Isaac was sitting blankly, like a doll devoid of its soul, staring at the elderly man in front of him.

“……”

The old man bowed deeply with a bright smile toward the Prince sitting next to him.

“Congratulations. A very healthy baby is in the womb.”

‘What is this…… It feels like something entirely nonsensical just happened……’ Isaac blinked in bewilderment. How does this make any sense? What kind of terrifying words is this old man, dressed exactly like a court physician, spouting? Just as he was thinking this in a daze, his foggy mind cleared up rapidly, as if a mist had lifted.

‘……Ah. Right. That’s right. I’ve been feeling a bit weird since morning, so I called for the court physician and was getting examined.’

His mind had returned a bit, but still feeling entirely bewildered, Isaac asked.

“Really…..? Pregnant…..? Me…..?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

The old man smiled warmly and nodded. At that, the servants standing nearby erupted into cheers, and someone rushed out to inform His Majesty the King. He also heard someone say to quickly prepare nutritious food for the pregnant person.

Amidst all that, Isaac looked up at the Prince, who was quietly patting his back as if to encourage him.

“…… So it seems.”

“Yes.”

Beneath the Prince’s arm, which was patting his shoulder as if embracing him, Isaac suddenly lost all his strength and went limp.

He felt like tears were going to well up.

Finally!

「Wow, it finally happened? It dragged on for so long.」

「It’s a celebration, a celebration.」

At the foot of the bed, three balls of fuzz jumped around.

Indeed, it had dragged on for so long.

“It took so long that I thought the tinderbox had turned into a useless lump of wood……”

As Isaac wiped away the droplet forming at the corner of his eye and muttered, the three cats hissed.

「We said we’d change you into a body that CAN give birth, we never said we’d make you highly fertile!」

「It’s a kid who used to be male getting pregnant, did you think it would be that easy?!」

The chattering noise stung his ears, but it didn’t matter.

It finally happened.

Since making the third wish on the tinderbox, Isaac didn’t even know how much hardship he had endured to ‘make’ the baby. Despite all that, the baby just wouldn’t come, and he was starting to doubt the fulfillment of the wish itself.

It had been nearly a year.

Some might say a year isn’t that long, but that was because they didn’t know.

Every single day, day and night, Isaac had to spend his time mixing bodies with the Prince. There were no legally guaranteed days off, no regular working hours.

‘It doesn’t matter if it takes a bit longer. There’s no rush.’

The Prince had said nonchalantly. The problem was what followed.

‘But we must keep doing it until it happens.’

Night, day, dawn, whatever—he truly went at it mercilessly.

While Isaac, having been tormented until dawn, lay passed out in a dead sleep, the Prince would go to his office for morning duties. Upon returning, he would thrust his lower half into the still-limp Isaac again. Because of this, Isaac would wake up, they would have lunch, and then they would do it once more. After checking on afternoon duties while Isaac lay splayed out, he’d return for another round. And after dinner, they would roll around again all night long.

‘How can this be. No matter what, how can a human do this so relentlessly?’

Isaac cried day and night, harboring doubt after doubt. Yet, the Prince was so meticulous with feeding him nutritious meals that Isaac somehow maintained a healthy body even in his mentally hollowed-out state. He didn’t even have the room to complain that he was going to die of exhaustion.

Reaching the last few months, it was rare for him to even have his clothes properly worn; truly, his lower half never had a dry day.

‘Prince Kyan, please…… I can’t take it anymore today even if I die…… It hurts just to be grazed because everything is swollen down there…’

Once, he had pleaded, weeping bitterly. Perhaps finding his weeping form pitiful, the Prince looked down at Isaac with a hint of regret for a moment before obediently backing off.

He should have utilized that mercy properly, but foolishly, intoxicated by that one night of honey-like rest, Isaac consecutively used his combo move: ‘It’s still swollen today,’ ‘It’s not fully healed today,’ ‘I don’t think it’s healed all the way inside today.’ For a few days, the Prince watched him quietly, then,

‘Fine, then I will hold back from penetrating.’

With those words, he poured out a far more merciless act of ‘non-penetrative’ intercourse than before. For that entire week, Isaac painfully realized to his very bones that a person could easily die from oral sex, handjobs, and heavy petting alone.

