Chapter 3

Before the first crack appeared, Vivienne came to the conclusion that caring for an egg was far more exhausting than anyone could imagine.

She would never admit it in front of Mara or the other servants, but over the past few days she'd settled the shell on a thick mattress, bought the best-quality blankets in the village, and even had a small wooden cradle commissioned because the floor felt too cold.

Naturally, whenever anyone asked why, she gave the exact same answer.

"I'm looking after it out of responsibility. Nothing more."

Mara raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, my lady."

"It's the honest truth."

"I didn't say otherwise."

Vivienne looked away with a slight cough.

She was also using her magic several times a day to maintain a comfortable temperature around the shell. She'd discovered that the sun's warmth fluctuated too much throughout the day, so she preferred to keep it stable.

When Mara caught her adjusting the intensity of the spell for the third time that afternoon, she received the same explanation.

"I'm just trying to keep it at a good temperature."

"I understand."

"If it gets cold, it could die, and—"

"Of course."

Vivienne frowned.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you haven't been more than ten minutes away from that egg for two days."

"That's an exaggeration."

"You ate lunch right here yesterday."

Vivienne fell silent.

"And you took your nap on the couch so you could keep watching it."

She turned her gaze toward the window.

"That was a coincidence."

Mara decided not to push it.

That very night, a small sound broke the silence in the room.

Crack.

Vivienne's eyes snapped open.

She sat up from the couch and walked to the cradle.

The shell had begun to crack.

"Already...?"

Another fissure appeared on the white surface.

Mara, alerted by the noise, came running in.

"Is it hatching?"

Vivienne nodded without looking away.

The cracks kept spreading until a small piece fell onto the mattress.

Then a tiny hand appeared.

Vivienne blinked.

"A hand?"

The shell finished opening and the small occupant tumbled out clumsily, still half asleep.

The room went completely silent.

There was no reptile.

No enormous creature either.

It was a baby.

He had small dark horns on his head, a tail covered in fine scales that swayed slowly behind him, and silver hair shot through with delicate red streaks that seemed to glow in the firelight.

The little one opened his eyes, yawned, and began looking around with obvious curiosity.

Then he fixed his gaze on Vivienne.

He reached his arms toward her.

"Aa..."

Vivienne felt every ounce of resolve she'd planned to maintain crumble away.

She picked him up carefully before he could try climbing out of the cradle.

The baby made a small sound of satisfaction and, as if he'd known her all his life, grabbed hold of one of her fingers.

Mara brought both hands to her mouth.

"He's beautiful..."

It took Vivienne several seconds to respond.

"...Yeah."

By the next morning, the news had spread through the entire village.

The strange creature found in the forest had turned out to be a baby.

The neighbors began stopping by on any excuse.

Owen the fisherman was first.

"My lady, I brought today's fish... is it true he was born?"

"It's true."

The man approached slowly.

The little one watched him for a few seconds before breaking into a smile.

Owen burst out laughing.

"Look at that little face... who could be scared of him?"

Then the baker arrived with a basket of fresh bread.

Later an elderly woman showed up with a hand-knitted blanket.

The village children asked if they could see him from the doorway.

Even some of the men who'd been talking about the war with dread ended up smiling the moment the little one flicked his tail.

"Maybe he's a traveler's child."

"Or from a family that didn't want war."

"Poor little thing..."

Nobody mentioned the Dragon Empire while looking at the baby.

He was too small to connect to the enemy the messengers spoke of.

Vivienne stayed quiet, listening to every comment.

It gave her a certain relief.

The fear that had gripped the kingdom over the past few days vanished for a few minutes every time someone held the baby.

Even the servants bickered good-naturedly over whose turn it was.

"It's my turn today."

"You said that yesterday too."

"Because you all hold him too much."

Vivienne watched the scene from the doorway.

"You're going to spoil him."

Mara smiled.

"Who's saying that? The woman who had a special neck pillow made for him?"

Vivienne cleared her throat.

"It was necessary."

"The little cap too?"

"It's cold."

"And the wooden toy?"

"Babies need stimulation."

Mara ended up laughing.

"My lady, you can admit you're fond of him."

Vivienne shook her head at once.

"I'm just being responsible."

Though even she didn't sound entirely convinced.

That afternoon, while the baby slept on her lap, she made a decision.

"He needs a name."

Mara set the tray on the table.

"Have you thought of one?"

Vivienne studied the little one's peaceful face.

"Ren."

Mara repeated the name softly.

"It suits him."

Ren cracked his eyes open slightly when he heard her, then drifted back to sleep.

Vivienne smiled without realizing it.

Still, the peace didn't erase the questions filling her mind.

Who was this child, really?

Who had hidden an egg that size in the middle of the forest?

Why had it appeared right when the Empire launched a war nobody understood?

There were too many questions.

And until she found answers, she wasn't about to trust anyone.

She began sending discreet letters to merchants, travelers, and contacts she still had outside the capital. She asked about missing families, attacked caravans, and any news of a lost child, always careful not to mention Ren's specific features.

If someone was looking for him for the wrong reasons, she wouldn't be the one making their job easier.

One thing she'd decided with absolute certainty.

Until she knew who his real parents were and why he'd turned up alone in that stream, Ren would remain under her protection.

Even if it meant her peaceful vacation had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.

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