Harem System In A fantasy World - Chapter 255: Celeste’s Conviction

Chapter 255: Celeste’s Conviction

Celeste remained silent for a few seconds, her expression frozen as she replayed her own words in her mind, and then it clicked

There was a faint glint of understanding in her gaze as she realised exactly what her father had taken from what she had said.

’Oh… He misunderstood me.’

She exhaled lightly through her nose, her fingers tapping once against the armrest as she thought about how to explain. This was not something she could clarify carelessly, especially not with ears still present in the room.

Her eyes shifted toward the servants.

All five of them stood quietly along the edges of the room, heads slightly lowered, and pretending not to listen while hearing everything.

“Leave us,” Celeste said simply. Her tone was not loud, but it carried authority.

“”As you wish.””

The maids did not hesitate; they bowed in unison, and without a single question, they began to file out of the room one by one, their footsteps soft against the polished floor.

The last servant paused briefly at the door before stepping out, and with a quiet motion, she pulled it closed behind her.

Click!

Only the three of them remained.

Celeste leaned back slightly, her gaze returning to her parents, and for the first time since she had spoken, there was a faint seriousness in her eyes that had nothing to do with irritation or defiance.

“This is not something I can explain easily, and I know it may be difficult for you to take in,” she said slowly.

Celeste cleared her throat awkwardly, her fingers curling slightly against each other as Lucius and Lilith both leaned forward in unison, their expressions sharpening as they prepared themselves for something deadly serious, something so grave that would no doubt demand immediate attention.

But what followed was so far apart from what they were imagining. It was something they had never, not once, in over twenty years of raising their daughter, ever imagined they would witness.

Celeste blushed. Not a faint, passing tint, a real, deep blush that bloomed across her pearly white skin.

Her posture shifted slightly, her composure cracking in the most unexpected way as she avoided their eyes and… began squirming in her seat.

Lucius froze.

Lilith froze.

Then slowly, very slowly, their jaws dropped at once. Like two malfunctioning constructs, their necks turned toward each other as if to check if they were both seeing the same thing.

Silence.

“…I…” Celeste stammered, her voice was unsteady in a way that felt completely alien coming from her, “I—”

She took a breath, then she dropped the bombshell. “I’m carrying a child.” She declared while massaging her stomach softly.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

“…Huh…?”

Both of their heads snapped back toward her at the exact same time, their movements sharp, almost violent in their suddenness.

Lucius blinked.

Once.

Twice.

“I’m sorry…” Lucius said slowly, his voice strangely hollow as if his mind had not quite caught up with his ears yet, “I don’t believe I heard you correctly…”

He leaned forward slightly. “Say that again?”

Celeste swallowed softly, her fingers tightening slightly in her lap as she forced herself to meet their eyes again, even though the heat on her face refused to fade.

“…I’m carrying a child,” she repeated, this time a little clearer, though her voice still carried that unfamiliar hesitation.

Lilith blinked.

Once.

Twice.

“…Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” she asked slowly, her voice filled with disbelief, as if she was still trying to find some other meaning in those words.

Celeste nodded slowly and shyly. “Yes, mother…” she said quietly. “…I am pregnant.”

Silence.

Lilith’s breath hitched slightly, her mind racing as everything began to connect in an instant, and a realization struck her so suddenly that it almost made her dizzy.

’So that’s why… That feeling I got earlier…’

Their eyes drifted toward her stomach. There was nothing to see there; it was still as flat as it had always been, so this pregnancy she was talking about was recent, but how could she be so certain that she was carrying a child!?

Of course, as a woman, there were obvious telling signs that only the person in question would be able to see and feel.

She raised her hand instinctively, her fingers tracing a small pattern in the air as a subtle pulse of blood magic spread outward, and invisible to anyone who did not know what to look for.

And then she felt it, a second presence.

It was faint but also unmistakable. There was a growing life inside her daughter. Lilith froze. She was completely dumbfounded.

Of course, if Celeste had said it, it had to be true, but after confirming it herself, it finally sank in.

Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out, because for once in her life, she did not know what to say, did not know how to react, did not even know where to begin.

Then she realised something else.

Lucius had been far too quiet. Lilith slowly turned her head toward him.

And what she saw made her heart skip. His eyes had lost their light completely. It was as if his soul had simply… left his body.

A bead of sweat formed on Lilith’s brow as a sense of dread crept up her spine.

’What have you done, Celeste…’

Her thoughts spiraled because this was not something small; it was not something that could be brushed aside. This was…

Catastrophic.

How had this even happened?

Had she misjudged her daughter’s capabilities so badly?

Had she truly believed Celeste would navigate academy life without something like this occurring?

Did she overestimate her maturity?

Her gaze snapped back to Celeste, her expression turning serious and sharp, the warmth in it gone entirely.

