Free Web NovelChapter 224: Just a Little Change of Plans
"Master," she continued, and a trembling smile formed on her lips as her eyes grew slightly wet. "I’m pregnant... we’re going to have a child."
Mark went completely still.
Still trying to absorb what he had just heard, the words left his mouth before he could stop them.
"But... how is that possible?"
And the moment he said it, he noticed Rose’s expression shift slightly.
The smile she had a second ago faltered, and a spark of confusion, mixed with something like unease, crossed her eyes.
"Wh-what do you mean by that?" she asked, pulling back slightly, her voice full of concern. "I thought... I thought you were happy."
Mark realized immediately how his words had sounded.
"No, wait, it’s not what you think," he said quickly, taking her hands before she could get the wrong idea. "I really am happy... and honestly, I think this is the best news anyone has ever given me."
And before she could question it again, Mark leaned in to kiss her softly.
She responded by closing her eyes for an instant, and when she opened them again, all the unease was gone.
"What I really meant is that I don’t understand how all of this is possible," he said, visibly confused. "Weren’t you supposed to be undead? The undead can’t get pregnant."
"Ah, that’s what it was," she said, letting out a small sigh of relief. "You scared me for a moment... I thought you were having second thoughts."
"Never."
"Hehe, Good... because it’s a little late for returns"
Mark let out a short laugh at that.
"But to answer your question, I’m not exactly undead," Rose continued. "I’m a vampire, and our existence is a little more complex than that."
"Isn’t that the same thing?" he asked, confused. "As far as I knew, vampires were a type of undead."
Rose looked at him with mild amusement.
"It’s a pretty common mistake... And technically, yes, vampires are usually lumped into the same category as the undead."
"..."
"Just to clarify, the others are undead in the strict sense," she explained. "They don’t need to eat or sleep, they don’t age, and they can’t conceive... Their bodies are still there, but their functions stopped a long time ago."
Rose brought a hand to her chest. freёwebnovel.com
"But my body is different," she continued. "Despite counting as undead, my body’s functions are practically identical to those of a normal human... The only real difference is that I need blood to sustain myself."
Mark looked at her for a moment, absorbing the explanation.
"Wait... why didn’t you explain all of this to me before?" he asked, still trying to take it in. "I feel like this is the kind of important detail you should have mentioned earlier."
"Because you never bothered to ask me," she replied with a slight shrug, somewhat amused.
Mark found absolutely nothing to say in response to that, because technically she was right.
It had never occurred to him to sit down and ask Rose about the specific details of vampire biology.
Mark’s mind was a genuine mess, but not because he was going to be a father.
After all, he had long since assumed that sooner or later it was bound to happen.
With the number of women around him and the life he led, he had taken it for granted that eventually one of them would get pregnant.
It was only a matter of time.
What threw him off was that this "sooner or later" had arrived much sooner than he expected.
Rose watched him get lost in his thoughts and, without a word, raised a hand to gently stroke his cheek.
"Why do you have that look on your face?" she asked, drawing closer, in a slightly anxious tone. "You just told me you were happy... Don’t make me doubt your words so soon."
Mark placed his own hand over hers, pressing it against his cheek, and rested his forehead against Rose’s.
"And I really am," he said quietly. "It’s just that... all of this has been very sudden. My life literally just changed completely in the middle of a single conversation and I’m still trying to absorb it."
"That’s not entirely true, Master."
"What isn’t?"
"That everything has changed," she explained, stroking his cheek. "That’s not true... Everything is still exactly the same as before."
Rose took Mark’s free hand and slowly guided it down until she placed it over her abdomen.
"The only difference is that in a while there will be a new member of the family... That’s all," she said, looking at him with a warm smile. "You’ll still be you, I’ll still be me, and the others will still be the same mess they’ve always been."
Mark looked down at his own hand resting on Rose’s abdomen. And little by little, the tension in his face softened until it became a smile.
"You’re right..." he said, already less tense. "When you put it that way, it doesn’t sound so terrifying."
"Terrifying?" Rose repeated, raising an eyebrow. "The great Emperor of Death, conqueror of kingdoms, scared of a baby?"
"Hey, babies are scary," Mark defended himself. "They’re small, fragile, and break easily. I’d rather face another one of the Demon Lord’s subordinates than hold something that delicate."
Rose laughed genuinely this time.
"Don’t worry... you have several months to get used to the idea."
Mark smiled and, unable to contain the excitement beginning to grow inside him, opened his mouth.
"I can’t wait to tell the others about—"
"Yeah... about that," Rose interrupted gently.
Mark looked at her, confused.
"I’d prefer we keep it secret for now," the vampire admitted, a little embarrassed. "At least for a while."
"...Why?"
"Because if the others find out right now that I’m pregnant, the whole plan to make headway in the beastman kingdom will be delayed," Rose explained. "None of them would want me to travel in this condition, they’d start arguing and putting everything off."
"..."
"Besides, you know perfectly well that the most important thing right now is completing your main Quest and continuing to recover your powers," she continued in a firm tone. "So not going isn’t an option."
Mark stayed quiet as he listened to her, and little by little the warmth of his smile faded, giving way to a far more serious expression.
"You don’t have to worry about that..." he said after a few seconds of silence. "Things will continue exactly as planned."
"I’m glad to hear that"
"The only difference is that you’re no longer coming with us"
"...What?"
