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After Story 18. Rational Impulse
She turns on the hot water in the bathtub.
A short while later, after the tub is filled, Iriya carefully checks the water temperature with her toes.
Fortunately, it's not too hot, just comfortably warm.
Relieved, Iriya puts her foot in and fully immerses herself.
"Aah... This feels so good..."
It's the best.
It feels like all the fatigue accumulated throughout the day is melting away.
Iriya, lying in a comfortable position, lets out an exclamation.
It's a peace that allows her to rest at ease, something she couldn't enjoy in the <Dungeon of the Deep Sea>.
"Hmm hmm hmm..."
Naturally, she starts humming.
Iriya closes her eyes and fully enjoys the bath in that state.
It was during this that a certain thought suddenly struck her.
"Come to think of it... A week has already passed."
A week has passed since completing the conquest of the <Dungeon of the Deep Sea>.
The passage of time seems fast.
The grand welcome they received from people when they returned to Italy is still vivid in her memory...
'Thinking back, it was really amazing then. Everywhere we went, there were cheers from people, flower petals fluttering, and even Big Mama came out to congratulate us at the end... Of course, we were just tagging along with the Italian conquest team. Except for Master, of course...'
It can't be helped.
Naturally, this place, Italy, was not the homeland of the Korean conquest team.
On the other hand, the conquest process that spanned several months spent in the <Dungeon of the Deep Sea> also felt as clear as yesterday to Iriya.
Above all...
'That Master and I did that...'
Even now, the days spent alone with Noh Eun-ha on the 8th floor of the <Dungeon of the Deep Sea> vividly come to mind.
"Ah..."
Unconsciously, she touches her lips.
Her body curls up and feels hot.
Her face and ears burn.
Iriya, who had been blankly lost in memories while looking up at the rising steam, suddenly came to her senses.
'No, I have to forget. Forget, forget...'
She repeatedly splashes water on her face, trying to change her thoughts somehow.
But contrary to Iriya's wishes, the thoughts continued and...
"Wait."
At some point, Iriya couldn't help but flinch.
Come to think of it...
"When was my last period?"
She hasn't had her period yet.
Of course, her menstrual cycle had become irregular like other players due to conquering the <Dungeon of the Deep Sea>.
Even so, when she carefully counted, it was late by quite a bit, wasn't it?
"..."
It was strange.
Truly strange.
Iriya, who had been intimate with Eun-ha, couldn't shake off an uneasy feeling.
'Should I... check tomorrow?'
It would be better to visit an obstetrician directly and make sure.
The problem was that there was no suitable person to help with interpretation.
It's a very sensitive matter to ask someone she knows like Avenier or Pricis Memory.
Even if not for herself, she had to maintain secrecy as much as possible for Eun-ha's sake.
'What should I do...'
Iriya had no choice but to worry.
After pondering, she came to a conclusion.
'It's embarrassing, but I'll have to ask Roberto to go with me.'
Tredici, Roberto Este.
If it's Roberto, with whom she's become quite close recently, even if the secret leaks out, it would be less problematic.
Having made that judgment, Iriya visited the hospital with him the next day.
And upon hearing the diagnosis results, she couldn't help but be shaken.
"I'm... pregnant?"
* * *
Since returning from the <Dungeon of the Deep Sea>, Eun-ha had been secretly offered naturalization by government officials while staying in Italy.
This was the same for other members of the Korean conquest team.
'Having heard the news that we played a big role in the dungeon conquest process, it's understandable that people's eyes have turned. It's embarrassing to say it myself, but I am the top conqueror too...'
Of course, neither Eun-ha nor the Korean conquest team had any intention of accepting naturalization, regardless of Italy's offer.
They all had reasons to return to Korea.
For instance, having acquaintances, lovers, or family waiting in Korea.
But that doesn't mean they could completely disregard the possibility of talent drain, trusting people.
Eun-ha felt responsible as the representative of the Korean conquest team and the leader of the Twelve Seats.
So he instructed Twenty-five to investigate the movements of the Korean conquest team.
It was on one such day.
"...Huh?"
"Master."
Suddenly, Twenty-five opened the window and entered.
Eun-ha, who had been resting comfortably in the room, couldn't help but be bewildered by Twenty-five's visit, or rather, intrusion.
On the other hand, he had a question.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Yes... There's an unusual situation..."
As if he had been running in a hurry, Twenty-five was panting.
Soon, after catching his breath, he continued.
"Today too, the <Saint> and Roberto made contact alone. This time, it seems the <Saint> asked to meet first."
"..."
Currently, there was only one person who could be called <Saint> between Eun-ha and Twenty-five.
<Pandora's Saint> Iriya.
Eun-ha, upon hearing news of her, quickly composed his expression.
"...You're saying Iriya met with that guy alone again?"
"Yes, that's right."
