As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover

It was the middle of the freezing season, on the evening of the first day of the new year. 

“

.”

A sly laugh from a small dragon echoed through the banquet hall of the Grand Duke Lindeman’s mansion in the capital.

Ren glanced around with narrow eyes. The Silver Hawk Knights were now completely soaked in alcohol. Half had their heads resting on the tables, asleep, while the other half were so drunk they couldn’t tell the difference between alcohol and water. 

“

!

!” [The burly humans are all drunk! Finally, it’s my world!] 

Ren jumped lightly from the chair where three cushions had been stacked to match the baby dragon’s height and quickly headed out of the banquet hall. Now was the only time to move freely, as Maxion had mistaken water for wine due to a subordinate’s prank and had drunkenly consumed three glasses. 

“

!” [I’ll search this mansion thoroughly and uncover human Edward’s dark secrets!] 

The Lindeman mansion in the capital was as historic as the main castle in the Lindeman territory. Edward had spent most of his childhood either in the imperial capital or the Lindeman territory’s main castle, so there were hardly any of his past belongings here. But Ren, unaware of this, was excited to find Edward’s weaknesses and dashed out of the banquet hall. 

The Lindeman mansion was vast and complex, having undergone countless repairs and reconstructions over the centuries, encapsulating the history of imperial architecture. Rooms with traces of the past and hidden secret passages from the rebuilding process remained scattered throughout. 

“

?” [There’s a suspicious smell here?] 

Ren sniffed the air and ran to the end of the hallway. 

“…By the way, I think I saw Sir Maxion’s dog crying ‘

.’”

“

, you must be mistaken. I didn’t know he was so fond of animals. I’ve never seen anyone dress a dog so finely, with a hat covering its face.” 

“Right. I’ve never seen its face, either. What a pity…

? Didn’t something black just move there?” 

Ren glared silently at the approaching servants. Most of the mansion’s staff were still unaware of Ren’s existence. That’s why they held the New Year’s party in the seldom-used annex banquet hall. It was to keep Ren out of sight as much as possible.

Having lived for a month, Ren could now use several spells. The most representative spell was invisibility. Currently, Ren was using an invisibility spell, blending completely with the wall’s pattern while standing on two feet. 

“Was it just my imagination?” 

“I heard from the maid next door that the ghost of the first Grand Duke of Lindeman often appears in the annex to reclaim his treasures. Maybe that’s what you saw.” 

“Oh gosh! Let’s get out of here. I hate ghosts more than anything.” 

“Live a bit longer. You’ll find people are scarier.” 

The servants quickly moved away. 

Ren, relaxing its tense body, let out a small sigh and laughed quietly as if the tension had never existed. 

“

” [My disguise technique is perfect as always…] 

Everyone had been so impressed the first time Ren successfully used this spell. When it cast it in front of everyone during a camp, the entire knight order gave him a standing ovation! 

Ren’s forehead vein throbbed, recalling Hendrik’s hearty laughter and comment.

“

” Ren spat on the floor and covered it with dirt using its hind legs. Then, it perked up its ears and looked around. 

Just as Ren lifted his head to sniff, a glowing white pigeon flew into his view. 

“

?

?” [A pigeon? This should be fun.] 

As Ren dashed towards the pigeon, it lightly dodged its front paw by moving just out of reach. Getting more determined, Ren approached again, but the pigeon maintained its distance just as quickly. 

“

!” [You magical bundle!]

The black baby dragon busily chased after the pigeon.

* * *

Robin was the first to grasp the seriousness of the situation. “Vice-Captain! Vice-Captain, wake up!” 

“

…” 

“Gosh, who gave the Vice-Captain so much to drink while I wasn’t looking?” 

“

! It was mi!” 

“…”

Robin narrowed his eyes at Hendrik, who was slurring his words. The drunkard, who had only pretended to drink during the whole expedition, was now swimming in a sea of real alcohol as if he had found water. 

“…Indeed, who else but the boozehound.”

“

?” 

Seeing Hendrik’s half-open eyes, it was clear he wouldn’t be any help in this situation.

“Never mind. Just finish your drink.” 

“Yes! Of course!

! Robin, want a pint of stout?”

“I’ve had enough.” 

“

! There’s no such thing as enough when it comes to drinking!

, wait a minute. Did you just finish an entire barrel of apple beer by yourself?” Hendrik was puzzled as he tried to pour from the cask Robin usually drank from, finding it empty. 

Robin nodded calmly, unaffected by the alcohol. “

yes.”

“I was about to finish it. Impressive. I need to step up my game!” 

“See? I told you! In the order, Robin is the second-best drinker after His Excellency!”

At a member’s comment, Hendrik raised his glass and shouted. “

! I might get pretty drunk, but I’ve never passed out! You never know until you hit the ground!” He then chugged his stout in one go. 

Robin sighed deeply and checked on Maxion, who was slumped over the table. He didn’t seem like he’d wake up soon. “How many drinks did you give him?” 

“Only three with this glass?”

Maxion shook an on-the-rocks glass. 

“Then why is he like this? He’s not usually this weak.” 

“…Those three drinks were Dragon’s Breath.” Aiven, quietly sipping champagne nearby, muttered. 

Dragon’s Breath was the strongest liquor in the empire, typically enjoyed in the north. Known for its clean taste and aroma, it also caused a hot sensation as it went down, quickly raising body heat. 

Robin shouted in surprise. “That’s practically a crime!”

“

! Don’t be so uptight. He gets drunk quickly and sobers up quickly!” 

“That’s true, but… You better brace yourself for his wrath later.” 

“Okayyyy!

” Hendrik, thoroughly drunk, cheerfully shouted.

Robin, rubbing his forehead, mumbled. “Anyway, it’s a big problem. Ren is missing, and I’m the only one sober enough to find him… Should I call someone from the escort team?” 

“What? Ren is missing?!” Another member, overhearing Robin, shouted drunkenly. 

“

, yes. Well, I’ll look for it.”

“I’ll find it!” 

“Our baby~ Daddy’s here!”

“Daddy? Uncle’s here,

!” 

In the chaotic uproar, Hendrik slammed his glass down. “The mascot of our knight order is missing! We can’t just sit and drink in such an emergency! With the vice-captain out of action, I, Hendrik, will take responsibility and find Ren!”

“

Why did you have to put the vice-captain in this state in the first place…” Robin sighed quietly, looking around. The banquet hall door was slightly ajar. 

“Well, it probably hasn’t gone too far.” 

He headed out of the banquet hall.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ren was… 

“

!”

…screaming as he fell endlessly into a dark, unknown passage.