Morning arrived with absolutely no mercy.
Sunlight slipped through the barn windows like it had a personal grudge.
Mia slowly opened her eyes.
Instant regret.
Her head felt heavy. Her throat was dry. And somewhere deep inside her soul, she could hear last night's bad decisions laughing.
She groaned into the hay.
"…Oh…for the love of god.."
A pause.
"…fuck."
She lifted her head slightly.
Immediate mistake.
The world tilted.her head ache..
"Yeah. Great."
She squinted at the morning light like it had insulted her ancestors.
"I need lemonade."
A very serious pause.
"Miss Korbi can probably save lives with lemonade."
She slowly stretched her wings, wincing.
While doing so, one horrifying thought entered her brain.
She froze.
"…Wait."
She looked down at herself.
Dragon form.
Which meant if she transformed…
human form.
Which meant…
dress.
Hair brushing.
Maids.
Civilization.
Her soul left her body for a moment.
"…Please no."
She stared at the ceiling.
"Please let them be busy."
With the courage of a soldier walking to war, Mia activated her transformation.
Dark mana shimmered around her body.
Scales faded. Wings disappeared. Her dragon body shrank—
until once again, she stood there in human form.
Her black hair was a complete disaster.
She looked like someone who had lost a duel with a pillow.
Perfect.
She quietly slipped toward the kitchen like a criminal avoiding detection.
Inside, the maids were already busy.
Breakfast preparations. Fresh bread. Tea. The smell of herbs and warm food filled the room.
For one beautiful second—
no one noticed her.
Then—
Miss Korbi turned around.
"Oh!"
She smiled warmly.
"Miss Mia. Good morning."
Mia stood there with the posture of someone trying to look normal while absolutely not being normal.
"Morning."
Miss Korbi tilted her head.
"What's wrong?"
Mia's brain immediately screamed:
DO NOT SAY YOU GOT DRUNK WITH A DRAGON LAST NIGHT.
So instead—
"I…"
She stood very seriously.
"…need some lemonade."
Miss Korbi blinked.
Then looked closer.
Messy hair.
Slightly dead eyes.
Questionable life choices radiating from her entire existence.
Her maid instincts activated instantly.
"…I see."
A dangerous sentence.
Mia stood perfectly still.
Miss Korbi narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes."
"Are you feeling unwell?"
"No."
"Did you perhaps eat something strange?"
"No."
"Did you perhaps drink something strange?"
Mia nearly ascended.
"…No."
Silence.
Miss Korbi stared.
Mia stared back with the determination of a criminal protecting state secrets.
Then—
Miss Korbi sighed.
"…Very well."
Victory.
Lemonade was prepared.
Cold. Fresh. Blessed by the gods.
Mia drank it like it was holy medicine.
One cup.
Then another.
Life slowly returned to her body.
She exhaled dramatically.
"…I can see colors again."
Miss Korbi smiled.
"How wonderful."
Mia had just placed the empty glass down when—
a gentle hand landed on her shoulder.
She froze.
Miss Korbi's voice became soft.
Far too soft.
"Now then…"
Mia slowly turned.
Miss Korbi smiled like an angel of destruction.
"Look at your hair."
Mia blinked.
"…My hair?"
"And your clothes."
Mia looked down.
Wrinkled shirt. Absolute chaos.
Miss Korbi nodded firmly.
"Yes."
Then she clapped once.
"Girls."
Several maids turned at once.
Miss Korbi pointed dramatically like a general entering battle.
"We have an emergency here."
Mia stood up instantly.
"No."
Too late.
The maids moved with military precision.
"Brushes!"
"Fresh dress!"
"Hair ribbons!"
"Where's the black silk one?!"
Mia backed away in horror.
"Wait."
"No no no no—"
Two maids grabbed her arms.
Another was already holding a brush like a weapon.
Mia just sit there.... defeated...
After what felt like an entire lifetime of brushing, bathing, hair fixing, outfit changing, and surviving what Mia privately called The Great Maid War…
…she was finally released.
Free.
Alive.
Barely.
She walked down the hallway like a soldier returning from battle and stopped in front of Leo's room.
Knock. Knock.
From inside came rustling, followed by Leo opening the door while adjusting parts of his academy uniform.
The moment he saw her, he blinked.
Then grinned.
"Wow. Damn. You dragons really don't need time to get ready like us, huh? Must be nice."
Mia stared at him with the hollow expression of someone who had suffered greatly.
"No. Miss Korbi got me."
Leo paused.
Then immediately burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha! They got you again?!"
Mia pointed at him like an offended noble lady.
"It is NOT funny."
