The apex of Tenjiku, the lonely king, and my lover. Delivering this news to him was a huge gamble for me as well. I couldn't gauge how he—a man who was particularly sensitive to the word 'family' and who hated yet craved the bond of blood—would accept a life that inherited his own blood.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed a small box placed on the table toward him. Inside was a pregnancy test with two distinct lines. He tilted his eyebrow as if he didn't understand, then checked the contents of the box. In that moment, time seemed to stop. His eyes, which were always relaxed and cool, began to tremble slightly. He stared at the small object for a long time, then picked it up as carefully as if he were handling a fragile glass craft.

He didn't say anything. In the silence, anxiety began to creep over me. Just as my fingertips were turning cold, fearing he might see this child as a shackle rather than a blessing, he stood up and knelt before me. He placed his large hand very gently on my stomach.