Chapter 53: Whose child are you pregnant with?
Roble Holy Kingdom.
In a grand hall that resembled an administrative office, a beautiful young woman sat behind a large desk, her head bowed as she scanned through a pile of papers. Her long, golden hair, adorned with ornate jewelry, flowed down her back, shimmering in the ambient light.
She was Calca Bessarez, the Holy Queen, and the ruler of the Roble Holy Kingdom. Aurelius had impregnated her, and she was already confirmed to be in the early stages of pregnancy.
What was strange though was that it hadn't even taken a full day from the moment Aurelius had spilled his seed inside her for her egg to be fertilized. The zygote had turned to blastocyst and traveled swiftly to her uterus, marking the rapid onset of pregnancy.
Typically, such a process would take weeks.
Even with Calca's extraordinary fertility and her abilities as a 4th-tier divine magic caster, it should have still taken at least six days.
However, the entire process was sped up countless times thanks to Aurelius's Dragon Lord genes, which were far more potent than anything in this world, his natural charm skill, which also played a role, and Calca's special physique, which could handle the imbued fertility beyond human comprehension.
Of course, Calca was unaware of this and had no interest in learning all the details. All that mattered to her was the joy she felt at carrying Lucifer's (Aurelius') child.
She sifted through the reports, monitoring her kingdom's state as she always did, and a hint of concern crossed her face.
"There's so much to do," she murmured. "Remedios, when will Kelart be back?"
Kelart had only recently left the capital, but without her trusted companion by her side, Calca couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. Sensing this, Remedios, who stood nearby, spoke up to ease her worries.
"Calca-sama, you don't need to worry. I'll manage things in Kelart's absence."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, and besides, you should focus on your health—for the prince you're carrying."
Remedios' words touched Calca, who grinned warmly.
"Thank you, as always, Remedios."
With that, Remedios moved back to her position, where she quietly kept watch over Calca. Just as she reached her spot...
Creaaak!
The heavy door to the hall opened. Calca, who had just been thinking about Kelart, couldn't help but subconsciously speak up without looking up.
"Kelart, are you back already?"
But as Calca realized her slip, she instantly sensed something was off.
How could Kelart be back so soon?
She instantly lifted her head, and as expected, who she saw wasn't Kelart at all, but a striking red-haired woman, exuding a beauty that seemed to transcend human limits.
Calca's breath caught in her throat.
"Huh? Who are you?!"
"I've come to meet him!"
The woman stepped forward.
Calca blinked, confused. Who was this woman talking about?
Before she could react further, though, Remedios had already unsheathed her sword, placing herself between the Calca and the stranger.
"You! How dare you intrude here! Identify yourself immediately!" Remedios growled, her voice low and full of warning. Despite the threat, the red-haired woman remained indifferent, her expression cold.
"Are you yelling at me?" she asked, her voice dripping with disdain.
"...!!!"
Remedios could feel the oppressive heat emanating from the woman, as if the air itself had thickened. The red-haired woman glared at her with such murderous intent that it felt like a blade pressed against her throat.
Both Calca and Remedios struggled to steady their breath under the suffocating pressure of the woman's presence.
Sweat began to drip from Remedios's brow as she narrowed her eyes in caution, her every muscle tense. She couldn't withstand the woman's overwhelming aura, and Calca felt it too. The atmosphere in the room shifted, becoming sharp and heavy.
Amidst the tension, Calca's hand slipped beneath her sleeve, her fingers brushing the edge of a hidden scroll. It was the [Specified Summon Scroll]—a powerful treasure that Aurelius (Lucifer) had given her for her safety.
But she hesitated to use it, knowing the scroll was a one-time use, an extremely rare artifact.
More importantly, Calca could sense that the red-haired woman's hostility was directed solely at Remedios—not her. It gave her a flicker of confidence that the situation could be resolved without violence.
"My knight may have spoken harshly, but it was out of duty. May I know your name?"
