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Niel Ragnar Ton, known more widely by the epithet “Ice Dragon,” stood on the second-floor terrace overlooking the garden.

Her face was partly hidden behind a folding fan, a trend from the East, but her displeasure was unmistakable.

“It appears your friend has yet to arrive. Even the other Nine Dragons are present, and here a young junior dares to be so late. He certainly has no manners.”

In truth, Julius and the Mistress of plum Blossom Palace had arrived uncharacteristically early, but that hardly concerned Niel. She was preoccupied with finding faults in Theo.

“Mother.”

Standing beside her, Ray looked at Niel calmly.

Ray’s face, as always, remained expressionless, almost blank, giving her a look that could be interpreted as either vacant or emotionless.

“Soon, this will become an official gathering. Be mindful of what you say.”

“Madam.”

“What?”

“He’s my friend. Don’t disregard him.”

“……”

For a moment, Niel was taken aback.

The look that surfaced was that of a mother completely charmed by her daughter.

Smack!

“What are you saying! Doesn’t it bother you at all? He’s the one who took what should have been your place!”

“It wasn’t my place.”

“How could it not be! After all the hardships you’ve endured…”

Niel knew exactly how much Ray had suffered.

Ray had been born with the Nine-Syllable Pulse, a condition that meant a life marked by a countdown.

The pain Ray had endured to overcome it had been so intense that even Niel, watching from the side, found it agonizing.

Finally, it had seemed like she would have her moment.

Then, out of nowhere at the Blossoming Ceremony, an outsider had swooped in and taken the very position that should have been Ray’s.

An illegitimate child who had previously shown no particular promise.

“And that’s not even all! Just a few days ago, I heard that Kyle summoned that boy privately to the Half-Sword Grave. He granted him one of the swords from his collection! And you were right here all along…”

Yet, what hurt Niel the most was something else.

The gift of the sword.

An incident that had left Winterer in an uproar.

Even though Ray had yet to receive a single, proper one-on-one sword session with Kyle outside of her third Blossoming Ceremony.

However,

“Yes, that’s right. I’ve gone through unimaginable hardships.”

“Then…!”

“But Theo worked even harder than I did.”

“What?”

“I know. Just how much of a training fanatic Theo is.”

“……”

“So, I don’t resent Theo. In fact, I respect him. Theo is amazing.”

Ray remembered how, at the Blossoming Ceremony, Theo had been utterly absorbed in his sword training, never letting his thoughts stray for even a moment.

“That’s why, don’t hate Theo. If you do, then I’ll start hating you too, Mother.”

“You… you really mean that…?”

“I’m serious.”

Niel felt a surge of emotion rise up once again, but seeing Ray’s steady gaze left her at a loss for words.

All she could do was let out a deep sigh.

When her daughter, so similar to her, dug in her heels, there was simply no stopping her.

“Ahh! Fine. Alright, I understand.”

With a smooth flick, Niel opened her folding fan again and covered her mouth.

“But don’t expect me to pamper him just because he’s your friend. I’ll judge Theo in my own way, in my own time.”

At that, a small smile finally bloomed on Ray’s lips.

“That’s enough for me. Once you get to know Theo, you’ll like him too.”

“…Honestly, you little rascal.”

Niel pursed her lips in mild frustration.

“Not long ago, it was all ‘Mother, Mother, you’re the only one,’ but now all I hear is ‘Theo, Theo, Theo.’ Good grief.”

In truth, Niel didn’t only feel resentment toward Theo.

If anything, she felt truly grateful.

He was the first friend who had opened up to Ray, who always found it difficult to connect with others.

‘But still, there’s a line, and I won’t cross it!’

As Niel’s maternal feelings flared up, the atmosphere of the banquet hall suddenly grew tense, quieting down with anticipation.

All eyes turned toward the entrance.

A hint of a smile crept across Ray’s face as well.

“Oh, my.”

Niel’s expression turned intrigued as she watched Theo enter the hall.

* * *

‘Still uncomfortable.’

Theo entered the hall, his movements slightly restricted by his tight formal attire, though he refrained from showing it.

“Look around, Young Master. Everyone seems captivated by your impressive appearance. Hehe.”

Cecilia, who escorted Theo into the hall, laughed softly, covering her mouth with a delicate fan.

It was a fan made from the feathers of a duck’s crest—another one of the products she had just launched in her new business venture.

The formal suit Theo wore, as well as Cecilia’s dress and jewelry, were all products of her new line.

“Some are looking at you with admiration, others with caution or curiosity. Ah, and over there… well, someone seems to be glaring at you. Perhaps they think you’ve taken their place? They must be quite the petty and narrow-minded person.”

She spoke in a low voice, just loud enough for Theo to hear, ensuring no one else could catch her words.

“From now on, Young Master, you must turn all those gazes into a single one. Do you think you can?”

A single gaze.

Theo thought of the look of reverence that Kyle received from his followers.

Reverence.

Could he ever inspire that same feeling in others?

It was clear he still had a long way to go.

“Theo, you’re here.”

“Theo!”

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

At that moment, three people approached Theo.

Though they weren’t as elaborately dressed as Theo, they’d put effort into their appearance.

“Young Master, who are these people?”

“They’re my friends, Mother. This is Erika and Holcus from the Ranke family, and this is Wellington from the House of Narcio.”

Since this was Ray’s birthday party, the peers from this year’s Blossoming Ceremony had all gathered.

It seemed they had already arrived and exchanged stories, as the atmosphere felt light and cheerful.

“So these are the friends you mentioned before. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Cecilia of Camellia Palace.”

Wellington was the first to bow gracefully.

