Horribly enough, it’s been a week since I last had a proper meal.
Whether it’s fortunate or unfortunate that Raiden hasn’t shown up, I can’t say.
The smell of food remains nauseating. Despite self-examinations and consulting fellow doctors, the cause remains unknown.
They speculated it could be severe stress, a mishap while preparing medicine, an experimental accident, or even morning sickness—though it couldn’t possibly be the latter.
Either way, it was unsettling. For the past few days, I’ve been subsisting on chocolate cookies and carrots, desperately seeking a solution.
In the mirror, my gaunt face stared back. Dark circles loomed under my eyes, and my skin looked rough.
At this rate, I couldn’t even claim to be cute.
Sleepless nights had taken a toll on my skin and hair. I brushed my pale platinum hair and hastily braided it over my left shoulder.
Grabbing another carrot like a rabbit, I prepared my belongings.
Today, a special guest lecturer the students have been eagerly anticipating was visiting.
Checking the schedule, it appeared this guest would be at the school for a week before returning to the Knights.
Although their identity was yet unknown, rumors suggested a highly skilled knight, which had excited the students eligible for the Chantal competition.
After all, the Royal Knights boast only the most talented and renowned individuals. Particularly, Sir Raiden is known for his exceptional skills. Additionally, the vice-captain is a Hero, adding to the excitement.
Surprisingly, it had been quite a while since I last saw Raiden, so I had no idea who the guest lecturer might be.
Nevertheless, I intended to share some chocolate cookies as a token of appreciation for serving as vice-captain. I packed another bag of Mrs. Nora’s freshly baked chocolate cookies, a staple from the bakery where I’d become a regular over the past week. I was certain that even if they didn’t recognize my face, everyone in the Litton Wyler knew my name, Elly Hale, and my distinctive features: blonde hair and blue eyes.
The schedule indicated a welcome event for the guest lecturer from Litton Wyler and Heim Wyler, replacing the morning classes.
Arriving early, I concealed my weary appearance with makeup. Though such events were typically not my concern, the Litton Wyler captain had specifically requested my attendance, leaving me no choice.
I planned to visit the second building after the event to check out the dragon from Heim Wyler. Or perhaps, share chocolate cookies with the unfortunate unnamed knight from Litton Wyler. Raiden, even as a Hero, was never one to neglect training, and I was convinced that many knights in Litton Wyler had fallen victim to his sparring sessions.
Given the slim chance of being assigned to the first building, akin to the likelihood of Raiden training today, I packed my bag in advance, donned my usual doctor’s coat, grabbed another carrot, and headed out.
Rubbing my unsettled stomach, I moved behind the podium. As expected, the students were buzzing with excitement.
Some professors shared their enthusiasm.
Finding a seat among the medical staff, I watched the visitors from the Royal Knights. Sir Noah, an aide I had previously met, stood out. Besides him, there were a few unfamiliar knights from Heim Wyler.
“Do you know which knight is visiting today?”
“Oh, Miss Hale, you’re early. No, we don’t know yet. I heard they’ll introduce them soon. It seems Sir Raiden isn’t coming.”
It was unlikely that Raiden, a Hero, would serve as a mere guest lecturer at a knight school. Still, some teachers appeared a bit disappointed, perhaps harboring some hope.
I turned my attention from the excited teachers discussing their distant glimpses of Sir Raiden at parties.
“His hair is black as the night sky, with a hint of blue, like the pre-dawn sky or a deep ocean. His eyes, with the unique red glow of a Hero, shine like the sun, sometimes appearing as red gemstones. Even from a distance, his gaze is extraordinary. It’s vividly imprinted in my memory.”
“Oh, wow. I wish I could see him even once.”
As expected from someone who once majored in classical literature but gave it up for lack of prospects.
He even hails from Natalie, known for his flirtatious ways.
That he could describe a person so extensively!
He once told me my hair was like soft cotton candy, and my eyes like glass beads—a roundabout way of saying my hair wasn’t in great condition.
Talking away, the time passed, and the guests, as well as all the students, had arrived.
Stifling a yawn, I tried to stay alert throughout the event.
“…and so, I express my deep gratitude, concluding this ceremony.”
The principal’s speech had stretched to an hour.
I marveled at the unwavering posture of the Litton Wyler knights. It was said the king’s speeches, when he visited the knights, often lasted an hour—rumored to be a tactic to avoid work.
These knights’ steadfastness was admirable. Being a knight was indeed a tough job.
“Lastly, I thank you all once again, and this concludes the ceremony.”
I stopped fidgeting with my hands and stood up.
After brief exchanges of greetings and salutes between professors and knights, the ceremony ended.
Other teachers began preparing to return to their wards, and I too gathered my belongings, ready to head to the second building.
