Irien took a quiet breath.
Unlike her immense magical power, her body appeared as that of a young girl.
And that was precisely why I had been unable to easily confirm her true identity.
Her body, in the form of a girl, was far too fragile.
Whenever she was flustered, like now, it seemed as if her physical form did not fully obey her control.
It was a rather feeble appearance for a dragon.
But now, I was certain.
There was no doubt that a dragon was hidden within this small body.
Gently, I used my magic to sweep across her back.
Some of that magic seeped into the chair, activating the spell contained within it.
It enveloped her body and slowly caressed her, helping her gradually regain her composure.
I approached her and carefully poured another cup of tea.
“Are you all right? It seems I startled you, Professor. Here, have something warm. It should help you feel more at ease.”
She looked at the cup with a reluctant gaze before quietly accepting it.
Then, she slowly took a sip.
Seeing this, I carefully offered her a small piece of cloud.
She took it and silently nibbled on it.
She gave a satisfied nod.
Hmm, my efforts to consistently bring her snacks had finally paid off.
It seemed the professor had started getting used to my presence.
Mira had advised me that light physical contact was the first step to getting closer to someone.
As she chewed, she suddenly shuddered and waved a hand.
A surge of magic spread from her fingertips, dispelling all the enchantments surrounding her.
She pressed her forehead with a slight grimace.
“Tsk. So that’s what you’ve been up to. You thought I was a dragon? Now your actions make sense. You got fixated on something strange again.”
“From what I’ve discovered… ah!”
I halted my words for a moment, realizing the hidden intent behind hers.
Meeting her gaze, I gave a small nod and bowed slightly toward her.
“You’re right. There’s no way that could be the case. Professor, you are absolutely correct. It seems I was mistaken this time.”
She must have wanted to keep her identity a secret.
It was a silent request not to reveal it to others.
And as her loyal subordinate, I had to respect that wish.
Yes, from this moment forward, she was not a dragon.
Straightening my back, I let my eyes shine with newfound understanding and smiled brightly at her, my feelings for her reflected in my expression.
“This one… he’s completely lost in his own world and not listening at all…”
She stared at me for a long moment before sighing deeply.
“Fine. Then explain to me—why did you conclude that I was a dragon?”
‘If the professor wished to hear it, then I had to oblige. That was my duty.’
Carefully, I took out a small carving knife and placed it before her.
Then, I began recounting the entire process.
The suspicions that arose from her kindness.
The path I took to trace those suspicions.
How I came to believe she was a dragon. And finally, with Mira’s help, how I confirmed that the scale had come from Irien herself.
As I spoke, she blinked in bewilderment.
It seemed she was impressed by my flawless reasoning.
The clues she had left behind connected seamlessly, as if she had been guiding me toward the answer all along.
For a moment, I even wondered if she had deliberately revealed her secret to me—her one and only confidant.
And so, I arrived at the truth.
Ah, what an honor this was.
She cared for me so deeply and watched over me so tenderly.
‘How could I possibly repay such an immense kindness? My heart swelled with loyalty and admiration for her.’
With that, my explanation came to an end.
Smiling brightly, I looked at the professor.
She, however, was staring at the carving knife on the table with a rather unimpressed expression.
I slowly refilled her teacup.
The fragrance of the tea wafted through the air, clearing the mind.
She met my gaze and gave a slow nod.
“…I didn’t realize I had left so many traces behind. Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter if you know. Yes, I am a dr—”
“No, I was mistaken.”
I shook my head firmly.
More important than the correctness of my reasoning was the professor’s will.
A moment ago, she had wanted to keep her identity hidden.
And I had to respect that.
I adjusted my thoughts.
***
She was not a dragon.
Therefore, my deduction was incorrect.
And if my deduction was incorrect, then she was, without question, not a dragon.
This perfectly logical three-step reasoning defined the truth of this world.
“No, I am a dra—”
“It seems there was an error in my reasoning. There is no way you could be a dragon, Professor. I will simply bury this mistaken assumption deep within my heart. I apologize for presenting such a careless theory.”
“But you were completel—”
“No! I was wrong!”
