Reborn To Change My Fate-Chapter 299 - Two Hundred And Ninety Eight

The silence that followed was heavy. The popping of the fire seemed to stop.

Marissa froze. Her hand went still in his grip. Her heart skipped a beat. She stared at him, unsure if she had heard him correctly.

Derek didn’t look away. He released her hand and reached up. He caressed her face, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw, then brushing over her lower lip.

"I want a child, Mari," Derek said. His voice was raw, stripped of all pretense.

He looked sad. It was a deep, quiet sadness that he usually hid behind his walls of strength and duty.

"I want a family," he confessed. "Not just a legacy. Not just an heir for the title or someone to inherit the land. I want a part of us. I want to see you holding a baby that has your eyes and my smile. I want to know that we created something good in this chaotic world."

He looked down at the floor for a second, gathering his courage, then looked back at her.

"Could you..." Derek hesitated. He looked pained to even ask. "Could you stop taking those teas?"

Marissa was speechless. Her mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out. Her mind spun.

She didn’t know he knew. She drank the contraceptive tea every morning in her room. It was a special blend of herbs designed to prevent pregnancy. She thought she had been discreet. She thought he hadn’t noticed the distinct, bitter smell.

"You know?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Derek nodded slowly.

"I smell the herbs on you in the morning," he said softly. "I see the empty cups on your vanity. I know the scent of mugwort and rue. I know what they are for."

He looked at her with pleading eyes, afraid that he had upset her.

"I know I agreed to wait," Derek said quickly, his words rushing out. "I know we said we would wait until you are ready. Until the estate is settled. I never said anything because it is your body. I respect that."

He leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.

"I just..." he murmured. "I just want to hold the evidence of our love. I want to know that we are building a future that goes beyond us. Seeing you with Ryan... seeing how you care for him... it makes my heart ache. I want that for us."

Marissa was silent. Her mind raced.

She wanted it too. God, she wanted it. She wanted to give him a son, a daughter. She wanted to see him be a father. She had seen him with his nephew, Ryan. He was gentle. He was protective. He was made to be a father.

But then the fear crashed in. She remembered the cold stone of the dungeon cell. She remembered Ashlyn’s fake miscarriage and the lies. She remembered Liam’s threat to kill Derek. She remembered the arrow in his chest.

The world was not safe. Not yet. A baby would be a weakness Liam could exploit. A baby would be a target. A baby would make her vulnerable.

Derek felt her hesitation. He felt her body tense up in his arms. He saw the shadow of fear cross her face.

He pulled back. He forced a smile. It was a brave, sad smile.

He kissed her cheek gently.

"I’m sorry," Derek said, his voice quiet. "I’m sorry if I came on too strong. I shouldn’t have pressured you. It was selfish of me. Let’s forget about that."

He reached for the bowl of cold soup again, trying to distract them both, trying to bridge the gap he felt opening up.

"Here," he said, scooping up a spoonful. "You should eat too. You need your strength."

He lifted the spoon to feed her, his hand steady even though his heart was hurting.

Marissa stared at him. She saw him trying to retreat. She saw him trying to respect her boundaries even though his own desire was consuming him. He was putting her comfort above his deepest wish. He was a good man. He was the best man.

She stopped the next intake. She raised her hand and pushed the spoon away gently.

"Derek," she said.

She reached up and caressed his cheek. Her fingers were warm against his rough stubble.

"I also want to hold a child of our own," Marissa said. Her voice was firm and clear, cutting through the sadness.

Derek’s hand froze mid-air. He lowered the spoon. He looked at her, searching her face for the truth.

Marissa took his hand—the one holding the spoon—and lowered it to the tray. Then she took his other hand. His large, warm, swordsman’s hand.

She brought his palm to her stomach. She pressed it against the flat, bare skin of her belly and kept it there.

"I want to carry your child," Marissa whispered. "Your heir. Our baby."

She looked deep into his eyes, letting him see her soul.

"I want to give Ryan a sibling to love," she said. "I want to fill this big, empty house with noise and laughter. I want to knit tiny socks and argue with you about names."

She let out a shaky sigh, covering his hand with hers, pressing it harder against her womb, as if willing a life into existence.

"But it is not the right time, Derek," she said honestly. "Not now. Not while the wolves are at the door."

Derek looked at her stomach, feeling the warmth of her skin, then back at her face. He waited, listening.

"There are still threats lurking around," Marissa explained, her voice hardening slightly. "Prince Liam is still watching us. He is angry now, and unpredictable. Ashlyn is still plotting in the shadows. The court is unstable. If I were pregnant now... I would be vulnerable. The baby would be a target."

She tightened her grip on his hand.

"I don’t want us to bring a child into this world to be in danger," Marissa said fiercely. "I don’t want to be like Ashlyn, using a child as a shield or a tool. I want our child to be safe. I want them to be born in peace, not in war."

She leaned forward. She kissed the tip of his nose, a tender gesture.

"When everywhere is finally at peace," Marissa vowed. "When Liam is dealt with. When the shadows are gone and we are safe."

She looked him in the eye, making a solemn oath.

"I will stop the contraceptive tea," she said. "The very next day. I will throw the herbs in the fire."

She brought his hand up from her stomach to her face. She snuggled into his palm, closing her eyes, breathing in the scent of ink and pine that always clung to him.

"I promise," she whispered into his hand. "I promise you, Derek."

Derek watched her. He felt the sincerity in her words. He felt her fear, and he felt her love. She wasn’t rejecting him. She was protecting their future family. She was being the wise mother he knew she would be.

The sadness left his eyes. A look of fierce determination replaced it. His jaw set.

"Then I will make the world safe," Derek said. His voice was a vow. "I will clear the threats. I will destroy Liam if I have to. I will give you that peace, Marissa."

He smiled. It was a smile of hope, strong and bright.

He caressed her cheek with his thumb, wiping away a stray tear she hadn’t realized had fallen.

"I will hold you to that promise, Mari," he said softly.

He pulled her in.

He kissed her. It wasn’t a kiss of passion, but a kiss of agreement, a kiss of shared purpose.

They sat by the dying fire, wrapped in the fur blanket, two warriors preparing for the final battle so that one day, they could just be parents.