Chapter 10

There was still an hour to go until Daphne's delivery, so she could just take her time. To make sure she had the strength to deliver the child, Daphne had Britney make her some soup that could give her energy. She felt she was instantly filled with energy, and her body was very strong after she drank the soup. Bryan was surprised. He had seen females giving birth, but he had never seen anything like Daphne's. It looked like it was not that painful. The room where Daphne was in was filled with laughter, but the situation on Lester's end was different. "Colonel Lester, there are dangerous criminals committing crimes in every corner of Hildi. We don't have enough Robo Police to send out to deal with the situation anymore. Should we send police officers out there?" Victor asked. Lester was so swamped that Victor felt worried for him. "It's clear that the higher-ups are bullying you. There are so many cases. Why did they give it all to you? It's not like there was nobody else who could deal with them in the United Federation. There are local police in all these places too," said Victor. "Enough. We should be thinking about how to capture the suspect of this riot instead. I'm afraid this is not as simple as it seems," said Lester. Victor sighed and said, "We truly are swamped. You wanted to get back to the manor along with Bryan, yet you're forced to stay here and do other people's jobs instead." Oh yes, Daphne was going to deliver her child that day. No wonder Lester felt like he had forgotten about something. What if Herkoen had been behaving himself and keeping quiet in the past few days just to prepare for that day? Lester immediately ordered Victor to look into Herkoen's tracks. "You must have been so busy that it slipped your mind. Herkoen was never in Hildi," said Victor. "Just in case he's the mastermind behind this. Hurry and go." Lester could not tell Victor directly about his speculations anyway. Lester was very worried about the situation at home after Victor left, so he put on his jacket and wanted to leave. Just as he opened the door, he saw a major general standing outside. "Why are you here?" The major general, Henry Jenkins, was a year younger than Lester, but he outranked him. "Are you heading out?" Henry pulled Lester into the office and closed the door behind him. "Lester, you should understand from this situation that the higher-ups have the intention to crush you. If you leave your position now without permission, you're just letting them have dirt on you. The Emperor might even remove you from your post." Lester glanced at him and said, "My business is none of your concern." "I'm insisting on making it my concern this time." Both of them looked at each other, refusing to back down. In the end, it was Lester who looked away. Then, he sat on the couch and lit a cigarette. "Why did you suddenly come?" Lester asked. "I'm worried about you," Henry replied. He lit a cigarette as well and continued, "You still have the same temper as you did back in the military academy. You would get angry if others had the guts to talk back to you. You just have more bark and bites." "I can say the same about you. You still won't admit that I'm better than you," Lester replied. Henry was smiling, but his eyes were filled with sadness. "You're right. Our abilities were clearly on par back then, so why were you always able to outshine me? The instructor would always think of you before me. Was it because my family was not as distinguished as yours?" Lester's expression softened up as they thought back on their past. "You're right. That was when your self-esteem was at its worst." "But everything's changed now. My military career is flourishing, yet you will stay a colonel forever," said Henry. "Did you come all the way here to poke fun at me?" Lester asked. "I told you already, haven't I? I'm here to be a busybody. You must work your hours and leave on time today. You mustn't let the people who have been targeting you have dirt on you," said Henry. Lester thought about the consequences and knew that Henry was right. However, for some reason, he really wanted to head home earlier. He wanted to see how Daphne was doing. He heard that child delivery was very tough and painful for females. He wondered if she was about to take it. Feeling helpless, Lester shook his head and said. "I'll do that." "Lester, I'm going to be serious with you. Why did you keep doing things out of your character in the past month? That's not the person I know. Did something happen?" Things that were out of his character? The first time was when he requested for a female to be pardoned. The second time was when he sent battleships to save a person. He was reprimanded by his superior because of that, and it was only over because he wrote a letter guaranteeing not to do it again. The third time was today. If Henry had not come, he probably would be in the flying car by now. "Maybe it's because I've changed," said Lester. Henry knew that he did not wish to talk about it, so he did not force it out of him. Just as Henry was about to console him, Victor opened the door and ran in. "Is this how you enter the colonel's office?" Henry reprimanded. Victor did not think that Henry would be there as well. After he had saluted Henry, he could not care about anything else anymore. "Colonel Lester, I just got the news that Herkoen has been moving around your manor," Victor reported. "I knew it." Lester stood up and informed his butler to be on alert at all times. Henry heard everything as well, so he said, "Alright. In this case, you have a proper reason to leave now. Those old farts won't be able to do anything to you anymore." "There's no time to lose. I'm leaving now." … Time went by at Lester's manor. "You have five more minutes before you give birth, Daphne. Please brace yourself for it," said the system. This was the first time Daphne was in labor. She never even had a boyfriend on her planet. Other than the time in an activity in primary school, she had never even touched the hand of the opposite sex. "Wh-what kind of preparation should I do? Do you have anything to help with the delivery?" Daphne asked. "Please take a deep breath. Don't be overly nervous. You just need to exert force later. Your life won't be in danger," the system replied. "Alright." Daphne had no choice but to trust its words. Herkoen gave his men a signal outside the manor, and they immediately rushed in and fought with the soldiers inside. There were very few residents around the manor, so they all stayed at home in fear after they heard the gunshots. Nobody on the roads had the guts to check out what was going on. Herkoen jumped over the wall and entered the manor. The cobra on his shoulder was burning, which meant he was getting closer to his partner. The cobra on Daphne's arm was burning as well. "What's going on?" Daphne asked. "It seems like the father of your child is here," the system answered. "What? Is he here to snatch my child from me?" "I have no idea. I don't have the function to determine a person's intentions. I'm sorry," said the system. Why must Herkoen come when she was in labor and at her weakest? "Herkoen, may you be constipated for a week—No, may you be interrupted every time you poop!" Daphne cursed Herkoen in her head. Herkoen, who was rushing over, suddenly got the chills and wondered who was talking about him behind his back. Bryan learned from the equipment that the female in the room was about to give birth. He then informed Daphne with the mic. "You're about to give birth, Ms. Miller. Please be prepared and tell me right away if you feel any discomfort. Got it?" "Mmhmm. I got it," Daphne replied. Britney stayed by her side, silently cheering her on. Daphne felt that her child was making frequent movements in her belly, and she understood that they could not wait any longer. "Ten-second countdown initiated." The more Daphne listened to the countdown in her head, the more nervous and fearful she got. Actually, there was no need for the system to remind her this way. "Looks like I came just in time," said Herkoen.