Chapter 80
Peony narrowed her eyes.
Until now, the dragon hadn’t eaten anything offered by the royal family. It just lay there, lethargic, even when they approached.
But the moment it heard Eila’s name, it reacted intensely.
Peony and the dragon locked eyes for a long time. The dragon was staring at her with desperate eyes.
As if pleading—Please, take me to Eila.
“So the reason it rejected the royal family… was because it already had a master.”
A chill ran down Peony’s back.
She turned to Darian and said,
“I need to tell Father.”
“Peony?”
“I think I found the dragon’s master.”
Without another word, Peony bolted out of the room.
The emperor frowned, looking troubled.
“If this continues, the precious divine beast we managed to obtain might die. It should have chosen a master by now.”
Sitting before him was Eliza.
She tilted her head slightly. “Didn’t the Black Dragon only choose from the royal family?”
“Normally, yes. But that’s only because it senses a familiar energy—because the royal bloodline carries the dragon’s lineage,” he explained, sighing.
“In other words, it can choose a human with similar energy, even if they aren’t royal. Once it chooses, there’s no turning back.”
“It could have already chosen a master? But it was brought to the teleportation circle immediately after birth…”
“That’s what puzzles me. We deliberately kept it isolated, only allowing royal contact.”
He sighed again.
If they allowed a divine beast symbolic of the royal family to die, it could sway public sentiment.
People might say the gods had forsaken the imperial line.
Eliza, too, felt conflicted.
She was relieved the dragon hadn’t chosen Peony or Adolf.
But Darian’s failure to be chosen was a major setback.
He needed the power of the Black Dragon to compensate for what he lacked.
“Somehow, I must strengthen Darian’s legitimacy. Whether through this divine beast… or another source of power.”
He needed the kind of strength that would ensure her son would inherit the throne.
“What if the dragon never chooses anyone?”
“Then it’ll die from starvation. That’s obvious.”
Eliza’s gaze turned cold.
If Darian couldn’t have the dragon, maybe it was better for the creature to die.
Truthfully, she already knew—Darian wasn’t going to be chosen.
“But then again… the dragon hasn’t chosen either of the two capable ones either.”
She was starting to feel at ease when the chamberlain entered the room.
“Your Majesty, Princess Peony requests an audience.”
“Peony?”
The emperor’s expression brightened. He didn’t hesitate.
“Let her in.”
Before long, Peony entered with a composed demeanor.
“Peony, what brings you here?”
The emperor looked at her warmly.
Peony had always been shy and frail, but she was affectionate toward him.
Since returning from the academy, however, she had seemed distant and calm.
She hadn’t come to see him even once.
He had felt hurt by that.
“Maybe she’s just grown up…”
He’d wanted to pull her into his lap like in the old days, but held back for the sake of imperial dignity.
Instead, he took comfort in the fact that she had come to see him at all.
But it didn’t seem to be for a pleasant reason.
She spoke with a serious face.
“Father, I urgently need to talk about the Black Dragon.”
The emperor’s smile faded.
“So she didn’t come because she missed me.”
When he didn’t respond right away, Peony tilted her head in confusion.
“Is something wrong?”
“Ahem, no. But I heard the Black Dragon is still unwell. Did it eat something you gave it? Has it finally chosen a master?”
“No. But I think I know who its master is. That’s why I came.”
“You think you know who it is?”
“Can I bring my friend Eila to the palace? I want her to meet the dragon.”
At her words, the emperor’s mouth hardened.
“So you believe she’s the dragon’s master.”
“Yes. The reason it rejected all three of us… was because it already had a master.”
“What made you think that?”
“The dragon only responded when I mentioned Eila.”
“…”
“Please, Father. If this goes on, the Black Dragon will die. We have to return it to its master—Eila.”
The emperor let out a soft sigh.
This wasn’t a decision he could make alone. He looked to Eliza.
“What does the Empress think?”
Eliza smiled gently.
She raised her teacup with graceful hands, took a sip, and then placed it back down.
Meeting Peony’s gaze, she gave her a soft, reassuring smile.
As if saying, Don’t worry.
Peony’s lips trembled slightly with tension.
“I think it’s a good idea,” Eliza said.
“The Empress?”
“It’s a divine beast that appeared after centuries. We can’t let a newborn dragon die so easily.”
“Ahem… That’s true.”
“As long as its master is a citizen of the empire, does it really matter? They are still ours.”
Her smile was warm, yet held an inscrutable undercurrent.
“However, when this ‘Eila’ girl meets the dragon, I would like to be present. I want to see for myself if the dragon truly chooses her.”
“Do as the Empress wishes.”
Then Eliza turned to Peony and asked carefully,
“Peony, would it be alright if I met your friend?”
Peony hesitated.
To be honest, she didn’t want to show her precious friend to this woman.
“Now that I know what she’s done… I can’t see her the same way anymore.”
Suddenly, Peony remembered the way Darian had looked at Eila at the ball—with eyes that sparkled.
Eila’s talent was dazzling.
If she became the dragon’s master, everyone would covet her.
Even the Empress.
But Peony had no grounds to refuse Eliza’s request.
Reluctantly, she replied,
“…Yes. That’s fine.”
After Peony and Felix left, Eila spent her break somewhat bored.
She studied magic on schedule and spent the rest of her time planning for the future.
Each day passed monotonously.
So when knights suddenly stormed in, she was genuinely caught off guard for the first time in a while.
Even the academy headmaster had come with them.
Hearing that someone from the palace had come, all the dorm students had rushed out to watch.
“Why have you come for Eila?” the headmaster asked. “Is something wrong with the dragon?”
He looked just as confused.
But instead of answering, the knight commander bowed deeply toward Eila.
The headmaster’s eyes widened in shock.
“The commander of the Imperial Knights is bowing to Eila?!”
It was excessive courtesy for a commoner like her.
The knight commander spoke solemnly to her.
“Forgive the abruptness, Lady Eila—but His Majesty has summoned you.”
