Chapter 63: An Unfortunate Encounter
Noella’s hovercar entered the car elevator and headed up to the tenth floor, where Crown & Crest Nurtury was located.
Before long, the storefront came into view. The combination of silver and black gave it a luxurious feel.
Sonny did not even have time to admire the view. As soon as Noella parked the car, he immediately got out. Leaning against a white column decorated with gold accents, his face looked pale.
"I really thought I was going to die. I’m even starting to regret following Father’s rule about not going home during the first month at the academy."
Kiran, Shani, and Jeryon were also surprised by Noella’s driving, but they were nowhere near as dramatic as Sonny.
"Come on, let’s go inside," Kiran said, giving Sonny a hard pat on the back.
The young man stared at them blankly, feeling like none of his friends understood his suffering, but he still followed behind them.
"Welcome to Crown & Crest Nurtury, Young Masters and Young Ladies," the receptionist greeted them warmly. "Do you have a reservation?"
Noella showed the booking barcode on her smartwatch. The receptionist immediately led them to their private room.
Inside was a long, comfortable-looking blue velvet sofa. They sat down while a client associate came in with drinks and snacks.
Noella picked up the tablet on the table, which served as a control pad, and began browsing through baby beds. A hologram in front of them displayed her selections.
The others did not seem to find this way of shopping strange at all.
Only Shani was surprised that even after coming to the store, they were still shopping through holograms. To Shani, shopping meant walking around the store and looking at things directly.
’I’ll never get used to the way rich people shop,’ she thought.
Kiran picked out several blankets and other small items. Within seconds, another employee brought over everything she had selected.
"Shan, don’t you want this comb?" Kiran asked, pointing at a comb with a gold-plated handle.
Shani quickly shook her head.
’If Jeryon ever has another baby beast, I could buy him a gift from this store...’ Shani began making plans in her head after seeing how little her friends cared about the prices.
Shani herself had no intention of buying anything here. Buying from the System Shop was still better. The items had better functions and were much cheaper.
She had only come along because she wanted to see what the capital city of Argenor was like.
Unfortunately, she had not even had the chance to see anything properly from the road. All she saw were blurry silhouettes rushing past the window.
"Guys, I’m going to the restroom for a bit," Shani said after drinking too much tea.
An employee led Shani through a white corridor decorated with crystal lights and elegant paintings.
A door opened farther down the hallway, and the voice of a young child came from inside.
"I’ll give this to Brother myself."
"He’s busy at the academy. You shouldn’t disturb him. Let the butler deliver it instead," an adult man replied.
"Okay..." the child answered dejectedly.
As Shani walked past the open door, she accidentally caught sight of the little boy inside.
Beside him stood a tall, middle-aged man who looked like his father. Both of them had golden hair.
’Why does that kid look like a mini version of Jeryon, while that man looks like an older version of him?’ Shani thought. ’Maybe it’s just because they have the same hair color.’
Shani kept walking without stopping.
She briefly glanced back and saw a woman dressed simply yet elegantly holding the little boy’s hand. The small family walked in the opposite direction, seemingly having just finished shopping.
Shani quickly finished what she needed to do and returned to the private room.
Several carts and display racks that had not been there before were now neatly arranged in the corner.
"Have you guys finished choosing?" Shani asked as she sat back down.
Kiran, Noella, and Jeryon nodded.
Only Sonny was still struggling to choose between a feline teaser wand with a little fish toy at the end and one with feathers.
Kiran turned to Noella and gave her a meaningful look, silently asking her to use her logical brain to help Sonny make a decision.
Noella cleared her throat to get Sonny’s attention. "The fish toy can also be used for teething. Your baby beast will probably be more interested in it."
After hearing Noella’s explanation, Sonny looked as if he had finally seen the light. He nodded and chose the one she recommended.
Kiran sighed in relief. At least they would not have to wait any longer.
After entering their delivery addresses, the five of them did not return to the academy right away. Instead, they headed to the Aurelian Pavilion on the thirty-fifth floor for dinner.
