Help! I'm in Another World and the Dragon Man Want Me To Get Pregnant!
Chapter 41: Silent Farewell

Chapter 41: Silent Farewell

How could he express himself?

How could he make Ignatius understand?

Someone, anyone, tell him how.

Ignatius draped the robe he had been wearing over Shen Xinghui’s shoulders gently.

He then slowly pulled him away and creating a physical distance between them.

In that moment, Shen Xinghui felt a different kind of pain grip his chest.

The act of being rejected made it feel as though everything inside him was falling apart.

"I appreciate your feelings. But, Xinghui... you need to value yourself more. I—"

"It’s because my body is not clean, isn’t it?"

"What?"

The words spilled out as Shen Xinghui trembled, overwhelmed by sadness and frustration.

Tears began to stream down his face uncontrollably and he struggled to breathe properly.

His chest heaved as he fought back sobs.

He took a step back, his body shaking.

He couldn’t stay here.

He couldn’t remain by Ignatius’s side any longer.

He wasn’t enough—he had never been enough.

The confidence he had mustered, fueled by his unique skill, had been nothing but arrogance.

Ignatius had every right to choose and Shen Xinghui simply wasn’t what he wanted.

"I’m sorry."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

Grabbing the discarded clothes from the floor, Shen Xinghui turned around and come out from the room.

He thought he heard Ignatius call his name in a panicked voice, but he couldn’t bring himself to look back.

He felt like such a fool.

-•-

After crying himself to exhaustion through the night, Shen Xinghui finally calmed down.

Once his mind cleared, the harsh reality became unavoidable.

When he’d first realized the potential of his skill, he had thought to himself, he don’t want Ignatius to look at him like a commodity, like some kind of tool to bear children.

He didn’t want to be treated like that.

And yet, the person who had offered himself up as exactly that... was him.

Shen Xinghui realized he had been desperate.

He believed that to stay by Ignatius’s side, he had to be useful, that he had to offer something of value.

His only weapon, his only redeeming quality, was his skill.

So he tried to use it.

How foolish.

Ignatius had his own feelings, his own desires for a partner.

And Shen Xinghui, who couldn’t even see his own worth, had never been part of that picture.

That one time Ignatius had touched him—it had only been because the aphrodisiac had left Shen Xinghui completely helpless.

Ignatius had acted out of pity, nothing more.

And yet, Shen Xinghui had deluded himself into thinking it meant something more.

He had no value.

He wasn’t special to anyone, not even his own parents, who had abandoned him.

Thinking he could be someone’s "special person" had been nothing but arrogance.

However, one thing had become clear after a night of tears and self-reflection.

He love Ignatius.

That simple, pure feeling was all that remained in his heart after everything else had been stripped away.

"Xinghui..."

The voices came from outside the door.

Shen Xinghui’s shoulders flinched at the sound.

When the gentle knock followed, his body trembled even more.

He didn’t know what kind of expression to wear if he faced the person at the door.

He couldn’t think of any excuses to make.

There was no way he could smile casually and say, "What’s up?" as if nothing had happened.

The knocking came a few more times, but Shen Xinghui stayed curled up in his bed, unable to move.

Eventually, the presence outside the door faded.

The relief he felt at that moment made him feel like an ingrate.

By the time evening arrived, Shen Xinghui had made up his mind about something.

He changed his clothes and headed to the mansion’s kitchen.

Inside, the cook had just finished preparing the evening’s meal.

"Oh, Mr. Shen," the cook greeted.

"Um, would it be alright if I borrowed the kitchen for a bit?" Shen Xinghui asked hesitantly.

The cook tilted his head curiously, a puzzled expression crossing his face.

"Ignatius seemed to enjoy my cooking during our travels, so I thought it might be nice to make something for him. It’s the only way I can think of to repay him, even just a little," Shen Xinghui explained.

"That’s a great idea. I’m pretty sure, Master Ignatius will be thrilled," the cook said, showing no hint of displeasure as he granted Shen Xinghui access to the kitchen.

Shen Xinghui considered what to make, ultimately deciding on thickly rolled omelets, fried chicken and simmered burdock root.

"You’re pretty skilled," the cook remarked as he watched.

"I like cooking," Shen Xinghui replied with a small smile.

Once the dishes were prepared, he arranged them on plates and handed them over to the cook.

After thanking him, Shen Xinghui returned to his room and began rummaging through his magic bag.

He checked the contents: there was still some pre-cooked food left, along with the clothes Ignatius had bought for him and the money he had been given "just in case."

Everything was accounted for.

Placing the items on the table, Shen Xinghui set down the black crystal whistle he had been entrusted with beside them.

"I’m sorry," he murmured softly.

Cooking was the only thing Shen Xinghui could do.

It was the only way he could genuinely contribute, using his own skills to bring some measure of joy to Ignatius.

It was the only way he knew how to repay him.

Afterward, Shen Xinghui told the others that he wanted to take a walk outside the mansion.

However, he didn’t return.

He had heard that if he followed the single road leading down the hill, he would eventually reach the town.

Dominus had told him that there were no monsters within the Drakhtar Dominion, so he felt confident that if he kept walking, he could reach somewhere.

As the mansion grew smaller in the distance, a sharp pain spread through his chest, like cracks forming in his heart.

Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision, but he didn’t stop.

He didn’t turn back.