Sunlight streaming through the large window settled upon long silver hair that shimmered with a dark hue.
Perched neatly upon the bridge of his nose was a spotless pair of glasses.
Had he not worn them, one might have believed this place not a palace but a temple dedicated to prayer—so saintly and pure did he appear.
It was Ileon Gredrick.
Seated on a plush sofa, he took a sip of chamomile tea and looked down at an elderly man with snow-white hair kneeling on the cold floor.
“How did it go?”
At Ileon’s question, Ben flinched. The large man bowed his head deeply as he answered.
“He drank every last drop.”
“And the letter was burned, I assume?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“The effect will begin in two hours.”
Ileon smiled gently.
He had not told Empress Erpia everything about the poison’s properties when handing it over.
The toxin did not take effect immediately upon ingestion. The pain, as the skin melted and the face grotesquely twisted, was comparable to being stabbed by a blade.
Though not fatal, it inflicted terrible agony, ultimately transforming the victim’s face into a monstrous visage.
“M-Might I inquire about the promise you made…”
Ben’s voice was cautious, and Ileon narrowed his eyes slightly.
“You carried out your task well. As promised, I will give you passage on a ship to a foreign land, along with enough money to live comfortably for life. You’ve served the empress loyally for many long years.”
“…Thank you, truly.”
Ben bowed repeatedly. Carefully gauging Ileon’s expression, he ventured another question.
“My lord, how are my family faring back in the estate?”
“Your son married a fine woman and has two children. Your daughter and sons all resemble you—very charming, indeed.”
Tears welled up in Ben’s eyes at Ileon’s words. Originally, he had been a first-class knight of the Gredrick dukedom, sent to the palace when Empress Erpia ascended—pushed there almost against his will by the late duke, Ileon’s father, with strict orders to keep watch over her.
“My half-sister may harbor ulterior motives. You must monitor her closely from within the palace.”
More than twenty years had passed. Ben had successfully gained Empress Erpia’s trust, yet he had never once set foot back in his homeland.
He longed to rush to his family, but could not—because the late duke had declared that his family’s lives depended entirely on him, and commanded him to watch over the empress and maintain her trust until his dying breath.
Out of deep concern for his loved ones, he had obeyed without question.
Silently, he had killed those the empress ordered, staining his hands with blood to earn her trust.
After the late duke’s passing, the direct heir, Ileon, inherited the dukedom. Unlike his father, Ileon would kindly inform Ben, each time he appeared at the palace, about how his family was doing.
He told him his wife was well, how old his son had grown, and even mentioned that his children missed their father.
These were the very things Ben had yearned to know, things that had driven him nearly mad with longing.
Only Ileon had given them to him.
And so, Ben swore absolute loyalty to Ileon.
“I will free you from the palace. I will give you a ship to a foreign land—and I will bring your family to you.”
Ben’s eyes widened. Seeing the hopeful expression on his face, Ileon smiled faintly at the corners of his eyes.
“When Empress Erpia hands you the poison and commands you to give it to a woman named Celia Brillion, pretend to obey—but instead, administer it to the Crown Prince. I will write the entire script for you.”
Ben was stunned. He had never expected Ileon, who had secretly aided the empress, to directly order the Crown Prince’s harm.
It was all the more unbelievable because of that.
But one must never question the motives of those above.
He would simply do as he always had—silently carry out his orders without fail.
The thought of soon reuniting with his family filled Ben’s chest with overwhelming hope.
“I’ve deliberately weakened the palace security under the pretense of preparing the Crown Prince’s imperial inauguration ceremony. You can slip out now.”
Ileon handed Ben a gemstone. A radiant ruby, its luster dazzling, was valuable enough to buy two mansions and still have wealth to spare.
“I originally intended to give this to Her Majesty the Empress, but it’s far better suited for you.”
“My lord!”
Touched, Ben trembled, swallowing back tears. Ileon gently patted his shoulder and spoke in a soft voice.
“Leave the palace at once and head to the nearest port. Once the poison spreads to the Crown Prince, even I cannot guarantee your safety.”
“Y-Yes, I understand.”
“Stand up. Your family awaits you desperately at the port, holding the ship I’ve given them.”