"And this time, Iriya asked to meet first..."
Recently, Roberto had been showing a lot of interest in Iriya.
Eun-ha didn't like it.
His teeth gritted audibly.
"He dares to covet my person?"
"Um, Master? I told you, this time the <Saint> asked first..."
"That's the same thing."
"Ah, yes..."
If Roberto was approaching Iriya with purely rational intentions, it might be tolerable, but surely he had other motives.
'No.'
He corrects himself.
Eun-ha didn't want to tolerate it even if it was for rational purposes.
If asked why...
'...Why?'
He doesn't know.
Even Eun-ha didn't understand.
He just didn't like it.
The thought of losing Iriya, who followed him with sparkling eyes and smiled gently when their eyes met, to another man...
Anyway.
"So what did they do?"
"Well..."
Eun-ha, shaking off his thoughts and returning to the topic, asked as if interrogating.
Twenty-five answered with a serious face.
"They met and had a normal lunch, and just when I thought they were going for coffee, they suddenly went to a hospital."
"What? Hospital?"
"But do you know what kind of hospital it was?"
"What kind of hospital was it?"
"An obstetrics and gynecology clinic."
"..."
Twenty-five spoke carefully, as if worried that the sound might leak out even though there was no one else in the room.
Eun-ha flinched.
He couldn't help but doubt his ears.
"...What did you say? Obstetrics and gynecology?"
"Yes, obstetrics and gynecology. Isn't it suspicious? Why would the <Saint> go there? Most likely preg..."
"No. She could have gone just because she wasn't feeling well. We shouldn't jump to conclu..."
"If she went to the hospital for that reason, she could have gone with other women, right? But with Player Roberto? Specifically?"
"..."
"Even if she needed someone to help with interpretation, asking a man who's not even from our country to go with her? That's not normal thinking at least. I can't understand it."
It's a valid point.
Eun-ha couldn't refute.
At that moment, Twenty-five added.
"And the <Saint> who came out of the hospital looked very troubled. She was also holding a notebook in her hand. Wasn't it probably a maternity handbook?"
"Oh no... Are you sure?"
"Although there were limitations to the investigation as I couldn't move around freely like in Korea, given the circumstances, it seems certain."
"..."
Good heavens.
Eun-ha, inwardly muttering as if worried, squeezed his eyes shut.
He felt his heart sink.
Twenty-five, unaware of his feelings, laid out his conjectures.
"If it's true that the <Saint> is pregnant, the man involved is most likely Player Roberto with high probability. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to the hospital with the <Saint>, right?"
"..."
"And since it's only been a week since we returned from the dungeon, realistically considering the time of conception, it seems like something that happened while we were in the dungeon. Master, do you have any suspicions? Like noticing signs of the two having secret meetings in the dungeon..."
"No, there weren't any. Iriya and Player Roberto were never involved..."
"Then it means they enjoyed secret meetings so discreetly that even you didn't know. I didn't think so, but I didn't expect the <Saint> to have such an aspect."
"No, really, there was absolutely nothing? Except when carrying out missions."
Eun-ha, who had replied somewhat irritably, sighed deeply.
Then, with resignation, he asserted.
"It's not Player Roberto."
"What? Then who... the <Saint>... Master, did something unspeakable happen in the dungeon..."
"No. There might have been a case where we hit it off and things got heated, but nothing like what you're worried about happened."
"Then who on earth..."
Eun-ha shook his head.
Twenty-five's doubts deepened.
He quickly recalled the officially known conquest process of the <Dungeon of the Deep Sea>.
Just then.
"Wait, come to think of it..."
Suddenly, a certain piece of information came to mind.
Twenty-five, having imagined based on that information, watched Eun-ha's expression and moved his lips.
He swallowed hard.
"Master, from what I heard, you stayed alone with the <Saint> on the 8th floor... Perhaps... No way, right?"
"..."
Eun-ha kept his mouth shut, not answering the question.
But Twenty-five could tell the answer just from that.
Twenty-five, dumbfounded and exasperated, nagged for the first time.
"Master, are you crazy!? No, what were you thinking pouncing on the <Saint>! You're not some beast... Are you even human, Master?"
"Don't say things that could be misunderstood, like 'pouncing'. Strictly speaking, I did pounce, but definitely not forcefully..."
Eun-ha defended himself in a small voice.
But it was nothing but nonsense.
Twenty-five clicked his tongue in frustration.
"What are you going to do now!?"
"That's what I'd like to know..."
Eun-ha wanted to know too.
This is a big problem.
* * *
Iriya and Roberto, having left the hospital, headed to a nearby cafe.
"Iriya-san, please find a seat. I'll order and bring it over."
"No, I can go with you..."
"You're not just by yourself anymore. Leave it to me."
Roberto kindly urged.
At his consideration, more than usual, Iriya gave a bitter smile.
