Chapter 96: To Be a Father

Seraphel

He wouldn’t stop staring at me as I ate. Every bite I took of the tender, braised chicken steeped in rich ginseng broth seemed to draw his complete focus.

The meat was so soft it practically melted off the bone, but it was hard to truly enjoy the flavor with the Prince of Lust watching my jaw move like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

​If this had been weeks ago when I first arrived, I would have felt shy and uncomfortable under his heavy gaze. But now, I honestly didn’t care anymore.

First of all, I was starving after our endless, intense session in the Seductive Lake. Second, this was Azriel. Over time, I had grown so comfortable with him that his staring didn’t bother me in the slightest.

​Still, as I picked up another tender piece of chicken, his crimson eyes widened even more.

I paused, setting my wooden chopsticks back on the table.

​"Is there something on my face?" I asked him, tapping my cheek. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

​"You look beautiful," Azriel chuckled softly. He rested his chin on his palm, tilting his head as his dark hair spilled over his broad shoulder. "Tell me... does the child find the food tasty enough?"

​I gave him a confused look, then slowly glanced down at my flat stomach.

​"The baby?"

​He nodded, looking completely serious.

​"When will it start to grow? Are you not eating enough? Should I ask Analisse to prepare twice as many meals so you can eat more and the child can start expanding? Or does it not grow at all until the very end? How is a child born and how does it grow up to be so big?"

​I choked mid-chew, coughing quickly into my napkin before the food could go down the wrong pipe.

​Azriel wasn’t going to be the death of me through dark magic or political enemies, but his absurd questions about the baby just might. His sheer curiosity made me wonder if he had ever even seen a human child before.

​"Have you ever seen... a child?" I asked, catching my breath. "Or carried one?"

​"No. I have never seen a child, nor have I held one." His answer was simple and completely flat, almost as if he found the very thought of holding a tiny human strange or repulsive.

​I let out a quiet sigh. I supposed I shouldn’t be surprised.

Author Nude had never mentioned any children in the original novel, or maybe it was just a detail I had skimmed past during my late-night smut reading sessions in my past life.

​"Alright," I said, shaking my head. "Now I know why you are so ignorant about how babies grow."

​Azriel leaned closer across the table, his crimson eyes glowing with sudden excitement. "Indulge me, Seraphel."

​I shifted on my chair, picked up a cup of warm water, and drank from it to soothe my throat before turning to face him. "Don’t you have some of the suspect servants to question?"

​"Those peasants can wait for me, at least until I am done with you," he dismissed smoothly without a second thought.

​I nodded, settling back into my seat. "A child does not grow instantly just because I eat a lot of food. It takes time. The baby grows inside the womb month by month, developing step by step over nine months. During the first trimester—"

​"Trimester?" Azriel interrupted, his brow furrowing as he caught the strange word. He narrowed his eyes slightly, studying my face. "Sometimes you speak like you are a foreigner... as if you are not of this world."

​My heart did a violent leap in my chest.

​A cold sweat broke out on my back. To hide my sudden shaking hands, I brought them beneath the heavy dining table and squeezed them into tight fists.

​I wanted to tell him the truth so badly. I wanted to tell him that I really wasn’t from this realm, but that would sound completely crazy.

How could I tell him that he was just a character in a book? That his whole life, his pain, and his power were written by a human author on paper?

​So, I lied.

​"It’s... just a word we use in my home district. Most high noblemen don’t use that word, Your Highness, and I am..."

​"Seraphel," Azriel cut me off softly, leaning in closer. "Drop the honorifics when you are with me. I know you don’t like using them anyway, so you are totally free to call me Azriel. Only you are allowed to call me that so plainly."

​"But... you are the Prince of Lust, and I..."

​"And you will become my princess in a few days," he said, reaching out to gently trace the back of my hand. "Also, you are carrying the child of Lust. I don’t care about rules and formal titles, especially with you. Hearing you say ’Azriel’ sounds much sweeter than hearing you say ’Your Highness.’" He fluttered his dark eyelashes slightly, a rare, handsome smile gracing his lips.

​"So back to the conversation," he continued. "Once the child is born... do I have to carry it?"

​I stared at him, totally dumbfounded. Even after my simple explanation of pregnancy, he was still stuck on the physical part of holding the baby.

​I rolled my eyes in mild annoyance, letting out a heavy breath.

​Azriel tilted his head, watching me. "You seem angry. Did I say something wrong?"

​"And when has the Prince of Lust ever cared if someone was offended by his words?" I retorted dryly.

​"Fair point," he admitted smoothly. "But I was just curious. As much as I dislike children, and given how my own father never protected us or held us, I don’t want that kind of life for my child. I want to learn how humans treat their children. I want to be a good father."

​My heart did a sudden flip in my chest. Hearing Azriel say those words brought a rush of soft, deep emotion over me.

​His father—the deity of Elysium who was killed after breaking heavenly laws—had been a completely absent father. Author Nude had written him as a cold man who didn’t care about his offspring at all.

As soon as the prince sins were born, they were ripped away from their mothers and brought to Elysium, where they were treated terribly. They were looked down upon as curses that should have never been born.

​I reached my hand forward, covering Azriel’s larger hand, and gave him a bright, genuine smile. "You will be a great father, because I will be right here to help you out," I promised him.

​Azriel didn’t smile back, but his hand turned under mine, locking his fingers tightly with mine.

​Right then, a burst of dark, swirling light flashed in the room. Malachi stepped out of the shadows, bowing his head respectfully. "Your Highness, the servants have been waiting in the Hall of Justice for six hours. Should I lock them in the dungeon and move the interrogation to tomorrow?"

​"No," Azriel answered, standing up as the warm atmosphere vanished, replaced by his usual cold, royal air. "I will interrogate them now. Seraphel, you can return to my room once you are done eating. One of the guards will lead you there, and..."

​"I want to come with you," I said immediately, standing up from my chair. "I want to see what is happening and find out who set me up to die."

​"But you just finished eating, and Lumiel’s interrogation methods are severe. It won’t be pleasant to watch."

​"I don’t care," I said firmly, looking straight into his crimson eyes. "I want to be there. I can handle it."

​Azriel stared at me for a quiet moment, his expression completely unreadable. Then, he gave a slow nod. "Fine. If that’s what you want."

​He held out his broad hand for me to take.

​I didn’t hesitate. I placed my palm right into his, feeling his strong grip close around my fingers.

​"Lead the way, Malachi."