“Daddy!”

“Celeste!” Jack replied, beaming a smile at the little girl running up to hug him as he knelt down.

“You're outside!”

“I am kiddo,” Jack replied, ruffling the girl's blonde hair. “From this moment on, no more stuffy bedroom visits.”

“Awww! But I like games! Mom doesn't let me otherwise,” Celeste complained.

“Is that right?” Jack said, eyeing the red-haired woman sitting at a nearby picnic table filing her nails.

“What? It's bad for her brain. She's still developing I don't want my child to have her brain be all mushy.”

“Mushy!” Celeste protested.

“Right. Ok, I'll tell ya what, if you keep being a good girl, we’ll set up some gaming time for you, ok?” Jack said, picking Celeste up who cheered.

With his daughter in his arms, Jack walked into the play pit set up in the middle of the courtyard, a small garden sequestered in the left wing of the castle devoid of all life save for Jack, Leona, and Celeste.

A private paradise, at least for Jack.

“Speaking of brain, how is her education coming along?” Jack asked, setting Celeste down so she could play in the sand pit.

“Private tutoring, I'm handling all her education.”

“I see,” Jack said, smiling at his daughter as she opened a play chest filled with toys. “How about enrolling her into a preschool?”

Leona blinked, taken aback. “Really?”

“What?” Jack asked, eyeing the woman who held an incredulous look.

“I'm… just surprised you want to enroll her into schooling.”

“Why not? She's a growing girl, she deserves to have friends her age,” Jack said, putting on a tiny hat that Celeste handed him, “I spent a long time homeschooling Jill, and while she was always happy to see me she was always alone and depended on me for everything. I want to shelter Celeste but… I don't want to stunt her growth. And I don't want her to grow up spoiled.”

“That's a real mature thought Jack.”

“Is it? I just want her to grow up normal,” Jack replied, “Jill and I never had those opportunities, so, if I can give them to her, then she deserves it.”

“Well,” Leona set down her nail filer, producing a vial of nail polish from her bracelet. “The empire doesn't have public schooling like the Corporate Alliance. At least until the age of seven. But that's for basic readiness training. Most nobles tend to homeschool while many families attend general education at age five or they don't go to school at all.”

Jack frowned, “Well… it's a thought.”

Leona pursed her lips, “Well, if you're serious about this sort of thing… Selfia has a new education reform she's interested in passing. If you want, Celeste can be part of that.”

Jack raised a brow, “What kind of reform?”

“Standardized education. Bringing the entire population to a certain level of general knowledge. Kinda similar to the Corporate Alliance’s public education system but less… VR.”

“VR?”

“Ya know, virtual reality.”

“I'm familiar with the concept. What's VR have to do with teaching?”

“What? Your school never had VR sets?”

“I dropped out.”

“I mean, I was homeless but still went to a school that had VR. I thought they all used it.”

“Not the one I went to,” Jack replied. “We had everything taught to us by a robot. Most of the education was automated now that I think about it. I guess with robots they didn't have to pay anyone.”

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

“Well, Selfia wants in person teaching. Actual humans, no automation with classrooms and people from all walks of life, kinda like Almus but more inclusive,” Leona explained.

“Don't think that'll be very popular.”

“Yes, which is why it's a test case, Selfia wants to produce more academics and effect change starting from the bottom.”

“And you think it'll work?”

“I hope it does. But, if you're interested, we can see about enrolling Celeste.”

“Daddy! Mom! Look! Look at what I made!” Celeste exclaimed, the girl covered from head to toe in sand and approaching the pair with a drawing.

“That's…” Jack blinked, his eyes round as they focused on the drawing of himself, Leona, Celeste and… a raven haired woman with wings all holding hands.

Jack and Leona were at a loss for words, both stunned in place at the drawing.

“Celeste darling, who is this?” Leona asked, the woman unaware of the figure that Jack knew all too well of.

Jack clenched his jaw.

“A friend!” Celeste said happily.

“Friend huh?” Jack muttered, narrowing his eyes as Leona took Celeste in her arms, the woman doing her best not to show her worry.

