Niel, known by her alias "Ice Dragon," stood on the second-floor terrace, from where she could overlook the garden. She held a folding fan, popular in the East, lightly concealing her face, which was marked by visible anger.

"Your friend hasn’t arrived yet, I see. The other Nine Dragons are already present, but this young newcomer is so late. Such lack of manners is undeniable."

To be fair, Julius and Plum Palace Lord had arrived unusually early, which wasn’t typical for them.

But Niel didn’t care about any of that as she focused solely on disparaging Theo.

"Mother."

Standing beside her, Ray looked up at Niel with a calm expression. His face was unreadable, appearing almost vacant, if not stoic.

"The official gathering is about to start. Mind your expressions."

"Palace Lord."

"What?"

"He's my friend. Don't disrespect him."

"..."

Niel’s expression twisted in frustration for a moment, her face revealing a mother’s helpless love for her daughter.

"How dare you! Aren’t you upset at all? He took your place!"

"It was never my place."

"Of course, it was! After everything you've endured..."

Niel knew how much Ray had suffered. She was once a child cursed with a terminal illness, living on borrowed time. Watching her go through the agony of overcoming that had been painful, even for her.

And now, just when Ray seemed to be on the verge of finally achieving something, this unexpected boy, Theo, had appeared at the initiation ceremony and taken what should have been hers.

An illegitimate son who had barely made any impact until now.

"And not only that! A few days ago, I heard that Kyle summoned him privately to the Half-Sword Graveyard to grant him one of his collected swords. You were right there, yet he still chose him!"

What hurt Niel the most was something else entirely.

The Half-Sword.

It was an event that shook Winterer.

Ray had yet to even properly engage in a one-on-one duel with Kyle since her third initiation ceremony.

But,

"Yes, I know. I suffered a lot."

"Then...!"

"But Theo worked even harder."

"What?"

"I know. Theo is obsessed with training."

"..."

"So, I don’t hate Theo. In fact, I admire him. Theo is remarkable."

Ray recalled Theo’s unwavering focus on swordsmanship during the initiation ceremony, never letting his mind stray from his blade.

"So don’t hate Theo. If you do, I’ll hate you too, Mother."

"How could you say that…!"

"I mean it."

Niel was speechless, caught by Ray’s calm gaze. All she could do was sigh deeply.

Once her daughter set her mind on something, there was no stopping her.

"Fine, fine."

With a graceful flick, Niel opened her fan again, covering her mouth.

"But don’t force me to like him just because he’s your friend. I’ll judge Theo myself."

Only then did a small smile finally break out on Ray’s face.

"That’s enough. You’ll like Theo once you meet him."

"...You troublesome child."

Niel pouted.

"Not long ago, you couldn’t stop saying ‘Mom, Mom,’ as if I was the only one. Now all I hear is ‘Theo, Theo, Theo.’"

The truth was, she didn’t truly hate Theo.

In fact, she was grateful. He had become the first real friend for Ray, who struggled to connect with others.

"But still, some things just are what they are!"

Niel's heart swelled with a mix of emotions when she saw someone enter the hall.

"Finally, he’s here."

The grand hall fell silent as everyone’s gaze turned to the entrance.

A faint smile appeared on Ray’s face.

"Well, would you look at that?" Niel murmured with growing interest as Theo entered.

* * *

Theo adjusted his tightly fitted clothes, uncomfortable but making no outward sign of it as he walked into the hall.

"Look, my dear. Everyone is captivated by your gallant appearance."

Escorting him was Cecilia, who hid her smile behind a fan crafted from feathers of a rare bird, a product from her recent business venture.

Even the ceremonial attire Theo wore, Cecilia’s dress, and her jewelry all came from her boutique.

"Some are looking with admiration, some with jealousy or curiosity. And over there, someone seems to be glaring at you as if you stole their place. Truly a foolish, narrow-minded person."

In a low voice, audible only to Theo, Cecilia continued.

"In the future, you must make sure all their gazes converge into a single one. Can you do that?"

