HTNSA 124

Chapter 124

Just thinking about Felix’s fate—how he’d been entangled in her past life—brought a bitter expression to Eila’s face.

‘That’s why I tried so hard to push him away…’

But in the end, she failed to keep her distance.

Instead of growing apart, they had become even closer than in her previous life.

Now, Eila could no longer lie to herself about her feelings.

“Right. What’s done is done, anyway.”

There was no point regretting what had already happened.

So now, like Felix, it was time for her to face her feelings honestly and move forward.

Eila was just about to steady herself and stand up when—

“Piyooong.”

A soft whimper echoed from somewhere nearby, prompting her to lift her head and glance toward the bed.

There, Piyo was squirming a little under the covers.

‘Did I wake him up?’

Eila quietly approached and checked on him. Fortunately, Piyo was still fast asleep.

‘Must’ve been sleep-talking…’

Relieved, Eila nonetheless felt a flicker of unease.

Lately, Piyo had been sleeping through most of the day. At first, she thought it was just natural for a baby dragon, but recently, the amount of sleep was becoming suspicious.

Normally, he’d wake up the moment she returned home to greet her. But this time, he hadn’t stirred at all.

‘It’s not just because he’s a baby, right?’

Like most baby creatures, Piyo spent his time either eating or sleeping. When awake, he ate a lot, and then immediately dozed off.

The problem was, once asleep, he wouldn’t wake no matter how much noise was around him.

Come to think of it, during the Subjugation Festival—despite all the chaos—he had stayed inside the tent and slept through the entire thing.

‘Is he… sick?’

Eila gazed down at Piyo with growing concern.

* * *

[The negotiations with Count Arman are proceeding smoothly. I will contact you again once the land acquisition is finalized.
—Baroness Lucy.]

Peony folded the letter with a satisfied smile.

Thankfully, Baroness Lucy—whom she had placed as a proxy buyer—was doing an excellent job.

Of course, the reason the negotiations were going so well was thanks to Count Arman’s dwindling finances.

‘Looks like I’ll be able to buy the land at a much cheaper price than expected.’

Without hesitation, Peony threw the letter into the fireplace. The hungry flames devoured the white paper.

As long as Rona remained at her side, she had to erase any traces of evidence immediately.

‘It’s annoying, but I have no choice. If I so much as touch Rona, our enemies will catch on instantly.’

Not long after, Peony’s door flew open—without so much as a knock.

She frowned and turned around.

‘Didn’t I tell Rona not to come in without knocking?’

The only person allowed to come and go freely from her room was Eila.

But since Eila had never once visited her room voluntarily, Peony assumed it was Rona again.

She was just about to scold the intruder when her eyes widened in surprise.

“Eila? Are you okay?”

Eila was out of breath, as if she had rushed over. Peony’s eyes naturally drifted downward—to what Eila was holding in her arms.

It was large, white… and unfamiliar.

“What is that?”

“…I woke up and found Piyo like this.”

“That’s… Piyo?”

Eila didn’t respond—she just looked about to cry, clearly at a loss. Alarmed, Peony quickly stepped forward.

Up close, she could see that Eila was telling the truth. Within the white, gelatinous cocoon, black scales shimmered faintly.

“When did this start?”

“He fell asleep late last night… so it can’t have been more than three or four hours. I thought he was just sleeping a lot lately, but…”

Eila trailed off, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“What if something’s wrong? What if I did something to make Piyo sick…?”

Peony quickly embraced her shoulders and tried to calm her down.

“Don’t worry, Eila. You’ve done everything you could to take care of Piyo. I’m sure it’s nothing serious.”

“But… what if he doesn’t wake up like this?”

“He will. Look at his face. Doesn’t he seem peaceful rather than in pain?”

At that, Eila glanced down carefully at Piyo again. She couldn’t be sure, but after hearing Peony say it, it really did seem that way.

Finally, her nerves began to settle.

“First, let’s take him to Professor Stephan. I’ll also contact the Imperial Palace and see if there are any similar cases on record.”

“You’re right, Peony. I need to see Professor Stephan, right away.”

Eila nodded, taking a shaky breath.

Peony gently squeezed her hand once more, reassuring her.

“Don’t worry, Eila. Piyo is going to be just fine.”

* * *

As a servant approached and whispered something quietly, the Emperor’s expression brightened visibly.

The Empress, seated beside him, didn’t miss the subtle shift in mood.

“Did you hear good news, Your Majesty?”

Though her tone held a slight undercurrent of displeasure, the Emperor didn’t notice and replied cheerfully.

“I just received word from Peony. Apparently, the black dragon has already begun molting.”

“Molting?”

“Yes! It seems the first stage of growth has started. A dragon’s growth… it’s been ages since we’ve seen such a thing. And for it to happen during my reign—what a blessing!”

“…”

“Seeing how quickly it’s growing, I think we made the right decision entrusting the dragon to that student, Eila. Isn’t this a national celebration?”

“Indeed. Congratulations, Your Majesty.”

As the Emperor laughed heartily, Eliza responded with a serene smile—her usual façade.

But inside, she was deeply displeased.

Had they successfully brought Eila to their side, this news would’ve been welcome. But since that wasn’t the case, the Emperor’s generous praise meant nothing to her.

‘Still… it seems the dragon and that girl have surprisingly good compatibility.’

Not all divine beasts choose a master.

But when they meet one with matching energy, they grow stronger and faster by absorbing that power.

In such cases, their development far exceeds the norm.

“Didn’t they say Eila is Peony’s closest friend? My daughter has a good eye—hahaha!”

The Empress raised her fan to conceal her expression and replied in her most gracious tone.

“Yes. Perhaps because Peony has always been discerning since childhood, her judgment of people is quite sharp.”

“Exactly. That student may have been overshadowed by her poor health until now, but she has remarkable talent. Especially considering the strength of her connection to the dragon.”

“…Quite so.”

The Empress echoed his words as the Emperor stroked his beard, clearly pleased.

“Oh, and I heard a rumor that Eila is dating the heir to the Agenta family. Did you know that?”

“…Is that so? That’s the first I’ve heard.”

“They say the two of them shone brightly during the Subjugation Festival at the Academy. Darian, who saw it himself, couldn’t stop praising them.”

“Well… Darian’s the type who doesn’t like speaking ill of others.”

“Still, he wouldn’t just make things up. Darian isn’t that kind of man.”

“…”

When the Empress fell silent, the Emperor once again began singing Peony’s praises—oblivious to her stiffened expression.

“And according to Darian, Peony has a close relationship with the Agenta heir as well. To think she’s already befriended such promising young talents… My daughter is truly clever and capable.”