The Monster Knight wants Parental Leave

“…So, please inform me if there’s anything I can assist you with.”

“…”

Lucia remained silent in response to his words and boarded the carriage. As she distanced herself from him, she caught a glimpse of his peculiar appearance in the departing carriage’s mirror. He seemed to be continuously gazing at her intently.

Upon hearing his request to see her off, she hurriedly boarded the carriage, her thoughts turning to the child who would worry if she stayed out for too long. While he had a reputation for being polite, the unanswered question from that day still lingered in her mind.

She understood why he was well-liked, as he seemed to be a beacon of light for those around him. The gifts he had given her might have simply been gifts after all. But what about the contents of that statement? His nonsensical threats?

As she contemplated his inexplicable actions, her attention was drawn to the book that had captivated him. Its title read:

[“Parenting Proven by Results.”]

This was the best-selling book that the librarians recommended while trembling.

She briefly examined the book, then turned it around to see the cover that made Leon gasp.

Then, she saw a picture of a boy with silver hair, looking strikingly similar to a beautiful woman, printed on it.

‘…This boy seems familiar.’

As she tried to scrutinize the familiar face more closely, the Duke of Ruins’ comfortable carriage slowed down.

“Lady Lucia, could you please wait for a moment?”

The coachman politely requested from outside the window.

Peering out the window, she saw a bridge spanning the river that divided the palace and the hill. 

Stepping off the carriage to assess the situation, she noticed multiple carriages densely packed on the bridge. 

In the distance, she could hear a boisterous noise coming from beneath the bridge, where someone seemed to be enjoying a boat ride.

She briefly considered walking instead, but since she had already informed the coachman that she would wait, she leaned against the bridge’s railing and turned her gaze to the river.

The water shimmered, a testament to the perfect day for boating.

Relishing this rare moment of leisure and savoring the scenic view, she suddenly caught sight of something entering her line of vision.

The bow of the luxurious boat she had observed earlier gradually emerged from beneath the bridge on which she stood.

As the leisurely boat drifted along the river, accompanied by joyous laughter, the entire vessel came into view. On board, there was a lone man surrounded by elegantly dressed ladies.

Slowly, he raised his head from beneath the bridge, and his eyes met Lucia’s directly.

The man locked eyes with Lucia and waved his hand with a bright smile, as though he had been eagerly awaiting her presence.

He was a young man who possessed a captivating beauty that would enthrall anyone.

As Lucia observed his familiar behavior, memories began flooding back.

“My Lord, are you disembarking already?”

“Your Highness, you’ve just arrived. Let’s continue our merriment, shall we?”

‘Your Highness…?’

The ladies addressed him as ‘Your Highness.’

In Lucia’s recollections, there was only one person referred to as ‘Your Highness.’

If her memory served her right, he had to be the Crown Prince of the empire.

Stepping off the ornate boat, the ladies, resembling blooming flowers, trailed behind him.

Before long, the group reached the bridge and came face to face with Lucia.

“Oh, my apologies for interrupting your journey, Lady Lucia.”

“It’s a pleasure to see you, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

Lucia respectfully bowed her head and then raised it to meet the gentle gaze of a young man who resembled a blooming flower, despite being the emperor’s son.

Crown Prince Iren Ashir Eldarion.

With his pastel pink hair that perfectly complemented the spring sunlight and golden eyes that exuded warmth, he captivated those who beheld him.

The faint dark circles beneath his captivating eyes were perhaps the only flaw in his otherwise delicate appearance. However, the young ladies who pursued him found even this imperfection alluring, being fascinated by the air of decadence it lent him.

Undoubtedly, his popularity, which turned his flaws into charms, hinted at the bloodline of the former reigning beauty queen of the continent.

“I had intended to enjoy some solitude, but it seems fate had other plans, bringing so many people to my path.”

He shrugged his shoulders with a nonchalant smile, as if it were beyond his control.

“Oh dear. Your Highness, it must be destiny!”

“Then I suppose that destiny was mine, as I arrived first.”

“Oh my, Your Highness has a penchant for uttering otherworldly statements. Ho ho.”

“You’re not far behind, Your Highness. Ho ho.”

If Leon was popular despite his age and gender, the Crown Prince garnered even greater support from young ladies. Perhaps it was because these young ladies harbored a penchant for rebellious individuals.

“Yes, well then, I shall take my leave.”

Just as Lucia had finally made up her mind to depart, she took a step forward.

“Ah, wait a moment. Congratulations on your ascension, Commander.”

Unexpectedly, he caught up to her and offered her something.

‘A… rattle?’

It was a rattle adorned with a golden bell.

It hardly seemed like a suitable gift for a Sword Master.

“Oh my, is the child a bit too old to be playing with this?”

He shook the rattle and chuckled, seemingly aware of her impending parental leave.

“…”

Was he… making fun of her?

“Oh my! Isn’t that the Black Knight Commander?”

“Could it be… the one on parental leave?”

A few young ladies who seemed to be aware of Lucia’s situation began whispering among themselves.

‘How bothersome.’

While the nobles who were deeply involved in the war knew Lucia’s character and discreetly withdrew, the young ladies were different. They often flaunted their arrogance, relying on their family backgrounds, just like a few nobles present now.

“I never expected you to have a child, Commander.”

