Chapter 20
“So, do dragons also have something like familial love? Like, feeling sad if someone disappears.”
“Of course.”
“I see…”
Leoni lowered her head to the book in front of her. A question she had always wondered about but couldn’t ask anyone was finally answered.
The question time was more useful than she thought. These were stories that were hard to find even in books.
“So, was it helpful?”
“Yes. It was the most interesting thing I’ve heard recently.”
At that, Claude offered an unexpected observation with a gentle smile.
“I thought you were just working for money, but you’re more passionate about your work than I thought.”
“What? Not really.”
Leoni replied bluntly. With those words, she became engrossed in the book she was reading again.
The green eyes that had been sparkling just a moment ago returned to their original calm color.
Claude somehow thought that was a bit of a shame.
And he watched her, who calmly denied her own interest, for a long time in silence.
⊹ ࣪🍰˚⊹♡
The day of the test to select the new Dragon’s Liaison arrived.
As soon as the allotted time was over, Henricks, who had served as the proctor, collected and sealed the test papers without delay.
“Grading will be easier than I thought,” said one of the elders who had looked over the answer sheets.
It was the first test targeting all members affiliated with the Allied Nations after its official launch. As it was a position to determine the dragon’s liaison, the interest was immense.
However, just as the difficulty was high, there were also answer sheets that were completely blank.
“Tsk, tsk. This one’s a bit of a shame. He started writing an answer and then gave up in the middle.”
“This friend, if he quits the Allied Nations, I should ask him to do some research with me. Give me his contact information!”
The idle elders excitedly checked the test papers. Though some were more interested in scouting for disciples than in grading.
Henricks was also among that boisterous crowd.
‘To suddenly hold a liaison test now.’
A dragon who had crossed the border. The Director General and the Prime Minister met with him and then approved the test without much thought.
Henricks, who had been searching for the next candidate after ousting Jax, could only shut his mouth at the unexpected notice.
Moreover, everyone had to take the test regardless of their disciplinary status.
If this was the case, then surely…
“Phew!”
“It’s finally over!”
After finishing all the grading, they each stretched or discussed the answers the staff had written.
“Well, are the results out?”
One of the elders listed the names in order of their scores. Henricks, who confirmed the top of the list, slowly closed his eyes.
As expected.
There was no surprise.
It was a rarely clear day.
As the warm afternoon sunlight seeped into the streets, a man dressed to the nines from head to toe strode forward.
He seemed to be well aware of the destructive power of his appearance.
From his dark, ink-colored hair to his eyes that were reminiscent of the pitch-black clouds on a rainy day.
It was a dark color, considered drab and not commonly seen in the Empire, but the brazen smile on the man’s face left no room for a gloomy impression.
“…”
The man’s steps stopped in front of a flower shop in front of the Allied Nations building.
It was a flower shop that had been doing business here for quite a long time, using a small handcart modified into a stall.
“Buying flowers?”
At the owner’s words, the man gave a slight nod and then bent down to start looking at the flowers.
The way he carefully chose them stimulated the flower shop owner’s heart.
Of course, there were people who bought for their own satisfaction, but from her twenty years of experience, a type like this was clearly picking out a gift.
“Well now, who are you gifting them to?”
“To the one who will be my mate.”
Oh my.
As expected, her predictions were never wrong.
“Is that so? The anemones are pretty today.”
The owner, excited as well, subtly recommended a flower. The man smiled brightly.
“That’s good too, but I think I’ll go with this today.”
“Oh my. The tulips haven’t bloomed yet.”
They were a pretty color, with red and white blending like ink in water, but the buds were still closed.
“It’s alright.”
The man paid the full price, unconcerned.
“Oh my…”
As soon as he paid for the flowers, the tulip buds began to open as if time was fast-forwarding.
The tulips, which bloomed in an instant, were as fresh as if they had just been picked.
The flower shop owner, who saw this, seemed surprised for a moment, then spoke in a calm tone.
“I see. You must be on your way to the Allied Nations?”
“Yes. But you don’t seem very surprised?”
