The grand hall of the Leonhart palace shimmered with the afternoon glow. Shafts of golden light fell across polished marble floors, catching the crests of the Leonhart family carved into tall pillars. The atmosphere was warm yet tinged with formality—an air that never truly left whenever Leon's siblings were gathered.
Adrian sat on a small cushioned chair, feet dangling above the ground. He was only three years old, his silver hair falling in soft wisps over his forehead, his sapphire-blue eyes watching everything with quiet intensity. The cousins had been playing moments ago, Evelyn tugging his sleeve while Damian boasted about learning how to climb walls. But now the atmosphere shifted.
Elias Leonhart, Duke of the Western Territories, had leaned forward in his seat, his crimson gaze focused squarely on Adrian. Unlike Leon's calm and teasing persona, Elias was sharp-edged—his sassy remarks cut nobles down in court, and his cold wit kept enemies trembling. But here, there was something else in his eyes: curiosity.
"Adrian," Elias said, voice smooth yet commanding, "may I ask you a few questions?"
Leon, lounging in his chair nearby, raised a brow. "He's three, Elias. What are you planning? Don't scare him."
Elias smirked. "Scare him? I simply want to see if the stories I hear are true. Your son already calculates sums faster than most tutors, does he not?"
Adrian froze for a moment. He hadn't realized his little "scribbles" with numbers had reached Elias' ears. Leon must have let something slip—or perhaps Celestia had. His tiny fingers fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, but he sat straighter, determined not to look like a child.
"Fine," Leon said, waving lazily. "But if you make him cry, don't blame me when Celestia finds out."
That earned a rare chuckle from Elias, who turned back to Adrian. The cousins, sensing something interesting, quickly gathered around. Evelyn and Iris perched beside Adrian, Lucian crouched on the floor like he was watching a play, and Damian crossed his arms, grinning as if this were a duel.
"Let's begin simply," Elias said. "Adrian, what is twelve times twelve?"
Adrian blinked. That's… easy. "One hundred forty-four."
Lucian's mouth fell open. "Wait, what? I don't even know how to do that yet!"
Damian muttered, "That's… higher than I thought it would be."
Elias tilted his head slightly. No hesitation. No pause. Almost as if Adrian already knew it.
"Good," Elias continued. "Then, what is the sum of all numbers between one and ten?"
Adrian's lips twitched into a tiny smirk. "Fifty-five."
Selene, seated near the window, frowned in surprise. "Without counting?" she whispered.
Adrian, feeling their stares, quickly added, "It's… a trick. You add one and ten, two and nine, three and eight… they all make eleven. Then multiply by how many pairs. That's the answer."
The room fell silent for a heartbeat.
Leon, hiding a grin behind his hand, glanced at Elias. "Well? Still think he's just scribbling?"
Elias' crimson eyes narrowed, studying Adrian not as a toddler, but as something else—something far sharper. "Interesting."
But he wasn't done.
"Tell me, Adrian," Elias said, voice softer now, testing in a different way. "If you had five apples and gave two to Evelyn, one to Damian, and half of one to Iris, how many would you have left?"
Adrian tilted his head. That one was almost insulting. "One and a half."
Evelyn giggled, hugging his arm. "See! He's smarter than Damian!"
"Hey!" Damian barked, glaring. "I just didn't feel like answering!"
Lucian grinned. "Adrian's the genius of the family, then. Maybe even smarter than Uncle Elias?"
The jab made Elias raise a brow, lips twitching. "Careful, boy. Genius without discipline is dangerous."
Adrian's small hands tightened. Dangerous. That word. He'd heard it before in whispers, when servants thought he wasn't listening. Too smart. Too quick. Different. He swallowed, forcing a smile. "It's just numbers."
But Elias leaned forward, voice lowering. "Then let's move from numbers to thought."
The cousins grew quiet again, sensing the shift.
"Imagine this," Elias began. "A farmer has three fields. If he plants wheat in the first, barley in the second, and nothing in the third, and then a storm comes and destroys the second… how does the farmer still survive the winter?"
Adrian's eyes narrowed. This isn't math. This is logic.
He thought quickly, piecing together possibilities. His past life memories stirred—discussions about resource management, survival planning, all things he never thought would come in handy as a child in this world.
"He survives because he planted wheat," Adrian said finally. "Wheat is the most important—it makes bread. Even if he loses the barley, he still has food. He could also use the third field after the storm for winter crops, or trade his wheat for other supplies."
Elias' smirk vanished. For a long moment, he simply studied the boy. Then he chuckled low. "Leon. Your son isn't just clever. He thinks ahead."
Leon's smile faded into something more serious. He leaned forward, his usual calm shifting into quiet pride laced with protectiveness. "I know."
But before the mood could grow heavy, Lucian jumped in. "I want to ask a question too!"
Damian crossed his arms. "Me first. Adrian—what's bigger, a dragon or Uncle Leon's ego?"
Everyone burst out laughing—even Elias let out a sharp chuckle. Leon groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Very funny."
Adrian, cheeks pink, stammered, "U-uh… both are… huge?"
The cousins collapsed in laughter, Evelyn nearly falling off her chair. Adrian hid his face in his hands, muttering, "Why do I even answer you…"
Selene smiled warmly at the sight, her earlier tension easing. "He blends well with them," she murmured to Alaric.
Alaric, sipping his wine, nodded. "Yes… but Elias sees something more. I can tell."
And indeed, Elias was still watching Adrian, though he allowed the laughter to continue. In his mind, calculations turned. A three-year-old who could process sums, logic, and resource planning like a seasoned squire? It was unnatural. No ordinary child.
"Adrian," Elias said suddenly, cutting through the noise. The boy peeked over his fingers.
"Yes, Uncle?"
"…Do you enjoy learning?"
Adrian hesitated. The truth bubbled up before he could stop it. "I do. Because… if you stop learning, you stop growing."
For the second time that afternoon, silence fell. That wasn't something a three-year-old said. Not even one raised in a palace.
Leon's eyes softened, though his jaw tightened. Celestia's warnings echoed in his head—Adrian must be protected. If people discovered how unusual he was, they would try to use him.
But Elias only leaned back, crimson eyes glinting. "Very well. That's enough for now."
The cousins groaned in protest. Evelyn pouted. "No fair! I wanted to ask if Adrian can solve riddles too!"
"Riddles are dumb," Damian scoffed. "I wanted to see if he could beat me in sword practice—"
"You can barely hold a sword," Lucian shot back.
Their bickering filled the hall, and Adrian let out a quiet sigh of relief, slipping back into the role of just another child. For now.
But he knew one thing: Elias had seen through him.
And Leon knew it too.