Became Pregnant With the Demon King’s Child

Felix’s black mana slowly began to settle. Along with it, the black magic circle—moments ago on the verge of rupture—quieted to a low hum. The Crown Prince exhaled, carefully watching Felix’s condition.
“Where is Lowell now?”

His voice was hoarse, but compared to his lifeless state moments ago, he was clearly recovering. Zephyros, still cowed by Felix’s presence, bowed deeply and answered in a stammer.
“He was rescued with the knights and is now resting in a safe place.”
“Was he injured?”

“He didn’t look well, but with help from a priest, he regained some strength.”
“I see.”
Felix closed his eyes tightly, his gaze still burning with hatred. He reined in the maelstrom of emotions swirling through him and stood tall. His wavering will hardened into a single, unshakable direction.

“You’d best thank Lowell that you’re still breathing.”
Though his hands still trembled, Felix withdrew his killing intent, looking down at the Emperor with eyes full of revulsion. The Emperor, though writhing in pain, felt relief at having survived. But the years he had spent indulging in vile, obsessive desires—consumed by black magic—had left his thoughts twisted. Unable to accept defeat, he clung to delusional hope.
“You said that to destroy the black magic circle, all mana must be completely suppressed. Is that correct?”

Felix intended to sever the root completely. At those words, the Emperor—who had just begun to relax—immediately tensed again.
“Yes. Even sword aura can’t be used, so it’s impossible for me to destroy it alone.”
“Then I’ll complete this task and be on my way.”

It wasn’t a request. It was a declaration. The Crown Prince, knowing full well how much Felix had restrained himself, chose not to stop him. Losing such a key force made mopping up the remnants more difficult, but it was only a matter of time.
“Mana has gathered ten paces west of the throne. You must concentrate your power on that single point.”
Felix spoke with the same efficiency with which he moved—no hesitation, no deference. The Crown Prince didn’t argue. He, too, wanted it over as quickly as possible.

“Here?”
“Yes.”
Felix tapped the exact center of the audience chamber—the core of the magic circle—with the tip of his sword. He was testing the amount of force required.

“On the count of three, we strike together.”
“Understood.”
Zephyros, though his role was over, stood anxiously in the distance, fidgeting. Regardless of how he looked, the two swordsmen moved in perfect unison, aiming at the exact same spot.
If it had been ordinary stone, the floor would’ve shattered immediately. But the circle, saturated with immense power, erupted with black flames instead of cracking. The unexpected resistance made Felix’s brow twitch as he gripped his sword tighter.

A low, vibrating hum intensified. The circle, sensing danger, began activating in self-defense. Both men instinctively felt it—if they hesitated now, something terrible would be unleashed.
Channeling the full strength of their bodies into their blades, they struck again.
A hideous screech echoed as the magic circle finally cracked. Once a fracture appeared, the two forces rushed in through the gap and dismantled it from within. The circle, once a vessel for the collected desires of hundreds—maybe thousands—lost its power and collapsed.

“It’s breaking.”
Just as the Crown Prince said, the floor beneath the magic circle caved in. What it revealed beneath was a grotesque scene no one could have imagined existing beneath the imperial palace.
“These are the humans sacrificed for the ritual.”

Their corpses were blackened, dried like husks, as if all fluid had been drained from their bodies. It was hard to believe they had once been alive. Clicking his tongue, the Crown Prince approached the Emperor, who was crawling forward across the blood-slicked marble with a dazed expression of disbelief.
“Your Majesty. Do you recognize this?”
He seized the Emperor’s now partially whitened blond hair and jerked his head back. The Emperor’s face, already ashen, grew even paler the moment he saw the vial in the Crown Prince’s hand.

“Th-that’s…”
“Of course you know it. You fed this to my mother for an entire year, didn’t you? But this one—this one’s less diluted. Far more toxic.”
Wrenching the Emperor’s jaw open, the Crown Prince forced the potion down his throat before he could ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) resist.

