The Obsessive Male Lead Is Obsessed With Me! - Chapter 145

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 145

“Huh? …What? What did you say?”

“The baby in your belly.”

Whether she knew I was gaping in shock or not, Eve was staring at my stomach with an entranced gaze.

“My holy power manifests through my eyes, you see. So I could always see exactly where and how people were hurting… And I could always see the babies inside pregnant women too.”

“So, so you can see there’s a baby in my belly right now?”

“Yes. It’s still very small though.”

Eve looked away from my belly and met my eyes with a bright smile.

“Very healthy. God is blessing it so it can be born that way.”

“God’s blessing?”

“Yes. I can feel it.”

Those words… meant this child was the one mentioned in the oracle, right?

‘A wise ruler who will be remembered throughout history.’

But more than that, Eve’s words that the baby would be born healthy left a stronger impression.

‘Right. If it’s Lionel’s and my child, of course it’ll be born healthy.’

So I really was pregnant after all.

I wonder what kind of reaction Lionel would show if he knew this fact?

I was grinning and rubbing my belly with the hand not holding the scroll when I felt the air becoming noisy somehow.

“Huh? What’s that?”

“Uh… Someone seems to have come?”

“There, she’s over there!”

Along with what appeared to be a guide priest, four mounted Imperial Knights came galloping this way.

I was hesitating and stepping back with an ominous premonition when.

“Lady Cecilia.”

The Imperial Knights who had jumped down from their horses called me that, even knowing my current status was Duchess of Frost, and said:

“This is an imperial command. You must come with us to the Imperial Palace immediately.”

Somehow, ominous premonitions are never wrong.

‘Do they think I’ll meekly follow?’

I glared at the Imperial Knights with fierce eyes.

“I don’t understand the reason for this imperial command. Why must I go to the Imperial Palace?”

“We don’t know that either. However, this is an imperial command, so if you don’t comply, it constitutes treason.”

How ridiculous!

“Even if it’s an imperial command, shouldn’t there be underlying reasons or justification? As you all know, I’m a duchess. Even His Majesty the Emperor cannot force my will.”

“But…”

“If you absolutely must take me to the Imperial Palace, bring a proper reason. Otherwise, I cannot comply.”

I shook my head firmly.

Then the four Imperial Knights looked at each other with troubled faces, exchanging glances and having a silent conversation before one stepped forward as their representative.

“Lady Cecilia.”

“Address me as Duchess.”

“…Understood.”

The Imperial Knight continued with a small sigh, as if he didn’t want to be doing this either.

“Your Grace the Duchess. We didn’t come here alone.”

“Then?”

“The entire 4th Knight Order came. They couldn’t all enter, so the rest are waiting outside the temple with carriages.”

“The entire knight order…?”

So dozens of Imperial Knights had come to the Central Temple just to take me away.

What that meant was:

‘They’ll use force to drag me away if necessary!’

“His Majesty the Emperor said to bring Your Grace the Duchess to the Imperial Palace ‘no matter what.'”

As if my guess was correct, the Imperial Knight emphasized each syllable. Another knight beside him added:

“Since the imperial command has been issued, we must fulfill that command without fail. No matter what happens in the process, absolutely.”

“…Are you threatening me right now?”

The Imperial Knight didn’t answer my incredulous question.

Instead, he looked around, and where he was looking were frightened clergy members including Eve.

‘Wow, they really are threatening me?’

These people call themselves knights? Even if the Emperor ordered it, how could they think of taking innocent people hostage?

I was just snorting in disbelief when Eve, who had been hiding behind me with a frightened face, bravely stepped forward.

“The Duchess has a child in her belly!”

“What, what did you say?”

“It’s a child blessed by God. If anything happens to the child, God will be greatly angered!”

At Eve’s words, the Imperial Knights’ eyes wavered like water.

“Already with child…”

“If it’s blessed by God, then surely that oracle’s?”

Without exception, all the Imperial Knights were speaking with shaken voices. Seeing that, I could roughly understand.

