"Young Master!" Ellen exclaimed, running through the Lawrence residence.

  The maid, a young woman with brown hair and round glasses, grabbed her white linen dress at the waist and ran, trying not to trip.

  Her flat sandals echoed against the wooden floor as she sweated with worry.

  "Young Master!"

  She ran to a glass window that revealed the entire garden of the estate. Ellen expected to see whom she was looking for, but instead found Duchess Camille alone, trimming her plants.

  Young Master Lawrence was one year and ten months old. He was learning to walk, but preferred crawling through the house and hiding from his nanny.

  Theo had taken advantage of a single moment when Ellen turned her back to dash off. Between curtains and wooden furniture, he slipped out of sight and made his way outside.

  Crawling down a corridor bathed in sunlight, he felt an overwhelming heat rush across his forehead. Sweat dripped down, and exhaustion took over—abnormal for such an energetic child.

  Reaching the terrace door, he took advantage of the maids' mistake. It should have been closed, sealed, but it stood wide open.

  Outside sat the Duke of Lawrence. Cross-legged on the lawn, he had completely relaxed his body. Focusing solely on the void within his mind, Ethan Augustus Caesar meditated in an ethereal vibration.

  Theo's amber eyes gleamed like gold as he entered the small cloister.

  Seeing his father like that, emanating so much energy and such intense heat, was like witnessing a divinity.

  Ethan, third son of Colonel Leon Caesar, the second brother of the Emperor of Romerian, possessed an unmatched presence. The one who had self-disinherited from the imperial family radiated a flaming mantra of energy that affected the very climate.

  It was not the sun.

  It was Ethan.

  Wings of fire formed upon the ground like a red curtain, soon expanding along the walls and leaving scorch marks behind.

  Ethan's white hair levitated under the atmospheric pressure.

  Theo crawled forward, settling between two Corinthian pillars, and admired his father. So detached from reality that his mouth hung open, barely blinking.

  He did not understand the true catastrophe before him.

  He found it beautiful.

  But to the men who witnessed it, the impression was different.

  It was pure oppression.

  No one should approach Ethan at that moment. His mantra was Imposition itself—a spell of protection or attack. In this case, it would incinerate any living being who drew near.

  Due to the state of his Imposition, the Duke's training field should have been isolated. Doors locked, windows sealed, to prevent fires within the residence.

  Yet the maids' mistake that day placed Theo at the very center of where he should not be.

  Constant danger stood before his eyes.

  "It's so beautiful…" Edward commented, sitting on a window above the training field.

  The Duke's younger brother admired the scene from his room while the head butler, Etrian, arranged a study table.

  "One year away… But it's impossible to forget this feeling."

  Edward glanced down at the base of the window, analyzing the structure.

  "Even protected by these walls…"

  "You were with Sir Elijah and Colonel Leon Caesar, were you not? Even so, is Lord Ethan more impressive?" Etrian asked, simply to keep Edward from speaking to himself.

  "What a bad joke… Elijah isn't even frightening. Father may have all those military titles, but… No one I know can compare to Ethan."

  The head butler frowned.

  "You see, young lord… I lack general knowledge about core levels or the ranks of a Deviant, so I cannot offer an opinion…"

  Walking to the window, Etrian observed his master.

  The veil Ethan created was perfect… Even to someone who did not understand the flow of that energy, the perfection was obvious.

  As if a storm had escaped from the sun…

  "The sensation Lord Ethan emanates is pure and divine."

  "The Phoenix is nearly forgotten beside his brilliance… It doesn't even seem like she is the primary source of his power."

  "The Phoenix is merely a method to channel my brother's power…" Edward stated, not hiding his admiration.

  Etrian returned to his duties while the young lord continued watching.

  Both fell silent, each lost in his own thoughts. But that moment of distraction brought reality crashing back.

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  Edward suddenly stiffened and blinked rapidly.

