Gallilu led Yedi to collect a spare key, then brought him to his former residence.

It was a teacher’s apartment building at the rear of the academy. But instructors at the Imperial Sacred Academy were no ordinary folk—between teaching, social obligations, and cultivation, few stayed here long-term.

Yedi gazed at the slightly weathered three-story building encircled by birch trees. He’d always loved its quiet atmosphere.

They climbed the dim, dark-wood stairs to the third floor. Each level held numerous rooms, with shared washrooms clustered on the west side.

Inside Yedi’s room, everything remained untouched. Sunlight filtered through birch branches outside the window. Curtains swayed slightly. Dust-free surfaces showed meticulous upkeep.

Yedi froze. It felt as if he’d left just yesterday.

“Is there anything else you need?” Gallilu stood politely outside the doorway. At 165cm tall with an elegant figure, she maintained strict maid etiquette. “Though cleaned weekly, shall I arrange another tidy-up? Or add supplies?”

“No, this is perfect. Thank you.”

Gallilu’s expression stayed neutral, but a trace of hesitation flickered before she replied, “Understood. I’ll take my leave.”

Yedi nodded. After she departed, he shut the door.

Leaning against it, he murmured, “Finally… home.”

He’d owned estates—ancestral manors in minor noble families—but never felt at home. This small room? It felt like sanctuary.

Shoes still on, he collapsed onto his bed for a brief rest.

*Right.*

His suitcase held mostly women’s clothing and toiletries. He needed to hide them—and ban all future cleaning staff.

He dragged the heavy case center-room. His strength hadn’t increased after reverting to male form. Just like before.

*Of course. This isn’t true restoration. Only an illusion.*

Could a mage transformed into a dragon gain its power? Never.

Still… having a man’s body eased his mind.

Opening the suitcase, he faced a sea of lingerie, period supplies, scented bath gels. His cheeks burned hotter than when he’d worn them.

*I’m like a perverted butler rifling through a young lady’s underthings. And that lady is… me.*

*How did I survive those months?* The thought of wearing these again tonight made his palms sweat.

His only male outfit was the hastily tailored one he wore. His old clothes still filled the wardrobe.

*Where to hide these? No—considering I’ll need them nightly…* He lifted oversized black, violet, and white bras, then let them drop onto the bed with a sigh.

*Knock. Knock. Knock.*

*Huh?!*

Thank goodness he’d locked the door. “Who is it?”

“It’s me.” Gallilu’s professional tone came through the wood.

Yedi frantically stuffed the clothes back, slammed the suitcase shut, and kicked it under the bed. He smoothed his hair before opening the door, breathless. “What is it?”

Gallilu noted his flushed face and rumpled sheets. *Ah. Understandable for a young, handsome bachelor living alone.* “Dean Arlan requests your presence tomorrow afternoon. Your first swordsmanship class resumes.”

Yedi exhaled. “Got it.”

“As you wish.” Gallilu’s eyes flicked toward the suitcase peeking from under the bed—a sliver of black lace visible in the gap. But as a proper maid, she showed no curiosity about a single gentleman’s private affairs.

“Which class?”

“Second-year, Class Three.”

“Noted.”

As Gallilu turned to leave, Yedi added, “About what we discussed in the office—tell no one. Not even the dean.”

“I guard the dean’s confidences with my life.”

“And these documents I brought back… They concern imperial security. No cleaning staff. No visitors.”

“I’ll inform logistics immediately.” Her reliability put Yedi at ease.

After double-checking the lock, Yedi peered through a slit in the curtains toward the castle towers beyond the birch forest.

*Thank goodness it’s not her class tomorrow. Gallilu wouldn’t make a mistake.*

Facing Qingruo’s class right away? He wasn’t ready. Not after everything.

*Qingruo…*

Her third-year Class One was the Holy Academy’s most elite cohort—bathed in her goddess-like radiance. A natural leader whose silent presence commanded devotion.

Yedi spent his first daylight hours back sorting belongings. Nightfall meant confinement. Only these four walls were safe.

He touched the invisible band on his finger—the Nightshade Ring, undetectable by day.

*Better transform early. Conserve its power.*

The ring’s stored energy lasted exactly one day as a man. Nightly recharge fell short; it needed daylight rest too.

*When will I truly stand tall as a man again?* Despair threatened to swallow him.

Unbuttoning his collar to avoid tearing fabric, he pressed his thumb to the ring’s gemstone.

*Chant.*

A ripple of magic—and *she* returned.

Tiyi shed the male clothes, now practiced in slipping into feminine undergarments. Even alone, modesty mattered. And midnight bathroom trips were inevitable.

*Good thing only two other teachers live on this floor. One’s on long-term training. The other never stays.*

Careful movements on the third floor at night should go unnoticed.

Purple lace straps hugged her shoulders as Tiyi sat on the bed, braid draped over one shoulder.

First time transforming consciously from man to woman.

The plunge from *something* to *nothing* felt like reliving the cruelest punishment.

*Temporary manhood was a blessing…*

*But this emptiness?* She clenched her thighs tight, lips pressed thin.

*The ring’s recharging now…*

*Power to reclaim my strength.*

*But what real strength is this?* Doubt crept in.

*Wait—why am I tilting my hand to admire the ring like this?*

*That’s how women pose…*

*When did this become instinct?*

She buried her face in her hands.

*No despair. Tomorrow brings sunshine.*

*Tomorrow, I protect her.*

Meeting Qingruo? Not yet. Not like this.

The neatly folded, boyish quilt mocked her. Soon it would carry her scent.

Tiyi lay on the bed that was hers—and wasn’t—waiting for dawn.

***

Next day dawned brighter than the last. Perfect weather for sword drills.

To conserve power, Tiyi transformed at noon. His old hunting leathers fit well, lending him a sharp, masculine edge.

But catching his reflection always dragged his mood down. Memories of soft curves haunted his sharp jawline.

Strangely, the male body lifted his spirits. His steps felt lighter.

By afternoon, Yedi carried his teaching sword to the mountainside training ground. Ancient trees encircled the field where generations of Empire elites had sweated and bled.

Back on his turf, under clear skies, confidence surged.

Teaching second-years? Child’s play for the Empire’s former strongest man.

He descended the stone steps, passing a gnarled old tree. Students in crisp white uniforms stood at attention.

Yedi strode forward, reborn.

*Though… since when do second-years wear white for combat drills?*

*Weren’t they deep cyan before?*

*This academy changes rules faster than seasons.*

"Wait…"

"White uniforms, white…"

For a moment, Yedi shuddered. He scanned the tall, mature-faced students. If he recalled right, weren’t they third-years? Which class? Nervousness blanked his mind.

Heart pounding, Yedi’s gaze swept to the leftmost seat in the first row.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief. A tall, blond, blue-eyed boy sat there.

Good thing it wasn’t her class… She’d always occupied that spot in Class One. How could Yedi ever forget?

"Teacher Yedi."

A cool, detached voice drifted over, carrying a hint of unapproachable sanctity.

Yedi half-turned in a daze.

Qingruo Redvini stood behind him, her long hair flowing like night itself, clad in a swordsmanship uniform as pure as first snow under sunlight.