‘No, this has nothing to do with making a baby?!’

Isaac cried and pleaded again, but this time, the Prince didn’t even budge.

‘That is precisely why we must do this more. During this time, we were focusing on conceiving a child, but I realized that because of the goal of childbirth, it might seem like I am just using your body. That will not do. I have no such intention. You must know that I desire you even without the direct act of having a child.’

As the Prince spoke and ruthlessly coveted Isaac once more, Isaac, feeling as though he had somehow fallen into his own trap, couldn’t bring himself to say, ‘I feel like you just attached a very convenient excuse for that.’

In the end, after a long period of being endlessly tempered with and without penetration, Isaac finally achieved a monumental success.

“Finally…… finally a baby…..!”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Isaac even forgot the pain in his lower half that had been tormented up until last night, and cried out in ecstasy. “Yes, this is good,” the Prince said. Though he seemed a bit disappointed, he decided to pretend not to notice. At the very least, the gentle caress and the kiss he gave Isaac held undeniable sincerity.

“The baby is very healthy, but it is best to be careful until the stability period.”

“If you mean stability period, starting from when?”

“Usually, it’s around two months from now, but since Lord Isaac’s body is different from a normal human’s, you can probably rest easy after just a month.”

At the court physician’s words, the Prince murmured, “One month…” Sensing an ominous premonition from that tone, which somehow sounded dissatisfied, Isaac quickly spoke up.

“For the first month, I need to be careful and rest thoroughly, and just in case, it’s best to be cautious until the normal stability period of two months! And well, after that, since we’ve successfully conceived, we won’t have to try so painstakingly hard anymore!”

“One is not enough. Considering the stability of the successor, one is insufficient.”

The Prince answered casually and nodded. Looking at the Prince as his heart, which had just felt so relieved, rapidly began to constrict again, the Prince continued.

“Besides, come to think of it, if there’s only one, you might just decide to take it and cross over to the Land of the Dark Moon.”

“Yes?”

“I need so many that you couldn’t possibly carry them all in your arms or on your back.”

At the unimaginable response, Isaac was stunned. No, what is he talking about? Does this person read those required-reading fairy tales for kids nowadays? Why does this sound suspiciously mixed with weird things, like a criminal story where a fairy is kidnapped and her winged clothes are confiscated and she’s locked up until she bears three or four kids……

Gasping like a fish, Isaac was about to say something when he saw the Prince’s eyes softening as he looked down at him at an angle. Realizing it was a joke, Isaac let out a sigh of relief.

“A child isn’t a shackle. That wouldn’t happen.”

“We’ll see.”

The sigh of relief halted instantly.

Isaac looked up at the Prince, who was staring quietly back at him with an unreadable expression.

No, it was a joke. The words themselves were a joke, but—they weren’t entirely a joke.

There was not a shred of doubt, yet a faint darkness lurked deep within that gaze.

So he really had thought about that, even just a little. Even knowing full well it wouldn’t happen, feeling anxious because he and I are fundamentally different beings—it wasn’t just me feeling that.

“So there must be more children.”

The Prince said firmly. After looking at him for a moment, Isaac smiled weakly.

“Will it be okay? Even if a half-blood between a witch and a human is born repeatedly?”

“If it wasn’t okay, I wouldn’t have tried to make one in the first place. And if it’s the child you bear, it will undoubtedly be beautiful.”

“…… ……Yes……”

At the unexpectedly unhesitating answer, the back of Isaac’s neck grew hot, and he mumbled vaguely.

Then suddenly, he heard the Prince murmuring as if talking to himself.

“And if there are children, the number of humans tying you to this land will increase.”

It was so faint that it scattered into the air before it could even properly reach his ears. —Even after I am gone in the distant future.

“……—”

All expression vanished from Isaac’s face as he looked at the Prince. As Isaac, staring intently at that expressionless face gazing far off outside the garden, opened his mouth to speak—

「Well, they’ll definitely be pretty. As pretty as they come. Since it’ll be a kid that looks exactly like Mr. Moisture as if stamped from a mold.」

「Of course, since it’s a half-blood between a witch and a human, it’ll take after the human side. Just like Manbang-ie.」

「Right, this kid doesn’t look like Kali at all, he took exactly after his human dad.」

As rustling sounds leaked from under the bed, the three black furballs bounded out.