  "Ah! Grab my bag by the door, please. There's a letter in the smaller pocket. It's from Sir Amiah to my brother…"

  While listening to the instructions, the head butler retrieved the bag and found the letter. The white envelope adorned with a black serpent left no doubt about the sender.

  Looking at the crest on the seal, he confirmed it: an open-mouthed serpent whose fangs and tongue formed the letter A.

  "Sir Amiah, the Chaotic Serpent… It's been a long time since I've seen him here," Etrian commented, handing the letter to Edward.

  "Yeah… He couldn't attend Te's birth, so he gave me a letter to deliver when I reached the duchy."

  Etrian nodded in understanding.

  As Edward rose to take the letter and leave the room, both he and the head butler froze at a scream from downstairs.

  "Young Master!" Ellen shouted, running through the lower floor. "Theo! Where are you?!"

  Her scream reached them, paralyzing them instantly.

  Edward's eyes widened as he listened carefully. He calmed himself and analyzed the tone: it was worried—but not enough.

  "Is Te causing that much trouble?" Edward asked, picking up the letter.

  "Children are always up to something, young lord. Ellen doesn't wish to reprimand him, unlike Marta… So she spoils him and often loses sight of him. Now that he's learning to walk…"

  "What a mistake!" Edward muttered, intrigued by Theo's upbringing.

  "Exactly…"

  They both laughed and relaxed.

  But Ellen's screams grew louder, almost tearing her throat apart.

  "Is he alright?" Edward wondered, turning his gaze back to his brother's training field.

  This time, he sat on the opposite side of the window, where he could see the door leading to the field. Tense and worried by Ellen's cries, he leaned back—then saw the problem.

  There was Theo.

  Completely entranced by his own father.

  Sitting between the pillars, nearly touching the grass, in perfect hypnosis.

  His first contact with magic.

  Instinctively, Edward climbed onto the window ledge and shouted, "Te!"

  "Young lord, wait!"

  Ignoring Etrian's warning, Edward acted quickly. He flung the glass windows open aggressively, one step away from throwing himself down.

  "Theo!" he shouted, seeing his nephew frozen.

  Reacting to Edward's intrusion, Ethan's mantra instantly responded. Climbing the wall like a slithering serpent, the flames prepared to incinerate the intruder.

  Facing the fire, even feeling threatened by its heat, Edward leapt over the window and through the mantra.

  Just as he was about to be attacked, he roared:

  "Ethan!"

  The shout was enough to snap the Duke from his trance. His blue pupils met Theo's amber ones.

  His most precious treasure.

  Frozen—not in fear, but in admiration.

  Realizing where Theo stood, the Duke acted.

  Becoming a blur to Etrian and Edward, he embraced Theo before the flames could reach him.

  Edward dropped onto the lawn, but the serpent of fire chasing him was disintegrated by the sovereign's will. He landed on his feet, grateful for his strengthened legs.

  "Ow! Hot! Hot!" he shouted, jumping back from the nearly ignited grass.

  A flash of light exploded toward the sky. As a layer of mantra covered Ethan, he held his youngest son close.

  After seconds of restraining his own power, Ethan brushed Theo's blond hair back, searching his eyes.

  The first contact with magic would define what a child would become in this world.

  Most felt fear—and were traumatized.

  Some who feared overcame the trauma, seeing magic as a shield or weapon.

  But there was one category Ethan feared with his soul.

  His eyes widened at his son's expression.

  "Te…" Ethan murmured in shock.

  Theo was stunned—with joy.

  "Cool!" Theo said, forming the word with limited understanding.

  Within seconds, Theo was overtaken by a vibration that drew Ethan's worried gaze.

  His eyes glowed brighter, and a fresh breath escaped his mouth.

  'My son… You reacted to my energy core…' Ethan thought, fear gripping him.

  He lifted Theo slightly, examining him carefully.

  'The Phoenix synchronized with you… Your core… Awakened without any harmful reaction…'

  "Young Master!" Ellen cried breathlessly, bursting through the door. "How did you get here—"

  "My son!" Camille, Duchess of Lawrence, rushed ahead of her.

