I was possessed and it turned out to be a villainous sub dog?! — 6.6

“However… there is a slight risk of premature birth right now.”

Premature birth. Although Executive Director Arteon had been talking about it in a scary way, hearing it from Dr. Jeffrey was a different story. The baby could actually be born before the full term.

“Ha, but there are still two months left until the due date. It shouldn’t be born that early…”

My lips were parched. I looked up at Chase in a panic, not knowing what to do, and he squeezed my hand as if trying to comfort me.

As the warmth spread through my fingertips, my surprise gradually subsided. The doctor continued his explanation with a calm smile.

“No, there’s nothing to worry about. If you stay in the hospital and are careful, there won’t be any problems. But if the baby comes out now, it will have to go into an incubator, so even if it’s uncomfortable, it’s best to stay still and lie down for a while. If there’s any stimulation, the amniotic fluid might suddenly burst.”

“If I do that, will Yeontan be safe?”

“Of course. It’ll be a bit difficult for Leoruka, but two months… no, babies grow quickly, so if you just endure it for a month you’ll be able to have a healthy baby.” 

“yes…”

Since I had been pregnant without any particular problems, I was confused by this whole situation. Suddenly, I remembered the thick pheromone of Executive Director Arteon that I felt just before I fainted, and my fingertips went cold. If it weren’t for that incident, Yeontan would have been born on the due date without any danger.

“Then rest. Chase, you take good care of Leoruka so that he doesn’t move as much as possible.”

“…Yeah. Thanks, hyung.”

The doctor, who had been hearing thank yous for everything, smiled lightly and left. A quiet silence descended in the spacious and comfortable VIP room. Chase and I were each lost in our own thoughts, thinking about Executive Director Arteon and Vice President Kaisa.

It was actually obvious what would happen.

Unlike Arteon, who had lost interest in Chase for a while, the vice president, who had been desperately trying to keep an eye on me, must have been informed of my pregnancy a long time ago. My belly was so swollen that he could tell just by looking at me from a distance while I was going in and out of Chase’s house.

It was an unfavorable situation for the vice president, as another direct descendant of the Caesar family was born. He must have been worried about coming up with a plan, but this was not the era of medieval monarchy, and I was not filming a palace drama, so I didn’t worry too much about what the vice president would do with the already-born baby. In fact, even until the full-term pregnancy, the vice president’s side remained quiet.

Because of that, I never thought that the vice president would find out Chase’s family background in the meantime and drag the Arteon family into this.

“Uncle… Director Arteon has no children. The only thing left in the family that resembles a successor is my aunt and her children.”

Chase must have had the same thought, because before I could ask, he brought up the subject of House Arteon. His brows were furrowed.

“Executive Director Arteon did not want to hand over the group to my aunt, but my grandfather… the chairman was of the position said that it did not matter as long as my aunt’s child kept the surname Arteon. That is, until I was born…”

“But the Chairman was interested in Chase because he was born a black panther?”

“Yeah, it’s only been three generations since a black panther came into the family. Not just the chairman, but the entire Arteon family has a strong obsession with black panthers. That’s why when I was young, the managing director came to my house to pick me up. But I refused, so it failed.

“How could you just give up and go back?”

“At that time, the managing director was young and had been through a series of divorces and marriages, trying to have children somehow, so he probably thought there was still a chance. But things are a bit different now. The executive director still hadn’t had a child and was well into his middle age. So, when he heard that Yeontan, who was in your stomach, was a black panther, he decided to take the baby. The absurd part was that he discussed this with Vice President Kaisa and not me.”

As the vice president, I think he thought that if I officially became involved with the Arteon Group, it would be disadvantageous for him in the succession dispute, so he wanted to solve it by stealing the baby and handing it over to them. In addition, he might have been trying to bring the Black Panther successor to the Arteon Executive Director and establish a personal relationship with the Arteon Group while he was at it.

I clenched my trembling fists and screamed

“What, this isn’t a pre-modern society! Are you trying to kidnap a baby or something?”

“That’s right”

Chase nodded with a bitter expression. When I looked closely at his chiseled face, which was the first time I saw him react like that,, I could tell that he was embarrassed and ashamed. He even seemed unable to open his mouth, and after opening his lips several times, he stared blankly into space, making a mockery of an apology.

“…Don’t… do it. Because of me.”

“What aren’t you doing?”

But I just stared blankly at Chase, accepting it indifferently. Did I ever think that the day would come when I would receive an apology from the Black Panther? But if you’re going to apologize, you should say it properly. I can’t hear a single word you’re saying!

“Say it again. Louder, and repeat it.”

Chase furrowed his eyebrows, but he still seemed to think that it was a problem that needed to be addressed. He lowered his head further and further, and this time he stared blankly at the bed, mumbling something over and over again.

“Um… Um, I said.”

What the heck! I was about to jump up and grab Chase by the collar and shake him, but then I remembered the doctor’s instructions not to move, so I just lay there quietly and screamed.

“What is that tasteless thing!”

Of course, Chase didn’t give in easily.

“Why are you trying to keep asking me questions like that? Can’t you just listen to me and understand?”

“No! Tell me properly!”

It wasn’t an opportunity that came every day, and it was a rare opportunity to receive an apology from the Black Panther, so I couldn’t just let it slide like this. I was always the one getting scolded, nagged, and scolded by Chase, so this time I had to let out some of the anger I’d been holding back. I looked up at Chase with a sullen face and crossed my arms.

“Black panthers are originally like this when it comes to apples, right?”

“See, you know it’s an apple. You know it, but you still do it, puppy.”

“I don’t know if you didn’t do it or not, but I didn’t understand a single thing.”

“You know everything I said?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t hear that. So say it again!”

“well…”

Chase, who had returned with a look of bewilderment, sighed deeply and buried his head in the bed. It seemed as if he had been caught up in screaming without realizing it and the tension had completely released, and his shoulders, which had been so stiff, had naturally relaxed.

He stared blankly at the back of his head and gently stroked his black hair. The fine hair flowed smoothly between his fingers like silk.

Chase was silently holding my hand for a while. Finally, I got bored and poked his shoulder with my index finger, muttering to myself. “Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?” Only then did I faintly hear a low voice.

“…I’m sorry… Because of me”

See, you were going to say that in the end.

I knew it wasn’t Chase’s fault, but it was still frustrating. When I saw the blood, I really thought something was wrong with the baby. Even now, there was a risk of premature birth, so it wasn’t completely safe. The person who should be held responsible was the executive director of Arteon Group. However, he was a bigshot who wouldn’t even blink if he was sued for this and would somehow get the verdict in his favor.

There was no one to vent my anger on. But Chase bowed his head to me first. It wasn’t his fault at all.

Strangely enough, that was comforting. It was enough to make me forget all the bad things that had happened that day.

“huh”

My throat felt a little sore, so I deliberately pretended not to know and answered briefly. Chase continued slowly, still with his face buried in the bed.