(A/N: The capture targets are meeting in this chapter... what will happen (͡• ͜ʖ ͡•) ?)

I winced at the memory. Why? Because I knew for a fact that in the otome game 'Doki-Doki, I Love You For Eternity', Eliad was known as the swooned-over kuudere. The capture target was strictly professional and cold, but with Aileen, he would open up and reveal some less-than-child friendly scenes for the players to enjoy. So of course, when Eliad started to throw a fit as I was about to leave and stayed in my bed for the night that day, of course I would wince.

I buried my head in the pillow, my face bright red. I let out a groan and inched farther into the blankets. I had to stay three days in this forsaken manor. I just had to wait it out. Then, when I left back to Alsar, I would finally get away from that butler.

I would find a way to make sure that none of my classmates knew of my status despite my debut. I just needed to wait this part out and figure out a way to make sure that the news 'the Xenith Countdom's sheltered and treasured child finally debuts, it is proven that he was attending Alsar Academy of Magic and Swordsmanship before the debut!' didn't spread.

It was imperative to make sure the debut went exactly to plan. No thieves, no assassins, no drama, and certainly no capture target events.

----

The next day...

I grabbed the long overcoat hanging on the rack and left the room. The mansion was cold that day, and the walk through the large, grand corridors of the mansion seemed particularly grueling. The tinted windows overlooking the main garden showed the carriages streaming in through the central entrance, all filled with extravagantly-dressed nobles.

They would all be funneled to the east wing's ballroom. The room, with smooth marble floors and high white stone walls, seemed to be in a realm of its own. Outside the ballroom floor-to-ceiling windows of the ballroom were small, isolated balconies. They had splendid views, overlooking the East Garden and beyond it the evergreen forest that seemed to stretch out for miles.

Xenith childrens' debuts were always different from other Vires nobles'. The Xenith would always host the debutante's debut, and the debutante was always required to wear a mask until the final hour of the celebration, in which they would take it off and reveal their face for the guests to see.

The attending guests of the debut would stay in the ballroom for half a day, getting themselves situated. The hosts of the debut would come out in the later part of the day and go around greeting each guest individually. Finally, in the evening, the debutante would enter the venue, showing a display of strength to start off the final and most grand festivities.

Nicknamed the Xinar by previous generations, the display of strength was a necessity in all Xenith debuts. It could be a show of wit, knowledge, art, discovery, but since the Xenith countdom was a family of mages, it was usually a display of magic. The Xinar showed that the debutante was not only qualified to hold the name of Xenith, but also showed that the child was capable and experienced enough to officially advance into the aristocracy.

I sighed. I was originally planning to bomb the display, but...

"Remi, if you do anything to sabotage your show, I'll make sure you'll never be able to leave this mansion again, so don't try and play tricks, alright?"

...Mother beat me to it. And since apparently she had already observed me multiple times using magic secretly, she knew too much for me to pretend I was just incapable and not sabotaging the show.

I sighed, gathering a small, orb-shaped flame in my hand and fiddling with it idly.

Could I just refrain from attending the debut altogether? No, that would cause more of an uproar than me going in the first place. Plus, Mother would know before I even tried. Then what should I do for the show? I don't think a big, flashy fire indoors with hundreds of other guests would be smart. Should I form an animal out of fire and ride on it? No, I feel like that would be too advanced for a child. Mother wouldn't expect that much. What about...

Oh, that would work. I got it.

----

The maids dressed me up luxuriously, squishing me into a pair of white trousers and a frilly dress shirt, adorning me with lavish gems and fussing about my hair placement all the while. Finally, they covered my face with a feathered crimson phoenix mask and pushed me out the door. I stumbled out of the dressing room in a daze, not sure when I got there and when I left, and was ushered by the servants towards the end of the corridor. In the farthest two doors, I heard the sound of clicking heels and frivolous laughter.

I gulped in trepidation before looking through the small gap in the two large wooden doors. I sighed for the umpteenth time, recalling the nights where I would sneak inside to practice magic. Wispy blue flames would flood the room like fireflies and I would be surrounded by a hazy light that seemed to last forever. Now, instead of that peaceful, ethereal atmosphere, noisy nobles swarmed around like useless fruit flies as they continued their shrewd, superficial conversations.

