“Congratulations on your glorious triumph, Your Majesty,” said the red-headed Marquis as he raised his glass.

“Thank you very much, Niklas.”

Niklas? I thought his name was Nicholas! Oh, whatever... just another bum demon lord trying to get on Valtair’s good side.

I watched with boredom as more and more demon lords raised their glasses to honor the triumphant Demon King. Five hours had passed since the duel, and I was currently partaking in the customary feast that was put on to celebrate the outcome of the Crown Duel. It was basically a ceremony where all the demon nobles gathered together to express their “sincere congratulations” and “boundless fealty”.

To put it simply, a clown show!

“Mother, do I really have to be here?” I whispered so that only she would hear me. I was beginning to grow restless from listening to the bullshit that was spewing out of these demons’ mouths.

“Your father just survived a very dangerous duel, Lucian. As his family, we ought to be showing him love and support.”

“Just because I don’t want to be here, doesn’t mean I don’t love or support my father.”

“Lucian,” Cynthia said, her voice deepening as a warning. “That’s enough.”

“Fine,” I sighed and sunk into my chair.

As I finished drinking my glass of milk, I noticed someone move into the empty seat beside me.

“Miss me?”

I put down my glass and noticed that Princess Thalia had moved over to join me. Her hair was freshly washed and styled in a new way, and she wore a red dress. For some reason, she seemed more mature, as if she’d aged a year or two. I couldn’t help but imagine the countless admirers, from barons to kings, who would undoubtedly flock to her side in the years to come.

Unfortunately for you, princess, I’m not one of those suitors.

“Not really.”

“Meany...”

I shrugged and grabbed a bowl filled with grapes. “What do you want?”

“Is that any way of talking to a princess?” Thalia sighed, feigning a face of disappointment.

“I can speak to you however I want, princess. May I remind you that I’m also a prince?”

Thalia’s lips curled into a smile, a fire igniting in her gaze. “I’m only letting you off the hook because of what you did earlier today.”

This freaking girl. She’s gotten way too comfortable with me, and we’ve only known each other for a couple of hours. Maybe I shouldn’t have saved her...

“Thanks, kid.”

“Kid?! Who are you calling kid? You know I’m older than you, right?”

I grabbed the last grape from the bowl and lobbed it into my mouth. “You should try the grapes here. We have the best grapes, you know.”

I watched with amusement as the princess closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. It was honestly hilarious how easy it was to get under her skin.

So, Thalia. What is it you want?

“I wanted to thank you,” she said, as she opened her eyes. Her gaze was much more composed than it had been a couple of seconds ago. “For saving me, that is. I never really got the chance to say this before.”

I opened my mouth to say another joke but decided against it. It was best to leave the teasing aside, for now.

“You’re welcome, princess.”

“Can you tell me how you did it?”

“Did what?”

“You know... How did you learn to do it?”

I shook my head in confusion. “I’m afraid I’m not following what you’re saying.”

The princess looked around the room, seeming incredibly suspicious. I opened my mouth to tell her to stop, when she suddenly closed the distance between us, her face only inches from mine. She was so close to me, that I could smell the scent of vanilla that came from her hair.

“How can you wield mana?”

Shit!

Instinctively, I placed my hand over her mouth and sat her back down. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken princess.”

Thalia glared at me angrily and mumbled something under my hand. I pulled away and wiped my hand with a cloth.

“I might only be seven, but I’m not stupid or blind.”

“I never said you were stupid. I’m just saying that you’re mistaken.”

The princess crossed her arms and shook her head. “No, I’m not mistaken.”

Dear God... Why do I have to deal with this? I, really, really shouldn’t have saved her...

The unwavering determination in her gaze piqued my curiosity. “I’m all ears princess. How do you know that you’re not mistaken?”

The princess looked around the room once more, before turning back to me. “Because I also have a mana core.”

Wait, what?! That’s not possible. She’s only seven.

From what I’d read, the youngest demon ever recorded to develop a magic core was eight. If what the princess was saying was true, she had just shattered that record.

Maybe elves can develop cores at an earlier age?

No, that couldn’t be true. If the elves truly had such an edge, then they wouldn’t have bothered with peace negotiations in the first place. Either the princess was lying, or she was a prodigy among prodigies. A monster in sheep’s clothing.

