Did I Wrong the Hero"

In the apocalypse,

I acted out due to my pregnancy.

Others couldn't even get water, but I'd make Richard clear out zombie-infested supermarkets just to get me milk.

Until I gave birth to a zombie baby.

I fainted from shock, then was jolted awake by the system:

[I told you to romance the male lead, not to cheat on him!]

[And a zombie, no less! Now it's impossible to trick the male lead into taking the kid!]

[The male lead already hates zombies. Now you and your baby are definitely going to be thrown into the zombie horde...]

Richard once again offered me milk, warmed with his powers.

I frantically shook my head.

"I-I'm never drinking milk again."

"Say that again. What's in my belly?"

The system repeated firmly:

[You're carrying a zombie!]

After humanity entered the apocalypse, the medical system completely collapsed.

Fortunately, I was still bound to a system that regularly helped me with prenatal check-ups.

The progress of romancing Richard had been stuck at 99%.

The system and I both agreed that the key to ultimate success lay with this child.

At the moment of complete domestic bliss, the strong, tragic male lead would surely be completely healed.

But now.

It was telling me that what I was carrying was not Richard's child at all.

But a zombie's?

My vision went black.

I fainted instantly from fright.

Richard was the leader of the Southern Base. Everyone knew he detested zombies.

He killed every one he saw.

That's how he earned his current top-tier ability and status.

[Youth is good, just fall over and sleep. But host, wake up first.]

The system jolted me awake with a "biu."

It was utterly heartbroken.

[I told you to romance the male lead, not to cheat on him!]

[And with a zombie, no less! Now it's impossible to trick the male lead into taking the kid!]

[The male lead already hates zombies. Now you're doomed. He's definitely going to throw you and your baby into the zombie horde...]

I was utterly confused.

And collapsing.

"How could this happen..."

Good heavens.

I truly never cheated on him!

No.

Except for that one time...

That day, I found a bottle of fruit wine among the supplies Richard had gathered.

I couldn't resist drinking it all.

In my drunken stupor, I vaguely saw a pair of red eyes.

Chilling, dangerous.

Clearly not the eyes of a normal human.

Those belonged to the legendary high-level zombies.

Half-sober, I was terrified.

I tried to run.

But was dragged back by my ankle.

When I woke up, I was lying in the base's bedroom.

Richard was bringing me food back to the room.

I simply thought it was a dream.

Now that I think about it.

Richard's expression was a bit strange then. He asked me, "Do you remember anything? Do you feel any discomfort?"

I was so embarrassed, I thought he was asking about his performance last night.

I threw a pillow at him.

"Don't ask!"

He froze for a moment, then said nothing more.

He just pulled me into his arms, holding me very tightly.

"How about we draw lots again?"

The ability team was discussing personnel assignments for a mission, when someone suddenly suggested, in a nuanced tone.

Pulling my thoughts back.

I looked at them blankly:

"Why redraw?"

Then I realized they were also observing my reaction.

It turned out that during the drawing, Richard and a newly joined female ability user, Sarah, were accidentally chosen to go on an S-rank mission together.

I was notorious for my 'demanding' nature, leveraging my beauty.

Since seeking protection from Richard, the Southern Base leader, I had a reputation for being 'difficult'.

I was very possessive of him.

If he was going out on a mission, I'd cling to his arm and insist on going for a drive with him.

If he spoke an extra word to a female team member, I'd be jealous for three days straight.

Not to mention this kind of isolated outing for two people, a man and a woman.

My behavior only intensified after I got pregnant.

But now...

The system urgently warned me, [At this point, let's not be arrogant. Put the romance mission aside; self-preservation is key!]

[It was understandable that you were possessive of the male lead for the sake of the mission. But now, self-preservation is paramount. Listen to me, it's best to quickly hand over the male lead, this hot potato, to the female second lead...]

[Anyway, you don't really have feelings for him beyond the mission.]

Hearing that last sentence.

My hand paused, mid-stroke, on my belly. My thick eyelashes lowered, concealing a hint of bitterness.

In the living room.

Richard said calmly, "No need."

"I can handle it alone. Sarah can go with your other team..."

Before he could finish.

I quickly interrupted:

"Just follow the drawing."

"Sarah's abilities complement yours perfectly. You two go together."

Richard looked at me in surprise, his eyes dimming slightly.

I returned a sweet, soft smile.

Evening.

Everyone had returned from their missions.

Except for Richard and Sarah, who had the most arduous task.

Following their tracker, we found them in a warehouse of an abandoned supermarket.

Richard was shirtless, his muscles wrapped in bandages.

Sarah was crouching in front of him, her hand resting on his chest.

Hearing the commotion.

She frantically withdrew her hand and stood up.

"Why are you all here?"

As she spoke, she made small, restless gestures.

Tossing her hair, her cheeks flushed:

"I was treating Captain Hayes's wounds. He's quite hurt... Please don't overthink it, Phoebe."

The other team members exchanged glances, having initially not thought much of it.

I also stood motionless.

Richard's gaze was as cold as ever, but on closer inspection, it seemed to hold a hint of tension.

Everyone was waiting for my reaction.

I pursed my lips.

But, uncharacteristically, I was generous.

"Well, why don't we wait for them in the car? We'll head back together after they've finished treating their wounds."

The air was silent for two seconds.

The others were momentarily unsure if I was being sarcastic.

Richard's face darkened.

Ignoring his wounds, he picked up his shirt and put it on.

He hoisted a carton of milk supplies by his side and walked away.

As he brushed past me.

He gave me a fleeting glance.

That look sent shivers down my spine.

On the way back, he didn't say a word.

When we got home, he still heated a cup of bedtime milk for me first.

Then he sat there, changing his own dressing.

