That evening, as night fell, William lay in his cradle, alone in the room.
["WILL YOU REALLY BE GOING TO THE CEREMONY ?]"
"Yes," William answered confidently, his voice calm.
"[BUT HOW I TOLD YOU YOUR PARENTS WOULDN'T TAKE YOU TO SUCH A BORING EVENT ."]
"I know," William replied, his calmness unwavering.
["SO HOW WILL YOU GO "]
"My dear brother will take ."
["NO ! YOU EVIL BASTARD ! DON'T MAKE THAT ADORABLE CHILD YOUR SCAPEGOAT !"]
"I'm not making him a scapegoat. I just want to spend so ti with my brother."
Their argunt was cut short by the sound of the door creaking open. William quickly closed his eyes.
Baroness Mowbray entered, flanked by several maids. She approached William.
"Stay with the young master. Don't leave him alone until I return," she ordered the maids.
The maids bowed in affirmation.
"[WAIT ... SHE'S NOT STAYING ?"] Wiz asked.
"No, of course not."
["WHY ?"]
"Didn't I tell you? Every prominent noble is invited to the ceremony, and Baroness Mowbray, being the lady of the Mowbray Barony, must attend."
She gently kissed William on the forehead and left the room, the maids following close behind.
"[SO , BACK TO OUR PREVIOUS TOPIC ... WHY ARE YOU SO SURE THAT JACK WOULD CO TO SEE YOU]?" Wiz asked.
"Because he's a caring brother. He'll check on ."
Just then, the door opened again, and Jack entered the room.
He wore a sharp suit, black with a red-striped tie—clearly expensive. He quietly approached William as though trying not to disturb his fragile sleep. Leaning down, he whispered softly, "Have sweet dreams, William."
Suddenly, William opened his sapphire-blue eyes.
["DON'T DO IT ."]
William fixed his gaze on Jack and raised his arm, a silent plea to be picked up.
Jack sighed but complied, lifting William from the cradle.
"[I TAKE MY WORDS BACK . HE DOESN'T LEARN FROM HIS MISTAKES]," Wiz muttered.
After a mont, Jack tried to place William back in his cradle.
["DON'T YOU DARE."]
William began to cry.
Jack imdiately picked him up again, and the crying ceased. "Why do you always do this to , William?" Jack asked, .
"I can't be late for the ceremony. I'll be scolded if I am late . I can't leave William here. Guess I'll have to take him with ."
He quickly wrote a note: "I'm taking William with to the ceremony. Jack de' dici."
Leaving the note on the table, Jack left the room, William still cradled in his arms.
Soon, they reached the grand doors of the ceremony hall. The dark brown wood glead under the light. The guards bowed and opened the door for him.
Jack entered, and the sheer grandeur of the hall left William in awe. It was massive, elegant, and filled with high-class nobles and statesn.
A voice called out to Jack.
"Hey, Jack, over here!"
Three children, all around five years old, waved eagerly. Jack approached them, still holding William. Among them were two boys and one girl.
One boy looked at William curiously. "Jack, is he your brother?"
"Yes."
"Can I hold him?"
"You may not."
"Why not?"
"He doesn't like being held by strangers."
"What? I'm not a stranger!"
William gazed at the boy, then whispered inwardly, Dark red hair, blue eyes... He's the son and heir of Count Drakemont of the West—Arthur Drakemont. He'll grow into a talented young man, but that's not important right now.
The girl, gently stroking William's hair, cooed, "He's so beautiful. What's his na?"
"His na is William."
William glanced at the pink-haired girl, her touch soft on his hair. She's the daughter of Count Capet—Ana Capet. Their family is famous for producing geniuses in the academy.
His gaze shifted to the black-haired boy with large glasses. Luke Winterre, William thought. Son of Count Winterre. The Winterre family may hold a viscountcy, but they stand on equal footing with other western families due to their scholars and statesn. The current Pri Minister is from their family.
"Don't you think William will be bored here?" Luke asked, glancing at the baby.
"Yeah, why bring him to a ceremony?" Arthur added, frowning.
"He's my brother. I can bring him anywhere I want," Jack replied with a shrug.
"Hey! Don't act all cocky, Jack, just because you're the first to break through among us," Arthur teased.
"Well, I was told I'm a genius," Jack replied, smirking.
"[HAHA , LOOKS LIKE BEING COCKY IS YOUR FAMILY TRAIT ]."
"Guys, stop arguing!" Ana exclaid, her voice sweet but firm.
William turned his head and noticed his mother speaking with Countess Capet. As the countess left, Amanda caught William's gaze. She smiled softly and began walking toward them.
