On the day of the discussion between Leon and Emperor Valentin.
Eli attentively welcomed Azayn who popped up in the teleportation array to conduct her check up.
In three weeks will be Eli's seventh month of pregnancy. She had been feeling a lot of movements from Little Han.
Day by day, she realized that a little human had been actively living inside her body. She was filled with excitement and anxiousness at the same time.
Seeing Eli smile happily while waiting for her, Azayn beamed and gave Eli an affectionate hug. "How are you feeling Eli?"
"I'm feeling good, yet sometimes my mood changes. Also, I can feel a lot of things happening on my body." Eli replied comfortably towards Azayn.
"Oh it's alright! The significant changes in your body to prepare for child rearing."
Spending time catching up with each other, the two then proceeded in the medical procedures.
"Prepare yourself for the next month, for Little Han will be much more active. Your body will change more than what you could witness right now. What is for sure, you will be feeling more restraint in movement." Azayn reminded Eli as she gently tapped her shoulders.
"As much as possible, have Baobao assist you with your movements. It would be much better to have your prince 'friend' around." She teasingly continued.
"Hehe, he will be busy this time as I know he has duties in the capital." Eli answered awkwardly, she knew that Azayn advocated the presence of Leon if it concerns her preparation for the late stage of pregnancy.
As if remembering something, Eli gently stood up and walked towards her study.
Her study table had many documents as she had been studying to train her summoner powers. She picked another thick stack of paper and handed it down to Azayn.
Seeing that Eli gave her a stack of paper, Azayn's yellowish green eyes shined in excitement. "New knowledge!" She happily took the thick stack of paper.
"Come and look through its contents. Tell me what you think…" Eli smiled as she encouraged Azayn to check the paper's contents, yet a trace of anxiousness could be seen in her midnight eyes.
Skimming through the documents, Azayn's eyes couldn't help but show a trace of surprise and agitation. But in between these expressions was a trace of anxiousness and uncertainty.
"This! This is an operating procedure!" Azayn exclaimed in surprise.
"Eli, why are you giving me this? The contents of these documents were enough to shake the whole medical world!"
Eli expected Azayn's reaction, she gave her a knowing smile and replied,
"I'm giving it to you, just in case a problem would arise during my labor."
"But, Eli! This procedure wasn't even tested yet. I am not even qualified to know this procedure.." Azayn said with hesitation.
Eli gently held Azayn's trembling hands, trying to comfort and encourage her, she said,
"This procedure is called Cesarean section or C-section… I know that we do not have the technology to perform this operation yet. But I entrust it to you."
"In this document are the compilation of all the studies and the knowledge I have regarding this procedure. I know that just by having this would not be able to give you confidence to perform it, but I have a hope that it will save many lives of future moms out there." Eli explained.
Azayn didn't say anything, especially when she saw the expression Eli had in her face.
It was a face of fear and anxiety.
"Azayn, my dear friend, I have a nagging feeling that my delivery wouldn't be a normal one. I can feel it…" Eli confessed as she held onto Azayn's hands tighter.
She was also trembling. Azayn felt it as the cold from Eli's hands seeped through her skin.
"I am having nightmares at night, seeing the day I would give birth. What I feared was not dying per se… I deeply fear dying before even giving birth to a Little Han!" Tears from anxiety formed into Eli's eyes.
"I have been preparing this ever since you first visited me here… This is all I can give…"
"This…" Azayn now understood Eli's fear and reason as to why she would give her something that does not exist yet to this world.
This extreme fear of something that has no basis, she had to acknowledge that her dear friend was suffering from it.
Denial wouldn't help them either.
For now she decided to support Eli and give her assurance.
She gave a helpless sigh and replied to Eli, "Alright, but I don't really have the qualifications to perform this. However, I know someone who could possibly pull this off…"
"R-really?" Eli glanced at Azayn with a renewed hope.
"Yes. In fact, I know that He could only pull these kinds of procedures.. However he is a male.. Are you alright with that?" She casted Eli with a look of inquiry.
"It's fine with me, as long as you trust him!" Eli lived in the modern earth. She knew that there were male doctors that specialize in OB-GYN. She found no problems with it.
Azayn froze when she realized that Eli answered without hesitation. Without any other choice she then explained,
"He was considered as the youngest genius doctor in the Seirende Empire. However, he suddenly went into hiding five years ago, because he was being targeted by the Spectre...
As to where he is, only us, the Emperor, Uncle Andi and Uncle Ben knew of his whereabouts."
"Who might he be?" Eli asked calmly.
"My cousin and adoptive younger brother, a half elf… He was publicly known as Dr. Kayden." Azayn replied with longing in her face and continued,
"He now goes by the name Einz."
"Wait! Einz? You are not talking about Dr. Einz, the chief doctor of the Riverfort Hospital, are you? Wait but Dr. Einz was a human as far as I remember!" Eli asked wide eyed.
Realizing something Azayn gave a light chuckle and replied,
"My bad, I just remembered now that you are the Riverfort Asani! I forgot that Kayden took care of you at that time!
