The Inevitable Catastrophe
Ivan understood the confusion swirling in the two children’s eyes.
After all, the words “Prince Farel is pregnant” shattered every biological norm they held dear.
“I apologize. I jumped straight to the conclusion.”
Ivan’s green eyes held a touch of embarrassment as he continued, offering more of the story.
“That was right after the commotion at Cafe Florant.”
* * *
The Bright Marquis’s estate had one ancient tradition.
“The first day of every week must begin with the entire family sharing a meal.”
Anyone bearing the Bright name followed it without exception.
That day, the dining room of the marquis’s residence was filled with silver-haired faces.
The only difference was the addition of a stranger sitting among the familiar ones.
“Vivian, so who is that child?”
“It seems time to introduce him. He’s the person I’m meeting. Ivan?”
“Ah, thank you for the invitation. My name is Ivan Earnest. I may be young, but I work as a reporter for Shell Ami.”
“Hmm?”
Vivian, who had been utterly tense, gently stroked the back of her partner’s hand, now stiff and rigid.
She had wanted more time. Ivan had told her, “Trust me just a little longer.”
‘If the uproar at the cafe hadn’t happened…’
Seeing Farel’s venomous expression that day, the two had decided to tighten their bond. They no longer wished to be entangled in Farel’s selfish schemes.
Vivian’s eyes, recalling that memory, were now clouded with disgust.
“Pouring water on a person? They truly must be out of their mind.”
It had been simple water this time, but who could say what it would become later?
Her fist clenched tight as she forced her anger down.
“Earnest family’s Ivan Earnest…”
The grandmother of Vivian Bright, and the one who had revived the family’s glory, Kalia Bright, wiped her mouth with a cloth and spoke.
“You are humble indeed. Even this old lady’s ears know your name, so your talent must be extraordinary.”
“Grandmother.”
“Though a good deal of time has passed since my retirement, I too have learned the flow of the times. Welcoming a journalist into the family is a wise choice for the Brights.”
She began with praise, clasping her hands and gazing at the two. Her bright eyes held a power that could erase the wrinkles of years.
“But Vivian, there is something you must address first.”
“If it’s about something I need to address…”
“Prince Farel Underwood.”
Farel?
The mention of the name made Vivian’s expression harden.
Why was Farel’s name suddenly being brought up?
Unsure of her grandmother’s intentions, Vivian asked anxiously.
“Could it be because of the old pact between the Bright and Underwood families?”
“I have no reason to drag out such ancient promises now.”
“If not, then…”
Kalia raised a hand to silence Vivian and leaned forward with a serious expression.
“Farel is actually pregnant, isn’t he?”
“Eh?”
“The child between you and Farel is real?”
Kalia’s words brought silent shock to the dining room.
Vivian froze for a moment in the space where not even a fork could be heard, then slammed her chair back.
“That is utter nonsense! There is no child between me and Farel!”
“Then it must be false?”
“Yes! It is absolutely false. Hah, Farel is pulling these ridiculous stunts again… If proof is needed, you may call a doctor and examine me yourself.”
Kalia briefly touched her temple, surprised by the woman’s brazen attitude. From the tone, she seemed to have been unaware of the matter herself.
“That’s not it, Vivian. What I meant to say is…”
Before she could finish, a commotion erupted outside the dining room for a brief moment. Then the door opened and a confident voice rang out.
“No, if an examination is necessary, it should be me, not Vivian!”
“Farel? What nonsense are you spouting right now…!”
“Is it nonsense? Of course it is, because I am the one who is pregnant, not you! Don’t you remember?”
“Nonsense! Are you mocking me right now?”
She had no memory of it. More importantly, the entire situation was absurd to begin with.
Kalia sighed deeply at the family’s renewed shock and raised her voice.
“Enough! Stop making a scene.”
With one short sentence, she commanded attention and continued.
“If it were all nonsense, I would have dismissed it here. But I brought it up because Farel claimed he used black magic to conceive a child.”
“However, Grandmother, black magic is not omnipotent. Farel must be lying…”
Kalia shook her head slightly.
