The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 123

“Madam, congratulations!”

“Vanessa! It’s been so long!”

I never expected the gift Claire had prepared for me to be none other than Vanessa Mavrantail. Overjoyed, Amel hurried over and embraced her.

It felt like reuniting with a dear friend after a year. After patting Vanessa’s back for a while, Amel pulled away with a slightly pouty expression and questioned her.

“Where have you been all this time? I sent people to the Arethyst building several times, but you never came by, and you never even replied. You could have visited at least once.”

“Madam… did you miss me that much?”

“Of course. I heard you were busy with Arethe research. Is it because of a deadline?”

Vanessa gave an awkward smile. She couldn’t exactly tell her that her goal was to use Arethe to form a chivalric order dedicated to protecting the love and peace that her lady desired.

But she couldn’t just apologize empty-handed to a mistress who had missed her. Instead, Vanessa began unpacking the gifts she had carefully prepared.

“What is all this, Vanessa?”

“I’m currently conducting research on crafting magical artifacts using Arethe. These are some of the results. Since I heard you’re expecting, I brought things that might be helpful.”

Like a traveling merchant, Vanessa explained each item. She had quickly gathered things a pregnant woman might need by asking her subordinates, hoping they would be useful.

“This cup was created with the help of an Arethe wielder who can manipulate gravity to a small extent. Even if you tip it over, the contents won’t spill.”

“That sounds incredibly useful once the baby arrives. Babies tend to drop their cups all the time.”

Of course, that would only be relevant when the child was old enough to hold a cup. Vanessa beamed at Amel’s words and excitedly continued her explanations.

Amel was once again reminded of the vast and varied abilities that Arethe users possessed. She also realized how rare her own ability—reading the minds of those she touched—was.

She had felt a bit hurt, thinking Vanessa had been avoiding her without reason, but now she understood. Vanessa had truly been overwhelmed with her research.

“I had no idea you were working this hard. At this rate, you’ll be incredibly wealthy soon.”

“That would be nice. The things I want to do require a lot of money.”

Vanessa smiled meaningfully.

It had been two days since Amel discovered she was pregnant.

That evening, she and her husband were invited to dinner at the Diane estate, hosted at the Count’s mansion.

The original Diane manor had been located close to the imperial palace to accommodate Count Diane’s commute as the captain of the Imperial Knights. However, it was quite a distance from the Chaield ducal residence.

Shortly after Amel became the Duchess of Chaield, Count and Countess Diane had moved to the estate they had been granted along with Amel’s Imperial Lily Medal.

Their debts from co-signing a loan had been fully repaid, and the noble youths they had mentored were now making their debut in high society.

With a flourishing estate and an impressive castle, the Diane family’s honor had reached new heights. But the biggest reason for the Count and Countess’s improved spirits was something else entirely.

“Amel, you must be tired from the long journey. Come inside quickly.”

“It’s nothing, Father. Claire helped me get here in no time.”

“I made you an apple pie. You loved it when you were little….”

“Dear, don’t cry. His Grace is here as well.”

Amel patted her father’s back and stepped inside. His eyes were swollen, likely from shedding tears upon hearing the news yesterday.

For a former knight captain who was skilled in the kitchen, making an apple pie shouldn’t have been difficult—yet his hands were covered in small cuts.

‘It’s probably going to be too salty,’ Amel thought, suppressing a chuckle.

Following their guide, the group moved into a glass conservatory that resembled a high-end café. A table was laden with apple pie and an assortment of delicious-looking desserts.

Countess Diane guided Amel to a plush seat with soft cushions and personally poured her a cup of herbal tea. Love shone in her eyes as she gazed at her daughter.

“It feels like just yesterday that you were in my belly. Have you decided on a prenatal name for the baby yet?”

“Not yet. What was mine?”

The Count and Countess exchanged glances before laughing, recalling the times they had lovingly rubbed her mother’s belly and called her by name.

“Sturdy.”

“…Sturdy?”

Kyle barely managed to hold back his laughter at the unexpected name. Had Count Diane been planning to raise his daughter as a knight to follow in his footsteps?

However, Countess Diane’s explanation was far more sentimental.

“I didn’t choose it—your father did. He knew that the women in our family had difficult pregnancies, so he wanted you to be strong.”

“The women on my mother’s side?”

“Yes. It’s always been hard for them to conceive, and… well, children were rare.”

Amel chuckled softly, instantly deducing why her mother had hesitated.

The issue of infertility had always been a concern in her maternal family, but as it turned out, her parents had overcome it effortlessly—thanks to their unexpected success after a particular “tea invitation.”

“I take after my mother, so I think I’ll be fine.”

“…Perhaps a prayer before drinking tea would be wise. Don’t you think, dear?”

