The Baby Isn’t Yours

Knock, knock.

At the sound of a light knock on the door, Kalia, who had been packing for a long time, turned her head.

“Is all the preparation done?”

The half-opened door swung open, and a tall, slim man with black hair entered with a soft smile.

Seeing the man who had tied his long hair back, Kalia nodded her head slightly in response.

“Almost.”

…Finally, today.

Kalia took a trembling breath and looked at her pile of luggage.

At last, she is leaving this regime.

Leaving the regime, the imperial family, and Simon far behind…

“All that’s left is to move this.”

Kalia, lifting her last bag, placed it on the carriage where the luggage was piled up.

The surprised man came over and arranged her luggage for her.

“Kalia, I told you not to lift heavy things.”

His voice, admonishing her, was strictly serious.

The scolding that followed was full of worry.

“If you fall backwards while lifting something this heavy, it will be a big problem. Pregnancy is most cautious at the beginning. Even if Miss Kalia has cut down many enemy commanders with a single sword, you must remember that the situation is now very different.”

“Okay, I’ll remember that for next time.”

The man’s following nagging was cut off by a quick Kalia’s response, so he closed his mouth in anticipation.

As Kalia locked eyes with the man, she laughed.

The man’s name was Allen Makker.

Despite his tall stature and slim physique, which didn’t look like a person who primarily studied, he was a very smart scholar and doctor.

Contrary to his cool appearance, he was a man full of worry and nagging…

“Please remember this. You haven’t reached the stable period yet, so you must be careful.”

“Okay.”

He had also become her new primary doctor.

Exactly two weeks ago, after finding out she was pregnant, Kalia immediately went to Lady Arendi.

Medicine was a high-class knowledge that required a lot of patience and money to study.

Most of what could be handled with magic or divine power was related to ‘regeneration’, and the rest still belonged to the field of medicine, so the social status of doctors was high.

Therefore, medicine was often studied by daughters of poor noble families, and sometimes children of noble families with high intellectual desire jumped into it.

As mentioned earlier, it was an expensive field, so once you received sponsorship from a wealthy family and qualified as a doctor, you would often become a primary doctor for the sponsor’s family.

Lady Arendi had also been a doctor sponsored by Kalia for over seven years.

She was skilled, always tidy, and most importantly, she was tight-lipped.

So, she was able to tell her about her pregnancy without hiding it, but the problem was that she couldn’t take her with her when she left.

Married to Viscount Arendi and now with a 4-year-old child, Lady Arendi couldn’t leave the capital because of her family.

But pregnant Kalia needed a primary doctor, and for Kalia, Lady Arendi introduced her cousin, Allen.

“He is quite good. He nags a lot, but he is someone who won’t abandon his duty. It may be a bit awkward to have a male doctor… But, in the countryside, there are not many female doctors, so male doctors often see female patients. Besides, he has studied pediatrics a lot, so he will be a great help after the birth.”

She introduced him, saying that Allen had studied a lot about pregnancy and childbirth.

She said it was because his wife had died giving birth to a child six years ago.

Upon hearing that, Kalia immediately accepted Lady Arendi’s recommendation and arranged to meet him.

Since there were many eyes watching her mansion, they arranged to meet downtown.

However, due to fainting from the shock of the bandits, she had no choice but to bring him to the mansion.

And when he woke up, Kalia asked him to become her primary doctor.

He thought for a long time about her proposal, then nodded his head.

Later, when asked why he became a primary doctor, he said that after seeing her at the cafeteria, he thought she would undoubtedly overwork herself if someone wasn’t nagging at her side.

Before Allen accepted the role of primary doctor, Kalia informed him in advance that she would be leaving the capital.

If he was planning to settle in the capital, it could be a burden for him to leave as her primary doctor.

But Allen, who had just arrived in the capital, readily agreed, saying he could go anywhere.

In fact, he even said he was having a hard time adjusting to the bustle of the capital. It was a fortunate thing for Kalia.

“Is this all the luggage? I will move it for you.”

“It’s okay. All I have to do is push it.”

“I’m worried that you might fall while moving this, regardless of whether it’s heavy or not. You should get used to giving these small commands now, Kalia. At least until you give birth. Now that you’re a mother, you should also practice being always cautious for the sake of the child. Do you understand?”

Mother.

It was always a word that made Kalia feel weak.

At the same time, it was a word that gave Kalia the strength to make a new decision.

‘Yes, I’m a mother. A mother.’

After a moment’s thought, Kalia shut her mouth tightly and nodded her head vigorously.

Seeing her behave like a well-behaved student, Allen unknowingly smiled.

Contrary to the vicious rumors that she was obsessed with blood and had a monstrous large body, General Kalia, who he met in person, was much more modest and warm than he had imagined.

When Allen first saw Kalia in a wide-brimmed hat and a lightweight dress, he even doubted whether she was really the legendary Kalia.

But soon after seeing the callus on her palm and the large sword wound across her solid abdomen during the first treatment, he changed his mind.

