The perfectly maintained fields along the paths leading to the mansion are very impressive. The trees, grass, and different kinds of flowers are noticeably well cared for; the love and hard work are evident with just a single glance.

  Multiple staff members move back and forth at full speed, never forgetting to make a slight bow the first time they pass by the carriage. Brendu is very excited, explaining every little detail along the way—her favorite flowers, where she used to play as a child, small experiences and memories, everything she can.

  We finally step down from the carriage and are guided inside the grand mansion by Tiana, while the rest of the attendants remain outside waiting. We walk quietly most of the time. I admire every pristine part of the castle; I don’t see a single speck of dust anywhere. Brendu just looks at me, grinning from ear to ear.

  Tiana stops in front of an enormous door, at least four meters tall. She steps to the side and gestures with her hand. “Princess and young Maki must wait in this room; the king and some of your siblings will arrive shortly.” We both thank Tiana for her guidance.

  Brendu makes her promise to meet later to catch up. Tiana is a bit hesitant at first, but after so much insistence—and Brendu forcing the issue—she agrees. I’m happy for both of them. Brendu sees her as an older cousin and wants to know how everything has been all this time; I’m sure Tiana feels the same.

  We enter the room, and with the first step the space around me feels strange. This place is bigger than it should be—or that’s my first impression. I’m sure the dimensions of this room are large, but not as large as what I’m seeing. My Personal World is a bit confused by the situation.

  I carefully inspect the walls, floor, and ceiling without drawing attention. I can see runes and magic imbued everywhere; there are at least a dozen different types of runes all around. At the very least, this room should easily withstand Ruby-grade attacks.

  After inspecting everything in detail, I remember where I’ve felt and seen something similar before. Some of Susan’s rooms have given me this impression, though the difference wasn’t as noticeable as it is today. I’m sure Susan’s office is much larger once you step inside; the same happens with this room—only the scale differs.

  “You look very focused on the walls. The most important thing in this room is right in front of you.” Brendu caresses my face with the palm of her hand. I feel a bit embarrassed for having focused so much on studying the room.

  “Sorry… I got a little distracted.” I glance around briefly and lower my gaze to meet her eyes. “The light of the princess is very strong; sometimes I have to look to the side so I don’t go blind.” My small compliment earns a big smile, followed immediately by a solid punch to the stomach.

  “You got out of that one nicely, but I don’t like the idea that you might make comments like that to other women outside your life.” Brendu gives me a tight hug, and we both sit down on chairs at the enormous table in the middle. It really is enormous—at least forty people could sit here.

  The sound of the door opening draws our attention. Something different surprises me immediately—I hadn’t noticed something so important. Inside this room, my Personal World is being restrained by the runes. I think I could bypass them somehow if I tried; obviously I won’t, because I don’t want to be sacrificed.

  The first person to enter is a blond man like Brendu. They share the same gray eye color and white skin. He must be around 189 cm tall and has features suggesting he’s in his forties. He has a fierce, dominant appearance; his presence is brutal. My instincts are screaming at me not to move, or everything could go very wrong.

  His gaze settles on us, and it feels as if fangs are just a centimeter away from biting into my neck. It’s as if I’m trapped by multiple bindings, leaving me completely immobile. This man is Jucam Qolud, the king of the Juka Kingdom.

  At his right side stands a man very similar to him, with the same eye and hair color. He’s just a couple of centimeters taller and looks to be around thirty. It’s curious how both of them look younger than they actually are; reaching Obsidian rank significantly slows aging. The first heir prince: Mike Qolud.

  Both are dressed very elegantly—black shoes, dark blue pants, white shirts, and equally dark blue coats. Over that, they wear larger cloaks covering most of their upper bodies, adorned with many medals and precious stones.

  On the king’s left stands a blonde woman with blue eyes. She walks with elegance, each step hypnotizing. Her light-blue dress fits her body perfectly; her features are identical to the person to my left. She is undoubtedly Brendu’s mother. Their names are very similar. She is Queen Brendor.

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  Behind them come two more people—another woman, equally elegant and no less beautiful, with silky black hair and light-blue eyes. Her slightly longer, dark light-blue dress looks perfect on her. The king’s second wife: Gemmi.

  Lastly, another young man enters, about 185 cm tall, with features very similar to the second wife. Messy blond hair like his father’s and light-blue eyes like his mother’s. He has a wild presence, the complete opposite of his serene-looking brother. The third son, Prince Ruddo.

  The presence of all these people is oppressive. Although the king is the only one at Obsidian rank, all the others are Diamond rank. You can’t be fooled by their youthful appearances—they’re all much older than they look. None of them is releasing their Imra with ill intent; the problem is sensing five such powerful people at the same time in a single room.

