Dark Dad’s Rebirth - Chapter 14: Madness (4)

“Lady Aria seems to…”

10 a.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m., and 10 p.m.

These were the four times each day that Caelius received detailed reports of Aria’s every move.

It hadn’t always been like this, but after the hallucinogen incident, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. She seemed ready to leave him at any moment, and it made him uneasy.

“You should confirm it through a physician,” the maid advised cautiously.

Caelius, who had been idly moving his pen across some documents, froze mid-stroke.

Pregnant…?

He knew it was impossible. Royals couldn’t conceive with each other.

And he had kept her so closely guarded that there was no chance another man could be involved.

Still, an odd feeling gnawed at him, warning him not to ignore this. His heart began to race uncontrollably.

“Gossen,” he called sharply.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Bring a discreet physician this week.”

“Understood.”

Caelius’s icy gaze returned to his papers as he thought grimly to himself.

He had ignored his instincts once before, and it had nearly cost him everything.

He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

 

* * *

 

Without so much as a knock, the door swung open.

Aria sighed quietly in irritation and deliberately pulled the blanket over her head. There were only two kinds of people who would enter her room so unceremoniously: assassins or Caelius.

“Riri.”

His voice, softer than usual, called her name. Of course, there was no reply. Caelius didn’t seem to expect one, as he walked over and sat by her side without hesitation.

“I heard you’re not feeling well.”

At those words, Aria let out a quiet groan of annoyance. Clearly, the maid had already gone and tattled to him about her condition.

“I’ve summoned a physician. They’ll be here soon.”

“…That’s unnecessary.”

Her voice, weak and hoarse, slipped out from between her lips. Caelius, uncharacteristically gentle, brushed her hair softly and looked at her with concern.

“What if it’s something serious?”

“You know it’s not!!”

Aria snapped, her voice rising sharply. Was it the pregnancy? Lately, her emotions had been all over the place. Caelius hadn’t even said anything cruel, yet tears welled up in her eyes.

“You know why I’ve ended up like this, and yet you pretend you don’t. How sickening…”

“…”

The word “sickening” left Caelius speechless. He simply stared at her, his expression confused, as if grappling with emotions he couldn’t place.

And perhaps he was confused. Even Caelius couldn’t stay unaffected by the possibility that Aria might be pregnant. His head throbbed. With a quiet sigh, he pressed his hands to his face in frustration.

“You must be thrilled, Father.”

“…”

“If I am pregnant, you can use it as an excuse to chain me down and keep me here. How convenient.”

Aria’s tone was dripping with sarcasm. Even so, Caelius didn’t react, merely stroking her golden hair with a tender hand.

Annoyed by his lack of response, she clicked her tongue softly.

“Do you know something, though?”

Her eyes, once wide and innocent like a rabbit’s, looked up at him as they used to. Her golden lashes fluttered as she blinked.

“I have no intention of having this child.”

She spoke as casually as if discussing dinner plans.

“I’d rather die right in front of you than bring this baby into the world.”

She had no intention of being tethered to him forever, adrift in the wreckage of their past, reliving old memories that only she carried.

Even her cruel declaration of wanting to take her own life didn’t seem to faze Caelius. He simply bit his lip slightly, suppressing any outward display of emotion.

“Oh, and wouldn’t that be fitting? After everything you’ve put me through, the baby probably isn’t healthy anyway. Maybe it’ll take care of itself and just… go away.”

This time, however, her words pushed him to his limit. His expression twisted in frustration as he grabbed her hand.

“Riri.”

Her wrist, already so frail, looked as if it might snap under his grip.

An uneasy silence filled the air. Or perhaps it was only uneasy for Caelius. Aria, on the other hand, wore a light, playful smile.

It was almost absurd to imagine that the same person casually talking about death and miscarriages could smile so serenely.

At first glance, she seemed no different from other young noblewomen her age, as though she might be daydreaming about a dashing knight or her first love.

