Chapter 2 : It wasn’t a wet dream? (2)

“I apologize. I should have introduced myself before thrusting a pregnancy test at you.”

“Honestly, I was quite taken aback when a woman I’d never met opened the door and presented me with a pregnancy test.”

I took a sip of the slightly cooled tea and replied to Lilia.

Was it because the tea had cooled, or because we were less awkward after introductions? The conversation felt smoother.

“Although, it wasn’t as shocking as being told I’d gotten you pregnant.”

“That’s…”

Lilia flinched, stopping mid-sip. She seemed at a loss for words, trailing off and glancing at me.

“Just to confirm… are you certain it’s my child?”

If we were in a relationship, such a question would be disrespectful, but we weren’t.

Lilia took a breath and answered, “I’m certain this child is yours and mine.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because you’re the only person I’ve ever… slept with.”

As if recalling that night, Lilia’s face turned crimson.

“That night, I… climbed on top of you while you were sleeping…!”
“Ahem.”

Of course, with no memory of that night, it was a difficult topic for me to respond to.

“Let’s leave it at that.”

I coughed, stopping Lilia.

Magically verifying the truth, I confirmed Lilia’s words. The child in her womb was indeed mine.

“I’ll believe that the child is mine and that I’m the only one you’ve been with.”
“Y-Yes…”
“But why me?”

I knew Lilia wasn’t lying, but why did she choose to take my yang energy?

Yang energy is life energy itself. Thus, the yang energy of a high-ranking mage or a Sword Master is purer and denser than that of a half-baked mage like me.

“I understand that the succubi of Asmodeus can move so stealthily that even a Sword Master wouldn’t notice. Moreover, the academy is full of talented individuals. There are professors who’ve reached the Sword Master realm, and even a genius mage who reached the 4th rank at a young age.”

And yet…

“Why did you come to my room that night? I’m not a particularly powerful mage.”
“That’s…”

Lilia blushed, but answered seriously, “B-Because your yang energy felt the strongest.”
“Yang energy? Like the yin and yang, that yang energy?”
“Yes, that yang energy.”

I looked at her, dumbfounded.

That couldn’t be true.

“My yang energy is overflowing? As a man and a descendant of the Ifrit family, I do possess stronger yang energy than others, but not to that extent.”

I’d consumed numerous elixirs specializing in fire attributes since childhood, but I never considered myself superior to the academy professors.

However, Lilia shook her head, refuting my claim.

“I can assure you. As the daughter of a ducal family, I’ve met countless people, but none possessed yang energy as potent as yours. That’s why I approached you.”

Indeed, after that one… encounter, she hadn’t suffered from a lack of yang energy for a month. The amount she absorbed was enough to last her a year.

“I-I see…”

This time, I was the one blushing. Being told that my yang energy was strong, the strongest she’d ever encountered, was both flattering and embarrassing.

To think I’d discover a new talent in such a way… Should I be happy about this?

As I pondered, Lilia spoke, “Um… if it wouldn’t be too much trouble… could I impose on you for a while?”

I looked up at Lilia. Her face was redder than I had ever seen it.

The words she had just uttered seemed more embarrassing and shameful than anything else.

It made sense.

‘She herself must think it’s an imposition.’

Just the child in her womb, a product of responsibility without pleasure, was a considerable imposition. Taking her in would mean making enemies of the other ducal houses.

Lilia’s family, the Asmodeus family, had been brought down by the combined efforts of the six other ducal houses.

Of course, it would be fine if Lilia remained out of their sight, but…

‘Neither Lilia nor the six ducal houses would want that.’

Lilia, sharpening her blade for revenge, and the dukes, seeking to eliminate the last of the Asmodeus line to prevent future trouble.

It was obvious who had the advantage in this situation. No matter how outstanding an individual’s abilities, they couldn’t overcome the power of a faction, especially not a ducal house.

“…Frankly, this is a very difficult situation.”

