Heroine-Saving System: Reborn In A Third-Rate Manga As The Protagonist

Chapter 191: My Womb Won’t Fail!

Miyuki gripped the fabric of Koya’s shirt so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

She kept her body pressed flush against his back, using his tall broad frame as a human shield against the terrifying aerial threat that was currently hovering above them.

“Papa! Move out of the way!” Mable demanded cheerfully with her draconic wings beating the air with a steady powerful rhythm. “The evil dragon needs to capture the princess so you can come save her! It’s integral to the plot!”

“Mable,” Koya sighed with the exhaustion of the Mid-terms finally catching up to his vocal cords. “I am holding roughly fifty thousand Royals worth of highly delicate desserts. I am not playing the valiant knight right now and please stop terrorizing your future… Mama Miyuki.”

“Fiancée,” Miyuki squeaked from behind him with her voice muffled against his spine. “I’m your fiancée…”

Mable blinked her large blue eyes then, her gaze shifted downward, locking onto the glossy paper bags in Koya’s hands.

Her draconic pupils instantly dilated. The game of ‘Princesses and Dragons’ was immediately, permanently canceled in the face of a much higher priority.

‘Sugar!’

Whoosh!

Mable dove from the air with the speed of a striking falcon. Koya didn’t even have time to activate his newly enhanced vampire reflexes.

He just felt a sudden gust of wind, a blur of hair, and the distinct sensation of weight vanishing from his right hand.

Mable landed gracefully on the marble tiles a few feet away, her wings folding neatly behind her back. In her small hands, she victoriously held the largest, most expensive box of assorted chocolate cookies they had bought.

“For me?” Mable asked, tilting her head and flashing him a smile so devastatingly innocent and radiant that it could have melted the polar ice caps.

Koya let out a long, defeated breath.

You couldn’t exactly argue with a dragon, especially not one that possessed weaponized cuteness.

“Sure,” Koya said, shaking his head with a fond smile. “But you can’t eat all of those yourself. Fly upstairs and call Yuna and Akemi down. Tell them I’m back, and tell them Nami brought food.”

“Yay! Okay, Papa!” Mable cheered.

She launched herself backward, her wings snapping open as she shot through the massive double doors of the mansion and zoomed up the grand central staircase with her voice echoing through the massive estate. “MAMA YUNA! MAMA AKEMI! PAPA BROUGHT SUGAR!”

With the immediate threat of dragon-kidnapping neutralized, Miyuki finally let go of Koya’s shirt. She stepped back, awkwardly trying to smooth down the massive, ridiculous layers of pink tulle that made up her skirt.

“You can come inside now,” Nami said, stepping past them with an amused smile, carrying the remaining two bags. “I’m going to set all this up in the dining room before it melts.”

Koya nodded, following Nami inside.

The interior of Star Mansion was as breathtaking as always, with its towering vaulted ceilings, pristine marble floors, and elegant, modern furnishings.

It was a home fit for a king or in his case, a newly crowned Vampire King.

He carried the bags into the sprawling dining room.

The table was long enough to seat twenty people comfortably and Nami was already bustling around, pulling boxes and intricately wrapped packages from the bags.

She opened the boxes one by one, spreading out an absolute feast of high-tier sweets.

There were dark chocolate truffles dusted with edible gold, strawberry shortcakes with impossibly white, fluffy frosting, mangoes sliced into perfect geometric shapes, and macarons that looked like miniature galaxies.

The rich, intoxicating scent of vanilla, cocoa, and fresh fruit immediately filled the room.

Koya set his bags down on the table, letting Nami take over the arrangement. He turned his attention back to the doorway.

Miyuki was awkwardly shuffling into the dining room, holding her hoop skirt up so it wouldn’t snag on the doorframe.

Her face was flushed a deep, feverish red, and she actively avoided making eye contact with him.

“Alright,” Koya said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the edge of the dining table. “Care to explain?”

Miyuki froze. “E-explain what?”

“First of all, why are you here?” Koya asked, his tone gentle but genuinely curious. “I mean, it’s nice to see you, but I wasn’t expecting you to be at my house after all…”

Miyuki swallowed hard with her fingers twisting the pink tulle of her dress.

“W-well… when we got officially engaged… you told my father that I would be moving in with you. To… to officially begin our cohabitation and deepen our bond before the wedding.”

Koya blinked.

He actually had said that.