“I don’t believe you,” I declared, turning away from the princess with an air of skepticism.

She snorted in response before snatching a loaf of bread from the nearby table. “If my words are merely a bluff,” she taunted, “then explain this.”

In a sudden burst of magical energy, the loaf of bread in her grasp solidified before my very eyes. I couldn’t help but watch in amazement as a delicate layer of frost crept across its surface, gradually encasing it in shimmering ice.

“H-How did you do that?”

The princess’s lips curled into a grin. “I already told you. I also have a magic core.”

I stared at the elf princess, feeling a mixture of both admiration and terror. Even though it was faint, I could sense the traces of mana as they trickled back into her core. She was by no means anywhere close to the level that I was at, but for a child, she was years ahead of the curve. If a rare talent like her received proper guidance and nurture, the sky would be her limit.

This new discovery explained why a member of the Divine Twelve had been assigned to teach and protect the princess. Thalia was an invaluable treasure for the elves.

“Very well,” I sighed, slumping down on my seat. “You win, princess.”

“I always win!” The princess exclaimed proudly. “Now, tell me how you’re able to wield mana. I’ve never met anyone my age or younger who was capable of wielding magic.”

What do I say? Should I throw her a bone?

“I’m sorry, but I can’t answer that.”

“What? Hey!? You promised you’d tell me!”

“I-I did nothing of that sort. I didn’t promise you anything.”

The princess crossed her arms and pouted angrily. “I just told you my deepest secret, and you’re not telling me yours. You really are a meany!”

That’s her deepest secret!? Well, I suppose she’s only seven... How many secrets can a seven-year-old possibly have?

“Sorry, but my answer is still the same. I can’t tell you.”

“Tell her what?” Asked a deep voice from behind me. The voice had a vague familiarity that sent shivers down my spine.

I turned around, curious to see who it was, but froze when my eyes fell on a gruesome white mask.

I-It can’t be... It’s him!!! It’s the demon who made a mockery of me before Cassius stabbed me in the back...

The air around me grew cold as I looked into the mask demon’s eyes. They were the same piercing eyes that had haunted me all these years. I could sense the immense sea of mana he possessed, his mere presence, permeating the space around him.

Why is he here? I-Is he here for me?

Before I could even think to speak, Valtair’s voice rang out, exclaiming a name in surprise as he rose from his seat. “IVAN! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

Murmurs and gasps filled the throne room as the masked demon turned to Valtair and bowed. It was clear to me that this “Ivan” fellow was well-known among the high court.

“I apologize for missing the duel, your grace. I was busy finishing some business,” the demon said in a deep, ominous voice.

“There’s no need to apologize, my old friend,” Valtair replied, his tone relaxed and amiable. “Now tell me, how many years has it been?”

“Nearly a decade,” Ivan replied.

My eyes widened in disbelief as the entire throne room fell silent. It was clear that I wasn’t the only one who felt a sense of fear at the mere mention of “Ivan”. However, unlike the others, I had very little knowledge about the demon in question.

“I see you’ve met my son,” Valtair smiled, nodding in my direction.

Ivan’s cold gaze turned to me, and for a moment, I felt like a rabbit caught in the gaze of a predator. “You have yourself an interesting son, your grace.”

“You can say that again,” Valtair chuckled, and the rest of the room erupted in laughter.

As I stood there in the throne room, I watched the exchange between Valtair and Ivan with a mix of fascination and trepidation. It was clear that these two demons had a history together, and that Ivan was a force to be reckoned with.

I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of business the masked demon had been finishing that kept him from attending the duel. It was likely something nefarious, given the ominous tone of his voice and the way the other nobles seemed to regard him with a mixture of fear and respect.

But despite the aura of danger that surrounded Ivan, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of curiosity about him. There was something about the way he carried himself, the way he spoke, that hinted at a deeper, more complex personality than the other demons in the court.

As the laughter died down and the room fell silent once again, I took a deep breath and stood up from my chair. “Father.”

Valtair looked at me with a mix of surprise and amusement, as if he hadn’t expected me to be bold enough to interrupt their conversation. Ivan, on the other hand, regarded me with a cold, calculating gaze that made my skin crawl.

