I Am the Only Fertile Woman in the Game

Qiao Suisui internally declared that she didn't want to raise even one of them.

The two of them were affectionate for a while longer, and then Zong Fang carried her to bed to coax her to sleep, prattling on about his dreams for the future.

Two days later, Qiao Suisui finally came up with a way to get Zong Fang to take her back to the Auslan Empire.

...

"She was fine before I left, why has this happened?"

Zong Fang demanded with reddened eyes in desperation, while Renol answered hesitantly, "Dr. Zong Fang... I really don't know why... Miss Suisui was just eating her meal when suddenly she said her stomach hurt. We've checked many times, but can't find the reason."

Zong Fang didn't want to hear his nonsense and strode directly into her room, seeing a group of doctors and assistants around the bed. Qiao Suisui lay there, her little face deathly pale, her body covered in cold sweat from the pain, her hair sticking to her neck and cheeks. His heart felt as if it had been hammered.

"Qiaoqiao, be good, tell me where it hurts."

Qiao Suisui was lying on her side, clutching her stomach, her lips bitten from the pain. Half an hour ago, she had asked the system to simulate the effects of labor pains.

"Zong Fang, my stomach hurts so much, it feels like they're fighting inside," she said, and then arched back and closed her eyes in pain.

Zong Fang's hand on her stomach was trembling slightly; he tried to calm himself and then personally conducted a series of examinations on her.

".....It shouldn't be, it's not yet time for the birth."

Renol glanced at the sweating Qiao Suisui and mustered the courage to step forward and suggest, "Could it be fetal cannibalism?"

Fetal cannibalism refers to the situation where, during a multiple birth, the young fight over the nutrients from the mother, which usually occurs when the female's nutrient intake is insufficient. In a bid to survive, the offspring might consume their siblings to preserve themselves.

The midwife was bewildered, "But Miss Suisui's daily nutrient intake is completely up to standard, how could there be fetal cannibalism?"

Renol said, "Could it... be due to insufficient intake of male essence? Normally, a female gets pregnant after being marked by a male.... But Miss Suisui is an Ancient Human, she was never marked, and she left the father of the young soon after getting pregnant, perhaps insufficient male essence intake is causing the fetal cannibalism."

"Zong Fang... it hurts...."

Hearing her weak voice, Zong Fang, who had been silent, clenched his jaw, torn inside. He held her hand tightly, his silver eyes filled with tenderness, and he kept whispering soothing words to her.

"Qiaoqiao, it will stop hurting very soon, don't worry, I will solve it, it's going to be alright."

"Zong Fang, will the babies die... I'm scared..."

Actually, Zong Fang's first thought was how to alleviate her pain, rather than if the young would be fine. Hearing Qiao Suisui ask this question, he was momentarily stunned.

"No, I won't let you be harmed, nor the babies," he said, caressing her pregnant belly and kissing her forehead. Then he administered a sedative to Qiao Suisui, gently picked her up, and instructed Renol who was standing by—

"Get ready, I'm taking her to Atlantis."

...

...

In the evening, the Imperial Court.

Leberli stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the garden where servants were busily decorating the venue to welcome the mating ceremony in a few days.

In the darkness, the sound of footsteps came from behind, and without turning, he said, "Is everything taken care of?"

"Yes, thanks to Your Highness, I have reunited with my sister."

Leberli turned around, swirled the wine glass in his hand, and looked at Evon standing before him.

"That's good, it wasn't all for nothing then,"

Gratitude was all over Evon's face. His sister was an Artificial Female, a faulty product of genetic incubation with insufficient intelligence. Only because of Evon's meticulous care was she barely able to live independently.

Half a year ago, his sister had been kidnapped by a male and had since gone missing. The last trace of her was at an underground organization's auction. By the time Evon got the news and rushed over, his sister had already been sold. The buyer was a noble, and despite numerous attempts, Evon had been unable to rescue his sister. That's when he turned to Princess Isabelle, hoping to use her influence to save his sister.

