Evil Dragon Chapter 19: Choosing a Gift

Chapter 19: Choosing a Gift

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: CaiCai, Kris

 

Lin Nuo sat at a wooden table without a tablecloth, facing a bowl of lamb stew. This modest little restaurant didn’t employ the elaborate cooking styles of the palace. They simply seared the lamb, cooked it with onions, tomatoes, and carrots in a broth, and finally sprinkled some black pepper on the thick stew before serving it, accidentally spilling some on the table.

Despite its rustic preparation, Lin Nuo found this dish more enticing than the exquisite cuisine he’d had in the past month. He eyed the perfectly stewed tender lamb immersed in the rich broth, swallowing back his saliva.

He hesitated to start eating. His teacher, sitting opposite him, had been visibly in an astonishingly low mood since a while ago. Though Rennes’ expression hadn’t changed much compared to before, remaining as stoic as ever, Lin Nuo had a strange feeling that something was amiss; the man seemed displeased.

What happened? Wasn’t he fine in the carriage earlier? Could he not even crack a smile after just a few exchanged words? Why had he suddenly turned into an insurmountable iceberg? After much pondering, Lin Nuo speculated on two possible reasons: The first reason might be because they hadn’t found the summoner hiding behind the scenes, and the discovery of a ‘mole’ within the palace made Rennes furious. The second reason—well… was it because he didn’t want to accompany me to pick a gift and felt it was a waste of time?

Regarding the second reason, Lin Nuo decided to buy a teddy bear later without delaying his teacher’s time. As for the first reason, Lin Nuo cautiously asked, “Teacher, earlier you mentioned there might still be a chance to investigate. What did you mean?”

Rennes replied calmly, “I saw remnants of a magic circle left behind by the gilded beast. From its patterns, I can deduce quite a bit.”

Lin Nuo suddenly understood, “Oh! That small shell was the residue of the magic circle, right? So, that was the remnant of the magic circle—though, didn’t it disintegrate quite quickly?”

Rennes pushed a small basket filled with bread rolls towards Lin Nuo and said, “Yes. Unfortunately, it self-destructed too quickly, or else I could have gleaned more information.”

Lin Nuo picked up a bread roll, tore off a piece, and after swallowing a few large bites, asked, “Hmm, Teacher, do you deduce the information based on the patterns on it?”

Rennes refilled Lin Nuo’s water glass and handed it over, saying, “Those who use magic circles leave their unique marks. Even if hidden well, one can still discern clues from the patterns of the magic circle.”

Drinking some water, Lin Nuo eagerly gazed into Rennes’ eyes, asking, “So… if you saw the complete pattern, would it provide more clues?”

Rennes, with his captivating obsidian-like eyes, unwaveringly met Lin Nuo’s gaze and replied, “Yes.”

Lin Nuo smiled. His eyes curved as he grabbed a napkin, spread it out, and then dipped his knife in the sauce, saying, “Teacher, though I only glimpsed it, I should remember. I’ll draw it for you.”

Unexpectedly, Rennes took the napkin away and folded it, saying, “It’s crowded here. Remember, never leave any traces of magic circles in public.”

Lin Nuo felt a bit disheartened, saying, “Oh… but since I have no magical abilities, drawing it would just be an ordinary sketch…”

Setting the napkin aside, Rennes extended his hand in front of Lin Nuo in a calm manner, saying, “If it’s not complicated, use your finger to draw on my hand, and I’ll remember.”

Huh? Lin Nuo blinked, feeling like that might not be entirely appropriate. Rennes appeared so composed and relaxed that Lin Nuo could only scratch his head, setting down his knife and starting to trace on Rennes’ hand with his index finger.

Rennes’ palm was considerably broader than Lin Nuo’s, with slender fingers and distinct joints, as beautiful as crafted jade. His palm remained cool. When Lin Nuo’s fingertips touched Rennes’ hand, a jolt surged through him. Unconsciously, he recalled the cool and refreshing sensation of lying in this person’s palm when he transformed into a dragon yesterday. Even though this person was cold and unyielding, why did his palm feel so soft and comfortable, making him unwilling to move away?

Midway through the thought, Lin Nuo’s fingertips froze in place, unable to move for quite some time.

“What’s wrong?” Rennes asked, his voice unusually gentle, reminiscent of how he comforted the little mischievous dragon the night before.

Lin Nuo didn’t dare mention what he was thinking, only stuttering, “Ah, um, I seem to have forgotten… let me think some more…”

Softly, Rennes said, “It’s alright, take your time.”

As he spoke, his hand remained flat on the table, showing no intention of retracting it. Following his memory, Lin Nuo finished drawing on Rennes’ hand using his finger. Instead of pulling his finger away, he left it on Rennes’ hand, a thought flashing through his mind: Are other parts of this person’s body as cool and pleasant to touch as this?

