Chapter 506: How to Make Her Give Birth

“Y-Yukino-chan, you… drank it all?”

Yuigahama couldn’t believe it!

How did Yukinoshita manage it?

Downing that bizarre, creepy, disgusting concoction in one go…

“Mhm.”

Yukinoshita nodded almost bashfully.

Recalling how her bold one-gulp display must have looked to others, she flushed with embarrassment. Trying to hide it, she gave two light, awkward coughs.

“Y-Yukino-chan, y-you don’t feel sick? Anywhere?” Yuigahama pressed nervously, her voice tight.

Yukinoshita looked puzzled. She glanced at the empty container before her and answered softly, “No.”

After a moment’s thought, she added,

“The soup was quite nice.”

“N-nice?!”

Yuigahama hadn’t expected that sort of praise. She couldn’t help but look down.

In her own hands was an identical bowl of soup. She was clamping the lid shut with both hands, the memory of the carp’s violent rebellion still thrashing wildly in her mind.

To actually drink this soup…

Just the thought sent shivers down her spine.

Yukino-chan is amazing!

Did she somehow tame that carp monster already?

This idea took shape in Yuigahama’s mind, and before she knew it, her gaze shifted towards Yukinoshita’s stomach.

“Huh?”

Yukinoshita had a slender, graceful waist and a modest, unassuming chest. Yet, nestled between them, her lower belly showed a slight roundness. A subtle curve was clearly visible.

This curve, though faint, seemed upon closer inspection even more pronounced than the lines of her chest?

Yuigahama was shocked—

Just how bloating could this soup be?!

It managed to put a noticeable little paunch on slim and trim Yukino-chan!

This soup from Himekoji instantly shot up several danger levels in Yuigahama’s estimation!

If this was what happened to Yukinoshita after drinking it, Yuigahama absolutely couldn’t touch hers!

Noticing Yuigahama’s strange stare, Yukinoshita looked down in confusion, following the direction of her gaze.

A… a little tummy?

Yukinoshita froze. Then, a fierce blush spread across her face.

Suspecting it was from drinking the soup too quickly, she took a sharp breath in, trying to tighten her stomach muscles. It didn’t help much.

Following Yuigahama and Yukinoshita, Himekoji finally noticed the detail too.

That slightly rounded belly…

A… a baby!

This was the first thing that flashed through Himekoji’s mind. Knowing the truth gave him a different perspective than the two girls.

A surge of emotions – excitement, satisfaction, profound feeling – washed over him, replaced swiftly by confusion and sheer surprise.

This was only the second day of Yukinoshita’s pregnancy! Logically, her belly shouldn’t be showing at all yet!

Could it be… the Soul-Infused Carp Soup for Pregnancy Care?

It had to be!

Himekoji couldn’t think of any other explanation.

He recalled reading up that very morning. In these super early stages, the embryo couldn’t even be called a fetus; it was still just a fertilized egg dividing furiously, not yet taking any defined form. This period was usually called the germinal stage.

Himekoji had consulted many experienced folks online. Their answers were consistent: a visible baby bump typically wouldn’t appear until the third or fourth month.

He’d even breathed a sigh of relief, thinking this bought him time to keep the secret a little longer. He planned to tell Yukinoshita the truth only when it was absolutely necessary, or when the timing felt right…

And if Yukinoshita simply couldn’t accept it… if she didn’t want this child… well, he had a backup plan, thanks to the System.

Safe, painless, no side effects.

But the thought of that felt unbearably cruel to the child… If it came to that, it would likely be he, the dad, who couldn’t accept the loss.

Still, regardless of his own feelings, Himekoji knew deep down, and constantly reminded himself, that Yukinoshita’s choice would be the only one that mattered.

The real reason he hesitated to tell her was simple: he lacked confidence.

A high school girl. Top of her class. Pregnant before marriage.

If news like that got out, Yukinoshita’s current life would undoubtedly shatter beyond recognition.

Trying to see it from her perspective… if he were Yukinoshita, would he choose to carry this child to term?

It appeared inside her out of absolutely nowhere. She’d literally done nothing.

Could she possibly accept this child, appearing like something out of a ghost story, as her own flesh and blood?

Could she come to love it?

Or perhaps…

Wouldn’t she be afraid? Wouldn’t she be horrified? Wouldn’t she be disgusted?

Could she avoid those feelings?

Himekoji doubted it. He simply didn’t have the confidence.

The only path to saving the child, he racked his brain to conclude, was one thing:

Proposing to Yukinoshita!

And succeeding, too.

Then, they’d need to quickly… fill in the procedural steps of having a child, covering up the true timeline.

Just thinking about it made Himekoji realize the terrifyingly high difficulty level.

What he needed most was time, but the time he had left… was probably running out fast.

Paper can’t wrap up fire, after all.

Himekoji stared at Yukinoshita’s slightly rounded belly and thought this.

He began to regret asking Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye for help after finishing the pregnancy soup that morning.

After being infused with a “soul,” the effects of the Carp Soup for Pregnancy Care were just way too strong!

This wasn’t pregnancy care! This was baby turbo-charging!

A father’s intuition screamed at him: his child, right now, well… probably… maybe… could be…

Already three months old (facepalm)!

…