The Baby Isn’t Yours

It was an early morning.

The two men sat facing each other in a room bathed in dull sunlight.

“Sigh.”

The first thing that escaped Allen was a sigh.

And the voice that followed was very firm.

“It’s not possible.”

Simon left Kalia’s room very late, after sunrise.

Allen intercepted Simon as he was leaving her room. He invited him, saying that he had something to tell.

Simon’s face, who was caught escaping from Kalia’s room in the morning, was very calm.

“So?”

Simon, who was casually sitting with his long legs crossed and one hand loosely resting on the armrest, raised his eyebrows.

Then the golden eyes, half-hidden behind snow-white hair, shone even more mysteriously in the sunlight.

“What’s the matter?” Simon asked.

“Kalia-sama is still, uh, I mean, it’s still early…!”

“Early what?”

“Ugh.”

Allen brushed his hair back and ran his hand over his face as he spoke decisively.

“…You shouldn’t be so pushy.”

“I don’t understand what you talking about.”

Allen frowned slightly at Simon’s answer, unsure if he was really asking the question out of ignorance or if he was just pretending not to know. Although he was a specialist in childbirth, he was a little embarrassed to interfere in such intimate conversations, even if it involved people close to him.

But now it was almost like breaking into the bedroom of a man who had almost nothing to do with him.

‘But it’s still the doctor’s job.’

Allen, who had already made up his mind, spoke in a more decisive tone than before.

“Kalia just gave birth. So, I hope you will keep this in mind andbe careful.”

“So you’re talking about the bed?”

“Then don’t pretend that you don’t understand when everything is already known.”

“Hmm.”

Simon tapped his fingers slowly on the armrest.

He thought for a moment, as if trying to choose the right words.

A few minutes later, Simon spoke to Allen with a rather serious face.

“Actually, I think it’s better to tell Kalia about this rather than me. Of course, I started this conversation, but… recently and last night too. This was never my initiative.”

“What?”

“So if you want her not to overdo it, why don’t you tell it Kalia in person? Anyway, I was the one who stopped her worrying about this problem,” Simon said with a grin.

“What?”

“…Don’t you understand what I’m talking about? Doctors are usually smart people, as it said.”

“Yeah? Oh, yes? No, wait. This means…”

Simon smiled and nodded.

Lifting his chin haughtily, he muttered, carelessly tousling his hair:

“Honestly, I’m happy with that… But what matters most is Kalia’s health and safety.”

“…Yes Yes. I understand, Kalia…”

“Our Kalia is so, you know, so… So strong in health.”

“…”

“Well, I like that too.”

Saying that, Simon’s eyes clouded over as if remembering some past moments.

Even with his eyes slightly puffy from lack of sleep, the smile that crept up on him was divine, as if he wasn’t human.

Apparently, the sunlight shining on the path reflected his shining silver hair and mysterious golden eyes.

‘It is often said that a person in love becomes more beautiful.’

Allen looked at the archmage in front of him in confusion.

‘But I didn’t know that this applies to men as well.’

The sight of the archmage of the century, the best in the Empire, smiling proudly and saying that he hadn’t slept all night was absurd and even a little painful.

‘How can you live like this in front of a man who suffers without a partner?’

However, if Kalia was happy, he thought it would be great if young Sasha could grow up as a happy child with two people who love each other so much.

This was two weeks before leaving for the capital.

* * *

“My God, how can you be so beautiful!”

“Wow! How cute he is!”

Mrs McCanna and her little daughter Siege came to visit Kalia.

As soon as they saw Sasha, they couldn’t take their eyes off the baby lying in the crib.

Sasha didn’t often smile, but for some reason the reactions of these two people were so funny that he rejoiced and laughed.

“Boo!”

Every time the baby smiled, his cheeks puffed, creating beautiful dimples. And exclamations of admiration escaped from the mouths of the mother and daughter over and over again at this sight.

“So cute, ahh, mom, can I have a little brother or sister too? Please!”

“Oh, dear, but your mother is already smitten with your upbringing. Do you want me to die from the pain of caring for a child?”

“But why? My older sister and I can take care of the baby! Yeah?”

“But wouldn’t it be better if your older sister got married and had a child? In any case, it seems that the baby is already sleepy. Let’s go so he can rest.”

