The palace moved as if nothing had happened.
Servants bowed. Meals arrived on time. Guards stood at their posts. The grand halls shimmered with gold and silence, untouched by the quiet war unfolding within.
But Elira knew better.
Things had changed.
Not visibly.
Not loudly.
But beneath the surface—
Something was shifting.
She noticed it in the way the servants spoke to her now. Their voices were more careful. Their movements more precise. No one met her eyes for too long.
Respect?
No.
Fear.
Good.
But fear alone wouldn't protect Kael.
Elira adjusted the blanket around him, her small fingers smoothing the fabric with quiet care. He was awake today, his dark eyes blinking slowly as he stared up at nothing in particular.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
"You're thinking again," she murmured softly.
Of course, he wasn't.
He was just a baby.
But something about him always felt… different.
As if he understood more than he should.
A knock came at the door.
Lighter this time.
Routine.
One of the maids entered, bowing quickly.
"Your Highness, the Royal Tutor has arrived."
Elira paused.
"…Tutor?"
The maid nodded. "By order of the court. It has been decided that Your Highness should begin early education."
Elira's eyes narrowed slightly.
Too fast.
Too sudden.
Another move.
"…Send him in."
The maid bowed and stepped aside.
Moments later, an elderly man entered—thin, composed, dressed in layered robes of deep blue. His gaze was sharp despite his age, calculating in a way that immediately put Elira on guard.
He bowed deeply.
"Your Highness. I am Master Helion, appointed as your royal tutor."
Elira said nothing at first.
Her gaze studied him.
Measured.
Then—
"You were sent," she said calmly.
It wasn't a question.
The old man's lips curved faintly.
"As all things in this palace are."
A careful answer.
Neutral.
But not denying.
Elira gestured slightly. "Speak."
He straightened.
"Today's lesson is simple," he said. "Power."
The word lingered in the air.
Elira's expression didn't change—but her attention sharpened.
"In this empire," he continued, "one's worth is determined by magic. Strength defines status. Weakness… invites ruin."
His gaze flicked briefly—just briefly—toward the cradle.
Toward Kael.
Then back to her.
"Tell me, Your Highness," he said, "what is your affinity?"
Silence.
Elira knew the answer already.
None.
That was the problem.
"I don't have one," she said.
The room grew still.
The maids lowered their heads.
The tutor sighed softly, as if disappointed—but not surprised.
"Then you understand your position."
Not a question.
A statement.
A judgment.
Elira's fingers curled slightly.
"…Say it clearly," she said.
The tutor's eyes sharpened.
Then, without hesitation—
"You are powerless."
The words fell cleanly.
Precisely.
Like a blade.
The maids flinched.
Kael stirred slightly in the cradle.
Elira didn't react.
Not outwardly.
But something inside her—
Shifted.
The tutor continued, his voice calm, almost instructive.
"In this palace, Your Highness, kindness will not save you. Titles will not protect you. Without power… you will be discarded."
A pause.
Then—
"And the Third Prince?"
His gaze moved again.
Deliberate.
Targeted.
"A child born under such circumstances, without immediate strength, is often considered… dangerous."
The meaning was clear.
Remove him.
Before he becomes a problem.
Elira's eyes darkened slightly.
"…Is that your lesson?" she asked quietly.
The tutor inclined his head.
"It is reality."
Silence stretched.
Then—
Elira moved.
She stepped forward slowly, her small figure calm, controlled.
Until she stood directly in front of him.
Looking up.
Unflinching.
"You're wrong."
The words were soft.
But absolute.
The tutor's brows lifted slightly.
"Oh?"
Elira's gaze didn't waver.
"Power isn't just magic."
A pause.
"It's survival."
The room stilled.
Even the air seemed to hold its breath.
The tutor studied her.
Carefully.
As if seeing something unexpected.
"…Explain," he said.
Elira didn't hesitate.
"If I was powerless," she said quietly, "I would be dead already."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
The tutor's expression changed—just slightly.
Not agreement.
But recognition.
She continued.
"If he was weak," she added, glancing briefly toward Kael, "he would've died too."
Another pause.
Then—
"He didn't."
The implication settled.
Clear.
Sharp.
The tutor exhaled slowly.
"…Interesting."
The same word.
The same tone.
But this time—
Different meaning.
Not from the Emperor.
Not from an enemy.
But from someone who was beginning to understand.
Behind him, one of the maids shifted slightly.
Nervous.
Uneasy.
Elira noticed.
Of course she did.
Her gaze flickered briefly toward the woman.
Then back to the tutor.
"You were sent to test me," she said.
Again—not a question.
The tutor didn't deny it.
"Yes."
Honest.
Finally.
"Then tell them this," Elira continued softly.
A pause.
Her small hand reached back, resting against the cradle.
Protective.
Possessive.
"We're not weak."
Silence.
The tutor looked at her for a long moment.
Then—
He bowed.
Deeper than before.
"As you say, Your Highness."
It wasn't submission.
But it was no longer dismissal.
The lesson ended there.
But as he turned to leave—
He spoke once more.
"Be careful," he said quietly.
"Power attracts enemies."
The door closed behind him.
The room fell silent again.
But this time—
It wasn't suffocating.
It was sharp.
Focused.
Elira turned slowly.
Her gaze landed on the maid who had shifted earlier.
The one who avoided her eyes now.
The one who looked… afraid.
Elira's expression remained calm.
But her voice—
Dropped.
"…You were listening."
The maid froze.
"I—Your Highness, I—"
"Go."
The word was soft.
But final.
The maid didn't hesitate.
She fled.
The door closed behind her.
Elira stood there for a moment longer.
Then—
She looked down at Kael.
He blinked up at her.
Quiet.
Watching.
"…They're getting smarter," she murmured.
More subtle.
More careful.
More dangerous.
Her fingers gently wrapped around his.
Warm.
Alive.
Still here.
"…That's fine."
Her voice was soft.
But steady.
"We will too."
Because now—
The game had changed.
It wasn't just about survival anymore.
It was about power.
And she—
Was starting to learn how to use it.