Aksion Ragnar.

The second son of Emile, the lord of Camellia Palace, and the third wife.

Emile was the daughter of the Marquis Troyban, a prestigious family from the East known for its reputation in swordsmanship, rivaling that of the Ragnar family.

Thanks to such an impressive maternal lineage, Aksion’s position had been formidable since childhood.

And he had the exceptional talent to back it up.

Some praised it as a union between the swordsmanship families of the North and East, or as a product of the Ragnar and Troyban alliance.

Thus, when Aksion reached adulthood, he quickly became one of the top candidates among the heirs.

‘The Kyoryong Meeting, which he commands, also had tremendous influence.’

Just look at how opportunistic Rendon immediately turned to Aksion the moment he left the Rose Palace.

However.

‘Did Aksion move right after Rendon’s death...? Can this really be just a coincidence?’

For a long time, Theo had only considered the connection between Rendon and Aksion as a possibility, thinking it lacked any real substance.

There was no reason for a prestigious house like Troyban to employ such a flimsy fraud.

Even if they did, did Cecilia or Theo really hold enough value for them to care? Well, perhaps not.

But with things unfolding this way, it was no longer a simple matter.

‘Not knowing who is pulling the strings kept me at a distance from others, but now…?’

Having climbed the ranks of an intelligence organization, Theo believed there were no such things as coincidences in this world.

‘For now, I should go and check it out directly.’

Maybe there was a connection to the blue light that had appeared on the invitation.

Just as he was contemplating this, 

Screech!

The carriage stopped.

“It seems we have arrived.”

Wellington opened the carriage door and stepped out first, followed by Theo.

Before them stood a castle that seemed at least two or three times larger than the Rose Palace.

Just then,

“Theo, my lord!”

Wellington exclaimed in surprise, having spotted something.

But Theo reacted first.

A heavy sack was falling from the sky.

Boom!

Theo swiftly dodged as the sack exploded upon hitting the ground.

A cloud of flour billowed out.

“Aksion! What is the meaning of this?!”

Wellington’s furious gaze landed on Aksion.

Hahaha!

Aksion was standing there, laughing.

At that moment, the other friends by the entrance exchanged awkward glances between the two.

“What do you mean, ‘what is the meaning’? It’s a welcome gesture for a friend we’re meeting for the first time. And when I saw it was you, Theo? Wow, it’s been a while. Nice to see you!”

Although the Ragnar family had dozens of direct descendants, there were only about three or four of the same age.

Even if they didn’t have much interaction, they were at least somewhat acquainted.

Theo brushed back his slightly disheveled hair and stared at Aksion.

If he hadn’t dodged, wouldn’t his mother’s hard work on his appearance have been ruined?

Aksion was exactly the same as in his past life.

‘I expected him to pull something like this from the start.’

[Observing ‘Aksion Ragnar’.]

+

**Aksion Ragnar (15 / Male)**

- Title: The Dark Infamous (암표)

- Talent: Madness. Psychopath.

- Status: Anticipation for discovering a new toy.

+

‘A toy? Does he see me as a toy?’

As expected, the information window confirmed his assumptions.

“You’re awfully quiet. Are you mad? Come on, you can at least accept a brother’s greeting, right?”

“No, it’s not that I’m mad; I just didn’t expect such an enthusiastic welcome.”

“A warm welcome… is that a thank you?”

Aksion widened his eyes in surprise.

“Better than indifference, right?”

Theo’s nonchalant reply made Aksion chuckle.

“You’ve changed.”

Aksion’s gaze traced the curves of Theo, capturing him with his pupils.

“You’ve become much more interesting, haven’t you?”

---

The banquet hall was filled with soft music.

Though it was supposed to be a lively social gathering, today it felt particularly quiet.

Wellington was still angry about Aksion’s sudden behavior, making others wary of his moods.

“I’d like to apologize on his behalf again. He’s not normally like this… I think he got a bit too carried away today.”

“Really, it’s fine. Aksion has always been playful, hasn’t he?”

Despite Theo’s repeated reassurances, Wellington couldn’t bring himself to step away.

‘At this rate… I won’t be able to face Theo again in the future.’

Wellington wanted to introduce his close friends to Theo, hoping to foster genuine camaraderie, but now he feared the distance between them would only widen.

Moreover, the awkward atmosphere prevented the other friends from approaching Theo freely.

It was frustrating in many ways.

‘Why did Aksion suddenly pull such a ridiculous prank…!’

But contrary to Aksion’s worries, Theo found this banquet quite enjoyable.

With no one engaging him in conversation, he could leisurely observe the insides of Camellia Palace.

And.

‘There must be something here connected to the blue light…’

Perhaps he could see the light from the invitation here, or maybe a new message would emerge.

As he approached the central corridor leading to the staircase on the second floor, Theo’s gaze stopped.

At the end of the stairs.

A faint blue light was seeping through the gap of a shabby door that looked like a storage room.

There!

Theo’s eyes sparkled.

Just as he was thinking about how to naturally approach the second floor without raising suspicion,

“Why aren’t you enjoying the banquet and just sitting here?”

Aksion approached, swirling a glass of whiskey.

Wellington’s expression hardened, but Theo asked with indifference.

“That in your hand. It looks like alcohol?”

“Yeah, that’s right. How did you know?”

“It should be prohibited before the coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Hehe. When else can I pretend to be an adult if not now?”

A laugh escaped Theo’s lips.

Aksion was probably the only one who could show such casualness in the strict Ragnar household.

