Chapter 121: Shopping Trip

"So... was it your erotic dream that made you this strong first thing in the morning?"

Eva, unsurprisingly, wasn't ready to let the subject go.

Blanche groaned and flopped back onto her bed.

"I dreamed about a handsome guy. Sort of a Viking type. It must've been because of my book," she lied shamelessly, pointing toward the volume resting on her desk.

Except she'd already returned that book.

The one still sitting there was about demons.

Eva didn't know that, and besides, she was practically allergic to books. Fortunately, until she fully awakened as a djinn, she couldn't tell truth from lies.

"I want to dream about a handsome Viking too..."

Oddly enough, Blanche couldn't read her expression.

For once, she tried humor.

"What? Sean isn't enough for you anymore?"

"Why settle for one handsome man," Eva replied in a strange tone, "when you could have two?"

Blanche found herself speechless.

If Eva knew the conversation she'd had with Asmodeus...

She simply shook her head before gathering her toiletries.

This morning was shopping day.

Inside the shared bathroom, Blanche felt almost omnipotent.

She had to carefully regulate her strength after accidentally cracking the toilet bowl clean in half...

She picked a simple outfit: a black blazer-style shorts set with a kimono-inspired top—easy to take off and put back on.

Though she wasn't entirely sure her favorite professor would approve.

...Then again...

She had never gotten dressed so quickly.

Every movement was fast.

Precise.

She actually had to force herself to slow down.

A light brown makeup look.

Her hair pulled into a high, tightly tied ponytail.

The ankle boots she'd borrowed from her best friend.

A burgundy winter coat.

Done.

"Oh, I love it!" Eva exclaimed as she returned from getting ready herself. "The sakura blossoms on your top match your skirt and your coat perfectly! The whole outfit is gorgeous. Remind me to buy another pair of boots."

Blanche smiled apologetically while looking Eva over.

The brunette looked elegant in black and white.

Dark jeans paired with a pale sweater gave her a more mature appearance, despite her adorably youthful cheeks.

Why had she chosen something so formal?

Then Blanche understood.

She smiled.

"My grandfather isn't going to eat you, you know."

"He's still one of the most powerful drakions alive," Eva corrected, slipping an arm through Blanche's as they started walking. "And a king. So yes—I fully expect him to devour me whole."

Fortunately, since Eva was holding onto her, Blanche could naturally adjust her pace.

"Not while I'm there.

"And your father will be too."

Eva's father was already waiting outside the Academy gates.

At first glance, Blanche almost smiled.

Strangely enough, the two of them had chosen almost identical color palettes, as though they'd unconsciously coordinated without ever discussing it.

He too wore immaculate white accented with black, with the effortless elegance that seemed as natural to him as breathing.

Yet something felt...

Off.

Kiyan looked nervous.

It was almost imperceptible.

He lingered over his cigar a little longer than usual.

His gaze kept drifting toward the Academy entrance.

One hand rested inside his trouser pocket while the other slowly lifted the slim cigar to his lips.

Anyone who barely knew him would have assumed he looked perfectly relaxed.

Blanche, however, was beginning to recognize the tiny cracks in the mask he wore.

Even anxious...

He was almost painfully beautiful.

The brilliant white sweater hugged his broad shoulders and athletic chest without ever appearing ostentatious, highlighting the warm bronze tone of his skin as though the sunlight itself had chosen to linger there.

His perfectly tailored black trousers made his already tall frame appear even longer, while dark leather boots completed an outfit whose simplicity somehow made it even more elegant.

His long black curls had been gathered into a high bun, though several rebellious strands framed his face with carefully cultivated carelessness that somehow made him even more attractive.

The hairstyle exposed the graceful line of his neck and emphasized the clean angles of his jaw without softening the strong features of his face.

Every movement revealed the subtle play of muscle beneath his sun-kissed skin.

His eyes—

Golden, almost caramel-colored—

remained calm despite the concern hiding within them.

Rather than reflecting light, they seemed to absorb it.

Then he slowly drew on his cigar.

The glowing ember briefly illuminated his features, tracing the perfect bridge of his nose, the curve of his lips, and the surprisingly long lashes casting shadows over his eyes.

When he exhaled, smoke drifted lazily around him before the breeze carried it away.

For one fleeting moment...

He looked like a living painting.

Blanche had to make a genuine effort not to simply stand there staring.

He possessed that rare kind of sensuality that never tried to seduce anyone.

It simply existed.

In the way he stood.

The way he breathed.

The effortless way he wore his clothes.

The comfortable silence that naturally settled around him.

Everything about him felt perfectly balanced, as though his body had been sculpted to embody the understated elegance countless others spent their lives trying—and failing—to imitate.

Finally, he looked up.

Their eyes met.

Despite the lingering tension still subtly tightening his shoulders, a small smile immediately softened his features.

It had taken only a single glance for him to forget, if only for a moment, whatever had been weighing on his mind.

"Dad!" Eva exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

Blanche remembered that this was the first time her friend had ever seen her father smoking.

Kiyan simply shrugged before crushing the cigar butt beneath his boot.

"No comments.

"Yes and no.

"Good morning.

"Get in the car.

"We're going to be late."

Then, lowering his voice to little more than a murmur, he added,

"...As if it'll make any difference."

This time, it was Blanche who froze.

She had heard every word.

Eva hadn't.

Kiyan climbed into the car without waiting.

The two young women exchanged a puzzled glance.

"What got into him?" Eva whispered as she climbed in.

That...

Blanche would have very much liked to know herself.