped with seasonal fruits, chick-shaped mousse cakes, uniquely shaped macarons, layered crepes, and more.
Though she’d brought them with an exasperated expression, the selection—though small in portion—surprisingly included over ten different kinds.
“Heath.”
Seeing the spread, Lucia softly called out to him.
Hearing her, Heath—who had been quietly observing from somewhere nearby—flinched as if he’d done something wrong.
Apparently, he’d been caught trying to secretly send Nia to the temple earlier that day, behind the captain’s back.
Even after considerable time had passed, traces of high-tier spatial magic lingered.
Moreover, Heath’s mana possessed a unique quality—if Lucia had detected even a hint of its residual flow, she would’ve easily uncovered his actions.
“When you’ve used your strength, sweets help. Come here.”
“Huh? Captain? Are you seriously saying that to me? Honestly, what strength did Heath even use today? I mean, Heath just…”
Lucia listened silently as Gilliana recounted how Heath had ended up caring for Nia.
But before that, Heath’s eyes widened at something she’d just said.
So she really had figured it out.
Though usually indifferent, Lucia had always been especially vigilant about the dormitory where Saintess Nia stayed.
Thus, it was only natural that she’d immediately sensed Heath’s lingering magical traces upon arriving.
Furthermore, even though she now knew Heath and Nia had been alone together, she hadn’t imagined anything improper.
She’d merely wanted to subtly let Heath know she was aware—because she’d noticed how he’d been watching her reactions lately, and it troubled her.
Heath met Lucia’s steady blue gaze, unchanged from usual.
In those eyes, he saw no disappointment, anger, or suspicion—none of the things he’d feared.
Only then did he realize why a part of his heart had felt uneasy ever since the child arrived.
It was because he’d grown jealous of Nia.
He’d feared the captain—changed by that child—might abandon him. That thought had spiraled into jealousy and anxiety, overwhelming him completely.
Heath spoke softly to Lucia.
“Captain, what would you do if I disappeared?”
“Haha! You’re sulking because I tattled on you, aren’t you? Sulking!”
Though Gilliana scoffed at his absurd question, Heath ignored her and kept his eyes fixed firmly on Lucia.
“What would you do?”
“Is there somewhere you want to go?”
“…”
When Heath remained silent, Lucia paused briefly before replying.
“Just tell me when you’ll be back.”
“…I said I’d disappear.”
“I already told you—I’m going to use you for life.”
Though her tone sounded annoyed, Heath remembered those familiar words from her 17-year-old self.
‘Did you save me just to use me?’
‘Of course. The knight order’s forming soon. If possible, I plan to use you for life.’
‘…For life? …But my magic power isn’t coming out.’
‘Hmm, then I’ll just make you clean.’
Naturally, Lucia—who could sense surging magical energy—knew full well his obvious lie.
And indeed, Heath had genuinely hidden his power, only crafting minor magical tools.
Though his creations were useless, they couldn’t fully conceal his talent—but even through wartime crises, he’d never once used his magic while staying behind Lucia, and she’d never mentioned it.
To Heath, she was the only person who truly expected nothing from him.
The boy realized it was he who’d forgotten that about her.
“…You’re right. Sorry.”
Despite his apology, a faint smile touched Heath’s lips.
Gilliana sensed the odd tension between them but, now that Heath had settled close beside Lucia on the sofa, she handed him a dessert plate and launched into another complaint.
“Ugh, I’m so tired. Because of overlapping events, the whole family’s been churning out these desserts nonstop! Thank goodness I escaped under Ivane’s excuse.”
That the youngest daughter of the shop producing such adorable desserts was the Black Knights’ famed powerhouse knight—
Looking at Gilliana’s slender, lean frame, that nickname remained one of life’s greatest mysteries.
Just then, Vernon emerged from the bathroom and plopped roughly onto the remaining sofa space.
The undried doodles still on his face seemed to perfectly reflect his current mood.
“…Huh. I’m exhausted too. Does this even make sense? Why must I suffer because of the Gilliana family’s affairs?”
Normally, she wouldn’t have tolerated his grumpy remark—but today, Vernon was a benefactor worthy of royal treatment.
Gilliana unusually smiled sweetly and quietly slid the desserts toward him.
Then she waited demurely for his opinion.
“Sweet.”
“Delicious.”
“…Yeah.”
“…Is that all?”
When Gilliana pressed for more, the two reluctantly rewound their words like replaying a tape.
“…Haha.”
She suppressed her frustration, realizing it’d been a mistake to bring these desserts to such tasteless fools.
“Oh, right! Captain—these are actually the desserts we’ll supply to the kindergarten.”