Iren spoke, partially closing his twinkling eyes in a coquettish manner.

Despite being under scrutiny by so many eyes, he seemed eager to continue the conversation.

“One can’t know everything. In that case, I shall…”

The Crown Prince, noticing Lucia’s intent to leave, seized her collar for a moment. However, he quickly released his grip, looking around in an awkward manner as he spoke with a slightly flushed face.

“Wait, hold on a moment. There’s something I need to tell you… Actually, I’ve been observing you for quite some time.”

“What!?”

“Oh my!”

“Gasp…!”

At his shocking revelation, it was not the one involved in the topic, but the young ladies standing beside him who were taken aback and let out exclamations of surprise.

Among them, an attendant supporting a young lady who appeared on the verge of fainting was particularly astounded.

Iren felt a sense of embarrassment, yet he couldn’t help but wear a satisfied smile for the first time in a while.

He knew exactly how people would react to his words.

Throughout his life, he had never felt truly content.

Even the mischievous acts he had engaged in as a child, despite his delicate health, showcased the cruelty that can reside within someone of royal lineage.

And the one who sobered him up was Lucia.

Lucia, who was sixteen when they first crossed paths.

From the moment she joined the Knights, Lucia became responsible for guarding the Crown Prince, treating him with unwavering consistency.

And, needless to say, her immense influence completely transformed his life, which had been sheltered like a delicate flower.

Despite Iren being five years her senior, he found himself laughing at Lucia’s perpetually sullen countenance.

And his heart continued to flutter just the same.

“Commander, you have yet to reveal the identity of the child’s father, have you?”

“…”

‘This is the second time someone has asked. Is the Emperor’s assurance not sufficient?’

Lucia, despite the directness of the question, still had her own concerns, pondering something else entirely.

“Your Highness…! Surely, this is merely a jest, is it not?”

“Yes! It’s all just a joke, right? She’s a soldier, after all, a strong woman doing what men do!”

The startled young ladies began to chatter excitedly, their voices reminiscent of hyperactive Chihuahuas.

As they observed the Prince’s troubled expression one by one, the girls gradually fell silent.

A platinum-haired young lady, who had remained quietly composed, spoke up, delicately covering her mouth with a fan as if attempting to conceal something shameful.

“Hmm. Considering the timing… Was it during the end of the war? Could it be that something happened then? Perhaps spending a night with a man, engaging in an act of passion…”

“Oh my goodness! Unthinkable…!”

“How impure!”

The girls started creating a commotion, as if it were their own personal affair.

Meanwhile, Lucia calmly observed the ever-changing emotions of the young women before her.

A mature adult wouldn’t be genuinely angered by the thoughtless words of immature children.

Therefore, Lucia wasn’t angry.

However, she recalled a passage from the book she read a while ago, which stated that even young children could grow up to become adults who get angry for no reason if they were not guided to understand the situation and merely allowed to pass judgment.

With concern in her eyes, the elder Lucia approached the young foxes.

The once-laughing young ladies, now resembling startled rabbits in the presence of a predator, blinked in uncertainty.

“What, what? What do you think you’re doing?”

“If you come any closer, I will report this situation to my father!”

Lucia, gazing down at the frightened young ladies for a moment, responded to the prince’s inquiry.

“I have no intention of divulging further details. There were too many people who shared those nights with me to single out just one.”

The naive young ladies, unaware of what to imagine, were left speechless with their faces turning crimson.

While it had the potential to create a significant misunderstanding, it held some truth as well.

Countless nights had been spent without regard for gender distinctions on the battlefield over the course of four years.

The platinum-haired young lady, taken aback by Lucia’s unexpected response, cautiously retreated to avoid Lucia who had come closer.

However, before anything else could transpire,

“Prince, are you alright?”

A guard who had been protecting the prince swiftly rushed over, supporting Iren.

The prince, his face flushed and trying to staunch the nosebleed, was in need of assistance.

As the blood sprayed out, some of it landed on Lucia, who was nearby. He pushed the soldier aside and approached her.

“Oh, my apologies. Your dress… it’s stained with blood.”

Lucia, observing Iren’s concern about the bloodstains on her clothes, wished he would tend to his own nosebleed first.

Whether he sensed her discomfort or not, Lucia instinctively blocked his hand, which held a blood-soaked handkerchief, from touching her.

And then, was it planned?

The prince swiftly grasped her wrist.

Caught off guard, Lucia found it difficult to shake off the firm grip of royalty. In her memory, he had often appeared as a twelve-year-old, but now he loomed over her with an unexpectedly tall stature.

“Do you know where the nearest location to your training camp was?”

A soft whisper filled her ears.

Taken aback by the prince’s words, Lucia felt a growing unease as he continued to speak.

“It was my palace, the prince’s palace. It’s not a lie that I’ve been observing you. One of my secret routines was to watch your training grounds every morning.”

As Lucia listened to the prince’s whisper, discomfort settled within her as he carried on.

“I’ve never seen you with a pregnant belly, so… Ah, it seems this has become our little secret, hasn’t it?”

“……!!”

Iren, his eyes closed in a sweet smile, slowly released his grip on Lucia, who stood rigidly.

“I… I want to get closer to you first.”

And with those words, the prince collapsed, unable to stem the nosebleed that continued unabated.