[ 8 Years Ago ]

Within the Valemont household, his name was spoken with a reverence bordering on worship. They called him the "Prodigy of the Century." Even though he was merely a ten-year-old child, whenever he walked through the streets, seasoned warriors and high-ranking officials would readily bow their heads.

On this particular day, Lucian was out on a town tour accompanied by his personal maid, Lydia. He held a fresh apple in one hand, with another tucked away safely in his pocket. Taking a crisp bite of the fruit, he casually observed the bustling townsfolk around him. His mind was effortlessly processing complex mana circuits and magical theories, but on the outside, he simply looked like a quiet, innocent child.

"Good morning, Master Lucian!" a fruit seller greeted, bowing deeply. "Even the morning sun pales in comparison to your aura today. What radiant brilliance!"

An old noble passing by respectfully tipped his hat. "The future of House Valemont is truly secure. My Lord, your calm demeanor alone guarantees you will one day become the Empire’s greatest Hero."

A young girl whispered to her friend, her cheeks flushed. "Look! Master Lucian looks so cute eating that apple... he’s exactly like a genius prince from the fairy tales!"

A heavily armored knight stopped and offered a crisp salute. "Young Prodigy, just hearing the tales of your mana training has already shattered the confidence of our new recruits. We welcome you, My Lord."

Trailing just a step behind him, his personal maid, Lydia, 16 year old, was staring at Lucian with eyes that looked less like a servant admiring her master and more like a predator eyeing a five-star meal.

"Ohhh... Master Lucian..." Lydia cooed softly, her cheeks flushed. "The delicate way you pierce that apple with your teeth... uff! If only I could be that apple. Every bite my Young Master takes is just so... wild, isn’t it?"

Lucian paused mid-bite, a visible sweatdrop forming on his temple. "Lydia... keep quiet. People are listening."

Closing the distance between them, Lydia leaned in and whispered directly into his ear. "Let them listen! Let the whole world know how incredibly manly my Master is becoming. Oh, just look at that single drop of sweat trailing down your neck... May I clean it with my tongue? It would be an absolute sin to let it go to waste, My Lord."

Lucian’s cheeks tinted slightly with irritation. "Absolutely not! You are a maid, not a feral beast. Have some dignity!"

"Dignity?" Lydia gasped dramatically, placing both hands on her warm cheeks. "For Master Lucian, I would gladly throw away my dignity, my clothes, my— Oh, why did you stop walking? Do you want me to begin my ’special services’ right here in public?"

Lucian immediately quickened his pace, walking briskly ahead. "That’s it. Next time, I’m coming out alone. Your brain is completely rotten."

Lydia jogged after him, a highly questionable, thrilled smile plastered across her face. "Nooo... young Master... please don’t run! The further you run from me, the more it makes me want to tackle you from behind and hold you tight! Ahhh, my heart is beating so fast!"

"Crazy woman..." Lucian muttered under his breath, shaking his head with a heavy sigh. "It’s the exact same nonsense every single time."

After walking for a while, the lively atmosphere of the market began to shift. The vibrant stalls faded into a grimier, darker alleyway at the edge of the merchant district.

The heavy, metallic clanking of iron chains broke the relative quiet. A large, enclosed wooden wagon had just parked outside a dingy storefront. A greasy, rough-looking slaver was forcefully dragging a line of chained children out of the back. Some had been sold by desperate, starving parents; others were simply orphans of war, now reduced to livestock. The slaver cracked a thin whip against the dirt, herding the weeping children toward a row of rusted iron cages inside the store.

Lucian stopped, taking another bite of his apple. His face remained perfectly indifferent. In this world, slavery was a harsh, everyday reality. He had no intention of playing the hero for every sob story.

But just as he was about to turn away, a subtle, strange fluctuation caught his attention.

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze locking onto a specific girl near the back of the chained line. She was covered in mud and bruises, trembling violently. But beneath the grime, she had striking golden-blonde hair and deep emerald eyes.

It wasn’t her appearance that caught his eye, though. It was the faint, raw, unpolished mana radiating from her small frame. It was incredibly dense.

"Lydia," Lucian muttered, his tone shifting into something far more authoritative. "We are making a detour."

Lydia pouted, crossing her arms beneath her chest. "Ehh? A slave shop? Young Master, the smell here is dreadful. If you wish to purchase a pet, I am more than willing to wear a collar and bark for you! You don’t need to—"

"Quiet," Lucian interrupted smoothly, already walking toward the slaver.

Noticing the finely dressed noble boy approaching, the greasy slaver immediately forced a sickeningly sweet smile, recognizing the Valemont crest on Lucian’s coat.

"Ah! Welcome, welcome, little Lord! Are you looking for a servant? A plaything? I just got a fresh batch—"

"The blonde girl," Lucian pointed directly at her. "How much?"

