Became Pregnant With the Demon King’s Child

Zephyros was in many ways the complete opposite of Felix. His long silver hair, as if infused with moonlight, and bright blue eyes—paired with a confident demeanor—only emphasized the contrast between the two as they stood side by side. Lowell instinctively moved closer to Felix and studied their guest.

Far from gloomy or scheming, Zephyros looked utterly unburdened and carried an air of youth and inexperience. For one thing, he couldn’t even hide the way he kept sneaking glances at Lowell.
They say he’s a well-loved prince, but he’s still just a kid. Doesn’t seem like he’s pretending to be naïve either… Maybe I overreacted thinking he was sent here on the Emperor’s orders?
Lowell scrutinized the Emperor’s possible intentions as he looked at Zephyros—who was only a year younger than Felix, but somehow seemed far more childish. A dirty schemer like the Emperor wouldn’t have sent such a clumsy infiltrator, so perhaps there was no need to overthink it. And yet, the unease wouldn’t leave him.

“Are you acquainted with my fiancé?”
Instead of offering more words of welcome, Felix cut in sharply. Though his tone remained polite for the sake of their guest, that was as far as the courtesy extended. The proud smile on Zephyros’s face faltered into awkwardness.
“Not at all. This is my first time visiting the Halo Empire and meeting Your Grace’s fiancé.”

“You kept staring so intently, I thought perhaps you were harboring a secret crush.”
It took Lowell a moment to realize that the word fiancé referred to him, and when it hit, he lowered his head quickly to hide his burning face.
Fiancé?

It was the first time Felix had openly defined their relationship like that. Even though he tried not to dwell on it, Lowell—who had only just come to terms with his own feelings—couldn’t stop his fingertips from tingling. However, to someone unaware of the situation, his lowered head simply made him look defeated by Felix’s words. The stark difference in their sizes only amplified that impression.
Zephyros’s face stiffened, and he bowed low.
“Perish the thought. Please, I beg you not to misunderstand.”

“I hope it was indeed just a misunderstanding.”
Felix’s response remained cold. As the air grew increasingly awkward, Felix spoke again, sounding like he wanted to wrap things up quickly.
“It seems I’ve detained you too long after your arrival. Please rest comfortably at the castle and recover from your journey.”

Zephyros and his escort knights were led to their respective quarters. With the guest now out of sight, Lowell planned to retreat to Felix’s study to collect his thoughts—at least, until Felix asked a question he seemed to have been holding back.
“Is that pale one your type?”
“…Pardon?”

Lowell was caught completely off guard. He’d been too focused on assessing whether Zephyros posed any threat to Felix to consider anything else. He had noticed Felix eyeing the newcomer warily—but had dismissed it without much thought. After all, Lowell didn’t yet understand how sensitive a one-sidedly bonded Alpha could become.
“You couldn’t take your eyes off that brat.”
Lowell instinctively opened his mouth to say they were only a year apart, but closed it again. To Felix, it might sound like he was defending Zephyros. More importantly, he wanted to reassure Felix.
“I prefer black.”

Rising onto his toes, Lowell reached up and lightly touched Felix’s hair. Felix remained still and rigid, letting Lowell do as he pleased.
“I like deeper voices. I like taller men. I like warm hands.”
Lowell whispered with a soft, natural smile.

“Of course, if Your Grace dyed your hair blond, then I’d probably like that best too. So really, there’s no need for comparisons.”
He’d phrased it indirectly, but the message was clear enough even for a jealousy-fueled Felix to understand: no one else—not even someone he’d just met today—could compare to Felix.
“…I see.”

Felix turned his head slightly, the tips of his ears tinged red—perhaps realizing he’d overreacted. Still, he added one more comment.
“I’ve heard some crass nobles keep lovers on the side… but let me make one thing clear: I’ll never tolerate that. I won’t allow anything that disgraces the Grand Duchy.”
Felix brought up all sorts of justifications, even though he didn’t really care about the Grand Duchy’s prestige. Lowell, who had always thought cheaters were trash, didn’t even need to say it.