I went to help.

He pulled his hand back.

"No need."

I froze.

He struggled to wrap the bandage himself, one hand being inconvenient, making a messy job of it.

Eventually, I snatched it from him and re-bandaged it properly.

In the quiet bedroom, a low, hoarse, unwilling voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Why weren't you angry today?"

My hand paused.

I chose to feign ignorance.

"Huh, angry about what?"

"Phoebe, don't pretend."

His dark eyes were still, fixed on me.

I continued to wrap the bandage, speaking softly. "You two were treating wounds, what's there to be angry about?"

On the way here.

Afraid my emotions would trigger early labor, the system showed me the remote monitoring.

They truly weren't doing anything.

Besides, I was carrying another being's child in my belly.

Even if they really were doing something.

What right did I have to be angry at him?

He was silent for a few seconds.

"Phoebe, you weren't like this before."

That night, Richard tossed and turned.

Suddenly, he hugged me from behind, his hand resting on my belly, even unconsciously stroking it a few times.

My body stiffened. I knew he couldn't tell the baby's species by touch.

Still, I instinctively felt guilty.

As soon as I moved his hand away.

He put it back.

"You, don't want to?"

I moved it away again.

"No."

He stopped moving.

After a while, his voice was muffled, containing a hint of uncontrollable joy. "You really are angry after all."

I shook my head. "No, I'm just tired."

He was silent for a moment.

His hand reached over again, this time gently pulling me into his embrace.

"I'm sorry, you're tired from pregnancy. Just sleep if you're tired."

I didn't struggle anymore.

But I couldn't sleep either, secretly rubbing my leg.

I actually wanted to...

Late-pregnancy hormones were acting up, making my body uncomfortably restless.

I had secretly asked my doctor friend before.

She said it was okay, as long as we were careful.

But Richard was afraid of hurting me.

Each time, he would unilaterally attend to my needs, then use his powers to take a cold shower.

Or he'd go out to hunt zombies to vent, returning with a chill and then hugging me tightly again.

Today, he definitely wouldn't touch me.

Sure enough, he hugged me for a while, then released me and went to the bathroom.

The sound of rushing water went on for a long time.

When he came out, he carried a coolness with him.

He lay down again, this time a little further from me.

Waking up the next morning, a pile of crystal cores lay on the pillow beside me.

All of them were his earnings from yesterday.

I had no abilities, so I couldn't absorb them.

But I liked these sparkly things, like diamonds or crystals.

He always saved them for me.

I counted them. There were more than usual.

He probably gave me all of yesterday's spoils.

I looked up.

And saw Richard staring intently at me.

Our eyes met, and he awkwardly looked away.

"Awake?"

I nodded.

Clutching those crystal cores, my heart ached.

"I heard... Sarah is at a bottleneck in her Level 3 abilities and needs a lot of crystal cores to level up. Maybe you should give these to her instead?"

"It would be a waste if they were given to me."

"And the milk, you don't have to bother with it next time either."

"A-anyway, I'm almost due, so I don't need extra nutrition anymore..."

He stared at me silently for a while.

Just as I felt a chill run down my spine, he suddenly chuckled softly, with a hint of obsession.

"Phoebe, when you suddenly clung to me, saying you liked me, I asked why, and you said you wanted my protection. I gave it."

As he spoke.

He suddenly pressed close, pinning me against the headboard of the bed.

"Now you're telling me you don't want anything anymore. Why? Is there another man offering you more?"

"Tell me if there's anything I can't give you. I can find anything for you, just tell me."

The system told me to stop being difficult, and to be thoughtful and generous, to make him happy.

I was already changing.

But why did he seem even angrier?

I stared at his cold profile, feeling very uneasy myself.

Richard was injured last night.

The system once again started fretting for me, [It's over! It looks like the baby in your belly is about to be exposed, and you've gone and gotten the male lead injured again?]

I wanted to cry but had no tears. "I didn't! He was injured on the mission."

[This is the apocalypse. Water is more precious than gold, let alone milk. You keep clinging to him, demanding milk every day. Yesterday, he risked injury just to reclaim that carton of milk from dozens of zombies...]

I froze.

I liked drinking milk, especially a cup of warm milk before bed.

But that was a pre-apocalypse habit.

I had just mentioned it casually, never expecting Richard to remember it all this time.

Just as I was about to say something.

A sharp pain shot through my belly.

My face changed.

Richard suddenly sat up. "Phoebe, are you going into labor"

I endured the pain, shaking my head.

"It's nothing, maybe just... a stomach upset."

"Aren't you leading a zombie clear-out today? Go quickly. I'm really fine."

He didn't move.

"I'm not going."

My heart was pounding, threatening to burst.

If he didn't go out, and I suddenly went into labor.

Wouldn't everything be exposed?

"Really, it's nothing. Just a cramp earlier, it's fine now. Your mission is important, don't delay."

He stared at me, silent.

I forced out a pale smile, pushing him out.

I looked incredibly considerate.

"Go on, go on, don't make the team wait."

He was silent for a few seconds, then rose and got dressed with a cold expression.

He walked to the door.

Turned to look at me.

"Even if you hate me, it's too late!"

"You provoked me first. I gave you a chance to leave, but you didn't take it. Trying to get rid of me again? Impossible."

A startling obstinacy flashed in his eyes.

He abruptly pulled open the door and left.

The sound of the door closing was still silent, however.

I've always lacked a sense of security since childhood, developing a habit of being easily startled by sudden noises.

After he left.

I slowly leaned against the headboard, biting my lower lip hard to keep from crying out.

My eyes were already red, ring after ring.

I gently patted my belly.

Baby, just bear with it a little longer.

Mommy hasn't figured out a way yet.