Volume One, Chapter Three: Like a Knight from a Fairy Tale

At that moment, the system voice in her mind rang out again.

【Congratulations to the host on successfully conceiving. The father’s mental power is rated SSS, with a 10% chance of childbirth. The rarer the offspring, the more points earned. Please take good care of the child~!】

You... sure chose the perfect moment to say that! Meng Wan was about to bite her molars to pieces.

“No, I don’t agree.”

“What?” Raistad stood up and came to her side. “Say that again.”

His aura was intimidating. Swallowing hard, Meng Wan said resolutely, “I said I want to keep this child. Since fate has made him mine, I will protect him.”

They stared at each other, neither willing to back down.

“Do you know who the father of this child is?” Fearing her doubts, Raistad added, “How can you, a woman, raise the child on your own?”

“That’s something to consider later. No matter how hard or tiring it gets, I will keep him.”

The determination in the girl’s eyes finally moved Raistad. He no longer insisted. As long as she didn’t know who the father was, the child didn’t know his father, and Hekun didn’t know he had a child, nothing serious would happen.

Hekun’s mental power was rated SSS. His leader father had long given up hope of an heir. Raistad’s immediate priority was to protect Meng Wan, especially keeping the pregnancy a secret from the Rebel Alliance.

He quickly devised a plan in his mind. Before leaving, he instructed the director to keep it confidential, or else face charges of leaking imperial secrets.

Meng Wan sat in the flying car, gazing out at the scenery but her mind elsewhere.

In just two days, her life had turned upside down. She didn’t know what the future held.

Sigh, she’d just take it one day at a time.

A cup of warm water appeared before her eyes. “Drink some water; it’s good for you.”

“Thank you.” She reached out and took it, sipping just a little.

“I’ve already arranged for you to be confined in my manor. You can rest there safely during your pregnancy.”

Meng Wan hadn’t expected him to go this far. “Is that possible? Won’t it cause you trouble?”

“No problem. Women from underground fight clubs only get about ten days in the imperial prison as punishment. They aren’t serious criminals. This small request will be approved, and arrangements will be made.”

Besides, “You currently have no official status. If the police find you without identity after release, you’ll be sent to a female detention center.”

Upon hearing his explanation, Meng Wan decided it was best to stay obediently at his manor. The rules here were terrifying; one misstep and she could cross the line.

The flying car remained parked where it had arrived—right outside Meng Wan’s room.

“Brother~”

A boy darted past Meng Wan and immediately hung onto Raistad.

“Lanco, you’re too rude! There’s a guest here; behave yourself.”

Raistad scolded sharply. Lanco immediately got off his brother, glanced awkwardly, and said, “Sorry, brother, I didn’t notice there was a guest.”

Then he bowed to Meng Wan, instantly winning her over with his politeness.

“All right, go wait for me in the study.” After watching his brother leave, Raistad apologized to Meng Wan.

“Sorry about that. My brother is carefree and didn’t notice you were here.”

Meng Wan thought that was perfectly normal. After all, they were siblings at home. If anyone should feel embarrassed, it would be her, the outsider.

Seeing him bow deeply at an 80-degree angle made her feel guilty. They hadn’t done anything wrong!

But... the colonel really had the aura of a knight from a fairy tale. So handsome.

【Host, you big flirt! Stop drooling, or you’ll drown me. Don’t forget there’s another man’s baby in your belly.】

“Shut up. Stop spying on me.”

System: OK, going silent...

“It’s fine. I like this lively personality. Colonel, you must be busy. I’ll go rest now.”

“Mm.” Raistad nodded, watching her enter the room and close the door.

The moment he turned around, his expression grew grave. He strode to the study and slammed the door shut.

“Why are you here?”

Lanco jumped up from his seat and stood at attention.

“Brother, I have important news to report.”

“Speak.” Raistad sat at the desk, his face dark as if daring Lanco to say something important or face punishment.

“Our emperor has secretly sent people to spy on the family. It’s clear he’s suspicious of us. Your doubts were right.”

Seeing no strong reaction from his brother, Lanco was puzzled. “Brother, why don’t you seem worried? If the emperor suspects us, the family will surely suffer oppression.”

Raistad picked up some organized military documents and said while reading, “Our Volzan family has been honored for thousands of years and is deeply trusted by the empire’s people. The emperor’s fear is inevitable. If worrying could solve this, I would have been worried long ago.”

“But with the emperor’s suspicion and other families watching us closely, any mistake will be seized upon. Brother, you don’t know how much trivial business the family has to handle daily.”

“For example, the Volzan family is accused of condoning soldiers harming civilians; our enterprises sell poor-quality products, prompting intervention requests. Every time I see father frown about it, my heart aches.”

Raistad glanced at him, and Lanco immediately apologized for speaking out of turn.

“No need to say. I’m fully aware.”

The emperor feared the Volzan family’s rising power and influence and sought to suppress them. That was why Raistad, despite having the empire’s strongest male mental power, was only a colonel and had not been promoted for years.

Raistad’s father held a key position in the empire. If his son were allowed to rise, the emperor would face even greater difficulties, as they might have the ability to overthrow the empire.

“But brother...”

Raistad cut him off. “Enough. Let’s not talk about that now. Tell me how your studies and grades are going.”

At the mention of grades, Lanco became interested, chattering nonstop, “Ahem, my latest results are mental power SS+, with signs of breaking into SSS. I’ve mastered ancient and modern history, both at grade A, the best. The school has started letting us learn about battleship structures; I should be ready for hands-on practice in half a year.”

“Hm, not bad.”

Lanco didn’t look pleased by his brother’s rare praise, his face expressionless. “But when you were my age, you were already piloting small battleships and proficient with multiple military weapons. I’m only just starting.”

“Don’t be too impatient.”

Lanco accepted his fate. He truly didn’t have his brother’s talent. Yet, a woman’s image flashed through his mind, and suddenly he transformed into a gossip, leaning on his brother’s desk.

“Brother, who was that woman just now? Could she be... my future sister-in-law?”