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'That's why I tried so hard to push him away...'
But in the end, she had failed to distance herself from Felix, and they had become even closer than in her previous life.
And now, Ayla herself had reached a point where she could no longer deceive her own heart.
"Yes, what's done is done anyway."
There was no use dwelling on the past and regretting it.
So now was the time for her to be honest about her feelings and move forward, just like Felix.
It was the moment Ayla was trying to pull herself together and get up.
"Piyoong."
At the whimpering sound coming from somewhere, Ayla looked up and examined the bed.
There, Piyo was buried in the blanket, tossing and turning.
'Did he wake up at my presence?'
Ayla slowly approached and checked on Piyo's condition. Fortunately, Piyo was still fast asleep.
'It seems he was just talking in his sleep.'
While thinking it was a relief, a small anxiety flickered in Ayla's mind.
These days, Piyo spent most of his time asleep. She thought it couldn't be helped since he was still a baby, but recently he had been sleeping suspiciously too much.
Normally, he would wake up and greet her as soon as she returned home, but even now, he was asleep without the slightest movement.
'It seems strange to say it's just because he's still a baby.'
Like most babies, Piyo's daily life was a repetition of eating and sleeping. When he was awake, he ate a lot, and after filling his belly, he immediately fell asleep.
The problem was that once he fell asleep, he rarely woke up no matter how much noise was made.
Come to think of it, she remembered that he had been sleeping in the barracks throughout the Subjugation Contest, even though it was so noisy.
'Could he be sick somewhere after all...?'
Ayla stared at Piyo with worried eyes.
[Negotiations with Count Arman are proceeding smoothly. I will contact you again as soon as the land purchase is completed.
-Baron Lucy.]
Peony folded the letter with a satisfied smile.
Fortunately, Baron Lucy, who was put forward as a proxy buyer, was doing an excellent job.
Of course, the negotiations could only be smooth because Count Arman's finances were declining.
'I'll be able to buy the land for much cheaper than I thought.'
As soon as she finished checking, she threw the letter into the fireplace. Then, the blazing flames swallowed the white paper.
As long as Lona was by her side, she had to get rid of such evidence right away.
'It's a bit of a hassle, but it can't be helped. If I touch Lona even a little, the enemies will notice right away.'
Soon after, Peony's door burst open. Unlike usual, without asking for any permission.
Peony frowned and turned her head.
'I told Lona clearly not to enter without knocking.'
The only person who could freely enter and leave her room was Ayla.
But since she had never come to her room first, Peony naturally assumed it was Lona.
Peony, who was about to scold her severely, widened her eyes the moment she saw the person entering the room.
"Ayla? Are you okay?"
She was very out of breath, as if she had run in a hurry. Peony's gaze, which was examining Ayla's condition, naturally turned downwards.
Soon, something white and large in her arms caught her eye.
"What on earth is that?"
"...I woke up and Piyo became like this."
"That's Piyo?"
Instead of answering, Ayla teared up and didn't know what to do. Feeling a sense of crisis at the sight, Peony strode over.
Looking closely, black scales were flashing in the white, viscous substance, just as Ayla had said.
"How long has he been like this?"
"I fell asleep late last night, so it's only been three or four hours. I thought he'd been sleeping too much lately anyway..."
Ayla continued, shedding tears.
"What if something goes wrong? What if Piyo is sick because of my mistake..."
At those words, Peony quickly put her arms around Ayla's shoulders and tried to calm her down.
"Don't worry, Ayla. You've taken the best care of Piyo all this time. I'm sure nothing will happen."
"But... what if Piyo can't wake up like this?"
"That can't be. Look at Piyo's face. Doesn't he look too peaceful to be sick?"
At those words, Ayla carefully lowered her gaze and examined Piyo's condition. She couldn't be sure, but after hearing Peony's words, it seemed that way.
Only then did Ayla feel her heart calming down little by little.
"Let's calm down for now, and let's show Piyo to Professor Stefan right away. I'll also contact the Imperial Palace to see if there are any similar cases."
"You're right, Peony. I need to go see Professor Stefan right away."
Ayla sighed briefly and nodded.
Peony carefully took her hand and reassured her once again.
"Don't worry, Ayla. Piyo will definitely be okay."
When the servant approached and quietly said something, the Emperor's expression brightened noticeably.
The Empress, who was sitting next to him, did not miss the subtle change and asked.
"Did you hear some good news?"
Her tone was tinged with a slight displeasure, but the Emperor did not notice such a sign and replied in a bright voice.
"Peony contacted me. She said the Black Dragon has already begun Shedding."
"He's started Shedding?"
"It seems the first growth spurt is starting. Dragon's power growth, I don't know how long it's been since I've experienced such a thing. Such a blessed thing is happening while I'm on the throne!"
"......"
"Seeing him grow so quickly, I think it was a good thing to entrust the Dragon to the student Ayla. What else could be the empire's celebration?"
"That's right. Congratulations, Your Majesty."
As the Emperor burst into hearty laughter, Eliza responded with a benevolent smile as usual.
But inside, she was very displeased.
If they had brought Ayla to their side, it would have been fine, but otherwise, the Emperor's generous evaluation was useless.
'By the way, that child and the Dragon's compatibility seem to be quite good.'
Not all Divine Beasts choose their masters.
But if they meet a compatible master, they grow faster and healthier by receiving that energy.
In this case, the growth rate was much faster than that of ordinary Divine Beasts.
"I heard that the student Ayla is the best friend of Peony? Indeed, my daughter has an eye for people. Hahaha!"
The Empress covered her expression with a fan to hide her uncomfortable expression. And she said in the most benevolent voice possible.
"That's right. Perhaps because Peony has been picky since she was young, she has an accurate eye for people."
"That's right. She hasn't been able to show her talent because she's been weak, but in fact, she has considerable talent. Looking at the fact that she was born with the strongest Dragon's power."
"...That's right."
At the Empress's agreement, the Emperor stroked his beard and made a satisfied expression.
"Oh, I heard that there are rumors that the student Ayla is dating the Heir of the Argenta Noble house. Did the Empress know about it too?"
"...I see. This is the first time I've heard of it."
"I heard that the two of them also played a brilliant role in the Subjugation Contest held at the academy. Darian, who went to see it in person, praised them so much."
"That child is so bad at saying bad things about others."
"Still, there's a limit. Darian isn't the type to make up things."
"......"
As the Empress remained silent, the Emperor praised Peony once again. Without even knowing that the other person's expression was stiff.
"Besides, Darian said that Peony also has a deep friendship with the Argenta Heir. To already pick out and befriend such promising talents... Really, she's my daughter, but she's so smart and clever."
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