Since he is a half-elf, he could mask the features of the elves with just a little bit of magic and look completely human! "
"So it's really Dr. Einz!" Eli said in a conflicted expression.
Seeing Eli at a loss, she started to tease her,
"Why? Are you hesitating right now? Because are you afraid that Kayden will scold you for leaving them without a word? Fufufu~"
Eli was speechless. Her cheeks blushed in secondhand embarrassment. Through enough, she was not able to mentally prepare facing the people who genuinely took Elise in.
How could she face them? She didn't think about it yet.
Azayn realized that she hit the mark and let out a light chuckle. After a while she patted Eli's shoulder and looked at her with an assuring smile,
"Do not worry, you know how Kayden is. He couldn't bear to get mad at you for a long time…"
"...Alright.." Eli replied meekly.
Seeing Eli find a bit of confidence, Azayn gently clapped her hands to change the mood and cheerfully said to her friend,
"Now, all that is left is to think of a way to contact my younger brother!"
"Didn't you have any contact with him?" Eli asked with surprise?
"Aiyoo, this little brother of mine was so afraid that the Spectre would lay their hands on us. So he erased all traces and connection he had on the elves before disappearing.
If not for the treaty with the Emperor, to use their resources in helping the elves gather information, we wouldn't even know that he had taken another identity and is living in Riverfort." Azayn replied with a helpless sigh.
Eli stopped and pondered for a while. After some time she took the necklace given by Leon and said, "It seems that I must call Leon for this…"
"Ohhh! Now that you mentioned! He might really help!" Azayn replied with Eli's idea.
However Eli was hesitating, "But, he may be busy now…"
"Ehhh, Eli, are you shy? It's just calling a 'friend'! If he gets mad I'll take over. Even if he is the Prince, no one can disrespect a Silver Dew Elf!" Azayn replied confidently.
"T-then.." Eli held the pendant anxiously and uttered, "To Leon.."
--
In the room, Leon was actually flabbergasted to see his dignified Father Emperor acting pitiful just to have him think of an irrefutable reason to go to Silver Dew Forest.
He was about to dismiss his father's request when he felt a surge of warmth in his chest. He immediately took out the pendant he was wearing.
It was shining brightly, in the center of the pendant, a name appeared that made Leon's expression ridden with surprise - Eli.
Emperor Valentin was also shocked.
He never saw Leon get so attentive on an alert received through his personal communication stone. That only meant one thing! On the other side was his future daughter in law!
"Go on, answer it here. You don't need to mind me~~~" Seeing the conflict in Leon's face he excitedly suggested to answer this in his presence.
But that was not out of the consideration as an Emperor but because he was curious about the relationship of the two. "Fufufu.."
Leon didn't bother his Father Emperor and immediately answered Eli's call. For her to call in her own initiative, it must be important.
"Hello? Leon?" Eli's voice rang through the Emperor's study.
Emperor Valentin gave a lively expression, "My future daughter in law's voice!!!" He commented with a hushed yet excited tone.
"Eli, It's me." Leon gently answered. "How are you? Is there something that matters?"
"I-i," Eli's voice from the other side stuttered, yet soon the voice completely changed, it was Azayn's voice.
"Greetings, Third Prince, this is Azayn of the Silver Dew Elves.. I need your help in contacting my younger brother Kayden! This is for Eli's sake." Azayn straightforwardly requested.
"Done, but may I know why?" Leon asked cautiously.
On the side, the Emperor was shocked to hear Azayn's voice, he looked at Leon as if saying, 'We could ask them for any suggestion to go to Silver Dew!!! Come, they must have any idea!'
"Well to cut the story short, I have here the document crafted by Eli for a certain medical procedure that could be performed when a problem in delivery is encountered.
You all know that it is only Kayden who had the ability to understand this info. As to the further details, we can fill you in when Kayden is here."
Leon didn't hesitate upon hearing that it was about the preparation for Eli's delivery.
In fact, hearing that his dear friend Einz would be involved gave him assurance. "Alright, I'll contact him right away."
"L-leon thank you.. I'm sorry you must be busy right now but I had to call.." It was Eli's voice who replied. It was all natural as they know the elusive attitude of the elves.
"I'm not that busy.. In fact, I was just stuck thinking about how to help my father come up with a reason to visit there without alarming the nobles…" Leon said as he finally relented to the Emperor's request to bring up the question.
"Eh… Come up with an official reason? Then why not use the treaty of the Silver Dew Forest? Ahhh.. I spoke hastily.. The chief might get angry for using him…"
Eli replied, yet after realizing that she spoke carelessly she immediately apologized to Leon and Azayn who heard the conversation.
"No it is a good idea!" Leon replied, as he saw on his pehiperal vision the joyous expression of their father.
And thus.. the scheming of Eli and Leon started.
From the reason of going to Silver Dew Forest.
To the scheme to bring the reports to the assembly and make his brothers quarrel.
Azayn and Emperor Valentin on the side was shocked to see how the two go well with scheming, they were terrifyingly good!
Yet they couldn't help but twitch,
"We are still here and we can hear you! How could you discuss as if we weren't here??!"
