ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 197: The fate of a woman carrying a morvex baby

Ethan followed her gaze.

Several village children ran in the distance, laughing as one of them slipped on the snow.

Thin smoke curled from the chimneys of wooden houses.

Someone called out from afar perhaps Lena.

Ethan glanced at Valerie.

"Do you regret it?"

The question was not sharp.

Not demanding.

Only honest.

Valerie was quiet for a long time.

She remembered the stone castle.

The long corridors.

Footsteps that always sounded too heavy.

A love that felt like a prison.

Then she looked again at the frozen lake, at the man standing beside her, at the life that was not grand but warm.

"No," she answered softly.

Ethan’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"Good. Because I have no intention of taking you back."

Valerie laughed quietly a sound that had once been rare.

The wind blew again, but this time it did not feel biting.

Ethan returned to his fishing hole.

Valerie slowly turned toward the small wooden house on the cliff.

Her steps were careful, yet light.

Beyond the vast ocean and the layers of ancient magic that concealed their trail the Duke of Morvex might still be searching.

But in this corner of the world, far removed from everything she once knew,

Valerie no longer felt like someone who needed to be found.

The sky was completely dark by the time Valerie and Ethan returned from the lake with the village fishermen.

The air bit harder now.

In this remote region, nighttime temperatures often dropped close to freezing even in early spring. Their breath turned into white mist each time they spoke.

From a distance, the small wooden house looked warm. Soft golden light flickered behind windows blurred with condensation.

The moment the door opened, the scent of fish stew and toasted bread greeted them.

Inside, a silver-haired woman who looked far older than her true age stood near the hearth.

Lena.

"Eat while it’s warm," she said without turning, as though she had already known they had entered.

Ethan helped Valerie remove her thick coat before pulling out a chair for her. A small gesture, but filled with care.

Valerie sat slowly, her hand instinctively supporting her now clearly rounded belly.

The fire crackled softly.

The wind howled outside.

For a while, only the sounds of spoons against bowls filled the room.

Then Valerie spoke.

"About... when do you think I will give birth?"

Ethan paused.

Lena lifted her gaze, her old eyes sharp but not cold.

"A Morvex child," she said quietly, "is born by its own will. If not this month, then the next."

Valerie swallowed.

"So there is no exact date?"

"Not like an ordinary human child."

Ethan frowned. "But women must prepare for childbirth. At least we can estimate the time."

Valerie gave a small nod. "That’s true."

Lena walked closer and sat across from them. The firelight cast long shadows across her face.

"You forget one thing," she said softly. "Morvex blood is not ordinary blood."

The name lingered in the air.

Far across the mainland, Demian might still be searching without rest.

And here, his blood was growing inside a woman who had left everything behind.

"A Morvex child," Lena continued, "carries a magical legacy older than the imperial line itself. A human body cannot always withstand it."

Ethan stiffened.

"What do you mean?"

Lena looked directly at Valerie.

"As I told you from the beginning... you could die giving birth to it."

The fire cracked sharply, as if punctuating her words.

Silence fell.

Ethan half rose from his chair. "Why repeat that now as if it’s a small matter?!"

"Because the time is drawing near," Lena replied calmly. "And because she needs to hear it again."

Valerie did not look shocked.

Only quiet.

Her hand slowly stroked her belly.

"What are the chances I survive?" she finally asked.

Lena did not answer immediately.

"That depends on your strength... and on the child itself."

"And if the child chooses to live?"

"Your body may break."

Ethan’s fists clenched. "Then we stop this—"

"It cannot be stopped," Lena cut in firmly. "Morvex blood, once awakened, cannot simply be extinguished. It is too late."

The wind slammed against the wooden walls.

Valerie drew a long breath.

Strangely, it was not fear that filled her face.

But a quiet calm.

"I already made my choice," she said softly.

Ethan turned sharply. "Valerie—"

"I made it the moment I decided to leave."

She lifted her face, gazing into the fire.

"If this child carries the fate of Morvex... then it also carries half of me."

Lena observed her in silence.

"Prepare yourself," she said at last. "This month or the next. Your body will begin to show signs."

Ethan sank back into his chair, his face pale.

Outside, the snow began to fall more heavily.

Inside the small wooden house, warmth remained but beneath it, an unavoidable truth had begun to move slowly toward the day of birth.

And at two ends of a world divided by sea and magic the fate of the Morvex bloodline was waiting to choose life, or sacrifice.

The night grew deeper.

After a quiet yet warm dinner, the wooden house slowly sank into stillness. The fire in the hearth had dimmed to glowing embers, and the wind outside sounded softer than before.

Upstairs, a small window faced directly toward the northern sky.

The aurora danced there pale green laced with violet, like curtains of light drifting slowly above a frozen world.

Valerie stood by the window, her arms wrapped gently around her belly. The aurora’s glow reflected on her face, making her seem almost unreal.

Behind her, Ethan stood with both hands resting against the wooden railing.

For a while, they simply watched the sky in silence.

Then Ethan spoke.

"What will you do next?"

Valerie did not turn.

"If you are truly preparing to die..." Ethan’s voice faltered, "...what about this child?"

The thin glass window trembled under a gust of wind.

Valerie slowly turned to look at him.

"I want you to take him to his father."

Ethan froze.

"What?"

"Take him to his father."