Calca asked calmly. She instinctively knew this woman was dangerous. The fact that she had entered the royal castle—Calca's private room—without anyone's permission spoke volumes about her disregard for authority. Calca also sensed that no matter her rank as Queen, this woman wouldn't care.
The red-haired woman's lips curled into a curious smile, her eyes lingering on Calca. In her blazing red eyes, Calca's image was reflected like a flame caught in glass.
With a soft snort, the woman stepped forward, her shoes clacking loudly against the polished floor as she closed the distance between them.
"You're quite the bold one," the woman mused.
Her eyes held a dangerous glint as she reached out, gently tilting Calca's chin upward. Calca didn't flinch, though her heart raced.
Remedios, standing nearby, was mentally bound by the woman's presence. She couldn't move, only able to express her frustration in desperate whispers.
"Don't... don't touch Calca-sama! Don't you dare harm her!" Remedios cried out. She wanted to fight to defend her queen, but she was powerless.
The red-haired woman's gaze flickered toward Remedios, a faint look of annoyance crossing her face. "Why would I harm her?"
"???"
Both Remedios and Calca exchanged confused glances, not understanding the purpose of this red-haired woman.
With a casual wave of her hand, the red-haired woman smirked and said, "Since you asked so politely, I'll tell you my name. I am Leora Ekklesia, the Red Dragon Lord. I'm here because I sensed a 'His' immense power radiating from this place."
Red Dragon Lord, Leora Ekklesia.
Her name echoed in the room, filling it with a sense of dread.
"Leora Ekklesia?"
Calca repeated the name softly, as if tasting each syllable. Next to her, Remedios trembled violently, the words Red Dragon clearly shaking her to the core. Gathering her composure, Calca spoke, trying to voice both her own curiosity and the fear radiating from her knight.
"Are you... talking about a dragon?"
Leora gave a small, amused smile. "That's right. But I am no ordinary dragon. I am a Lord."
Dragon Lord.
The concept of a Dragon Lord was almost incomprehensible to Calca. She had never heard of Leora Ekklesia, the Red Dragon Lord, before.
'Could Leora be an ancient being, one far beyond what mortals could understand?' Even with her vast knowledge, Calca found it difficult to measure the existence standing before her.
Despite the fear and uncertainty, Calca forced herself to maintain her composure. If Leora had a purpose for being here, it was better to approach the situation calmly. She needed to steer this conversation in a friendly direction, not let it descend into hostility.
"Do you have a purpose here?" Calca inquired cautiously, her voice betraying a slight tremor despite her best efforts.
Leora's smile widened, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. "Now we're getting somewhere. Yes, I do have a purpose."
"May... I ask what it is?"
Leora chuckled softly, her fiery eyes gleaming with amusement. "Hey! Damn it, why the hesitation? I'll tell you, girl, but first, what's wrong with a little respect? Now, tell me your name properly."
"Calca Bessarez," she replied, holding her chin high. "I am the Holy Queen of the Roble Holy Kingdom."
"Ohhh," Leora purred, eyeing Calca with a mixture of curiosity and something more dangerous. "Then I'll just call you Calca."
Calca nodded slightly, offering a small signal with her eyes and urging Leora to reveal her purpose as soon as possible. Time felt like it was stretching taut between them, and Remedios remained a trembling shadow in the background.
"Calca," Leora said slowly, almost too casually, "whose child are you pregnant with?"
Calca blinked, caught off-guard. "Wh-what?"
"I asked," Leora's tone sharpened slightly, "whose child are you carrying?"
For a brief moment, Calca felt her breath catch in her throat. She struggled internally, trying to decide whether to speak the truth or hide it. Could she really lie to a being like this? Would a lie even work?
"Lies won't work on me," Leora said, almost reading her thoughts. "It's better if you tell the truth."
Calca exhaled deeply, her shoulders sinking slightly. She knew the truth was inevitable here. She steadied herself and spoke.
"I'm pregnant with the child of an adventurer I personally requested."
"Adventurer?" Leora tilted her head, frowning slightly as though the word was foreign to her. "What's that?"
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