"...Okay. Then I'll leave it to you."
"What would you like to drink?"
"I'll have an einspän... Ah, wait a moment. Um..."
Now that she knew she was pregnant, she had to be careful about caffeine intake.
Regrettably, it would be better to cut off the coffee she usually enjoyed for a while.
Iriya changed her order.
"Do you have orange juice? If not, milk is fine too."
"Yes, that seems like a good idea. Then I'll go place the order."
As if understanding Iriya's situation, Roberto nodded.
Soon, he left to order the drinks.
Iriya looked around the cafe to find a place to sit.
'This looks good.'
She really liked a window seat where warm sunlight shone in, cool breeze blew, and the street could be seen.
Iriya, having taken that seat, decided to wait for Roberto.
"...The weather is nice."
Unconsciously, her hand goes to her belly.
She's pregnant with Master's, Eun-ha's child.
Suddenly realizing that fact again, Iriya, stroking her still flat belly, fell into thought.
'What should I do now...'
In the past, when she was immature, she had recklessly wanted Eun-ha's child.
But as time passed and Iriya adapted to daily life in the Pandora Clan, she was just scared.
Because her pregnancy would cause discord in one way or another.
For herself, for Eun-ha, and for those around them.
The scene that would unfold in the future was clear.
'Should I get rid of it after all...'
No, she doesn't want to do that.
She wants to give birth, wants to protect it.
When she first saw the ultrasound image and realized that life had been conceived in her womb, Iriya felt a sense of responsibility.
She became aware of her protective instinct, her maternal love.
'Maybe... It might be okay. If I keep it a secret, it might not be discovered...'
Generally, children conceived in dungeons are born as Ain, not matching their parents' genes due to the dungeon's influence.
So even if she gave birth to the child, there was no way to prove who the child's father was.
'I can just say I had an accident in the heat of the moment in the dungeon and got pregnant. Say I don't know who the father is...'
Of course, Eun-ha and perceptive people might figure out who the child's father is.
Others would suspect too.
Nevertheless, if she strongly asserts and Eun-ha keeps his mouth shut, there would be no concrete evidence.
'I'll tell Master later, and I'll be the only one to take the blame. Just me... Ah...'
No. The child born without knowing its father would be blamed too.
Having thought that far, Iriya couldn't help but feel guilty.
At the same time, she felt sorry for Jin Seo-na, Jin Pa-rang, Ariel, and others who must have been criticized due to prejudices against Ain.
'To think I'd give birth out of my own selfishness without considering the happiness of the child to be born... I'm really a terrible person.'
Iriya self-deprecated.
'Really... What should I do...'
It was then that Roberto, having brought the ordered drinks, sat down.
He held out the orange juice.
"You seem to have a lot on your mind."
"...Yes, that's right. I'll drink it well."
Iriya, answering awkwardly, quietly put the straw in her mouth.
Roberto gazed steadily at her as she drank.
Eventually, he opened the conversation.
"I can somewhat guess who the child's father might be. It's probably that person, the one you stayed with on the 8th floor."
"..."
Iriya hesitated.
Her eyebrows trembled slightly.
She asked with wariness in her voice.
"Are you threatening me now? Saying you'll tell others?"
"No, that wasn't my intention. I'm sorry."
"Then with what intention did you say that?"
"I wanted to make a proposal to you."
"A proposal?"
"Yes."
Roberto interlaced his fingers.
He opened his mouth.
"If you're worried about the child, why don't you naturalize to Italy? If you decide to live in Italy, I think a considerable part of the problems you're worried about will be solved."
"..."
"Moreover, Italy is willing to provide the best environment for you and your child. After all, your child is that person's child. Although the qualities as a player won't be inherited, we can still expect something to some extent. Surely, a special child will be born."
Roberto, persuading with a serious attitude.
As Iriya was inwardly shaken, he continued to add words.
"You don't have to worry about the father of the child to be born. Iriya-san, if it's okay with you, I will become the child's father."
"...What? What are you saying..."
"I'm serious."
"..."
"Even though it's not my child, I will do my best to take care of it as if it were my own, to be a father who is not lacking in any way. I promise on my honor. If you want, I can even put it in writing."
Roberto smiles brightly.
Iriya, hiding her wavering heart, deliberately put strength in her eyes.
"Are you making such a proposal without even liking me? Did you think I wouldn't know your purpose in approaching me with offers of naturalization?"
"Even if I don't like you, I think a married life is entirely possible. And when did I say I don't like you?"
"..."
"I can't deny that I approached you with a purpose. I'm sorry. But I'm not without affection. You're that charming. You're beautiful."
Roberto's gaze intensifies.
For a moment, Iriya held her breath.
"Iriya-san, I like you. And I will try to love you."
Please, consider it seriously.
Roberto confessed.
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