While the already-accustomed servants remained unfazed, only the court physician jumped in shock. The three cats giggled wickedly and ran around the old man as if playing tag. Then, the Prince effortlessly scooped up the three of them like scooping fish from a tank and tossed them onto the bed, where they instantly put on sulky faces.

Regardless, Isaac’s ears perked up at what he had just heard.

“Really? A child born between a witch and a human takes after the human?”

「Well, looking at your case, that’s true, and just looking at it, don’t you think Mr. Moisture’s genes are way stronger than yours?」

The cat replied with a highly displeased face, but Isaac’s mood instantly brightened.

“If it takes after Prince Kyan…… that means the cutest child in the world will be born!”

Feeling as if he were soaring into the sky, Isaac stroked his own belly, which still showed no signs of anything. Even if such a beautiful child was born, just being able to see them up close would make him happy, yet that child would be his child. It was unbelievable.

While Isaac basked in the ecstatic feeling with a pleased smile,

「Of course, a beauty exactly like Mr. Moisture will be born.」

「And they’ll undoubtedly have the exact same temper as Mr. Moisture.」

A bolt from the blue suddenly struck.

Isaac’s hand, which had been stroking his belly, stopped dead. He slowly raised his head to look at the cats. He stared at them with a feeling of disbelief, thinking surely not, but the cats chattered away merrily.

「Mmphm, undoubtedly, undoubtedly. Mr. Moisture usually walks a narrow and rugged path, so it’ll undoubtedly turn out that way.」

「Perhaps a child with an even flashier exterior than Mr. Moisture, and even more terrifying contents inside, might come out.」

「Yeah, if you have three or four kids, there will definitely be one who surpasses the master.」

「Maybe every single one of them will be like that.」

「Of course, why wouldn’t they? A tiger father does not beget a dog son*, an overwhelming child who will slap away a cornucopia of wealth, will definitely come out,」 the cats chattered, wiggling their rears.

(*호부무견자: 虎父無犬子 the Korean idiom about a great father will not have a useless or foolish son; an exceptional parent raises a talented child.)

And Isaac.

As the blood drained from his face and the hand stroking his belly began to tremble, Isaac’s vision grew dark.

A child exactly like this person. Not just the face, but the personality too. Three or four of them…… Also, the processes required to give birth to them…… It’s one thing if they are conceived quickly, but if they aren’t, it would mean at least several years……

As Isaac’s complexion turned pale, then white, the Prince looked at him. Like an honest referee who doesn’t hide disadvantageous rules for a fair game, the Prince spoke to Isaac.

“If you are misunderstanding something right now, I should tell you. What I have in mind is more than that.”

“Yes…..?”

“It should be about ten or twenty.”

Isaac stared blankly at the Prince. The next moment, as he bewilderedly wondered what on earth that random number meant, his mind went blank.

To say ‘or,’ there was a massive difference between ten and twenty! No, wait, before that, since ten was a two-digit number, because too many words surged up his throat at once, Isaac stuttered, “T-,” “Th-,” before finally managing to gasp out, “What are you saying…..?”

“As you said, fertility is indeed the duty of the royal successor, so we must diligently try while it is possible.”

‘Using my own words to attack me is too despicable!’ Isaac thought, but unable to voice it, he desperately pleaded.

“No, but I don’t seem to have a body that easily conceives—”

“There is no reason to rush. We can just leisurely continue until they are born.”

At the Prince’s response, which implied there was no need for such worry, delivered beneath a heavy yet affectionate touch, Isaac felt a tremor starting from his toes.

‘For now, rest comfortably during the stability period……’ The court physician’s words drifted faintly from afar.

It felt as if his very life was fading away into the distance.

* * *

「Why is Manbang crying again?」

「No, I think this is something worth crying over.」

As his consciousness grew hazy, the chattering noise rang right next to his ears.

“……!”

Suddenly snapping back to his senses, an eyeball glowing like a lantern was staring right at him, glistening right in front of his nose.

“Urgh!”

Unconsciously jumping up and reflexively swatting the thing away, Isaac stood frozen in place for a while, gasping for breath. The cat, having tumbled off his lap, meowed in protest, but the sound didn’t even register in his ears.

