The moment Mia finally escaped the endless crowd of nobles, she looked like someone who had just survived a battlefield.
A very elegant battlefield.
But still a battlefield.
The palace balcony doors closed behind her as cool night air finally greeted her face.
"…Grrraahhh…"
Mia dragged both hands down her face dramatically.
"Next time…"
Her blue eyes twitched slightly.
"I am NEVER attending one of these events again."
"Ever."
Beside her, Leo nearly burst out laughing while following her onto the quiet balcony garden.
"Hehe…"
He leaned casually against the railing.
"I doubt that."
"You'll get used to it eventually."
Mia immediately turned toward him with betrayal in her eyes.
"Never."
She pointed accusingly toward the ballroom behind them.
"I would genuinely prefer returning to the Abyss."
Leo blinked.
Mia crossed her arms.
"At least there, things try killing you quickly."
"In there?"
She pointed back toward the ballroom again.
"They slowly attack you with compliments and questions until your soul leaves your body."
Leo lost the fight against laughter completely.
"Hahaha!"
"You're exaggerating!"
"I AM NOT!"
Mia looked emotionally exhausted.
"So many questions…"
"What do dragons eat?"
"Can dragons fall in love?"
Her eye twitched again.
"One noble lady asked if my scales sparkle under sunlight."
Leo was laughing so hard now he nearly leaned off the balcony railing.
"That means they like you!"
"That means they are terrifying."
Mia immediately answered.
The young black dragon groaned dramatically before leaning both arms against the balcony railing.
Far below, palace gardens shimmered beneath moonlight while distant music still echoed softly from inside the royal hall.
Leo smiled faintly afterward.
"Well…"
He glanced toward her warmly.
"That's what happens when you become well known."
"People admire you."
Mia muttered quietly:
"I miss being ignored."
Leo laughed again.
"For just one night, come on."
"You got this."
Mia stared silently into the night sky for a moment.
Then sighed heavily.
"…I should've stayed as a dragon."
"At least nobody asks dragons to dance."
Leo leaned against the railing casually before glancing toward Mia again.
Then unexpectedly, he smiled.
"You look beautiful tonight."
Mia immediately looked at him.
"…What?"
Leo scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Don't misunderstand."
"I'm just saying…"
His smile softened slightly.
"…I'm proud of you, sis."
The words hit far harder than Mia expected.
A faint blush instantly appeared across her face before she quickly looked away.
"…Idiot.stop it.."
Leo laughed quietly.
But meanwhile inside Mia's mind—
complete confusion.
Because mentally?
She still remembered being Riko.
She will be currently twenty-nine-year-old office worker from another world.
And yet now—
she stood here:
wearing a black dress
blushing from a compliment
while talking with the boy she considered her older brother in this life
It felt strange.
Really strange.
Sometimes the gap between: Riko and Mia
still confused her deeply.
Her old life occasionally felt distant now.
Like memories from another person.
Yet moments like this reminded her: No.
That person had once been real too.
Mia quietly gripped the balcony railing.
Then muttered under her breath:
"…This reincarnation thing is unfair."
Leo tilted his head.
"Hm?"
"Nothing."
The young black dragon looked toward the moonlit sky afterward, hiding the faint emotion in her eyes.
"…You really are unfair sometimes too, Leo."
"Hm? Why?"
"Too nice."
Leo grinned proudly.
"I learned from Father."
That actually made Mia laugh a little.
As the cool night air faded behind them, Leo looked toward Mia with visible amusement.
"Come on," he said while lightly nudging her shoulder.
"Let's head back inside."
"For just one night."
Mia immediately groaned in despair.
"Uggghhhhhhhhh…"
She dragged her feet dramatically across the balcony floor.
"This event is draining my lifespan."
Leo nearly laughed again.
"Relax."
"You're a dragon."
"You probably have plenty left."
Mia narrowed her eyes at him.
"Grrrah…"
"That is not comforting."
Still grumbling under her breath, the young black dragon finally followed Leo back toward the ballroom.
The moment the grand doors opened again—
music, noble chatter, and bright golden light crashed into Mia's soul once more.
She visibly looked ready to retreat back outside immediately.
At the same time, Ebruhan and General Aerys also returned from the royal gardens.
Several nobles subtly glanced toward them with curiosity.
Neither warrior looked different outwardly.
Yet somehow—
the atmosphere between them had changed slightly.
A mutual understanding now existed where caution once stood alone.
Ebruhan calmly returned to his position near King Cedric, resuming his role as silent guardian of the ballroom.
Meanwhile across the hall, Princess Selene continued speaking elegantly with foreign nobles as though she had belonged there all along.
Then—
before Mia could even mentally prepare herself—
another noble approached.
A middle-aged man wearing silver-and-blue formal attire bowed politely.
"Lady Mia."
Mia's soul almost left her body again.
"There you are."
Several nearby nobles smiled warmly.
"We were beginning to wonder where you had gone."
Mia internally:
I attempted escape.
The noble continued enthusiastically.
"I represent Kingdom of Aegil."
"It would honor us greatly if you someday visited our kingdom."
Another noble immediately joined in.
"Yes! Our people would be fascinated to meet a dragon of your status!"
Mia visibly stiffened beneath the attention of yet another noble.
"I-I will think about it…"
The noble from Kingdom of Aegil smiled warmly and bowed politely.
"Please do."
"It would truly honor our kingdom if you visited someday."
Mia forced an awkward smile in return.
Internally?
Her spirit was already collapsing.
And unfortunately—
the night was far from over.
The moment one conversation ended, another immediately began.
Princes.
Counts.
Young nobles.
Foreign dignitaries.
