The following morning, Aira came to one terrifying realization.
She had survived being transported into another world and had even survived accidentally kissing an emperor. But nothing had prepared her for what awaited her outside her chamber.
"..."
"..."
"What's wrong, Your Grace? Don't you like the food?" the young servant asked innocently.
Aira slowly raised her head to look at him.
Food?
...Oh, right.
She remembered refusing every meal the servants had brought her. Apparently, the young servant had reported it to the emperor, which was why she had been summoned to dine with him.
Now, however, her hunger had completely disappeared, replaced by an entirely different distraction.
The countless dishes spread across the long dining table actually looked edible this time. Yet the moment she saw the people seated around it, her appetite vanished completely.
Although everyone seemed strangely fascinated by her presence, she found herself unable to look them in the eye. Every time she tried, her gaze inevitably drifted lower.
"..Why are they shirtless?"
Her soul quietly left her body.
The imperial dining hall was magnificent. Towering marble pillars stretched toward a ceiling painted with dragons. Nobles who appeared to be military commanders, scholars, and attendants sat in orderly rows, their attention divided between their emperor... and the only woman in the hall.
Which happened to be her.
Unfortunately.
The moment Aira realized she wasn't just the only woman in the dining hall but also the only woman in this entire world she wished the polished floor would kindly open and swallow her whole.
The emperor sat at the head of the table, as composed as ever, his expression unreadable.
The nobles, meanwhile, looked exactly like the powerful generals she had seen in fantasy movies. They were seated around the emperor, and their commanding presence somehow made the enormous dining hall feel surprisingly small.
They had broad shoulders, sculpted physiques...
...and absolutely no shirts.
Literally.
Not one.
Not even a scarf.
"..."
"..."
Is clothing illegal here?
She blinked once.
Twice.
Then immediately lowered her gaze to the floor.
Nope.
Absolutely not.
Her eyes wandered to the side for exactly half a second.
Big mistake.
Visible abs.
She instantly looked back down. Why are there so many muscles?
Does this empire have a mandatory six-pack requirement?
Her face slowly warmed.
No.
She wasn't embarrassed because they were handsome. She was embarrassed because she had absolutely no idea where she was supposed to look.
If she looked at their faces...
...their bare chests were in the way.
If she looked any lower...
That was somehow even worse.
If she stared at the ceiling...
People would probably think she'd gone mad.
Someone save me.
One of the older ministers cleared his throat.
"Your Majesty."
The emperor nodded.
"Speak."
"As discussed yesterday, preparations for studying the Woman of the Prophecy have begun. The Circle has gathered the empire's greatest scholars."
Aira tried very, very hard to listen.
Unfortunately...
One commander sighed, seemingly trying to catch her attention.
Still shirtless.
His long crimson hair was tied behind his back, and an enormous sword rested against one shoulder.
"..."
Why...?
Why does no one think this is strange?
She cautiously leaned toward the emperor, who looked just as bored as she was while pretending to listen.
"...Excuse me."
"Hm?"
She lowered her voice to a whisper.
"...Does everyone... really dress like this?"
The emperor looked at her.
"What?"
"The..."
She gestured vaguely with one finger while stubbornly keeping her eyes fixed on the floor.
"...the lack of clothes. Is your empire too poor to afford fabric?"
Silence.
"What?"
The emperor followed the direction of her tiny gesture before understanding finally dawned.
"...Ah."
His expression remained perfectly calm.
"You're wondering about my vassals' attire?"
"Vassals...?"
"They are dragon descendants."
"...Okay?"
At this point, she wasn't even surprised anymore. Dragons apparently existed in this world, so hearing something like that hardly shocked her.
"They dislike wearing excessive clothing. It is uncomfortable for them."
"..."
Aira stared at him.
That explains absolutely nothing.
The emperor continued as though discussing the weather.
"Their scales manifest beneath their skin whenever they feel threatened. Heavy clothing restricts their movement. They have dressed this way for centuries."
He glanced at her.
"Why do you ask? Don't tell me their bodies are bothering you."
His voice became noticeably colder, causing her to instinctively lean away.
"N-No! Of course not! I was just asking. Is that a crime?"
"Crime? What is that?"
She slowly looked around. No one seemed remotely uncomfortable.
Not the vassals. Not the servants. Not the guards. Only her.
Am I the weird one?
No.
She absolutely refused to believe that.
A young vassal seated nearby noticed her confused expression and smiled politely.
"Is something troubling you, Lady Aira?"
She panicked.
"N-No!"
Half the dining hall turned to look at her.
She forced an awkward smile.
"I was just..."
Think.
"...admiring..."
No.
Don't say muscles.
"...the architecture."
Everyone looked around.
"...The architecture?"
"Yes."
She nodded enthusiastically.
"The... very... architectural architecture."
Everyone in the dining hall looked even more confused.
The emperor quietly looked away. But for the briefest moment. His shoulders moved. Very slightly.
Was he laughing?
No.
Impossible.
Emperors didn't laugh. Especially not this emperor.
The discussion continued.