Although he had only seen her belly, there was no part of Kalia’s white skin that didn’t have a scar. Deep sword wounds on the waist, scars where the skin was torn, even wounds where arrows were embedded.

Trying not to show his surprise, Allen calmly completed the first treatment.

‘Judging people by first impressions… I still have a long way to go.’

Allen, realizing once again how naive and inexperienced he was, treated her with a more humble heart.

Even though Kalia was a beautiful lady, and now a pregnant mother-to-be, she was a hero who brought peace to this country and a symbol of victory.

It was only right to treat her with respect more than anyone else.

“Well, shall we set off?”

Allen, who had gone ahead and moved Kalia’s luggage to the front of the traveling carriage waiting for them, ran towards Kalia who was awkwardly descending the stairs in her skirt and reached out his hand.

“Please take my hand.”

Just a few steps left, Kalia finally chuckled at Allen’s overprotection, who had hurriedly rushed over to escort her.

“Tell me honestly, Allen. Am I not pregnant, but have an incurable disease?”

Allen, laughing, slowly descended the stairs, holding her callused hand.

“All pregnant women are as fragile as newborn babies. At least that’s what I think.”

Kalia shuddered at his overprotective behavior, which she wasn’t used to, but she also thought it was rather a good thing.

Having someone too delicate beside her who is too rough, wouldn’t be so bad, she thought.

The two slowly walked to the front of the carriage prepared in front of the lobby.

There was Hemmie, calming the horses, and the butler who had stayed alone in the mansion to say goodbye.

Kalia approached Hemmie first and said with a sincere concern.

“Are you really okay, Hemmie? If you stay in the capital, you could have a better master. I can write a recommendation.”

“No. Once I became Lady Kalia’s squire, my only master is Miss Kalia. And you promised. You will come back to the capital. So rather, this opportunity is great for me. I’ve never been anywhere else.”

“We’re going to a boring countryside. You may not even have a chance to wield your sword.”

“I don’t care! Just let me serve by your side!”

With the glowing young lady’s desire, Kalia eventually raised both her hands.

Hemmie had no remaining family.

She said they all left together due to the plague three years ago, not only her mom and dad but also her young sibling.

She sobbed, clutching Kalia’s skirt, who was firing all the servants, saying she didn’t want to be left alone. She even threatened mischievously, saying she would expose everything to Simon if she left her behind.

Amused by the absurdity, Kalia eventually decided to take Hemmie with her.

She needed someone to help her in an unfamiliar land anyway.

So it was decided that Kalia, Hemmie, and Allen would leave together.

Kalia disposed of most of her property except for the mansion in the capital.

Some of it was spent on consolation money for servants who were suddenly dismissed and gifts for soldiers and officers who followed her.

Also, she disposed of all the clothes she used to wear and bought a lot of comfortable dresses that she had never worn before.

But even then, the money spent didn’t even amount to 20% of the total.

The largest expenditure was for transportation scrolls and erasing scrolls.

She bought dozens of scrolls, and only the highest grade.

The money spent on those scrolls exceeded 15% of the total assets.

Still, her wealth, received as war prize money, was much more than enough to slap an ordinary nobleman’s cheek.

Kalia, awkwardly picking up the hem of the dress tickling her ankles, looked back.

Butler Jacob, with oily eyes that you could barely see his pupils and small wrinkles, but still with a serious and sharp impression, was there.

His pride, the mustache, was neatly trimmed as always.

Seeing the impeccable appearance of the butler, as always, she felt oddly relieved.

Kalia approached him and said.

“I’ll be back, Jacob.”

“Butler Jacob will be waiting with a joyful heart for the day Miss Kalia returns.”

He bowed gracefully.

In his youth, as he said, he had been in charge of etiquette even among the royal knights, and all his movements were dignified and elegant.

Jacob didn’t question at all when Kalia suddenly said she needed to settle her affairs one day.

Without asking anything, without any speculation, Jacob followed her orders.

He was truly a thankful person.

Four years ago, Kalia saved Jacob from ‘some threat’ and brought him to her mansion, after he had been expelled from the Duchy of Terroan, to which he had devoted more than 30 years, and had to leave the capital.

She praised herself that her decision then was the best one she had made in the past ten years.

That’s how perfect a butler Jacob was, and he was her supporter and follower.

Kalia hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a letter and handed it to Jacob.

“Give this to him when he comes.”

Without even mentioning who, both of them knew.

The person who would feel the greatest betrayal at the fact that she had disappeared.

Yet, that very person was the reason she had to leave the capital.

“Don’t worry. Even the most trivial tasks assigned to me must be carried out.”

The butler smiled kindly and carefully put her letter deep into his pocket.

Kalia glanced at the empty mansion for a moment and soon climbed into the carriage.

Jacob stood there, bidding farewell to Kalia, until he couldn’t see even the dust scattered by the carriage leaving the mansion’s front gate.