Dark Dad's Rebirth - Chapter 14. Madness (4)

Chapter 14. Madness (4)

Aria realized her question was not well thought out. Caelius was destined for greatness and meant to rise to the highest ranks of power. Giving it all up would be a failure.

“I apologize, that was ridiculous,” she murmured, her eyes shifting to Leria’s lifeless form. With a sigh, she rose from the bed.

“I think I’ll move my room,” she said, her voice fading. “I don’t want to stay where death lingers.”

Caelius tried to help her as she stumbled, but she sharply pushed him back. He watched silently as she walked away, her figure fading into the distance.

* * *

Aria lay on the bathroom floor, feeling helpless and drained. She couldn’t determine how long she had been deceiving herself.

She was eating as usual when she suddenly felt nauseous and vomited, even though she had not eaten for almost three months.

Aria struggled to stand. She wiped her mouth and gasped for air. Her eyes drifted down to her stomach, and she looked at it in disbelief. Her mind raced with denial.

‘It can’t be,’ she whispered to herself. ‘Royalty doesn’t have children, so it can’t be true.’

Aria’s mind was flooded with memories of a past encounter, but she refused to accept them.   She didn’t want to be tied down by Caelius in this way.

‘Is it happening?’ she thought, feeling anxious about the possibility.

Aria’s laughter filled the bathroom, but it was eerie and disturbing. She couldn’t count how many times that disturbing laugh echoed off the walls. Soon, however, her laughter turned into expressions of pain and crude curses.

‘Maybe I should just die,’ she muttered. Escaping from him and starting anew seemed useless now, especially with this unexpected news.

As she thought about death, she realized that there were no good days.

When she saw her reflection in the mirror, she noticed her tired face staring back at her.

She couldn’t believe that Caelius had confessed his love to her in this state.

Their dynamic was always the same. He was radiant and glowing, she was worn out and disheveled. She longed to get out of this tiresome cycle.

* * *

Aria was sure she was pregnant, even without a doctor’s confirmation. She had been feeling nauseous at the smell of food and experiencing other physical changes, such as trouble sleeping and cravings for unfamiliar foods.

After finishing her orange juice, Aria sighed and leaned back against the bed. The maid beside her looked at her with concern and asked if she was feeling sick.

Aria ran her hand through her hair and frowned. She didn’t want Caelius to find out about her pregnancy, especially since she was feeling nauseous from the food. The maid seemed to suspect something was wrong.

The maid had been with Aria since she arrived in the Grand Duchy, but she understood that her loyalty belonged to Caelius, not to her.

Aria worried about her father finding out about her pregnancy. She feared he would use the child as a pawn and manipulate them both.

Aria finished her orange juice and sent the maid away. She felt overloaded and needed time alone to collect her thoughts and rest.

She hoped the maid wouldn’t rush to report her condition to Caelius. She needed time to process everything.

* * *

“I’m afraid the princess was pregnant.”

Caelius expected to receive Aria’s daily updates at specific times: 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 6:00 PM, and 10:00 PM. However, after the incident with the hallucinogenic drug, he became increasingly concerned.

He was worried that she might leave him due to her actions.

“I suggest you consult your doctor.”

He twirled a pen between his fingers before abruptly stopping.

‘It seemed ridiculous. Royalty should not have children with anyone, especially when they are so closely connected.’

However, Aria could not shake the feeling. Her heart raced again.

“Goshen.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Bring the discreet doctor in sometime this week.”

“Yes, sir.”

‘I ignored my instincts once, I won’t make that mistake again thought’.  Caelius thought.

* * *

The door opened suddenly. Aria felt annoyed and covered her head with the covers. Only an assassin or Caelius would enter her room so abruptly.

“Lily,” he called, his voice unusually gentle. As expected, there was no response. Caelius, anticipating silence, approached and sat beside her.

“I heard you’re not feeling well,” he said. His next words betrayed his concern.

Aria stifled a small laugh, angry at the maid for informing Caelius of her condition.

“I’ve called for the doctor. He’ll be here soon.”

“I don’t need…” Aria began, but Caelius interrupted her by gently stroking her hair, his expression unusually caring.

“What if it’s something serious?” he asked softly.

“You know it can’t be!” Aria shot back, suddenly angry.   Her mood swings had been worsening lately, despite Caelius’s kind words. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“You know why I’m feeling this way, yet you act as if you don’t know. It’s frustrating!”

“…….”

At the mention of “frustrating,” Caelius was left speechless, his usual confidence replaced by confusion. It was understandable. He couldn’t remain unconcerned. Aria might be in danger. His head pounded with worry.

The man beside him sighed heavily and wiped his face. He asked, “Will she be alright?”

Aria responded sarcastically. She said, “Oh, I wish he could use that as an excuse to grab me and tie me up when the time comes.”

However, Caelius remained silent and only affectionately stroked her head. This gesture was meant to unsettle her, but when it failed to evoke a reaction, Aria clicked her tongue in frustration.

Aria looked at Caelius and said, “I don’t want to have this baby.”

She spoke casually as if discussing dinner plans, but her words carried heavy implications.

“I’d rather die than bring a child into this world with you.”

She couldn’t stand the idea of being forever connected to him, stuck in a failed relationship full of painful memories. When she spoke, Caelius remained emotionless, only biting his lip in response to her direct words.

“With all the drugs you’ve been taking, who knows if the baby in your belly is even normal? Maybe it’ll just come out on its own,” he responded coldly.

His expression changed, however, as he reached out and took Aria’s hand. He spoke softly, with a hint of concern, saying, “Lily.”

Aria’s delicate wrists seemed as though they were about to break under Caelius’s grip. An uncomfortable silence lingered between them. A faint smile formed on Aria’s lips, unsettling only to Caelius. To an outsider, she appeared no different from any other young girl her age, radiating the innocent aura of first love. However, beneath the surface, she harbored dark thoughts of self-determination and heritage.

Although she appeared fine on the outside, there was a hint of decay within.

Today, Caelius’ typically bright golden eyes seemed sharper and lacked their usual warmth.

“Enough,” she said.

He asked, “Don’t you appreciate hearing that?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to hear it,” she murmured.

“It’s just that hearing it doesn’t bring me any comfort.”