(A/N: Remi's POV.)

With Cyrus still draped on my body like a soggy rag, I moved back and forth the balcony, unwilling to go back inside that cursed ballroom yet also unwilling to deal with a capture target's unique disposition.

My eyes flitted about and I fidgeted, trying to throw the demon off of me haphazardly. My focus eventually turned back towards the lively and jubilant atmosphere inside. With a bored expression, I continued to watch the dancing and the chatting inside. I didn't know what to do with myself so I placed my arms on the balcony rails and relaxed as Cyrus continued to press his nose further into my neck.

My eyes followed the moving figures in the brightly lit venue, jumping to and fro like little mosquitos. I grabbed Cyrus's arm which was approaching my shoulder and swatted it away blandly. I turned my attention back into the ballroom, but what I saw inside shocked me.

...Zier...? I widened my eyes and stared harder, trying to sync the image of the adorable puppy boy in the library with the refined gentleman in a navy blue suit. What was Zier doing here? My legs moved before I knew it, walking towards him with my mind blank after throwing off his body wrapped around me. In the library... he did say that he was a distant relative of the king, but, as far as I knew, the king wasn't close enough to Xenith to send another family member to the debut... I pondered.

With my gaze fixed on him, I saw his expression turning to a slight smile, diplomatic and reassured. Watching him mingle with the nobles like a snake, my curiosity and confusion grew. My light footsteps were soft yet resounding as people turned their heads to face my masked veneer. They bowed and moved to allow me to join the conversation. I gave a light chuckle in response and humored them with words of approbation and flattery.

Zier followed suit and bowed humbly before flashing a prudent grin. His eyes seemed to bore through the phoenix mask covering my face as if he knew my identity. I gulped silently under his disguised scrutiny. My mind started wandering as I entertained the socialites flocking around us. What will happen at the end of the debut? I'll reveal my face then, and he'll know.Every meeting I had with him was veiled... will he get angry when he knows I've been lying? After all, he's the king's distant relative, I'm sure he's not used to people completely falsifying an identity for him... Unease spread and my lips pressed into a thin line.

"Lord Xenith?" Zier's familiar yet unfamiliar voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Ah, yes. My apologies." I responded dazedly.

An imperceptible chortle escaped his mouth. "Young Lord, you remind me very much of someone I know...? Are you, perhaps, familiar with a short, rather slow black-haired boy?" His eyes twinkled and he raised his brow mirthfully.

I gulped and looked away. "...yes, you could say that."

"Is his name-"

"Ah, my apologies, I have some matters to attend to. Please excuse my discourtesy." I hurried away with my mind scattered into millions of pieces.

I felt like I was no smarter than a sloth. Since when did Zier speak like that? Was I just so dense that I never noticed it until now? No, if I was really dense, then I wouldn't know I was dense and thus there's no way I'm actually dense if I know I'm dense.

Maybe it was just the atmosphere of the library every time we met that made me feel he was a cute little puppy. I shook my head and pressed my fingers into the palm of my hand. Nevermind this. There's much more important things that I must attend to rather than this matter. I'll deliberate later.

My current, most paramount worry was how to manage the capture targets attending the event.

Capture targets or any main character in any event always spelled disaster. Whether it was as simple as a small diplomatic trip to another region or as big as the King's fiftieth birthday ball, if there was any main character attending, chaos would ensue.

I sighed. I was about to rest my head on my hand but remembered that I had an extravagant mask on and stiffly brought my arm back down.

What I wanted most to avoid was a big event happening in the ball. I wanted the event to be subdued and make as little waves in high society as possible. In that way, I'll significantly reduce the chances of being known as the famous Ice Mage's son or being known as a Xenith, and go through my days in the academy peacefully.

Dealing with the capture targets and monitoring the situation around them was one thing. I would be able to do that fairly easily. Monitoring the surroundings of the East Wing was also something I could do. In that way, I would make sure that no useless assassins, wild beasts, or any other annoying pest would sneak its way in and disrupt the schedule.

But those were all insignificant compared to my final, and most important job of the evening.

Making sure the capture targets don't meet. After all, in the end, any novel will always revolve around the main characters. And any novel will do whatever possible to make sure that when its prime focuses meet, there will be bangs and big sparks to go along with it.

I adjusted the mask and paced back and forth the hallway. The torches's light bobbed and swayed along with my movements, like small dancers.

There was already one meeting between the capture targets. And I was almost positive that it would have ended in disaster if I didn't leave as soon as I did and move Cyrus's attention away from Zier.

Capture targets are like mindless, crazed dogs for the FL. They'll bark and growl and fight if they feel like they don't get the attention they want. I shook my head and thought solemnly. Cyrus has become particularly attached to me, and perhaps he's made me his master instead of Aileen. I'm starting to pity her now, because I'm having trouble with one sticky capture target, and she'll have to deal with five soon... I cackled quietly, imagining the scene where that troublemaking, teasing sister of mine will finally get what she deserves.

Heh, when that happens, I'll make sure to encourage all of them more and stir up some nice scenes for my dear sister to experience. My revenge will soon come...! My snickers grew louder and I was extraordinarily tempted to raise my palms up and show the signature 'mwahahaha' that every villain orchestrated when they were talking to themselves in their evil lair.

----

I spent the rest of the time socializing with the higher-ranked nobles which Mother sicced onto me. Then, when I heard the clock strike ten, I bowed and excused myself and left the venue.

