Pregnancy Is Too Much For The Villain - C152

“Which one should really be in prison?”

Of the two gentlemen who engaged in a duel of honor, one was merely placed under house arrest due to injury, while the other was imprisoned. The newspaper was blatantly pointing this out. It clearly showed how society, already angered by various incidents and accidents caused by the Third Prince’s new drug, was receiving this matter.

His only alpha son had once again thrown a spark at Eldon, which had already been stirring with the side effects of the new drug, the collapsed businesses, investors’ outcries, and workers’ riots for a couple of months.

The large bold letters of other daily and weekly newspapers on the table stood out excessively.

“The Shocking End of a War Hero – Is This the Reward for Fighting for One’s Country?”

“Imprisoned for the Crime of Punishing a Criminal”

“The One Who Killed Hundreds, The One Who Injured Only One”

The headlines of the dailies, though explicit, were still among the more refined ones.

“Noble Blood Above the Law? Let’s Predict the Possibility of Confirming the Next Emperor”

“Approaching Heir Appointment Ceremony, Where to Place Your Bets”

All sorts of yellow journalism were mentioning gambling-like activities with presumptuous incitement. Indeed, the Emperor’s lukewarm attitude in protecting his son was just right to lead to such absurd speculations. In the Empire, only the Emperor and his heir are not subject to legal sanctions. The vulgar press was bringing up this point, applying it to the yet undecided position of heir, and even making bets among themselves.

The courtiers were at a loss. Their lord did cherish the Third Prince, but was it worth enduring this level of criticism and public opinion deterioration…? It was unlike the Emperor who had been objectively weighing the First Princess and the Third Prince until just recently. Seeing the courtiers just looking at each other and saying nothing, the Emperor again became irritable.

“You speak up! Haven’t you always claimed to be my loyal allies?!”

His gesture of constantly wiping the cold sweat flowing from his temples with a handkerchief and his angry voice were full of irritation.

“…The criticism towards the imperial family is too severe.”

“Perhaps imposing an equally severe punishment on His Highness the Third Prince, who has caused many problems, as the Marquis of Valkyries would…”

“That’s out of the question!”

“Pardon…?”

It was clearly a protection of his son that felt at odds with his recent attitude. The courtiers couldn’t understand.

“The honor of the imperial family will hit rock bottom. To think that the Dennox name would harm the Leopold name and receive no punishment…”

Was this strange sense of déjà vu coming from an old jealousy towards the Dennox Grand Ducal family…? They kept looking at each other. One of the braver ones opened his mouth again.

“But Your Majesty, please look at this.”

He held out today’s morning newspaper, the Daily Eldon.

“The Outrage Even Reaching the ‘Good Valentin'”

That embarrassing modifier seemingly taken from the name of the charity hospital opened by Marquis of Valkyries after his partner. But a phrase anyone who knew Valentin Dennox, the Grand Duke’s consort, would agree with. The Daily Eldon, which had made a headline with this word, had a photo on its front page.

A picture of the Grand Duke’s consort who had just landed at the port. To be precise, it was a photo of Valentin looking like a vagrant that was hard to believe was really him. Though it was a rough photo printed in black and white, his identity could be clearly recognized from the distinct face. There couldn’t be two faces like this. It was clearly him.

The article explained that this noble person had barely survived violence and plunder from ruthless thugs during a pilgrimage. Indeed, his hurt and tired face and shabby, even dirty appearance added credibility to the article’s claim.

‘Who indeed made him like this?’

And that was the content the article implicitly conveyed.

A person so fitting of the modifier ‘Good Valentin’, who had set out on a ‘pilgrimage’, the path of asceticism walked by saints and apostles, with a small entourage and travel gear…. Who could have attacked and robbed such an admirable person?

…(omitted)… Who else could be threatening the Marquis of Valkyries and his partner now? I regret that I can only think of one person.

The end of the article was so meaningful. Perhaps anyone who knows the current state of affairs or social atmosphere could guess. Indeed, which forces attacked the Grand Duke’s consort.