A single gaze.

Theo thought of the way others looked at Kyle, his father.

Reverence.

Could he inspire such a gaze from others?

There was a long road ahead.

"Theo, you’re here."

"Theo!"

"It’s been a while! How have you been?"

At that moment, three people approached Theo.

All were dressed finely, though not quite as formally as him.

"My dear, who are these friends?"

"These are my friends, Mother. This is Erica from Lankea, and Holcus. And this is Wellington from Narsio."

As it was Ray’s birthday party, all the initiates from the recent ceremony were gathered. They seemed to have been enjoying each other's company.

"So these are the friends you mentioned introducing me to. I’m delighted. Cecilia of the Camellia Palace, at your service."

Wellington, with an elegant bow, greeted her first.

"Ah! For a moment, I thought Theo was hiding a beautiful sister, but it turns out to be his mother. I almost made a terrible mistake. Call me Wel."

"Oh my! They say the young master of Narsio has a way with words. It must be true!"

"Ah, you wound me with your words."

"Hmm? And why is that?"

"I meant every word, yet you take it as mere flattery..."

"Oh dear! Hahaha!"

Cecilia laughed heartily, clearly pleased.

Even Theo couldn’t help but chuckle quietly.

She was cunning in her own way.

Suddenly, Holcus, looking nervous, thrust a sketchbook and pen forward.

Cecilia blinked in surprise at the unexpected gesture.

"I-I’m a fan! Could you give me an autograph?"

"A...fan?"

Cecilia’s eyes widened in surprise, as did Theo’s and Wellington’s.

Only Erica sighed deeply in exasperation.

"Yes! I’ve watched every play you starred in, including the famous *Return of the Prodigal*. Your tear-filled farewell scene moved me so much! And I also loved *The Talented Mage* and *Ranker Lives Thrice*…!"

"Oh my, those were over 20 years ago… how embarrassing."

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

"Holcus from Lankea, yes?"

"Yes, that’s right!"

"Take good care of my son, please."

With that, she signed his sketchbook, adding, *Have a wonderful day.*

Holcus looked like he’d won the world.

*How did he even see those plays?*

*Didn’t I mention it? I’m a huge fan of classic masterpieces, especially Lady Cecilia’s performances. Ever heard of the ‘Cecilia Boom’?*

*Not really…?*

*You need to get out of your sword-crazy bubble and enjoy some culture and art.*

Erica resisted an urge to smack her clueless brother.

As greetings went back and forth between Theo, Cecilia, and his friends, the eyes of other guests turned their way.

“Lady Cecilia… or should we call her the Camellia Palace Lord now? She’s more radiant than ever.”

"Indeed. I used to avoid talking to her due to her stern look, but now… there’s a certain glow about her. No wonder the family head fell for her."

The men were spellbound by Cecilia, much to the annoyance of their wives and girlfriends, who were quick to drag them away.

The young women, meanwhile, were captivated by Cecilia’s dress and jewelry.

The noblemen eyed Theo’s attire and weaponry with admiration.

And among them, some had an entirely different objective.

Matchmakers.

"I hear Theo lacks a fiancée and has no known attachments."

"A perfect opportunity, don’t you think?"

The fact that Kyle recognized Theo as a successor candidate made his future prospects solid, and rumors hinted at Theo being formally adopted by the Plum Palace Lord.

Many noble families were eager to introduce their daughters to Theo, with matchmakers seeking chances to approach Cecilia.

However, the presence of figures like Julius and the Plum Palace Lord hovering nearby made any direct approach difficult.

*When should we go…?*

Just then, someone abruptly approached Theo’s group, ignoring the complex social dance of the hall.

"Hey."

*Who is this guy?!*

A man with a languid look, carrying a faint air of decadence, had entered their midst.

It was Naban Bacchus.

"Let’s talk, my lord."

All eyes turned to Theo once again.

*Did he just call him 'lord'?*

Holcus’s eyes widened in astonishment.