William giggled, his excitent palpable.
"Do you like being here, William?" Jack asked, glancing toward his mother. When he saw her approaching, he flinched.
Arthur grinned mischievously. "Don't tell you didn't ask for permission, Jack?"
"Nope," Jack admitted, sweating nervously.
"Well, he's your brother. You can take him anywhere," Arthur teased again.
"Shut up," Jack muttered, his face flushed.
Amanda finally reached them. "What is William doing here, Jack?" she asked gently, smiling.
"Mom, I went to see William, and he wouldn't let go of . But I left a note this ti," Jack explained quickly.
"It's alright, Jack," Amanda said warmly, smiling as she took William from Jack's arms.
"Good evening. You look exceptionally beautiful, my lady," Arthur said, bowing with exaggerated politeness.
"Oh my, thank you, Young Lord Drakemont. You've grown into quite the handso young man," Amanda teased lightly.
Arthur's ears turned bright red, while Luke and Ana giggled.
They exchanged pleasantries, and Amanda responded to each greeting warmly.
"Take care of Jack," she said softly before turning to leave.
William clung to her tightly as she moved toward Edgar. When Edgar saw William, he smiled, a tender expression on his face. So, William is here too? he thought, wrapping his arm around Amanda as they walked together, looking like a picture-perfect couple.
Their mont of peace was interrupted by a voice behind them.
"Good evening, my lady. You are radiant as always." It was Jas, Edgar's secretary, bowing as he took Amanda's hand in greeting. But he stopped midway, suddenly sensing a heavy pressure in the air.
He looked up and saw Edgar's icy glare. Edgar's hand subtly moved toward his weapon.
"Oh! My lord is here as well. I didn't notice you," Jas stamred, his tone nervous.
The tension from Edgar intensified.
"I... I just rembered sothing. I must take my leave," Jas said hastily, his voice shaking. "Goodbye, my lord, my lady."
With that, Jas left in a hurry, his face pale.
Amanda chuckled softly, resting her head on Edgar's arm. "He doesn't seem like that hostile child who entered the mansion eight years ago."
Edgar smiled, his expression warm. "Shall we greet the guests, my lady?"
Amanda chuckled again, nodding. "Yes, my lord."
They moved through the room, stopping to greet several guests. First, three n—one with red hair, one with black, and one with brown—who greeted them respectfully.
"Count Drakemont, Count Capet, and Viscount Winterre of the West," William thought. Though they're influential families, they have no competition with each other. In fact, they're close-knit. Third eye. Their levels are no more than 50. Expected, considering their lack of specialization in combat.
William's attention shifted to two n talking: one with blue hair and purple eyes, the other with golden hair and eyes. Count Archy and Marquess Valois, William mused. The dici, Valois, and Archy families control the nobility in the capital they are more influential than other noble families except for the Duchy of Milan, which stands on equal footing with the royal family.
[HEY , WILLIAM] ,"
Wiz's voice cut through his thoughts.
[THAT BLUE -HAIRED MAN LOOKS FAMILIAR].
"Yes, he does," William thought. "He's the father of the female lead, who will later be William's fiancée."
William's gaze wandered to his parents, who were now talking to a middle-aged man with ginger hair and a large beard. Marquis Ironhart, William whispered. Ironhart is one of the four families that govern the West, though he's not on good terms with the others. Third eye. His level is 87. Not surprising for a family that specializes in battle.
The couple was soon joined by the Duke of Bavaria, a dignified man with gray hair and black eyes.
"Good evening, my lord and lady. I would have greeted my lady in the typical manner, but I've heard Lord dici is quite possessive of his wife," the Duke said with a smile.
Edgar shook his hand and replied, "Thank you for coming, Duke of Bavaria. Please, don't worry about it. Your generosity is what matters most."
Before they could continue, a voice rang out, calling for the ceremony to begin.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlen, and welco!" Jas's voice echoed from a raised platform. "Tonight, we congratulate the young master on his breakthrough."
The crowd cheered.
"As is tradition, a sparring match will take place between two lords to show the young mystic the majesty of essence Who would be a better candidate than Lord dici for our first match?"
"What about Lord Archy?" soone from the crowd shouted.
"Not a bad suggestion," Jas grinned. "Their levels are the sa."
"Would you like to spar with Lord dici, my lord?" he asked.
"It would be my honor," Count Archy replied, smiling. "If Lord dici agrees."
"It will be my honor, my lord," Edgar said,
[HA HA HA A FIGHT BETWEEN YOUR FATHER AND FATHER IN LAW ]
[HMMMM , INTERESTING. ]
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