During that incredibly tense meeting with the Aozora Clan Head, he had laid out the terms of their engagement to ensure Miyuki’s safety.

He just hadn’t expected her to pack her bags and show up the exact day after Mid-terms ended.

“Right,” Koya nodded slowly with his mind adjusting to the fact that he was now officially living with his fiancée.

“Okay. That explains why you’re here. Now, second question…” He gestured vaguely up and down her body. “Why are you dressed like a royal runaway from a Disney movie?”

Miyuki’s face somehow turned even redder.

“I… I didn’t want to! But Mable-chan…”

Before she could finish her sentence, the clicking of heels echoed against the marble floor of the hallway.

Stepping into the dining room was a tall, elegant woman with sharp features and a perfectly composed expression.

It was Kaede, the personal maid who had served Miyuki in the Aozora main household but she wasn’t wearing her traditional Aozora clan uniform anymore.

She was wearing a custom-tailored Star Mansion maid outfit. It was sleek, professional, and undeniably form-fitting, predominantly black with pristine white ruffles and a small tasteful star emblem embroidered on the breast pocket.

“Welcome home, Master Koya,” Kaede said smoothly, dropping into a perfect ninety-degree bow.

Koya raised an eyebrow.

‘Right… I haven’t taken her Earth affinity yet.’ He thought and sighed.

“Welcome to Star Mansion, Kaede.” Koya said politely.

Kaede straightened up, her gaze shifting to her flustered mistress. “To answer your question, Master Koya… Lady Miyuki is wearing that dress because the young Miss Mable absolutely insisted upon it. She stated that if Lady Miyuki wished to live in this house, she had to play her designated role in the kingdom.”

“She bullied you into it?” Koya asked, fighting back a laugh.

“She has very convincing eyes!” Miyuki protested weakly. “And she’s so strong… I couldn’t say no!”

“Papa! Did someone say my name?”

A blur of gold shot into the dining room from the ceiling.

Mable, having apparently flown up the grand staircase, alerted her mothers, and then simply dropped back down through the open second-floor balcony, plummeted toward Koya.

He didn’t even flinch. He just reached his arms out.

Mable didn’t land in his arms, though. She expertly shifted her center of gravity mid-air, flared her wings to brake, and landed two soft, stockinged feet directly on top of Koya’s head.

“I am the most amazing princess!” Mable declared loudly to the room, standing triumphantly on Koya’s blonde hair and striking a heroic pose with her hands on her hips. “And I have captured the King!”

“You’re a menace, is what you are…” Koya chuckled.

He reached up with both hands, ignoring her ‘fearsome’ dragon status, and immediately began tickling her sides.

“Ah! No! Papa, wait—!” Mable shrieked with her heroic composure instantly shattering.

She squirmed and kicked her little legs, her wings flapping uselessly as Koya’s fingers mercilessly attacked her ticklish spots.

“Who’s the captured King now?” Koya teased, pulling her off his head and trapping her against his chest, continuing the tickle assault.

Mable laughed so hard she was practically wheezing, her high-pitched giggles echoing off the dining room walls.

“Papa! Yield! I yield! Ahahaha! Spare the dragon!”

He finally stopped, letting her catch her breath. She went completely limp in his arms, resting her head against his shoulder with a massive, satisfied grin on her face. Koya wrapped his arms around her securely, resting his chin gently on top of her hair.

She felt heavier than she had weeks ago, her accelerated draconic growth making her look more like a seven-year-old child than an infant…

It was a strange and terrifying feeling. He was a father… A real father, to a child who looked at him like he hung the stars in the sky.

Across the room, Miyuki stood perfectly still, watching the interaction.

Her blue eyes were wide, tracking every micro-expression on Koya’s face.

The way his eyes softened when he looked at the little girl.

The careful, protective way he held her.

“Is she…” Miyuki started with her voice barely a whisper.

She took a hesitant step forward, her hoop skirt rustling loudly. “Koya-kun… is Mable really your daughter?”

The dining room quieted down.

Nami paused in her arrangement of the truffles, looking over. Kaede stepped back toward the wall, blending into the background as a good maid should.

Koya looked up from Mable, meeting Miyuki’s uncertain gaze.

He didn’t hesitate.

“Yes,” Koya said firmly, his voice filled with absolute, undeniable conviction. “She is my daughter.”

Mable beamed, hugging Koya’s neck tightly.

Miyuki’s breath hitched in her throat. She looked down at the floor, her hands gripping the fabric of her dress so hard they trembled.

