Interlude: Silent Dawn
At 2 a.m., he carefully brushed aside Euphemia's sleeping hair and rose from the bed. Despite the exhaustion weighing heavily on him, sleep stubbornly refused to come.
To avoid waking her, he slipped out of bed, picked up a glass of cold water, and stepped onto the balcony.
Thud.
With darkness as his blanket and the stars and moon as his pillow, the world slumbered deeply, and the profound solitude spread like a blanket, quietly soothing his hazy emotions.
A child...
At first, he'd seen it merely as a means to bind Euphemia. Lee Seojin had never built a family with anyone before.
But now that Euphemia was truly pregnant and the most irritating thorn, Ciel Midford, was dead, a complex surge of emotions rose within him—feelings too intricate to put into words.
Now, all that's left is...
Installing Robelium Kingdom's first prince on the throne and unraveling the tangled past with the Claudia family.
No, it might not end there.
There was no clear evidence, but he suspected the mastermind behind putting Ciel Midford into a vegetative state was backed by the Elmark Empire.
The biggest beneficiary of dragging the Alfred family into perjury was Elmark, ensuring the survival of their pawn, Inas den Proissen Robelium.
Putting Ciel into that state was probably...
A two-birds-with-one-stone play, aiming for the fisherman's profit. The novel had been discontinued, so certainty was impossible, but considering the Brutein family's stature...
The Elmark Empire becoming Ciel's guardian wasn't out of the question.
It might be speculation, but given the era, Gremory had amassed far too much for a woman. The title of princess? Empress? Pinnacle Aura Knight prowess? Those were mere tips of the iceberg.
The current Elmark Emperor was 71, long overdue to abdicate, yet he hadn't—because she wouldn't allow it.
The princess title was a facade; in reality, she ruled the empire like a regent.
So...
Gremory Eldin Ishtar Elmark—could she be shaped as a heroine candidate?
Given her position, it wouldn't be her entangled in Ciel's circumstances, but rather Ciel drawn into hers.
A woman near the throne aiding a mere knight's revenge felt contrived.
If that's the case... Gremory Eldin Ishtar Elmark. Are you preparing for war?
He quenched his thirst with the cold water, leaned on the balcony railing, and gazed at the sky.
Perhaps he was overthinking it, borrowing trouble.
But in male-oriented novels, especially with a clear antagonist, a singularity—a woman with overwhelming power—appearing as a villain rather than an ally defied the clichés etched in Lee Seojin's memory.
Realistic, yet persuasive reasoning for a world built on a novel's framework.
The elements meant for the villain's demise likely lingered.
The protagonist who connected them was simply dead.
"..."
Enough. Endless speculation without answers only bred fatigue, so he set aside his thoughts.
For the first time in a while, he opened his status window and glanced down.
Special Ability
▶ ??? (4/5)
▶ Quantification
Refusing to unveil itself until the end, is it?
A faint chuckle escaped as he sighed softly.
Still...
A new count had appeared where there'd been none, and he clearly remembered the circumstances.
The moment the Netherworld gate forced open, summoning that monstrosity.
I checked the altar, but no sacrificial items had been consumed.
This ability's connection to the Netherworld wasn't a transaction.
I approached it similarly, though.
When clues were scant, he'd wondered if it granted the right to summon Netherworld aberrations... and surprisingly, it did, in a forced manner.
The odd part is...
That book—the Netherworld ledger—he could read its language.
And the detailed circumstances of unknown aberrations came naturally to mind.
Ferzen von Schweig Brutein, what secrets are etched into your body?
If activation required facing death, linking it to the count felt like spare lives.
A tremendous merit for a villain.
His life was tumultuous from the start.
OCD. Extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder. Not something innate from birth.
A product of stress, environment, negative interactions over time.
Yet Ferzen suffered it from the moment of self-awareness.
The well runs deep.
Once drained, what abyss awaited at the bottom? The thought filled him with anticipation.
He finished the water, returned to the room, and closed the balcony door.
Creak.
Climbing into bed, he pulled the sleeping Euphemia into his arms under the covers.
His possessiveness toward her was already intense, but since learning of the pregnancy, controlling it was like a cat eyeing fish.
He craved constant touch, licks, embraces.
But early pregnancy demanded abstinence until after the high-risk first 12 weeks to avoid miscarriage.
He didn't want that, nor to inflict it on her.
"Mm..."
Caressing her still-flat belly, he buried his face in her nape.
The slightest contact, her faint scent—it soaked his touch with sticky desire, his hand drifting to her thigh.
...Demurely pressed thighs.
Slipping between, creating space, kneading the soft, yielding flesh lewdly.
"Ah..."
Euphemia stirred in sleep, eyelids fluttering with a soft moan.
Swish.
Unable to resist, he hiked up her negligee hem, her subtle body scent blooming like rich flowers.
How could human scent be so seductive?
Wrapping her waist, he pulled her tightly into his embrace.
She seemed like cracked glass now, so he moderated his strength.
He tried to sleep, but pent-up, restrained lust leaked as a sigh, brushing her ear.
