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“By the way, I heard that the students at the academy discovered and hatched a Black Dragon egg this time.”
Peony stared intently at the Emperor.
Feeling her gaze, the Emperor cleared his throat.
“Although they made a mistake of mistaking it for a Monster egg at first... Anyway, they found the Divine Beast that symbolizes the Imperial Family, so I plan to commend them for their contribution.”
When her friends' story came up, Peony asked urgently.
“What kind of reward are you planning to give?”
“After discussing with the ministers, we decided to give them a medal and a prize. That should be sufficient compensation for this matter.”
The Emperor finished speaking with a benevolent smile.
The other family members didn't say anything, but the atmosphere suggested they inwardly thought it was the right decision.
Peony closed her mouth with a dissatisfied expression.
She thought that wasn't enough compensation.
‘What's the point of giving a medal and a lot of money?’
The Black Dragon was a precious being that couldn't be converted into money.
So, she thought that at least a title should be bestowed to make it worthwhile.
But her father and the ministers didn't seem to think it was necessary to give such excessive rewards to commoners.
And Peony didn't have the power to object to the Emperor's decision.
Empress Eliza, who was listening to the story, quietly opened her mouth.
“Your Majesty, so who will take care of the Black Dragon?”
“Hmm? Well. I guess it's up to the Dragon to decide. They say the Divine Beast chooses its owner by its own will.”
Having said that, the Emperor smacked his lips as if he was disappointed.
“Actually, before coming here, I also met the Dragon, but it didn't react at all. I don't know if it's because it just hatched from the egg and is out of its mind or what.”
Putting down the utensils he was holding, the Emperor slowly made eye contact with his children.
“That's right. I will give you a chance to meet the Dragon soon when its condition recovers. There is a rumor that the one chosen by the Dragon will become the next Emperor, so perhaps one of you will be chosen.”
A quiet excitement filled the table at those words.
Empress Christina was seen glancing at her son and whispering something.
The Empress, who was watching the scene, soon politely suggested.
“Then, Your Majesty, wouldn't it be possible to give Prince Darian the first opportunity?”
“Hmm, why?”
She gave a rare, kind smile to the Emperor's question.
Even the Empress, who was always aloof, seemed to covet the Black Dragon.
“It was Prince Darian’s birthday a few days ago. And the Black Dragon egg hatched around the same time. Isn't that quite a coincidence? Also, Prince Darian is the oldest, so giving him the first opportunity would look good to others.”
Christina snorted and retorted to Eliza's words.
“Prince Darian is the least likely of the Imperial Family to inherit the Dragon's abilities, so how can he become the owner of the Divine Beast? And if we meet the Dragon in order, our Adolf will have to meet it last.”
A subtle war of nerves unfolded between the Empress and the Empress.
Perhaps both of them wanted their sons to meet the Black Dragon first at all costs.
And people would watch the scene and judge which child the Emperor cherished the most.
Peony sighed inwardly and quietly opened her mouth to ease the stiff atmosphere.
“As Your Majesty said earlier, the Dragon is a being that chooses its owner by its own will. Whether the meeting is late or early, the result will not change, so isn't the argument meaningless?”
The Emperor nodded and agreed with Peony's words.
“As Peony said, that's a matter for the Black Dragon to decide. I will let everyone meet at the same time so that there is no talk of unfairness, so let's end this conversation here.”
Then the Empress looked at the Emperor with an unusually earnest face.
“But, Your Majesty-.”
“Enough, everyone will meet the Dragon together fairly.”
The Emperor said it to quell the argument, but the Empress didn't seem to be easily convinced.
But soon, realizing that it was not a situation to argue, she quietly closed her mouth in resignation.
At this, Christina looked at Peony with eyes that said she was useful for the first time.
She seemed satisfied that Adolf had not been pushed behind Darian.
Peony sighed faintly as she watched the scene.
Since the Dragon was going to make the choice anyway, she couldn't help but sigh at the sight of her family arguing over something so trivial.
She already missed her friends who were spending their vacations separately.
Contrary to the Emperor's words, the opportunity to meet the Dragon was not given so easily.
This was because the condition of the newly hatched Dragon was not good.
A Divine Beast without an owner is unstable.
Perhaps that's why the Dragon cried all day long and trembled in anxiety. It didn't eat well either.
The Emperor said that they should wait a little longer until the Dragon's condition stabilized, and then choose a true owner.
‘Will the Dragon ever calm down?’
It is said that Dragons remember everything that happened when they were in the egg.
If that's true, the Dragon will be aware of the fact that it was separated from Ayla, who cherished and cared for it, unjustly.
Soon Peony sighed deeply.
‘This is a big problem. What on earth should I say to Ayla? She'll be very worried if she knows it's not in good condition.’
Lona spoke dissatisfiedly to Peony, who was pondering in her room.
“Why is that Dragon so picky? It's just a matter of choosing Lady Peony as its owner quickly.”
“It went through a lot while hatching. And it must be very tired because it was moved to an unfamiliar place as soon as it was born.”
“Still. I heard it doesn't eat anything, so it should know that it's only hurting itself.”
Lona pouted her lips as if she was dissatisfied.
Then, as if she had thought of something, she opened her mouth with an 'ah'.
“Oh, that's right, Princess. Can I leave for a while today? I'm going to make an appointment with the doctor for a checkup.”
“A checkup appointment?”
Peony turned her head and stared at Lona intently.
She answered with an awkward smile.
“Yes, I think you've recovered from your fatigue, Princess... Is it okay? You're hardly taking any Cure these days, and I'm a little worried about whether you've really gotten healthier.”
“Hmm.”
Peony tapped the armrest of the chair with her hand, then nodded readily.
“Okay. Go and come back. I was also curious about my health condition.”
“Yes! I'll be back soon, Princess.”
Lona bowed her waist with an excited face, then left her bedroom with a thrilled gait.
As soon as she left, Peony's eyes flashed.
‘Now all I have to do is follow her and eavesdrop on what they're talking about.’
Peony had been waiting for this moment.
The reason she had Lona as her maid was for this very moment.
‘If the tail is long, it will eventually leave evidence.’
Peony placed a few pillows on her bed. Then she took out a Magical potion from her bag.
It was an illusion Magical potion that she had asked Ayla to make before coming here.
When she sprinkled it on the pillows, the pillows instantly turned into the appearance of Peony lying down and sleeping.
It was such a sophisticated illusion that no one would notice unless they touched it directly.
‘As expected, the potion made by Ayla is definitely effective.’
Now, no one will notice that she is away for a while.
Peony then picked up the Mana lamp on the side table and approached the wall with the huge tapestry hanging on it.
When she lifted the cloth and pressed the recessed bricks, a rattling sound rang out and a passage began to form in the wall.
This was something that even her close maids didn't know, and Peony had heard about it from the Emperor when she was young.
He said that there was a secret passage that only the Imperial Family could use in case of an emergency.
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