‘Hmph, they want to take me because of the oracle after all.’

Since rumors that I was the real owner of the oracle had spread so widely, I thought something like this might happen.

I never expected them to cowardly send Imperial Knights while the Pope was away though.

‘He must want to make me his wife so he can keep sitting on the throne.’

Not a chance. There’s already Lionel’s child in my belly.

Moreover, Eve, who had such tremendous holy power that she came to the capital at a young age, saw it clearly with her own eyes. That God was blessing the child in my belly.

‘That means this child is the wise ruler who will be remembered throughout history mentioned in my oracle.’

What did that mean?

Since oracles have never once failed to come true, I would safely give birth to this child.

‘Lionel is thinking of pulling down the Emperor and taking that seat himself, so what does it mean that I’m giving birth to a wise ruler who will be remembered throughout history?’

It meant that when this child is born, Lionel would be the one sitting on the throne.

If there wasn’t a child in my belly yet, I might have been a little scared, but now I could be certain of that future, so there was nothing to fear.

‘Right, since it’s come to this, let me see the Emperor’s face when he hears I’m already pregnant and despairs!’

I’ll laugh right in his face.

You’ve already lost!

“Since you’re cowardly taking the temple people hostage and threatening them, I have no choice. I’ll go to the Imperial Palace. Lead the way.”

“What?”

“When did we ever take the temple people hostage…”

“You brought the entire knight order and you’re talking too much.”

With my arms crossed and making a scoffing sound, I deliberately spoke loudly for everyone to hear.

“The Pope isn’t even here, and how could I, an early-stage pregnant woman who needs special care, possibly resist? Let’s go, come on!”

“No, that’s not…”

The Imperial Knights looked around with troubled expressions but ultimately didn’t say they’d just go back.

“…We’ll escort you for now. Let’s go.”

“Wait a moment.”

I handed the scroll I’d been holding to Eve and said to the child:

“Sorry. I said I’d listen but I can’t now.”

“Oh, no. But are you really okay? If you go to the Imperial Palace like this…”

“It’s fine. Thanks to you, Eve, I’ve become invincible.”

So don’t worry, I winked at Eve and secretly whispered in the child’s ear, away from the Imperial Knights:

“Instead, will you do me one favor?”

“What? Yes, yes! Just tell me anything!”

I placed the small flute I had in my pocket into Eve’s hand.

“If you blow this, a sister with black hair will appear. Tell that sister…”

* * *

At that moment, Belrose was waiting in the inner lobby on the first floor of the manor, clutching the soul fragment recovery magic device.

‘I must retrieve the soul fragment today without fail.’

Having heard the entire story from Lionel and Cecilia, Belrose knew what would happen tomorrow.

With high probability, if the Emperor changed tomorrow, the two would become busy, and if not, they would become even busier due to other incidents.

In any case, he had to retrieve Cecilia’s soul fragment before the two entered the Imperial Palace. So today was the only opportunity left for Belrose.

‘I wonder if I can succeed today?’

In truth, Belrose hadn’t been idle for the past week either. But no matter how much he observed and watched, Lionel had no openings.

So Belrose even considered whether he should just confess everything to Lionel and ask for his cooperation.

Since Lionel and Cecilia were already married and getting along well, there wouldn’t really be a need to hide matters related to Cecilia’s soul fragment from him, but…

“Liri’s soul fragment is with me?”

“Yes. So please cooperate with me as I try to retrieve that soul fragment.”

“Why should I?”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t think you, who has never once defeated me, could keep Liri’s soul fragment safer than I can.”

“But if Your Highness gets hurt, Cecil’s soul fragment will…!”

“Even in the Northern Region crawling with monsters, didn’t I protect Liri’s soul fragment without any problems? I think I can continue to do well in the future.”

“That…”

“I’ll continue to protect Liri’s soul fragment well from now on. If you want to change my mind, first try defeating me in a duel.”

…It seemed like Lionel would refuse to hand over the soul fragment in this direction.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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