“So, did you enjoy the party?” The prince asked while smiling directly at me after we were alone.

‘Too close.’ I took a step back and removed his hand from my shoulder.

“It was okay, your highness.” I took a few more steps back to create some gap between us.

“Come now, no need to be too formal. We can be great friends, you and me. Like you are with my sister.” He leaned towards me. 

‘This guy is creeping me out.’

“Uhhh, I couldn’t possibly-”

“My father might never stop being emperor, you know, reaching the stage of power that he has. He deals with everything himself and leaves so little for me to do. So in my abundant spare time, I like to study the intricacies of magic and read up on the new spells being developed.” He pointed to his eyes, indicating the geometric patterns. 

“These eyes of mine that I got from my mother and she got from her father, do you know what it can see?” He asked. I raised my brows at him.

‘What now?’

“No, your highness.” His smile widened.

“Well I’ll tell you, it gives me the ability to look at magic in its entirety while making out the little details as well. Mehh, it also provides the user with vast perception and an immense processing power to handle all that information, but I regard that as just an added bonus. This allows for a quite precise manipulation of magic.” I was stunned that he would go into such detail. 

‘Look at this asshole boasting. He really is his father’s son.’

“After I met you last time, I made sure to go back and read all the papers and spells you have published. Quite the portfolio, if I do say so, really, just impressive. And the content, you always look at things from such an interesting angle. Your portal spell has even become a staple of my mother’s and mine. Such interesting spellwork.” The geometric patterns in his golden eyes started glowing brighter.

“And the tree. My…..such an exquisite arrangement of mana. We, mother and I, observe both the tree and the battle between it and the curse regularly. It shows such finesse in the control of mana itself, so much so that we’ve even learned a thing or two. And we couldn’t have done that without your mind.” He took a step in my direction and I took a step back. 

“My sister must have never told you, but these eyes of mine can see your mana, chi and aura with all clarity, as well as their concepts.” The glow brightened.

‘Shit. I sort of knew, with the way your mother and sister always stared at me. But I chose to remain oblivious.’ I kept my face neutral. 

“I will tell you, straight up. My father was made aware of your quick and unusual advancements years ago and decided to tie you to this empire. I ignored you for quite some time and that was my mistake, the movement of your mana, your aura, your chi is just…...elegant. And what powerful concepts too.” His eyes narrowed, before closing, hiding his eyes from view. 

“Don’t worry, we won’t do anything to you or about you. You just have to keep doing what you do best and produce miracles to make the empire a better place.” He turned around and left after those final words. I closed my eyes to centre myself for a second before I entered the ballroom again. I tried putting together what I just heard. 

The rest of the night passed in a hectic manner as a lot of people were trying to talk to me and ask questions of this and that. By the time I was in the carriage heading to the Whitefyre territory through the arc, I was tired. When I came out of the carriage and was heading to my room, I was stopped in the foyer. 

“A territory of your own, huh?” I turned to look at my father’s first wife, Estelle. Her purple eyes looked at me in consternation. 

“Yes.” I replied. She looked as if she was hesitating to say something, before opening her mouth but-

“Mother, it has been a long night. Can we not speak of this?” Alvina cut off whatever her mother was going to say. She then turned to me, flipping her blonde hair and staring at me with purple eyes while still talking to her mother.

“Just look at it this way, one less person I have to fight for the grand duchy seat.” Everyone who stopped in the foyer froze for a second, tensed. 

“Well aren't you confident, older sister.” Camilla purred as she turned her blue eyes on Alvina. 

“Really, such a bold declaration.” Leila, daughter of the second wife, added as she narrowed her blue eyes and tucked a strand of her white hair behind her ear while tilting her head to the side. 

‘Why the hell aren’t you saying anything father. What about you women, control your children.’ But my father was just looking at the development with interest. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, the only person I will ever concede the seat to is Avenelle, and even then just barely.” Alvina sneered. 

“Heh, thank you sister. But the seat shall be mine and you know it. You all know it.” Avenelle said as he put his hand through his black hair and struck a pose before stating.

“I am the rightful heir and the most qualified to inherit this grand duchy.”

“Tsk, whatever.” Zakary said, before folding his arms and turning away, red hair hiding his grim expression.

“Have some ambition you waste.” Camilla, his only full blooded sister said to him. 

“What use is ambition when you can do whatever you want, whenever you want and have an unlimited amount of resources to do so.” Zakary replied with a sneer. 

“As much as we don’t like agreeing with Zakary-” Fabian began.

“-we, too, don’t really care for the title.” Gideon finished. 

“We just want to adventure and concentrate on the sword like mother and grandfather.” They said together. 

“Of course you can do whatever you want, don’t worry, when I’m the head you will have my full support.” Leila said to her twin brothers with a smile. They smiled back at her. 

“Of course we’ll support your campaign.” Fabian said for the both of them as Gideon nodded. 

“Hmph, that just means less competition for me.” Alvina stated with derision. 

“Watch that tone when speaking to my brothers or I watch it for you.” Leila threatened, her aura manifesting as white fiery flowers around her while increasing the surrounding temperature. 

“Ohh, the overbearing sister wants to say something?” Magic circles of different colours and sizes bloomed around Alvina as her mana permeated the surroundings. Things were reaching a fever pitch when-

“Enough.” Things went silent immediately. Father looked around the room, before looking at me as he spoke. 

“None of you have any reason at all to be prideful. the youngest of all of you has surpassed and become the strongest of all of you. The only reason he is not inheriting this land, and I would have forced it on him, is because he went and got himself something else.” They all became silent as they looked at me with varying expressions.

‘This motherf-, is he really using me as a whetstone for his children?’ 

“You may retire to your rooms.” I rushed past everyone and went to my room.