The Villain's End Is Pregnancy - c51
‘Is it okay for it to be this easy?’
The trip was smooth enough to raise such doubts. There was a brief inspection when passing through the outer city walls leading out of the capital, but that wasn’t very difficult either.
The guard only looked at Ryan’s face with interested eyes once. Of course, when Ryan glared sharply at him, he quickly averted his gaze.
The problem was after leaving the capital. Having never been to the outskirts before, Ryan realized while traveling that he lacked a sense of distance.
“We’ve only made it this far.”
Ryan sighed as he ended up staying at a hotel on the coachman’s advice that it was better to rest for a day after sunset rather than keep moving.
When he asked the coachman how far they had come, the answer he received was that it was only the city next to the capital.
The coachman even kindly unfolded a map and showed him the location, saying it would take at least three days to reach the first intended destination.
“Reality is different from imagination after all…”
Still, he had lived in this world for nearly 20 years already. It was a fresh realization that he had lived so ignorant of the ways of the world.
‘Actually, I didn’t really travel much originally either.’
With his introverted personality, he didn’t quite enjoy going outside in the first place, so perhaps this was a natural result.
Ryan breathed out a long sigh and munched on the soft bread. For lamenting, the speed at which he put the food in his mouth was faster than usual.
Moreover, there was enough food prepared on the table for two people.
“Haa… My appetite explosion was because of the pregnancy.”
He lamented again for a moment at the belated realization, but he couldn’t stop his hand as his appetite kept growing no matter how much he ate.
Putting down the bread, this time he pulled over a thick steak. As he picked up a knife and fork and cut it into bite-sized pieces, he suddenly recalled the time he was with Hendrick at the restaurant.
“That jerk is ridiculous too.”
When Ryan was hesitating over what to order, Hendrick had given the absurd command to bring everything on the menu.
Was that all? Looking back at the memories, Hendrick had cut the steak into appropriate sizes for him and pushed all the other dishes like salad and fruit in front of Ryan.
“What the heck, really.”
Why did he have to think of this after running away? It seemed to be because it was his first time traveling far alone and eating a meal.
Ryan tried to shake off the feeling that was trying to settle and focused on eating. Contrary to his mood, the food suited his taste and everything was delicious, so the dishes were steadily emptied.
After finishing dinner, he took a look at the type he had received from Philip for once.
“First, as soon as I arrive, I need to check if it can be inserted into the press and printed on paper.”
After pondering this way and that about printing and as the hour grew later, he took out a book and crawled into the bedding.
He fell asleep in an instant after reading a few pages.
* * *
When he opened his eyes, the first thing Ryan did was quickly scan his surroundings.
Unfamiliar furniture, unfamiliar interior decorations, unfamiliar smells.
“Ah, right. I left home.”
Then, suddenly recalling that he had left the capital and stayed at a hotel for a day, he let out a “phew” and sighed.
Actually, the first thing that had flashed through Ryan’s mind upon seeing the unfamiliar scenery was the thought that he had fallen asleep at the annex again.
It was fortunate that wasn’t the case, but…
“Come on, stop the idle thoughts and let’s get moving.”
If it were his usual self, he would have leisurely enjoyed staying in bed for a while, but now was not the time for that. If he moved diligently, he could go further than the next destination the coachman had told him.
Ryan pulled the cord to ask the staff to prepare a meal and also asked them to tell the coachman that they would depart in 30 minutes.
After washing squeaky clean in the bathroom and coming out, an appetizing breakfast was already fully laid out on the table in that short time.
Just like last night, he ate his fill again today, finished getting ready, and had just come down to the hotel lobby when-
“…is correct, right?”
“…you say? Are you sure? Why did he come here?”
“I heard someone say they spotted him at… yesterday!”
“He couldn’t have come out to travel, he must have had some business.”
“By the way, shouldn’t we go and at least greet him?”
People standing here and there in groups of three or five in the spacious area were making a fuss talking about this and that. It was the opposite of yesterday when it was so quiet one might have mistaken there were no guests.
‘Did some famous person come?’