“Will you let me fi—”
“How foolish of me! To think I dared suspect you of being a dragon!”
I was mistaken.
The professor was always right.
Therefore, the professor was not a dragon.
With that unwavering conviction, I smiled radiantly at her.
She met my gaze and clicked her tongue.
A heavy pressure of magic began to ripple around her.
“This won’t do. You’re too far gone right now. Let’s first fix that head of yours, then we can talk.”
‘My head? What did she mean by that?’ I blinked in confusion.
Before I could process it, her magic forcefully pulled me forward.
I found myself kneeling before her, gazing up at her from below.
She placed her hand atop my head.
Ah, yet another blessing from the professor! She was touching my head! ‘How could I be so fortunate?’
A golden light shimmered from her fingertips and poured into me.
Like a net, her magic spread through my mind, drawing things in.
It wasn’t that it searched for foreign elements—it was that the tainted influences within me were naturally attracted to its presence.
One by one, the stains clung to the net.
These were the remnants of magical corruption from the treasures I had come into contact with.
They had embedded themselves deep within my thoughts.
The net gathered them all, purging the impurities that had clouded my mind.
And at that moment, a realization struck me.
‘Was this why she had never physically struck me before?’
Because merely touching me with her magic was enough to draw out these influences?
My mind grew clearer, and a sense of liberation washed over me.
Thoughts I had never before considered surfaced naturally.
“There. Now you’re a little more normal.”
She withdrew her hand.
I gazed up at her.
The sunlight reflected off her golden hair, casting a radiant glow.
Beyond that, her eyes held an exasperated look as she peered down at me.
She was the same professor as always.
But strangely, the overwhelming admiration I had felt for her just moments ago was no longer there.
Instead, all I felt was a mild sense of unease.
I clenched my hands, trying to process what had just happened.
‘What exactly had I been doing all this time?’
‘Had I really just been feeding the professor tea and snacks with my own hands?’
‘…How had I been bold enough to do something like that?’
Of course, even as I thought this, my body still felt drawn to her.
She had only erased the contamination in my mind, after all.
But at least, I was no longer entirely consumed by thoughts of her.
“…Yes. Thanks to you, Professor. I am truly grateful.”
I let out a small, wry smile.
Ever since I had become certain she was a dragon, simply standing before her had been enough for the treasure’s magic to overwhelm my mind.
And because of that, I had ended up acting rather recklessly.
The shame of my earlier behavior flooded back.
Feeling remorseful, I bowed my head toward her.
She looked at me for a moment before clicking her tongue softly.
“Now that you’ve calmed down, I guess I can finally say something.”
She let out a deep sigh and lightly stroked her forehead.
“I never expected you to deduce my true form from just a single scale. I didn’t think the treasure’s magic would guide you so precisely. You figured it out well.”
At those words, my eyes trembled slightly.
She had admitted it herself—she was a dragon.
I had been certain, but hearing it directly from her own mouth made the realization hit differently.
“Well, it’s not like anything changes just because I’m a dragon.”
She shook her head lightly and closed her eyes.
She claimed nothing would change.
But that wasn’t true.
Even now, despite being freed from the magic of the treasure, my loyalty toward her was beginning to surge anew.
The fact that she was a dragon was now beyond certainty—it was an undeniable truth.
And the fact that I was her subordinate remained unchanged.
In other words, I was undoubtedly the dragon’s devoted servant.
Once again, my admiration for her started to rise.
But this time, it wasn’t an attraction born from the treasure’s magic.
No, this was pure, unshakable devotion from the depths of my heart.
I snapped my eyes open and looked at the professor.
Somehow, an aura of noble dignity, unique to dragons, seemed to radiate naturally from her.
Without hesitation, I prostrated myself before her.
“A dragon, truly? How astonishing. I am deeply grateful that you have bestowed such a blessing upon me. As expected of you, Professor. I shall follow you for the rest of my life!”
I lifted my head and beamed at her as I spoke.
Seeing my enthusiastic expression, the professor looked down at me with an exasperated face.
Of course, I was only half-serious this time.
“Has the magic corrupted your mind to the point where you think you’re treasure yourself? You really must have lost it….”