I heard the distant sound of a clocktower striking nine.

The noise inside the ballroom abruptly stopped.

I could almost feel their collective eyes drilling into the two wide, imposing doors, waiting for the debutante to show with silent anticipation.

The servants next to me shifted and moved towards each side of the entrance. Then, with a flourish, the two doors swung open, and the dark hallway was instantly flooded with a bright, piercing light from inside the venue. My pupils shrunk as the lavishly adorned nobles erupted in applause. I walked forward.

I stood on top of a grand, open staircase leading down to the banquet and the clapping aristocrats below. The large crystal chandelier dimmed and two lights shined into my eyes, driving the attention to me.

I cleared my throat, my voice echoing through the chamber. Regularly used in public events, air magic can be used to manipulate sound, allowing a host's speech to project more clearly in a large venue. It seems that Mother hired an air mage.

"Good evening, everyone." I started.

"My name is Remis Alchean Xenith. I welcome you all to my debut and express my heartfelt gratitude for your presence."

"Following the tradition of the Xenith family, it is my honor to fulfill the Xinar for your personal entertainment. Please enjoy."

I knew my speech was curt. A brief applause ensued. I slowly descended down half the grand staircase with the two lights following me forward, keeping the focus on my figure. I bowed once more and started.

I extended my arm, pressing my palm forward, and whispered, "Light Fixture, Third Sequence Developed. Cold Fire."

Mana swirled around my wrist, weaving intricate patterns of glowing red runes that seemed to pulsate. They slowly crept up my arm, sending a tingling sensation coursing through my body.

A hazy glow lit the hall and people whispered amongst themselves. Then, small dewdrops of warm aqua light seeped from the floor, floating up towards the ceiling like small spring fairies. People murmured in delight, touching the small orbs of light with rapture. More and more dewdrops appeared, bathing the crowd and zooming towards the open air.

At that moment, they started to explode into small sparks. The sparks danced around the room, jumping this way and that, like bees from flower to flower. The aqua light rose and fell, danced and bobbed. I raised my hand, flipping my palm up towards the night sky, and muttered another spell.

"Light Fixture, Second Sequence Developed." The dewdrops and particles stopped in their tracks. They hurtled towards the center ceiling of the ballroom and began circling each other, faster and faster, until they spun so fast they became a single entity. It was then I twisted my wrist left. "Condense."

Another circle of runes jumped from my forefinger, floating in front of my outstretched arm as if responding to a command. Then, like a bullet, the circle of runes shot forward into the massive orbiting sphere of flaming light.

The spinning stopped as if time had stood still. Then, they all hurtled into a center point. The light became immeasurable, blinding the nobles and flooding the venue with piercing rays of brightness.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the point burst like a supernova. The light changed from a delicate aqua blue to a vivid blood red. The audience gasped.

What stood above them was not small fixtures of light, but a crimson tiger, majestic and formidable. It opened its mendacious jaws, roaring and stomping, sending jolts of cold fire down to the ground. Boisterous cheers filled the room.

"Thank you."

I bowed.

The tiger jumped up and forward, squeezing through the large window panes. Its paws flexed as it started prancing around the East Garden.

"I hope you enjoyed my demonstration. Please do enjoy the evening festivities."

----

I felt the phoenix mask covering my face slip ever-so-slightly down my nose as nobles crowded me like flies, peppering me with embellished praises. The more presumptuous ones would comment on how their children particularly enjoyed the display then go on to force them onto me. I was glad for the mask, not only because it could give me an opportunity to stay hidden in Alsar, but also because it could conceal my irritated expression from the aristocrats.

Finally, after an hour of constant greetings and fatuous exchanges, I was able to slip away. I hurriedly scrambled to the farthest back balcony, sighing and leaning on the rail tiredly with the side of my face lolled on the banister.

"Hi Remi~" A voice whispered into my ear.

"AHHH!" I jumped. Two hands grabbed my waist gently before I went over the guardrail.

