“Goodness gracious, me? A father?!”
The realization that I was the father of that devilish brat hit me like a ton of bricks.
“Kraaaah!”
Upon reflection, it dawned on Jimmy that forming any kind of alliance with Bella would essentially mean accepting Ray as his son.
It wasn’t until now that Jimmy finally grasped the full implications and reacted by spitting blood as he glared at Ray.
“Shut up!! Why should I be your dad?!”
“But if mom’s husband is you, then you’re my dad.”
“If you call me dad one more time, know this—I will never help you again!!”
As Jimmy trembled with rage, Ray murmured sorrowfully.
“To not be able to call one’s father, ‘father’…”
“Didn’t I tell you to shut up?!”
Each time Jimmy heard Ray call him “dad,” shivers ran down his spine.
To Jimmy, Ray was an incomprehensible being whose character could only be compared to that of a demon.
How could such a despicable person be my child? His instincts screamed in rejection.
Of course, there were undeniable benefits to having Ray under his wing.
Ray reminded Jimmy of this by throwing out another empty promise he’d made long ago.
“Dad, do you know who your son is?”
“KRAAAAH!!”
Jimmy let out a scream, his eyes rolling back into his head.
Realizing further persuasion was futile, Ray closed his mouth.
*
A rumor quickly spread through Phillip’s County.
While sharing a drink and consoling Bella after her ordeal, Jimmy had accidentally spent the night with her, resulting in pregnancy.
This scandalous rumor set Phillip’s County ablaze.
Some confidently predicted that Jimmy would never acknowledge his “mistake.”
Why would someone like Jimmy admit to bedding a courtesan?
However, Jimmy not only acknowledged Bella’s pregnancy but also announced their wedding preparations to everyone.
Many people were astonished by Jimmy’s decision but soon understood when they thought about Ray.
“Is he doing this because of Ray?”
Since Bella’s son was a squire, it seemed plausible that Jimmy wanted to avoid offending the knights associated with him.
Various theories circulated, but almost no one doubted the news that Bella was pregnant with Jimmy’s child.
The wedding was planned to be quick and simple.
But given that Jimmy was marrying into the underworld, which spanned two regions, making the event low-key was nearly impossible.
On the day of the wedding, quite a number of guests gathered at the church.
About two hours before the ceremony,
Bella nervously adjusted the luxurious dress she wore in the church’s waiting room.
She had never imagined wearing such a splendid gown in a church.
Given her tarnished past, she couldn’t have dreamed, even in her wildest fantasies, of hosting such a grand wedding.
“Um…”
Bella hesitantly spoke to Jimmy, who sat across from her, chin resting on his hand.
“Will… everything be alright?”
“Don’t overthink it.”
Jimmy sighed deeply, muttering words that sounded more like self-affirmation.
“We’re not actually trying to build a happy family to live together for life. This is just a cover-up.”
It was merely a process of clearly defining the paternity of Bella’s child so as to avoid suspicion from others.
“I’m the ruthless leader of a gang. How faithful could I possibly be?”
“…”
“Just pretend we’re acting as husband and wife for a few months, and then I can roam around freely without anyone suspecting. If I ever take another woman, I’ll just give you some money and get a divorce.”
Jimmy instinctively tried to scratch his head but stopped himself, realizing it might exacerbate his already thinning hair.
“Don’t overthink it. Just consider this a temporary act for the sake of the baby in your belly.”
“…Thank you.”
That was all Bella could express in return.
Though Jimmy said it lightly, marrying a seasoned courtesan was highly dishonorable.
And if the child Bella carried wasn’t his, it would be utterly absurd.
By tying himself to Bella, Jimmy gave up many unseen things.
If we were to calculate, the prospects of the IOU issued by “Ray” did look bright, but it was uncertain when or if the reward would come.
Unable to hide his feelings of guilt, Jimmy tapped his cheek toward Bella.
“Just smile a bit. Otherwise, people might think I forced you here.”
“Pfft…”
Bella managed a small laugh.
At that moment, a knock echoed through the room.
When Jimmy opened the door, Matthew appeared alongside Karen, Johanna, and Luna, peeking their heads inside.
“What’s the matter?”
“Well… congratulations on your wedding!”
“Thanks.”
“We came to deliver our gift.”
It seemed Matthew had found the children wandering around with gifts in hand and brought them along.
Jimmy smirked as he fully opened the door.
The children approached Bella, carrying a wrapped box.
“Congratulations! We hope you have a harmonious family!”
Karen earnestly recited what appeared to be a memorized phrase, prompting Bella to smile broadly.
“Thank you so much for coming.”
“This is the present we prepared together!”
“Really?”
It was customary to open gifts received on such joyous occasions right away.
When Bella opened the box, a high-quality set of dinnerware gleamed under the lighting, surprising her greatly.
“Wow!”
Karen looked satisfied with Bella’s reaction, while Johanna seemed slightly uncomfortable.
Karen had been saving her allowance, wanting to buy something useful for Ray. However, unable to find anything suitable, she had accumulated quite a sum, which she emptied entirely for this occasion.
In contrast, Johanna was the type to spend her allowance as soon as she received it, so most of the budget for Bella’s gift came from Karen and Luna.
Unaware of these details, Bella repeatedly expressed her gratitude as she hugged the children.
