Harem System In A fantasy World - Chapter 184: A child

Chapter 184: A child

Elion’s smile widened in surprise.

Then he suddenly laughed.

Celeste flinched. “H-hey, don’t laugh!” she pouted, her cheeks still pink.

He tried to stop, and after a second he did, though the smile never left his face.

’She’s so damn cute. Really.’

Instead of answering her question right away, Elion stood up. Celeste looked at him in confusion.

“What are you doing? Hey, answer me,” she said shyly as he stepped closer.

Without warning, he slipped one arm under her knees and the other behind her back.

“Heekh—!” she let out a startled yelp, squirming in his arms as he lifted her up off the couch.

“Relax,” he murmured, his face lowering slightly as his nose brushed against the top of her head.

He inhaled softly.

The soothing scent of roses filled his senses.

He pulled her into his chest and walked back to the couch and sat down, facing the table this time, then gently placed Celeste on his lap, facing forward as well.

She sat there stiffly, her eyes wide, and her heart pounding so loudly she was sure he could hear it. She tried to steady her breathing.

Elion wrapped his arms around her small waist and rested his head in the crook of her neck over her left shoulder.

“You know,” he began softly, his voice low near her ear, “you look really cute when you’re flustered. How am I supposed to say no to you when you make that kind of face?”

Her blush deepened even further as she understood what he meant.

“So…?” she asked softly as if to confirm his thoughts.

He nodded softly against her shoulder.

“There’s no doubt in my mind. I like you, Celeste. And unlike you, I don’t need to hesitate to say this…” He paused for a breath. “So let me say it out loud for you to hear. I love you, Celeste Chronos.”

Her whole body trembled in his embrace as she recoiled from the shock. Her breath hitched, and then her entire body went rigid.

Elion suddenly felt something cool drop onto his hands around her waist. Once. Twice. Again.

He blinked and lifted his head in alarm and looked at her face.

She was crying.

She actually had tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Hey—hey! Don’t cry,” he said quickly. “I really mean it!”

“I know,” she said, her voice shaky, though she had a smile on her face, which only made it all the more confusing.

“Then why are you crying?”

“I don’t know!” she laughed through her tears, her lips curling into a bright smile. “They just came out on their own.”

He stared at her for a second.

Then Elion found himself laughing with her too, and for a while they stayed like that, laughing like maniacs, her back against his chest, and his arms around her small waist.

Then suddenly she stopped.

“Did you have fun with those three girls?” she asked out of nowhere.

Elion froze.

“Eh…?”

That came completely out of left field. How did her mind go from crying in happiness to jealousy in seconds?

He couldn’t understand it! Outwardly, he cleared his throat.

“Not really.” He lied.

She gave him a doubtful little chuckle.

“Y-yeah,” he continued quickly. “I only did that to get out of the situation without escalating it.”

His body had gone tense without him realizing it. Like seriously, what was he supposed to say here!?

“And those other girls you’re always with,” she continued, tapping her cheek thoughtfully. “The blue-haired moon girl… and the other one. Are they both your women?”

Elion smiled calmly.

“Aria and Mira? Yes. They are.”

She let out a soft laugh.

“You’re a little womanizer, aren’t you?” Elion smiled wryly.

Then she suddenly stood up from his lap, turned around to face him, and sat back down again, this time straddling him properly with the softness of her ass cheeks.

She placed both her cold palms against his cheeks.

Elion remained calm, smiling slightly as he looked into her crimson eyes, which were still a bit glossy from the tears.

She was smiling too.

He had expected hurt. Or jealousy. Instead… she looked proud?

’Huh?’

“What can I say?” he replied lightly. “I’m quite an energetic young man. One or two women won’t be enough for me.”

Celeste laughed softly. “Quite a bold statement.” She paused for a bit, calming herself down.

Despite the strong front she was trying to put up now, she was still blushing lightly, and she was nervous.

’Clearly inexperienced.’ He thought.

She continued lightly, “Of course. I don’t mind you having others beside me and those two…However…”

She lifted a finger and pressed it gently against his lips to silence him.

“I will be setting ground rules.”

She removed her finger and leaned closer, brushing her lips along his. Her breath warmed his face.

“I will be the first wife,” she declared.

Elion chuckled against her lips and made a playful motion as if to bite her lower lip.

“You’ll have to discuss hierarchy with the others if you want that.”

“Of course, dear,” she smiled, then kissed him again, briefly taking his lower lip between her mouth and nibbling it gently before pulling away with a soft smack.