  I look at Brendu, who hasn’t flinched at all. She’s as calm as ever, not looking suffocated like I am. Could they be subtly directing their Imra—or something else—toward me? I can’t find another reason why I’m being pressured and Brendu isn’t. I should be handling these situations better, given that I’m stronger.

  My body relaxes a bit when Brendu stands up from her chair and shouts, “Father, mothers, brothers—long time no see.” She walks quickly toward her family, hugging her father first, then both queens, and finally her brothers.

  I remain standing where I am, waiting to be introduced. I don’t mind waiting while they greet one another. I use the time to push my mental skill into overdrive; my Thundersnow is giving it everything to calm me down.

  Something changes inside the room—it happens in an instant, as fast as a blink. Less than a second later, a forearm rests on my right shoulder. I don’t feel fear or move; I simply stay still for two reasons—my reactions weren’t fast enough, and I don’t sense any malice.

  The weight of his body is considerable. I subtly reinforce myself to endure the pressure of having him so close. A person considered a battle genius, a maniac for fighting much stronger opponents from a very young age, the friend/rival of Marquis Timal: Venomous Whirlwind Ruddo.

  “Incredible.” When Ruddo finally speaks, I turn to look at him—a fierce gaze and a Christmas-morning smile. “The rumors aren’t even close to reality. My little sister sold you short when she described you.” He clearly has no intention of harming me. His pressure is a bit suffocating due to his strength, but not enough to intimidate me.

  “Thank you, Prince Ruddo. I’m very flattered.” I return his smile without showing fear, only deep respect. He takes it well, bursting into laughter and wrapping an arm around my neck.

  “It’s a pleasure to have you in the family.” I can feel the rest of the family slowly approaching us.

  “Ruddo, don’t intimidate him—you just met him.” A slightly deeper voice than Ruddo’s comes from the first prince. His younger brother lets go with a small pout, and a hand extends toward me. “Pleasure to meet you, Maki.” A formal smile with charming words. When I accept the handshake, it feels as if a monster has placed its paw on my body—this man is also very dangerous and strong.

  “The pleasure is all mine, Crown Prince.” He has no bad intentions either; I take it as a small test. I see him nod slightly in approval before letting go.

  “You’re a very handsome young man. Brendu has a good eye. Delighted to meet the newest member of the family.” The second queen also shakes my hand. I feel not even a hint of physical pressure from her, but when I look into her eyes, it’s as if she’s seen my soul.

  “Thank you for taking care of my daughter these months. She’s a bit capricious, selfish, and quite spoiled. I agree with Gemmi—you have a worthy face.” Brendu’s mother, the first queen, also shakes my hand. I feel a bit strange; I don’t feel the pressure I expected. They’re much more normal than I imagined.

  They all step aside slightly to let the patriarch of this house pass. The leader of an entire kingdom walks firmly and confidently toward me, holding his daughter’s hand. His presence is now completely different—I no longer feel suffocated. The person in front of me doesn’t seem stronger than a Sapphire rank, which is worrying, because he’s an Obsidian rank.

  “Maki, we’re greeting you as Brendu’s family first. Later, we’ll present ourselves as a royal family. I want to thank you for being with my daughter these months. She has changed quite a bit since she met you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The king offers his hand, and without hesitation I take it. A broad smile appears on both our faces, and a deep sigh of relief is released inside me.

  “The pleasure is all mine, King Jucam.” I make a deep bow to all of them. I don’t care whether they’re acting as the royal family or simply Brendu’s parents—I must show my respect on the first impression, or my mother and grandmother will kill me. I look at Brendu before continuing. “Your daughter is a wonderful person. I’ve changed as well since I met her.” Brendu turns red like a tomato when I finish speaking.

  “It seems you’re not only strong and quite handsome—you’re good with words.” Ruddo puts his arm back around my shoulders. This man either can’t read the room or simply doesn’t care.

  Everyone in the room lets out a sigh, followed by a small laugh. “Let’s sit down to eat; our cooks will arrive shortly, and food tastes better when it’s hot.” The king claps, and everyone moves to their designated seats. I can see Ruddo doesn’t want to let go of my neck; he only does so after receiving an elbow from Brendu.

  “So, Maki.” Once we’re all seated, a voice comes from the front. “Tell us how you met my daughter. She never tells us the whole story. I hope you won’t leave anything out.” Queen Brendor’s words sound calm, like a small request, but I understand the atmosphere—I mustn’t leave anything out when telling the story. I prepare myself mentally so I don’t falter or miss any detail.