During their brief prayer, Amel could hear her father’s thoughts through his touch.

“Did His Grace really eat all those sweets he used to hoard in his drawer?”

“At least he seems to cherish my daughter.”

“If he ever makes my pregnant daughter cry, I’ll challenge him to a duel on the spot.”

It seemed Count Diane was still keeping a sharp eye out for any weaknesses in his so-called “perfect son-in-law.”

Once the prayer for the baby’s health was complete, the conversation shifted back to choosing a prenatal name. Amel turned her gaze toward Kyle and asked,

“Kyle, have you picked a name? You did say you had forty names ready for the baby.”

Kyle smoothly avoided his father-in-law’s scrutinizing stare and replied that he hadn’t, thinking it would be best to decide together.

“Hmm…”

Amel imagined the scene of Kyle calling the baby by its prenatal name. He was already adorable just by opening his mouth, but if he murmured a sweet nickname, he would be even cuter.

“How would you like me to refer to the baby, my lady?”

Just then, a particular word he had spoken caught her attention. She had already found it endearing whenever the great Duke Chaield used such terms.

“How about what you just said?”

“…You mean ‘baby’?”

“Yes. The way you say it sounds really lovely.”

“Baby…”

Amel lightly touched Kyle. He was deep in thought, more serious than ever.

“Baby? Does she really want to call the baby… baby?”
“Well, it’s better than ‘Sturdy’…”
“But my lady said she likes it.”
“…And she also said she likes the way I say it.”

His struggle to set aside his naming instincts just to be loved by his wife was almost touching, yet his voice and smile were as bright as if he had wholeheartedly agreed.

“It’s an adorable name.”

“…You really think so, don’t you?”

Kyle nodded shamelessly. And thus, the baby’s prenatal name became Baby Chaield.

After settling on the name, Count and Countess Diane spent the evening showering their daughter with affection. By the time their loving concerns subsided, it was already late, and Amel and Kyle rose to take their leave.

While Amel exchanged hugs with her parents, Kyle’s gaze landed on a picture frame resting on a shelf.

One of Count and Countess Diane’s favorite hobbies was decorating their home with framed portraits. It seemed they selected a different portrait of Amel each week to match a chosen theme.

“This time, it’s childhood portraits of my sister.”

A young Amel, her cheeks plump with baby fat, stared wide-eyed at the painter. Most of the pictures depicted her as round and soft, like freshly kneaded dough.

Then, Kyle’s eyes gleamed like a treasure hunter who had just discovered a ginseng root. Among the portraits, he found one of baby Amel, surrounded by rabbits, smiling bashfully.

Just as he reached out to get a closer look, a cough interrupted him. As expected, it was Count Diane.

“This is my most cherished painting. You should admire it with your eyes only, Your Grace.”

As Kyle hesitated to look away, Count Diane discreetly moved to take the frame away. But Kyle, smiling, held onto it firmly. Their hands trembled slightly as they engaged in a quiet battle of wills.

“I will have an artist create a replica and return this to you.”

“That would diminish its rarity. Absolutely not.”

“When our child is born, they might want to see their mother’s childhood.”

“They can come visit their grandfather’s house. I’ll always have treats prepared for my grandchild. Now, kindly return the painting.”

Count Diane was unyielding in his attachment to the image of Amel, nestled among fluffy rabbits. Kyle pretended to relent, nodding as if in agreement, before stepping back.

Count Diane let out a breath of relief, reassured that he had successfully guarded baby Amel’s portrait.

That sense of relief lasted only until he received an imperial decree demanding that he bring all the framed portraits in his home to the palace for examination.

Ever the dutiful knight, he loaded Amel’s entire portrait collection into two carriages and set off for the imperial palace. Even the emperor, upon receiving them, looked somewhat bewildered.

“Your Majesty, these are merely portraits of my daughter.”

“Ah, so that’s what this is about. I was wondering.”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind. We need to conduct a brief examination, so leave them here. I’ll have them returned to you in a few days.”

“My daughter’s childhood portraits… what exactly are you investigating?”

“It’s related to the imperial budget, so I ask for your cooperation. Now that you’re reinstated, you are once again the empire’s loyal knight commander. You must serve the emperor faithfully.”

Count Diane sighed and gestured for his men to unload the frames.

He had suspected this was about the duchess the moment Kyle Chaield had come to him with a request. But he hadn’t expected it to be this serious.

“So he doubled next year’s imperial budget… just to acquire a few childhood portraits of his wife? To him, that amount is practically nothing, isn’t it?”

Count Diane let out a dry laugh.

It wasn’t until a little later that an image popped into his mind—his son-in-law, hugging Amel’s portraits tightly, wearing a devilish grin.

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