You're Pregnant
I was reading the Bible under the faint glow of a distant streetlamp when a sudden question occurred to me. Was the Rosario faith open to love?
Judging from what Adele had explained before, her home planet had a medieval feel to it. The odds of it being conservative were quite high. Yet Adele’s behavior didn’t seem to match that image at all.
I lifted my head and asked the girl who was happily munching on a cream bun.
“Adele, does the Rosario Church place any restrictions on love?”
“It appears in the early part of the Transitional Period, right after Genesis. You can look it up then.”
“Why? Can’t you just tell me now?”
“I’m full.”
Adele deftly changed the subject, then lay down on the checkered picnic mat and rested her head on it. At first glance, she looked like she was simply stargazing. But I knew she was searching for Rosario somewhere in the night sky.
Her eyes gave it away. She was asking the goddess for advice—how she should handle the feelings she was developing right now.
I chuckled softly, closed the Bible, and lay down beside her. She immediately scolded me.
“You’re supposed to be studying.”
I turned toward her with a calm smile. Adele rolled her eyes, sneaking glances at me, before finally gathering her courage and turning to face me as well.
Now we were staring at each other.
I reached out to wipe the cream from the corner of her mouth, then paused on purpose. I wanted to see how she would react.
“.....”
Adele didn’t move. She simply stared back at me with wide, innocent eyes. Once I was certain she was okay with it, I gently brushed the cream away.
“We’ve been studying for a long time. I’d like to rest for a bit.”
“...Alright.”
It was hard to see clearly under the night sky, but thanks to the streetlamp I could tell her face had turned bright red. Given this kind of reaction, the Rosario Church’s commandments didn’t seem all that strict… though that might change once we got to the actual act of lovemaking.
“Was the bread good?”
“Yes…”
“Where’s mine? I couldn’t find it anywhere…”
Adele flinched. Her expression practically screamed I look suspicious, don’t I? as she avoided my gaze. When I let out a low, drawn-out laugh, she sighed deeply and confessed.
“I ate it… It was so delicious that my hand just… went for it without thinking…”
“I figured as much.”
“I’ll give you jelly instead. I brought it from home.”
“You’re acting like you’re doing me a huge favor. Were you planning to eat that too?”
“Yes…”
Even while blushing, she still told the truth. When she rummaged through her jeans pocket, pulled out a small bag of jelly, and offered it to me, I shook my head.
“I’m fine.”
“I really want you to have it.”
“I can just buy some later.”
“But I want to be the one who gives it to you.”
To think she could say something that made my heart flutter like this… She had grown so much. So much.
I pretended to lose and held out my hand. Adele placed the jelly in my palm and beamed.
“Enjoy.”
“I’ll have to savor it.”
“You don’t have to. There’s more at home.”
“You’re going to give me more?”
“Yes. I’ll bring some to the lab tomorrow.”
She had slyly slipped in that she would be visiting the lab. Honestly, I had expected her to just follow me around, but I never imagined she would be this proactive.
“You’re always welcome, Adele… but tomorrow I have to work on Devices all day. We’re already running behind schedule.”
“...Lately it feels like only you’re working, Jihyeok. Has the Doctor still not recovered?”
“She said she’ll be back in a few days. Unfortunately, tomorrow won’t work.”
“I’ll just watch quietly.”
“You always say that, but you’ve never actually just watched.”
She pouted and complained.
“I was sitting quietly in the break room, but you were the one who came over and talked to me.”
“That’s true.”
“See? I can behave myself.”
She was saying that because I was the one who couldn’t behave. Just looking at her made me want to play with her.
I stared at Adele in silence. She lowered her long lashes as if feeling guilty, looking almost like a child who had thrown a tantrum and now felt sorry about it.
After studying her round, adorable face for a while, I finally spoke.
“You can come. But I’ll be busy in the morning, so come after lunch. Can you wait until then?”
Her face lit up instantly.
“Yes… I can wait.”
“Good.”
I sat up, crossed my legs, and opened the Bible again. Adele rummaged through the plastic bag and started drinking banana milk.
Her appetite really was something else. Without even looking at her, I held out my hand.
“Give me one too.”
“Ah, okay…”
When Adele returned home, she tilted her head at the sight of Silvia drinking a light brown liquid, sweat glistening on her skin.
She walked closer and asked, “Is that chocolate milk?”
“This? It’s a chocolate-flavored protein supplement… Want to try some?”
“Yes.”
Silvia smiled and handed her the bottle. Adele took a sip with curious eyes, then frowned slightly.
“This doesn’t taste like chocolate at all. It’s an insult to chocolate.”
Silvia burst out laughing. She wiped her face with the towel around her neck and nodded.
“Yeah, it’s just trying to imitate the flavor. How was the date?”
Adele visibly panicked. “D-date?! Jihyeok and I were simply studying the Bible with pure and reverent hearts!”