  Holding her dress, she ran toward her youngest child.

  While tending the plants, Camille had seen Ellen running frantically through the house calling for Theo.

  She had been relieved to see Theo with her husband.

  But knowing what Ethan had been doing, her concern was obvious.

  "Theo…"

  Ethan hugged Theo again.

  "Lord Ethan… Lady Camille… Forgive me for my negligence…" Ellen said, lowering her head, holding back tears.

  "Sir, the maids left a door open. I checked them, but it was not enough to prevent the mistake," Etrian added, slightly breathless after descending the stairs.

  Both sought to assume blame.

  Ethan rejected it coldly.

  "Relax. It's fine. The problem has been resolved," he said, holding Theo in his right arm.

  "But, sir…" Ellen hesitated.

  "No. The situation is resolved. I will not accept apologies."

  The maid and head butler swallowed hard.

  Ellen nearly cried, but composed herself.

  "Ellen, if I'm not mistaken… That teacher, Beatrice, is coming today. Isn't she?"

  "Yes… Lord Ethan," she answered attentively. "That's why I was looking for him in a hurry. I wanted to prepare him for the assessment…"

  "He's still giving trouble during baths?" Ethan asked, looking at his son.

  At the word "bath," Theo turned his face away and puffed his cheeks.

  "Yes," Ellen confirmed, crossing her hands. "No offense, but he's a little pig!"

  Ethan laughed, walking toward the entrance. Carrying Theo on his back, he missed the boy's reaction.

  Once out of his father's sight, Young Master Theo stuck out his tongue at Ellen and wiggled it between his lips, thinking no one would notice.

  Unfortunately for him, Duchess Camille saw.

  "Hey! Hey! Where and with whom did you learn that?!" she scolded, grabbing Theo's hand.

  "Learn what?" Ethan turned, confused.

  "From him, wasn't it?!"

  Camille's eyes locked onto Edward, who had just arrived.

  "What?! I arrived today, you lunatic! I'm seeing him for the first time in my life!" Edward retorted.

  "Lunatic?! Show some respect, you Deviant-in-training!"

  "Stop yelling at me! I respect you, amateur gardener," he shot back, crossing his arms.

  Camille's ego was struck.

  "Amateur gardener?" she muttered.

  She stomped lightly and approached her brother-in-law.

  "It was you…" she said, almost pouting.

  "How can you claim that?"

  "How can you claim it wasn't you?"

  "How can you prove it was me when you didn't even see me arrive today?"

  Their souls clashed.

  "Camille… Ed… Enough. Te will be late at this rate. I want everyone presentable for the tutor."

  After his brother's order, Edward could not contain himself. He laughed shamelessly once Ethan turned away.

  Then, safely out of sight, he pulled down his lower eyelid and mimicked Theo's gesture—sticking out his tongue.

  "I knew it!" Camille declared.

  In truth, Edward had taught Thays—Ethan and Camille's eldest daughter—who then taught Theo.

  Escaping the Duchess's glare, Edward ran to his brother's side and looked at his nephew properly for the first time.

  "Ethan, Sir Amiah gave me this letter before I left the Capital. It's for you…"

  "Hm? You saw Master Amiah?" Ethan asked, though he had understood immediately.

  He took the letter and slipped it into his pocket, intrigued.

  "He looked worn out after returning from the southern frontier…" Edward said, shaking his head.

  Looking at Theo, Edward smiled like a true uncle. He gently ruffled the boy's hair, earning a wide childish grin in return.

  As they followed the rest of the family, Camille flicked Edward's head with her finger, making him yelp.

  She turned aside, pretending nothing happened.

  Rubbing his head, Edward glanced at Theo, who was laughing uncontrollably.

  'They have absolutely no manners…' Etrian thought, watching from afar beside Ellen.

  Hands clasped behind his back, he admired them.

  Even as a noble family of the highest rank in the Southern State of the Romerian Empire, they behaved as if they carried no such burdens.

  'This is what a family should be,' the head butler thought silently, smiling.