The dragon quietly hummed to himself as he tended to the potted plants. The pots by the window needed their occasional layer of dust wiped clean. Adrian was gently lifting one of the green leaves and brushing it off with a handkerchief when it happened.
“Hey.”
Mikhail, lounging on the bed across from him with a grumpy expression as he read Heroes and Blades of the Century, suddenly called out. What? Adrian didn’t bother to reply, merely snapped his head around to glare at the prince. If someone called him rudely, he believed in responding with equal rudeness.
“…You haven’t forgotten about the party this weekend, right?”
“Huh?”
The dragon didn’t pause his hand as he wiped the leaf, replying casually like it was nothing. It was a little funny—Mikhail looked like he was worried Adrian might pretend they’d never made such plans. So Adrian decided to tease him.
“Did we make plans like that?”
He expected Mikhail to blow up immediately, but there was no reaction from the prince sitting behind him. Judging by his expression, he was so dumbfounded he was momentarily speechless. Watching the slow rise of irritation on Mikhail’s face, Adrian chuckled and said, “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” Then quickly added, “Don’t worry. I didn’t forget.”
Mikhail shot up from the bed at Adrian’s words.
“I need to check what you’re wearing.”
“…What I’m wearing?”
The dragon lowered his hand from the plant and turned away from the window, looking like he’d just heard something bizarre.
“Why my outfit?”
“Just as I thought. Good thing I’m checking early.”
With his arms crossed, the prince pouted slightly and stretched his thin lips out in a dissatisfied pout. Then he confidently strode over to Adrian’s wardrobe.
“Open it.”
“What… I haven’t even decided yet. Wait, can’t I just wear the uniform? Everyone wore their uniforms to the entrance ceremony party.”
The dragon had assumed, without giving it much thought, that any party held at the academy would involve wearing uniforms. When he said that, the prince frowned. Click! Without hesitation, Mikhail swung open a wardrobe that didn’t even belong to him.
“You really think a weekend party is the same as one hosted by the academy?”
How’s it different? Adrian stepped right up next to Mikhail, who had flung open the wardrobe without a care.
Adrian had been planning to wear his usual academy uniform on the day of the party, just like any other morning. So he silently watched Mikhail peering intently into his closet.
Seeing the clothes hung neatly on ivory hangers, Mikhail raised an eyebrow.
“…This is all you have?”
“Yup.”
The dragon nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Since it was the academy, he naturally wore the uniform and had only bought a few spares.
Even though he had more money than anyone else on the continent, Adrian was ridiculously frugal when it came to actually spending a single coin. Rather than waste it on trendy scraps of fabric that would fall out of fashion in a few years, he preferred to collect gems.
At Adrian’s answer, Mikhail’s face twisted in dismay. He flicked through the neatly hung casual clothes with a snap-snap of his fingers, checking every single hanger. Staring at the comfy-looking shirt hanging on the last hanger, Mikhail let out a long sigh and irritably raked his fingers through his pale blond hair.
“Is it really that bad?”
Adrian muttered, glancing at the clothes the prince had dismissed as beneath notice. The materials were decent, and the styles weren’t particularly outdated. Sure, they might look a little too relaxed for a party, but how formal did an academy party really need to be?
“Good thing the party’s on Sunday. We’ll go shopping the day before.”
“…Ah, I’m not going. I don’t want to put in that much effort just for a party.”
That meant giving up his entire weekend to party prep, and the thought alone made Adrian sharply turn his head with an openly annoyed expression.
“I’ll pay.”
Huh? The golden dragon’s ears twitched toward the sound. If the prince was covering the costs, that likely meant he’d buy something suitably high-end to match his status and dignity. That changed things. Adrian smirked.
Mikhail, still standing behind him, couldn’t see his grin and added,
“…Don’t worry about the gold. Just pick what you like.”
Trying to hide his delight, Adrian slowly turned his head with a deliberately unenthusiastic expression. He caught sight of Mikhail waiting for his response.
“In that case… sure.”
Adrian gave a slow, reluctant nod, as if granting permission under protest.
