Julian's eyes widened in realization, when she ntioned Principal Kiera.
She was the woman he had t 10 years ago with Ezekiel during their small induction to Aethel Academy.
-Ah... that ans Riggs Bourne retired from the position of principal then.
He got a good look at Kiera's appearance, and she still didn't look a day over 25. She hadn't seed to age at all, which was strange.
However, Julian sensed sothing was wrong with her presence here in person and couldn't help but feel more suspicious about the situation.
A principal's presence at a duchess's ho was by no ans ordinary. If he was going to get to the bottom of this, he needed to muster up all the courage he had to speak!
"Ah...."
But he couldn't do it. Not even a simple mannerism to say hello or a good evening; Julian's nerves were through the roof.
Just like his mother, he too was falling under the pressure.
"You're making him tense up, Duchess. Wouldn't it be best for you to leave the room?"
Kiera addressed Ophelia with calm authority, though even for her small body she tried to stand tall against Ophelia's 5'6 fra.
"Hmm… I guess you're right, he is 14 after all so I'll leave you to it,"
Ophelia nodded, rising from her chair.
"Contact once you're done, Principal," she said, patting Julian on the shoulder before leaving.
Julian stood there, trying to process everything, while bewildernt clashed with relief.
His mother was here, he was here, and the Principal was here.
His first thought to what this eting could be about is sothing regarding with his application, but even Ophelia hadn't ntioned anything about it being submitted, so he that was out of the picture.
"Sit," Kiera instructed, gesturing toward a chair.
"Ah… yes Principal…"
Julian quickly took a seat beside his mother. As he glanced at her, he noticed Erica shaking nervously. Although the threat level wasn't as high as Julian feared, the presence of Aethel Academy's principal still made him uneasy.
Kiera's gaze fixed intently on Julian, as if assessing more than just his appearance.
"You must be wondering why I've asked you here."
"Is it about Aethel Academy?"
His response was ambitious, yet there seed to be no other reason for this eting.
"Very perceptive," Kiera replied with a hint of admiration.
"I'm sure you've heard about the great things our academy is known for. I'm considering a fresh approach as the newest principal, so I've decided to personally et candidates to ask a few questions and gain so understanding of their own philosophies on why they aspire to beco who they want to be."
"So Julian hasn't done anything bad, then?"
Erica's voice was soft, but still worried about whether her son had sothing wrong.
"Of course not, Mrs. Uzziel," Kiera said kindly. "As a matter of fact, I happened to drop by here after so talks with the Princess, so I can assure you that your son hasn't done anything wrong at all."
"Haah… thank goodness,"
As Julian's mother breathed a sigh of relief, Julian felt gutted to think that, in his mother's eyes, he was just so destructive freak who went around ruining places on purpose.
Ehem…
"Anyway, I just wanted to have a talk with the two of you while I'm here since my ti is limited, so I'll keep things straight and all you have to do is to answer these questions to the best of your ability."
"….."
"So tell , Julian, what drives you to beco a mage?"
The first question shot out to him and Kiera's eyes glowed a crimson red as if reading the emotional threads of his inner being.
"To protect my family and beco soone who is upright and righteous."
Pfft-
Kiera fought back a smile after hearing Julian pump out his chest proudly.
It was an honest answer, undeniably so, and perhaps a little too idealistic for soone his age.
It reminded her of an old friend she knew long ago, where 'he' had said the sa thing.
"It's… refreshing," she admitted, "to hear such a straightforward answer. Most students speak of ambition, of power, of fa, of climbing the ranks, of becoming the most powerful mage. It seems they've forgotten the simple truths, the values that truly matter. It's… a sha."
"haha... you're definitely right,"
The tension in the room eased a bit further when Kiera smiled with unmatched sincerity.
She then shifted her focus to Erica, who was smiling proudly at her son's answer.
"Mrs. Uzziel, what future do you envision for Julian at the Academy?"
"...!"
Erica blinked, caught slightly off guard.
"Oh... ah... you see..." She paused, gathering her thoughts.
"I just want him to be happy. To find his place, to learn and grow, and to beco the best version of himself. I don't care about fa or fortune. I just want him to be safe, to be surrounded by good people. That's all any mother could ask for."
Kiera's eyes softened, a hint of warmth in her gaze.
"A very honest answer, Mrs. Uzziel. It seems Julian's honesty cos from you."
She chuckled lightly.
"It's not often that I'm able to et a family so grounded. You both speak from the heart."
Kiera regarded Erica with a soft expression.
"Would you mind giving us a mont, Mrs. Uzziel? I'd like to speak with Julian one-on-one."
Erica hesitated, her eyes lingering on Julian with maternal concern.
"Don't worry, mother, I'll be fine," Julian assured her gently.
With a nod, she rose from her seat. "I'll wait outside," she said, and slipped out the door.
Kiera turned back to Julian, a flicker of sothing unspoken in her gaze.
"I still rember the day you broke that barrier at our small induction ten years ago..."
Julian rubbed the back of his neck, feeling nervous about where this was going.
"Ah... yeah... I an, my mana was just really uncontrollable back then, that's all."
She raised an eyebrow, unconvinced but intrigued.
"There's more to it than that, surely."
"I'm sorry, but even if I try to rember why, I just can't really think of a reason for it,"
He kept his answer brief, though he never knew why he wasn't able to pass through that barrier since then. All he knew was that there was a discrepancy between his mana signature and the barrier's coding.
"Well, if you don't know, I guess that's fine,"
"But also, I heard about the news of the Royal 8 challenge you participated in ten years ago. Do you also have a reason for that as well?"
"I'm not sure what you an."
"You qualified for the final selection and then withdrew," she pressed, a curious note in her voice.
Julian frowned beneath his mask. "How do you know about that?"
Kiera's smile faltered, almost like she lost composure for a mont.
"Let's say I have a close accomplice that told of this, but still, I want to know…"
mories of that ti flashed through Julian's mind—his decision to avoid drawing too much attention, the danger it posed to his family.
"I had other priorities," he answered carefully.
Kiera nodded as if expecting his reply. "And this year?"
Her persistence bewildered him, yet sothing in her manner felt oddly familiar—like of soone else who once knew him too well.
"This year is different," he said firmly.
The Principal leaned back, satisfaction mingling with intrigue across her face. "I see."
"Why ask all these questions?" Julian asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.
She t his gaze evenly. "Curiosity," she replied, though there seed to be more beneath the surface of that word.
Julian couldn't shake the feeling that Kiera understood far more than she let on, a feeling that left him unsettled and thoughtful.
"Thank you for humoring ," Kiera finally said, rising from her chair and extending a hand.
Julian accepted it with cautious respect.
"We'll be in touch soon," she assured him with a hint of sothing personal in her tone.
"I'll be expecting you at the admission ceremony,"
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