Two days passed in a strange silence. From my room window in the West Tower, I could see the busyness across the main courtyard of Castle Romario. Servants ran back and forth carrying silk fabrics, fresh food ingredients, and crates of expensive wine. The Main Hall was being prepared for a grand feast, a display of luxury designed to celebrate the clan's glory—as well as becoming a stage of social slaughter for me.
I did not waste time. These two days were used entirely by me to regain control over the newly awakened Mana Core in my chest.
Inside the locked room, I sat cross-legged on the stone floor. I controlled the cold flow of ice mana, letting it flow along my blood vessels with a slow and orderly rhythm. From the tip of my finger, I learned to create ice needles as thin as thread that hovered silently in the air before I made them evaporate back without leaving a trace of water. I also learned to channel that cold energy to the entire surface of my skin to withstand the freezing air of the room, keeping this thin body warm without needing a hearth.
This precise control was my actual weapon. In a world that glorified rough and large explosions of magic, a measured silence was actually far more deadly.
On the afternoon of the designated day, Marie entered my room carrying a suit of old clothes that she had cared for as best as she could.
"This is... the only remaining formal clothes belonging to you, Young Master," Marie said softly, her eyes staring anxiously toward the black velvet jacket whose color had faded and the edges of the fabric were slightly frayed. "I have tried to iron and clean it, but..."
I took the old jacket, feeling its rough fabric. This clothing was made when Benedict was fourteen years old—now feeling a bit tight in the shoulder area and short in the sleeve area. A clear and undeniable proof of how the Romario clan abandoned its youngest son in the darkest corner of this castle.
"This is more than enough, Marie," I answered flatly.
"Young Master..." Marie bit her lip, hesitation and fear radiated clearly from the look on her face. "In the lower kitchen, the servants are talking about the dinner later. Young Master Raymond and his friends... they plan to humiliate you in front of the Lord Duke and the elders. They want to bait you into making a mistake."
I stared at the young maid, carving a thin, cold smile. "Let them try."
"But these clothes... they will laugh when they see you enter the hall with worn clothes like this!" Marie exclaimed with a suppressed voice.
"These worn clothes are not a sign of my defeat, Marie," I said while adjusting the collar of the black jacket in front of the mirror. "These clothes are a mirror that I will place right in front of their faces. Let everyone see how a Duke of Romario treats his own flesh and blood."
Marie was stunned, her lips tightly shut as she realized that there was not even a bit of hesitation or fear in my eyes.
The great bell of Castle Romario finally tolled seven times, marking the start of the Grand Family Dinner. The sound of that heavy tolling echoed throughout all corners of the tower, calling all members of the clan to gather in the Main Hall.
I combed my slightly messy gray hair backward using my fingers. I took a deep breath, pressing the entire flow of ice mana inside my chest to the deepest point, hiding its existence tightly behind a mask of simplicity and composure. To the outside world, I was still the thin, weak, and helpless Benedict.
I turned the key, opened the room door, and stepped out toward the dimly lit corridor of the West Tower.
My footsteps sounded stable and orderly as I walked down the cold stone hallway, leaving my area of exile and moving toward the center of power of the castle. The closer I got to the Main Hall, the warmth of the hearth air and the lively tunes of harp music began to sweep your senses. The laughter of the nobles and the clinking of crystal glasses echoed, creating a sharp contrast with the quietness of the West Tower.
I stopped for a moment in front of the giant teak door of the Main Hall decorated with the gold carvings of the Romario clan. Two guards in full armor stood on the sides of the door, staring at me with a look of surprise and condescension when seeing my worn appearance.