“Oh! I thought Theo had a hidden, lovely sister, but it turns out to be his mother. I nearly made a mistake. Please, call me Wel for short.”

“Oh my, I’ve heard that the young master of Narcio is quite the charmer; it seems the rumors were true.”

“Ah, but it pains me to hear you say that.”

“Hmm? And why is that?”

“I meant every word, but you took it differently….”

“Oh my. Hohoho!”

Cecilia laughed brightly, genuinely pleased, and even Theo gave a slight chuckle at the exchange, thinking how fox-like she was.

Then suddenly, Holcus, looking uncharacteristically nervous, stiffly extended a sketchbook and a marker toward Cecilia.

Cecilia’s eyes went wide in surprise, wondering what this was about.

“I’m… I’m a fan! Could you please sign this?”

“A fan…?”

Cecilia’s eyes widened even more at the unexpected request.

Theo and Wellington both turned their gazes toward him, while Erika only sighed deeply, clearly exasperated.

“Yes! I’ve watched every single one of your performances from when they were digitally restored! Especially that final tearful scene in The Prodigal Returns, where you shed tears in the arms of the protagonist—I’ve watched it so many times. And The Spent Talent of the Magician and The Ranker Who Lived Thrice were also incredibly inspiring. And then…!”

“Oh dear. Those are all performances from over twenty years ago; how embarrassing.”

Contrary to her words, Cecilia accepted the sketchbook and pen with a warm smile.

“Holcus Ranke, right?”

“Yes! That’s correct!”

“Please keep being a good friend to my son.”

After signing her name, Cecilia added the phrase, “Have a wonderful day today as well.”

Holcus looked as if he’d just gained the world when he received it.

「…When did you even watch those performances?」

「Huh? I didn’t mention it before? I’ve always liked classic masterpieces. I’m actually a fan of Cecilia, you know. Ever heard of the Cecilia Aesthetic?」

「No… I haven’t?」

「Geez. Seriously, can you stop obsessing over swords for a second? Try paying attention to the world around you. Enjoy some culture and art once in a while, huh? I swear, your brain must be all muscle.」

Erika felt an intense urge to smack her oversized little brother over the head.

「Look, back in the day, Cecilia was the ultimate trendsetter, alright? Everything she wore would sell out instantly, and accessories she wore on stage? Stores couldn’t keep them in stock! There were stories about husbands scrambling all over to buy those items for their wives. You couldn’t hear them without shedding a tear…」

「Enough with the nonsense.」

「Anyway, just know she was the best, until she suddenly retired. I only recently found out she’s Theo’s mother.」

Holcus’s encyclopedic knowledge of trends and celebrities was almost fascinating.

‘And yet, with his behavior… Isn’t there a term for people like him? A wannabe popular guy who’s actually a total… what is it? Ah, an outsider pretending to be in the loop, or what they call a… try-hard nerd, maybe?’

With mixed thoughts, Erika bowed respectfully to Cecilia.

“I’m Erika Ranke.”

While Theo’s mother and friends exchanged greetings, the attention of others in the banquet hall was gradually drawn their way.

-Is that Lady Cecilia… or rather, the Lady of Camellia Palace now? Has she always been that beautiful?

-Exactly. I remember when she always had a serious frown, so talking to her felt intimidating. Now, she looks… radiant. Guess her son’s success has brightened her up too.

-Now I understand why the Lord was so smitten with her back in the day.

-True, who would guess she’s over forty, just looking at her?

-If it weren’t for the Lord, I’d try my luck with her myself—

-You men, where do you think you’re looking?!

-Agh! Ah! My apologies! Madam! Please, no—!

The men who had been staring blankly at Cecilia were each dragged away by their wives or girlfriends, ears pinched as they were pulled out.

-That dress… I haven’t seen it before. Where did she get it?

-Right? Should we ask?

-I know, I know. I heard a rumor that the Lady of Camellia Palace has been looking at real estate to open a boutique shop. That dress must be from there.

-Really?

-And those accessories look stunning. Do you think we could buy them too?

Young ladies were captivated by Cecilia’s dress and jewelry,

-Quite impressive…

-Her elegance is unparalleled. She must truly be in a league of her own.

-Where could one find clothes like that?

-I heard he’s carrying an impressive sword too.

The young noblemen, meanwhile, had their eyes on Theo’s attire and his splendidly adorned sword.

Everyone seemed to be examining Theo and Cecilia’s every move for their own reasons.

And among them,

Some had entirely different motives.

The matchmakers.

-From what I hear, Young Master Theo has no fiancée. I also understand he’s not seeing anyone.

-So if we ask now, it could pay off immensely!

Just having earned Kyle’s recognition was proof enough that Theo’s future was promising.

On top of that, rumors were spreading that Theo might even be adopted as the Plum Blossom Palace Lord’s heir, meaning his background was now beyond reproach.

The nobles with marriageable daughters tried to find a way to approach Theo, while the matchmakers eagerly watched for any opportunity to speak with Cecilia.

But with Julius and the Mistress of plum Blossom Palace also lurking nearby, waiting for their turn to speak with Theo, no one dared to make a move.

-This…

-When should we approach…?

An unspoken game of waiting and watching ensued.

Just then,

Someone suddenly interrupted Theo’s group, ignoring the tense atmosphere entirely.

“Hey.”

-Wha, what…!

-Who does he think he is?

A man with a languid expression and decadent eyes stepped in.

It was Naban Bacchus.

“Mind if we chat? My lord?”

At that, everyone’s gaze turned to Theo,

‘My lord?’

Holcus’s eyes wavered intensely.