Walking through the halls with practiced strides, I stopped at one of the rooms nearest to the ballroom. Taking out the key tucked into my inner pocket, I pressed it in and opened the door. A magic circle flashed, covering the entirety of the door with crimson red runes. I pushed my palm onto the center of the circle. The configuration immediately disappeared and the door creaked open. I entered and closed the door soundlessly after me.

Lightly removing my mask and carelessly throwing it onto the floor, I walked into the room. In the center of the blank white room laid a gently glowing crystal. It had a brilliant sheen and seemed to pulse the closer I got to it, the satin red pillow underneath it vibrated quietly, showing the energy the crystal's body emitted.

I ambled to it and casually picked it up. It was quite hefty and large, around the size of my head. This is what Mother was talking about. I mused. Tossing it up in the air a few times, I set it back down and flopped onto the hazy white floor, closing my eyes and letting the serenity wash over me. I had an hour before I had to make my grand re-entrance and take off the gaudy phoenix mask covering my face. I could afford to close my eyes for just a minute, right?

It was unknown how long I laid there, silent on the cold floor. I hovered between asleep and awake, jumping from daydream to daydream.

Eventually, I opened my eyes. And two wicked, shining golden-green eyes greeted me from two centimeters away.

"Oh, I thought you were dead!" He exclaimed.

I frantically shot up and hit my forehead straight on his. Scrambling back, I gulped back a blood-curdling scream. It stood, stuck in my throat, clamoring to escape.

Why was he here!?

Oberon Rel. Also known as capture target no. 3, the Head Mage.

----

He leisurely walked towards my figure pressed to the wall and pressed his forefinger into my cheek. It sunk into the fat, which made him press my face incessantly. I smacked his hand away with a frown. He clutched his smacked hand with an aggrieved expression.

"Ow! That hurt..." He whined.

"Who are you?" I drawled, knowing all too well engaging with his childish antics would get me nowhere. I looked away with dead fish eyes, not even bothering to conceal my forsaken, deadpan feeling. My expression almost screamed, Seriously? Here? Now? Why do I have to deal with this... "How did you get into the room?"

Blatantly ignoring my question, Oberon responded, "it was so squishy, can I touch it again..."

"No."

His fingers inched closer to my face. I swatted them away with a glare.

"Let me just...!"

He moved his other hand towards me. I dodged and kicked him in the arm. "No!"

Why does this always happen to me? What do I do to deserve this...! All I wanted was a peaceful life, and God can't even give me that...! Oh, how he hath forsaken me! I complained. Another capture target, sent my way once again...! Even my level-headed and polite temperament can't stand this anymore! I did no wrong in my life, I committed no evil! I continued ranting inwardly, as if whining whinily enough would change anything.

I continued to swat away Oberon's pesky hands, fueled with injustice. We both were engaged in a serious fight of pokes and slaps, when all of the sudden we heard the locking mechanism turn and the door creak open.

"Remi! Are you in there?" Mother called. The door opened further.

Oberon revealed a terrified expression and dashed to the corner of the room. He cried, "shit, she's gonna kill me if she sees me!"

I snickered and flipped him off eagerly before announcing, "Yes, I'm here!"

He shot me a wronged and teary gaze. "How could you...!"

The door opened wider, and she began to stride in. "Come, it's ten minutes before eleven."

I stuck my tongue out to the mage in the corner and bouncing towards Mother with light and cheery steps. "As you say, Mother!"

I led her in and sneaked a glance towards the corner. The mage had vanished, with any of his presence carefully erased from the room. My smirk grew wider. Heh, capture target eliminated.

----

(A/N: Zier's POV.)

The clock struck eleven, and the ballroom's chatter grew louder. The jovial atmosphere intensified, and Zier's gaze was drawn to back to the grand staircase. The doors opened with a bang. It wasn't grand, but it drew the attention of the preoccupied nobles. Gossip filled the room, with speculations of what the sheltered Xenith son's appearance was.

"I heard that the reason the lord had a late debut was because of his face. Ghastly, people say. Supposedly, it resembles a pig to a horrid extent."

"Yes, I heard that as well. He has a enormous wart the size of a thumb on his nose."

"Well, I recall hearing that he looked more like a dragon, not a pig. His eyes are so upturned that it's difficult for him to see properly."

The youth stepped out, his hands cupping a large, glowing crystal, with his phoenix mask covering the entirety of his face. His gait perfect and practiced, he seemed confident and serene despite the increasingly buzz of the throng of people gathered below.

Zier recalled the contrasting image of him being flustered after he asked him a simple question. His lips curved into a small smile unconsciously.

Remis lifted the large crystal in his hand, pressing it to the phoenix mask. Then, suddenly, the crystal burst into pieces. The nobles who had never attended a Xenith's unorthodox debut before gasped in fright and wonder as the pieces circled the mask like a halo, while the people who had attended a previous debut before watched silently in appreciation.

The crystals imbued themselves into the phoenix mask, and the mask grew bright crimson, representing the debutante's element of magic. The phoenix mask shined, growing brighter and brighter. The red light intensified, enveloping his body in a fiery glow. Suddenly, the phoenix mask began to change shape, condensing and twisting until it transformed into a small, pulsating bloodred amulet. The amulet hovered above Remis, and the blinding light dimmed.

The commotion turned to outburst as his facial features were revealed. Some young ladies in the audience squealed and swoon, while the men graciously complimented him with a partly jealous tone.

But Zier simply stood, with a muddled and confused expression.

Rem?