The Baby Isn’t Yours

First of all, this scroll had a unique color.

Unlike other scrolls made of brown paper, this was made of translucent red paper, with an eerie pattern carved into it.

Small words were written on the rolled-up paper.

[If the heart moves, the body follows, and if the body moves, the heart responds! Trust me and give it a try. This is genius Derek’s masterpiece!

—From Derek, who always cheers for the Master.]

Derek!

Derek was a magician, ranking just below Simon.

He mainly studied scroll and weapon production, and produced many interesting results, making him one of the magicians favored by the Crown Prince.

Among magicians, who were known for being eccentric, he was an extraordinary lunatic, and this was a scroll he had made especially for Simon.

She couldn’t help but be interested.

‘What on earth is this?’

Just as she was about to scrutinize it, Simon suddenly approached and tried to snatch the scroll away.

But Kalia quickly hid the scroll behind her with quick reflexes.

Watching the red paper slip from his fingers and hide behind Kalia, Simon made a very rare bewildered face.

Kalia looked at the stiff, baffled Simon with interest.

“Kalia. Give it here while I’m asking nicely. It’s dangerous.”

“Dangerous? This?”

“Yes. So give it here quickly.”

“Hmm?”

Kalia looked at the red paper with fresh eyes and laughed.

The previously calm drunkenness rose again.

Perhaps she wanted to play a prank on an old friend that night.

Anyway, she wasn’t really trying to do anything with it.

She just wanted to go back to her younger days and laugh…

“I don’t want to.”

“Kalia.”

Simon called her name with a stern face.

Kalia lifted her head defiantly.

“Want to snatch it from me?”

“…Do you think I can’t?”

“If you can, try it.”

Kalia posed as if she was about to run away.

But there was no chance to run away.

Contrary to her intention, Simon didn’t play along with her prank at all.

Rather, he stood stiffly in his place, arms crossed, looking at her with cold eyes.

“…”

“…”

It was incredibly awkward.

Feeling her cheeks starting to turn red, Kalia quietly tried to put down the scroll.

Just then, Simon pointed at the scroll Kalia was holding and said.

“Aren’t you curious why I said that scroll is dangerous, Kalia?”

“…What kind of scroll is this?”

Simon’s eyes twinkled strangely.

He gave a crooked smile and said dryly.

“Derek was quite enthusiastic about it. He said it has a magic spell that tells you whether you are in love with each other.”

‘A magic spell that tells you whether you’re in love with each other? How?’

Unable to understand Simon’s words, Kalia tilted her head.

Simon’s voice grew a little darker.

“If you tear it with someone who has even a little bit of feeling for each other, something, a huge event occurs.”

“…A huge event?”

‘What is that?’

Being a fool who only knew swords as per the rumors, Kalia couldn’t understand Simon’s words at all.

“You know, something like that. A feeling that keeps welling up when you’re with someone you love.”

“That… feeling?”

Staring at Kalia, who was parroting his words like a parrot, Simon quietly mumbled.

“Desire.”

Although it was only one word, Kalia felt as if flames were shooting up from a corner of her heart for some reason.

And suddenly, Kalia thought she saw a flame flicker in Simon’s eyes that were staring at her.

“Yes, desire. For instance…”

Kalia’s gaze focused on Simon’s lips as he murmured the word ‘desire’.

At that moment, Simon lazily grinned and bit his lower lip.

What the, Kalia’s eyes started to heat up.

She was flustered. It was her own body, but the reaction didn’t feel like her own.

Simon’s red tongue slid out like a snake, wetting his lips as he whispered words of seduction.

“I’m going crazy wanting to kiss you, wanting to touch your white skin until red handprints are left, or maybe…”

Kalia stared intently into Simon’s eyes. But Simon wasn’t looking into her eyes.

“Cover those lips and push inside…”

His gaze clung to Kalia’s lips, so straightforward it could be considered brazen.

Simon, without taking his eyes off her lips, murmured persistently.

“…Wanting to push something rough in, something like that.”

Gulp.

Unintentionally, Kalia quickly covered her mouth as she swallowed a dry lump in her throat.

‘What’s wrong, why is my throat like this?’

Her eyes wide in surprise, she couldn’t understand why she had swallowed.

Simon’s lips, which he had lightly sucked and then let go, were shining temptingly in the light. All Kalia did was stare blankly, yet she unknowingly swallowed.

“…?”

Confused, Kalia tilted her head while Simon looked at her with very satisfied eyes.

The complacent smile on his face made her feel like a sated predator. Kalia was a bit upset, but she didn’t know why she felt bad.

The things happening at this moment were beyond Kalia’s understanding.

Anyway, Kalia suddenly felt hot and poured wine into a glass and rebutted Simon.

“Simon, this is not a rough battlefield. Please take care of yourself. Such expressions are a bit, too, um, so…”

“Indecent?”

‘Haa, why is Simon behaving like this?’