Ryan took a peek with curiosity at the hotel entrance where people seemed especially crowded. Although it was wide open, it was so packed that there was no time to see who the main character of the commotion was.
The problem was that the carriage would also be waiting over there.
“Haa…”
Ryan, sighing at the thought of going through the crowd, looked around. He was going to have the staff bring the carriage around to the back door instead.
“Gasp! It’s true! It’s him!”
“Oh my, what an honorable occasion…!”
Exclamations and fuss poured out all at once as if a huge sound effect had gone off. Naturally, Ryan’s gaze was drawn there.
The people who had been clustered together stepped back on both sides like waves parting at the bow of a ship. And one man was walking very boldly between them.
“Huh…!”
A gasp escaped from Ryan’s mouth.
The man, whose outstanding appearance stood out enough to find instantly even in the dense crowd, was enough to captivate the eyes, and there was no mistaking who he was.
“Your Highness!”
“It’s Prince Hendrick.”
As Ryan quickly averted his gaze, the surroundings became even noisier at the same time.
‘What the, how did that jerk find out about this place?’
Regardless, Ryan hastily scanned the inside of the hotel in a fluster. Somehow, a sense of crisis flashed that he shouldn’t run into Hendrick now.
That’s when he found the escape route.
‘Over there!’
Ryan’s body immediately turned direction. At the same time, Hendrick also noticed the familiar back of the person who had just turned around.
The two began walking at the same time, but the one who was physically and speed-wise faster quickly caught up to the one ahead.
“Ryan, wait.”
Just when he had a step or two left to the door leading to the backyard, the familiar voice finally caught up to his steps. He stopped abruptly but couldn’t bring himself to look back.
“Haa…”
A long sigh was heard from behind. It sounded like relief and also incredulity.
How did he find out about this place? Why did he come looking?
Even though curiosity sprouted here and there, he still couldn’t muster the courage to turn around. Somehow, the expression Hendrick would be making vividly came to mind.
“Ryan.”
His name was called again and the presence drew closer. Ryan’s shoulders quivered like prey being chased by a hunter.
However, he tried not to show that he was shaken. Fortunately, the face that turned around was no different from usual. No, Ryan thought so at least.
“Hendrick? What the, what brings you here?”
The astute gaze landed on him as he acted clueless as if not knowing the situation. The handsome lips parted.
Then closed again.
After repeating that a few times, Hendrick let out another long, drawn-out breath.
“Where were you headed?”
“I asked first, you know?”
Ryan blurted out sulkily. Hendrick’s eyes now shifted to the round cheeks that protruded.
Feeling itchy for some reason, Ryan rubbed the area around his cheekbones with his index finger, then raised the corners of his eyes sharply.
“Not going to answer? Then I’m going on my way.”
“Why else would I be here?”
Hendrick gave a curt answer. His brows were tightly knitted as if feeling stifled. Only then did Ryan’s eyes catch that he looked a bit different from usual.
The somewhat anxious-looking eyes, disheveled hair, bitten lips, and so on.
And finally the words that came out.
“I came to find you, of course.”
“Me? Why me?”
So that was really it. Since he had guessed it, Ryan could nod more calmly. In contrast, all sorts of questions popped up furiously in his head.
‘How did he know about this place?’
‘For what reason did he come all the way here?’
He didn’t even tell Catherine his destination. At most, the only one Ryan told where he was going was the coachman.
Then he noticed the gaze staring at him intently as if truly not understanding.
“Because I wanted to see you.”
As if he had waited to make eye contact, Hendrick flatly explained the reason. But that alone was difficult to be an answer.
“So you went out of your way to chase me here?”
Ryan deliberately looked around. He saw the crowd looking at them with interest, and also spotted the coachman he had been looking for standing at the entrance, fidgeting anxiously.
In an instant, he also realized the reason his location had been exposed.
Catherine must have separately instructed him.
Then, Hendrick spoke again.
“Yes. As soon as I saw the carriage carrying you leaving the ducal residence, I thought I shouldn’t lose you.”