Everyone seemed eager to speak with the young black dragon who had suddenly become the center of attention across the ballroom.
"Lady Mia, would you honor me with a dance?"
A young prince bowed elegantly before her.
Mia instantly answered:
"No thank you."
Five minutes later.
"Lady Mia, perhaps a single dance?"
"…No."
Another ten minutes.
"A dance, Lady Mia?"
"I respectfully decline."
At this point she sounded spiritually exhausted.
Meanwhile nearby, Leo was trying very hard not to laugh while pretending to sip a drink normally.
Because watching a dragon capable of terrifying battlefields lose repeatedly against noble society was honestly incredible.
One particularly confident young count even attempted a charming smile.
"Surely there must be someone worthy of your first dance tonight?"
Mia stared at him silently for two whole seconds.
Then answered with complete honesty:
"I would rather fight abyss monsters."
The count froze.
Leo nearly choked on his drink.
Across the ballroom, even Ebruhan had to look away briefly to hide amusement.
Meanwhile Princess Selene quietly observed the situation from afar with visible entertainment in her golden eyes.
Because despite:
power
fame
beauty
status
Mia still looked like a deeply overwhelmed teenager trying to survive social annihilation.
And honestly?
That made her strangely endearing to everyone present....
After what felt like an entire lifetime of noble conversations, forced smiles, and endless greetings, the royal ball finally came to an end.
Guests gradually departed the grand hall while palace servants guided nobles toward their respective resting quarters.
And in the middle of it all—
Mia walked out looking completely spiritually exhausted.
Not injured.
Not physically tired.
Emotionally annihilated.
Her steps dragged slightly across the palace corridor as though she had just returned from war.
Beside her, Emma walked quietly with visible amusement.
"Hey, Mia."
Emma glanced sideways toward her.
"Tired?"
Mia stared forward blankly for a few seconds.
Then answered in the voice of someone whose soul had departed hours ago.
"…Yeah."
Emma laughed softly.
"You survived pretty well."
"I would rather fight abyss creatures again."
A moment later, Vinson approached from behind after finishing conversations with other nobles.
The moment Mia noticed him—
she immediately raised one hand without even turning around.
"Not a word, sir."
Her exhausted voice echoed dramatically through the corridor.
"Not. A. Single. Word."
"All due respect."
Vinson blinked once.
Then immediately understood.
A faint smile appeared on his face
Mia slowly turned toward him with dead eyes.
"I have been verbally attacked for six consecutive hours."
Emma nearly burst into laughter beside her.
"They kept asking me questions."
"They kept complimenting me."
"They kept asking me to dance."
Her eye twitched faintly.
"One prince attempted poetry."
Leo, who had just caught up behind them, instantly lost control laughing again.
"Hahaha!"
Mia pointed at him accusingly.
"You are not innocent in this."
"You abandoned me."
Leo wiped tears from his eyes while laughing.
"You looked funny!"
"I was suffering!"
Meanwhile Vinson quietly watched the scene with faint warmth in his eyes.
Because despite all the attention, politics, and status surrounding her now—
Mia still somehow remained the same chaotic grumpy little dragon they raised at the estate.
Vinson let out a quiet chuckle while watching the exhausted black dragon continue emotionally collapsing in the palace corridor.
Then his attention shifted toward Emma.
"Emma."
He spoke calmly.
"Why not stay at our estate tonight?"
Emma blinked slightly at the unexpected offer.
"Oh?"
Vinson continued naturally.
"It's already late."
"And I doubt the palace roads will stay peaceful much longer with so many nobles leaving at once."
Emma smiled softly afterward.
"Well…"
"If that is alright with you."
"Thank you."
Vinson nodded once.
"Of course."
Meanwhile beside them, Mia suddenly looked mildly hopeful again.
Because Emma staying at the estate meant:
familiar company.
By the time the group finally returned to the Vinson Estate, the moon was already high above the quiet night sky.
The estate servants welcomed them back politely, though most immediately noticed one important detail:
Mia looked completely finished.
Spiritually.
Emotionally.
Socially.
The moment they stepped through the main entrance hall—
Mia stopped walking.
"…I'm done."
Before anyone could react, dark mana shimmered around her body.
FWOOOM—
Her human form instantly transformed into her black dragon body right inside the estate courtyard.
"MIa!! WAIT!" Leo shouted in horror.
"YOUR DRESS!"
Too late.
RRRIPPPP—
The elegant black dress surrendered immediately against sudden dragon expansion.
Fabric flew.
Sleeves vanished.
Somewhere in the distance, destiny itself sighed quietly.
Mia did not care even slightly.
"I DON'T CARE!"
The exhausted dragon immediately stormed toward her barn dramatically.
"I'm DONE!"
"I'm TIRED!"
Her tail slammed against the ground while she stomped away in complete emotional defeat.
Behind her, torn pieces of extremely expensive formal clothing remained scattered across the courtyard like fallen soldiers.
Silence.
Then Emma blinked slowly.
"Oh my…"
A faint amused smile appeared on her face.
"I suppose I'll need to work on that problem eventually."
Leo stared at the destroyed dress with visible heartbreak.
"…Miss Korbi is going to collapse after seeing this."
Considering how long the estate maids spent preparing Mia earlier?
Yeah.
Someone was absolutely going to cry tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile inside her barn—
Mia had already curled herself into a giant black dragon loaf atop piles of blankets and cushions.
One exhausted grumble escaped her.
Then silence.
Fast asleep.
No dignity left.
Only sleep.
Emma quietly peeked inside afterward before laughing softly at the sight.
"…She really is still just a child sometimes."
.....,