I was honest. Taking Lilia in was not a logically sound decision. Regardless of her circumstances, it wasn’t my responsibility.

“I… understand.”

Lilia closed her eyes for a moment, then stood up.

“I apologize, Ziek. I came here suddenly and caused you confusion with my request.”

Lilia apologized politely. The daughter of Asmodeus displayed an unprecedented level of grace and courtesy.

“This unexpected situation caught me off guard, and I wanted to lean on someone. But don’t worry.”

Lilia bowed her head.

And along with her apology, she made a promise.

“I won’t shamelessly ask for your help in raising this child. This is my fault and my responsibility. I’m truly sorry. I won’t appear before you again.”

A sincere apology. I could sense the dignity of a noble in her simple words. She might no longer be the daughter of a duke, but the grace she had cultivated throughout her life shone brightly even in this situation.

Even while apologizing, Lilia was still beautiful.

However…

“…”

As she finished her apology and smiled silently, an expression of exhaustion was evident on her face.

It was a familiar expression. The same expression I often made in front of the bathroom mirror.

That expression stemmed from an emotion I knew all too well.

‘She looks tired of living. I used to make that expression when I was struggling.’

Tired of the world, tired of living. Pretending to be okay when she wasn’t. Trying to deceive herself with a smile.

Until she eventually reached the point of wanting to give up on life.

Not anymore, though.

‘I thought my life was miserable and bleak enough.’

Lilia looked even more exhausted than I had been. It seemed my struggles paled in comparison.

…How did I manage to escape that despair?

‘In my case, time was the answer. No matter how hard it was, time healed me.’

However, considering Lilia’s pain, I doubted even time could heal her wounds. It must be an indescribable agony.

As I revisited old scars, the thoughts I had back then resurfaced.

I desperately wanted help. Anyone, it didn’t matter who, I just wished someone would reach out.

But no one did.

That was also one of the reasons why I had been so tired of my life back then.

Lilia must be feeling the same.

Therefore…

“I’ll be leaving now. I left no trace on my way here, so the Duke’s men won’t find you here. The tea was delicious.”
“…If I’m not discovered by the Duke.”
“Huh?”

I grabbed Lilia’s wrist as she turned to leave.

“Why are you suddenly grabbing my wrist…?”
“If you promise not to tell anyone you were here.”

Just as I craved a helping hand back then, she must be feeling the same. So, I offered Lilia my help.

“You can stay here.”

Lilia’s expression was a mixture of joy and guilt.

“You’re pregnant. It doesn’t seem like you have anywhere to go, so just stay here comfortably.”
“Are you… serious?”

Lilia asked again, as if to confirm what she had just heard.

I smiled at her and said, “Of course. But we’ll be seeing each other all day from now on, so can we drop the formalities?”
“…Yes, please.”
“Then, Lilia, you can call me comfortably too. It’ll be tiring to use formal language with someone you’ll see every day.”
“Hehe… It’s alright. I’m much more comfortable this way.”

I had reached out impulsively, seeing the same wounds in her that I once had. I wondered if I was doing the right thing, but seeing Lilia smile with tears in her eyes, I felt it didn’t matter.

‘Well, it’ll work out somehow.’

My family had grown, and I might make enemies of the ducal houses, but I decided not to dwell on it.

My life was already a tangled mess. It wouldn’t change much if it got a little more tangled.

Night had deepened as we talked.

“It’s time for bed.”

Sitting at the dining table, I glanced at the clock on the wall and muttered.

Lilia tilted her head.

“Are you going to sleep already? It’s only midnight. It’s the most interesting part of the day.”

Enjoying the conversation after so long, she seemed full of energy. Judging by her expression, she could probably chat animatedly for another two hours.

However…

“I have to get ready for work tomorrow.”

Today was Wednesday, a weekday.

Mornings at the academy came earlier than one might expect. Due to the nature of the educational institution, lectures were scheduled from early morning, and preparing for them required waking up early. Moreover, to compensate for my lack of talent, I started each day with exercise.