“Thank you so much. I’ll cherish it.”
Even though it was just a pretense, how fortunate it was to experience such a blessed wedding.
A radiant smile graced Bella’s face like never before.
Meanwhile,
Jimmy moved aside briefly to deal with Matthew.
As Matthew straightened Jimmy’s black coat, he struggled to suppress his laughter.
“Ah… That suit really… hahaha! Suits you well, boss.”
“Are you here to mock me?”
“Haha… Rather, I… haha! Should’ve been… haha! In your place today.”
“Are you insane?”
Without warning, Jimmy swung his fist.
Matthew simply took the punch until Jimmy’s fist aimed for his face instead of his abdomen, prompting him to raise his arm in defense.
“Auugh! Boss, don’t ruin your face on such a good day.”
“My face matters more than yours, doesn’t it?”
You traitorous bastard.
How dare you abandon me that day and run off like that?
Anger surged through Jimmy’s punches.
Finally allowing a direct hit to his nose, Matthew clutched his face in pain but burst into laughter again.
“Haha… Boss, you’ve made a big decision.”
“Yeah, it’s a big decision.”
“Hmm…”
Looking around, Matthew leaned close to Jimmy and whispered.
“Ray isn’t the type to forget favors… He’ll treat you well later.”
“I’m planning to collect every penny, including interest.”
“Do you know I respect you, boss?”
“Respect my ass.”
With a click of his tongue, Jimmy adjusted his attire and returned to the waiting room.
There wasn’t much time left before the ceremony began, so he composed himself, only to be surprised by an unexpected visitor.
Recognizing the visitor who entered the waiting room, both Jimmy and Bella hastily attempted to kneel.
Alessia immediately stopped them.
“Don’t bother. You might dirty your dress. Today, I’ll pardon any formality.”
“Alessia-sama… What brings you here?”
“Count Phillips sends his congratulations on your marriage.”
By referring to the count as “Phillip Count,” Alessia indicated that the count officially acknowledged and celebrated their union.
Alessia continued, looking alternately at the stunned pair.
“Please understand that my father and I cannot attend the wedding.”
It was uncommon for nobles to attend commoners’ weddings.
Even Alessia’s brief appearance before the ceremony was quite unconventional.
“Still, we’ve prepared a gift, so I hope you’ll enjoy it!”
Jenkins stepped forward and handed two small boxes to Jimmy and Bella.
Inside each box lay a brooch for men and women respectively.
The center of the brooches featured a green gemstone symbolizing good fortune.
“Grgh…”
Jimmy suppressed a groan.
Although receiving the count’s favor was a great honor, it felt like things were getting out of hand, making it hard for him to fully appreciate it.
After expressing his gratitude, Jimmy immediately fastened the brooch.
A beautiful brooch was also newly attached below Bella’s slightly bare shoulder.
Pushing aside his complicated thoughts, Jimmy decided to simply rejoice in the blessings from many people for the moment.
That day, Jimmy and Bella tied the knot.
Though it was a formal marriage primarily intended to deceive others, Bella’s smile never faded.
*
The Royal Guard will return.
They assassinated Crown Prince Carinus but failed to recover the body due to the fierce resistance of the rangers.
In other words, they failed to retrieve the fragment of the Dragon Heart.
The fragment of the Dragon Heart, which acts as the core of royalty, must be recovered.
After regrouping, the Royal Guard will undoubtedly attempt to retrieve the fragment of the Dragon Heart, even if it means reducing the Sigini Mountain Range to ashes.
Thus, Carinus needed to leave the Sigini Mountains to evade the threat.
If Carinus hides deep within the Rubia Kingdom, the Empire may first seek a diplomatic resolution with the Rubia Kingdom.
However, Carinus remained in the Sigini Mountains.
The Royal Guard will return soon.
Carinus intended to punish them and demonstrate his survival.
“I will personally hold the traitors accountable.”
Beside Carinus, vowing revenge, stood Arthur, the captain of the Rubyha Kingdom’s Second Special Operations Division, commonly known as the Rangers, with a smirk.
After a long wait, the Demon of Greed began whispering to the world once more.
The Taranius family, which had remained dormant like a rock, sprouted secretly upon hearing the faint whispers of greed.
Greed, the domain he governed, was immortality.
The Taranius family desired to receive the full power of Greed.
To achieve this, they needed to draw the Demon of Greed closer to this world.
Only a great voice could summon the Demon of Greed.
The voice of those trapped in fear, crying out against terrible death, yearning for life.
War.
War was necessary.
Thus, they encouraged the exile of the Crown Prince and used one of the rare “relics” on the dying Crown Prince to make him accept the power of Greed.
Preparations were gradually falling into place.
Secretly influencing the aging king of the Rubyha Kingdom was also nearing success.
When Carinus encounters the Empire’s trackers again,
The signal for war will sound.
Soon, the Empire’s trackers will invade the Sigini Mountain Range unless an extraordinary administrative paralysis occurs within the Empire.
*
“What did you just say?”
Phillip Count forgot all decorum and raised his voice in bewilderment.
Florya calmly repeated her words, understanding the count’s reaction.
“The Crown Prince attempted to flee to the Rubyha Kingdom but passed away.”
And then,
“The Second Prince was assassinated and has also passed away.”