“You really only met him to study?”
“.....”
Her face said she had no good answer. Silvia smiled kindly and ruffled Adele’s hair.
“If you think I’m prying, you’re mistaken. If you don’t want to talk about the love you’re feeling, you don’t have to.”
“It’s not that… I trust you more than anyone else in the world, Silvia. And it’s not love. It’s just a crush.”
“In relationships between men and women, a crush falls under the category of love. There’s no need to split hairs. It’s the same sweet, fluttering feeling, right?”
“...Yes…”
“But you two haven’t known each other that long. Yet you already want to see him every day?”
Silvia’s question was full of mischief. Adele thought for a moment before answering seriously.
“It’s because we haven’t known each other long that I want to see him every day. We’re still in the stage of getting to know each other, so we should meet often.”
Silvia’s eyes widened at the bold answer. Seeing her genuinely surprised, Adele felt secretly pleased inside. To think she could surprise the usually composed Silvia? She really had matured a lot.
“That makes sense. So, what do you think of Jihyeok?”
“He’s always calm, smart, and kind.”
“That’s it?”
“He takes great care of me. I can feel how much he cherishes me.”
“You don’t sound entirely sure. Should I subtly ask him how he feels about you?”
Since they liked each other, their relationship was naturally progressing. He had even told her he had feelings for her last time… Silvia could be surprisingly dense sometimes. In this area, Adele considered herself the senior. She decided she would give Silvia advice once she found a man of her own.
With that thought, Adele shook her head.
“No. I read online that when a third person gets involved in a relationship between a man and a woman, it usually doesn’t end well. It’s something you should absolutely avoid. I’ll just accept your kind words, sis.”
“How decisive. Alright. Are you meeting him again tomorrow?”
“Yes. We’re meeting at the lab after lunch. Since Jihyeok is making Devices, I plan to stay quiet and not disturb him.”
“You don’t have to give me that much detail. Anyway… good luck. If there’s any good news, tell me first.”
“I will, sis.”
After finishing the conversation, Adele went into the bathroom and pressed the button above the bathtub. With a loud whoosh, warm water began filling it in an instant. She had done this dozens of times already, so it felt familiar. Still, it never ceased to amaze her. On her home planet, they had to fetch water from a well, but Earth was truly an advanced world.
She stripped off her clothes, rinsed herself with the shower, then sank into the tub.
“Haaa…”
A sigh of pure relaxation escaped her. Once she completed Rosario’s oracle, she wanted to settle down here on Earth. Together with Silvia, Jihyeok, and all her comrades.
While splashing water on her shoulders, Adele dried her hands on the towel hanging nearby and picked up her phone. She searched for “[What men do when they’re interested in a woman]” on a portal site and clicked on the most-viewed article. She became completely absorbed in it.
“Common signs that a man is interested in a woman. First is eye contact. They make eye contact frequently. This applies to both men and women. It is an instinctive behavior that occurs when there is attraction……”
Adele was learning about relationships through text. She made a firm resolution to check whether the things written here applied when she met Jihyeok tomorrow.
The next morning, I wrapped my arm around the Doctor’s shoulders as she came out of the examination room and guided her to a bench beside the consultation room, following the nurse’s instructions.
The Doctor was trembling violently. Not from pain, but from nerves.
I patted her shoulder, trying to reassure her.
“The test results will be out soon.”
“What if it didn’t work…?”
“Why are you talking like this is your last chance? We have plenty of time. Don’t worry.”
Despite my comforting words, she only bit her fingernails. She was anxious. Worried that the pregnancy had failed.
“Jihyeok, if it didn’t work this time, should we try artificial insemination…? Can I apply for it right now?”
She had been restless since the moment she woke up… This was serious. And artificial insemination? As the Demon King, I had my pride. The thought of going into a collection room, watching porn, and jerking off made my skin crawl. Even though I hadn’t done it yet, I already felt like my dignity was being trampled. Of course, I would do it willingly for the Doctor’s sake, but how nice would it be if she could just get pregnant naturally?
“Calm down. Let’s hear the results first.”
“...Okay.”
With a long sigh, the Doctor leaned her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her. When the nurse came out of the consultation room and called for Isabel Parsons, I helped her up.
Her legs were shaking. She looked terrified of hearing the outcome. But then she looked at my face, took a deep breath, and steadied herself. It was proof of how much she relied on me. Every time she acted like this, it made me feel good.
Once inside the consultation room, I sat her down and placed both hands on her shoulders. After a brief silence, the middle-aged doctor who had been reviewing her information and blood test results finally spoke.
“Isabel Parsons?”
“Yes…?”
“You’re pregnant. Congratulations.”
The Doctor’s mouth fell open in a daze.
“W-what did you say?”
The doctor smiled gently at her reaction.
“The test results are clear. There is a very high chance that implantation occurred during your fertile window before ovulation. There’s no need for further testing.”