A bedroom in White City Palace.

“Aah..some...one...please...”

The young girl stretched her hands, pleading for help.

Bratt Reskina ignored her feeble attempt and tightened his grip on her thin neck.

“Damn you!! Damn you all!! Why can’t you idiots stop getting in my way!?”

“...kah...aah...”

“If only you did as I say, both the you and the federation would head in the right direction!! Why can’t you grasp such a simple concept!?”

The girl’s hands eventually dropped.

“Hh……...”

Just like deadweight. Only then he realized what had happened.

“Oh, crap! I broke another one...”

Bratt Reskina rose from his bed.

Under him, the blonde girl’s fully naked body lay motionless. The marks of his hands stood out vividly on her neck.

The young girl’s limbs were sprawled on the bed. He had choked her a bit too much, she wasn’t going to wake up again.

“It’s the third one this month...at this pace, I can’t buy enough dolls to keep up.”

Whenever something unpleasant happened, Bratt Reskina ended up taking it out on his toys and dolls.

It was a bad habit he had since he was small.

He covered himself with a bathrobe and sat on the edge of the bed, then reached for a glass of wine and downed it. The pleasantly chilled drink flowed throughout his body, soothing the burning feelings inside.

The cold stimulus let him gradually regains his cool.

“Goodness, things just won’t go my way, will they? Why does everyone act so selfishly, I wonder?”

Recently, his heart has rarely been at peace.

The cause of everything was her beloved Ivanna had escaped from his radar.

His heart could not find solace since then. He started treating his dolls roughly and broke several already.

He was mulling over such thoughts when someone knocked at the door.

“Come in.”

“I beg your pardon, your majesty—!”

The butler saw the remains of the doll on Bratt's bed and swallowed his breath.

“Aah, yes, the doll broke, so please have it discarded. As usual, you can dispose of the body as you see fit, but preserve the hair with the maximum amount of care.”

“V-Very well, your Majesty...”

The butler nodded, shaking slightly. Bratt's lips twisted in a grin, and he urged the butler to talk.

“So? What did you come for?”

“Ah, yes...we have sent men scouting around White City. Princess Ivanna and her comrades are no longer here.”

Once the butler finished his report, Bratt threw cup and plate from the table nearby to the wall.

"Idiots. All of you !" 

***

In the basement of Redcliffe Castle.

A thin blueish aura envelopes the five year old boy, Connor Guerrin for minutes before suddenly disappeared. 

"No. You must concentrate. Free your mind, empty your mind from any thought." 

The tanned man with messy hair and facial hair that has been unshaved for weeks, Jowan tells in serious but gentle tone. 

"It's difficult, teacher." The child, Connor complains while staring on the ceiling.

Jowan sighed and speaks,

"Here...look at me."

When Connor looks at him, Jowan closes his eyes. After a while, a black aura envelopes Jowan's body and gradually becomes thicker. 

He opens his eyes and turns to books on the shelves.

The black aura then spreads in straight line until reaching the books. 

The black aura envelopes the books, forming hand-like mist. The mist that looks like hand grabs the books and carries them to the table between Jowan and Connor. 

"Release " Once he says that, the black aura immediately disappears.

"Woaaaa!!" 

Connor jumps and claps his hands as if happily watching a circus performance. 

"Young master. It is not a game. You must learn to do what I did " 

The door the room is knocked and a light brown haired lady with attractive body proportion enters. 

She wears an expensive clothing.

Jowan immediately stands up and bows.

"It's fine. What is his latest development?" 

He straightens his posture upon her command and answers carefully,

"Madam Isolde. He is able to consciously draw a little of his magical energy. It will be long before .."

Before Jowan could finishes, Isolde Guerrin raises her voice,

"Remember. I am paying you and letting you stay for free in this basement.  No matter what, my child  must be able to control his power before my husband, Marquis Eamon returns. He must hide his power from my husband and everyone. If not, you know what will happen."

Jowan nods nervously and replies,

"I understand Madam Isolde. Young master must be able to hide his power. Otherwise, if people know, we will have to hand him over to the church. Even if he could stay here, universal treaty with the church states that noble child gifted with magical talent cannot inherit noble peerages."

Isolde sighed,

"Good, you understand that. Do your best for this child's future." 

"Mother...I can now bring out blue stuff.." Connor hugs Isolde excitingly.

Isolde pats her son's head and tells him gently,

"Connor. You must never mention the blue thing to anyone except mother and teacher  Promise to mother."

Connor looks up to Isolde with confused face.

"Promise to mother." Isolde insists.

"I promise, mother."

Once the boy says that, she hugs him. 

Meanwhile, Jowan watches the mother and son with his eyebrows furrowed.