But beneath that polished exterior, she was deeply broken.

Her radiant golden eyes, always so bright, looked hollow now.

“…Stop it.”

“Why? Does it bother you to hear it? Oh, come on. That’s not it, is it? Since when have you ever cared about—”

Before she could finish her biting remark, Caelius interrupted her.

“It’s not because it bothers me.”

His voice, heavy and laced with melancholy, spilled out evenly.

“Saying those things doesn’t make you feel any better.”

“…”

“That’s why I’m telling you to stop.”

For a moment, Aria was speechless. It felt as though someone had struck her hard on the back of the head, leaving her mind blank. She stared up at Caelius with a stunned expression, her lips pressed together tightly as a dull ache spread through her chest. She clutched the blanket tightly and shrank further into herself, even finding his gentle pats on her back unbearable.

“…Doing this won’t change anything,” Aria muttered, brushing away his hand.

“It’s not like you truly care about me, anyway.”

“Think what you want.”

“…”

“It doesn’t matter to me how you feel about it.”

His quiet, murmured words made Aria laugh bitterly.

“Of course.”

“…”

“After all, my thoughts and wishes have always been trivial enough for you to ignore.”

Her voice, tinged with resignation, made Caelius clench his fists tightly.

“…That’s not true.”

Like a frightened animal, Aria had been trembling for some time, but her exhaustion was catching up with her. Her eyelids grew heavier, and despite it being midday, she found herself drifting off. Lately, she had been sleeping more than usual. As her soft, rhythmic breaths signaled that she had fallen into a deep sleep, Caelius rose from his seat.

Rather than returning to his office, he began rummaging through her room. He searched the wardrobe, opened drawers, and left no corner untouched.

It took a long time, but in the end, his hands were full of sharp objects—candlesticks, letter openers, and other potentially dangerous items.

“For the time being, ensure that no sharp or hazardous objects are allowed into Lady Aria’s room,” Caelius instructed the maid, handing her the gathered items.

“Anything that could harm her.”

“What about table knives or forks for meals?”

“She doesn’t need knives. Have the food cut into small pieces before serving it. Give her those chopsticks used in the East instead of a fork.”

Whether she was pregnant or not, whether the child in her womb was his or not, Caelius had no intention of letting Aria go.

His usually lifeless, dark eyes glimmered coldly for the first time in ages. His gaze lingered on Aria’s frail, emaciated form, curled up tightly and deep in sleep.

As he watched her, a thought crept into his mind: he must be completely insane.

It didn’t matter anymore whether she was of royal blood, whether she was his daughter, or even whether the child she carried belonged to another man.

As long as she stayed by his side, nothing else mattered.

If Aria asked him to raise another man’s child, he felt he might actually do it.

Love is no different from a disaster.

Caelius clicked his tongue softly and silently agreed with the sentiment.

Love was, in every sense, a catastrophe—for both him and Aria.

 

* * *

 

“You’re pregnant.”

As soon as the physician uttered those words, Aria’s face twisted in a scowl. Despair was written plainly across her expression, while Caelius remained as impassive as ever.

“Are you certain?” he asked.

“Yes, absolutely certain,” the physician replied.

After a brief hesitation, the physician glanced at Aria, who was trembling visibly, and then leaned closer to Caelius.

“Your Highness, I have something else to report… privately.”

Caelius, ever perceptive, nodded and stepped outside with the attendants, leaving the room to give them privacy. As soon as the door closed, the physician wasted no time.

“The pregnancy is certain, but… there’s a problem with Lady Aria’s health.”

“What problem?”

Choosing his words carefully to avoid provoking Caelius, the physician hesitated before continuing.

“She is far too weak to carry a child. It seems she hasn’t been receiving proper nutrition, and to be frank, I cannot guarantee the health of the fetus either.”

Caelius’s hand curled into a tight fist. His jaw clenched, and his gaze darkened as the physician regretted every word he had just spoken. The oppressive silence that followed felt like an eternity. Caelius lowered his head slightly, staring blankly at his polished shoes as if lost in thought.