“Because of this article, meetings are now being held in various gentlemen’s clubs and salons where intellectuals gather.”

“That’s right. All the traditional schools in Eldon are in an uproar now. There are already several universities where speeches related to this article have been held!”

“There’s momentum for a civil movement by people who have been continuously angry at the imperial family recently…!”

“You must quell the citizens’ anger…”

“No! I can’t give up my son! The dignity of the imperial family is no joke!”

The Emperor shouted, throwing away the handkerchief that had become soaked from constantly wiping his sweat. They looked at the Emperor’s yellowed face and the white coating around his mouth, then lowered their heads.

‘Did His Majesty love his son this much…?’

‘It wasn’t to this extent before….’

The Emperor didn’t even notice the whispers they were secretly exchanging among themselves. He was just buried in his own thoughts.

“Come up with another solution besides that! At this rate, the citizens will really rise up!”

The Emperor had been overly conscious of the members of parliament, citizens, and public opinion since he took the throne.

Without a solid foundation, the position of ‘Emperor’ that he had stumbled into thanks to the sudden death of his older brother, the Crown Prince, made such a petty man even more conscious of others’ reactions. The best means to confront the members of the upper house, who looked down on him for not being a dominant alpha, was the support of the citizens.

Until now, the Emperor had implemented policies favorable to the empire’s people. In fact, he was being evaluated by the citizens as a good emperor, if not strong, one who would be recorded as a sage ruler after his death. It was an expression that nobles who knew his true nature would scoff at, but from the perspective of imperial citizens who just looked at the imperial family ruling the empire from afar, it was so. Especially, the conservative citizen class’s view of the emperor who adhered to the stability and tradition of the current era rather than development and enlightenment was positive.

“My head is killing me…. Bring me some headache medicine!”

At the Emperor’s shout, a quick-witted young servant quickly found the medicine and handed it on a tray. The Emperor, seemingly unable to bear it any longer, quickly snatched the medicine bottle while sharply asking:

“…It’s from New Poppin, isn’t it.”

“Yes. You said this works best.”

He, known for his ability to please the Emperor, answered submissively and bowed his head.

“Is it true that this medicine doesn’t have any issues like missing the controversial ingredients?”

“How could there be? No matter how expensive the ingredients, how could they be missing from the tincture prepared for Your Majesty? It’s a medicine made according to the court physician’s prescription, of the highest grade, without any problems.”

“It had better be so.”

The Emperor nodded and quickly swallowed it, soon regaining a stable expression.

Seeing this, one member of the House of Lords, thinking it was time to present a different opinion, cautiously opened his mouth.

“Then how about handing the Duke back to the police for now?”

The Emperor stopped his pacing and looked at the courtier who had spoken while still being cautious.

“The police?”

“Yes. Imprisoning him in the imperial underground dungeon without any trial is excessive treatment for Marquis of Valkyries. If you want to quell the angry public for now, at least…”

“That’s a very good idea! It would be better to make him appear like a normally indicted criminal until an appropriate trial is held. That seems fair!”

Finally relaxing his face that had been frowning with irritation and anger, the Emperor immediately ordered his aide about the matter just discussed. The aide hurried out of the office to follow the Emperor’s orders.

Thus, the place fell into temporary peace and quiet.

But as if mocking the Emperor’s relief.

In the end, the angry citizens revolted.

It was because Reynard’s close aides finally released all evidence related to the Third Prince’s business corruption to the press. Moreover, they didn’t even hide that the evidence came from the Duke’s side this time. Any proper citizen of Heston was convinced that the duel of honor set up by the Third Prince was simply retaliatory, starting from this reason.

All universities in Eldon unanimously united to refuse classes and declared a boycott against the imperial family, and new nobles like the gentry stopped all production in the businesses they operated. Stores that had kept the capital lively closed their doors, and transportation companies voluntarily stopped their rolling wheels.

Subsequently, led by young people and intellectuals, the imperial citizens staged nonviolent protests. The press declared a disobedience movement and published critical articles about the imperial family daily, with the same symbol always printed at the top of the editorials. A square flag bearing the image of a dove.

