Became Pregnant With the Demon King’s Child

“Pardon? R-Really?”

The maid was at a loss in the face of her sudden stroke of luck. For a moment, she even wondered if Lowell was unsure whether she had really been there that day and was trying to °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° trap her—but she quickly realized there was no reason for that.
“Why would I lie? I’m just sorry I didn’t put your mind at ease sooner.”
Lowell said it with just enough kindness, deliberately allowing it to show that he was doing her a favor. The maid, reassured by Lowell’s warm demeanor, gradually regained her breath.

“May I ask your name?”
“Xenia. Xenia Shen, sir.”
Xenia gave several polite nods of her head as she gave her name. Having been on edge for so long, her body slumped now that she felt safe.

“Yes, Xenia. I truly did want to ask you something. I thought you might know best.”
“If it’s something I know, I’ll answer anything.”
She might think differently once she cooled down, but at this moment, Xenia—grateful for what she perceived as mercy—felt capable of complete loyalty. Lowell had saved her from a constant, dreadful fear that had tormented her for days, and in that moment, she felt genuine affection toward him.

It may be fleeting, but I’ll make sure it lasts as long as I can.
Lowell softened his eyes and made his voice even gentler. Using his beautiful face with full intent—the effect was potent.
“Don’t just stand there, come sit. Right across from me.”

“Oh—no, it’s alright.”
“It’s uncomfortable for me. I think this conversation might take a while.”
Hesitating under Lowell’s spell, Xenia nervously sat down in the chair across from him.

“I figured some of the people who were dismissed might feel upset. Since I’m the cause of it, it’s been weighing on me.”
Lowell sighed deeply and wore an expression of regret. Xenia jumped up in surprise and waved her hands.
“Of course not! Honestly, they were lucky to get off with just being dismissed. Some masters go so far as to blacklist people from ever working again.”

As she said, Felix had merely dismissed them. And truthfully, most of the servants who’d been let go were incompetent, and it wouldn’t have been strange if they’d been fired long ago. Even though Xenia had once been lax like the rest, now that she’d remained behind, she found herself drawing a line between herself and her former coworkers.
“Also, the maid you saved that day—she was a friend of mine. She cried when she left, saying she was grateful. That you didn’t punish her, and that she didn’t even get hurt.”
Xenia spoke cautiously, thinking of the only maid she’d been close to among those who were fired.
“Is that so? But…”

Lowering his long lashes, Lowell pretended to hesitate. Seeing that, Xenia instinctively perked up her ears. In a place like Nyx, where little gossip existed, such talk naturally piqued interest.
“No, it’s probably just a rumor…”
After dragging out the silence, Lowell finally fell quiet. Xenia, now bubbling with curiosity, couldn’t take it anymore.

“Sir, I may not look it, but I’ve got connections! Ask me anything!”
Her curiosity, along with a spur-of-the-moment loyalty, nudged her forward—prompting her to say things she might not have otherwise. Lowell, inwardly smiling with satisfaction, wore a visibly troubled expression.
“Well, I’ve been hearing strange rumors.”

“What sort of rumors?”
Xenia’s body leaned forward. Partly because Lowell lowered his voice just enough to draw her in—but mostly because her own excitement couldn’t be helped.
“People are saying His Grace brought me here to Nyx by force. It started around the same time those servants were dismissed… maybe someone’s spreading it out of resentment.”

As he spoke, Lowell covered his mouth with a hand, as though he’d let something slip. Xenia looked like something had just clicked in her mind, but she hesitated to speak right away.
“It seemed like too wild a guess, so I wasn’t sure if I should say anything.”
Lowell acted as though he might be wrong—so Xenia, who’d been itching to speak, finally opened her mouth.