Finally, he broke the silence.

“What… what should I do?”

The physician blinked in confusion, unsure if he had heard correctly.

“Pardon, Your Highness? Are you asking about Lady Aria?”

“Yes.”

“Well, uh…”

Expecting a command to ensure her health at all costs, the physician hurriedly began scribbling notes on his diagnostic sheet.

“First and foremost, since she’s pregnant, it’s critical that she eats three balanced meals a day from the food list I’ve prepared. Skipping meals may seem trivial for most people, but in Lady Aria’s condition, it’s out of the question.”

Three full meals a day. Caelius frowned, his expression darkening further. Aria wasn’t exactly cooperative when it came to eating.

“This here is a type of restorative dish commonly consumed by Eastern royalty. If you can obtain it for her, it would be highly beneficial.”

“Can’t I use my aura?”

The mention of aura made the physician let out a small gasp.

“Are you suggesting injecting aura into a pregnant woman?”

“Yes. Aura can expel toxins or heal the body—”

“No, Your Highness. You absolutely cannot do that to a pregnant woman.”

The firm denial made Caelius recall the time he had used aura to purge the hallucinogens from Aria’s system. His face tightened further.

“Why not? Would it harm her body?”

“No, it’s not that, but… well…”

“But what?”

“The Grand Duke is Lady Aria’s father, is he not?”

Caelius furrowed his brow in confusion at the sudden and seemingly unrelated comment. He nodded slightly, urging the physician to explain.

“This is something recorded long ago,” the physician began hesitantly, letting out a strained sigh. “If external energy, such as aura or magic, is introduced into the body of a pregnant woman, the original father’s essence can be replaced by the essence of the one providing the energy.”

“…What exactly are you saying?”

“In other words,” the physician continued cautiously, wiping cold sweat from his forehead, “if Your Highness were to infuse Lady Aria with your aura, the biological father of the child could change—to you, Grand Duke.”

The physician’s voice grew smaller as he finished, his words heavy with discomfort. Though he didn’t know who the child’s father was, he was certain it couldn’t be Caelius. No one would think that the Grand Duke’s daughter would carry his child. It was an unthinkable scandal.

Yet Caelius’s expression shifted subtly, his dark eyes betraying a rare flicker of turmoil.

“The father of the child… could change?” he repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief.

The physician, sensing something unusual, shrank back and nodded hesitantly.

For a moment, it was as if a forgotten memory flashed through Caelius’s mind. His eyes widened, and his usual composure gave way to an unmistakable look of shock.

The physician, now thoroughly confused, hesitated before speaking again.

“Your Highness… have you already infused her with aura?”

Caelius didn’t answer. It wasn’t important. After all, he already knew he was the child’s father. Whether aura had been infused or not, it wouldn’t change that fact.

But there was a deeper issue at play.

“What do you mean, ‘what have I done’? As your fiancé, this much is the least I can do for you.”

“You’re still the same as ever, aren’t you? Boldly declaring you’ll use me as a vessel. Stop it. If you need a vessel, find someone else. I… I have a child to think about.”

“A child? Let me guess—you broke off our engagement and immediately ran to that commoner, didn’t you? Already had a brat with him, huh?”

“I told you it might be your child!!”

“As if. I can’t even remember the last time I put myself inside you.”

His heart pounded violently.

The truth had always nagged at him—like the fact that Amerin had a child who resembled him. It had been a strange coincidence that he had tried to brush aside.

Aura, magic, and the power of royalty—while they had different names, their principles were much the same.

He had convinced himself that Aria, with her golden hair and eyes, was his daughter. He had squashed any doubts, forcing himself to believe without question.

But now…

Pregnancy. The Adamas ring. So many strange things.

It all came flooding back.

“Explain more,” Caelius demanded, his voice low and steady despite the storm brewing inside him.