"Careful, now." Cyrus pulled me closer to him and placed his chin on the top of my head. His arms were wrapped around my shoulders, drawing me into a tight embrace.

I struggled. "You're the one who made me jump."

"Mm, sure."

I pushed against his chest, but to no avail. "Let me go."

"No. You smell nice."

I was quite used to this behavior after being desensitized to it over the years and so I gave up, instead choosing to close my eyes and pretend that he wasn't layered on top of my body.

"You were really cool back there, Remi~ I fell in love with you all over again, you know."

"Mhm, sure."

"I'm not joking." He stated.

"Yeah, right."

A sudden gust of wind blew. I looked up, the mask partially covering my vision. An owl with pure white feathers and a barely exposed gold collar swooped down, landing neatly on the handrail in front of me.

"Nar!" I exclaimed in delight, trying to pet the cute bird. Cyrus's eyes darkened and he tightened his hold, preventing me from moving.

He leered at the bird with disdain and disgust. "What is... that. Why is it allowed to get close to you." He spat. I pushed his face away and broke free, ignoring his comment. Skillfully untying the small scroll from the snow owl's leg, I patted its head and nuzzled its beak.

"He finally wrote back!" I cheered. The bird hooted merrily in response.

"Who wrote back?" Cyrus's smile was one from a demon as he pressed his face closer to mine.

I unfurled the scroll while scratching Nar's feathers.

"My dear Remis,

I've finally completed my goal. A delegation-"

The letter was snatched away before I could read it. Cyrus dangled over me, laughing like an angel.

"Give it back!" I reached for it but he brought it higher up so I couldn't grasp it.

"Give me a kiss, and maybe I'll let you." He teased, his smile growing wider.

I didn't think twice and stood on my toes, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek. His flirting expression turned dumbfounded and his arm dropped slightly in shock. I took the opportunity to grab the note and pushed it into my pocket hastily.

I glared at Cyrus before caressing Nar one last time. Moving my head closer to him, I whispered, "Go to my room and wait for me, I'll feed you some treats later." The bird cheered in contentment before flying in the direction of my bedroom.

Cyrus grabbed my hands with an expressionless smile and wiped them harshly with a handkerchief. "It dirtied you."

I took my hand away and murmured, "it's fine."

----

(A/N: Crown Prince Lucius's POV.)

I watched Xenith's debuting son standing atop the balcony across from mine. I had met him multiple times in the academy already, through an arranged meeting made by his mother. My previous impression of him was not much, unassuming and mediocre. He talked about superficial matters, like he didn't know what else to say. But the sweets he sent were pretty good.

My mind strayed as I blankly watched him lean on the handrail relaxedly. Unknowingly, a small smile slipped onto my face.

I should ask him for more sweets later. The thought brought a sense of satisfaction, and I felt my grip on the balcony's guardrail easing up.

Just then, a tall and thin figure entered the balcony, moving soundlessly towards him. I saw the figure's two hands grab Remis' waist and pulled him in closer. The figures overlapped. The Fortier heir. I recognized the face of him as he tightened his grip on Remis' body.

Why am I so unhappy at the sight? I frowned but still felt the annoyance bubble up. It's none of my business. My eyes stayed fixed on the two overlapping figures. ...but, it's important to understand why that heir of the Fortier family is so close to him. ...I should continue watching, just in case.

A gust of wind interrupted my thoughts, and I saw a small flash of white breeze past me. It hurtled towards the adjoining balcony and stopped in front of Remis. A snow owl... I thought to myself. What is a snow owl doing here? It perched on the balcony railing and let out a soft hoot, causing Remis' eyes to light up with bubbly glee. He reached down, completely familiar with the motion, and grabbed something from the owl's leg before petting it and laughing heartily.

As Remis' hand brushed the bird's soft feathers, I noticed a flash of gold along with an inscription on the owl's neck. My eyes widened. A Nyiel royal's messenger bird...

What relationship did Xenith's son have with a Nyiel royal? I felt an unfamiliar pang of jealousy rush through me. Why am I annoyed about it?