***
It was a peaceful weekend. The Gold Dragon had quickly finished getting ready for his first outing since enrolling at the academy.
“Shall we go?”
Adrian changed out of his academy shoes into a more comfortable pair of leather ones and called to his roommate. At the sound, Mikhail nodded and opened the dormitory door.
“So how do we get out for outings? Are we walking?”
Wearing soft shoes instead of stiff formal ones, the dragon followed Mikhail with leisurely, measured steps, enjoying the unusual feel of marble against his soles. The academy was surrounded by a vast forest, and Adrian had walked that very path when he first arrived. He’d liked it. It was the perfect distance for a light stroll.
Mikhail glanced sideways at him once before speaking, keeping his gaze fixed forward. The academy, being located deep within the forest and cut off from external cities, couldn’t be accessed on foot in a single day.
“Obviously, I reserved a carriage yesterday.”
“Oh, I see.”
The dragon deflated a little. He followed Mikhail without another word.
Carriages lined up in front of the academy’s main building, all reserved by students planning weekend outings. The coachmen, seeing the students trickle out of the building, climbed down and opened the doors for them.
Mikhail headed straight for the carriage at the front of the line. As he approached, the coachman standing beside it gave a deep bow and gestured respectfully. Watching from just behind, Adrian’s eyes narrowed at the sight. That man was no ordinary coachman—he was an expert.
“Please, climb in.”
Mikhail stepped into the carriage lightly as the coachman opened the door.
Adrian followed behind and glanced back as he climbed in. The carriage Mikhail had chosen was slightly larger than the rest and the only one with a white exterior. Uniquely, this coachman could use a little magic, had blades tucked between his gloves and sleeves, and even walked with a distinctive gait.
A royal carriage.
“What are you doing? Quit gawking like a country bumpkin and get in.”
Even when he talks… Adrian shook his head and climbed in.
Inside was a plush seat lined with a purple velvet carpet. A small table provided reading materials to keep any noble passenger from getting bored during the ride, and next to the table was a tiny fridge to keep drinks cool.
Thump. As soon as Adrian sat down, he leaned back and gazed quietly out the window. He sensed traces of magic. It was excessive—overprotective, even. Smacking his lips, the dragon looked over at Mikhail. With a decent sword in hand, the prince could probably defend himself well enough, but clearly the royal family still fretted over their youngest prince.
Once Adrian settled in, Mikhail raised a hand and gave the carriage wall behind him two light knocks. The coachman, waiting for the signal, began to drive the horses forward. The sound of hoofbeats, jarring at first, quickly became a steady rhythm.
“Do you have a style in mind?”
Mikhail, flipping through a book on the table, asked the question without looking away from the page. Adrian, still gazing out the window, gave a half-hearted answer.
“No.”
“Good. Then I’ll just pick something convenient. You just stand there and let them take your measurements.”
Pleased, the prince nodded and reached out to pull a small ring next to his seat. At that, a tiny sliding window opened in the wall between the carriage and the coachman’s seat—a square opening just at head level. Mikhail leaned toward it and named a few tailor shops, most likely their destination. The coachman repeated each one clearly, as if confirming and committing them to memory.
Slide—As soon as Mikhail let go of the ring, the little window smoothly closed. Only the thinnest seam remained, suggesting it had been masterfully crafted and fitted by a skilled artisan.
“Custom-fitting a suit in a single day’s going to cost quite a bit.”
Only then did Adrian show a flicker of concern for Mikhail’s wallet. The prince gave a short pfft of laughter and returned to his book without a word. Few things in the world were more pointless than a commoner worrying over royal finances.
Inside the quiet carriage, the gentle sound of pages turning and the rhythmic clatter of hooves filled the air. Occasionally, a refreshing breeze from the forest drifted in, playfully ruffling Adrian’s golden hair. He liked this atmosphere quite a bit—so much so that a faint smile formed on his lips.
And every now and then, when the sunlight hit his roommate’s blond hair just right, making it shimmer blindingly, Mikhail would lift his eyes from the page to glance at the sparkle—just for a moment—before returning to his book.
