"With this, you should be alright."
The person tending to Ico was Silva's personal maid, Shanon Crowley.
Even Zack knew of her. Shanon was well known throughout the academy, not only for her impeccable skills as a maid but also for her charm and mysterious aura. Despite standing on the bustling city streets, she wore her palace maid uniform with pride, and naturally, she attracted quite a few curious stares.
Ico slowly regained her composure after sipping the water Shanon had bought from a nearby shop. According to her, large quantities of water could dilute the effects of Fansel—enough, at least, to help someone recover.
"Huff…"
Her cheeks still flushed a deep pink, but she had calmed enough to sit up on her own. Zack exhaled, his nerves easing.
"Thank you, Shanon. I really owe you one."
"Tee hee, you're welcome."
"Tsk. I'm honestly shocked you gave a young dragon Fansel! What have you even been learning in class?!" Silva scolded sharply.
"Didn't you give newborn Lancelot Fansel Tea too?"
"D-Don't bring up the past!" Silva's face turned crimson. It seemed she wasn't unfamiliar with the situation after all. "More importantly, why was she born in human form instead of a dragon? It's already spreading like wildfire around the academy."
"Huh? I didn't think the Princess—who doesn't even have friends—would care about gossip."
Again, Silva's cheeks turned red.
"B-Be quiet! I-I don't care about gossip! It's just… Shanon is always blabbing, so I just happened to overhear it!"
"Huhu… But every time I mention Zack, don't you light up like a torch?"
"N-Never!"
Everyone at the academy knew: Silva was a loner. Her mere presence made others anxious. Not just because of her royal status—though that certainly played a role—but mostly due to her pride and obstinacy.
"Well, hasn't it all worked out? At least you found Zack."
As Shanon gently teased her, Silva's cheeks and even the tips of her ears glowed bright red.
"W-What are you even talking about?! I didn't come here just to find him!"
"Alright, alright. We'll take that as the truth. Heehee…"
Shanon's demure smile masked her mischief well. For someone so proper, she delighted in making Silva squirm. The princess was practically trembling in embarrassment.
"Didn't you have something to say to Zack? Please don't worry about me. I'll just turn around and pretend to admire the scenery."
"Don't be ridiculous! You'd still eavesdrop with your back turned!"
"Huhu. That's a maid's duty. Just pretend I'm the statue of Venus watching from the corner."
"Venus?! You're more like the reincarnation of Morrigan herself!"
Just then, Ico's nose twitched.
"A…Aa…Achoo!" A petite, kittenish sneeze.
—Fwhoosh.
A strong gust burst forth from Ico's direction and caught the hem of Silva's skirt, flipping it into the air—revealing her lacy white panties, barely held in place by delicate strings that hugged the curves of her hips.
That fleeting image seared itself into Zack's memory, vivid and impossible to forget.
"S-String…!"
"Don't look!"
Before Silva's iron fist could meet Zack's face, Ico made her move.
From behind, her arms snaked under his and held him tightly. She pressed against his back, her warmth radiating through him. Her embrace was firm and possessive—draconic instinct blazing to the surface.
"…Ico?" Zack's eyes widened. Was she… defending him?
"What are you doing?" Silva's voice was cold and piercing.
"What are you doing, human? This man is mine. I'm his master. No one else has the right to lay a finger on him—especially not you!"
"W-What kind of twisted logic is that?!"
The two girls glared at each other, as if Zack wasn't even there.
"Hmph… Whatever."
Silva was the first to back off. She lowered her clenched fist and turned away, her golden hair swaying like fire in the wind.
"Zack Blake! I have only one thing to say!" She spun on her heel, facing them again. "T-That thing I said before… I take it back."
"Huh?"
"I was upset, and I lashed out. The truth is… your Par was born successfully."
Silva, clearly flustered, struggled to meet his eyes. The one time their gazes did lock, she quickly looked away again.
Watching all this, Shanon giggled behind a hand.
"Princess?"
"I-In other words… Ugh, how should I say this… I take back my words! Admitting one's faults is the Steinert family motto!" With that, she turned sharply and walked off.
"Then I'll be taking my leave as well." Shanon followed her mistress with a graceful curtsy, her skirt fluttering elegantly behind her.
Zack stood still, completely stunned.
Like master, like dragon… maybe that saying really does hold true.
Back then, he only challenged Silva to make her retract her harsh words. After losing the race, he never expected her to actually apologize. And now that Ico was born, her words didn't bother him anymore.
But still… Silva had chosen to apologize even as the victor.
"Huh… If she always acted like that, she'd be the most popular girl in the whole academy."
Zack chuckled softly—only to feel a sudden sharp pain on both cheeks.
"Ow—!" Both sides of his face were being squished mercilessly. "H-Hiho? (I-Ico)?"
Ico loomed close, her face flushed, her eyes half-lidded and smoldering with a teasing glare. The scent of Fansel still clung faintly to her breath.
"You're grinning like an idiot. Tell me—do you have a thing for that noble girl? Or have you forgotten who your true master is?"
"F-Fowwy… (S-Sorry…)"
He didn't dare resist. If he pushed back now, he feared his face might literally be crushed. So Zack did what any wise man would: he apologized.