“No, actually… some of the dismissed people were grateful, but there were definitely a few who left bitterly. Even though it was their own fault!”
“Is that so? I’ve also had the feeling that some of the remaining servants are uneasy about how things were handled. I’m starting to wonder if maybe they’re secretly staying in contact with the ones who left. Of course, I wouldn’t suspect someone kind like you, Xenia, but… the circumstances are a little concerning.”
Lowell gave a gentle push with his leading questions. The way he phrased it lined up perfectly with what Xenia already suspected—and her eyes lit up with realization. At the root of it was her desire to avoid being mistaken for someone disloyal.

“Actually, there is one person who comes to mind.”
“Really?”
“Yes. There’s a steward named Henry. He was dating one of the people who got dismissed.”

It was exactly the answer Lowell had been aiming for.
“I thought I might’ve noticed something, too. But I couldn’t jump to conclusions. I don’t know him well, and for all I know, he could be a good person. I feel bad just thinking such things.”
Lowell nodded as if agreeing, while at the same time throwing in words that appeared to defend the steward. Judging from her expression, he’d already guessed Xenia didn’t like Henry—and knew that people tend to push back when someone they dislike gets praised.

“There’s no need to feel that way! He flirts with all the maids and lazes around, always pushing his work onto others.”
“Still, it seems like the others follow him well.”
“That’s just because he takes their side when there’s trouble with the butler or other staff. When unfair orders come down, most people just grit their teeth and do it, but Henry always fights back.”

Just as Lowell had predicted, the steward had gained support by positioning himself as a fighter against a common enemy. Seeing that he’d uncovered everything he needed, Lowell smiled.
“Xenia, you really do know so much. I’m glad I asked.”
“Please feel free to come to me anytime!”

“Also, please don’t tell anyone that I’ve been having these doubts. It’s not like I have solid proof.”
“Of course!”
As Xenia rose and began straightening her uniform, Lowell casually added something as though it had just occurred to him.

“Oh, and… I’d really rather the rumor about His Grace forcing me to come here didn’t spread further. If you could tell trustworthy people that it’s not true—that I came to Nyx of my own free will—it would help a lot. It’d be even better if word reached the town.”
“Absolutely. Don’t worry, sir.”
Watching Xenia leave with a much brighter face than when she’d entered, Lowell was certain.

It won’t take long before the rumor that the steward has been spreading baseless lies reaches every corner of the manor.
Lowell had never expected Xenia to keep her mouth shut. After all, the more someone is told not to say something, the more they want to say it. That’s just human nature.
And just in case she did get overly loyal and stayed silent, I asked her to correct the rumor. That’ll push her to talk.

Even if Xenia didn’t name the steward directly at first, while spreading the truth about Lowell, she would eventually start loosening her lips. And once that happened, it would be impossible for others not to suspect that the steward had started the slander. Lowell decided to sit back and watch how far this little spark would spread.
Hopefully Hamilton handles the next part well.
***

Just as Lowell had hoped, the rumor spread like wildfire. By the next evening, word had already gotten around that Hamilton had summoned the steward.
But it can’t just end with Henry getting dismissed.
If things stopped there, the rumors and atmosphere in the house might calm down for a while—but lingering resentment about colleagues getting fired would fester.

I need to plant the idea that he’s not being dismissed for spreading rumors about Felix—but for being an enemy of the other servants.
This time, Lowell decided to speak with Hamilton directly. And to his satisfaction, Hamilton turned out to be more capable than expected.
“I was told you called for me.”

“I’m sorry for disturbing you, Hamilton. It’s nearly lights-out.”
“Not at all. His Grace emphasized many times that I must ensure Your Lordship feels no lack while he is away.”
Lowell smiled at the image of Felix carefully instructing the staff to protect him while he slept.

“It’s nothing major—but something I overheard has been bothering me.”
“You’re referring to Henry, I presume.”
Hamilton already knew exactly what Lowell was going to say. He was the first to realize that the eye of the storm in this whole affair was Lowell.

Now that was unexpected.
Lowell was genuinely pleased by this. Hamilton, it seemed, was someone he could coordinate with to navigate this situation.