“Oh, but I want to play with him longer… Sasha, Sasha. Good night. See you next time.”

Seige kissed Sasha’s plump hand, which was held by Latricia, and sadly said goodbye.

Watching Siege and McCanna leave, unable to take their eyes off the baby, Kalia felt embarrassed.

‘I should have invited you two a little earlier…’

When did time fly by so fast? Kalia left the next morning.

“Ah, young master Sasha is so charming, I have fallen in love. Are you returning to the capital tomorrow?” McCanna, who came to her senses belatedly, added with a look of regret: “I thought you’d be a little longer.”

“There is an urgent matter that needs my attention.”

“Still… It’s a pity that I won’t cook for Lia and Hemmie in this house anymore. I won’t even be able to see Allen’s handsome face.”

Mrs. McCanna looked very upset as she fiddled with her cup.

“Honestly, I was also looking forward to Lia’s baby. I really wanted to help when the baby was born.”

Saying so, McCanna sat down beside her and stroked the hair of her youngest daughter, who was nibbling like a baby squirrel on the cookie Kalia had given her. Cookie crumbs accumulated on a deliberately dressed beautiful skirt like snow.

‘My God.’

Despite the click of her tongue, McCanna’s eyes were full of love as she cleaned up the crumbs Siege had spilled.

“Although I have four children, I still wanted to look after the baby. I don’t think I can give birth, but I thought that if this is your child, then I could take care of him as if he were my own. This makes me even sadder now.”

“McCanna.”

“It was inevitable. But who knows if we can meet again in 10 or 20 years?”

Haha, McCanna chuckling took out the small basket she had brought and handed it to Kalia.

“Here. I remembered that Miss Lia liked the food, so I cooked some. Koora fruit can only be found in our region, so it will be difficult to try it somewhere else. Take it with you and eat it whenever you want.”

It was Koora’s jam. It was golden in color and sweet and sour in taste, and Kalia often spread it on her cookies.

“Thank you, McCanna.”

“…I…I also prepared a gift.”

Siege, with her hair in two cute pigtails, quickly wiped the cookies from her lips.

The girl took something out of the small bag she had brought with her and with trembling hands held out the gift to Kalia.

“It’s a magic necklace. I made it from beautiful pebbles that I brought from the fairy forest that day. The power of the fairies will protect Miss Lia!”

“Oh.”

Kalia looked at the small necklace Siege held out.

Just like the child said, there was a small stone in the center of the necklace that emitted a beautiful light.

The problem was that the necklace was too small to fit around Kalia’s neck, but Kalia didn’t have to tell it.

“Thanks, Siege. Like you said, I can feel the mysterious power of this necklace.”

“Hehe. This is my treasure, but I wanted to give it to Miss Lia!”

“Ah. I even received a gift, so I also want to give you something in return…”

“Oh no. This is the gift I give you!”

“But like you, I also want to give you something.”

Kalia wondered what she could give Siege as a present, and handed her a small sword brought from the capital.

“A sword?”

“Even if you don’t aspire to become a knight or a swordsman, I think you should have something to protect yourself. Whether it’s from humans or monsters… But if you want to learn swordsmanship, take this sword and go to the nearest Tacskate Academy.”

“Tacskate Academy?”

Loa was such a small rural town that there were few educational institutions that could be called an academy.

At best, there could be a training hall that could accommodate 70 children.

The nearest academy, Jenox, was 200 km away, so there was no way young Siege could know such things.

McCanna was also stubborn, even about the Jenox academy, not to mention being sent abroad.

“Miss Lia.”

Mrs. McCanna looked at Kalia with wide eyes. Kalia shrugged and smiled.

“I can do for you at least this much.”

“…Is it possible, Lia.”

As if searching for an answer to McCanna’s question, she bit her lip but couldn’t open her mouth easily.

Kalia just smiled and raised her cup.

And then…

A bird flew out of the open window and swirled around Kalia.

“You.”

It was a spirit bird warning of someone’s arrival. And this bird usually appeared before her grandfather, Kalexia, came.

Kalia said goodbye to Mrs. McCanna and Siege and quickly got ready to meet him.

“Is Kalexia coming?”

At the news of his arrival, Simon also came running.

It’s been a month since they last saw Kalexia.

Kalia was suddenly filled with happiness. Soon the door opened with a blinding light.