Beastly savior 82

Chapter 82. You’re having a child

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Kayan's group was finally on their way back home after taking care of business in Shardi.

A series of events had put them far behind schedule. Kayan felt sorry for Ihedia, who would be waiting for him at the mansion. But he had a serious problem on his hands.

‘Now that I've found proof that Hashad poisoned his father, the Red Wolf's reign will come to an end once and for all.’

The rewards of this investigation into Gakhran and the poison would shake the Anut imperial family to its very foundations.

In the assassins' hideout in Shardi, Kayan found a note from Hashad to the assassins.

It was coded, so he couldn’t make out the specifics, but if he could get back to Anut and decipher it properly, he'd be able to uncover the full extent of what Hashad had been up to.

Beyond that, he had gleaned that Hashad's assassins were primarily engaged in the creation of illegal tools using black magic and the manufacture of strange poisons of unknown origin.

Among the many poisons found there was one that was believed to have killed the Emperor Rakil.

The visit to Shardi was originally intended to dig deeper into the investigation of Gakhran's death, but the evidence that came with it was dangerous enough to topple Hashad from the throne once and for all.

The whereabouts of the Emperor's last remaining will was still a mystery, but the evidence so far was enough to shake Hashad's authority to the core.

As hd tried to visualize what would happen after Hashad's departure, Kayan's party approached the border.

Before entering the Black Plains, they turned and stopped at an inn for shelter.

The inn's owner, a middle-aged man, saw Kayan and bowed politely.

He then handed him a letter.

The Black Wolf's stronghold in the capital had used a telegram to contact Kayan.

It was one of the emergency contacts the Black Wolves had established for communications, and it was easy for him to receive news from the capital even when he was away.

The letter was written in red.

It signaled an emergency.

A shade of foreboding crossed Kayan's blue pupils.

When he finished reading the contents of the letter, his focus remained on the void.

****

"You know what, the Emperor has a stunning beauty hidden somewhere in the palace."

"Of course I know, she's the reason he's stopped committing bizarre murders at night. I wonder what she looks like and how she tamed the mad emperor to be so quiet."

"Rumor has it that she was a slave of a prominent family, who demanded a place in the emperor's court for betraying her master."

Day after day, the courtiers gushed about the woman the emperor kept hidden from everyone.

In reality, only the emperor's closest confidants knew exactly who the story was about, and the rest of the world was busy feeding off of the situation and making up bizarre rumors.

Such as the woman was a witch who had possessed the Emperor with a spell, or that she was the reanimated spirit of the Emperor's slain.

To that extent, Ihedia was completely cut off from the outside world.

She had no contact with anyone except the courtiers who came in and out to check on her.

At night, they would bring her to the springs of Apeso to heal her scars.

No matter how tightly guarded, rumors of the Emperor's woman spread, and Hashad was secretly concerned about what people were saying.

Now, whether the mysterious entity was a witch, a ghost, or something else, the rumor mill had begun to churn, saying that now that the Emperor had a woman attached to him, he could finally have an heir.

None of this was close to the truth, but Hashad didn't bother to correct the rumors.

Instead, he decided it would be better to capitalize on it.

That decision came after Hashad received a report that Ihedia was not feeling well.

The courtier's comment that she seemed to be pregnant 

 prompted Hashad to send for her immediately.

Shortly thereafter, a courtier came to the emperor as he was practicing his archery with the news.

"She’s carrying a child?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, she is."

The court physician announced the results of his examination of Ihedia's body and offered the emperor formal congratulations.

But Hashad's face, which should have been jubilant, was grim.

Wasn't the succession issue the most important matter to the emperor?

The physician’s congratulations were even a bit awkward in the face of the emperor's blank response.

"You may leave."

But the physician stood his ground, as if he had something more to say.

Then Hashad's icy gaze moved off the bull's-eye and landed on the physician, who was watching him intently.

He lowered his eyes and said what was on his mind.

"I am a little concerned about the health of the mother."

Hashad drew back his bowstring and kept his gaze straight ahead.

"Why?"

"Her body is cold and her veins are unsteady... possibly a sign that she's taken the birth control pill......."

"Shit."

Hashad cursed low as the arrow grazed its target.

The courtier, startled by the sound, bowed his head and added.

“Oh, of course the fetus is fine."

"I see."

Hashad remained unmoved, as if it were none of his business.

The physician could only shake his head at the emperor’s indifference.

After the physician left, Hashad continued to concentrate on his bow and arrows with a grim expression.

The arrow finally hit the center of the target.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Hashad's mouth.

A child.

‘At least I have 10 months.’

In ten months, he had to find a cure for his illness.

It was probably for the best, given all the fuss about succession.

If he could make Ihedia’s child as his own, at least the rumors of the Emperor liking men or a eunuch would be put to rest.

Kill the child before it was born and be done with it.

If the child didn’t have black hair, he could keep it alive a little longer.

He wondered if Ihedia’s disfigured face was better now.

Hashad began to look forward to her face being restored to its proper shape.

It would be rather unseemly for the Emperor of Anut to have a woman with such an ugly scar on her face as a consort.

Hashad summoned his chamberlain, eager to see Ihedia after such a long time.

***

Ihedia stroked her belly, remembering the doctor’s words of pregnancy.

Kayan's child is in here.

She had tricked Sawana and took the contraceptive pills, and it hadn't worked.

Her life was in Hashad's hands.

Life and death depended solely on his mood.

Ihedia felt sorry for the child she was bringing into this miserable situation.

At this point, it was unclear if she would even be able to give birth to this child safely.

By now, Hashad would have already summoned the court doctor to hear the diagnosis.

What to do now?

It seemed unlikely that he would allow Kayan's blood to live.

Just as the despair in Ihedia's heart deepened, the courtiers arrived.

But it was not time to go to Apeso's spring.

Ihedia instinctively clutched her stomach.

Perhaps Hashad was trying to do something to the child.

She tried desperately to resist, but their strength was too much for her.

The courtiers dragged her to the emperor's bedchamber.

They shoved her inside and slammed the door.

Hashad was waiting for her on the chaise lounge.

He glanced at her stomach and laughed.

"You don't look too happy. You should be happy to be carrying the Emperor's child."

Ihedia didn't understand Hashad's meaning.

The Emperor's child?

Ihedia stared at the Emperor, her face tense.

Hashad ran a hand through his red hair and spoke in a languid voice.

"Ah, are you disappointed that this is an unwanted child? From what the doctor told me, there are traces of birth control herbs on your body. Well, if you want to get rid of the child..................."

At the mention of getting rid of the child, a ghostly fear flashed in Ihedia's eyes.

Hashad's mouth curled into a satisfied smirk.

"Yes, you should be scared. Even the beasts protect their young.”

Hashad rose from his seat and stepped closer to Ihedia.

His arm slipped around her slender waist.

The sudden contact made her shiver violently.

He pressed his lips to her ear and whispered.

"I have more to exploit, and you have more to protect."

Hashad's unpleasant breath shook Ihedia's hair.

Then his gaze locked on her scar.

It was certainly much better than before.

"Now that your scars are healing, your face is more presentable. I'm sure Kayan would be pleased to see you... or even angrier?"

Hashad chuckled.

He tapped a finger against Ihedia's quivering belly.

"It's not good for your child if you're so anxious, so relax."

"...."

"You're about to become my consort, so you should at least pretend to be thrilled. It would be a stain on my reputation if you look like you’re dying."

The Emperor's Consort..................

Ihedia could only bite her lip, unable to offer any resistance to the evil emperor.

***

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