The Villain's End Is Pregnancy - c42
Ryan noticed the person who had a hold of his shoulder.
“Hey… Hen….?”
He was about to turn around when his body was pushed first. Then came a ‘thud’ sound as something closed, and the surroundings grew quiet.
What’s going on?
Just as Ryan blinked, unable to understand the situation, his restrained body rotated against his will, making him face the other person.
It was Hendrick in front of him, as expected.
“What, why?”
Why was he looking at him like that? Ryan’s lips jutted out. The corners of his eyes also rose sharply, revealing his wariness towards the other.
In fact, Hendrick’s gaze was only calm. Ryan was just feeling prickly.
“I’ve been looking for you for a while.”
So if he speaks affectionately like this, Ryan gets flustered.
“Y-yes, why were you looking for me?”
Ryan bit his lip, displeased with his own stammering. He tried to raise his head firmly and speak again.
“I see.”
But then Hendrick muttered something offhandedly. It felt as if he, too, didn’t know why he did that. It was the one who was more confused, after all.
These days, whenever Ryan talks to Hendrick, he gets mixed up. It’s strange, but it seems like Hendrick really has feelings for him.
He keeps coming to see Ryan, and he runs into him wherever he goes. Not to mention, he shows Ryan the paintings in his palace, or lets him enter his study.
He even asked Ryan if he really has no feelings for him, and the expression on Hendrick’s face when he said that – does he even know himself?
‘No. Don’t waver. Don’t forget.’
That he is the one who will ruin Ryan’s and his family’s future. That he will choose another omega, not Ryan.
Moreover, isn’t the person he’s supposed to have a future with already close by?
‘But why does Hendrick keep approaching me?’
There was a story like that, about a protagonist whose efforts changed the original development of the work.
‘Don’t harbor the futile hope that the same will happen to me.’
Ryan shook his head to clear his thoughts.
“You don’t have to make such a disgusted face. I just wanted to confirm it.”
“Confirm what?”
“Whether seeing you was just my imagination or not.”
Hendrick removed the hand he had placed on Ryan’s shoulder.
“If you want, I won’t acknowledge that I saw you. I’ve confirmed it already.”
Did Ryan just imagine the slightly bitter expression on Hendrick’s face as he took a step back?
“It’s probably too late already.”
Liam must have seen you chasing after me too. Does he think his words would work?
“You can just say you missaw something.”
“And if he asks what it is?”
“Do I really need to explain the reason?”
Wow, look at this arrogant prince. Ryan marveled innocently. It’s because he talks down to Hendrick and acts like a friend every day. At times like this, the fact that he’s the crown prince was clear.
“Yeah, well, there probably isn’t one.”
You’re right. But still, I don’t think it will resolve Liam’s doubts. But he didn’t bring up that matter.
After all, as long as the fact that he ran into Hendrick and came here doesn’t come to light…
Knock. Knock.
At that moment, the sound of someone knocking on the door from outside was heard.
“Your Highness? Are you inside? Your Highness!”
A voice calling for Hendrick followed.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Your Highness!”
Judging from the familiar voice, it seemed Liam had come personally.
“Oh dear. What will you do? He came chasing after you.”
Ryan gestured towards the door with his eyes. No matter how much Hendrick tries to deny it, it’s useless since Ryan is here.
Moreover, among the group who came to look for the prince, the guest of honor is present, so it would be enough to draw the attention of others.
“By the way, he hasn’t changed at all, has he? His loyalty to you is extreme as always.”
A hint of sarcasm was unavoidable. He had recalled the past that he had just erased.
If the person who found Ryan that day had been an alpha, the situation would have turned disastrous. As a newly awakened dominant omega, he was likely to lose control of the pheromones he was emitting, and pounce without being able to handle it.
In that case, the Fitzroy family, who doted on their youngest, wouldn’t have remained silent, and the world would have become a noisy place.
‘Wasn’t it the maid who said she found him?’
When Ryan asked after regaining his senses, that’s what Catherine had told him.
‘I should have at least greeted the person directly.’
After learning that it was the maid who found him at the time, he had concluded the matter with a polite request to reward the maid properly, befitting of a proud young master.
‘That’s why the protagonist doesn’t fall for the dominant omega right next to him, but for another omega.’
Ryan was naturally trying to think of Julian again, when a sudden voice interrupted his reminiscence.
“You stay here. I’ll handle this.”
