Chapter 9: Longing

"Good!" Logan widened his eyes in glee. He was trembling in excitement after being stunned for a moment.

'Ah, does this mean I'll be getting a brother or sister?' Davis never had any siblings in his life on earth, at least to his knowledge. He was an orphan.

He was dumbfounded and conflicted but, at the same time, delighted when he heard it.

Claire knew that she was conceived the moment she slept with Logan after a long time, but she hid it from him since she wanted it to keep it a secret; as a surprise. She didn't know if her new baby is a boy or a girl, but with her senses, she will be able to tell within a few weeks, but she wouldn't let anyone reveal that surprise or reveal it by herself till the time of delivery.

This was one of the joys in the pregnancy she wanted to experience, a feeling that is only unique to her and other women.

She approached them while coming out of the restroom, yet suddenly, she collapsed.

"Mother!"

*Whoosh!~*

"Claire!" Logan moved rather quickly and held her from falling to the ground.

Davis wasn't even able to see how his father moved. It was as if he disappeared and appeared beside his mother. He felt a bit shocked by his father's prowess.

'His title as the Emperor isn't just for show...' He mused.

"I... I'm fine. I just feel dizzy..." Claire explained as she creased her blonde brows.

"Enough, you need some rest, Claire..." Logan's eyes had ounces of care, but his expression and tone were rather stern. 

He turned to look at his son and uttered, "Davis, your mother needs some rest..."

"I understand," Davis spoke rather quickly and nodded his head.

Women became quite weak when they got pregnant, even if they possessed powerful cultivation. It was a widely known fact, but Davis didn't know about it.

Since this was the first sign of pregnancy, Claire felt quite weak and exhausted at the same time. The castle maids had no way of knowing or predicting since Claire was with Davis most of the time and only left at night to meet with Logan after Davis slept.

"No need to worry, Davis. Mother will soon come back to you." Claire comforted him. It was as if her love for him was boundless, regardless if he had gained his previous memories or not.

"I'll be waiting, mother." Davis nodded again.

Davis then watched them leave the study. He watched their backs as they disappeared from his sight and left him alone.

Davis, vaguely yet softly laughed, "Hah... Hah... Hah..."

'I gained rather some loving parents in this world, and on top of that, I am going to get a younger sibling too?'

'It's something I can't get even if I wished for... I can only hope that I won't do anything stupid to disrupt this loving family.' Davis sighed as he thought about the future.

'Mhm? What's this?' Suddenly, Davis felt that he could now faintly access that black book that delved in his soul. He had no way of nudging it in the past, which rather left him helpless, but now...

Was it due to him entering the so-called Nascent Soul Stage?

'Should I try using it?' Davis felt tempted, but he held himself back, 'No, I shouldn't do anything suspicious while being still in the Imperial Castle. Father did set up some kind of barrier here, so perhaps, he or other people might be able to monitor this place...'

What Davis didn't know was that the study already had a barrier, a defensive formation set up normally to defend against attacks. It's just that Logan had set up a stronger barrier than that, useful for concealing sound and undulations of a person's cultivation. 

Other than that, Davis didn't know that there were always hidden experts protecting him in secret.

======

In the quarters of the Empress, Empress's Room.

Logan made Claire rest in her bed. He looked at her with a gentle gleam in his eyes. Claire looked back at him with love and tenderness.

These two had gone through life and death situations together when they met, fought, loved each other under different circumstances, and lastly, before the rebellion, they united. Their story was perhaps the most transcendental one in this world since they were far apart.

During the rebellion, even though Claire had ignored Logan for three years due to the blame she cast on him that he had lost Davis, he didn't fancy any woman other than her. He was totally smitten and deeply in love with her. With his status as the Emperor, if he so wished, he could have had hundreds of concubines.

But he chose not to do so, even going as far as to publically announce that anyone who tries to coerce him into marrying another woman would be dealt with severely, and there were truly such cases as well.

Claire happened to see it with her own eyes.

"Logan, Davis is our son..." Claire suddenly uttered as a worried expression appeared on her face.

"I know..." Logan deeply sighed, "No matter what, possessing his previous life's memories or not, he is still our son, I won't do anything to him."

Claire became confused, "Then why did you..."

"What if he was an evil person in his previous life?" Logan moved the corner of his lips into a helpless expression,

"He's not, and there's no way my son will be evil even in his previous life..." Claire responded with a stubborn gaze.

"That's why I wanted to make sure..." Logan calmly explained.

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The Loret Family highly values peace and honor and wouldn't stoop far to do evil and despicable deeds.