“Who is this old friend of yours? How come I’ve never heard of him before.”

“That is a very long story, Lucian,” Valtair said as if that explained everything. “He’s one of my oldest and most loyal friends.”

Hiding the disappointment on my face, I bowed and returned to my seat.

As Ivan went to sit beside my father, more voices slowly began to drown out the tense atmosphere, until everything returned to normal.

“Are you serious? You’ve never heard of Ivan the Destroyer?” Princess Thalia inquired, gently shaking my arm to snap me out of my thoughts.

“Ivan the destroyer...” I repeated the name, hoping that the words triggered something in my head. “Never heard of him.”

“He’s one of the Seven Grand Dukes,” Thalia explained, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. “Does that ring a bell?”

“Ivan is one of the Seven!?”

Thalia nodded. “He’s not just one of the seven dukes, but the oldest of the group.”

“I thought Lord Marcellus was the eldest member of the Seven?” I asked, thinking back on the records I’d read a couple of months ago. Of the hundreds of records I’d scoured through, not one had any mention of Ivan. It was like he never existed. He was a ghost.

“Well, sorry to break it to you, but he’s a legend.”

I scoffed at the princess’s words, feeling a surge of anger boil in my stomach. I couldn’t help but feel blindsided and dumb. In all my five years, I had never once bothered to search for that masked freak. Not only that, but the freak had been right under my nose this entire time. Still, it didn’t make sense why there were no records of him. Unless Valtair was in on it too.

If anyone had the power to erase someone’s name from the royal archives it was Valtair. All I needed to do now was to figure out why he’d go through such trouble. Why was he hiding Ivan’s existence?

“You seem troubled,” Thalia noted.

“That’s very perceptive of you, princess.”

“Well, what can I say...”

I don’t have time to deal with this annoying girl. I need to clear my head.

I stood up from my chair and gave the princess a curt nod before walking away. Ignoring any gaze or voice that went my way, I darted straight for the balcony, desperate to catch a whiff of fresh air.

I stepped out onto the balcony, feeling the cool evening breeze brush against my skin. Placing my arms on the railing, I allowed the serenity of the moment to envelop me. With so many thoughts racing through my mind, I knew I needed to find some clarity and sort through my emotions.

Gazing up at the moon, I sensed a presence behind me and turned to see Lady Clair approaching. “Your Highness, the Queen has asked me to check on you,” Clair said, bowing respectfully. “Do you feel unwell?”

I shook my head and chuckled. “The only thing I’m sick of is this damn place.”

“Did something happen, highness?”

“That’s the problem, Clair. Too many things are happening at once. Too many distractions. Too many curious eyes and ears, envious of my family, scheming behind our backs. I feel like a lump of meat that’s constantly being watched by predators.”

“Maybe talking to someone about how you feel-”

“Clair, that’s enough please.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I apologize.” Lady Clair bowed and turned to leave.

“Clair,” I called out, just before she reached the door. “Go to my room and pack my belongings.”

“Your Highness?”

“I want you to pack my bags, Clair.”

“Your Highness, I don’t think the King or Queen would approve of-”

I cut her off. “Since the day I was born, you’ve taken care of me Clair. You’ve always been by my side, guiding and protecting me. You’re honestly like a second mother to me, you know. I know you serve my mother and father, but do not forget that your duty is to me. Your service is for me. My father and mother trusted me to you, and I trust you with my life, Clair. Now, for a change, I’d like you to trust me.”

I met Clair’s gaze, hoping to convey the gravity of the situation through my determined stare. I was aware that what I had just proposed seemed absurd, especially given my tender age of five and a half. Nevertheless, I had made my decision, and I was resolute.

“Very well, your Highness,” Lady Clair replied, after taking a minute to think. “I’ll go pack your bags, just as you’ve instructed.”

“Thank you, Clair.”

As I gazed back at the moon, I mentally braced myself for what lay ahead. My plan was risky, but it was the only way to achieve the outcome I sought. I was done pretending to be an ordinary child. Instead of running away, I was going to confront Valtair head-on. I was going to reveal my true powers and show him what I was capable of.

The time for games was over. I was going to take charge of my destiny. My heart racing with anticipation, I set off to Valtair’s room, ready to put on the best acting show of my life.