Little did he know that while he was running errands for the princess, his sister's matter was being dragged on. It was Leberli who followed the thin clues dispersed in the Star Nebula and found Evon behind the scenes. He not only refrained from sending Evon to federal prison but also helped him rescue his sister.

"Your Highness, I owe you such a huge favor, and I will definitely pay it back,"

Leberli threw back his head and drained the wine in his cup with a carefree laugh.

"Don't rush. Answer me one question first. You've been by Sikoses's side for a decade, why didn't you seek his help in the crisis, but instead went to Isabelle?"

Evon's face showed difficulty as he said, "My lord's situation is not as favorable as the outside world imagines."

What he meant was, even if he asked, it would have been useless.

"Oh?"

"Since the Battle of Twin Wings, my lord has suffered from sexual dysfunction and proposed to dissolve his engagement with the princess. Duke Sikoses, upon hearing this, flew into a rage. He even scolded my lord in front of servants like me and declared that he would take back his family crest."

Leberli was surprised. So Ruka had wanted to end his relationship with the princess long ago... The family crest could command all male Lion Beastmen within the Sikoses clan, as well as vote on major family affairs, making it a very important symbol. If it were really taken back, it would signify the disposal of Ruka as the heir, and he would no longer be able to raise his head within the family.

Evon continued, "Since some time ago, my lord's crest has been missing. I discreetly made inquiries, but my lord did not respond, and his reaction didn't seem like he had lost it. I think, my lord must have lost his inheritance rights to the Sikoses family completely."

"So you went to seek Isabelle's help, what a fair-weather friend you are... What does that crest look like?" asked Leberli.

"A golden star embedded on five horizontal bars, that was something my lord always carried with him."

Leberli stroked his chin, seeming to have some recollection, but as he was not involved in the struggle for power, his knowledge of these matters was limited.

"Evon, this time you've been too smart for your own good,"

Evon's face paled, and he bowed to show his attentiveness.

"You only saw Sikoses's setback, but you overlooked his strength. Not a single male in the Military Department is there just to eat their fill. They are all arrogant and belligerent, yet they respect Sikoses utterly. They never question his orders. Is this just because the Sikoses family supports him? If he didn't have the skills, he would have been ousted long ago."

"And going to Isabelle? That was a truly bad move. She may seem supremely noble, but in reality, she is just a tool her uncle uses for political marriage. Out of her sixteen spouses, eight are from other Federation Member Countries, and eight are from major families of the Auslan Empire. Plus, she has been arrogant and wild since childhood and hasn't developed any real feelings with these spouses, it's just mutual exploitation. So tell me, what influence does she have?"

After listening, Evon turned as pale as a sheet and trembled, "Your Highness, I... I didn't tell the Princess about Miss Suisui's true identity. Maybe, maybe my lord will overlook this for the sake of the past decade and give me a break?"

Leberli burst out laughing as if he had heard a joke, then wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, his tone ice cold.

"You betrayed Sikoses and hurt the person he cherished the most. Do you think you still have a way back?"

Evon knelt with a thump, his mind in complete disarray.

Everyone said that Prince Leberli was dissipated, neglected by the Royal Family, and lacked presence. But today Evon was hugely shocked; the usually amiable and playful Leberli was nowhere to be seen. Looking at him, Evon felt a fear emanating from deep within, the innate Talent of those who play the game of power—manipulating hearts.

He crawled on his knees to Leberli's feet, grabbing his trouser legs and pleading non-stop for mercy.

"Your Highness, please give me a way out. I will be loyal to you from now on; I will do whatever you ask, Your Highness!"

Leberli sat in the shadows, the wine cup in his hands reflecting the moonlight. The second brightest thing was those sharp eyes shining through the darkness. His voice remained carefree, but the expression he wore while looking at Evon was as dignified and ruthless as that of someone in high authority.

"Alright, I'll give you a chance, but... you'd better seize it."

In the sumptuous bedchamber, devoid of light, Leberli leaned forward, half his body immersed in darkness, the other half bathed in moonlight. He whispered something into Evon's ear, which filled the latter's eyes with shock, struggle, despair, and determination.