At that moment, I caught the eye of Sir Noah, conversing with the head of the knight faculty, Sir Twining. Sir Noah nodded slightly, acknowledging me. A nearby Litton Wyler knight also glanced at me, showing a surprised expression before quickly composing himself.
According to Sir Noah, I was quite famous in Litton Wyler, second only to Raiden.
Even those who hadn’t seen me knew me as Raiden’s handler.
I wondered if my number would end up on the emergency contact list. Sir Noah once tried to get my consent for this while I was drunk, but Sir Hamel, the Litton Wyler captain, intervened, understanding the gravity of my drunken state.
That incident passed without much trouble, as Sir Hamel, whom I had some rapport with due to an incident involving Raiden, made sure I didn’t get too intoxicated. He once shared a drink with me and experienced my three-stage drunkenness firsthand. According to him, stage one was fine, but I should never reach stage two.
After a quick exchange of greetings with the Litton Wyler knights, I was pulled towards the first building by Professor Len. I figured I could distribute the cookies while making small talk later, perhaps finding out what Raiden had been up to recently.
* * *
Even though the dispatched knights needed personal training time, the classes proceeded according to a specially designed curriculum for those selected as potential participants in the Chantal competition.
I sat by the ward window with the best view, sipping hot chocolate to soothe my empty stomach.
I should have noticed it when the chocolate cookies went down smoothly; the chocolate masked any fishy smell.
I spread out a variety of treats on the table—hot chocolate, chocolate cookies, and a scone stuffed with chocolate chips that I had begged from the nurse with a pitiful look—and flipped through an herbal encyclopedia without much purpose.
It was a futile attempt to find the cause or a solution for my wretched retching. I searched for herbs that paired well with chocolate, drinking my hot chocolate as I went.
Suddenly, there was a tremendous cheer from outside.
A dragon, likely partnered with a knight dispatched from Heim, was soaring through the sky.
It was a massive golden dragon, twice the size of the dragons usually seen at the school, its wings covered with a membrane instead of feathers.
The dragon maneuvered freely in the air, performing acrobatics and even spitting a small flame before flying toward what seemed to be the stables of the second building.
Seeing the black spike on its tail, I realized it was Gold Schumann.
Though known for being gentle, its large size made it difficult to handle, indicating that a highly skilled knight had been dispatched. I clicked my tongue, imagining the knight managing to ride such a large dragon and perform a 180-degree spin. No matter how securely fastened, I could never do that.
“Excuse me.”
“Gasp!”
Immersed in my book, I jumped up at the sudden voice and the touch on my shoulder. Seeing the face, I instinctively put down the thick book I had picked up.
“Sorry, I called but you didn’t respond.”
“No, it’s fine. I must have been too focused.”
The person who grabbed my shoulder was a knight from Litton. When introduced, they said he was Sir Camel Roche, the next most skilled knight after the vice-captain in Litton Wyler.
I remembered his face right away because he shared the same name as my eldest brother.
Sir Roche, with an apologetic look, introduced himself. Camel Roche, 35 years old. Even the same age as my brother.
“It must be lunchtime already. Those bad people. They all left me behind.”
Embarrassed, I complained about being left behind by people who had gone without me, though in reality, I couldn’t eat with them. Sir Roche looked at me, seeming quite intrigued.
“It may be impolite, but I’ve heard many stories. However, contrary to the rumors…”
“Ah, Sir Rensher has been talking about me?”
“Yes. Sometimes he mentions you during training.”
Currently, I’m using the surname Hale, not Gingerbell. The Hale family is the former Gingerbell family, and there are no noble families using this surname now. So, he might think I’m a commoner, but his respectful demeanor suggests he’s heard something like we were childhood friends.
Since I’m an adult who ran away, there’s little information about me, leading to many rumors. Knights usually don’t get swept up in such rumors, but ‘Hero Raiden Rensher’ is different.
From what Sir Roche said, it seems I’m regarded as a strict or cold nanny, someone Raiden can’t defy—a nanny, in short.
How annoying.
“I’m not a nanny.”
“Yes…”
Despite my response, Sir Roche didn’t seem entirely convinced.
He left with my autograph, carrying a piece of paper with my signature and a cherished chocolate cookie.
I tried to ignore the sight of the kingdom’s promising knight leaving with such enthusiasm. They’re all Raiden fanatics.
I should have known from when the captain came personally because Raiden couldn’t adjust to the squad.
Having also eaten chocolate cookies for lunch, I prepared to slack off, since there were surprisingly no injured.
After all, I was just here on a business trip to the first building, so sneaking off shouldn’t be a big deal. I waited for the right moment, grabbed my snacks and book, and quietly slipped away.
Just before reaching the second building, I remembered what I had forgotten: to ask how Raiden has been doing lately.
I am guessing that the Female Lead is somehow pregnant from the symptoms that she is currently showing.