Loret Empire was the only Empire in the Grand Sea Continent which didn't wage war with other Empires. Its adjacent Empires were in a state of war, and that's why it didn't get attacked by other Empires during its internal unrest. Although it's peaceful times has caused certain backstabbers to rise in rebellion, it had remained as powerful as ever.

But it had let its guard down.

The cause of the rebellion was like more of an opportunity. The death of the previous Emperor, Logan's Imperial Father, proved to be a timely opportunity to assassinate and massacre the entire Imperial Family. Except for Logan, almost all the members of the Imperial Family who were in the capital were assassinated.

As for those who were outside, they, too, were monitored and hunted.

That's why Logan took immediate measures to send away his only son, entrusting the task to Ray Nolan, the next head of a Noble Family who were in their camp. 

There were eight Noble Families in the Loret Empire altogether.

Only two Noble Families didn't take part in the rebellion, while the other remaining six Noble Families completely joined forces to eliminate the Imperial Family.

The Two Noble Families then joined the Imperial Family camp to help quell the rebellion. These two Noble Families were called the Nolan Family and Cauldon Family.

Of course, at the end of the rebellion, the six noble families were either annihilated by the Loret Empire's Army Logan rallied or locked up in a rather special prison set up for complete execution after the higher-ups of the six families were killed.

Only the heads of the two Noble Families, the Farnwen Family and Hawkwood Family, managed to escape with severe injuries.

Making Claire rest, he then left Claire's room and went to the Throne Hall to announce the pregnancy matter. His subjects congratulated him and praised him. He felt rather awkward.

Even though he was the Emperor, he had not received teachings on how to be an Emperor because he was fifth in line to the Throne, the Fifth Prince in the past. He liked to be free and unrestrained but had no choice other than to be an Emperor. He could only take this position because his family in the capital was entirely annihilated.

Only his Seventh and Eight Brother were alive and somewhere out there, perhaps, adventuring in a danger zone, but he didn't have the means to contact them either. Perhaps, they had lost their lives without even having their corpses intact.

Such cases weren't uncommon as well, but from his investigations, the rebelled Noble Families seemed to have no idea about these two brothers of his, hence, causing him to have some hope.

Logan had lost too much in this internal war, and he utterly hated the six Noble Families for it. He wished he could find and kill the two Heads of the Farnwen Family and Hawkwood Family, who had escaped. His only support was his wife, Claire. Then his son, Davis, became his heir.

But now, he felt distanced himself from his son. Even things have grown awkward between the three of them. Hence, he rather felt ridiculous for it.

Somewhere in his heart, he felt that he should make this right. So, at night after much deliberation, he decided to visit his son, Davis.

======

Davis was in the study. He was still in the mood to learn about this world and hence, had his gaze concentrated on one of the many books that were stored in the bookshelves here. The child's body had influenced him greatly, and he was well aware of that.

Even if he had a yearning for familial love in the past, it didn't mean that he wanted it now, but he unexpectedly got a loving family through the child's body he had possessed and even swore that he would live his portion.

He felt that he should not disappoint this family, at least for the sake of the child he possessed.

However, he had his own determination after all, or one could say that he directed his focus on other matters rather than to think about the earlier event.

*Knock!~*

"Davis..." A voice could be heard from the other side of the door.

It didn't sound stern but hesitant.

"Mhm? Father?" Davis turned back and stood up. He narrowed his eyes feeling rather confused as to why his father would visit at this time, but the earlier event made him quickly realize.

Logan opened the door and entered as he looked around. There were a lot of books, stacked rows, and rows upon the bookshelves.

"You are still studying at this time?" Logan found a topic that he could start on.

"Mhm..." Davis nodded.

"I see, are you fine?" 

"Mhm..." Davis again nodded.

A few words were exchanged, but perceiving that the conversation isn't going anywhere, Logan felt even more awkward. He then decided to be direct.

"Davis, about the matter earl-"

"Can I speak?" Davis suddenly interrupted.

Logan paused for a moment before nodding his head, "Go ahead."

Davis took a deep breath before moving his lips, "Father, it's true that I am my own self, but it still will not change the fact that I am your son. In my previous life, I didn't have any parents nor siblings. I was just an orphan."

"I lived my whole life alone without any familial love. I didn't even have anyone to accompany me in that life, and I lived alone in solitude. If you want me to go, then I will immediately leave this place."

Inadvertently, his eyes turned moist.

"But it's jus… it's just that, can I also be a part of this family?"

Tears fell out of his eyes while he possessed a gaze that was full of longing for familial love.

Logan kneeled and held his son's shoulders, "You are a part of this family." 

He strongly replied, his eyes full of resolve and commitment for the future.