Became Pregnant With the Demon King’s Child

The black sphere that had surrounded Felix slowly unraveled, dispersing through the shadows into the ground, leaving behind a bitter, acrid smoke that spread across the forest. Sensing the change, Lowell, still collapsed, crawled forward. In the flash of the explosion, countless horrific images had burned into his mind—and they were still flickering before his eyes.

"A-Are you… all righ—"
Half out of his mind, Lowell couldn’t wait for the smoke to clear. He forced himself to steady his collapsing heart. But when his vision didn’t return fast enough, he slapped his own cheek. He hit so hard that his flushed skin stung, but it jolted him back to his senses. Lowell braced his trembling legs and stood up with effort.
"Lowell-nim! You need to step back for now!"

Tia grabbed his arm, but when her eyes met his blank, soul-drained gaze, she momentarily lost her grip. Lowell, too weak to shake her off, staggered forward. And just then—the smoke that had shrouded Felix dispersed rapidly.
Felix reappeared, small cuts on his left arm—but otherwise unharmed.
"Felix! Are you okay?!"

Seeing that he was alive, Lowell rubbed his eyes with his arm.
It’s not an illusion.
Whatever strength he had left surged up all at once as soon as he realized Felix was safe. Felix, who had been examining the remnants of the archer’s corpse with a grim expression, scooped Lowell up and set him back on the horse.

How are you unharmed? Are you really okay?
There were so many questions tangled in his throat that he couldn’t say a word. Felix had to know that, but he moved in silence, wasting no time. With a swiftness that allowed no hesitation, he mounted the horse again—this time holding Lowell even more tightly.
"We have to get out of here. Now."

It was unlike him to prioritize escape over calming Lowell’s fears—this alone made the knights immediately sense how serious the situation was.
"The one who set the explosion spell wasn’t the same person. They’ll have felt it go off, and they’ll assume something happened in the village. They’ll send stronger forces to confirm. We can’t delay going to the capital any longer."
They had to move before anyone could trace their path or confirm Felix was headed to the capital.

Right. What matters now is that he’s safe.
Lowell straightened his spine. He had believed this was the best timing to act—but now that things were spiraling so fast, doubt crept in. Maybe he’d chosen the wrong route after all. He had pushed for this under the excuse of seeking the best strategy—but with only one chance, anxiety pricked at him without warning.
"Pull your robe down further. Hold on tight. We’re going at full speed."

Felix pressed Lowell’s stiffened body gently into his chest as he warned him. Holding the reins with one arm and supporting Lowell’s waist with the other, he didn’t waste a second before spurring the horse forward. As expected, the horse moved at a speed far beyond anything they had done so far.
"We’ll be taking a detour—stay sharp and keep up!"
Felix mentally traced the map he had glanced at earlier. The path had to be one that wasn’t heavily trafficked, to avoid leaving obvious traces, and not one commonly used to reach the capital. His mind instinctively pulled up a less-used road that fit the conditions. It was an ability honed on countless battlefields.
***

Despite their speed, Felix and the knights rode in uncanny silence. As they moved, the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky red. The tranquil scenery was beautiful ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ enough to make one forget to breathe—but there was no time to admire it. Instead, they pushed forward as fast as possible before night fully descended.
"We’ll spend the night in a nearby cave—move quickly."
They had been riding without even time to drink water, and Lowell’s stamina had nearly reached its limit. The only reason he hadn’t toppled from the horse was Felix’s unrelenting support.

"Just a little longer, Lowell."
In contrast to his earlier commands, Felix now soothed him like a child. Lowell didn’t even know if his eyes were closing from drowsiness or from sheer physical collapse—but Felix’s voice was the thread keeping him barely upright.
"Your Grace, there’s a cave ahead."

"Scout the area first."
With the sun now fully gone, they arrived at their intended destination. Having moved quickly and through unpredictable paths, they didn’t seem to have been followed.
"Lowell, you need to drink some water before you sleep."

Felix, who had arrived first, carefully set Lowell down in front of the cave. Lowell blinked sluggishly and nodded faintly as he slumped into Felix’s arms.
"I’ve laid out blankets."
Tia had spread several layers so Lowell could lie down comfortably. Felix knelt and gently lowered him onto them.

"I’ll get the water."
As Felix rose to fetch the canteen left with the horse, Lowell grabbed his robe. That’s when he saw Felix’s hand—still holding the reins. At first, it looked like nothing but shallow cuts, but his arm was now cloaked in dark magic.
"What is…"

A fire blazed in Lowell’s dimming consciousness. From where he drew the strength, he didn’t know—but he gripped Felix’s robe tighter. Felix grimaced slightly from the pressure. Seeing it confirmed everything—and Lowell’s focus sharpened.
"You’re injured. You need to be treated—"
"It’s just compression to stop the bleeding."

"Why did you hide that you were hurt?"
Lowell already knew the answer before he asked. In Felix’s judgment, it wasn’t a serious wound—and escaping safely took precedence.
And there I was, resting my whole weight on you, like it was nothing.

Lowell understood Felix’s thoughts. He understood the situation. But the hurt didn’t go away.
"I cast a shield, and I built a wall between us. Since it was hastily done, the seal wasn’t perfect—only that part got hit. It was the kind of wound where a fragment enters and tears the flesh open—I removed it with magic and sealed the bleeding."
Felix listed the reasons one by one, explaining why he was fine. But for Lowell, it wasn’t nearly enough.

And yet when it’s me who’s hurt, you act like it’s the end of the world.
They both hurt more for each other’s wounds than their own. In that way, they were like reflections—perfectly mirrored.
"You still need medicine."

Lowell had no desire to scold him—his voice was soft, weakened.
"I’ll use it."
Felix nodded without protest. As he moved to stand, Lowell followed. A wave of dizziness washed over him—but this time, he caught himself before Felix could reach out.

"Let’s go together."
Lowell remembered that one of the knights in the rear was carrying the medical supplies. Pale as a ghost, he took Felix’s hand and stepped out of the cave.
The night sky had unfurled in full, studded with brilliant stars. Felix watched as Lowell shimmered in the starlight, and for a moment, instead of wanting to protect him, Felix found himself drawing strength from him.

"There—over there."
Lowell recognized the knight with the herbs and picked up his pace.
"Wait a moment."

Felix, still holding Lowell’s hand, came to a sudden stop. He sharpened his senses and focused on his hearing. Confused, Lowell was naturally drawn behind him by the pull of Felix’s arm.
"Someone’s coming."
None of the knights sensed anything—but Felix’s awareness far surpassed all of theirs, so no one questioned him.

They actually tracked us?
Lowell blinked in disbelief.
"It’s just one. Judging by the movement… not one of the earlier attackers."

Felix handed Lowell off to Tia, then unsheathed his sword with his injured arm. Before anyone could react—crash! A resounding clash rang out. Lowell winced instinctively. Incredibly, the figure in the cloak had blocked Felix’s sword.
"No way…"
The knights moved to defensive positions in shock, but Felix only twisted his mouth into a smile.

"To what do we owe the pleasure?"
Just from that single exchange, Felix had already identified the uninvited guest.
"I figured you’d take this path. Took a fair bit of trouble to get here on time."

It was an arrogant voice Lowell also recognized. The man sheathed his sword and, with an elegant gesture, threw back his robe.
Under the starlight, dazzling golden hair shimmered into view.