The Baby Isn’t Yours

‘Who could it be at this hour?’

Kalia furrowed her brows, staring out the window in silence.

Shaaa-

The rain was falling heavily, and the sound of it hitting the glass was clear, accompanied by thunder and flashes of lightning. On this dark early morning, there was no reason for anyone to visit her home.

There were companions she was waiting for, but they wouldn’t come knocking on the door of the house where they lived.

Once again, there was a knocking sound.

Kalia, who had been half-lying in her rocking chair, rose from her seat. She placed the baby bonnet she had been holding back on the chair and picked up one of the swords arranged neatly above the fireplace.

As she approached the door, trying to hide her footsteps, she quietly inquired:

“Who’s there?”

“…”

Silence followed her low, heavy voice filled with vigilance.

Kalia continued the silent standoff with her unseen visitor on the other side of the door.

She attempted to focus her senses and listen more attentively, but the rolling thunder and the rain continued to muffle the sound.

Without a choice, her grip on the sword tightened even more.

Once again, the knocking on the door was heard. It started off with a steady rhythm but suddenly became more forceful.

Knock. Knock, knock!

At that point, the presence behind the door felt suspicious and annoying.

Although she wasn’t sure what it was, Kalia felt that she needed to get rid of this intruder after checking.

“Ugh.”

Just as she was about to approach the door, another contraction gripped her abdomen.

The contraction was fierce.

“Hn.”

It was far different from the pain she had experienced before.It felt as if her internal organs inside her belly were being twisted and wrung out. Her taut belly twitched.

Kalia, who had never uttered a groan of pain before, felt a sensation of pain that was unlike any other she had experienced.

Trying to hold back her moans, Kalia held onto her swollen belly.

Cold sweat streamed down her cheeks.

‘No, Sasha, it’s nothing. You can’t come out right now. Just wait a little longer, okay? Be a good baby.’

“Ugh, hah. Hoo…”

Kalia took several deep breaths to catch her breath and once again, tightened the grip on the handle of her sword.

As she endured the pains, the sound of knocking at the door had turned into the sound of the doorknob being twisted instead.

She continued to take slow breaths to steady her breathing and her grip kept tightening on the sword in response to the waves of pain until her knuckles were white with force.

Clank, click.

“Hoo.”

The sharp pain that lasted for about two to three minutes felt like an eternity.

Although a faint voice could be heard from beyond the door, the rain and the contractions made it difficult to hear clearly.

“…Lia. Open… door.”

The timing wasn’t good.

If the opponent was an enemy, it seemed she only had it in her to deliver a single blow. 

If the pain would subside now, she would have about 10 minutes at the most.

If it really was an enemy, she had to deal with them right away.

Using her sword as a crutch, she leaned her weight on it and waited for her pain to subside. 

The sound of incoherent muttering and the turning of the knob soon stopped. Whoever it was turned the doorknob once and thankfully didn’t seem to be trying to force the door open. 

Little by the little, the pain was fading away. 

Due to receding pain, the movements behind the door became clearer to understand than before.

Another knock on the door sounded again.

The sound wasn’t harsh like someone was pounding or slapping the door, instead, it was a little blunter and softer sound. Though the sound wasn’t harsh, there seemed to be an urgency to the knocks.

The voice seemed to be getting closer too…

“…Lia.”

It was a soft, melodic voice that sounded a bit tired. Kalia couldn’t quite put her finger on why, but it was a voice she had missed terribly.

While Kalia tried to pay more attention to the voice, her baby inside her belly was anything but quiet.

“Oh, ugh…!”

In an instant, the tolerable pain turned into sharp pains that felt like her uterus was being squeezed.

Kalia felt cold sweat running down her cheeks, thinking that it wasn’t the main problem now.

Her muscles clenched as if her body was preparing to release the baby. The baby in her stomach struggled as if he felt the movement of the uterus trying to push him out.

“Huh. Hoo.”

Clank!

Kalia eventually lost her grip on the sword and focused on her breathing.

She bent down, inhaling and exhaling deeply, concentrating only on the fact that this pain would soon be over.

Allen had said that Sasha was an unusually big baby. He had warned her that he was much heavier than other babies and his struggle to get out would be vigorous.

Even in the midst of the unrelenting pain with her face pale and chewing on the inside of her mouth, Kalia was relieved, thinking that it was fortunate that Sasha seemed healthy.

Just then, the door that had been clinking was opened with a bang.

The door was definitely locked but it opened smoothly. As if it wasn’t locked from the beginning.

The incoming rush of wind extinguished the fire in the fireplace, the warm air dampened by the chilly air pouring in and rain pelted in.

