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Chapter 92: The Mysterious Figure

I couldn’t hide my confusion at her statement.

“You’ve been affected by the magic of an ancient dragon.”

Her words revealed that she had noticed the remnants of the ancient dragon lingering within me.

How could she know?

Having played as Eve before, I knew she didn’t possess the sight abilities of someone like Sharin.

There was no way she could detect the remnants of the dragon.

Yet, Eve had noticed and was now speaking directly to me.

My face became momentarily complicated as I quickly tried to read the emotions displayed on hers.

Eve was an incredibly stoic character, which made her expressions hard to decipher.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

I decided to feign ignorance.

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly in response.

As the protagonist, her appearance was impeccably convincing.

Even her irritated expression looked fitting and composed.

Now I understood her emotions. I could manipulate them.

“Denying it, are we?”

Eve took a step closer to me as she spoke.

Naturally, I took a step back.

Her eyes gleamed with a subtle light.

“…Why are you retreating?”

“Because you’re approaching me in a threatening manner.”

Her frown deepened.

“Threatening? In what way?”

Sorry, but she was plenty intimidating.

Eve was one of the main protagonists, alongside Lucas.

Moreover, at this point in the story, her abilities surpassed his.

To think that such a person noticed the remnants of the ancient dragon within me…

Although the remnants I harbored weren’t widely known, powers related to dragons were globally forbidden magic.

Despite my calm demeanor, I was quite shaken.

Never had I imagined that Eve would uncover this secret.

What should I do?

I had intended to engage with Eve in some manner, but I hadn’t expected our interaction to unfold like this.

“…Am I truly that intimidating?”

Her unexpected question caught me off guard.

Eve stood there, arms crossed, looking down at her toes.

She seemed… hesitant.

Tilting my head, I observed her behavior.

It was strange to see Eve, known for her indomitable spirit, show such vulnerability.

There was a reason she was called the Unyielding Azure Flame.

Something must have happened over the past six months.

Even I didn’t know much about Eve’s backstory.

Though her kingdom of Frelliz was a fallen one, it had endured long enough to influence the current generation.

Still, outside of brief mentions in international competitions, Eve rarely appeared in the main storyline.

“Who said you’re intimidating?”

Perhaps it was my familiarity with her character from playing the game that made me ask so casually.

Eve looked slightly embarrassed.

“…Never mind, it’s nothing to worry about.”

Her expression made it clear that someone had indeed called her intimidating.

But this was my chance to keep the conversation going.

I decided to take her bait without hesitation.

“Well, if I’m honest, you are intimidating.”

Eve’s shoulders flinched.

Her eyes wavered slightly.

It seemed the comment about being intimidating had left a deeper scar than I expected.

To think that such words could wound the Unyielding Azure Flame—it was not an easy feat.

“You’re naturally expressionless, and your aura is sharp.”

“A sharp aura? I’m not like that.”

“Well, whatever your inner self may be, your aura is something you’re born with.”

Eve was undeniably beautiful.

But beauty came in many forms.

For instance, Isabel had the cheerful, golden retriever-like charm that made her seem harmless to everyone she met.

Her face exuded a radiant, carefree brightness.

Eve, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.

She was beautiful but had the sharp, commanding presence of a fierce older sister.

The type who, in real life, would dominate the top social circles at school.

On top of that, her abilities ranked among the top six stars.

When her natural demeanor combined with her background, it wasn’t surprising that people found her intimidating.

“…I’m not unaware of that,”

Eve muttered, slightly gloomy, as she twirled a strand of her hair.

“I even grew my hair out to avoid looking too boyish.”

The mention of a tomboyish vibe wasn’t entirely off the mark.

“…Even children are scared of me,”

She added softly.

Now I understood who had called her intimidating.

It was the children.

Eve wouldn’t have cared if her peers had said something like that.

But there was one exception.

If the words came from children, they could hurt even Eve.

She adored kids, as well as small animals.

Hearing such words from children she cherished must have been a huge blow to her.

“In that case, why not try smiling more to change your aura?”

A smile can soften even the fiercest-looking person’s demeanor.

“When I smile, they’re even more scared.”

“That’s because you don’t know how to smile properly. People often don’t know how to use their own faces.”

As I said this, I demonstrated various expressions.

“Children are especially sensitive to facial expressions. The more exaggerated they are, the better.”

Eve’s eyes widened.

“…You’re surprisingly good at that.”

“I’ve practiced.”

To be precise, it was part of my rehabilitation.

After sustaining an injury, I suffered from facial paralysis.

During my recovery, I massaged my face and practiced using my mouth, eyes, and nose extensively.

Through that, I learned how to control my expressions better.

Of course, my case was unique.

I don’t expect other facial paralysis patients to experience the same outcome.

Still, thanks to this, I’ve managed to get out of numerous sticky situations during Flame Butterfly arc.

Especially in front of Isabel, who never managed to distinguish my fake smiles from genuine ones.

…Though I’m not sure about now.

“Would you like me to teach you?”

Eve hesitated, her shoulders twitching as her gaze darted around.

The tips of her ears turned slightly red, betraying her desire to learn.

After a moment, as if recalling something, she looked back at me.

“Wait. This isn’t the conversation I wanted to have.”

Oh dear, she caught on.

I had tried to change the subject naturally, but it seemed I failed.

“More importantly, the problem is the dragon's magic. It’s dangerous. If you don’t resolve it quickly, you might end up being devoured by the dragon.”

Eve hadn’t come to reprimand me.