Ben tucked the gem into his robe and rose to his feet. Just before leaving the room, he turned back and gave Ileon a final bow.
“Thank you, truly! You are my savior for life.”
Ileon offered him a faint, gentle smile.
Even in old age, Ben moved with remarkable speed—truly befitting a first-class knight of the Gredrick house.
No sooner had Ben slipped out of the palace than a man in a black robe emerged from behind a bookshelf in the room.
“My lord, shall we depart now?”
He was one of Ileon’s elite assassins, a subordinate who served him like an extension of his own body.
Ileon took another sip of chamomile tea. It had cooled, leaving a faintly bitter aftertaste.
“Yes. Maintain a proper distance, then eliminate him once he reaches the port.”
“Understood.”
In the blink of an eye, the subordinate vanished.
Ileon gazed at his own reflection in the surface of the chamomile tea and smiled faintly.
Ben’s family had passed away over ten years ago.
Shortly after Ben was sent to the palace alongside Empress Erpia, his family had fallen ill and died.
Of course, the late duke had kept this a secret.
Ileon’s father, the former head of the Gredrick house, had revealed this fact when passing the title to Ileon.
“That knight knows too much. It would be better for your future if he were dealt with, Ileon. Though, admittedly, the crucial point is that he holds the complete trust of Empress Erpia…”
His father’s concern had been utterly unnecessary.
“If you give someone what they desire, they will follow.”
Even if it is false hope, the person remains unaware, flailing in their dream until they drown in the swamp they themselves have created.
Ileon murmured to himself.
“…It’s necessary to let people dream well. Without hope, how can one even live?”
[This is the timeline separator]Celia Brillion hid against a stone wall, cautiously scanning her surroundings.
She had wrapped herself in the robe given by Dietrich Calypso, dissatisfied with her own appearance in the white mermaid dress.
Not long after leaving the stables, she noticed knights hurrying about.
They were searching—rummaging through bushes, checking behind pillars.
‘Are they looking for me?’
Celia gripped her dagger tightly and shook her head slightly.
She had not expected someone as high-ranking as the Crown Prince to cause such an uproar simply because she was missing when he woke.
Celia found men utterly repulsive.
Just then, one knight, who had been searching behind a lion statue, began approaching the stone wall where Celia was hiding.
Celia hesitated for a brief moment.
Should she retreat backward and return to the stables? Or should she deliberately let herself be seen and be taken back to the Crown Prince’s palace?
“No one saw me leave through the main gate. If I’m just wandering around unharmed, that would be suspicious. But if I claim I was kidnapped, the lack of scratches or injuries would make no sense.”
Celia held her breath, racking her brain.
The knight was closing in, step by step.
“I could’ve sworn I saw a shadow.”
‘Should I use my ability? Or is the dagger better?’
Celia tightened her grip on the dagger.
Just as the knight moved to inspect the stone wall where Celia was hiding, a familiar deep voice settled beside her ear.
“That area is under my jurisdiction. What business do you have here?”
It was Dietrich Calypso’s voice. Startled, the knight bowed hastily toward him.
Y-Your Grace, Duke Calypso!”
Dietrich wore black armor, a sword at his waist.
Beneath his straight brows, his sharp features gleamed like the sun in the sky.
His blood-red eyes fixed coldly upon the knight.
Dietrich looked down at the flustered knight with a frosty gaze.
“That section houses aged but once-noble steeds. Are you perhaps planning to steal imperial warhorses?”
“Y-Your Grace! N-No, certainly not!”
The knight waved his hands frantically, vehemently denying the accusation.
“The Crown Prince has issued a command—to find Madam Celia Brillion. She vanished last night, and His Highness is deeply distressed.”
“He came straight to my estate and turned it upside down the moment he woke.”
“…Goodness, such a thing occurred!”
The knight fidgeted nervously, constantly watching Dietrich’s expression.
“Leave now.”
“Y-Yes! Thank you!”
The knight fled the scene with a look of relief.
After driving the knight away, Dietrich immediately turned and approached the stone wall where Celia was hidden.
He carefully examined Celia’s face, still clutching the dagger.
From Dietrich’s lips came a voice infinitely dry.
“As I thought. You were trying to escape.”
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
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