‘I’m screwed.’ 

With clenched teeth, she grabbed the dropped sword and raised her head. 

Frowning, her eyes fluttered open and looked at the feet of the person who had stepped inside. 

Her gaze locked on the man’s clean shoes and his white trouser’s hem and trailed upwards. 

Before she could identify the intruder, the other’s scent mixed with the smell of rainwater hit her.

It was a refreshing, clean and extremely sexy scent. It had been awhile but the nostalgic scent was not at all unfamiliar to her. 

Finally, Kalia’s gaze slowly reached the man’s jawline.

Passing through his upright neck, it moved up along his straight and sharp jawline, revealing the sufficiently plump yet always moist lips.

Ah, she knew those lips.

Those lips that became tender and sweet when they kissed, despite the harsh words that sometimes came out.

Her brow, wrinkled in pain, rose in surprise for a moment.

She could see that the man had only taken one single step through the open door. He must have been so stunned at what he saw.

“You…”

With the wind that came in with the rain, his silvery hair was disheveled. His pale cheeks and trembling pupils stared blankly at her.

He remained frozen on the spot, without daring to approach any further.

He observed Kalia, who was crouching, clutching her large belly.

“…Simon.”

All Simon could do was stare at Kalia, who was drenched in cold sweat, clutching her full belly with a pale face.

* * *

On a rainy early morning when the thunder was roaring, Simon stood in front of the small, lovely house with white bricks.

It was quite different from Kalia’s mansion in the capital; it was a small and charming house.

Although the small window on the wall was covered with white curtains, not everything was hidden.

The room by that small window seemed to be the living room. The orange light from the fireplace flickered.

Simon stood in front of the door, clenching and unclenching his tense fists several times and ignoring the rain soaking him.

“…When you go, promise me just one thing. Don’t startle Kalia. Please, no matter how she looks or what she says, don’t frighten her too much. Please.”

Hemmie had earnestly requested Simon, who was about to leave.

What could Kalia look like to make Hemmie plead so earnestly?

Maybe she had suffered some serious injury? Or perhaps she was under some sort of curse? Or… had she… become so skinny that it would left him speechless?

His mind was in turmoil. He couldn’t even guess the reasons.

The man who had walked hand in hand with Kalia affectionately. The man, Allen, was clearly a doctor.

Was she feeling unwell enough to leave the capital with the doctor?

Even if there were such a reason, it wasn’t a reason for Kalia to leave him.

The fireplace was lit, so it was likely that she was on the first floor.

Remembering Hemmie’s earnest plea not to startle Kalia, Simon carefully raised his hand. After taking a short deep breath, he rapped on the door with his cold, wet knuckles.

Knock, knock.

The resonance of knocking on the door shook Simon’s heart as if it would shatter.

As the seconds passed, his body’s functions had developed as much as other inspections.

His sensitive hearing picked up that the person on the other side of the door had approached very close.

Haa.

Simon’s racing heart felt as if it would break his ribs and burst out.

If not for Hemmie’s warning, he would have rushed inside right away, hugging her and not letting go until she couldn’t breathe.

But he restrained himself.

In case he accidentally startled her, in case Kalia looked at him with a wary gaze, as if she were going to fly into a rage.

Perhaps her eyes would send a stern message to him, making it impossible for him to remain calm.

Just one sharp look from Kalia, and Simon’s heart would undoubtedly shatter.

“Who’s there?”

…Kalia. It was Kalia’s voice.

Simon bit his lips as if the lump in his throat was choking him.

Without even answering her, he just took a deep breath, knocking on the door once more.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound of knocking was frantic because of the pent-up emotions.

“Kalia. Please, open the door.”

His voice was barely loud enough to be heard, and it was coarse, as he had been rubbing his hoarse throat.

She didn’t respond. She didn’t open the door.

Had she not heard his voice? Or…

Simon’s heart was burning.

“Kalia.”

He called her name again, this time with even more urgency.

It had been so long since he had called this name to her in real life, not into thin air.

Just as Simon hesitated, standing there, the sound of something falling to the floor echoed.

Bang!

It was Simon who was startled by the loud sound.

His face was suddenly filled with fear as it turned pale.

“…!”

Confusion rippled in his mind, and before he knew it, he had opened the door wide.

The first thing that greeted him was warm air that hit his face.

The next thing he saw was Kalia, who had dropped her sword and was crouching.

She was in her nightgown, which was unfamiliar, but she didn’t look strange.

What was even more astonishing was…

“Please, no matter how she looks or what she says, don’t frighten her too much.”

She was clutching her round belly.

Hemmie’s voice clawed fiercely at Simon’s ears.