CHAPTER 85: THE HOUSE RULE

Elias blinked again.

"You awakened at five...?" he asked again. But this time in a lower voice. "If that’s true, then you’re a true genius." He paused for a moment before continuing again. "But then... shouldn’t you be a Tier Two by now? Maybe even more?"

Sitting beside Elias, Daliah was still wide-eyed, her hands still frozen in mid air with the juice glass. She had stopped eating completely. She was staring at Logan. Waiting for his next answer. And so was Rowan.

Logan felt a bit uneasy.

Not because he was scared or something... but because all three of them were staring at him like he was some rare item up for auction.

He gave a small breath to steady himself.

Then answered.

"Well... I was only five. If I messed up while trying to control mana, I could’ve gone insane. That’s what I was told."

He paused for a moment, then added in a calm tone.

"And there’s a house rule in the Smith family. No one is allowed to develop a mana core or practice magic before the Enlightenment ceremony, when they are baptised. Until then, it’s prohibited."

He looked up.

"So, my mana core was sealed in the beginning. To avoid any accidents."

The silence that followed was deep.

All three froze.

Elias blinked once. Rowan’s jaw tensed slightly. Daliah’s lips parted but no words came out.

None of them had expected that answer.

A family... sealing the potential of their own child? Their own heir?

How stupid could they be?

That was the unspoken thought in everyone’s head.

Elias set his knife down slowly. His smile from earlier was gone now.

"I believe..." he started, voice quieter, "the sealing had different motives. Didn’t it?"

His eyes narrowed just slightly.

"Not just safety... am I right?"

Logan looked at him, then glanced down at his plate.

"...Well..."

He hesitated.

Not because he didn’t know the truth.

But because he didn’t want to make his family look like villains.

After all, he and his mother were part of that family too.

"Forgive me if I am being rude, Prince Elias. I’d rather not go into that," he said finally. His voice was steady.

Elias realised he had gone overboard.

He leaned back with a faint nod.

"My apologies," he said politely. "Didn’t mean to pry that deep."

There was a small pause.

"Let’s enjoy our lunch," he added, changing the tone back to neutral.

They resumed eating.

But it wasn’t the same anymore.

The room that felt warm and lively before was now filled with quiet chewing and unspoken thoughts only.

Daliah didn’t say anything either. But she kept glancing at Logan—like she wanted to ask more but held back.

Rowan didn’t even look up from his plate.

Elias ate slowly, his mind clearly somewhere else. "A boy developing his mana core at five. Who would’ve thought that I would hear something so unbelievable someday." He thought.

Only Logan remained calm—eating silently, as if none of it mattered to him anymore.

Soon, the plates were empty. The last bites were taken in silence.

Elias folded his napkin and placed it gently beside the plate. He stood up slowly and gave a faint smile.

"Well, I’ll excuse myself now. You guys enjoy the rest of your day."

Rowan didn’t say anything. But Daliah replied with a polite smile, "Ok brother."

Logan simply said, "Thank you for joining."

Elias didn’t say anything else. With a quiet nod, he turned and left the hall. His footsteps echoed for a while before fading completely.

Even after he left, no one spoke.

The air still felt heavy.

Logan leaned back in his chair slightly and looked across the table.

"So..." he began, his voice casual, "when are we going outside?"

That finally broke the tension.

Rowan looked up, almost surprised by the question. "Well... let’s get ready first. Then we’ll go."

The change of topic seemed to spark something in Daliah.

Her eyes lit up again.

"Oh! Right! I have to change too!" she said with a wide smile and quickly stood up. "I’ll be back in a bit!"

And just like that, her mood flipped again. She practically skipped her way out of the hall, humming lightly as she disappeared down the corridor.

Now only Logan and Rowan were left.

Neither spoke for a few seconds.

Rowan cleared his throat, then finally said, "Let’s get ready as well. Might as well enjoy the afternoon."

Logan gave a nod. "Sounds good."

Both of them left the hall together, heading to their rooms in separate directions.

About twenty minutes later, Logan came downstairs. Rowan followed a minute after.

But Daliah... was still missing.

They waited in the front hall, near the open windows where the sunlight poured in. The palace servants moved in the background, but neither Logan nor Rowan said much.

Another ten minutes passed.

Then twenty more.

Rowan looked at the grand clock nearby and sighed.

"Thirty minutes," he muttered. "Is she weaving her own clothes or what?"

Logan chuckled but said nothing.

Just then, footsteps echoed from the stairs.

Daliah finally appeared.

Wearing a fresh, sky-blue dress with silver trim and hair tied with a white ribbon, she walked down like she was on stage. Her shoes clicked lightly on the marble steps.

Rowan smiled looking at his sister.

"Are you going for a beauty contest or what? What took you so long, Daliah?"

Daliah stuck out her tongue playfully.

"Why are you complaining so much, brother? It’s normal for girls to want to look good."

She flipped her hair once.

"Now let’s go. And don’t waste time!"

Rowan blinked. "I’m wasting time?" he thought inwardly with a deadpan look.

Logan just smiled.

And with that, the three of them stepped outside the palace gates.

The royal carriage was already waiting near the garden steps. Painted in deep navy with golden edges, its glossy frame shimmered under the sun.

A footman opened the door. Daliah stepped in first, then Rowan, and finally Logan.

The carriage doors closed gently behind them.

The horses moved.

And the wheels began to roll.

They were off—for a quiet afternoon in the capital.