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Chapter 8
Jaina dusted off the dirt and removed the cobwebs. She patched up the drafty walls with whatever she could find, which seemed to help a bit with the cold.
After cleaning alone for a while, she looked at her room with a satisfied expression.
Her very first personal space.
And all the things she would carefully place here…
Jaina thought that living with a little luxury, even in such a small way, wasn’t so bad—at least until she turned seventeen.
She thought her ordinary days would continue like this…
“Why are you here?”
Cold, mineral-blue eyes looked at her with disdain. The oppressive weight made her clench her teeth.
Jaina didn’t understand.
Why her father was standing in front of her now.
Jaina hadn’t barged in on Diamid on a whim, despite knowing he didn’t care for her.
She had no demands, no desire for interaction—so why bother?
Since arriving at the Mage Tower, Jaina had tried to stay low-key, to live quietly.
But life has a way of bringing problems from the most unexpected places.
“How am I supposed to wash and dry my clothes now?”
Daily necessities had become a burden.
Since the Mage Tower only admitted skilled mages, everyone there knew basic magic like cleaning and laundry spells.
Though constantly consumed by research and exams, their polished appearance was thanks to such practical magic.
But Jaina didn’t know those basic spells. Not that she couldn’t use magic at all as a dragonkin—she’d learned some from watching her relatives, after all.
Her magical skill even surpassed her cousin Taylor’s in certain areas, but it didn’t change her daily struggles.
Because she had started with simpler spells, as a member of the Black Night clan who controlled darkness, the only magic she could manage was hiding her body in shadows.
“In the dragon village, we didn’t need clothes. Washing was done in the river…”
Maintaining a human form was exhausting for young dragons, so they usually stayed in their true form unless something unusual occurred. They didn’t need clothes or laundry like humans.
Jaina hadn’t thought about washing either—her last memory of wearing clothes was from her previous life. It was a huge oversight.
“Should I ask Mikael or Hilbenzia for help?”
No.
Jaina scolded herself for even considering relying on someone else.
Even if they treated her kindly now, she remembered how they first behaved toward her. There was no reason for the two top-tier mages of the tower to be gentle with someone weak like her.
They could abandon her, betray her, or suddenly make her a subject of study at any moment.
“I can’t get used to receiving help from others.”
Jaina pressed her lips tightly together. She had to solve this problem herself.
“It’s a bit risky, but I’ll have to go outside the Mage Tower.”
Though not emphasized in the novel, Jaina remembered a spell to exit the tower directly without passing the gatekeepers.
Closing her eyes, she tapped her elbows three times alternately, jumped once in place, and spun eight times…
“Igriche, let me out.”
As she cast the spell, she felt a soft breeze wrap around her.
When she opened her eyes, she was outside the Mage Tower. She blinked.
‘Fortunately, I remembered it correctly.’
Covering her body in darkness with magic ensured she wouldn’t be detected outside.
That night, Jaina sneaked out, transformed into her dragon form, and flew to a nearby lake to bathe and wash her clothes.
It was cumbersome, but at least the clothing problem was solved.
Just when she thought her troubles were over, a few days before the exams, the mages looked more haggard than usual.
They acted strangely: falling on bare ground, flipping upside down, hitting their heads on the floor.
‘They’re desperate because failing could get them expelled from the Mage Tower.’
Although she wasn’t taking the exams herself, her memories from her previous life made her pity them—though the feeling vanished quickly.
“Hey, bookworms! Aren’t you sleepy?”
Their audacity was astonishing. Even without Diamid around, they yelled across the center of the Mage Tower.
When one mage shouted, the mages upstairs answered loudly in return. She wasn’t the only one driven crazy by the exams.
“Why are you even asking that—you should know!”
“Can’t you see everyone’s flopping around like jellyfish?”
The mage upstairs snickered at the angry responses, then glared dangerously.
“I’ll wake you all up myself!”
He waved his hands while shouting, and a huge puddle formed on the empty ceiling, pouring down like a waterfall.
Splash!
It was refreshing and exhilarating—but the mages below were furious.
“Hey, you little—want to die?!”
They retaliated, while others laughed and made bets on who would win.
Jaina, caught in the commotion, couldn’t even smile.
“…What is this?”
For the other mages, it was an exciting prank that snapped them out of mental fatigue.
For Jaina, it was not.
She couldn’t dry herself instantly with magic like the others. Standing in the hallway, she wrung out her wet hair. Hair could dry on its own, but her clothes were a problem—she had no spare set. Every other outfit was wet from laundry as well.
She had to wear damp, cold clothes all day—and naturally, she caught a cold the next day.
“Ahem, good mo—morning.”
“…Are you trying to act cute? What’s with that nasal voice?”
Mikael, meeting her in the dining hall, looked horrified. Jaina sniffled as she tried to explain.
“It’s not acting—it’s because I caught a cold.”
“Huh, a dragon caught a cold?”
“Yes.”
She frowned delicately. Despite trying to speak clearly, her severe cold made it impossible.
Mikael interrogated her relentlessly.
“Why did a dragon catch a cold?”
“My body is weak… I’m only half a dragon.”
“Half or not, you’re still a dragon. You don’t get colds like frail humans. There must be a reason.”
“Not really…”
“Tell me everything from yesterday. If a dragon caught a cold, something happened in the Mage Tower.”
“I don’t remember.”
“Then I’ll have to check your head. You need the cause removed to avoid another cold. You wouldn’t know that, but…”
Was he trying to use mind magic on her?
Jaina tried to evade the question, but Mikael was persistent. At the peak of his magical abilities, he couldn’t resist curiosity.
She decided to give a simple answer.
“I slept in wet clothes.”
“You slept in wet clothes? Even with your limited knowledge, common sense says you should change immediately. Why?”
“I had no clothes because I washed them.”
“But there’s laundry magic. Wait—you can’t use water magic, can you?”
Mikael seemed to know a little about dragon physiology.
“Hmph. Humans say dragons are weak, but they’re nothing special.”
Crossing his arms, Mikael looked down at Jaina, who sniffled.
“You’re just a little wet, so why did a noble dragon fall ill?”
He tried to lift her, but immediately cried out.
Crack.
Despite appearances, Jaina was quite heavy. Bones in his arms and waist cracked audibly.
“Ah! You should’ve told me you were heavy before I lifted you!”
“I already told you at the dining hall. Surely a great mage like Mikael would remember.”
Because she wasn’t feeling well, she had left her weight unadjusted, letting it be hundreds of kilos.
“But won’t the Mage Tower master get mad if you cause trouble here?”
“Ah, aah… I never said I’d use you as a test subject.”
A sharp shock hit his waist. Mikael gritted his teeth instead of yelling.
“Those who stay long in the Mage Tower must undergo health checks. I assumed dragons wouldn’t get sick, but now you have, so we must check.”
“Dragons don’t get sick?”
“Why are you asking me? You’re a dragon.”
Humans are tougher, but not immune. Mikael remained unwavering.
“Dragons don’t get illnesses or curses. That’s what the Mage Tower master said. Probably what your mother told you.”
‘Diamid still believes that lie, huh?’
Her mother, Bezritche, had died under the curse of the Demon King.
A small laugh escaped Jaina.