A sharp, agonizing sting of inadequacy flared in her chest.

She was supposed to be his fiancée. She was supposed to be his primary partner. Yet, here he was, already building a family… Already acting as a father and what had she done?

Guilt washed over her.

“I’m sorry,” Miyuki blurted out suddenly with the words tumbling from her lips before she could stop them.

Koya blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in tone. “Sorry? For what?”

“For… for everything,” Miyuki stammered, finally forcing herself to look up and meet his crimson eyes. “After the mid-terms… after the Impostors Among Us exam in the virtual reality… I completely froze you out. I ignored you.”

Her voice cracked slightly.

She knew it was just a game… She knew it was a psychological assessment designed to test deception… She knew nobody had actually died…

But the terrifying ruthlessness of his betrayal had triggered a primal fear inside her.

She had let that fear control her, avoiding him for days, failing to act like the supportive partner she had promised to be.

“It was just a game,” Miyuki continued, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “You were just doing what you had to do to win. You were being brilliant, and strategic, and strong and I… I acted like a frightened child. I wasn’t there to congratulate you properly. I wasn’t there to support you. I’m a terrible fiancée.”

Koya’s expression softened completely.

He understood exactly why she had reacted that way. She was the Aozora heiress… sheltered, gentle, and incredibly kind-hearted.

Witnessing the person she trusted most execute a brutal betrayal, even in a simulation, was bound to be traumatic.

“Miyuki, hey,” Koya said gently. He stepped forward, still holding Mable in one arm, and reached out his free hand. He placed it softly on top of her blue hair, gently ruffling the strands. “You don’t need to apologize for that. It was a brutal exam. I don’t blame you at all for needing some space.”

Miyuki leaned into his touch instinctively with her eyes fluttering shut. His hand was so warm.

“But I want to be worthy of you,” she whispered, opening her eyes. “I want to be someone who can stand beside you. Not just someone who hides behind you.”

Koya smiled… that genuine, breathtaking smile that always made her heart skip a beat.

“You already are worthy, Miyuki. Just by being here.”

He pulled his hand back, stepping away to give her some space.

“Now, why don’t you go get changed out of that dress? The others will be down in a minute, and Nami bought enough cake to feed a small army.”

Miyuki nodded slowly but she didn’t turn to leave.

She stood frozen by the long dining table. Her eyes drifted downward, locking onto a simple object resting on the polished mahogany wood.

It was a tall, crystal-clear glass pitcher filled with ice water that Nami had brought out earlier.

Miyuki stared at it.

She focused her gaze on the surface of the water inside the pitcher.

‘Am I really enough?’ Miyuki thought, projecting her profound internal conflict directly into the ambient mana connecting her to the element. ‘He’s undeniably the strongest student in ALI. He has women like Hakai and others that are interested in him, even Kaguya…’

The water inside the pitcher began to tremble. Subtle, concentric ripples formed on the surface, radiating outward from the center.

‘They are all so strong,’ Miyuki continued her silent communion. ‘They can fight by his side. They can protect his back… All I have is my water magic and my family name. Is that really enough to keep his attention? To keep his love?’

The ripples in the pitcher grew more distinct.

The ambient moisture in the air around Miyuki seemed to hum, wrapping around her in an invisible, comforting embrace. It was as if the element itself was whispering back to her.

Miyuki’s breath hitched.

She looked at Koya, who was currently laughing at something Mable was whispering in his ear.

He was building a family…

If she couldn’t be a weapon that destroyed his enemies on the battlefield… then she would be the foundation that secured his future.

She would be the one who gave him the home, the warmth, and the family he so clearly desired.

‘Should I be bolder?’ Miyuki asked the water, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. ‘Should I just tell him?’

The water inside the pitcher suddenly surged upward, creating a tiny, perfectly formed cresting wave before splashing back down with a definitive plop.

Miyuki’s eyes widened.

A sudden overwhelming surge of pure courage flooded her veins, washing away the timidity and the hesitation that had defined her entire life.

She was not going to be left behind…

Miyuki spun around to face him.

She planted her feet firmly on the marble floor, completely disregarding the heavy pink tulle of her dress.

She clenched both of her hands into tight fists at her sides, took a massive, deep breath that filled her lungs to absolute capacity, and closed her eyes tight.

“KOYA-KUN!” Miyuki shouted.