It was the red symbol drawn on the flag held by the goddess in the painting Valentin had exhibited.

Reunion

Valentin, who arrived at Reston Station in the center of Eldon, reminiscent of a war zone, disembarked from the train avoiding people’s eyes.

The appearance of the capital, reached after four full days of non-stop travel from the port, was nothing short of the epicenter of confusion, somehow tense as if something was about to explode. Valentin quietly observed the scene of anxious-looking citizens running around or walking busily while staring at the ground at the train station he hadn’t visited in a long time. It seemed to directly show the social chaos created by the Third Prince.

Valentin moved to a secluded spot with Reynard’s subordinates and hurriedly shook hands with the First Princess, who had changed into a somewhat ordinary appearance, and her close aide, Lord Hendricks Burr.

“Thank you so much for helping like this.”

“Isn’t it thanks to our aligned intentions? Such things can’t be forced.”

Hendricks shook his gloved hand with Valentin while continuously shaking his head with a serious face. He was the one who had lent a hand to directly spark the civil movement. Angered by the Third Prince’s fraud, citizens were slowly rising up after listening to the passionate speeches of this prominent intellectual leading the current era.

“The time we’ve been waiting for has come. It was a golden opportunity to cut out the rotten parts.”

“The citizens have risen up, focusing all the attention of the imperial people and the press on this side. Thanks to that, it’s become difficult to impose unfair measures on Reynard. It’s all thanks to Your Highness’s help.”

“Nonsense. Lord Valentin Dennox. Rather, I should be grateful to you for creating such a response from the citizens.”

“That’s right. If Lord Dennox hadn’t planted the spark in people’s hearts beforehand, such a thing would have been difficult. With this protest, His Highness the Third Prince will likely become almost unable to recover as a successor. And don’t worry too much. Since His Majesty the Emperor is very conscious of public opinion, now that protests have broken out, there should be good results in the trial as well.”

The Princess cut off Valentin’s repeated attempts to bow his head in gratitude, admonishing him. His tiny heart was already fluttering at the fact that he had created such a big event. Valentin straightened his back, gathering courage from the Princess’s support and encouragement and Hendricks’ consolation.

“I will truly never forget this.”

“Don’t say such things, my lord. We are collaborators with the same beliefs. Let’s call it an effort for a better Heston.”

Seeing her firm expression that couldn’t be found anywhere else, Valentin also nodded seriously in return.

“Excuse me for interrupting, but you need to move immediately. It’s already time for the carriage transporting the Duke to have departed from the imperial palace. Didn’t you say you must see him?”

Since the Emperor had blocked all routes to contact Reynard after he was imprisoned in the imperial underground dungeon, it was Felix’s assertion that he needed to meet him for the final stage of execution.

At Hendricks’ words as he checked the watch he had taken out of his pocket, they all hurriedly boarded the carriage. And everyone headed towards the central square.

Towards the place where angry citizens would be protesting, holding red flags with white doves drawn on them.

*

The sound of the carriage wheels rolling changed to a dull and rough one.

They had entered the central square connected to Queens Road, with its decorative fan-shaped pattern floor made of old round stones. As if adding harmony to that clamorous sound, the clamor of citizens was also getting closer. The carriage carrying the Princess and her aides, and the carriage carrying Valentin and his subordinates, reached their destination.

“Wasn’t it said to be a nonviolent protest?”

As Valentin asked with an anxious look, Felix and Sabina cautiously opened their mouths with serious faces.

“It seems the citizens have become overheated.”

“Regardless of the ideology of the peace protesters who came out at first, all the citizens angered by the side effects of New Poppin have mixed in. It’s understandable for them to be this angry.”

Felix muttered about cases of the middle class whose invested businesses had collapsed and whose family members were bedridden with side effects, while looking out the window. Valentin also fully pulled back the carriage curtain and stuck his head out.

The Metropolitan Police Station located at the end of the road connected to the square’s clock tower. The prisoner transport carriage carrying Reynard had no choice but to pass through here. The square, getting closer and closer, was nothing short of chaos. The cries of angry people were getting louder and louder.