“I see.”
“What? Captain? Isn’t this serious? You can’t be this calm!”
At the unexpected scolding, Lucia’s indifferent gaze shifted to her.
“Goodness, it’s recruitment season! If we miss this chance, we’ll need both a nanny and a tutor—and what’ll you do when your leave ends? Plus, this year’s influx of new nobles means admission chances are even slimmer.”
Gilliana vigorously signaled “money” with her fingers, emphasizing that the knight captain’s salary wouldn’t cover hiring a tutor.
“…”
Kindergarten? Education?
As a new mother who’d planned only to hire a simple nanny once her leave ended—after finishing the control core’s craftsmanship—Lucia had never even considered this.
Firstly, Eldarion Academy belonged to the imperial household, where royalty and nobles boarded their children until their debutante years.
Thus, its affiliated kindergarten was essentially unnecessary for noble families, who typically hired nannies or tutors during infancy anyway.
However, since the empire itself was newly established, newly ennobled families lacked social connections—so the imperial court created the kindergarten specifically to foster unity among nobles.
Though located right next to the knights’ headquarters—and thus known to her—Lucia never dreamed she’d become involved with it.
Moreover, she’d never intended to send her child to crowded places.
Since the child was special, she didn’t want her drawing attention.
…A tutor, then. Should I coax the Emperor into an advance payment?
Since she’d inevitably earn merits anyway—and given the Emperor, who’d sensed her potential as a Grand Sword Master, would gladly slit open a golden goose for her—Lucia saw him as her personal bank.
“By the way, our Ivane already had a consultation…”
“Oh? Gilliana, that’s not it. Look—there’s already the Marchioness Luwins’ book right here on the table.”
While wiping off the remaining doodles, Vernon pointed to the book on the table.
“What? The kindergarten warden’s book? Wow, pre-interview research! Captain, you’ve really thought of everything! And look—Lord Leon was an angel even as a child! Goodness, there’s even his baby photo inside!”
No, she hadn’t thought of it at all—Marchioness Luwins?
Now she realized why the boy on the back cover looked so familiar.
So the author of this recommended book was Leon’s mother—and the very warden of the kindergarten Gilliana mentioned.
‘That’s why this book caught my eye.’
But was it really worth blushing over?
Anyone would feel embarrassed if someone they liked saw their childhood photos—but Lucia had no idea.
Recalling Leon’s earlier expression, she suddenly noticed the children approaching, drooling cutely at the desserts.
Ivane had already stuffed her mouth full upon arrival, while Nia hesitated shyly.
Ivane, about to grab another treat without even swallowing, suddenly remembered something and looked at Nia.
“Nia. Hurry up.”
Ivane gestured impatiently toward her.
But Nia didn’t touch the desserts, instead hovering timidly near the back of Lucia’s sofa.
“Sss… Panny.”
At Ivane’s urging, the child carefully rose onto her tiptoes and whispered secretly into her ear.
This was Ivane’s desperate solution to Nia’s inability to speak in front of others.
When Lucia’s expression hardened upon hearing the whisper, Gilli and Vernon exchanged knowing, sympathetic glances.
The moment the child finished whispering, she followed Ivane—who was already laughing—and dashed back to the front yard.
The children’s laughter and playfulness reached Lucia’s stunned ears and eyes.
‘…Mommy!’
She’d asked her to say it—but hearing it now felt as if the world had frozen.
Unlike the shy, lively voice she’d just heard, the echo inside her felt hollow and empty.
She remembered her own childhood, standing alone in the empty count’s mansion, pulling aside a hidden portrait and murmuring those very words blankly.
Nia, seemingly receiving praise in the yard, was letting the smaller Ivane ruffle her hair.
Though her hair was now thoroughly messy, the two children kept laughing as they looked at each other.
Watching them, a single question arose in Lucia’s mind.
‘…Is this what ordinary daily life feels like?’
Nia was destined to become the Saintess summoned by the gods—but right now, playing with a friend, she was simply a natural, ordinary child.
If this was normalcy, then an ordinary life without a friend like Ivane would be anything but ordinary.
Perhaps Lucia, who’d endured the loneliest childhood of all, understood this truth better than anyone.
Raising a special child as an ordinary one.
That was the vow she’d made when saving her.
“Gilliana. Is that interview still ongoing?”
Lucia had made her decision.
She would enroll the child in kindergarten.
As Gilliana continued her endless explanation, Lucia watched the children—this time seeing Ivane spin like a windmill, showing off for Nia.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
they’re so cute i’m gonna cry 😭😭 i adore them sm