Chapter 13
Hatchlings Need Attention!Hatchlings Need Attention!
"The next time, I'd like to try a dessert with mint in it."
Sophia's request from earlier echoed in my mind. Her voice still lingered in my ears.
She had looked at me with eyes full of anticipation.
"Mint, mint... Suddenly, mint?"
I couldn't have misheard it, right? No, I definitely heard it correctly. Even when I asked again to confirm, she had clearly said mint.
Before leaving, she even emphasized that it should be a dessert using mint leaves, just to ensure I understood. She was quite serious about her love for mint.
The main heroine, an SSR character like Sophia, a fan of mint? This was definitely a serious issue.
"How could the developers make an SSR character like mint? They must be mint lovers too!"
I mulled over this while cleaning the empty break room. After finishing the dishes, I took off my apron, trying to clear my muddled thoughts.
"Wait, Sophia likes mint, not mint chocolate. So technically, she isn't a mint chocolate lover?"
After several minutes of pondering, I concluded I was being too judgmental.
Everyone has their preferences. I wasn't in a position to be picky. Sophia was an essential ally for me.
"Let's think positively. It's like she's giving me a hint on how to win her over."
A positive mindset was needed now. So what if she liked mint? As long as she didn't force it on me, it wasn't an issue.
Maybe it was because of her strong preferences.
Before leaving the break room, she hadn't reacted much to the biscuits I gave her. She had taken them with thanks, but neither Beast Taming nor Gourmet Feeding had any effect.
Still, there was some success in giving her the coffee biscuits. I got my hands on the book "History of the Drango Continent" and a clue on how to win Sophia over.
Not a bad outcome.
Winning over the main heroine was within sight. Of course, it would mean making a mint-infused dessert.
Flip, flip...
After finishing the cleanup, I leafed through the thick history book written in Dragon Language, nodding to myself.
I needed to get my head straight. As her servant, I had no choice but to fulfill her request.
"Alright, let's do this. If she asks, I must comply. It's not poison, so I won't die from tasting it a few times."
I never thought I'd be making a mint dessert with my own hands. But it was a choice for survival.
There were plenty of mint leaves available, used for making mint tea. Mint tea wasn't very popular, so there was always a surplus.
With the main ingredient in abundance, I could manage it.
The sooner, the better. I wanted to get this done quickly. I promised to return the book in two days. I planned to present the mint dessert along with the book, aiming to win Sophia over.
Thud!
I closed the thick book with determination.
"But... besides the mint, how am I supposed to read this thick book in two days?"
With my resolve firmed, I realized I had a lot to do.
The semester had just started today, so I didn't have the leisure time I had during the break.
I had no choice but to squeeze in reading time, even if it meant sacrificing sleep. If I built enough goodwill, I could borrow more books later.
"Time to really clock out."
I stretched, trying to keep a positive outlook. The clock showed it was 7:50 PM.
The break room operated until 6:30 PM during the semester.
The dragons had left for dinner by closing time.
Finishing up and cleaning took another hour.
It was almost 8 PM now.
The day had flown by, long yet short.
One thing was clear: I needed to hurry.
"Let's move quickly."
I had to prepare for evening roll call at 8:30 PM. As the dorm supervisor, it was my duty.
I dragged my tired body toward the door to turn off the magic stone lights.
Knock, knock, knock!
But for the second night in a row, an unwelcome visitor stopped me.
"Who is it now?"
I sighed at the sound of the knock.
Who could it be this late? If they keep doing this, what's the point of having a closing time?
I wanted to ignore it, but I couldn't.
As a servant, I had no say in the matter.
"...Who is it?"
Creak...
A tired voice and the creaking of the door mingled.
As I opened the door, I saw...
"Isn't it already closing time...?"
A small girl with silver pigtails, her green eyes welling with tears.
"Derke? What are you doing here so late?"
"Waah...!!!"
Before I could ask, Derke burst into tears.
Whoosh!
She suddenly threw herself into my arms, hugging my waist tightly. She buried her face and wiped her tears on my shirt.
My waist felt warm and damp with her tears.
I should have kept my apron on a bit longer.
"Derke, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
I patted her back, trying to comfort her.
Seeing her cry made me more concerned than eager to finish my work.
"Hic...! Hiccup-! Sob...! Sob...!"
Despite my efforts, Derke's sobs didn't cease. She only cried more, unable to explain her tears.
She seemed deeply distressed.
I had no choice but to wait.
Looks like leaving on time was just a dream.
"Wait, isn't your outfit different today?"
Derke was wearing the academy uniform instead of her usual tattered black robe. She must have received it at the entrance ceremony.
The uniform was a brown sleeveless dress with a knee-length skirt. She wore a white shirt underneath, looking neat and tidy.
And there was a yellow badge on her shoulder strap. Probably indicating her grade.
She looked like a kindergartener, fitting her well. Even her crying face was adorable.
But why were the senior students in casual clothes?
"Sniff, sniff...!"
Ah, that's not the point right now.
"Derke? Want to try this? It might cheer you up."
Rustle...
I handed her the biscuit bag I had set aside for her. Despite the seniors' requests for more refills, I had saved this for Derke.
"......!!!"
She quickly took the bag, her green eyes lighting up. The sight of the biscuits stopped her tears instantly.
The effect of the biscuits was remarkable.
Just moments ago, she was crying her heart out. Now, she was munching on the biscuits, her eyes wide with delight.
"These are even better than yesterday's! I've never tasted anything like this before!!"
Derke exclaimed with admiration, her eyes sparkling as she devoured the biscuit.
[Your bond with the target has significantly increased!]
An alert indicated her rising affection. Like yesterday, it was due to the biscuits.
But this time, there was no flood of alerts.
Just a small increase in affection.
Upon checking, I found our relationship still at the Devotion stage.
The final stage of affection wasn't easily unlocked.
"Are you feeling better now?"
"Yes...! You're really kind, big brother!"
"But why were you crying so much? What happened?"
How could I ignore a child crying so sorrowfully? Especially one as cute as Derke.
"Um... Big brother, you're not scared of me, are you...?"
"What? Scared of you? Why would you ask that?"
Derke's question seemed odd.
Sure, she was scary when I first met her in the dark, but she wasn't frightening now with her innocent looks. It made no sense.
"You mean, you're not scared of me at all...?!"
"No, not at all. You're adorable."
"Then why...! Why do the other kids all hate me?!"
With a voice full of sorrow, Derke finally started explaining her distress.
"Are you being bullied by the new students?"
"Uuuh... Do you think the Death Dragon clan is really unlucky?"
"...?"
"The professors said my speech and behavior were weird and gave me this badge..."
"Badge?"
I looked at the yellow badge on her shoulder strap.
‘Could it be…?’
The badge was a cartoonish dragon face, resembling a smiley face badge. There was also a small inscription at the bottom.
「Attention Needed」