Twitch!
The hot breath more stimulating than expected, Euphemia awoke in a daze, glancing around before realizing his arms and lifting her head.
"Wh-what... are you doing..."
Half-asleep, her babyish whine was adorably cute.
"It's... still 3 a.m.... Can't you... sleep...?"
Rustle. Rubbing her eyes, she checked the clock over his shoulder, asking cautiously.
"Ah..."
Realizing her negligee bunched to her chest—essentially in underwear in his arms—she ducked her head awkwardly.
She'd surely noticed him toying with her sleeping body.
"Y-you said... to keep my belly warm..."
"..."
"The physician... said so..."
In a tiny voice, persuading him, she tugged the negligee down.
Stopping her was easy, but he watched silently as she tidied herself modestly.
"..."
His lack of interference felt unfamiliar. Half-down negligee exposing her, she looked up puzzled, hesitating before murmuring,
"Do you... want to...?"
"..."
"If it's... hard to hold back... I-I'll... use my mouth..."
Her earnest offer drew a faint smile; he tightened his embrace.
His bulging pants prodded her, and interpreting it as desire, she shook her head, clutching his clothes.
"Th-the baby... it-it'll hurt..."
"..."
"Is it... because I'm bad... at mouth stuff? But I-I haven't... licked it much... so of course..."
"..."
"I'll... try my best..."
"Euphemia."
"Y-yes..."
"Sleep. Sorry for waking you."
Smoothing her negligee down, he stroked her waist gently.
Yet she slipped a hand down, clumsily grasping his pants.
"..."
Wondering her intent, he stayed still as she freed his erection, lowered her panties, and nestled it between her thighs.
Her smooth, plump, hairless mound and soft thigh flesh enveloped him warmly.
"H-how is it..."
Face flushed, stuttering, she sought his approval.
"Not... good...?"
"We'll see..."
Curious her reaction, she murmured,
"Then... just the tip... a little...?"
"..."
Parting her legs slyly, pressing his glans to her entrance, she said worriedly.
"Don't thrust suddenly... h-hitting the womb... the baby..."
"Enough."
"..."
Suppressing laughter, he turned her head outward, embracing her, re-nestling his member between her thighs, guiding her hands to grip the exposed tip.
"Use your hands. That'll satisfy me."
"But then... it'll take forever to cum..."
Even as she spoke, her clumsy strokes soothed his lust, thighs subtly shifting for extra friction.
"You're growing skilled in this area, bit by bit."
The observation slipped out naturally.
"All you've taught me... is this..."
Bitter tinge in her words; he dipped his head, nibbling and licking her earlobe.
"E-ear... don't...! Ah! Hnng..."
"Your hands stopped."
Stroke.
Stroke...
Her body quivering like a fledgling, she resumed as chided.
Squelch!
Soon, precum mixed on her hands, lewd sounds rising.
Sweat beaded her enclosing thighs; her plump mound leaked clear fluid.
Skin on skin felt slicker than expected—pleasurably so.
"Ah..."
Sensing his throbbing, she clenched her thighs, hands teasing the tip, receiving his surging release fully.
"Ha..."
Prolonged afterglow.
"Mm...!"
Nipping her nape lightly, savoring, he withdrew.
Creak...
Sweat-matted hair clinging, she turned, sticky hands raised, awkwardly rising.
Not just hands—semen dripped to her mound and thighs, pooling on her knee-straddled panties.
"Stay still."
Fetching a clean cloth, dampening it, he wiped her hands thoroughly.
Moving to her thighs...
Swish.
Without words, she gripped her negligee hem, parting her legs willingly.
"Why... let me do it...?"
"No."
Faint smile, shaking his head, he reached out.
Twitch!
Cold water on the cloth made her legs tremble.
Supporting her waist with his free left hand tenderly, he cleaned thighs and mound, removing the sodden panties.
Plop.
Tossing them into the bedside basket, back in bed, he pulled the reaching-for-underwear Euphemia down into his arms.
Now 4 a.m., dawn neared; he considered staying up but soon drifted off belatedly.
Trapped demurely in Ferzen's arms, Euphemia instinctively clenched her empty lower body.
Ferzen now slept evenly.
She tried resuming sleep, but her recently roused body resisted.
Mind sharpening with time.
"..."
Blinking quietly, she watched faint dawn creep through the large window.
Morning—no, tomorrow had become today.
Likely, she'd watch such scenes with Ferzen henceforth.
Further on, their child too...
May 24th. 7:30 a.m.
In Ernes Empire's capital, the vast Alfred mansion—purchased under their name.
There, Uriel rose early, trembling in fear.
Knock knock.
Flinch!
A light knock made her jolt; her tension was obvious.
"Come in..."
At her permission, a maid entered the bedroom, bowing politely.
"Miss. The elder summons you."
Grip!
As expected, yet she clenched her aspen-trembling fists to hide them.
Silently rising, she walked the corridor.
Dragging steps to delay, yet today the hall felt cruelly short.
Click.
Before the door, she opened the gateway to hell, where a demon lurked.