A man who looked every bit the scholar, complete with thick spectacles, cleared his throat.
"Ehem. Your Majesty, according to the oldest records, the Woman of the Prophecy possesses a scent capable of influencing dragons."
Another elder nodded solemnly.
"The effects worsen with prolonged exposure."
Several commanders remained expressionless.
One younger general raised his hand.
"I request permission to rotate the palace guards every two hours."
"Granted." the emperor replied.
Another vassal, who looked like a commander judging by his muscular physique, immediately stood.
"I request permission to personally guard Lady Aira's chambers."
Several others instantly objected.
"I object."
"So do I."
"I submitted my request first."
"No, I did."
Aira slowly looked from one vassal to another.
Are... are they actually arguing over guard duty?
One silver-haired vassal frowned.
"It is a matter of national security."
Another crossed his arms.
"I agree."
A third nodded solemnly.
"I am also deeply concerned for the empire."
Finally, the emperor spoke.
"No."
Instant silence.
"You are volunteering for the wrong reasons."
Every commander looked personally offended.
"Your Majesty, we are only doing this to protect the empire. Lady Aira is now considered both our greatest national treasure and our greatest potential threat. She could either lead this empire to prosperity or bring about its destruction. We would never--"
"No."
His voice turned cold enough to silence the entire hall.
"I alone can protect Lady Aira. I require none of you to guard her personally."
No one dared argue.
Apparently, the emperor was the only one in the room who could see through their true intentions.
A scholar carefully adjusted his spectacles.
"Ehem. There is another important matter, Your Majesty."
He motioned to a servant, who hurried forward and handed him a rolled scroll.
The scholar unrolled it.
"I believe it is time for us to study the unfamiliar words Lady Aira has spoken."
What?
Aira froze.
Study them? What am I, an alien?
"...Uh-oh."
The scholar began reading.
"'Coffee.'"
Silence.
"'Internet.'"
More silence.
"'Biology.'"
Someone frowned thoughtfully.
"'Pizza.'"
One vassal leaned toward another.
"Is Pizza a forgotten dragon?"
"I thought it was an ancient kingdom."
"No. Perhaps it's a legendary weapon."
A third elder stroked his beard.
"It sounds divine."
Aira buried her face in her hands.
No...
Please stop...
The scholar continued with complete seriousness.
"We have found no historical references."
Of course you haven't!
She glanced at the young servant, who immediately avoided her gaze.
I only said those words while complaining to him! I didn't know he would report every single one of them!
"Continue the investigation." the emperor ordered.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Please don't.
Seriously? I'm sitting right here! You could just ask me what those words mean!
You're researching pizza... as if that's going to solve the empire's problems. Ugh... I want to disappear.
The discussion dragged on for nearly an hour.
Maps. Border reports. Trade routes. Military patrols.
Aira understood maybe...five percent.
The rest sounded like fantasy politics mixed with dragon economics.
Eventually, her attention drifted again. Without thinking, she glanced sideways. Unfortunately, straight at one commander.
He noticed.
Their eyes met.
She immediately looked away so quickly she nearly gave herself whiplash.
Abort mission!
The commander looked puzzled.
"...Did I offend Lady Aira?"
Another commander answered confidently.
"No."
"Then why won't she look at us?"
"Perhaps she finds us frightening."
A third looked genuinely saddened.
"...Do we?"
Aira waved both hands frantically.
"N-No! That's not it!"
Every head turned toward her.
Again.
Why does this keep happening?
She squeezed her eyes shut.
"I'm just..."
Come on.
Think.
"...not used to..."
Don't say shirtless.
"...formal gatherings."
The emperor looked at her for several quiet seconds.
Then--
"Bring cloaks."
The room froze.
One attendant blinked.
"...Your Majesty?"
"The commanders."
Another pause.
"...Wear cloaks."
Every military commander looked utterly horrified.
"W-We are?"
"Now."
No one dared question him.
Within moments, attendants hurried around distributing ceremonial cloaks.
One by one, the commanders reluctantly covered themselves.
Several looked as though they had just received the harshest punishment imaginable.
"...It's warm." one muttered.
"I can't breathe." another sighed dramatically.
"We look strange wearing these."
"Is His Majesty punishing us?"
Aira blinked.
Then looked at the emperor.
Their eyes met.
Without a single word, she realized exactly what had happened. He had noticed how uncomfortable she was around the shirtless commanders.
For some reason, an unexpected warmth spread through her chest.
"...Thank you.." she whispered so quietly that only he could hear.
His expression didn't change. Yet there was something gentler in his gaze than before.
"It appears," he replied just as softly, "our customs are quite different."
"Huh...?"
She didn't entirely understand what he meant.
Still, despite herself, she laughed. A small, quiet laugh.
The emperor's lips curved almost imperceptibly.
Across the dining hall, several ministers exchanged bewildered glances.
"...Did His Majesty just smile?"
"...I believe so."
"...Should we be concerned?"
"I think," the oldest advisor answered gravely, "we should be very concerned."
None of them noticed the emperor's attention returning, once again, to the woman from the prophecy.