Why, why is he like that, like that…

“…Aggressive.”

‘Is his lips just going to keep flapping? It’s annoying to my eyes.’

Kalia found his smile, which hinted at a sense of victory, rather annoying.

She glared at Simon with narrowed eyes and then downed her wine in one gulp.

“I just explained as kindly as possible because you said you needed an explanation, why?”

He said it didn’t sound indecent.

Simon, who shrugged his shoulders, came closer to her and spoke.

Then he suddenly stopped and murmured in a rather serious voice.

“Or, did you make an indecent thought and are now avoiding it.”

“No.”

“…”

“I said no, Simon.”

Kalia repeatedly emphasized it in a voice that was pressing, but Simon didn’t seem to believe it.

Kalia, feeling unfairly treated, slammed down her glass, causing the scroll in question to roll under the table.

The scroll, which was rolled up, ran under Simon’s feet as if it had legs.

He bent over smoothly and picked up the scroll.

And then, without even rolling it up, he unfurled it.

“…!”

Kalia didn’t react outwardly, but she was a little surprised on the inside.

He said lightly, with an innocent childlike smile.

“Of course, this is only possible between people who have feelings for each other. Otherwise, it’s just a scrap of paper. But… You’re not, so it doesn’t matter, right? Right, Kalia?”

“Uh, right.”

Kalia responded out of surprise, but for some reason, she felt as if she had been provoked.

However, since he had no reason to do so, she soon dismissed her unreasonable suspicion.

Simon smiled as if he had expected her to react that way.

His smile, stretching long along his straight and delicate chin, was playful.

“After all, you’re a General. It’s not going to be easy to scare you, is it? Simple and ignorant, legendary Kalia. Nothing can make you scared.”

‘…Isn’t it? It sounds like a provocation no matter how I hear it?’

As Kalia’s eyes, resembling the faint green of rust, wavered in confusion, Simon, who seemed to enjoy watching her, shook a strange red paper that seemed transparent.

“So tearing something like this would mean nothing to you? Your mental strength should be able to deflect even some of the average psychic magic.”

“…Really?”

She was being asked to tear it?

As Simon said, this wasn’t something to be afraid of. Just somewhere a bit off…

“Yes, really. Actually, even I’m half doubtful about what Derek boastfully guaranteed. I’ve been thinking someone should test this once… If our rock-solid-minded General experiments, I wouldn’t have to worry. Right?”

Even the most dull-witted Kalia had no choice but to catch on at this point.

‘That rascal.’

Simon was teasing her right now.

He was excitedly alert earlier, as if it was dangerous and she shouldn’t even touch it, but look at how he’s changed his tune.

Simon had always been a genius at gently manipulating her like this since they were young.

His smooth words that made it hard for her to focus were just the basics. When enriched with his expressive face and slightly exaggerated actions, Kalia would get completely sucked into his words.

It even got her to spill the stories of her hideous childhood, which occasionally made her depressed.

Made her to spill all her sorrow for the young knight who died crossing the river of death on her behalf.

Even to drink Simon’s special potion, claiming to strengthen her body, but tasted terribly.

All those happened as a result of his tricks.

But this time, no way!

Kalia firmly made up her mind and firmly said.

“No. I won’t.”

“Oh, why?”

“Because there’s no reason to.”

“Huh. I see.”

His gaze watching her while nodding slowly seemed to be saying ‘If you’re scared, say you’re scared’.

Despite knowing that he was teasing her, she couldn’t help but get irritated.

Kalia wasn’t so emotional with others.

He was the only person who made her want to joke around, feel comfortable being together even when angry, and sometimes hate as if an enemy, Simon.

Being able to act so defenselessly was because it was in front of him, the problem was that Simon also knew this very well.

‘Such a nasty Archmage.’

Feeling that if she kept looking at his face she would get more irritated, Kalia boldly turned her head away, not looking at him.

At that moment, Simon, as if he had realized something big, hit his palm with his fist and exclaimed, ‘Aha!’

“Are you worried that something strange might happen between us, Kalia? Surely… Between you and me?”

Simon’s face as he spoke with his eyes wide open seemed to say ‘There’s no way. Right?’

Before Kalia, who had lost her words, could answer, Simon quickly added.

“What? Have you liked me all this while? If not, there’s no reason for you to hesitate so much.”

‘Huh.’

How dare he spew such nonsense.

To Kalia, Simon was like a brotherly friend. They had crossed countless near-death experiences together!

She had grown up like that in the Duke’s house, had been convinced like that, and firmly believed that it would continue like that in the future.

She had to believe so to be able to be together like this.

“So, Kalia has secretly liked me all this while.”

So, this provocation from Simon provoked her intensely.

“That’s absurd, Simon.”

Kalia, who said it in a snap, snatched the red paper fluttering in Simon’s hand.

“It’s just a matter of tearing this little thing, right?”

And then she tore it up in one breath.