“But first, we need to convince my parents.”

“That won’t be easy,” Elion said. ’Surely it can’t be that simple.’

He could see that this matter of her marriage was not so simple. There were quite obviously a lot of variables in play.

Things out of her control. Things clearly out of her own father’s control. How can a solution be so simple?

She gave him a small knowing smile.

“You underestimate my conviction, Husband.”

’Calling me husband already?’ He thought, ’She wastes no time at all.’ They had already moved from confessions of love to calling him husband in no time at all.

She took his hand and guided it down to rest on her belly.

She pressed his palm there and gently moved it, as if encouraging him to feel the warmth beneath.

“All you have to do,” she whispered near his ear, her lips brushing his ear lightly, “is put a child in me. Then they won’t have a choice but to accept you as my official partner.”

Elion’s hands trembled slightly at her stomach. He stared into her crimson eyes, searching for hesitation.

There was none.

“What?” she teased. “Are you getting cold feet, husband?”

He let out a breathy chuckle. “Of course not. You just surprised me.”

Then his expression turned serious.

“But are you sure? Raising a child… now? Is that really what you want?”

She paused and thought.

“Well… it would slow down my path as a mage. Not to mention that I wouldn’t be able to return to the academy afterwards.”

She looked back at him with a small smile.

“But we’ll be fine. Despite how I seem, I’ve always wanted to be a mother one day.”

She tilted her head slightly with an innocent look on her face.

“We’re just moving up the timeline, aren’t we?”

“And my mother would be more than happy to help raise her grandchild.”

She paused again, thinking.

“Wait. On second thought… maybe not my mother.”

She looked back at him with a playful smile.

“I meant my father.”

Elion stared at her in disbelief.

Then he burst into booming laughter.

Elion’s laughter slowly faded, but the warmth in his eyes remained.

His hand, which had been resting lightly on her stomach, began to move slowly in small circles over her uniform.

“If that’s what you want, my little vampire,” he said in a low voice, “I don’t mind filling up this womb until it swells with my child.”

Celeste froze.

Her face turned a deep shade of red in an instant, the blush spreading from her ears down her neck.

Just moments ago, she had been bold, talking about children and convincing her parents, but now she suddenly looked like she wanted to disappear.

All that eagerness from before… it was a front.

Elion could see it clearly now. Celeste Chronos, the cold princess of the vampires, was painfully inexperienced.

Her breathing grew uneven as his palm pressed gently against her belly. Her hands, which had been resting on his shoulders, tightened without her realizing it.

Then his hand slowly drifted lower.

The movement was subtle at first, but then his index finger brushed along the inner lower part of her pelvis.

“Haaah!” Celeste gasped sharply in shock. As she felt his finger lightly brush her most treasured place through the fabric of her skirt.

Her body jolted, and she quickly clamped her thighs together while grabbing his wrist with both hands, stopping him in place.

Noone had ever touched her there before!

“Elion!” she squeaked, her voice completely losing its composure.

Her heart was racing wildly, and she was certain he could feel it through her body. He looked up at her, amused, his eyes calm and steady.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“You—!” She couldn’t even finish her sentence. Her face was burning, and she refused to meet his eyes.

Just a moment ago, she had been confidently telling him to give her a child.

Now she could barely handle his hand touching her down there. He leaned back slightly, watching her with a small smile.

“You were the one who said it,” he reminded her softly.

She bit her lower lip, clearly embarrassed.

“I-I didn’t mean right now,” she muttered under her breath.

He chuckled. “Then when? The baby won’t make itself.”

She blushed deeper.

“You’re insufferable,” she muttered, though there was no real anger behind it.

He smiled and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

“There is no time like the present,” he teased her, “Isn’t that why you brought me here?” He pushed his face close to hers, intending to kiss her and ease her tension, but then she looked away.

“W-wait,” she stammered, her face burning.

Celeste slowly loosened her grip on his wrist, though she kept her thighs pressed together just in case.

She took a slow breath to calm herself.

“You’re unfair,” she said quietly, still blushing.

“How so?”

“You say things like that so easily.”

He tilted his head slightly.

“I only speak honestly.”

She stared at him for a few seconds, then her expression softened. Despite the embarrassment, despite how flustered she felt, there was warmth in her eyes.

She leaned forward slightly and rested her forehead against his.

“You really mean it?” she asked quietly. “About loving me.”

He didn’t hesitate.

“I do.”

Her lips curved into a small, relieved smile.

This time, when she kissed him, it was slower.