“That’ll never happen.”
“Then that’s all I need to hear.”
Felix finally released the pheromones he’d been holding back. Normally, when upset, his pheromones became sharp and aggressive, so he’d suppressed them carefully. But now he adjusted them, letting just the right amount seep out—just enough for Lowell to feel relaxed.

Lowell forgot all about his worries, stretching out comfortably on the couch and idly swinging his feet. The dull tightness he’d been feeling in his lower belly slowly eased.
Humming off-key, Lowell silently prayed that Zephyros would leave Nyx without causing trouble. Of course, life never worked out that smoothly.
***

To avoid running into Zephyros, Lowell deliberately took his meals in his room. When he’d watched the training session to assess the guest’s intentions, he’d noticed Felix’s tension. Felix had tried to hide it, but his acting wasn’t good enough to fool Lowell.
Felix’s sour mood ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) wasn’t just from exhaustion—it was also because Zephyros, completely wiped out from their sparring, had let some of his pheromones leak. Lowell had no intention of creating situations that Felix might dislike.
It’s not like he suspects anything, but… maybe he just instinctively dislikes him?

After eating, Lowell strolled through the castle grounds with Tia. Though calling it a stroll “together” was generous—Tia trailed a step behind, acting more like a bodyguard.
“Good afternoon.”
“Oh—young master.”

A gardener pruning a tree looked startled and awkwardly bowed at Lowell’s greeting.
I should start closing the distance with the staff a bit.
The recent incident had tightened discipline in the castle, but things still felt too stiff. And since departing servants had begun spreading nonsense, Lowell was determined to build trust with the remaining staff—if only to clear up misunderstandings about Felix.

“Good to see you again, young master.”
But for that to happen, that guy needs to leave first.
Lowell sighed inwardly when Zephyros appeared before him. He had hoped to avoid him altogether, but a chance encounter during a walk? He’d let his guard down, assuming the prince would be busy training.

“I greet Prince Zephyros of the Kingdom of Maia.”
Lowell gave a formal bow, but Zephyros waved his hand flamboyantly.
“No need for all that. Please, speak freely with me.”

Why would I speak freely with someone I’ve no reason to be comfortable around?
Lowell kept his polite smile in place.
“I couldn’t possibly. You’re a distinguished guest. Please forgive me if I’ve disturbed your walk.”

It was a subtle way of saying let’s part ways since we’ve no business here—but the oblivious prince didn’t seem to catch on.
“Not at all. In fact, I was hoping to speak with you. If you don’t mind, could you spare me a moment?”
He glanced sideways at Tia, clearly wishing to speak without her present. Lowell, of course, had no intention of entertaining that request—and was starting to wonder how to deal with this clueless prince.

Or is he just pretending to be clueless?
There was no law saying Alphas and Omegas had to keep their distance. But Felix had clearly warned Zephyros, albeit indirectly, not to approach Lowell. There was no reason to ignore that in a normal situation.
“I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well, so I’m not in any state to hold a long conversation.”

Lowell gently rubbed his stomach and spoke with deliberate discomfort. Whatever Zephyros read into it, he responded with an expression of concern. He even stepped closer and whispered in a near conspiratorial tone:
“Are you being monitored… even when speaking to outsiders?”
The question was so absurd it went beyond laughable.

What on earth is he imagining?
Even Tia, who had held back out of consideration for the guest’s status, now seemed to think he was crossing a line. She stepped forward to stand protectively in front of Lowell, clearly having picked up on his discomfort.
“You may not approach any further without permission.”

Zephyros’s face tightened, as if making some sort of decision.
“I’ll come back soon to speak again.”
The hopelessly sheltered prince seemed to have only solidified his misunderstanding. Lowell tried to tell him there was no need, but Zephyros simply gave a knowing nod as if words weren’t needed—and turned away.

Lowell held his head, a sinking feeling settling in.
This is going to be a headache…