episode_0516

After arriving at the academy, the first thing I had to do was prepare to return to school.

I need to discuss with Ethan about which classes I’m going to take next semester, and I need to leave the Academy Student Council building and apply for Ethan’s readmission.

And I needed to meet up with kids like Lilia, who would be my classmates next year.

Since most of the members of the warrior party graduated at once, we needed to gather some resources that we could trust to take classes on things that Ethan and I couldn’t solve on our own.

First of all, among the remaining members, the only useful ones are probably Prince Lilia, Prince Antonio, and Princess Mezlen. There’s also Kael from the martial arts club, but I have no connection with her, so I’ll leave that out.

‘Looking at them all gathered together like this, it seems like only the kids who have a hard time mixing with other kids are left.’

Since things have come to this, if possible I have no choice but to avoid any classes that require team projects.

Since most of the original story’s events and artifacts were probably already swept away by the Geumjo-segi guy anyway, there was no need to fill up the schedule with cumbersome classes.

And if there’s anything else I need to do… …I’ll just prepare a meal for Iris while I’m out.

-Kuuuk!

“Hah?! Eh, Edahan… . Cho, just a little more gently… .”

“If you hold it gently, it won’t come out well. If you do this, a lot will come out at once, so just hold on for a little while, Release.”

-Kuuuk!

“Haaah, huh?! Hugh hugh… !!”

-Crunch crunch… .

… It was a milking process that always made me feel like a female cow on a ranch. It was also quite a self-deprecating act to have to lie down on all fours to prevent the milk from splashing anywhere and have Ethan touch my breasts.

They say that breast milk needs to be completely emptied the first time you pump it so that it fills up more the next time, so Ethan and I left the dorm after pumping out all the milk we had in both breasts.

“Goodbye, Master, Release.”

“Abkh.”

“Have a nice day.”

“I’ll be back, Isabel, Eris.”

“Bhhhh… !”

Eris waves and sees me and Ethan off, as if she understands what I’m saying.

Now it was just Ethan and I wandering around the Academy, leaving Isabel, who I almost consider a second mother, behind in the dorms.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

After pumping my breast milk and leaving Iris with Isabelle, Ethan and I finished all the work we had to do in less than an hour.

Applying for readmission is not an administrative procedure that takes that long, and I just have to get the information about the classes I will be taking next semester, because I will be applying for them on a different day anyway.

All that was left was to go around the dormitory and tell my friends the news that I had given birth safely, but thinking about it, that didn’t seem like it would take that long.

It was just past morning when Isabel arrived at the Academy in her carriage, so it would be a bit rude to visit her so early.

“The time is ticking down for a moment. The application for reinstatement didn’t take as long as I thought.”

“… Do you want to go on a date after a long time, Ethan?”

“If you want to release it.”

I feel a little bad about leaving the kids to Isabel and going out to play by ourselves… but I also feel a little sorry about wasting this rare opportunity like this.

I think Isabelle will be very understanding as I haven’t had much time alone with Ethan lately due to parenting responsibilities.

It was a bit of a tricky time to have lunch, so I bought a quick snack and took a walk around the Lake of Knowledge. We spent the time laughing and chatting about topics that didn’t really matter to us.

After wandering around like that for about 30 minutes, an uninvited guest suddenly appeared in front of me and Ethan.

“Release!”

“… Miss Lizzy?”

How on earth did you know that I was on the Island of Knowledge?

Ethan frowned as if he was sick of Lizzie’s sudden behavior, but she paid no attention and just said what she wanted to say.

“What a coincidence! Are you coming back to the Academy next semester?”

“Oh, yes. Now that I’ve safely finished giving birth, I think I should go back to school. If I don’t go back this semester, I might as well lose the chance to graduate from the academy.”

“Well, Luminor Academy has strict rules on taking a leave of absence. I wanted to take a leave of absence and graduate with Lilith next year, but I can’t express how regrettable it is that I can’t do that.”

“I feel so bad too, ahaha… .”

…To be honest, I’m not that into it.

Today, as usual, Lizzy showed up, showing off her heavy friendship, so I quickly changed the subject before the atmosphere got awkward.

“The food you brought me last time was delicious. The dried seaweed and seafood were really fresh.”

“That’s because we quickly dry the seafood harvested from the southern coast to keep it fresh! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the release.”