“Do you understand the implications of what you have done?” she asked, her voice firm now, carrying the weight of both a mother and a queen.

But before Celeste could even respond, Lucius suddenly moved. He stood up sharply and took a deep breath.

And then, he roared.

“HAAAAAAAAA—!!!”

It was not a normal shout.

It came from deep within his soul, from the very core of his being, a raw, unrestrained outburst that carried shock, rage, disbelief, and something far more primal all at once.

The air shook, and the walls trembled.

Lilith and Celeste both clapped their hands over their ears instantly, their expressions tightening as the sheer force of the sound threatened to overwhelm them.

Outside, the castle itself responded. Stone cracked, and every single window shattered.

And it was said that on that day, a large section of Dreadmoor Castle was destroyed by nothing more than a single roar from an enraged father.

…

Lilith had to step in quickly when Lucius lost control, because the moment he roared, it felt like the entire castle was about to come down with him, and she could see clearly that he was not going to calm down on his own.

She grabbed his arm firmly, standing close to him so he would focus on her voice instead of whatever storm was building in his head, and she spoke to him in a low, steady tone, repeating his name a few times until he finally started listening.

“Lucius… enough,” she said, keeping her voice calm even though her heart was racing, “you are not helping anyone like this.”

He was breathing heavily, his shoulders tense, his fists clenched, and for a moment, it looked like he might explode again, but she did not let go; she stayed there, grounding him, reminding him with her presence that he was not just a king right now, he was a father.

It took time.

More than she liked.

But after a bit of effort, she finally managed to calm him down.

Now, they both sat directly opposite Celeste with deadly seriousness on their faces.

Celeste sat there awkwardly. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at them directly for a while.

Her gaze remained lowered, and her fingers fidgeted slightly in her lap as the earlier confidence she had shown in declaring her decision clashed with the reality of what had just unfolded, and for a few minutes, she simply sat there in silence, waiting, and letting the butterflies in her stomach settle.

Eventually, she exhaled softly and lifted her head. Her expression steadied. She exuded calm and confidence once again. If she showed weakness here, it would only make the question her decision and her conviction.

She knew her parents well. If she showed even a shred of doubt, then they would not allow her as much freedom going forward.

She breathed out. Now, she was ready.

“I will explain,” Celeste said. There was a firmness in her voice now that had not been there before.

She straightened slightly in her seat, folding her hands neatly in front of her as she began.

“It happened during my time at the academy,” she said, her tone even, her words deliberate, “his name is Elion Nova.”

Lucius’s eyes twitched at the name. It was clear that she had named the father of her child. He committed it to memory for future ’matters’ as Celeste continued.

“At first… it was not something I planned,” she admitted, her gaze lowering briefly before returning to them, “our relationship did not begin in a… conventional way.”

Lilith’s brow furrowed slightly.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked carefully.

Celeste hesitated for just a fraction of a second.

“… We were merely acquainted with each other for most of our time since we first knew each other, our relationship did not grow past that for a time,” she said simply, choosing not to elaborate on that part about how she had barely known Elion for a few months, and how they had met even less, “but over time… things changed.”

Lucius scoffed quietly under his breath, but he remained silent, his eyes locked onto her. Celeste’s expression hardened slightly.

“I chose this,” she said firmly, her voice gaining strength, “no one forced me, no one manipulated me into this decision, I wanted this.”

Her crimson eyes sharpened.

“I love him.”

The words landed heavily.

There was no hesitation and no doubt in her tone.

Lilith’s eyes widened slightly, and Lucius’s expression darkened.

Celeste continued, unwavering.

“I understand what this means,” she said, her tone serious now, “I understand the consequences, the complications, the political repercussions that will follow because of my actions.”

She took a breath.

“I am aware that this will bring trouble.”

Her hands tightened slightly.

“And I apologise in advance for that.” She bowed her head just as her father had done not too long ago.

There was a brief pause.

“And while it may feel like I did this as a last-ditch attempt at defying what you had planned for me, and I will admit that while it is true in part, it was not the true driving force behind my choice, and I will not under any circumstances change my decision to become his woman.”

Her gaze was steady.

“I will stand by it. That is my conviction.”

There was no other pause.

“Of course, I still intend to undergo the bloodline trial.”

A heavy silence followed her words.

Celeste folded her hands neatly in front of her again, her posture composed, her expression calm, but beneath that calm surface, her thoughts churned restlessly as she waited for their response.

Seconds passed like that.

Then Lucius spoke.

“…This Elion,” he said slowly, his voice low, controlled, but there was something dangerous beneath it, something that barely restrained itself from breaking loose again.

“Who is this boy?”

He practically hissed the name.

“Elion.”

Lilith closed her eyes and facepalmed.

Of all the things. This was what her husband chose to focus on.

Had he heard a word of what she had said!?