Stigma Effect

After the warning, Helio did not leave the place. While Raphlet turned to get Yuriel’s clothes, Helio quickly approached Yuriel.

After confirming that Raphlet had moved away from her, he bowed his head.

Yuriel frowned as she looked at Helio who was approaching her side. Yuriel narrowed her brow at a distance where his lips touched her ear and tried to pull her head out, but Helio grabbed Yuriel’s shoulder and opened his mouth.

He had a somewhat embarrassed face.

Yuriel, who was about to let go of his hand holding her shoulder, looked at his expression and listened quietly. It’s a face that looked like he had something serious to say.

“And, Miss Yuriel…. You’d better go to the infirmary one more time….”

Helio trailed off his words. He looked embarrassed, as if it was difficult to explain. After speaking quickly, he released her shoulder and walked away.

“Don’t go with Commander Raphlet, go alone.”

“Don’t go with Lord Raphlet, why?”

“That would be the best. For Miss Yuriel and Commander Raphlet both. It would be better for Miss Yuriel to take care of it by yourself before Commander Raphlet finds out.”

Yuriel faced Helio, who was looking at her. He looked down without meeting Yuriel’s eyes. His gaze stayed on Yuriel’s stomach for a particularly long time.

“Wait a moment, no way….”

Yuriel lowered her gaze following where Helio was looking and stuttered with a surprised voice.

Yuriel’s senses, who were on the quick side, knew clearly what Helio’s gaze meant.

From Helio’s careful tone and actions, as well as his gaze on her stomach, she instantly understood what he wanted to say.

“From what I’ve seen so far, I don’t think Commander Raphlet did anything bad to Miss Yuriel…. Because he doesn’t know what’s going on with people. He is also a cruel person by nature…. Go alone and listen to the detailed story from Commander Shudmuel. He will surely help you, even in the worst case scenario.”

Yuriel opened her eyes wide and covered her mouth with both hands.

Helio was bewildered when he saw the joy that filled Yuriel’s eyes. He thought she was going to cry, not knowing what to do, and she was full of joy.

Yuriel, whose eyes were shining with joy, removed the hand covering her mouth, and suddenly turned her head as if to call for Raphlet.

“Lord Ra…. Uhhp…!”

And all at once, her mouth was blocked. Helio was startled by Yuriel’s unreasonable behavior and covered her mouth.

“Think carefully, Miss Yuriel! What would happen if it was known that you have a child of not just a knight but the Commander of Albraka’s 1st Division? It’s not yet accurate, so first, go to Commander Shudmuel and get an accurate diagnosis.”

“Uhhpp.”

“No one welcomes an illegitimate child. This innocent girl.”

Yuriel rubbed her lips as she looked at Helio who was looking at her as if she was a very foolish person.

‘Why not? Here it is.’

She wanted to shoot like that. Having Raphlet’s child was something to be proud of.

Lord Raphlet’s child, of course, was a child who deserved to be loved!

But Helio had a point.

“No one in Albraka doesn’t know that Miss Yuriel followed Commander Raphlet. Really, that…, if you are pregnant, the scandal will follow not only you but that person as well.”

Helio knew at once that Yuriel was pregnant with Raphlet’s child, so the other knights would probably think the same.

Yuriel had to act cautiously. Not for herself, but for Raphlet.

Yuriel removed Helio’s hand that covered her mouth and nodded her head. Her eyes, which had been sparkling with joy, calmed down. Helio, who checked with a cautious gaze, raised Yuriel’s body, which was sitting on the bed.

Yuriel got up from the bed and unknowingly groped her stomach, which had no sensation.

Since they were mixing their bodies like that, it was rather surprising that it had just happened now.

What if she was really pregnant? She got hit in the head and bled a lot, so maybe something bad was going to happen. She was glad the stomach didn’t get kicked though.

Yuriel touched her stomach, remembering what had happened before she fainted.

Helio added in a low voice, seeing Yuriel grope for her stomach with a blank face.

“It’s not certain, so don’t be nervous. If you go to Commander Shudmuel, you will be able to receive treatment without leaving a record.”

“No one knows, right? I don’t think Lord Raphlet knows either…. How did Sir Helio know?”

“When Commander Baraha came back with Miss Yuriel, Commander Shudmuel examined you. Then that person’s expression….”

