Bahamut hesitated to answer the question about marriage.
In response, Bertina asked him with a cold expression.
“You… Everything you’ve done to me so far has been a lie, hasn’t it? Saying you loved me and believed in me… It was just to use me.”
“No! Never!”
In an instant, Bahamut responded firmly to Bertina, who had voiced something he could never accept. Although, at the beginning, his feelings for her were nothing more than seeing her as a tool for his own purposes, things had changed. Over time, as he spent moments with her and helped her through crises, Bahamut truly fell in love with her. His happiness was genuine when he found out she was carrying his child.
Bertina had become so important to him that life without her seemed unimaginable. However, the issue of marriage was not something he could decide easily.
“My love for you, My Lady… Bertina, is sincere. And I know you’ll do what’s best for our child. But… before we talk about marriage, there are things I need to resolve.”
“What is it?” Bertina asked. “Just so you know, I wouldn’t interfere in your relationships with other women after we marry. You could keep a concubine if you wanted. It’s not my place to interfere, given that people see me as nothing more than a s*x s1ave, no matter what title I hold.”
“Umm…”
“Just give me a little time. Ten days… no, a week.”
His voice carried a hint of desperation.
Hearing this, Bertina let out a small sigh and spoke slowly.
“…Alright. We’ll talk again in a week.”
“Thank you.”
With that, Bahamut left the room. Watching him leave, Bertina felt a twinge of regret. She gently caressed her lower abdomen.
‘I expected this… but maybe I was being too greedy. The person who holds the most affection from him is…’
As someone with ears and eyes everywhere and a vast information network through her guild, Uranus, Bertina was well aware of the people surrounding Bahamut. Naturally, she also knew about his relationships with other women.
‘In the case of Isolda… she feels more like a friend than a lover. Besides, she keeps her distance, so I don’t have to worry too much about her. As for the girl named Linda locked in the dungeon… she’s just a toy. The real problem is her…’
Though Bertina didn’t show it, the person she was most wary of was Ophelia Crimson—the woman known as Bahamut’s sword, who had once fought the White Dragon Princess to a draw and even defeated her.
Bertina knew that Ophelia’s bond with Bahamut ran deep.
Unlike Bertina, who had initially met him with hostility, Ophelia had always acted benevolently toward him. They had spent much more time together as she served as his escort during his travels across the continent.
Bertina’s time with him, in comparison, felt brief. She also bore the heavy responsibility of leading Uranus, which limited how much time they could spend together.
‘When a man and a woman stay close for a long time, feelings can bloom—even if they weren’t there initially. Especially if there was a spark from the start…’
Fortunately, Ophelia didn’t bear Bahamut’s child. But it still felt like Bertina was at a disadvantage in earning his affection.
However, Ophelia had weaknesses too. Though she was a formidable warrior, her past as an adventurer wasn’t spotless. While Bahamut didn’t care much about her history, it was a serious strike against her standing as a potential Mistress of the Beden Merchant Company.
Furthermore, unlike Bertina—who was born into nobility and married into wealth—Ophelia’s origins were unclear. Even if she held Bahamut’s affection, Bertina’s aristocratic background gave her the upper hand.
But despite these advantages, Bertina’s heart remained uneasy.
‘He hasn’t decided to marry me yet. In his heart, I’m still second… Not the most important one.’
If they officially became a couple, things might change. She would be the one by his side, not just in title but in reality. Yet, even now—so close to the birth of their child—Bertina couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t Bahamut’s first priority.
***
Ophelia sat with her usual expressionless face as Bahamut finished explaining the situation to her.
“…I see. So that’s what’s happening.”
Despite hearing that the man she loved was about to marry someone else—a perfect woman carrying his child—Ophelia showed no visible reaction.
‘No matter how much Bahamut loves me… I can’t stop this.’
The reality was unavoidable. Even if she resisted, it would only burden the man she cherished. The Uranus guild had played a significant role in the rise of the Beden Merchant Company, and the child Bertina carried, though not hers, bore Bahamut’s blood.
Ophelia had no choice but to step aside. With that thought, she rose from her seat and forced a bright smile onto her face.
“Anyway, congratulations. I always thought Lady Bertina was more suited to you than I was.”
“Ophelia…”
“I hope you have a happy marriage. And don’t forget about me entirely, alright? Well then…”
She turned to leave the room. But just as she reached the door—
“…!”
Her wrist was caught by the man she loved.
“Don’t do that. I already know… everything. In front of me, you don’t have to act like that.”
“…Heh… Ugh… Ahhh!”
At his words, the tears Ophelia had been holding back burst forth.
Bahamut pulled her into a tight embrace.
���I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I know I shouldn’t feel like this… I know I can’t… but… but…”
Ophelia sobbed uncontrollably in his arms, and Bahamut quietly wept with her, sharing her pain.
He cried for the reality that he couldn’t fully embrace her and for the pain he had caused her.
***
After crying together, the two sat on the bed, looking at each other in silence.
In that moment, they decided to focus solely on each other—the person right in front of them. Slowly, they embraced and shared a deep, passionate k!ss.
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