You're not my mother

Cassius does not like this atmosphere

The sight of a crowd approaching just to bombard him with countless questions - some of which he does not even fully understand - feels overwhelming

The moment he notices them suddenly stopping and falling silent, he quickly moves away

The grand banquet hall is bathed in light. Luxurious attire glimmers with golden hues under the massive chandeliers, while laughter and hushed whispers blend into a soft symphony. Long tables are adorned with exquisitely prepared dishes, and wine glasses shimmer in the hands of nobles as they exchange politically charged conversations

Cassius is not particularly interested in any of that

What truly captures his attention at this moment is - a long table filled with beautiful cakes, each topped with bright red strawberries

His golden eyes light up, and he immediately dashes toward it

But then, he encounters a major problem

The table is too high

No matter how much he stretches, standing on the tips of his toes with all his might, his small hands cannot reach the cakes. He tries jumping, but it is useless. A sense of despair wells up within him - a feeling similar to when Celeste leaves him at home to handle her work

But this time, that despair does not last long

A gentle hand reaches out, holding a plate with a strawberry cake right in front of him

"Does the young master want this one?"

The familiar voice makes Cassius immediately turn around. His golden eyes sparkle the moment he sees a familiar figure

"Nana!"

He exclaims happily, rushing over to hug the legs of his beloved nanny

Lana smiles, her hand gently ruffling Cassius's soft hair. This child is always so adorable

"Do you want to eat this cake?" she asks, looking down at him with warmth

Cassius does not say a word. He simply nods rapidly, his bangs bouncing slightly with the movement

Lana chuckles, lifting him up and placing him on a nearby chair. She carefully cuts the cake into smaller pieces and feeds him with a spoon. Cassius obediently sits still, his cheeks puffing up as he chews each bite, looking just like a round little mochi

Lana has been watching Cassius for a while. She had been standing in the corner of the room, assisting the other servants, but the moment she saw him struggling to reach the cake, she immediately stepped in

"Young master, why don't you talk to the guests? They came here to celebrate your birthday" Lana asks gently

Cassius pouts, his brows furrowing in frustration

"They're annoying"

Lana nods slightly, letting out a silent sigh in her heart. She understands Cassius's feelings. Those nobles are not just here to celebrate his birthday - they also want to extract information from him

Moreover, she has just realized something - throughout the entire banquet, there is not a single other child besides Cassius

A third birthday party, yet all the guests are adults. There is no one his age to play with

Not wanting Cassius to sit idly in boredom, Lana takes his hand and leads him for a walk around the banquet hall

But before long, Celeste appears

Accompanying her are Duke Ignis, DuchessTerra, Duke Zephyr, and King Aurelius

Seeing such important figures, Lana knows she can no longer stand by Cassius's side. She gently releases his hand and steps back

As the warmth disappears from his hand, Cassius blinks, then immediately reaches out for it again. But Lana only smiles and lightly pushes his back

"Go to the Duchess" she whispers

Cassius hesitates for a moment but eventually moves toward Celeste. He clings to her leg, like a small creature seeking safety

Celeste does not need to look down to know that Cassius has reached her. She instinctively pats his head

King Aurelius steps forward

He slowly lowers himself, placing one hand on his knee while the other rests on his thigh, his gaze gentle as he looks at Cassius

"Hello, little one. I am Aurelius Valerian Century, the ruler of the continent you live on"

Cassius stares at him, unconsciously repeating

"The place I live…"

"I manage everything. If you want something, just tell me. This uncle here can give you a lot" Aurelius says with a smile, his eyes filled with amusement as he watches Cassius

Cassius blinks, thinks for a moment, then takes a small step forward

"Manage everything… Then can you help my mother so she doesn't have to work?"

His question causes the atmosphere to freeze for a moment

Celeste raises an eyebrow before suddenly tugging lightly at Cassius's cheek

"It's Celeste"

Cassius blinks, looking up at her in confusion

The three dukes and Aurelius all take note of how Cassius addresses the Duchess of Eclipse. It leaves them slightly bewildered, but none of them press further

Aurelius chuckles, his eyes gleaming with even more interest

"You want the Duchess to stay at the castle and play with you? I'd love to help, but I can't manage the affairs of a duke" he explains gently

"Anything that requires the Duchess to handle personally must be very important. You should understand that"

Cassius remains silent, his gaze fixed on Celeste. He says nothing, but that look makes her lips curve into a small smirk

Aurelius watches Cassius before suddenly getting an idea

"How about this - you can come to my palace instead" he suggests

"My palace is huge. You can do all sorts of things there. I also have a granddaughter around your age. You two can become friends"

He extends his hand toward Cassius, offering an invitation

Cassius blinks

"Friends?"

He has never heard anyone talk about that before. Cassius turns to look at Celeste. Though she says nothing, her expression clearly shows displeasure at the suggestion. However, she does not object

After thinking for a moment, Cassius slowly steps forward and places his small hand around one of Aurelius's fingers, as if shaking hands

"I want to go there"

"Wonderful! I'd be happy to—"

Aurelius stops mid-sentence

His eyes widen in shock

The three dukes notice his strange reaction and are about to ask what is wrong, but before they can, Aurelius turns to Celeste, his voice lowering

"What have you done to this boy?"

Celeste narrows her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Aurelius keeps his gaze fixed on Cassius, his tone filled with astonishment

"He's three years old… and he's already reached level 2 Mage? The sun must be rising in the west"

His words make all three dukes freeze in place

"What did you just say?!" They exclaim in unison

Aurelius nods, turning back to Cassius, still visibly shocked

"When I held his hand, I felt a small flow of mana entering me. This is definitely the sign of at least a level 2 Mage"

He states this with certainty

The three dukes immediately shift their sharp gazes toward Cassius, intending to examine him further

But before they can step forward, Celeste raises a hand, blocking their way

"Cassius is completely normal. Don't touch him without permission"

Her voice is ice-cold, and her stern gaze is enough to make the dukes hesitate

The atmosphere in the room grows tense

Sensing this, Aurelius chuckles and waves his hand dismissively

"All right, that's enough. Having talent is a good thing. I look forward to his future"

His words ease the tension in the air slightly

The banquet then continues as usual