She had approached me purely out of concern for someone she had only just met today.

Of course, she’s the heroine of a side story.

She also carried an innate sense of virtue.

Moved by the kindness in her eyes, I slowly smiled.

“It is dangerous, no doubt.”

“Exactly.”

“But I need it.”

Eve froze for a moment.

It was the moment she realized I harbored remnants of the dragon.

I had been stalling for time earlier by talking nonsense.

And then, I made up my mind.

I decided to use the dragon's remnants.

“There’s something I have to do. So, can you keep this a secret?”

A faint smile appeared on my lips, laced with a hint of malice.

“Of course, if you don’t keep it a secret...”

A subtle chill emanated from my body.

I lightly prodded the dragon's remnants, awakening them.

“It would put me in quite a difficult situation.”

Eve narrowed her eyes.

At the same time, a blue flame began to rise slowly from her body.

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“So, you’re saying you’ll silence me now?”

She was a six-star ranker,

one of the top six fighters of her generation.

Even with the dragon’s remnants,

her blue flame was the worst matchup for me.

If we fought, there was a ten-to-one chance I’d lose.

“Yes, so... how about I teach you how to smile? Will you keep it a secret then?”

“What?”

“You want to learn how to smile, right? Think of it as hush money.”

I grinned playfully.

“Or, do you want money? I don’t have much, so that’s a bit difficult.”

“I don’t want money.”

Eve stared at me with an expression that said she couldn’t understand me at all.

But I was being sincere.

“What do you think? It’s a pretty decent offer, right?”

“I told you, dragon magic is dangerous.”

“Yes, I know, but it’s a risk I have to take.”

Eve furrowed her brow as she stared at me.

She seemed to want to understand my intentions, but she wouldn’t find anything.

Of course not.

I wasn’t planning on doing anything significant with the dragon’s remnants anytime soon.

No matter how much Eve tried to pry, she wouldn’t discover anything.

“Well then, I’ll teach you the expressions later. I have something to do today.”

Without hesitation, I turned and walked away.

Eve, looking flustered, tried to stop me, but it was too late.

I swiftly returned to my room at Zerion Academy.

That was nerve-wracking.

I didn’t expect Eve to notice the dragon’s magic.

But knowing her character, she wouldn’t report it anywhere.

She wasn’t the type to act recklessly without understanding my situation.

She’d probably try to resolve it herself.

As I exhaled quietly, I felt the stillness of the room.

Two people were watching me cautiously.

“You’re back?”

“Hannon, take a break.”

I blinked.

‘Oh, right, I said something earlier.’

I had forgotten.

I should have waited a bit longer before coming back.

I came back too early.

I probably need to act a bit angrier now.

“Hannon, I’m hungry.”

But it turned out there was no need.

Looking at Sharin, my irritation returned.

Thanks to her, I confirmed I still wasn’t over my anger today.

* * *

The international Academy meeting.

As mentioned earlier, the true value of the meeting lay in the party that followed.

A party where everyone could freely converse.

Since the future leaders of the world were gathered, every conversation at the party became a network and a future asset.

Thus, at the party, the children were desperately searching for people to talk to.

They were practically political hyenas.

In the middle of the bustling party hall,

a confident woman strode in.

The woman, dressed in a flowing black dress, was none other than the third princess of the Hysirion Empire, Iris Hysirion.

As she walked, all eyes were drawn to her.

Iris’s signature decadent beauty instantly captivated the atmosphere around her.

The children stared at her in awe.

Iris was like a black rose.

Her beauty irresistibly drew you in, but reaching out to touch her would prick you with thorns.

That was Iris.

But those who followed her were no less striking.

Unlike Iris, who wore a dress, a woman in a school uniform with a languid expression appeared.

Oddly enough, her attire drew even more attention.

She was Sharin Sazaris, the daughter of the Blue Tower Master.

Her dark blue hair fluttered as she yawned lazily.

Beside her stood a woman with a radiant appearance like the sun.

Dressed in a neat scarlet dress, her bright smile was contagious.

She was the main heroine, Isabel Luna.

The entrance of these three women caused the children to start murmuring.

And trailing behind them was one boy.

‘Wow, nobody’s even looking at me.’

It was none other than Hannon, the master of concealment techniques.

Of course, my disguised face as Hannon was decent enough, but compared to those three, I was bound to be overshadowed.

For me, that was ideal.

While the focus was on them, I planned to slip into the background.

‘Alright, time to fade into the crowd and observe.’

Just as I thought that—

Step.

I heard footsteps approaching.

Startled, I looked up, wondering who it could be.

I hadn’t expected anyone to come my way in such a conspicuous moment.

But I had forgotten something.

My opponent wasn’t someone who cared about such things.

“Hannon Irey.”

She called my name precisely, as if she’d heard it somewhere.

I swallowed hard and turned my head.

There stood a woman with blue hair wearing a sapphire dress.

The unyielding blue flame.

Eve.

She had stepped up to me again, right here, in front of everyone’s gaze.

I never imagined she’d make such a bold move.

Of course, she’s the heroine of a side story—her actions are unpredictable.

As Eve, who drew as much attention as the three earlier, spoke to me, all eyes turned our way.

But they weren’t the only ones looking at me.

I felt two sharp stares behind me.

Isabel and Iris.

The two were glaring at the back of my head as if trying to bore holes through it.

It was as if they were saying, ‘You went out for a moment and already picked up another girl?’

And then Sharin said it outright.

“This is unfair!”

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