The Monster Knight Wants Maternity Leave (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
Even if they were supposedly men without backs, how could someone who called himself a knight defending the Empire act with such lack of conviction?
Lucia, as their captain, found it utterly unacceptable.
A single vein rose on her usually impassive, expressionless face, and the corners of her lips curled upward.
Those who witnessed it shuddered involuntarily.
The black monster of madness.
That mad, monstrous smile was precisely the form her subordinates feared most—even more than their enemies did.
Startled by her appearance, the squad members cried out in alarm.
“H-Hold on! Captain!!! Five years! We’ve waited a full five years! Congratulations on becoming a Sword Master, but isn’t it about time you considered us, who’ve been waiting so patiently? Captain!”
“Y-Yeah! Without you around, other knight orders keep picking pointless fights with us, and we just can’t take it anymore!”
“…I’m too lazy to get up in the morning.”
At Heath’s words, which shattered the earnest atmosphere, Vernon and Gilliana glared at him.
Lucia swallowed her anger for now, hearing their frantic pleas.
She could roughly guess why they were acting this way.
Even though the Black Knights were infamous, Lucia—the very pillar of that infamy—had been absent from her post for five long years.
Moreover, though their unique backgrounds made them unwelcome elsewhere, the fact that their captain had poor relations with the nobility likely meant frequent neglect of support and constant disdain from other knight orders.
Each of them had joined the Black Knights for their own personal reasons.
Because Lucia’s presence had been so crucial to those circumstances, even with their fiery tempers, they’d endured and waited for five years.
Their adventures together would begin now.
Though they themselves had no memory of it yet, Lucia alone remembered the deep camaraderie they would share over the next twenty-odd years of joint exploits.
Recalling those memories softened her heart.
Vernon, the highly educated noble; Gilliana, from the renowned chef family; and Heath, the undeniable genius—no introduction needed.
Even if they weren’t all here yet, having such irreplaceable brothers-in-arms help raise a child meant childcare wouldn’t be so daunting after all.
‘Is fate bringing us together even now?’
Lucia felt newly moved by their presence.
She slowly nodded and said,
“Leave the floor cleaning be. I have my reasons. The rest of you may assist only until you’re officially reinstated…”
“Decision made! See you tomorrow~!”
“The food we brought is in the living room—got it?”
“…That’s all.”
Vernon, Gilliana, and Heath had already vanished gracefully through the window they’d entered.
They were cunning brats who’d clearly anticipated exactly this outcome.
‘…I should get rid of that window.’
Lucia’s expression as she stared at the window was dead serious.
– Knock…!! Knock!!!
Suddenly, someone urgently pounded at the front door, as if having forgotten something.
“Finally decided to use the door, huh…?”
When she opened it, Berel stood there, tears streaking his face.
“Captain…! It’s been five years! For five years, I’ve diligently carried out your duties in your absence! Yet you’d leave without even a word to me…?! It’s unbearably, unbearably disappointing!!”
Lucia’s small reserve of patience had reached its limit.
“Go away.”
“…Huh? Yes?”
Gripping onto her fraying sanity, Lucia closed the door as if nothing had happened.
And then came Berel’s lonely, fading footsteps.
The training barracks’ quarters, which had been louder than ever, fell silent once more.
At last, this place felt like the one Lucia knew.
She let out a short sigh and headed toward her bedroom, intending to lock the door and take a nap with Nia.
But before she could fully close it, the door was abruptly flung open again.
This time, unlike before, something so bright it seemed to radiate light made Lucia squint in annoyance.
There stood an exquisitely handsome man in a pristine white robe, catching his breath heavily.
Lucia immediately recognized his rare, striking appearance.
He was someone she knew.
And yet, he was the last person she’d ever expected to show up here.
Sweat glistened on his flowing silver hair from his hurried run, sliding down his pale skin, while his broad chest, wrapped in the white robe, rose and fell with labored breaths.
Yet his golden, twilight-like eyes remained fixed unwaveringly on Lucia.
Just as Lucia opened her mouth to speak, he cut her off abruptly.
“Who is the child’s father?”
*
“Hahaha! Did you see the deputy captain? He came with us but just stood crying outside the door the whole time. Amazing!”
Gilliana laughed so hard coming out of the captain’s quarters that it looked like her neck might snap.
“Why’s he so stubborn? He should know Captain would never open the door for him.”
Heath nodded in agreement with their words.
“Well, thanks to the deputy captain, these past five years were at least bearable.”
“True. How lucky we are to have such a diligent man in our knight order full of scoundrels like us.”
All three nodded in unison, readily admitting they were scoundrels.
“Uuuugh… But seriously, could that kid really be the captain’s?”
Gilliana stretched her stiff arms and legs from her riding posture as she spoke.
“No way. Our captain only ever touches men when beheading enemies with her sword…”
Vernon shivered violently, as if even his own words frightened him.
“Hmm. That’s true… But they did look quite alike, didn’t they?”
“Tsk tsk. Did you even look properly? Aside from the hair, they don’t resemble each other at all.”
Vernon recalled the wary child’s face from the corner as he spoke.
“Really? Wait—what do you mean ‘look properly’? Are you picking a fight again, you bastard?!”
“Calm down, Gilliana. Anyway, it doesn’t matter what the captain’s done. This is actually perfect timing—we were getting bored over these five years.”
Vernon skillfully diverted Gilliana’s focus as usual.
“Yeah, that’s true. Whatever the captain does, we’ll stand by her. But a child? She never fails to surprise us.”