Strangely, Rennes didn’t prompt him to remove his finger. It remained on his hand until a loud bang sounded when a waiter placed a plate in front of Rennes, exclaiming, “Your white wine braised mussels!”

Only then did Lin Nuo swiftly retract his hand, continuously rubbing his thumb against the fingertip, thinking to himself: What was I doing just now? Did my human form also experience stress from proximity? My movements were sluggish, and my mind was filled with all sorts of nonsense, quite similar to experiencing stress, hmm.

After finishing the drawing, he noticed Rennes’ mood had improved significantly. Though there wasn’t any obvious change in the man’s expression, the aura around him felt different.

Trying to gauge the situation, Lin Nuo asked tentatively, “Did the drawing earlier provide new information for you?”

Rennes looked at him, his eyes surprisingly carrying a rare tenderness, “Certainly. It provided a lot of information; very useful.”

Lin Nuo patted his chest with relief, thinking, Ah, that’s great! He was indeed upset because of the lack of clues! Thankfully, I could be of help!

Feeling particularly useful, Lin Nuo ate his lamb stew with a calm mind. For an entire month, he’d been watched over during every meal. Suddenly having nobody attentively watching him today and without any need to consider etiquette, Lin Nuo ate voraciously, even dipping bread into the sauce and eating it joyfully.

After filling his stomach, Lin Nuo wiped his mouth with a napkin and realized something: Huh, it seems like I’m not as afraid of the person in front of me anymore?

A month ago, he couldn’t have imagined sitting face-to-face with Rennes, casually and comfortably finishing a meal like this. No, he didn’t even dare imagine having a meal alone with this person. Well, it appeared that a month of training, coupled with today’s ‘field trip’, had significantly reduced his fear. Although he still felt uneasy when alone with Rennes in the carriage and ‘stressed’ when their hands touched, at least he’d progressed enough to sit at the same table and peacefully finish a meal with him.

Once Rennes calmly finished eating, Lin Nuo said, “Um, when I go to buy the gift later, would you wait for me at the door, Teacher? I’ll be quick! I won’t delay you.”

Rennes wiped his mouth with the napkin and set it aside, saying, “I’ll accompany you.”

Lin Nuo was momentarily happy and a bit embarrassed. Politely, he said, “Ah, it’s just buying a small gift, it might take up too much of your time…”

Rennes kept his unwavering gaze on him and repeated, “I’ll accompany you.”

Lin Nuo had no qualms about Rennes joining him to pick a gift. He smiled widely and nodded emphatically. Observing Lin Nuo’s unrestrained smile, Rennes furrowed his brows slightly, a hint of a mysterious expression flickering in his eyes.

After leaving the restaurant, they walked along the well-lit streets toward the direction of the jewelry store. In a casual tone, Rennes asked, “What kind of lady is she?”

Lin Nuo thought earnestly and replied, “Hmm… She seems carefree but is actually quite sensitive. Sometimes, even when she’s clearly upset, she’ll pretend not to care. At such times, it makes one want to take care of her.”

“Oh…” Rennes fell silent for a few seconds, contemplative. “Is she a young lady from a noble family?”

Lin Nuo chuckled, “Ah, I haven’t asked her yet. She might not want to disclose that.”

Nana, as a bastard daughter, wouldn’t be considered a true member of a noble family and might not even have inherited her father’s surname.

“Uh…” Rennes fell silent again for a while before saying slowly, “To make Your Highness so concerned, she must be a very special woman.”

Lin Nuo nodded repeatedly, “Yes, she’s quite special.”

When the little one gets playful, she’s bursting with energy—truly extraordinary.

“Uh…” Rennes remained silent for an even longer period this time and finally said slowly, “So, Your Highness, what gift do you plan to give this lady?”

Lin Nuo turned to look across the street and chuckled, “Ha, we’re here!”

With that, he bypassed the jewelry store in front of them and headed straight into the toy store with a sign displaying teddy bears.

Rennes followed behind, somewhat surprised. “Toys? You intend to give a lady a toy?”

Lin Nuo scratched his head, “Uh, for a young lady of her age, isn’t a teddy bear the most appropriate?”

Rennes’ eyes sparkled, and his voice carried a hint of joy he probably didn’t even notice. “How old is this lady?”

Lin Nuo replied honestly, “Um, 5? Maybe 6 at most!”

As he finished speaking, Lin Nuo was surprised to see Rennes suddenly halt in his tracks. Then, the man turned around as if he had developed an immense interest in the teddy bears displayed in the window and didn’t look back. Through the reflection in the window, Lin Nuo faintly saw Rennes’ eyes slightly curved at the corners, as if he was infused with a sense of amusement.

The knight was really strange today—did he also like teddy bears? Lin Nuo wondered.

 

Author’s Note:

Lin Nuo: So, are you cold?

Rennes: No, quite warm. Your Highness will find out later.