That evening, there was a farewell party. All the professors and doctors participating in the Chantal trip gathered.
The Chancellor covered the expenses, so we headed to a fancy restaurant. Noticing I looked unwell, the teachers offered me drinks instead of alcohol, and I ate plenty of fried shrimp.
Although everyone would do their best, they seemed to think it was unlikely we’d win the dragon egg at the Chantal conference.
After all, without Raiden and his dragon, our kingdom would be quickly overrun by the Empire if the international peace treaty fell apart. Even with the limit of medium-sized dragons, our strongest dragon, Tess Nigella, were no match for the powerful Chember Jewelry from the previous conference.
“So, will it be Shore?”
“Yes, Sir Roche is very interested.”
“Sir Roche, you say?”
“He might become a knight of Litton through special recruitment.”
“Count Shore must be very pleased.”
Are they talking about Damien Shore, the chronic hypochondriac I know?
I knew he was in Class A, but I didn’t realize he was that skilled.
He even came to me today during exams because he got sand in his eyes.
“Dr. Hale, are you feeling unwell?”
Despite my aloof personality, my condition must have looked really bad for Dr. Ren to ask me like that.
“Yes. I’ve been feeling really tired lately and I’m not sure if I can handle this schedule.”
“Come to think of it, you’ve been skipping lunch quite often, haven’t you?”
His remark hit home, but I tried not to show it and reached for my drink.
Without looking, my hand knocked over the glass, soaking my knee and leaving a dark stain on my skirt.
The smell of alcohol spread, but at least I didn’t accidentally drink any.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, it was my mistake. My clothes are wet, so I think I’ll head home early.”
It was good to have a reason to leave early. The only issue was how to return home without embarrassment.
Dr. Ren took off his coat and draped it over me.
Given that I am quite short and he is much taller, the long coat hid the wet spot well.
“Please wear this. It’s better than catching a cold. You have a long journey next week, and you can’t afford to get any worse.”
I was touched by his gruff kindness. For a moment, I wondered if he could be the father of my child, but quickly dismissed the thought.
Dr. Ren had a wife and wasn’t the type to stray. Besides, Mrs. Ren was quite famous for her temper. Given my situation, all sorts of thoughts crossed my mind.
“I’ll escort you to the carriage stop.”
“No, you’ve already lent me your coat. I can’t trouble you further.”
Dr. Ren insisted on accompanying me to the front of the store. I shivered in the cool night air and looked around.
The area was well-lit and busy, being near the Heim Wyler military camp and the Litton Wyler headquarters, making it relatively safe.
Still, it wasn’t common to see Raiden Rensher around the city when people caused trouble.
“Elly.”
A familiar voice called me. Raiden would usually pick me up a block away to avoid being seen, but tonight was different.
Dr. Ren stepped back, seemingly ready to protect me. I handed back his coat and explained the situation.
“He’s here to pick me up.”
After a pause, I added, “He’s family.”
Although Raiden had his hood pulled low to avoid recognition, Dr. Ren might still recognize him from a previous visit to Amort.
Dr. Ren noticed Raiden’s knight uniform and boots peeking from under his cloak.
“Thank you for coming out here. I’ll be going now. See you tomorrow.”
Raiden nodded to Dr. Ren and headed towards the carriage stop.
“Oh, I thought we’d be caught. How did you find me? I didn’t have time to contact you today.”
“I was meeting with Principal Amort about the Chantal. I heard about the gathering by chance. …Did you drink?”
“Of course not! I spilled it by accident.”
Raiden looked at me skeptically. The damp skirt clung to my legs, making me shiver.
“So cold.”
As soon as I spoke, Raiden checked the sky and then quickly wrapped me in his cloak.
“Why are you doing?”
“You’re sure you didn’t drink?”
“I didn’t! See the stain on my skirt?”
Raiden sighed in relief.
“Don’t drink in the future either.”
“I’m under a drinking ban anyway.”
“Even after the ban is lifted.”
“Yes, yes.”
Usually, I would have returned home quickly in Raiden’s arms, but given my current state, we took a carriage for the short distance.
It was fortunate that the coachman didn’t check Raiden’s face; otherwise, his red eyes would have drawn everyone’s attention at the stop.
Back at home, I washed up and changed clothes.
Although the smell of food was gone, the scent of alcohol seemed to have soaked into my skin.
Raiden was inspecting a pregnancy test device I had left carelessly on my desk.
“I’m in big trouble.”
“The Chantal International Academic Conference?”
“Ah, right, you mentioned you were visiting the school about that.”
I sighed deeply and sat on the bed, feeling the weight of forgotten worries.
“The thing is, His Majesty the King has high expectations for us to win. Everyone knows about Rotten Crombell-Krypton Diamond Dragon egg, even though is is hybrid. He’s already pressuring us to prepare a nursery for the young dragon.”
Seeing the worried faces of the professors and breeders made sense now. I remembered my father’s secret complaints after returning from the royal palace.
The king was always overexcited, making my father mutter about the foolish old man.
“Although he claims not to have high expectations, who would believe that? He’s already talking about a nursery. Anyway, the royal order suddenly included me in the Chantal team.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“He doesn’t want the valuable dragon eggs stolen.”
At this point, it felt like we might be exiled if we failed to win.
“Don’t worry. Even if we don’t win, we won’t be exiled. The queen knows it’s too much.”
Dr. Hale, I think mr. Shore is interested in you, which is why he is visiting so often.