The Obsession of the Tyrant Sub-Male Lead is Unnecessary

Episode 24

Carlos quickly pulled the bell cord to summon Mary and Luigi.

In no time, all the royal chefs had to move to the separate palace.

Mary was suddenly given a role similar to that of a head chef, having to teach how to make Waterfall-style dishes.

“Is it better now, Verona?”

“…Yes.”

“That’s a relief.”

Carlos was feeding her with a spoon, smiling brightly.

He had quickly procured seafood from Waterfall and was now personally feeding Verona the newly made Waterfall-style soup.

All of this had happened within an hour of confirming her pregnancy.

‘Forget running away, I need to fill my stomach first.’

Even though they had only changed the clams, the soup tasted so delicious.

Verona looked at Carlos’s spoon approaching again, filled with soup. It seemed he wouldn’t stop until she finished the bowl.

Only after Verona emptied the soup bowl did Carlos stand up.

“I’ll come back tomorrow morning. I plan to have my meals here at the separate palace from now on. Morning sickness might get worse, so I need to be by your side.”

“That’s not necessary…”

“It is.”

Carlos firmly covered her with a blanket.

“I’m the father of the child. I can’t let you suffer alone.”

“….”

Was he saying he would share in the suffering?

“That stubbornness of his will never be broken.”

Verona faintly smiled at Retrius’s murmured comment as she waited by the door for Carlos to leave.

“Alright. Go now.”

“Goodnight, Verona.”

Carlos reluctantly left. Verona watched his retreating back and, once he was completely gone, asked Retrius.

“Retrius, did you know?”

“Know what?”

“That I’m pregnant.”

“Of course. His Majesty told me when we first met. That’s why I was brought here in the first place.”

“No, I mean… Did you really know just by looking at me? You said you couldn’t read minds. How did you know I was pregnant?”

“Being able to sense if someone is a different species and noticing that one person has two different energies is basic, even for someone who isn’t skilled in magic, Princess.”

“…Is that so?”

She felt a bit deflated.

‘So I was pregnant from the start.’

No wonder Carlos had been so frantic.

“Why do you look so shocked, Princess? Didn’t you know from the beginning? Didn’t His Majesty tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“That you might be pregnant after spending the night together.”

Her eyes widened.

‘Come to think of it…’

What had he said again?

She vaguely remembered looking for a suitable man at the victory ball, too scared to spend the night sober, and drinking more than her usual limit…

– If you spend the night with me, there’s no turning back.

– Are you sure you won’t regret it if you end up with a child?

‘I think he said something like that?’

But she had just taken it as a figure of speech.

‘I didn’t think I would actually get pregnant from just one night!’

Verona hurriedly asked as she sat down.

“Did Carlos not get sex education?”

“What? Why bring up sex education?”

“Logically, you can’t know if you’re pregnant from just one night!”

“His Majesty isn’t a logical person, is he?”

“The chances of getting pregnant from one time are very slim!”

“Princess, please watch your words.”

“You should have explained things better!”

Verona felt frustrated, but Retrius gave a quick cough and glanced around.

“Princess, it seems His Majesty hasn’t explained anything yet. If I spill the beans, it could cause trouble…”

“There’s something, isn’t there? Right?”

Verona pressed Retrius for answers, and he scratched his head awkwardly.

“This is really putting me in a tough spot.”

“Spill it. Otherwise, I’ll tell Mary about you being that puppy.”

“No, please don’t!”

Retrius yelled hastily. Verona glared at him, forcing him to speak.

“If you spend a night with His Majesty, you’re guaranteed to get pregnant.”

“…Guaranteed?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Retrius shrugged.

“That’s why His Majesty didn’t even get engaged, despite being of age. He wouldn’t look at any women.”

“…”

“He was adamant that he wouldn’t choose just anyone to bear his child.”

Royal marriages often occurred in early adolescence. This was due to the short lifespans of royalty during times of territorial expansion, and the belief that the more offspring, the better.

Even though Carlos was the Emperor’s least favored son, he was still the only heir and crown prince.