Leo wiped tears from his eyes.
"No, no, it absolutely is."
He leaned against the doorframe, still laughing.
"You should be grateful, honestly. Dragons smell terrible."
Silence.
Mia slowly turned her head.
Her eyes narrowed.
"...Excuse me?"
Leo realized, far too late, that perhaps those words were not strategically wise.
"I mean—"
"I smell bad?"
Mia crossed her arms.
"Interesting."
Leo straightened.
"That's not what I—"
"Alright then."
She nodded calmly.
"Don't fly with me anymore."
Leo froze.
"Wait."
Mia smiled. A dangerous smile.
"If I'm soooo smelly, surely riding on my back would be social suicide."
Leo panicked instantly.
"No no no no—Mia—listen—I already told my friend that I will come to academy with a dragon!!"
She turned dramatically and started walking away.
"Guess you'll just walk to the academy. Very tragic."
Leo lunged forward like a man watching his future collapse.
"Aaaa please! I was joking!"
Mia kept walking.
"I already told my friends about you!"
Still walking.
"Pleaseeeee!"
She stopped.
Slowly turned.
Raised one eyebrow.
"...Oh?"
Leo stood there like a desperate businessman negotiating with a dragon CEO.
"Yes?"
Mia smirked.
"So your great mighty reputation depends on me?"
Leo hesitated.
"…Possibly."
She nodded thoughtfully.
"Interesting."
Then smiled.
"Still no."
Leo clutched his chest.
"You wound me."
Mia walked past him proudly.
"Good. Consider it revenge for the smell comment."
Behind her, Leo followed like a defeated soul.
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"…I'm considering exile."
"PLEASE?"
Of course…
After fifteen minutes of nonstop begging, dramatic kneeling, false crying, and one truly embarrassing attempt at grabbing her leg—
the black dragon gave in.
Because unfortunately…
Leo was still her idiot big brother.
So now, under the bright morning sky, a large black dragon flew across the kingdom with one extremely smug seventeen-year-old riding proudly on her back.
Leo sat like a victorious king.
Hands on hips.
Hair in the wind.
Absolutely insufferable.
"I knew you loved me."
Mia's voice came from below, full of regret.
"I can still drop you."
Leo patted her neck.
"But you won't."
"…I am reconsidering."
As they flew over the city, people below pointed upward.
"Look! Lady Dark Flame!"
"Is that Count Vinson's son riding her?!"
"That lucky bastard!"
Leo grinned even wider.
"Yes. Yes I am."
Mia groaned.
"I hate this."
Soon, the grand academy came into view.
Tall stone buildings.
Training grounds.
Students in uniforms crossing the courtyards.
The moment Mia landed near the main entrance—
THUD.
—everything stopped.
Students froze.
Teachers paused mid-conversation.
One guy dropped his books.
Another girl nearly walked into a fountain.
Leo jumped off her back like a hero returning from war.
Completely proud.
Mia stared at him.
(He planned this.
This little criminal planned all of this.)
A group of boys came running over immediately.
"LEO?!"
"No way!"
"You were serious?!"
"You actually brought her?!"
One of them pointed dramatically at Mia like he had just discovered a legendary beast.
"That's THE Lady Dark Flame!"
Another looked at Leo in absolute disbelief.
"You weren't lying?!"
Leo crossed his arms proudly.
"Do I look like someone who lies?"
Mia, from behind him:
"Yes."
The boys froze.
One whispered.
"…She talks."
Another whispered louder.
"…She's judging us."
A girl from nearby stepped closer carefully.
Her eyes sparkling.
"Lady Mia… your scales are beautiful…"
Mia blinked.
"…Thank you?"
Another student asked:
"Can I touch your wing?"
Mia immediately stepped back.
"Absolutely not."
Leo stood there like a proud older brother showing off a family achievement.
"See? I told you."
Mia looked at him.
Dead serious.
"I am going to ruin your social life."
Leo grinned.
"Too late. This improves it."
Honestly?
He was right.
Because at that exact moment—
half the academy had decided Leo was either:
incredibly cool
or
the luckiest idiot alive.
Probably both.
Leo, of course, treated the entire thing like a royal parade.
He stood in the middle of the academy courtyard like some kind of event host while Mia sat behind him in dragon form, already regretting every life decision that had led to this moment.
"Alright, everyone," Leo announced proudly, "since apparently none of you believed me…"
He dramatically pointed behind him.
"Behold. My sister."
Mia stared at his back.
(Why is he like this.)
A few familiar faces stepped forward first.
Xavier, already used to all of this nonsense, crossed his arms and sighed.