“If you’ve been doing business in front of a place like this for twenty years, it’s not something to be surprised about.”
The flower shop owner gave a warm smile.
All sorts of strange creatures came and went from this place. People who were not yet accustomed to the existence of mythical creatures itself simply feared them or regarded them as noble beings.
But in her eyes, they were just similar to humans.
Like choosing flowers to gift to someone they cherished.
‘Well, except for that strange ability.’
As the man leisurely offered a greeting, the flower shop owner smiled back.
Wondering who on earth the woman who would receive that bouquet was.
⊹ ࣪🍰˚⊹♡
It was burdensome.
“Congratulations on becoming the liaison. Leoni Winkelheit.”
It was burdensome beyond belief.
“Our new liaison may be lacking, but we hope that you, Sir Claude, will look upon her with generosity.”
It’s really burdensome!
Stars poured down before her eyes.
Deputy Director Henricks with four stars on his Allied Nations uniform. Add one more, and Director General Grace with five stars. And Prime Minister Philippa, who had nothing to do with stars but was practically the head of the Empire. And a whole crowd of other high-ranking people.
Leoni had just been called into the Director General’s office with the notification that she had been chosen as the liaison.
‘The Dragon’s Liaison is a big deal.’
It was teeming with figures she wouldn’t normally see. She knew it would be a position like this, but the treatment had changed drastically all of a sudden.
“Yes. You are Leoni Winkelheit, right? I look forward to working with you.”
Claude, who subtly held out a bouquet of tulips, smiled brazenly as if seeing her for the first time.
“Ah. Do you perhaps not like flowers?”
“…No, I don’t. Thank you.”
The scent of tulips filled her arms.
It was nice, but wasn’t it a bit much to give a bouquet at their first meeting, even if it was a scripted play?
At that thought, Leoni’s expression naturally became awkward.
“Indeed! Sir Claude knows how to capture a woman’s heart!”
However, Director General Grace and the Prime Minister were all smiles, for whatever reason they were so pleased. It seemed that the only ones who felt uncomfortable here were Leoni and Henricks.
‘Right. I’ve paid the rent, and now I’ll earn more money. After the liaison job is over, they won’t be able to give me miscellaneous tasks anymore.’
Think positively. Now I just need to slowly find Claude’s item.
Leoni tried hard to force a smile.
Claude, who seemed out of place in such a noisy gathering, greeted each of the attendees one by one.
Of course, to call it a greeting… it was more of a one-sided introduction, and he didn’t say much.
“Yes. I see that you will live a long life.”
“My goodness! Thank you! I will live diligently!”
Every time he threw out a word, people would bow and scrape as if it were an honor. Everyone was desperate to make an impression on the dragon one way or another.
“Well then.”
Soon, the attention turned to Leoni.
Even those who knew she was Winkelheit’s daughter wore soft and understanding smiles on their faces.
‘They can change their attitude in an instant like this.’
Leoni, who had suffered her whole life living as a Winkelheit, felt a little bitter.
But she quickly pushed the thought away.
“Let’s wrap up the greetings and get to the ‘real’ talk now.”
At those words, the people who had swarmed in like a wave left with disappointed faces. It was now time to discuss the liaison’s simple duties and Claude’s place of residence.
“We understand that you are currently staying at the Grazinia Hotel… Will this address be alright for the future as well? If there is a place you desire, we will arrange it.”
Claude gave a generous smile.
“I’ve already decided on that.”
‘When did he decide that, when he was coming to my house every day to give me snacks?’
As expected, he was a dragon who couldn’t be underestimated even if he smiled foolishly.
With the thought that she wanted this to end quickly, Leoni fiddled with a tulip petal.
“I’ll write it down. 68 Averitt Street.”
“Understood. We will send someone over.”
Grace, who bowed her head slightly, rubbed her hands together with a gentle face.
She didn’t forget to subtly send Leoni a look that meant, “Do a good job.”
Leoni slightly lowered her head to indicate she understood, then frowned deeply.
She replayed the address Claude had just called out.
It was a familiar address.
‘Wait a minute, 68 Averitt Street?’
That’s my house.
