The Obsession of the Tyrant Sub-Male Lead is Unnecessary

Episode 35

“Why? I’ve always known that Mary brews terrible Clarence-style tea.”

“That’s because it’s for the Princess! I didn’t make it for you!”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. Maybe you should learn how to make tea properly from Luigi.”

“Lord Ellota, are you serious right now?”

Mary’s voice grew louder as Leti grinned, sipping his tea with a smug expression, clearly enjoying riling her up.

Luigi and Jess exchanged a look, recognizing the start of yet another argument, and quietly gathered their documents and left the room. Meanwhile, the two continued bickering.

Mary’s tea was indeed bitter, but it was decent enough, especially when paired with cream and lemon desserts. That’s why Verona had specifically requested it after lunch today.

She didn’t find it particularly tasty, yet she craved it. Maybe the baby actually liked this odd-tasting tea.

She figured it might be best to side with Mary, but as Verona was considering stepping in, Leti’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“See? The Princess doesn’t particularly like it!”

“When did she ever say that? The Princess has never complained about my tea!”

“She’s only drinking it because the baby likes it. Do you think she’d willingly drink such bitter tea?”

“What nonsense! Stop acting as if you’re some kind of baby whisperer, Lord Ellota!”

Suddenly, Leti’s face froze with a guilty expression, and Verona, taken aback, found herself equally stunned.

Leti had never shown any interest in what she ate, paying attention only to whether it might be poisoned. How did he know she was drinking the tea out of craving, not enjoyment?

“You troublesome knight! Why are you always picking a fight? Do you want a duel or something?” Mary fumed, glaring at Leti. But this time, Leti’s usual fire seemed to dim as he cast a nervous glance at Verona.

That was when she realized—there was definitely something going on.

After Mary had stormed off with the teacup, Verona turned to Leti, her tone calm.

“Explain what’s going on.”

“Well, um, it’s just…”

“If you don’t give me at least three reasons why you think the baby likes the tea, I’ll call Mary back. And I’ll tell her you’re that puppy.”

“No! Please, don’t!”

“Then start talking.”

Her threat made Leti look utterly defeated as he sighed.

“It only started recently… just a few days ago.”

“What did?”

“I… I can hear the baby’s thoughts.”

“The baby’s thoughts?!”

Verona’s surprised voice rose, and Leti hurried to calm her.

“Please don’t tell His Majesty. It’s not even a big deal! Just things like ‘I like this,’ ‘I don’t like this,’ ‘I’m sleepy,’ or ‘I’m hungry.’ It’s not frequent—two or three times a day, and it’s faint. There aren’t any words, just vague impressions.”

“Is that some kind of magic?”

“It’s not magic, but being a dragon allows me to hear it.”

Leti explained, and Verona, still puzzled, asked again.

“So, does that mean dragons can sense the thoughts of any unborn child?”

“No! Do you think dragons are some kind of baby guardian angels?”

“Then what is it? Why can you hear my baby’s thoughts? This is strange!”

“Ugh, it’s so frustrating! It’s not like I intended this. Why would I want to hear the emperor’s unborn child’s thoughts? The child already has a doting father and a physician by their side! I didn’t try to hear anything—it just happened!”

“Sounds the same to me…”

“Honestly, having to deal with such strange things just because I’m tied to the emperor. What has my life as a dragon come to?” Leti sighed, clearly exasperated. His expression was so genuine that it struck Verona as strange.

From his resentful look, it didn’t seem like he was lying, but there was something odd about a creature that wasn’t a doctor or a parent being able to sense the baby’s state.

Dragons really were superior beings, she thought.

Feeling a bit left out, Verona subtly shifted away from him. She was the mother, yet it seemed like the baby was closer to Leti, which made her feel a twinge of jealousy.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, Princess. It’s not like I actually care about the baby… Well, I do care, but I wasn’t trying to be some kind of stalker—”

“Did you just say you’re stalking my child?”

“Ah!”

Leti jumped, his face pale, as Carlos suddenly entered the room. Having overheard only the last part, he looked decidedly displeased.

“Carlos!”

“Would you care to explain, Retrius? Since when, and why, have you taken an interest in my child?”

“I… well, um…” Leti stammered, casting a desperate look at Verona. She intervened quickly.

“Leti can hear the baby’s thoughts.”

“What?”

“Not clearly, just simple feelings,” she explained.

Carlos sat beside Verona, fixing Leti with a fierce glare.