"Yeah, yeah. We know. Giant dragon. Very impressive."
Beside him stood a few other academy boys.
One was tall and loud, clearly the type who laughed at everything.
Another looked way too serious for his own age.
And one looked like he had just discovered religion.
"That's… actually your sister?"
Leo puffed out his chest.
"Yes."
"By blood?"
"…Emotionally."
"That somehow raises more questions."
Mia lowered her head slightly.
"Trust me. I also have questions."
The group laughed.
A girl from the noble class stepped closer, curious but polite.
"Lady Mia, I heard rumors, but I didn't think they were true…"
She looked genuinely amazed.
"You really live at the Count's estate?"
Mia nodded.
"Unfortunately, yes."
At that point, one of Leo's friends, clearly the bold idiot of the group, raised a hand.
"Question."
Mia narrowed her eyes.
"That tone already worries me."
He grinned.
"Can you transform right now?"
Silence.
Several students immediately leaned closer.
Even Xavier looked slightly interested.
Leo, traitor that he was, nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, do it."
Mia stared at all of them.
"…You people are way too invested in this."
The girl clasped her hands together.
"Please?"
Another student added:
"I just want proof for future bragging rights."
Another:
"I need this memory for the rest of my life."
Mia sighed the sigh of someone abandoned by fate.
"Fine."
A faint shimmer of mana surrounded her body.
Dark energy wrapped around her like smoke.
Her dragon form slowly shrank.
Scales became skin.
Wings vanished.
Claws became fingers.
And within seconds—
standing there in the academy courtyard—
was Mia in human form.
Long black hair
12 year old girl
Blue eyes.
Elegant posture.
Calm expression.
And the kind of beauty that made the entire group forget how language worked.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
One boy dropped his notebook.
Again.
The loud friend whispered:
"…Holy shit."
The serious one just looked at Leo.
"…You never mentioned that part."
Leo folded his arms smugly.
"I enjoy dramatic reveals."
One girl looked personally betrayed.
"Wait."
"You mean Lady Dark Flame is also… THAT pretty?!"
Mia rubbed her forehead.
"Please stop talking like I'm not standing here."
Xavier stared for a moment, then sighed.
"Yeah, this explains a lot."
Leo nodded like a wise philosopher.
"Exactly."
Another boy pointed accusingly at Leo.
"You've been hiding this information from us for MONTHS?!"
Leo placed a hand on his chest.
"Some treasures must be protected."
Mia kicked him.
Directly in the leg.
"Stop being weird."
He collapsed dramatically.
"Violence! In front of witnesses!"
And just like that—
Leo's social life became infinitely worse…
and somehow, also much better.
The courtyard was still buzzing with excited whispers.
Some students were still trying to process the fact that the terrifying black dragon and the elegant girl standing in front of them were the same person.
Others were very clearly planning to gossip about this for the next three years.
Mia looked at all of them, then at Leo dramatically posing like he had personally accomplished something great today.
She sighed.
A long, tired sigh.
"…Anyway."
She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked toward the palace in the distance.
"I have to go see Ebruhan."
Leo immediately straightened.
"For training?"
Mia nodded.
"And because apparently my life refuses to stay peaceful for more than two days."
She crossed her arms.
"I still need to work on mana blade."
Xavier winced.
"Oof. Good luck."
One of Leo's friends tilted his head.
"Wait… you train with the royal protector dragon personally?"
Mia gave him a flat look.
"Yes."
The boy looked like he wanted to swap lives immediately.
Leo puffed his chest out again.
"See? My sister is amazing."
Mia pointed at him.
"And yet somehow you're still like this."
Leo puff his chest with dramatic post
"A masterpiece of family balance."
The group laughed.
Then Mia stretched her shoulders lightly and looked back at Leo.
"Try not to fail your classes while I'm gone."
Leo looked offended.
"Excuse me. I am an excellent student."
From the side, Xavier answered instantly.
"He's not."
"Traitor."
Mia smirked.
"Good. Keep bullying him."
Leo clutched his chest dramatically.
"Even my own dragon has abandoned me."
"Your dragon?" Mia repeated slowly.
Leo immediately panicked.
"My sister! I meant sister!"
"Dangerous sentence."
"Very dangerous."
Mia shook her head and began walking away.
As she passed the academy gates, she lifted one hand lazily without turning around.
"See you later, idiots."
Leo shouted after her.
"Bring me snacks from the palace!"
Mia raised her middle finger—
then remembered she was currently pretending to be a noble lady and awkwardly changed it into a polite wave instead.
"…You're lucky I have manners now."
Behind her, Leo's laughter followed all the way down the road.