They chuckled together as if they’d never argued, each recalling Lucia’s inhumanly extraordinary tales.
But Heath, who’d been listening quietly, murmured softly,
“…She’s changed.”
The other two stopped joking and turned to listen.
“She tried… to protect that child.”
Heath, the genius artificer of magical devices.
Though that’s what he was known as now, his hidden ability remained unknown to everyone except Lucia.
And occasionally, he spoke words that couldn’t be ignored.
“In what way, exactly?”
Quick-witted Vernon tried to probe further into Heath’s cryptic remark.
Just as Heath was about to speak, hoofbeats suddenly shook the ground like an earthquake near them.
Then, in a flash of lightning speed, something raced past them and vanished instantly.
“What was that? This path only leads to the captain’s quarters!”
Gilliana tensed, ready to chase after it immediately.
But Vernon quickly grabbed her arm to stop her.
“I think we can go our separate ways now. That seemed like the captain of the White Mages.”
“Eh? What? Ugh… What a shame! To miss such a sight!”
Gilliana slammed her fist hard against her palm in genuine disappointment.
“Hah… The Empire’s most popular man, of all people… Captain won’t notice a thing even if she lives past ninety.”
“Oh, come on. That’s going too far~ Haha.”
She laughed it off as absurd, yet Vernon’s words might prove more prophetic than divine revelation.
Not far from them, Berel walked slowly toward them, wiping his tears, radiating the faintest presence imaginable.
*
Lucia was taken aback by his sudden, unannounced arrival.
She could understand her squad members—but this man was absolutely not on the list of people she’d expected to visit during her parental leave.
And yet, who was this?
Leon Luwins.
Compared to herself—the so-called “monster of the Empire”—he was known as an angel.
With impeccable posture and manners, he was the complete opposite of her: a walking saint or living lawbook.
Except, to Lucia, it was different.
Unintentionally dubbed rivals, she—the aloof and arrogant one—was always measured against him, the bright and gentle man.
Lucia looked at him, his chest heaving with breath, and asked,
“What brings you here, Captain Leon?”
“I’ll ask again. Whose child is it?”
He seemed utterly indifferent to her question.
‘He shouldn’t be involved… Could he be here on the Chancellor’s orders to investigate?’
Seeing his light-reflecting silver hair, Lucia recalled his father.
His father was the Empire’s Chancellor—an enigmatic old man with an extraordinary mind.
Though Lucia had secured the Emperor’s permission for parental leave, if that conservative Chancellor interfered, this already shaky vacation would surely face another round of trouble.
He’d been troublesome before, and remained one of her most persistent nuisances.
“I have no obligation to explain myself to you.”
“…You won’t be able to keep answering like that in the future.”
‘What did this guy just say…?’
Lucia was inwardly startled by his hostile demeanor.
She’d never properly exchanged a single word with him.
Yet everyone—including Lucia—knew he was always quiet and composed.
But today, he was different.
Before her eyes, he seemed to barely restrain a storm of emotions surging within him. Then he added,
“Once I find out, I’ll kill him without fail.”
His unexpected words made Lucia’s eyes blink rapidly in shock.
In truth, he himself might not even realize what he was saying.
‘Run away… Why? Why with that utterly irresponsible, despicable man…?!’
Jealousy.
For the first time in his life, he—who’d never slandered anyone or harbored ill will—trembled as a sharp, venomous emotion spread through every fiber of his being.
This was largely due to the Emperor, whom he’d urgently met just moments earlier.
“Oh, stop pestering her already. Why keep asking me who the father is? Fine, I’ll tell you—but only you. The father of Captain Lucia’s child actually ran away! Hah, even I’d be scared enough to flee! Heh heh heh!”
Indeed, this was a fact vastly different from Lucia’s own explanation.
It was merely the Emperor’s offhand, joking remark to the persistently inquisitive Leon.
But those words seemed to have deeply misled the ever-serious Leon, shattering his already shaken composure upon hearing the sudden news of her parental leave.
For the first time, Leon looked directly into her eyes.
Those calm, blue eyes—ones he’d never properly met before, for fear of revealing his own foolish heart.
And in her gaze, he remembered that day five years ago.
‘If I win this duel… will you grant my wish?’
“Do as you please.”
On that summer day under blazing sun, he’d gathered his courage and challenged her, unable to keep his feelings bottled up any longer—and lost cleanly, without a trace of hesitation.
Only then did he truly understand.
The vitality that sparked in her eyes when she held a sword; the infinite emptiness in them once the match ended.
It wasn’t just his own inadequacy—he realized with despair that unless someone shattered her sword, no one could ever stir even a flicker of interest in her, a woman who knew nothing but the blade.
Though crushed, he never gave up.
That day, he resolved to wait—until he reached the pinnacle she sought, until a crack finally appeared in her heart.
…Though no one could have guessed it might take a lifetime of ninety years.
Soon, in the long silence, he noticed the troubled look on her upturned face.
It was an expression he never wanted to see in her eyes when she looked at him.
Snapping back to his senses, he bit his lip hard and turned away swiftly.
But his retreating figure didn’t step back with restraint—his strides were rough, as if he no longer had any room left for hesitation.
And as he left, Lucia stood alone, utterly dumbfounded as if hit by an unexpected bombardment.
‘Is he even sane? If I’m hiding the father, why would he want to kill me?’
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
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they’re so cute i’m gonna cry 😭😭 i adore them sm