It was indeed unusual for someone like him not to have taken a crown princess during his time as crown prince.

‘But I thought that was because of Olivia…’

Her head was spinning.

So, according to Retrius, for some unknown reason, Carlos Gruenwaldt Clarence could ensure pregnancy from just one night with a woman.

‘So he avoided women his whole life, but at a party, swept up in the moment, he spent the night with me and knew I’d get pregnant, so he clung to me?’

Did the Clarence imperial family have some kind of extraordinary desire for offspring? Why would he be able to ensure pregnancy from just one night?

And the potential father having the ability to detect the presence of a child so sharply?!

Given that the one-night stand involved Carlos, it was absurd to think she had intended to steal his seed from the beginning.

‘It wasn’t his face that lured me…’

But, good looks certainly didn’t hurt, and she had preferred that the father of her child be a handsome man.

Verona sighed, never imagining that picking such a perfect man would lead to this.

‘Carlos might be the best father possible.’

So far, Carlos seemed more like a kind and delicate man than the ruthless war-maniac people thought. Except when performing his imperial duties, his obsessive attention was a bit annoying, but it wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

“Princess, just accept it.”

Retrius said, seeing Verona’s troubled expression.

“His Majesty will never let you go. I once made a passing promise and ended up here. Do you think he’d let a woman carrying his child go? His Majesty never lets go of what’s his. It’s easier to accept it.”

“You speak so easily because it’s not your situation?”

“I’m saying this because it is my situation too. Since you arrived, His Majesty has become somewhat more docile. It seems being near you calms his temper.”

If that was his temper calmed, what was he like originally?

“How bad was he originally…”

“I don’t know. That’s enough! Don’t ask anymore. Just saying this much could get me killed if His Majesty finds out! Pregnant women should rest comfortably.”

Verona wanted to say something, but Retrius had already transformed into a puppy and curled up on a cushion. She had no choice but to climb into bed and lean against the headboard.

It was still early evening, and she had many worries, but with a full belly, her eyelids grew heavy.

Pulling the warm feather blanket up, Verona thought.

‘To think there’s a child of his and mine…’

The initial confusion and shock now made her feel guilty.

She had longed for a child, yet her first emotion wasn’t joy or happiness. The child might feel hurt if they knew.

‘I’m sorry. But I’m happy to have you. Truly.’

Verona rubbed her drowsy eyes and placed her hand on her still-flat belly.

‘I don’t know if you’re a boy or girl yet, and you don’t have a name…’

I’ll do my best to make you happy.

With that thought, Verona fell asleep.

* * *

Carlos arrived at the separate palace late in the morning.

“What’s all this?”

Having finished the Waterfall-style soup that Mary had made, Verona gaped at the people Carlos brought in.

“These are the new chefs.”

“Why bring in new chefs…?”

“Your food needs to be prepared with the utmost care.”

Carlos responded as if it were the most obvious thing. At his gesture, the chefs greeted her lightly.

“There’s a chef for soup and appetizers, a chef for meat dishes, a chef for fish dishes, and a chef for desserts. They all specialize in Waterfall-style cuisine.”

“What about the original staff?”

“They’ll only work when Clarence-style cuisine is needed.”

Was this a massive waste of manpower… or job creation, which was good?

Verona was speechless at this emperor’s grand gesture.

“You said you liked nuts, so I carefully reviewed their credentials and selected the best ones known for that. If you want anything, just tell Luigi or Mary.”

“You looked all that up yourself?”

“Of course.”

Carlos said proudly.

“And over there are the royal genealogists and scholars. They’ll hold daily morning meetings to discuss the child’s name.”

So he wasn’t joking about that.

‘How serious can they be about naming a child?’

The genealogists and scholars looked very determined. An elderly genealogist spoke.

“Trust us, Princess. By the time you give birth, we’ll have an elegant, dignified, and perfect name for the heir!”

“He has 40 years of experience. You can trust him.”

Carlos interjected. Verona nodded, bewildered.

“Th-thank you.”