Kael watched silently as the ritual sealed the contract.
She was now his slave—officially.
But the fire in her eyes told him one thing loud and clear:
She was no one's possession.
Soon, Kael and Selene sat in the carriage, silence pressing in like a second passenger.
Outside, Renold rode up front with the driver—grumbling, no doubt, about propriety and the crumbling state of noble traditions.
Technically, a slave wasn't supposed to sit beside their master. But Kael had insisted.
"For bonding," he said.
Renold had tried to climb in too, invoking his years of loyal service.
Kael had stared him down and said, "You can bond with the driver."
Now, ten long minutes had passed. The carriage clattered forward, and Selene hadn't said a word. Not a sigh. Not a snide remark. Just stared at the wall like it owed her something.
Kael cleared his throat. Once. Twice. The air in the carriage remained thick with... something.
Possibly doom.
Kael let out a slow sigh, his gaze fixed on the carriage wall as the distant hum of mana crystals powered their quiet journey. "So," he said, voice flat, "tell me about magic."
Selene didn't bother looking at him. "Why? You can't use it."
A clean stab. No hesitation. The words sliced deeper than she probably intended—but maybe she meant it.
Kael felt the insult land, and a childish part of him wanted to scream, SSS-grade mana control, bitch.
But he didn't. He just swallowed it and muttered with forced calm, "Just… knowledge."
She studied him for a moment, then began explaining.
"People are born with mana affinity. That's what lets them become magicians. You master spells—some passed down through family lineages or secret inheritances, some invented by mages themselves. Then there are ancient spells... those are on a whole different level."
She paused, her tone growing steady.
"Spells are classified from rank 1 to 9. If you've mastered a rank 3 spell, you're called a rank 3 magician. The king—he's the most powerful person here—is a rank 5 magician."
Kael nodded slowly. "So you just slowly master spells, one by one?"
Her face darkened suddenly.
"It's not like climbing stairs. After rank 2, spells aren't even available to common people. And when you try to learn a higher rank spell, your mana pool expands rapidly. If you can't control that surge..."
She let the words hang, grim.
"It results in instant death."
The silence that followed felt heavy, like the shadow of countless lives lost to ambition.
Kael's mind raced. So gaining power was dangerous too — terrifyingly so.
He swallowed hard. "You said after mastering a higher-ranked spell, their body changes?"
Selene nodded slowly. "Yes. The body undergoes what we call ascension—from mortal to god. We theorize that a rank 9 magician is essentially a god."
Kael's eyes widened in awe.
She added, "It's always toughest for the first spell. Meaning, if you successfully master your first rank 3 spell, there's less danger when mastering the second rank 3 spell."
Kael asked curiously, "So, what rank magician are you?"
Selene's eyes flickered with quiet pride. "I'm a rank 2 magician."
Kael smiled warmly. "That's impressive. You should be proud."
For a moment, Selene looked surprised—then a faint blush touched her cheeks.
It was a subtle, beautiful change that didn't go unnoticed by Kael.
Kael cleared his throat, hesitating a moment before asking the question that had been nagging at him.
"So... where can we get these spells?"
Selene's eyes flicked with a hint of knowing as she replied slowly,
"Up to rank 2, spells are sold openly in the market. But anything beyond that? That's tightly controlled—by the church, the clans, the sects..."
She paused, then added quietly,
"Your duke's house must have at least one lineage spell of rank 4."
Kael's brow furrowed in surprise. His mind briefly wandered to thoughts of secret night-time thefts and whispered conspiracies.But just as quickly, he shook his head, pushing the thought away.
'Stupid.'
***
The carriage finally rolled to a stop in front of the duke's mansion — a grand but worn estate, its walls whispering secrets of better days.
Kael stepped out first, his boots clicking on the stone, Selene following quietly behind, and Renold bringing up the rear, grumbling about the dust.
Before Kael could even catch his breath, a sharp-eyed maid hurried over, almost breathless herself.
"Master Kael," she said, voice tinged with urgency, "there's a family dinner tonight."
Kael blinked, feeling the blood drain from his face.
"Dinner? Tonight?"
The maid nodded, eyes wide. "Yes, the Duke and Duchess just returned. Rumors have been spreading about the Second Young Master… they insist on a proper family gathering."
Kael's mind whirled.
'Great. Just what I needed — a reunion with the entire family.'
He nearly felt his heart skip a beat, or maybe it was a stroke.
Either way, not good.
Kael blinked, trying to steady his nerves. "Is the second brother back as well?"
The maid shook her head. "No, Master Kael. But there are rumors he'll be arriving next week."
Kael let out a slow, relieved sigh. "At least I have one week's peace."
***
Kael was pacing his room like a caged beast, back and forth, over and over again.
After five minutes of watching his restless pacing, Selene finally snapped, frustration dripping from her voice.
"Why are you so nervous about meeting your own family? You act like it's a surprise party."
Kael abruptly stopped and turned toward her. He stepped closer, invading her space with a slow, deliberate motion.
Selene took a cautious step back, eyes narrowing. "What are you doing?"
With a dry, almost casual tone, Kael said,
"Because... I'm not really Kaelion."
Her breath hitched. "What???!!!!"