“And why, exactly, are you hearing things from my child?”

“Oh, for the love of— It’s not like I want to! It just happens!”

“I am the father, so why should you have that privilege?”

“So what? Should I walk around with my ears plugged?”

Leti retorted, incredulous.

“Is it my fault that I’m a dragon and you’re not? If you’re that envious, maybe you should become a dragon yourself.”

Carlos, his voice laced with jealousy, gave Verona’s belly a longing look.

“If I could hear my child’s voice, I’d gladly become a dragon this instant.”

He clearly felt both envious and protective. Verona couldn’t help but feel amused, as she realized Carlos was indeed jealous.

She, too, felt a bit of envy, but not to this extent. It was typical behavior from a doting father.

“This brings us to an important task for you,” Carlos said, finally shifting his gaze from her belly to Leti. Leti looked at him in confusion.

“What? What task?”

“From now on, monitor the baby’s condition closely and report any emotional changes you sense to me and Verona. Even minor fluctuations should be noted in a report so that Burton can provide suitable supplements and nutrition.”

“Are you telling me to write reports? I’m a knight!”

“Before you’re a knight, you have your reasons to serve me.”

“Well, that’s…”

“And if Verona is ever curious, check in on the baby’s state and let her know.”

“Are you seriously making me the baby’s interpreter? I’m busy!”

“Stop complaining. You need to earn your keep.”

Carlos dismissed Leti’s objections. Though he looked thoroughly inconvenienced, Leti eventually nodded reluctantly and left the room, grumbling.

“It seems your temperature has gone down a bit,” Carlos said, touching her forehead. Verona nodded.

“Burton said that’s normal around this time.”

“Our child isn’t an ordinary human, so it’s possible that symptoms might be different from those of other mothers. We should be mindful.”

“Like what just happened?”

“…Yes. I didn’t see that coming,” Carlos replied, gritting his teeth.

“The fact that the baby’s voice can be heard by that impertinent reptile instead of either of us…”

“Reptile…”

Despite Leti’s young age, he was still a high-level creature capable of using magic. Carlos’s dismissive tone made Verona stifle a laugh.

“But it’s better than knowing nothing at all. Just think of him as an extra physician.”

“Though a stalker-like physician isn’t exactly ideal,” he muttered with a resigned sigh.

“If anything seems unusual, let Leti or Burton know right away. The wedding preparations might add some stress, so we need to be cautious.”

“Understood.”

The wedding was set for two weeks away. As she later learned, Carlos had chosen the date well in advance.

Invitations were already prepared to be sent across the continent, and the Empress’s palace banquet hall had been decorated according to tradition. The hall’s recent renovations had been done just for this occasion.

While the annex provided a comfortable resting place for Verona, the Empress’s palace was both elegant and grand. It was much larger than the annex, with a larger budget for upkeep. Flowers, lace, and silk decorations for the wedding had already piled up in the storeroom.

As soon as Jess informed her of this, Mary began chattering excitedly about her expectations.

“We also created a lake in the Empress’s garden that connects to the sea.”

Carlos ran his fingers through Verona’s hair as he spoke.

“It’s in a more private location than the annex, so traveling to Waterfall will be difficult. But if you ever want to swim, it’s large enough for that. You’re welcome to use it anytime after the baby is born.”

“I can swim even now…”

“No.”

Carlos’s tone was firm. It was clear he didn’t fully understand what it meant for her to be a mermaid.

Being in water was as natural and familiar to her as breathing air, but knowing that he was being cautious after the recent attack, Verona decided to let it go.

Besides, Carlos would only get busier with the wedding preparations, and then even more so afterward.

So who would notice if she took a quick swim around then?

Pretending to be convinced, Verona nodded.

Carlos scooped her up, sliding one arm beneath her knees, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

Ever since her pregnancy started to show, Carlos had become extra careful about her movements. Even though she assured him she was fine, he remained adamant, and she’d grown used to his fussing.

“We’ll announce the pregnancy the day after the wedding.”

“So soon?”

“The sooner, the better. I’d love to announce it during the wedding, but then the baby would steal the spotlight.”

As he held her on the bed, Carlos whispered, his warm breath grazing her ear before he playfully nipped her earlobe, making her shiver.

“For that day, I want my woman to be the star.”

“Well… wouldn’t it be better to wait until I’m showing more?”

Her face grew warm as she spoke, partly from discussing their timing but mostly from Carlos’s lips lingering near her cheek, jaw, and ear.