“By the way, Theo, why have you changed so much? You’ve grown tall, and you seem to have a sturdier build. You used to talk so much, didn’t you?”

“Thought I’d change things up a bit.”

“Hmm? Why all of a sudden?”

“Because it would be embarrassing to just be a deadweight at the debut.”

“Hahaha! That’s a good point. With so many people around, being a deadweight would be quite humiliating.”

As Aksion laughed, Theo couldn’t quite grasp what he was thinking.

“Anyway, I’m sorry about earlier. Both Wellington and my butler scolded me a lot on the way here, so can you accept my apology? Huh? Huh?”

It felt strange to think this was how someone apologizing should act.

“Is there really anything to apologize for?”

“Huh?”

“It was just a ‘greeting’ between brothers, just as you said.”

“Right? We’ve exchanged greetings, haven’t we?”

“Of course.”

“Hahaha! As expected, our Theo has a big heart.”

Thump!

Thump!

Aksion playfully thumped Theo’s shoulder while laughing.

To anyone watching, it looked like he was looking down on Theo.

The whispers of onlookers glancing this way could be heard.

- It looks like they’re resolving things amicably without any conflict? I thought Wellington and Aksion were about to fight.

- Yeah, I thought they were going to clash too!

- But honestly, can’t you do that much? I think Wellington took it too seriously.

- I agree.

- But isn’t it a bit funny? When you think about it, isn’t it odd for a mere bastard to confront a noble from Troyban about bloodlines?

- Well, if you think about it, Wellington…

- Hey! Watch your mouth!

- Oh, right. That was a forbidden word, wasn’t it?

Their conversation, which they thought was quiet, was loud enough to be heard by those nearby.

Wellington’s face flushed with anger.

For the first time in his life, he felt embarrassed by his friends.

He had always considered them open-minded and understanding, but he never thought they could show such narrow-mindedness.

As he prepared to stand up and retort—

“Then.”

“Huh?”

“I should greet the new friends too, right?”

Suddenly, Theo addressed Aksion, catching Wellington’s attention.

What was he planning?

Just before Aksion could ask, Theo suddenly hurled the glass he was holding towards the laughing onlookers.

Crash!

The head of the one who had been boasting about bloodlines jerked back forcefully.

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

The eyes of those who hadn’t expected such an event widened.

“You bastard! How dare you!”

The one with a bleeding head charged at Theo.

But Theo stood up calmly, as if completely unfazed.

“Calling me a bastard. I thought it was nice to meet a new friend, though.”

A punch flew toward his face.

“Talking like that hurts my feelings, you know?”

Theo simply tilted his head aside, dodging the punch, then closed the distance to grab the assailant’s arm.

And followed it up with a throw.

The man, who seemed to be twice Theo’s size, hit the

 ground with a thud.

Bang!

“Ah! Let go! Let me go! Can’t you hear me?!”

The man struggled desperately to shake Theo off, but oddly, he couldn’t resist Theo’s strength pressing down from above.

“Ah! I guess we haven’t introduced ourselves properly yet? Hey, Shion.”

“Why?”

Aksion was strangely smiling, even as his friend was being attacked.

“We’re friends before brothers, right?”

“If that’s the case?”

“If you’re friends with my friend, that means it doesn’t matter.”

Theo smirked, twisting the arm he had caught.

Crack!

“Ughhh!”

The piercing scream replaced the previously quiet ambiance of the banquet hall.

Some turned their heads away in horror.

The sight of the arm twisted at a grotesque angle was too gruesome to bear.

“Since we greeted each other, I guess we should also say our farewells in advance?”

“Let go of me…!”

Crack!

The other arm twisted as well, revealing the white elbow bone through torn muscles.

It was a grave injury that would prevent him from wielding a sword ever again.

Theo released the man, who had fainted from the pain.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Those who hadn’t expected it to escalate to this extent were left speechless.

Only Aksion watched with interest.

Theo smiled wryly.

‘They’re still just kids.’

No matter how proud they acted, they were all still immature teenagers.

For those sheltered plants that hadn’t even stepped outside their family’s walls, this was undoubtedly a shock.

It was no wonder that the guy who had looked down on Theo and treated him like a fool was defeated so easily in just two exchanges.

Only the naturally cruel Aksion was enjoying this moment.

Ragnar truly lived up to its name.

“Anyone else want to greet me?”

Theo scanned the surroundings.

His dragon-like, icy gaze made everyone tighten their lips.

Silence fell deep.

“...Do you know what you just did?”

Then, one of them stepped forward, biting his lower lip tightly.

He was the close friend of the injured man.

“If you know, then?”

“No. You probably don’t. That guy is…!”

“The third son of the Hanabi family?”

“Surely you wouldn’t do this knowing that…!”

The Hanabi family was one of the six families that supported Ragnar.

That meant they were on par with Narshio.

Just then,

Boom!

Swish—

Suddenly, four knights dropped from the sky like rays of light, pointing their swords at Theo’s neck.

“For injuring the young master.”

“We will punish you with death.”

Theo didn’t even blink an eye, even with the deadly blades threatening him.

Instead, he merely raised an eyebrow.

“How dare a mere subordinate from the lesser Gisu family demand my death?”

At that moment, the four knights felt a weight they couldn’t explain pressing down on their shoulders.

“Can you bear those words?”

Thud…!

With the heavy sound of Theo’s heartbeat, it felt like the entire Camellia Palace was shaking.

Thud, thud, thud, thud—!

The heart of a dragon,

Had begun to beat.