The professor muttered under her breath.
Hearing that, my eyes sparkled.
‘Treasure, she said?’ She was absolutely right.
I, too, was a treasure.
The treasure that lay within her grasp!
“To hear such words from you, Professor, is an honor beyond measure. You consider me a treasure—what a deeply moving sentiment. I will etch those golden words into my heart and live by them forever!”
I exclaimed with just a touch of mischief.
Though, the rest of it was entirely sincere.
The professor let out another sigh at my words.
Then, she waved her hand.
A surge of magic erupted from her fingertips and enveloped me.
***
“And just like that, I was kicked out.”
At my words, someone let out a stifled laugh.
I turned toward the sound and saw Mira watching with an amused smile.
“Hehe, how adorable.”
‘Mira said. Adorable?’ I wasn’t sure who she meant—the professor, or me.
Or perhaps both.
“So? Did my advice help you a little?”
She asked, her eyes glinting with curiosity.
I gave a slight nod.
“Yes, it was very helpful.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Mira smiled and leaned into me.
I gently accepted her weight and lowered my head slightly.
Her advice had been about how to deal with the professor.
She had told me that while the professor could be difficult, she also carried a certain innocence about her.
That meant I had to approach her very carefully.
Following her advice, I had spent the past weeks slowly closing the distance between us.
I had taken my time, getting closer little by little.
And today, I had even reached the point where I could offer her a snack with my own hands.
And in the end, I had managed to confirm with my own ears that the professor was indeed a dragon.
Now, it was no longer just a suspicion—it was a fact.
My heart swelled with loyalty toward her.
“You must continue to move at this pace. Never rush things.”
“Yes, I realized that today as well.”
I nodded.
Today, I had been a little impatient.
I had tried to close the distance with the professor too suddenly.
As a result, she had put up a bit of a guard.
That meant I needed to take a step back.
To think I had learned this much about the professor already.
Mira truly had a knack for understanding people.
I exchanged a light smile with her.
There was only one thing I wanted—to make the professor rely on me more and more.
It was the thought that had come to mind the moment I discovered she was a dragon.
And it was the same resolve I had when I first entered university: to devote myself to her and earn her favor as much as possible.
Only now, I wanted to go even further—I wanted her to truly recognize my existence.
“You’re quite bold, trying to tame the professor.”
Mira remarked playfully.
I shot her a mild glare.
‘Taming?’ That was a crude way to put it.
I simply wanted us to care for each other more—to establish a bond between a master and a loyal retainer.
***
As we continued discussing the future, someone approached us.
It was Zero.
In his hands, he held a small doll.
He placed it on the table and folded his arms as he looked at me.
I channeled my magic and carefully examined the doll.
Its design was very different from what Zero usually crafted—it looked almost exactly like something I would have made.
It was likely a project for Professor On.
After thoroughly inspecting its structure, I turned my gaze back to Zero.
He met my eyes with a tense expression.
Slowly, I shook my head.
This was something I had already tried before.
And the moment I created it, I had realized it was a failure.
Zero had likely come to the same realization as soon as he finished making it.
His shoulders slumped.
He had attempted something in the realm of imitation.
Just as he had mimicked me, I had once tried imitating another puppeteer’s work.
But what resulted was merely a variation of my usual methods, nothing more.
Professor On had instructed me to create something different from my usual style.
I had struggled with that challenge for a long time.
But in the end, I found my answer.
And surprisingly, the answer had been right in front of me all along—in Professor Irien.
She was a dragon, yet she also possessed a human body.
And that body was fragile—purely human in every way.
As I traced the professor’s nature alongside Mira, it struck me—could I apply this concept to my puppets as well?
Just as a dragon could become a person, could a puppet transform into something else?
That was the new direction I had chosen for this assignment.
I never expected my interactions with the professor to lead me to such a revelation.
I shared some of these thoughts with Zero.
He fell into deep thought and soon left, likely heading off to craft a new puppet.
Watching him go, I let out a small chuckle.
‘Did Professor Irien reveal her true identity just to teach me this lesson?’
Of course, that was highly unlikely.