Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 573

"Lord Rid, is it really something to raise such a startled voice?"

Diana gave me a cold, piercing glare, and I snapped back to reality, shaking my head as I said, "Ah, sorry."

"It was just such sudden news, so I couldn’t help it. But... I see. So that’s why you haven’t been feeling well lately."

Looking back, there were many signs—like her feeling unwell during travel, which usually didn’t affect her, or her food preferences changing slightly on our way to the Foxkin territory.

I cleared my throat, straightened my posture, and stood beside Diana.

"Congratulations on the pregnancy. I’m sorry I didn’t notice sooner."

"Not at all, my lord. If anything, I should apologize for causing you any inconvenience."

"No, no, you shouldn’t call it an inconvenience. A child is a treasure that shapes the future."

"Thank you, Lord Rid."

As she shyly bowed her head, a sudden question crossed my mind.

"Wait, but didn’t Capella confirm it during the initial examination?"

Considering his first actions, he should have already suspected the pregnancy.

Why, then, did he insist on calling a female doctor?

"Yes, you’re right, Lord Rid. However, in my case, the diagnosis was based on recent changes, symptoms, and observations. A definitive diagnosis required a physical examination as well."

"Ah, I see."

Pregnancy tests don’t exist in this world yet.

So, according to a book I read in Baldia, diagnosis is made by listening to the woman’s symptoms and conducting a physical examination.

Naturally, Capella, who isn’t a licensed doctor, couldn’t perform such an examination on Diana, nor could he casually declare her pregnant.

That’s why he requested a female doctor.

Glancing at Rafa out of the corner of my eye, she seemed to notice my gaze.

With a sly smile, she narrowed her eyes and said, "By the way..." as she approached, then looked at Diana.

"Was it Rubens? You two seemed so reserved, but it seems you were quite active. I’m surprised."

"Wh... what?!"

Diana’s face turned bright red, and her eyes widened.

I panicked, trying to stop Rafa, but Lili quickly interjected.

"Reserved men, once they cross a certain line, tend to explode with all the pent-up energy they’ve been holding back."

"Ah, that makes sense."

Rafa nodded in agreement.

"Wh-why... why do you know about Rubens?!"

Diana’s face was crimson as she demanded an answer, and Rafa’s lips curled into a mischievous smile.

"When we went to Baldia before, I often saw you and Rubens from a distance. You were so innocent and sweet. It was almost frustrating to watch."

"Uh-huh."

"Exactly as Lady Rafa said."

Lili chimed in repeatedly, while Pianie nodded calmly.

"Ah, you’re all so mean! You have no sense of decency!"

Diana raised her voice, but the others didn’t seem to care.

When Rafa mentioned "going to Baldia," she was likely referring to the time around the attack incident.

Back then, they were scouting Baldia under Elba’s orders, so they must have thoroughly investigated the Baldia family and its surroundings, including everyone connected to it.

That’s probably how they found out about Diana and Rubens’ relationship.

"By the way..."

"Wh-what now?"

Rafa leaned in with a suggestive tone, and Diana, unusually flustered, took a step back.

"I even disguised myself and tried to seduce him to get information."

"What?!"

Diana’s angry shout echoed through the room, but Rafa remained unfazed, shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head as if bored.

"But he said, 'I already have someone I love,' and completely shut me down. It hurt a little, you know? You shouldn’t let someone like that go."

"Y-you...?!"

As Diana trembled with rage, I quickly stepped between them and shouted, "Okay, that’s enough!"

"Rafa, I won’t allow you to tease her any further."

"Oh, what a shame."

She nodded nonchalantly, and I turned to Diana.

"You shouldn’t get too angry; it might affect the baby. I’ll make sure to talk to her about this later."

"Y-yes, understood."

After calming them both down, I discussed future plans with everyone present.

It was decided that Diana’s pregnancy would remain a secret, shared only by those present, as per her wishes.

While in the Foxkin territory, Diana’s duties would be limited to administrative tasks, and Capella would take over as my primary guard.

However, Diana and Rafa’s personalities clashed terribly, and they often butted heads during routine health checkups.

"Pregnant women can become emotionally unstable at times. That’s why they sometimes need someone who can handle their emotions and let them express themselves freely."

Even though I had warned her to stop teasing, Rafa smiled as she said this.

Diana seemed to vaguely understand her intentions and didn’t truly reject her.

Well, the dynamic of Rafa teasing and Diana getting angry remained unchanged.

"...And that’s how it went."

"I-I see."

Father glanced at Diana, and she, sensing his gaze, shot him a sharp look.

"Lord Liner, are you surprised that I’m carrying a child?"

"No, no, not at all. I just thought it would happen a bit later, that’s all."

Father shook his head, trying to cover up his reaction, then cleared his throat to shift the mood.

"Anyway, this is wonderful news. In that case, I’ll relieve Diana of her duties as a dedicated guard and allow her to take a leave of absence as needed. What do you think? Should she take a break immediately?"

"No, I can still move around, so I’d like to continue working within the estate for the time being."

As Diana bowed, Father nodded thoughtfully.

"Very well. I’ll inform Nanari. She’ll be delighted to hear about Diana’s pregnancy and will likely offer more advice than I can."

"Thank you for your consideration."

Father smiled and nodded, but his expression quickly turned serious.

"However, if we relieve Diana of her guard duties, we’ll need to decide who will take over as Rid’s 'watchdog.'"

"Yes, that’s something I’ve been concerned about as well."

The two of them, in perfect sync, turned their worried gazes toward me.

"Huh?"

For a moment, I was taken aback, but I quickly realized they were thinking, "He’s going to do something outrageous again."

How rude of them.

In the Foxkin territory, I’ve been keeping a low profile, letting Amon take the lead while I stay in the background as much as possible.