Like Crown & Crest Nursery, the restaurant was just as luxurious and exclusive.
The elevators for hovercars and people were separate. The hovercars would arrive directly in front of the restaurant, while the passengers would enter through the restaurant itself.
A receptionist approached them with a polite smile.
"My apologies for the inconvenience, Young Masters and Young Ladies, but the entire restaurant has been reserved today."
Sonny and Kiran let out disappointed sighs, but they understood and prepared to turn around.
At that moment, Jeryon displayed a holographic badge from his smartwatch.
"I am a member of the royal family. Just give us a table far away from whoever made the reservation. We’ll eat quietly."
The receptionist quickly checked the badge’s authentication. "My apologies for not recognizing you, Your Highness, the Second Prince. Please follow me."
Kiran, Sonny, and Shani exchanged glances. They wanted to cheer at the privilege of being friends with the Second Prince, but they still had enough self-control not to embarrass themselves.
Unfortunately, their excitement quickly disappeared when they entered the dining area and saw the people having dinner at the table in the center.
"Y-Your Majesty!" Sonny stammered. He hurriedly stepped back and lowered his head. Kiran immediately did the same beside him.
Even Noella, who had been calm until now, showed a hint of panic.
Jeryon gritted his teeth. He was about to turn around when a child’s voice called out to him.
"Brother Jeryon! So you came to have dinner with me, Father and Mother!"
The little boy sounded cheerful, completely unaware of the heavy atmosphere surrounding the adults.
"Why did you allow just anyone to enter?" the King asked, his deep voice filled with authority.
The question was directed at the receptionist who had led Jeryon’s group inside, but the King’s sharp gaze was fixed on his second son.
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty." The receptionist immediately apologized, then quickly ushered Noella, Shani, Sonny, and Kiran outside despite her racing heart.
He also wanted to persuade Jeryon to leave, but Jeryon’s cold expression made the receptionist too afraid to say anything.
The four young people walked out with mixed feelings. Shani kept looking back, watching Jeryon’s upright figure. Yet somehow, his back looked incredibly lonely.
The doors to the dining area closed. Sonny immediately leaned against the wall, clutching his chest. Noella and Kiran did not look much better.
But Shani was still worried about Jeryon, especially when she remembered that the three people having dinner inside were the same three people she had seen earlier at Crown & Crest Nurtury.
’The King’s attitude toward Jeryon is so repulsed. Is having a baby beast still not enough for the King to accept him again?’
’But Jeryon isn’t just capable of having a baby beast. He’s an SS-Rank beastman. He might even be the highest-ranked beastman on the entire continent.’
The more Shani thought about it, the tighter her chest felt.
She shook her head hard, unable to accept it. ’Everyone should know just how amazing Jeryon is!’
With that thought in mind, Shani turned around and suddenly pushed open the door to the dining area.
"Young Lady!" the receptionist shouted in panic. Shani’s friends stared without blinking as she disappeared behind the door.
Inside, Shani heard a conversation she was never meant to hear.
"You can only become the partner of an F-Rank and produce a B-Rank baby beast. You have embarrassed the royal family long enough. Don’t ever use the privileges of the royal family again."
"You’re no different from your older brother. Neither of you can be relied on. What a waste of the name ’Argenor.’"
The King’s cold voice cut through the air like a blade.
"I never wanted to be part of the royal family," Jeryon said through gritted teeth. Shani could hear the deep pain and disappointment in his voice.
"Get out!" The King roared, releasing the raw power of a beastman.
Jeryon’s body was thrown backward. Shani instinctively rushed forward and helped him to his feet.
She briefly glanced toward the King. His elongated fangs reflected the light, making him look even more intimidating.
"Let’s go back, Jeryon," Shani said when she saw blood at the corner of his mouth.
Jeryon’s gaze was cold and lonely. But when he noticed Shani beside him and their eyes met, the anger and chaos filling his mind seemed to disappear.
He stood up. Then, without saying a word, he left with Shani.
The King watched them leave with a slightly surprised expression. "Is that girl the F-Rank who is Jeryon’s partner?"
...