The slaver’s eyes gleamed with greed. He saw a ten-year-old child and immediately assumed he was an easy mark. "Ah, an excellent eye, My Lord! She’s a rare beauty from the northern borders. For a noble of your stature, I’ll give her to you for just fifty gold coins!"

Lucian didn’t even blink. He took the remaining apple from his pocket and casually tossed it into the air, catching it effortlessly.

"Fifty gold? Interesting."

Tell me, merchant. Do you possess the official Imperial Seal required to sell undocumented war orphans within the capital’s inner ring? Because according to Arkon Empire Law, Section Four, possessing unregistered human cargo in this district is punishable by immediate execution and confiscation of all assets."

The slaver’s fake smile instantly froze. Cold sweat broke out on his greasy forehead.

Lucian stepped closer, his deep purple mana faintly leaking into the air, creating a suffocating pressure. "I see no seal on your wagon. If I call the Royal Knights patrolling the next street over, you lose your head, and the girl goes to the state anyway. Or..." Lucian reached into his coat and flicked a single, small silver coin onto the dirt at the slaver’s feet. "...you can take that silver, hand over her collar key, and I will pretend I didn’t see your illegal operation."

The slaver gulped loudly, terrified by the sheer aura radiating from the ten-year-old boy. With trembling hands, he snatched the silver coin from the dirt and practically threw the rusted key at Lydia.

"S-She’s yours, My Lord! Please, have a good day!"

As the slaver scrambled away, Lydia unlocked the girl’s chains. The blonde girl collapsed onto her knees, looking up at Lucian with wide, tear-filled emerald eyes.

"T-Thank you... thank you, My Lord..." she sobbed softly.

Lydia glared down at the dirty girl, her eyes narrowing with sharp jealousy. "Hmph. Young Master, why bring a dirty street rat home? My services are flawless! Will she bathe you? Will she warm your bed? I can do all of that much better!"

"Stop being weird, Lydia," Lucian sighed, turning to walk back. "Her mana pool is unusually large. If trained properly, she’ll be useful to the household. Bring her along."

[ One Month Later ]

The dirty street rat had been transformed. Cleaned, fed, and dressed in a crisp, tailored maid uniform, the girl—who introduced herself as Aria—looked like a porcelain doll.

Over the past four weeks, Lydia had taken Aria under her wing, training her with strict, militaristic discipline to become Lucian’s secondary personal maid. Despite Lydia’s initial jealousy, Aria’s behavior was completely flawless. She was obedient, soft-spoken, and seemed entirely devoted to the Valemont household.

More importantly, Aria had developed a deep, visible attachment to Lucian. Whenever he was in the room, her emerald eyes followed him with a sickeningly sweet innocence, looking at him as if he were the sole god of her world. Lucian, in turn, had grown somewhat fond of his little rescue, treating her with a gentle kindness he rarely showed others.

Everything seemed perfectly peaceful. Until one particular night.

The midnight breeze swept across the high stone terrace of the Valemont estate.

A small figure, completely wrapped in a dark, heavy cloak, crept out from the servant’s quarters and slipped onto the moonlit balcony. It was Aria.

She stood near the stone railing, nervously looking around. A few moments later, the shadows in the corner of the terrace seemed to twist and distort. From the darkness, a taller, cloaked entity materialized without making a single sound.

Even hidden beneath the hood, the entity’s posture was distinctly feminine, radiating a cold, chilling aura.

"You have stalled long enough," the feminine voice hissed from beneath the hood, sharp and demanding. "Why is it not done yet? You were placed here for one specific purpose."

Aria flinched, her innocent facade cracking into genuine panic. She gripped the edges of her cloak tightly.

"I-I am trying! I really am! But... but he is too brilliant. He senses mana fluctuations instantly. And... and his personal maid, Lydia, she watches him like a hawk! I can never get him alone!"

"Excuses," the entity spat coldly. "The boy’s mana is growing too rapidly. If he reaches the next stage, his potential will draw more attention to the Empire. You will execute the plan tomorrow, or I will ensure you end up in a place far worse than that slaver’s cage. Understood?"

"Y-Yes... I understand..." Aria whispered, trembling violently.

Before the cloaked entity could say another word, the heavy wooden door to the terrace suddenly creaked open.

Aria’s breath hitched. She spun around.

Standing in the doorway, her arms crossed beneath her chest, was Lydia. Her usual pervy, playful demeanor was completely gone. In its place was the terrifying, deadly glare of a loyal hound who had just caught a thief in her master’s house.

"I knew it," her voice was low, laced with absolute venom. "I knew there was something foul hiding behind those innocent little eyes. Who the hell are you talking to, you little rat?"