“It’s dangerous. Don’t stick your head out too much.”

Sabina pulled her lord’s partner back to sit down. Valentin, surprised that the people who started with peaceful protests had become so agitated, nervously shook his legs. Then at the edge of his vision, he finally saw a sturdy carriage with the Metropolitan Police mark and blue bars.

“Release the war hero!”

“Release him!”

Citizens holding red flags began to block the carriage, shouting in unison.

The metropolitan police officers transporting the criminal moved in confusion. They seemed constantly flustered, as if they hadn’t expected the crowd to act so aggressively.

“Step back!”

“You are obstructing official duties!”

Their attempts to stop them didn’t work.

“Release him! Release him!”

Some of the horses ridden by police officers were startled and kept pacing uneasily on the road blocked by people.

“Ah… No! Please get closer to Reynard quickly! If we don’t stop this, he’ll be in danger!”

“It’s dangerous if you get any closer now!”

As Valentin shouted towards the coachman in a trembling voice, Felix and Sabina, who were responsible for his safety, began to stop him.

But then. When the transport carriage had come close enough to see it about the size of a face, it finally happened.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out and thin white smoke rose into the sky.

It was a sharp signal of nonviolence completely turning into violence and riot.

A police officer had fired into the air to stop and intimidate the citizens gradually surrounding the transport carriage. But his judgment was completely wrong. The crowd that heard the gunshot began to act even more violently.

“Waaah!”

“The police fired a gun!”

“It’s a gun!”

Fierce shouts and angry roars filled the square. Bang! Bang bang! Eventually, rough noises of gunpowder burst out from within the crowd as well. It seemed there were people who had participated in the protest with weapons after all.

One horse in the noisy crowd finally fell over startled, and the two horses leading the transport carriage also raised their front legs and kicked anxiously. The carriage shook dangerously, swaying as if it would overturn.

“No…! Reynard!”

Reynard was riding in that precarious carriage. With his hands cuffed without even minimal protection. He might even be tied up all over his body.

Seeing the carriage tilt greatly as if it would overturn, Valentin unknowingly opened the door. And he began to run towards his partner trapped in that unjust and terrifying mobile prison blocked by iron bars.

“Your Highness!”

“Everyone protect His Highness the Grand Duke’s Consort! Hurry!”

At Sabina’s screaming and Felix’s quick following shout, soldiers wearing the black uniforms of the Grand Ducal family moved in unison. And the First Princess’s carriage following behind and the horses ridden by private soldiers also seemed to have made quick judgments, as they all began to move in a formation surrounding them like an escort.

That’s when.

A completely unexpected, miraculous thing happened.

“It’s the soldiers of the Dennox Grand Ducal family!”

“Look there! It’s the war hero’s partner!”

“It’s the Grand Duke’s Consort!”

“Valentin! ‘Good Valentin’!”

The crowd’s voices changed to exclamations.

They cleared the way as if they had never been shouting and venting their anger to make their voices heard.

And they shouted and waved flags, chanting the Grand Duke’s consort’s name like a slogan, which had now become so familiar due to the charity hospital’s name. As if parting the Red Sea, they widened the distance so Valentin could safely cross between them. The citizens thus made way for Valentin to safely advance towards the transport carriage holding Reynard while simultaneously preventing the police from moving.

“If you come any closer, we’ll fire again!” 

The citizens shouted, blocking the police who were yelling threateningly.

“Let him see the Duke!”

“Stop the carriage!”

“Let’s bring it to a complete halt!”

Valentin kept running towards the carriage along the path the crowd had created.

Getting closer.

Getting closer.

Reynard, my unjustly imprisoned husband. My only love.

Valentin ran, targeting only his alpha’s large hand barely visible through the iron bars. In fact, he couldn’t even be conscious of how his body was running. The buzzing noise around him like being underwater, the crowd shouting fiercely and bursting, frantically making his way through those opening the path, he finally reached the transport carriage.

“Reynard!”

The desperate cry cut through the chaotic air.