342. Katrina’s Worries/Dearshore

Innovation Convention Hall, Northern City, Kim Dukedom, Kim Island, Acorna Empire“So, the votes for the new city name are finally in!” Camila, the speaker of the convention hall, announced dynamically into the jasmine flower microphone.

The entire audience erupted into a deafening roar of excitement. Sitting among the crowd was Katrina, the young woman with sharp gray hair. While she forced a small smile, a look of deep worry shadowed her face as she raised her hands to cover her ears, trying to shield herself from the chaotic noise of the auditorium.

“Is it really alright for you to be here?” her friend, a fellow train conductor sitting right next to her, asked over the din. She glanced down at Katrina's noticeably bit of bump belly. “I mean, you're a month away from giving birth. Is it really safe for you to be in such a frantic, crowded environment?”

The discussion for the official rebranding of the Northern City was drawing half the island's population to the hall, but Katrina had insisted on coming.

Katrina smiled softly, resting a hand on her stomach. “Well, I just wanted to explore the Northern City properly one last time before my maternity leave officially starts tomorrow. This felt like my last chance to do so for a while.”

Her friend patted her back reassuringly. “Why look at it so grimly? Even on leave, you can travel back up here anytime with Vice Captain John, can’t you?”

Katrina’s expression faltered, a pained, forced smile taking over. “I... I don’t think we will be able to. Her Highness Ravenna has been assigning the troops an immense number of missions lately. From what John tells me, the military's deployment schedule is only going to intensify going forward.”

She let out a weary sigh just as the crowd roared again in response to another announcement from the stage.

“It must be tough being a military wife,” her friend noted sympathetically. “But on the bright side, the Kim Dukedom's army is practically invincible. You don’t have much to worry about the Vice-Captain. He's one of the strongest men we have.”

“You are right...” Katrina murmured, gently patting her stomach. Yet, the deep, aching anxiety in her chest wouldn't fade. She looked down, muttering under her breath, “But even with all that sharpness, he still got trapped in a dangerous dungeon during his last mission... I just really hope our child won't have to grow up facing the reality of losing their father...”

“What was that?” her friend asked, leaning closer, unable to catch the quiet murmur over the shouting spectators.

Katrina quickly shook her head, forcing her worries back down. “Nothing... I was just saying that the healthcare facilities and family benefits provided to military wives by Her Highness are truly amazing. We are well taken care of.”

Her friend chuckled, patting her shoulder once more. “Oh, that is absolutely true! The Duchess doesn't skimp on her loyal soldiers.”

On stage, the speaker, Camila, raised her hands to command attention as the crowd thundered again. “With that, all the eliminated names have been officially scratched from the board! We will now be going over the historical and logistical reasoning for each choice!”

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The rest of the audience locked their focus onto the grand stage, completely absorbed in the unfolding political discussion. Katrina, however, simply stared blankly ahead, completely lost in her own thoughts as the heavy weight of marital worry remained written all over her face.

“What is the matter, Miss Katrina?”

A gentle voice came from directly behind her. Turning around, Katrina saw a brilliant cascade of bright red hair. It was Aurora, sitting right in the row behind them next to her young son, Ken, who gave a cheerful little wave. Aurora looked at her with a soft, inquiring gaze. “You seem quite troubled.”

“Oh... Lady Aurora! I didn’t realize you were still here in the Dukedom,” Katrina replied, forcing a polite smile before gesturing down to her lap. “And hello, Little Ken. It’s... nothing much, truly. As you can see, I am about to become a mother soon, so it’s just the usual pre-birth anxieties.”

“Ah. Is this perhaps about Vice-Captain John being assigned to my upcoming mission to secure Flask County?” Aurora added, seamlessly connecting the dots. She offered a look of genuine sympathy. “It is true that during the last deployment to Flask County, Ser John got trapped inside that dungeon. But you have absolutely nothing to fear, Miss Katrina. He is an incredibly resilient and amazing knight.”

Aurora leaned forward slightly. “If it causes you too much distress, I could personally ask Ravy to remove his name from the active mission roster—”

“No! No, that won’t be necessary, Lady Aurora,” Katrina interrupted quickly, putting up her hands to stop her. She took a breath, her expression shifting into one of quiet pride. “I want to respect my husband’s loyalty to Her Highness and the Dukedom, just as he has always respected me and my career as a maid and now as a conductor.”

Katrina paused, her fingers tracing the fabric of her dress. “It’s just... as you might know, I am only the daughter of a simple commoner couple from the Capital. I grew up in an environment that is totally different from how the Kim Dukedom operates now. Everything here moves so fast, and it's so advanced. I just fear whether I'll be able to be there for my child as a proper parent. I worry that I won't be a good enough role model for them in a world like this.”

“That is a doubt every single parent carries, Miss Katrina,” Aurora smiled warmly. She turned her eyes down to Ken, who was currently bouncing in his seat, completely captivated and giggling at the musical performance the stage had just transitioned into. Gently patting her son’s crimson hair, Aurora added, “Trust me, you will do just fine.”

“I hope you are right, Lady Aurora,” Katrina smiled. The deep doubt in her eyes hadn't entirely vanished, but a flicker of optimistic understanding took its place.

Right then, the music on stage reached a crescendo. Camila took the center stage once more, gently pushing the singers back as she spoke into her microphone with a reverent tone. “Yes! Just as the song from our performers beautifully hinted at, the chosen name is deeply connected to the precious lives our brave troops have lost for this city to flourish!”

A young man marched onto the stage, hoisting a large, polished wooden sign with bold metallic lettering.

Camila pointed to it proudly. “The official name for our Northern City from this day forth will be Dearshore City!”

“'Dearshore'...” Aurora murmured, dissecting the name aloud with a somber, knowing smile. “'Dear' to commemorate the dear, beloved souls of the soldiers lost during the Flask County operations and the sudden dungeon appearances. And 'shore' to mark the historic advancement of the northern coastline.”

Aurora’s smile faded slightly into a quiet, heavy look. “If only I had been more competent back then...” she muttered under her breath, the weight of command still lingering on her shoulders as the crowd around them erupted into grand festivities to celebrate the new name.

Katrina stood up carefully from her seat, preparing to head over to the designated lunch zone to get some air. Before she stepped into the aisle, she turned back toward the red-haired noble lady.

“I've made up my mind,” Katrina said, looking directly into Aurora’s eyes with a bright, genuine smile. “I think I would love to have you as my role model for how to be a great parent, Lady Aurora.”

With that, she offered a respectful nod and walked toward the exit, leaving Aurora blinking in touched, silent surprise as the cheers for Dearshore City echoed through the grand hall.