Chapter 26
She thought it through and then nodded quietly.
“Even if they wear a mask, their eyes are still there.”
Then Theodore let out a dry laugh. Somehow, it didn’t seem like he was upset.
“But it’s not like you’ll just go along with it?”
“Well… as you can see.”
Florentia wanted to end the conversation.
“It’s late. Go to sleep.”
“Even if it’s tomorrow, there’s nothing special to do anyway.”
“Sigh.”
The important part of the conversation was already over.
If it continued, it would just be pointless back-and-forth, and Florentia didn’t want to give him unnecessary personal information.
‘I shouldn’t talk too much.’
There were too many things to think about.
Being around him too long wasn’t good either. Florentia deliberately acted annoyed.
“You don’t need to be here. So just sleep. I want to think for a bit.”
Fortunately, Theodore didn’t push any further.
“Alright, then.”
He leaned back with his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Soon, she felt a small weight—Florentia had lain down on the bed too.
As soon as he realized it, his fingertips tingled. He clenched his fists and swallowed a sigh. Every small movement made him tense.
He thought: Tonight, I probably won’t sleep easily.
The next day.
Their meals were delivered again.
“Eat.”
The food was getting worse. There was only thin soup with almost no ingredients, and a few pieces of dry bread.
Florentia barely touched it.
“Why aren’t you eating properly?”
“To others, it probably looks like I’m just playing with my food.”
“…Ah.”
Hearing her dry answer, Theodore realized he may have been eating too casually. Even though his body was alive and needed some food, he shouldn’t eat like a normal person.
Then Florentia said, as if something passed through her:
“Just eat as much as you want. I naturally eat little.”
Her meaning was clear: he could eat as much as he liked. Theodore frowned.
“But how can anyone move after eating so little?”
“I’ve been fine until now.”
Florentia laughed lightly and changed the subject.
“By the way, about the head maid… I thought of a plan. Maybe I could use a poisonous mushroom.”
“A poisonous mushroom?”
Theodore felt it wasn’t a very good idea.
“If it paralyzes like before, it’ll just reveal that you’re hiding something, right?”
“No, I want to try a different method, not paralysis.”
Theodore looked surprised.
“Is that even possible? What method?”
Florentia stayed silent.
“It’s only an idea so far. I’ll research more and tell you later.”
She noticed his persistent gaze following her but pretended not to see it.
‘Research comes first.’
She took a careful breath. From now on, she needed to move with at least some certainty.
Florentia pulled out the poisonous mushroom and stared at it for a while before putting it away.
Until now, she had simply called it a “poisonous mushroom,” like the original text described.
‘But it’s not that simple.’
She felt she needed to understand it better. Since she had gained this power, she wanted to use it properly.
With that resolve, she went straight to the main building’s library.
“Ah, the ghost lady!”
“Why? Did the lady call you again?”
“No, she’s heading to the library.”
No one stopped her; they just whispered. The library wasn’t far from her usual path, so she could move freely inside the mansion, as long as she didn’t leave. Desdemona allowed that much.
In the library, Florentia carefully selected a few books. Only one was truly important, but she mixed in some common novels to avoid suspicion.
She chose a research book about dragons. Back in her room, she ignored Theodore and opened the book immediately.
Her fingers flipped pages quickly, then suddenly stopped.
‘Found it.’
Her red eyes glowed. She pressed her face close to the page and started reading the chapter.
‘I was right.’
Florentia exhaled after finishing the book. She had intended to skim only the necessary parts, but there was too much useful information. Reading it all took longer than expected.
She stretched her stiff neck and began organizing the information in her mind.
The researcher had called it a “mushroom” for convenience but couldn’t classify it properly.
‘Is it an animal, a plant, or really a fungus?’
Its survival method was similar to a mushroom’s reproduction.
“Very rarely, mushroom-like organisms grow on a dragon’s skin. Even after the dragon dies, they can move independently for a while. If the dragon’s energy runs out, the organism also dies.”
The researcher said it looked like a poisonous mushroom, so he labeled it as such.
‘I guess each one looks different.’
Why was Besamuth’s so grotesque? Florentia silently complained as she read.
‘Anyway, calling it a poisonous mushroom is fine.’
She wasn’t a scholar and didn’t want to waste time naming it.
According to the book, these mushrooms didn’t appear on all dragons. Their growth conditions were unknown.
‘Information is limited.’
It was unfortunate but understandable. Dragons weren’t easy for humans to study, and rare mushrooms even less so.
She would have to deduce the rest herself or learn through experience.
“These organisms seem to follow dragon commands. After completing tasks, they return to their original body. Their abilities are assumed to match the dragon’s basic powers.”
‘I was surprised before, thinking they were just normal mushrooms, not knowing how they could move.’
They didn’t spread like spores. She accepted that strange creatures could exist in this unusual world, but only focused on what helped her.
After reading, her lingering questions were partially answered.
‘Maybe… these creatures already see me as their host.’
Florentia realized the poisonous mushroom couldn’t survive independently.