“They say this drug locks the muscles up tight, right? Ah, but at this concentration, it’s likely melted your vocal cords too. I’ll dilute the next one a bit more. Who knows how many doses you’ll survive.”
This poison, still largely unknown, caused burning agony that mimicked being set on fire. But it didn’t kill quickly. It prolonged death—slowly, cruelly. Felix believed even this was too easy an end for the Emperor, but it no longer mattered.
“Take me to where Lowell is.”

All Felix wanted now was to see Lowell again—nothing else. His heart thundered in his chest, desperate to return to its master.
Zephyros, who had been blankly observing, shook himself back to awareness and burst out:
“Duke, you must hurry! Lord Lowell told me to wait until everything was over before telling you, but… he’s still in the underground prison! The knights are doing their best to hold out, but he’s too weak to last much longer!”

Felix’s face darkened instantly. First came the fury—was the talk of Lowell being safe a lie? Then the confusion—what about the letter?
“You have to stay focused! There’s no time to think!”
Just like Zephyros said—there was no time to get lost in thoughts. Felix grabbed Zephyros by the scruff and dashed out of the audience chamber.

“It’ll be faster to ride than to wait for a transport mage!”
Felix’s vision went dark.
If I can’t see, I won’t be able to track Lowell.

Without hesitation, he drew a dagger from his belt—and stabbed it into his own forearm.
“Ngh!”
Zephyros flinched, unable to understand what Felix was doing, but Felix remained unfazed, clinging to consciousness through the pain. His vision still shimmered, but as long as he focused on the pain, he could push through it.

“Lead the way.”
Mounted on horseback, Felix’s voice was raw with agony. Zephyros scrambled up behind him.
“We need to head toward Earl Clarke’s territory first!”

It was a moonless night, pitch black.
Felix’s blood dripped to the earth, soaked in dread and urgency.
***

Despite Zephyros’s arrival and the opportunity to escape, Lowell had remained in the prison—for one reason.
When he sensed Zephyros’s approach, Lowell bristled with suspicion. As expected, Zephyros raised both hands in surrender, showing he meant no harm.
“I-I came to help.”

“Weren’t you brainwashed?”
Lowell’s question carried an unspoken subtext: Why would I trust anything you say?
Zephyros flailed, waving his hands in denial. The moment their eyes met, he blushed and looked away—clearly still harboring an unwelcome affection.

“The Crown Prince anticipated His Majesty would try to brainwash me. So he struck first. He sealed my memories before my audience, then released the seal during our next meeting. He said any inconsistency between new and old memories would break the control.”
Lowell’s brow remained furrowed. If Zephyros was lying, what could he possibly gain? The explanation was detailed—too much so to fabricate.
He doesn’t have the subtlety to invent a lie this intricate.

Still, as Lowell hesitated, Zephyros looked genuinely on the verge of tears.
“I told him—I told the Crown Prince I was terrible at this! But he said for the good of our kingdom, I had to deceive the Emperor. Do you know how hard it was to keep pretending to be brainwashed after it wore off?”
There was something sincere in his complaint. It didn’t feel like an act. Lowell had no choice but to accept that Zephyros was the so-called “reinforcement” the Crown Prince mentioned.

Not exactly reassuring, but still…
He briefly wondered if the Crown Prince had foreseen everything. Then he shook his head. If he had, he would’ve prepared a far more secure plan.
“How did you put the guards to sleep?”

“I mixed sleeping herbs into the food served to the guards today. Just to be safe, I also burned some inside the prison—it’s a short-acting blend from the Maia Kingdom. Slightly bitter, not easily noticed. I’ve built up a resistance, so I’m fine.”
“I understand. How long will it last?”
“It varies per person, but for about an hour, they won’t wake—even from loud noise. The knights eat separately, so we’ll need to use the secret passage.”

Lowell shut his eyes tightly.
“We can’t. I’m under a tracking spell.”