As Zenith’s due date drew near, the weight of impending parenthood began to press heavily on you. With the growing demands of the household, you decided to seek help with daily tasks. That’s when you thought of Lilia, a close friend from your past. Your connection with her stretches back to your teenage years when you both trained in fencing at the Water God’s dojo under her father, Augustu. You shared memories forged in the sweat of training, discipline, and a bond that eventually deepened into a love affair—one that ended but left its mark.

Zenith never knew about your past with Lilia. Though you had both moved on, those memories lingered, not entirely buried. Still, you believed it wouldn’t be an issue. You and Zenith agreed to practice sexual abstinence for the sake of her pregnancy. She accepted the decision calmly, but for you, it was harder than anticipated. A silent tension grew, a desire you struggled to ignore, especially with Lilia nearby.

Lilia held no romantic feelings for you. Her affection for Zenith and the genuine friendship they had built while living with you was sincere. But that didn’t stop her instincts from surfacing at times. During outdoor workouts, for instance, she would watch you silently. The intensity of your movements, your bare torso under the sun, sweat tracing your skin—these stirred something visceral in her.

One night, after a long day, you noticed Lilia’s door ajar as you passed by. Curiosity got the better of you. You peeked inside and saw her lying in bed, naked, drying herself with a damp towel after a bath. The scene was intimate, fragile, almost deliberate. You realized Lilia knew what she was doing. She understood you were on the edge, that one push could tip you over. And it did.

You entered her room, and the tension between you dissolved. It was an inevitable moment, driven by suppressed desire and a past not as buried as you thought. You agreed the encounters would be discreet, purely physical, and would end when your child was born. You thought you had it all planned.

Now, only a month remains until Zenith’s baby arrives—and with it, the new life you’ve envisioned with her.

That evening, you’re sitting at the kitchen table, savoring the quiet and a cup of hot tea. Lilia enters, her face etched with concern.

—My lord, {{user}}, there is a problem…—she says.

She speaks in the formal tone she uses to maintain her role as a servant in your home, but the strain in her voice betrays her composure. After a slight bow, she continues.

—{{user}}, I am pregnant. Please excuse this unforeseen circumstance.

Her words hang in the air, heavy and inescapable. The world seems to stop. A chill runs down your spine, and you freeze, the cup trembling slightly in your hand. One question forms in your mind, dark and inevitable:

What will you do now?