「…… Uh…..?」

Only after his ragged breathing had somewhat calmed did the sights of his surroundings enter his vision.

The pretty chickens puttering around under the warm sunlight, the peaceful, gentle breeze blowing, the Prince sitting languidly in the shade of the annex awning looking at him, and himself standing awkwardly half-risen, clutching the bag of flour snacks in his hand.

「To think you’d push away a fragile, tiny, and beautiful me!」

「And after I kindly helped you easily guess the result of your important choice!」

「Awaken, Manbang-ie! Repent!」

Amidst the cats’ chatter, Isaac slumped back into his chair as if sliding down.

The Prince called a servant, had a bottle of wine brought from somewhere, and poured it onto a plate for the cats. The three brats immediately ceased their protests and happily rushed at the wine.

Watching the cats lapping up the wine with a stunned gaze, Isaac finally let out a long sigh and wiped the back of his neck with his palm. It was drenched in cold sweat.

“I don’t think this wish is it…… Absolutely not.”

Isaac spoke with grim determination. At that, the Prince, who had been observing Isaac from the corner of his eye, spoke up nonchalantly.

“I didn’t think it looked bad.”

…… Ah. Right. He saw it too. That illusion.

Seeing the Prince resting his chin on his hand, seriously pondering it, a streak of goosebumps ran up Isaac’s spine.

“No, there must definitely be a much better wish!”

The Prince nodded without saying much, but Isaac couldn’t tell if he meant ‘I understand,’ or ‘Let’s think about it.’

Exhausted like a waterlogged cotton ball, Isaac sank deeply into his chair.

“Honestly, even before seeing that illusion…… I thought this was a bit much.”

Muttering weakly, Isaac drank the ice water the servant brought on the Prince’s instruction. Only after emptying a whole cup did he feel his senses returning somewhat.

Staring for a while at the pretty chickens waddling around the front yard of the annex under the peaceful sunlight, Isaac opened his mouth.

“If it were Your Highness’s child, no matter what they look like or what temperament they are born with, they will be beautiful. Whatever kind of child it is, I would unconditionally find them lovely and beautiful…… But that child would also be a witch’s child. They would have to live in the human world.”

He felt the Prince’s gaze on him. Isaac continued, his eyes still tracing the chickens one by one.

“I am certain Your Highness would protect that child, and the child could grow up without any trouble, but—and though I am somewhat satisfied with my life having been born as a witch’s child and growing up… but,”

Isaac paused and stared blankly at the chickens. Then, noticing the snack he was still clutching in his hand as if seeing it for the first time, he pulled one out and popped it into his mouth. *Crunch.* The familiar taste he had eaten often since childhood brought him back to reality a bit more. Chewing the crispy snack, Isaac fell into thought for a moment before shaking his head, “As expected.”

“I think it would be better to wish for something else.”

The Prince, who had been watching Isaac, nodded his head. This meant he understood, he would accept it.

As Isaac offered the snack, the Prince again grabbed Isaac’s hand holding the snack and brought it directly to his mouth. He lightly bit the tip of Isaac’s finger along with the cracker.

“Alright. Let’s do something else.”

The Prince, who tasted Isaac’s fingertip longer than the snack before pulling his lips away, picked up his teacup and spoke.

“It wasn’t a very good wish to begin with anyway.”

“Right?”

“Mmm. A fetus takes nutrients from the mother, which would be bad for your body. And if you had a body capable of bearing children, you would have to spend most of your life in a state of pregnancy. That won’t do.”

Sucking in a breath, Isaac almost sprayed the chewed snack out of his mouth.

Barely keeping his mouth shut to avoid looking unsightly, Isaac trembled, mumbling through the snack in his mouth. ‘What kind of terrifying words……’ Looking at the Prince by only rolling his eyes, Isaac was only relieved when he confirmed a look of sheer resignation on the Prince’s face.

‘…… But there’s no doubt he seriously considered it for about 0.1 seconds.’

“Yes, another wish would be better…… Since we only have one wish left now, and we can’t cancel it, you must think about it very, very carefully. You must not make a wish rashly.”

Drenched in cold sweat, hugging his body which was shivering in the cool breeze, Isaac earnestly begged the Prince over and over again, as pitifully as he could.