“Though I was forced into retirement, I once led a secret imperial experiment. The core of it was male pregnancy.”
“What does that even mean…”
“The first childbirth of His Late Majesty the Emperor was a difficult one, so it was important. Since the emperor personally participated, the research progressed quite far.”
“Does that mean the results were obtained?”
“Yes. But it was too dangerous and the side effects horrific, so it was halted. Those who opposed the suspension were eventually exiled from the empire.”
“….”
“After that, I thought it was all forgotten, but the child resurfaced and dragged the story out.”
Kalia’s gaze turned to Farel.
“His words were far too detailed to dismiss as mere nonsense.”
Farel, receiving the full force of her stare, raised his eyebrows and countered sharply.
“What can’t a desperate man do? I have lived by Farel’s side since childhood, claiming it as my own. Now you want me to yield that place to some upstart? Hah!”
He laughed dryly, his expression venomous as he glared at Ivan and bared his teeth.
“That’s impossible.”
Ivan’s expression grew solemn as he faced Farel, while Vivian, her face twisted in anger, ordered the servants.
“Bring a doctor at once. I cannot trust it until I see it with my own eyes.”
“You would.”
“Don’t misunderstand, Farel. Even if true, nothing will change. This is your own wrongdoing.”
“Is it?”
With one eyebrow raised, Farel looked at Vivian, pulled at the corner of his mouth in a smirk, and nodded.
“If you refuse to choose me, what then?”
“What?”
He slipped his hand into his jacket pocket, pulled out several photos, and placed them on the table.
As Vivian, wary of Farel, glanced at the images, her face paled.
The photos showed her: one in a disheveled pose on a bed, the other entering the shop in Crow’s Nest.
“Was it your engagement ceremony day? You may not remember, but I played the part of your fiancé that day. The knights saw it all clearly.”
She gripped the photos tightly and turned to Ivan, shaking her head.
“Ivan, this is not what Farel claimed. This is…”
“Vivian. Calm yourself.”
“I can explain everything. There is no affair with Farel. The shop in Crow’s Nest was visited for another reason. How could I abandon you like that…!”
“Hah, how tear-jerking. But what to do? It seems there is no ‘evidence’ to prove innocence.”
Farel’s laughter was aimed at the two, his eyes blazing as he ground his teeth.
“You’re mistaken if you think this is all I have, Vivian. I have prepared for this moment for a long time. Since you gave attention to that scoundrel. The Bright family will never escape this.”
“Farel, you…”
“Why did I choose this?”
“You used forbidden magic and yet act so arrogantly? The rumors of your obsession are well-known. Revealing it will only harm you, not me.”
“Hah! I am your designated fiancé through family pact. If I used forbidden magic hidden in the empire to get pregnant to become the ‘marquise’s wife,’ would you believe me? No, rather than that…”
He paused briefly, sweeping his gaze over the family, and continued slowly.
“Rather, it makes more sense that the Bright family’s mastermind, who knew the method from the imperial experiment, had the fiancé become pregnant. Especially now, when you have only recently become a knight.”
“Such flimsy words…!”
“Flimsy or not, you know the truth, don’t you? The reality doesn’t matter as much. At least to other families eyeing the Bright Marquis. Even if I take a hit, with you by my side, I’d welcome even hell.”
Ivan, listening to Farel’s claim, lightly clenched his fist.
As a journalist, he knew Farel’s words were false better than anyone. Exposing facts while turning rumors into truths was easy.
‘No matter which way it goes, when Farel exposes the truth, the Bright family will suffer.’
Seeing Ivan’s expression, Farel smiled cunningly and lightly patted his waist.
“The doctor seems to be waiting. Then I’ll head to the examination. Enjoy your time, everyone.”
Unlike when he left Cafe Florant earlier, Farel now appeared confident.
Watching his confident back, Kalia sighed deeply and spoke.
“Today, let us conclude here. Vivian and Derek, remain.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“…Yes.”
The end.
Truly, it was the end.