With those words, Ryan’s thoughts were shattered. But it didn’t end there.
“Huh?”
Again, his body was pushed back, and eventually pressed down below.
“What?”
Belatedly, Ryan realized that he had been seated on the sofa. How long had he been lying there, the cushion was sunken and not very comfortable, but that wasn’t the important thing right now.
“Where are you going?”
He asked Hendrick, who was walking towards the entrance.
“Just stay there for a moment and come out.”
Hendrick commanded without even looking back, and flung the door open.
“Your Highness!”
Liam’s cry was heard through the opened gap.
“What on earth is going on? Why are you… ?”
“I thought it was Kiki who followed me.”
“…Huh?”
Liam asked puzzledly. He also seemed a bit perplexed. This time, even Ryan could empathize.
Why is the cat story coming up? He would never leave the palace, would he?
“The black, cute, and small one just looked like Kiki, so I thought maybe he got lost while following me.”
“Uh…”
No matter how the other person was bewildered, Hendrick firmly did not budge from his claim. He even slammed the dressing room door shut.
Left alone, Ryan looked at the entrance with a bewildered expression.
“Hendrick made such a joke.”
Well, anyway, it seems he managed to get through the crisis. Relaxed after the tension, he suddenly felt drained of energy.
Ryan flopped sideways. There was a musty and dusty smell, but still, it felt comfortable to lie down like this.
‘For now, I have to stay here until it’s all over…’
These days, he seems to get drowsy so often. And once that happens, he inevitably plunges into a deep sleep that he cannot escape.
Soon, he began to breathe evenly and fell asleep.
* * *
“Ugh…”
When he opened his eyes again, he couldn’t immediately grasp the current situation. But then he found the clothes and hangers messily scattered everywhere, and his memories gradually returned.
This is the dressing room of the Seiden Count’s servants.
“Ah!”
He abruptly sat up. He rushed to the door, but for now just put his ear to it. There was no sound.
Still, just in case, he opened the door just a little to peek outside and check for any presence.
“Nothing.”
Fortunately, there was no one in sight. Relieved, he finally stepped outside.
“What should I do…”
Since it has come to this, should I just escape through the back door as originally planned? But somehow, Hendrick’s face suddenly popped up in his head.
And the absurd excuse he had made for Ryan’s sake also came back to memory in succession.
‘Since he went that far, it would be a bit…’
First, let’s check if Hendrick is still there or not. If he’s not, then I can just go back.
Gathering his resolve, he retraced his steps. But the atmosphere seemed even more bustling than before.
“Move quickly!”
“They said it’s about to start, so we need to rearrange the table positions. Or else a big accident will happen!”
“If that happens, you’d better be prepared to lose a neck or two.”
Something seems to be going on, as the servants’ mood was more desperate than before.
‘What is it?’
Are they holding an event or something? Judging from the instructions to rearrange the table positions, it seems to be the case. Ryan tilted his head quizzically and blended in among the hurriedly passing people, arriving at the venue where the party was in full swing.
The sound of laughter and chatter, intertwined with the music, made the place noisy and bustling, with even more people gathered than before.
‘Where is Hendrick?’
With that many people, it was not easy for Ryan to find Hendrick. The bright side was that with the crowded throng, he could wander around without worrying about Liam and his gang’s attention.
“Everyone, please pay attention!”
Ryan had been wandering around for who knows how long when Liam’s booming voice echoed through the atrium, accompanied by the sound of drumming.
Ryan also stopped awkwardly and looked in that direction. And soon, he spotted Hendrick standing nonchalantly next to Liam.
‘So he hasn’t left yet.’
His heart fluttered strangely. He didn’t know the reason, but it was a sense of relief that Hendrick hadn’t left him behind.
As if feeling the gaze, Hendrick turned to look at Ryan. Just as his expression changed and he was about to take a step, Liam spoke.
“Starting now, we will turn off all the lights for 5 minutes. Everyone, please release a small amount of pheromones. If you see someone you like, or your lover or partner, feel free to give them a tight hug or a sweet kiss. The couple who is together when the lights come back on will be the winner of today’s game!”
At Liam’s words, the party participants cheered.
“I’ve also prepared a special prize for the winners, so everyone, please move actively!”
With a laugh-filled shout, the surroundings quickly went dark.
“Start!”
Translation Notes:
1 More free chap today, Happy Father’s Day to all fathers!