“Commander Helio, why are you so close to Yuriel?”

“Miss Yuriel stumbled, so I supported her.”

Helio, who was about to explain, heard a sharp voice and leaned back. It was not a lie that he was supporting her, and when Helio released his hand, Yuriel lost her strength and stumbled.

Raphlet hurriedly approached and wrapped his arms around Yuriel’s waist.

His hand that wrapped around her waist touched her stomach. Yuriel looked at Raphlet’s fingers that touched her body, then mumbled with her lips and rested her forehead against his body.

“… Yuriel?”

Yuriel, who put her forehead on his chest as if playing around, did not stop there, but even hugged Raphlet’s waist.

She wanted to say it….

Even if it wasn’t clear yet, she wanted to say it to Raphlet and tell him. If she did that, she knew that Raphlet would take care of her.

If it’s Raphlet, he’ll tell her to be careful in the early stages of pregnancy and he’ll take care of her more than anyone else. He wouldn’t even try to hold her, worrying that it would put a strain on her body.

Just like back then….huh?

Yuriel, who thought while hugging Raphlet’s waist, blinked blankly.

What. When did she think Raphlet ever said that? Come to think of it, she thought she had a dream some time ago….

“Are you dizzy?”

Raphlet asked, supporting Yuriel’s body. Contrary to usual, he lowered his body to meet her gaze, swiping down her weak arm.

Yuriel looked at him supporting her and shook her head blankly.

“Commander Raphlet, the alchemists are coming this way. Talk later, leave the room.”

Helio, who looked out the window, urged the two of them, who were only looking at each other.

Raphlet, who looked at her slightly roughened face with concern, put a robe on Yuriel’s shoulder and hugged her. Holding Yuriel in one arm, he waited for Yuriel to wrap around his neck before moving on.

Helio left the room first and held the door until Raphlet came out. Raphlet, who was leaving the room, looked back at Helio with a vivid look on his face.

Helio and Raphlet have known each other since they were trainees. They had never exchanged help.

After Raphlet became the 1st Division Commander, he was a person who unilaterally expressed his hatred for Raphlet from the time when Raphlet led the subjugation to victory with a tactic that did not care for the knights that were subjugating the monsters.

Raphlet pondered for a moment and said to Helio.

“… Thank you, Commander Helio.”

“I came to inform you that Miss Yuriel does not appear to be in a condition to cooperate with the experiment. I’m here to help Miss Yuriel, so there’s no need for Commander Raphlet to say thank you to me.”

Helio replied bluntly. Raphlet nodded his head, giving strength to the arms that supported Yuriel’s body in response to the sarcastic retort.

It didn’t appear that Helio had a sexual desire for Yuriel, but strength entered his body tensely.

Every time he saw someone approaching Yuriel, it was the jealousy that followed. Yuriel was liked by everyone, and Raphlet was the opposite. Every time he saw her smiling and telling her story with another person, he feared that she would follow others than him.

At that time, the only thing that Raphlet could offer was his status. And in spite of his noble status, Raphlet was a reluctant child. He knew instinctively that no one would have been kind to him had he not been a son of the Grand Duke.

Yuriel was the only one who did not show a reluctance when she looked at him. Yuriel showed her favor from the moment she first saw him.

It was all thanks to Yuriel that he was able to show positive emotions now. Before meeting Yuriel, he did not know what pleasure or affection was. At that time, Raphlet was always exposed to negative emotions, and it was taken for granted.

He knew what love was through Yuriel, but the feeling that had been wetting his chest did not go away.

It was the same even now when he mixed his body and checked her mind.

He was always worried that the reason Yuriel was following him was because he saved her when she was young.

If at that time, if someone had saved Yuriel, Yuriel would have loved him, not himself.

The moment the unpleasant thoughts were about to continue, Yuriel hugged Raphlet’s neck. It was a weak movement, as if it was not strong enough, but it was a gesture enough to clear Raphlet’s head.

Raphlet stopped the pessimistic thought. He was the one who saved Yuriel, and he was the one to whom she poured her affection to.

Yuriel will never leave Raphlet. What he was concerned about wasn’t Yuriel’s affection, but his strange desire for Yuriel’s destruction.

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