The moment Ian extended the hand holding the dragon scale, Flora’s face lit up with an almost feverish excitement, as if she’d stumbled upon a priceless treasure.
To Flora, Aetherina’s dragon scale was like a forbidden elixir, ensnaring her senses and sending her into a trance of utter captivation.
No, it wasn’t just the scale.
Everything tied to Aetherina—every fragment, every trace—held the same intoxicating power over her.
In his mind, Ian thought, Flora may play the part of a refined, elegant lady, but beneath that polished facade, who knows what unthinkable things she’s capable of.
Flora didn’t hesitate.
She snatched the dragon scale from Ian’s hand, her cheeks flushed as she gazed at it, her eyes gleaming with a hunger that seemed to devour the scale’s very essence, as if it were an extension of its owner.
Then, in a moment that caught Ian completely off guard, something astonishing happened.
Flora pressed the scale against her flawless, rosy cheek, rubbing it gently as if it were a cherished toy and she a kitten lost in bliss.
In that instant, Flora seemed to forget the world around her, wholly consumed by her act, her demeanor that of a woman utterly enthralled—a true obsessive.
No, “obsessive” didn’t even cover it.
She was obsession incarnate.
“Ahem.” Ian, standing across from her, cleared his throat twice, hoping to snap her back to her senses.
But Flora, as if deaf to his attempt, continued to nuzzle the scale, lost in her reverie.
Ian couldn’t bear to watch any longer.
He didn’t know if the scale belonged to Aetherina or—worse—himself, Ian.
If it was Aetherina’s, fine, it had nothing to do with him.
But if it was his?
The thought of someone fawning over a piece of his body like that sent a shiver of disgust through him.
No matter how breathtakingly beautiful or noble Flora was, this was too much.
He decided he had to intervene, to put an end to her alarming behavior.
“Your Highness Flora, shouldn’t we focus on finding Aetherina’s lost pearl?” he said, his tone measured but firm.
“If we linger here too long, someone else might beat us to it.”
He knew that only matters concerning Aetherina could jolt Flora out of her trance.
His words worked.
Flora blinked, her dazed, love-struck eyes clearing as a flicker of lucidity returned.
“My apologies,” she said, her cheeks reddening further with embarrassment. “That was unbecoming of me.”
Whenever Aetherina’s possessions were involved, Flora lost all control, as if everything tied to her was laced with succubus magic tailored specifically to ensnare her.
Each time she encountered one of Aetherina’s belongings, she couldn’t help but be drawn in, consumed by a compulsive need to possess and hoard them.
The thought that Ian had witnessed her shameful display made Flora want to flee to another continent.
Normally, Aetherina’s items didn’t provoke such an intense reaction, but today, something about this scale felt different—stronger, as if Aetherina had imbued it with an even more potent charm.
“We should hurry,” Flora said, her voice tinged with urgency as she tried to shift away from the mortifying moment.
“Since Aetherina and Lillian headed toward the academy’s south side, let’s check the north.”
Ian didn’t dwell on her earlier behavior, smoothly following her lead to change the subject.
“Agreed.”
Flora nodded, her usual cunning and composure—evident when she’d outwitted Sophia earlier—replaced by the sheepish air of a child caught misbehaving.
“Blindly searching won’t do,” Ian said. “Your Highness, any thoughts on where this demon might be hiding?”
Flora paused, her brow furrowing in thought.
After a moment, she shared her theory.
“The demon who stole Aetherina’s pearl fled immediately after. According to Aetherina, they vanished in an instant, likely using a teleportation charm or something similar. Those charms don’t carry you far, and with the academy on lockdown after the theft, the demon is probably still somewhere on campus.”
She continued, her voice growing more confident.
“I heard a rumor that someone saw the demon leaving the boys’ dormitory. That suggests it’s likely a male, and the most probable hiding spot would be the boys’ single-room dormitory building.”
Her reasoning was so sound that, if Ian didn’t know the “demon” she was referring to was himself, he might have believed her.
Even if Flora speculated a hundred times, she’d never guess the thief was standing right beside her, holding Aetherina’s pearl.
Just as Ian was about to nod along, a loud gurgle rumbled from his stomach.
He froze, realizing he hadn’t eaten all day.
It had been a whirlwind.
That morning, his system had activated his bloodline, transforming him into a demon dragon princess.
Then the system had betrayed him, thrusting him into Aetherina’s room.
Back at his dorm, Lillian had bribed him to teach her how to win Aetherina’s favor.
And now, here he was, sparring wits with Sophia, Flora, and the others—all without a single bite of food.
Even when he’d shown Lillian how to make pineapple buns, he hadn’t eaten one.
Since his transformation, Ian’s appetite had grown ravenous.
He hadn’t noticed until now, but that growl had awakened a gnawing hunger.
He rubbed his empty stomach, torn between the urge to find food and the need to keep up appearances in the search for Aetherina’s pearl—which, of course, he already had.
Seeing Ian fall silent after her theory, Flora worried she’d overlooked something.
“Is there a flaw in my reasoning?” she asked. “You don’t need to hold back because of my status. Share your thoughts—we’re stronger together. Two minds are better for tracking down this demon hiding in the academy.”
Her words were a golden opportunity.
If Ian didn’t seize it, he’d be stuck starving all day.
For the sake of his stomach, he made his move.
“I don’t think the demon would return to the boys’ dormitory.”
He paused, calculating how to redirect their search toward somewhere with food.
Flora, growing impatient, pressed, “Oh? Do you have a unique perspective, Ian? Care to share?”
He nodded.
“The demon likely knows they were seen leaving the boys’ dormitory. It’s unlikely they’d return there, knowing they’ve been spotted.”