Her voice rang out through the dining room with shocking volume, echoing off the high vaulted ceilings.

It was the loudest she had ever spoken in her entire life.

Koya jumped slightly, startled by the sudden outburst. Nami dropped a silver pastry fork onto the floor with a loud clatter.

Mable stopped mid-giggle, blinking her eyes in confusion. Kaede, standing by the wall, actually let out a quiet gasp of surprise.

“Miyuki?” Koya asked, thoroughly bewildered. “Are you okay? Did you step on a pin or something?”

Miyuki didn’t open her eyes.

Her face was burning so hot she felt like she might spontaneously combust, but she rode the wave of adrenaline all the way to the shore.

“You don’t need to worry about Mable being lonely!” Miyuki announced at the top of her lungs with the words tumbling out of her mouth like a torrential flood. “Because I am going to fulfill my duties as your primary fiancée! I will personally give you four… no, FIVE babies! I will bear you five strong, healthy children so Mable can have plenty of siblings to play with! You can count on my womb, Koya-kun!”

Dead silence fell over the dining room.

It was the kind of suffocating silence where you could hear a pin drop… The kind of silence where the sheer, absurd gravity of what was just said seemed to suck all the oxygen out of the room…

Nami was staring at Miyuki with her mouth hanging wide open, her cheeks flushing a brilliant shade of crimson on Miyuki’s behalf.

Kaede, the ever-composed maid, slowly raised a gloved hand to cover her mouth as her eyes went wide with shock at her mistress’s unprecedented vulgarity.

Mable just tilted her head to the side, processing the math.

“Five? That’s a lot of little brothers and sisters. Do I have to share my cookies with all of them?”

Koya stood absolutely perfectly still.

He stared at the blue-haired girl, who was currently trembling violently, her eyes still screwed shut tight, her face the color of a ripe tomato.

She had just screamed… at the top of her lungs, in front of an audience that she wanted to bear him five children.

This was the same girl who used to stutter and hide behind her hair if he merely told her she looked pretty.

Koya couldn’t help it.

He threw his head back and laughed.

Miyuki slowly cracked one eye open, peeking out at him in terror.

“Y-you’re laughing at me…” she whimpered with her courage rapidly evaporating.

“No, no, I’m not laughing at you, Miyuki,” Koya managed to say, wiping a tear of mirth from the corner of his eye.

He shifted Mable to his hip and walked over to her, closing the distance.

He looked down at her flushed, terrified face. The courage it must have taken for her to shout something like that… it proved exactly how much she cared.

How much she was willing to push past her own boundaries for him…

“Five babies, huh?” Koya asked, a wicked, teasing smirk spreading across his face.

He leaned in close, his voice dropping in a way that sent a shiver directly down Miyuki’s spine. “That’s quite the commitment, Princess. Are you sure you have the stamina for that?”

Miyuki’s brain completely short-circuited. “I… I… stamina? I…”

“Because,” Koya murmured, his crimson eyes locking onto her blue ones, “if you’re that eager to give Mable some siblings… we could always start practicing today. Once you get out of that dress, of course.”

Miyuki made a sound that was half-squeak and half-gasp. Her entire body locked up with steam practically whistling out of her ears.

“Ooooh!” Mable cheered from Koya’s arms, pointing a small, accusatory finger at Miyuki’s beet-red face. “The Princess is acting all shy now! She’s totally blushing! Papa broke the Princess!”

“I am not broken!” Miyuki protested weakly, covering her burning face with both hands. “I am just… Uh… Calibrating, yeah!”

“Calibrating?” Nami giggled from across the room, finally recovering from her shock. She picked up the dropped fork and placed it on a napkin. “I think you need to calibrate over a slice of strawberry cake, Miyuki. Before you actually faint.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Koya chuckled, finally taking mercy on his overwhelmed fiancée.

He patted Miyuki’s shoulder gently. “Go change. The babies can wait until after dessert.”

Miyuki didn’t say another word. She spun on her heel and practically sprinted out of the dining room, her massive pink hoop skirt knocking against the doorframe as she fled toward the stairs, with Kaede hurrying respectfully after her.

Koya watched her go, a warm contented feeling settling deep in his chest.

He looked down at the massive spread of premium pastries on the table.

“You know what, Nami?” Koya said, his stomach giving a loud demanding rumble. “I think I’m going to need those extra-sweet dark chocolate truffles. I have a feeling I’m going to need all the energy I can get.”