Midnight was later than my usual bedtime.

“Work? Oh, I’m sorry. I kept you up late…”

I smiled and said it was fine.

“No, I also enjoyed talking with someone after such a long time.”

It was true. It had been years since I had a conversation that lasted for hours.

As the eldest son of the count family, I had no time or leisure to talk with anyone, spending every day reading and researching magic to make up for my lack of talent. And after becoming an assistant professor, I’d been alone, with no acquaintances at the academy.

“But let’s stop here for today and get some sleep.”

It was enjoyable talking with Lilia, but I had to go to work.

So…

“Let’s continue our conversation tomorrow.”
“Really?”
“Of course. We’re not going to stop talking altogether after today, are we?”

We weren’t just acquaintances who would meet for a day or two. We’d be spending a considerable amount of time together from now on.

“By the way, where are you going to sleep?”
“Ah.”

Right, I hadn’t thought about that. There were many rooms in this house, but only one bedroom.

“Do you have a guest room? I could sleep there.”
“There are plenty of spare rooms, but the only ones fully furnished are the study and the bedroom.”

There were rooms suitable for guests, but they were empty. I would have laid out blankets on the floor, but I didn’t have any.

I hadn’t bought any because I couldn’t afford them.

‘To be honest, I didn’t buy them because I didn’t need them.’

Having a bed or blankets in a guest room meant having guests who stayed overnight. That wasn’t relevant to me, someone disowned by his family and without a single lifelong friend.

I had never even considered furnishing a guest room.

“Then, shall I sleep on the sofa?”
“The sofa?”

I looked at the sofa in the living room. I rarely used it since I lived alone, treating it more like an interior decoration. For a decorative piece, it was surprisingly spacious, enough for one person to sleep on.

“You want to sleep on the sofa?”
“If you give me a blanket and a pillow, that’s enough.”
“I don’t have any extra blankets, but I have a large throw…”

I had a spare pillow since I had a habit of hugging something while I slept.

Lilia nodded.

“That’s enough.”
“Are you sure you want to sleep like this?”
“It’s better than living on the streets.”
“…Hmm.”

Comparing sleeping on the sofa to living on the streets felt wrong. Of course, sleeping on a sofa was better than sleeping outside.

But that didn’t sit well with me. I couldn’t make my first guest sleep on the sofa, especially when she was pregnant.

‘Well… I can’t sleep on the sofa when I have to work tomorrow.’

I had never slept on a sofa. As the eldest son of a prestigious family, I’d only ever slept in a bed. If I slept on the sofa, I wouldn’t be able to sleep properly.

I fell into thought. Neither of us could sleep on the sofa.

“Why don’t we just sleep together in the bed?”
“Huh?”
“My bed is quite expensive. It’s big enough to be spacious even for one person. There’s no reason why we can’t both sleep in it.”
“A-Are you serious?”

Lilia looked more embarrassed than ever.

“Why? Do you think we can’t both fit? It’s a bit cramped compared to the beds I had back in the count’s mansion, but it’s queen-sized. It’s more than enough for two adults.”
“No, that’s not it… You want to share a bed with me, someone you just met today?”

I-Isn’t that moving a bit too fast…?

Seeing Lilia blushing, I gave her a perplexed look.

“Huh, I’m the one who should be embarrassed here, not you.”

Unlike Lilia, who had willingly come to me while I was asleep, I had no memory of that night.

“Th-That’s true.”
“Besides, we’re not just going to see each other for a day or two. If one of us sleeps on the sofa, I’ll have to buy another bed. And with my tight finances, I’d like to save every penny.”

If we were in a normal relationship, we would sleep in separate rooms, but… with a child involved, why bother with such formalities? Beds were expensive!

“Let’s just decide to sleep together in the bed. I’ll take the inside, so you can sleep on the outside. Oh, do you want the inside?”
“I’ll… take the inside.”

So, there was nothing strange about us sleeping together.