“… You really don’t get tired of it. So, what brings you here now?”

Ethan glared at Lizzie, as if annoyed that his date with me was interrupted, and muttered quietly in a low voice.

“I had something to give to Lilith anyway. But since we met by chance, I just wanted to tell you.”

“… I got it last time too, now?”

“By the time you return to the academy, you’ll probably have a baby, Lilith? This time, I’ve prepared baby products instead of maternity products!”

“Is it okay to always receive like this? I don’t remember doing anything in particular for Miss Lizzy… .”

“It’s okay. I only brought the inventory for personal use from the top of Auguste. And if I think about the favor I received from Lilith that day at the palace, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay it even if I spend my whole life like this, right?”

“… … .”

… Honestly, it was so long ago that I don’t even remember much about it, so I didn’t feel anything special about it.

Well, I didn’t really refuse Lizzy’s behavior, thinking that I would eventually get tired of it. In the first place, giving gifts while worrying about pregnancy or childbirth is something that can be done between friends.

“This is a baby bottle made by a workshop affiliated with our company. This is baby clothes, so it is unisex and the size is adjustable, so you can wear it. And this is a baby cushion that is good to put in a cradle… .”

“I don’t think you carry that many things around every day. Did you really ‘accidentally’ come across them, Lizzy Lin Auguste?”

“… I just happened to come across it while I was organizing the things to give to Lilith, and I just happened to have it all in my hand, Prince Blackwood.”

…To be honest, I agree with Ethan’s opinion.

There was nothing particularly wrong with receiving it, so I just kept quiet.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

After having a long chat with Lizzy, whom I met by chance but not by chance.

As time passed by, it was time to go out and meet other people as originally planned.

By the way, the gifts that Lizzie gave were so numerous that Auguste’s upper carriage decided to bring them all to the dormitory.

From now on, I will be going around several academy dormitories, starting with the ‘VIP Room’, but I can’t move around with my hands full of luggage.

First, go to the VIP room where the princess is, then to the Academy Church where the saint is, and after that, just go around to the places in order of proximity.

“Come in, Prince Blackwood, Miss Release.”

“Excuse me.”

“Excuse me.”

As I followed Luke, who was wearing a maid outfit and guiding me, into the VIP room building, there were already two other members of the royal family gathered there, aside from Seraphine.

“It’s been a while, Miss Lilith. And Prince Ethan too.”

“How have you been, Prince Blackwood and Lady Rosewood.”

“K, keke. Long time no see, Miss Lilith. And Prince Blackwood too.”

Seraphine, Antonio, and Mezlen.

Seraphine wasn’t missing much, having seen her at Blackwood Manor a few months ago, but it had truly been a year since I last saw the other two.

Especially in the case of Mezlen, we used to hang out together quite often at the Academy. I was curious about how she spent the year I was away.

“Looking at your belly, I’m glad you gave birth safely. Is it a boy or a girl?”

“It’s a girl, Princess Seraphine.”

“A cute girl who looks just like the release sheep, right? I’m looking forward to it.”

“Thank you, Princess Seraphine.”

Since he was only 3 months old, I couldn’t honestly say that he resembled anyone, but I didn’t really need to question what the royal family said, so I let it go.

Prince Antonio and Princess Mezlen, who had not witnessed my pregnancy, looked a bit dubious as they asked me about the conversation from earlier.

“Was it true that you had a child? Congratulations, Prince Blackwood.”

“Thank you for your words.”

“If you had told me, I would have come to visit you briefly during the summer vacation. I was a little taken aback when Miss Agnes suddenly told me about Rosewood’s pregnancy.”

Still, judging by the fact that the two of them are talking to each other, it seems like his romance with Agnes is going well.

One was my close friend and the other was a decent male acquaintance, so I just secretly hoped that they would both do well.

“Irani of the release sheep, I never thought you would become a mother already… .”

“… There were unavoidable circumstances.”

“Phew. This is going to be a little difficult.”

“Yes?”

“If I marry Mr. Harold, Miss Lilith will become my daughter-in-law, but even I am a little embarrassed to be called a grandmother at this age… .”

“… … .”

“… … .”

“… … .”

“… … .”

It’s been a year since I last saw you, but that delusion seems to get worse by the day.