“Tell me more about that friend, what does she do? Does she make you do things or tell you to do stuff?” Leona asked, Celeste shaking her head.

“She watches me sleep. She says she's a gardening!”

“You mean a guardian?” Leona inquired.

“Yup!”

Jack clenched his jaw, an action that didn't go unseen by Leona.

“Do you… know something about this?”

“I do. I'll take care of it. Just-”

*Ding! Ding!*

The sound of a bell chiming out cut Jack off, turning his attention to Ada and Kamila rolling in carts of food.

“FOOOOOOD!” Celeste exclaimed, running out of Leona’s arms to hop up and down in front of Kamila.

“I wish people were that excited about my cooking,” Ada grumbled.

“Your cooking is great honey,” Jack said, placing the drawing to the side as he embraced Ada who rolled her.

“Yeah, yeah. Don't WORRY, Kamila did most of the leg work. Ugh, my knees I need to sit down,” Ada said, taking a seat as she rubbed her back.

“Are you ok?” Jack asked, noticing Ada seemed pale.

“I'm fine. Just been-BLEKH!”

“EWWWWWWW!” Celeste giggled as Ada vomited on Jack, causing him to sigh.

“...Ok. Are you sick? What's wrong?”

“Ugh, I'm disgusting,” Ada said, waving Jack off. “It's just a stomach bug.”

“Are you sure? You seem-”

“I'm fine!” Ada snapped, her teeth letting out a loud clack as she suddenly grew flustered at Jack who stood frozen like a deerling in headlights.

“Ah… right. I'ma go get a mop,” Jack said as Ada began to cry.

“Four hallways down and to your right there's a maintenance closest,” Leona said with Jack thanking her and walking off.

****

As Jack wandered off, Leona sat down beside Ada, grabbing a napkin to dab the woman's mouth that was dripping with green chunks.

“So…” Leona said, making sure Jack was out of the room before setting down a round black device on the table.

“What's that?” Ada asked, looking down and then back up with reddened eyes on the verge of crying.

“It's a device that prevents eavesdropping from Awakened,” Leona said before crossing her legs as Kamila let Celeste taste a piece of cake nearby with the little girl hopping up and down with EXTREME hyperness. “So how far along are you?”

“I'm sorry, what?”

“Your pregnancy.”

Ada went wide-eyed.

”I-im sorry, I don't know what you're talking about haha!” Ada exclaimed, giving off not-so-convincing fake laugh.

“Seriously? I'm a field medic and a doctor. Well, psychiatrist, but that's beside the point. You aren't fooling me. Now how long?”

Ada deflated.

“Six weeks,” Ada replied sheepishly.

“When did you find out?”

“Two weeks ago…” Ada sighed, sagging her shoulders. “I'm always so hungry and icky and achy and-”

Ada began to cry. “And everything just feels like it sucks!”

“Ah… yup. And… Jack doesn't know?”

Ada shook her head.

“He's got enough on his plate right now! So I'm trying to figure out a good time to tell him!” Ada sobbed before hugging Leona and smearing her nose on the woman's pristine military uniform.

“Ah…Ok. I have to dry clean this ya know?”

“Oh! Oh I'm sorry!” Ada began to cry harder.

“Nononono! It's ok! It's ok! There, there!” Leona said, taking Ada in her arms. “You're ok, you're fine.”

“What's wrong?” Celeste asked, standing in front of the pair and cocking her head as she munched on a cake smushed between her fingers.

“Honey, go help Auntie Kamila set the table,” Leona instructed with the smol girl giving a juberiant “Ok!” before running off.

“Do you need anything?” Leona asked to Ada.

“No food. I can already feel my gut expanding,” Ada cried holding her stomach. “I'ma get chunky!"

“Well you have to eat, you're eating for two now and Awakened pregnancy is a bit different than regular pregnancy.”

“I knoooooow,” Ada said, slouching as Jack returned with a mop.

“Found the mop,” Jack said as Leona pocketed the sound jamming puck. “Uh, is everything ok?”

“Yup. Just dandy,” Leona smiled, dropping an arm over Ada and coaxing her to the table. “Let's eat.”