Kaelith sighed. 'Does this mean I'll be having a younger brother?' His brows furrowed.
As far as he was concerned, he had never cared about anyone except himself. Aura was the first person he had cared for, and she had plunged a knife through his chest.
Now, looking at the little baby in the maid's arms, he already felt annoyed at the thought of a little baby running around him.
He turned to Agnes. She had an irritated glint in her calm eyes. 'Don't mother him, it will be too much hassle for me.'
Agnes was the most unpredictable person he had encountered—except for himself. She could say one thing while meaning another.
"Empress, you have to obey the Emperor. You are the mother of the Empire. Raising a child will be nothing but more grace to your name."
Plum glared at the middle-aged maid. But she didn't utter a word. She turned to Agnes, who still sat calmly in her chair.
"What about Lady Artherine? Why not give the baby to her to raise?" Her voice was low and deliberate.
"Unfortunately, Lady Artherine cannot take him in, as she has not been feeling well lately. You are the best person to raise the child," the maid answered. Her expression was already showing how much she wanted to give them the child, as if the baby disgusted her.
"Hmm. I see." Agnes rose and walked toward the maids. Her eyes fixated on her like a predator on its prey. The maid swallowed, cold beads of sweat forming on her face.
Agnes trailed her eyes down to the baby, who seemed peaceful and oblivious to the dreadful world he was born into.
"I'll take him as my child…"
'Really?' Kaelith looked away in disappointment. He wanted to say no, but he knew he would look nothing more than a toddler throwing a tantrum.
He sighed before picking up the marble stone again. To the onlookers, it seemed like he was playing with them, but they didn't know that he was harnessing his levitation skill.
"My lady…"
Agnes raised her hand, cutting Plum's words short.
"Where is his mother?" she asked.
"She's dead, after giving birth to such a filthy thing." The maid scowled, as if the mere thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Agnes carried the baby from her. "Plum, strike her."
Plum walked toward the maid and struck her on the face.
"Again… Again… Again… Again."
"My lady, have mercy." The maid cried out. She fell on her knees. Her face had turned to a pulp, red and black, with blood dripping from the corner of her lips.
Plum stepped back when Agnes didn't say a thing. Agnes walked slowly toward the maid.
"How dare you insult the young prince of the Empress? You are seeking death!" Agnes' voice thundered in the room.
Kaelith closed his eyes. The noise was too loud, and he couldn't concentrate on lifting the stone with his mind. 'This is one of the reasons I don't like women—too noisy. And that child, I knew he would bring nothing but trouble… to me.' He sighed.
'According to the Law of Intent, I should be able to lift this damn stone. Maybe I should reread the book again. To lift an object with the mind, one must first understand it. See not just its shape, but its weight, its stillness, its belonging to the world. Do not fight gravity—speak its language. Do not force the object—invite it. Perception becomes connection. Connection becomes command. But intent must be clear. For the world does not move for doubt.'
Kaelith's eyes narrowed on the marble stone lying a few steps ahead. His fingers twitched slightly.
'Intent, clarity, flow.'
He could still remember the words from the book he had devoured last night. The ancient scholar who wrote it called it the Law of Elevation—a branch of spatial manipulation only accessible through sheer will and focused control.
He closed his eyes briefly.
You must see the object not as weight, but as a memory you wish to bring closer.
He inhaled slowly, letting his thoughts still, his mind locking onto the stone's shape, its edges, its position against the floor. He could feel the pulse of energy in his core now, flickering like a quiet flame behind his mind.
Then came the second step.
Intent alone is not enough. Magic responds to vision guided by knowledge. Speak its truth, bind it to your will.
Silently, Kaelith mouthed the ancient words he had memorized from the page—not an incantation, but a mental anchor: "Grasp not with hands, but with thought. Let the world obey where the flesh cannot reach."
The air shifted, and the stone trembled, but it didn't move.
He peered one eye open. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He glared at his mother and the maids over his shoulder. 'So noisy.' He pinched the bridge of his nose.
'If only White Lotus hadn't sealed my powers, I wouldn't have to start again from scratch.' His jaw clenched before his lips formed into a pout. 'My affinity to magic is very faint… how could the reverend demon be reduced to such a shallow being?' He closed his eyes before facepalming himself.
'Now I have to look for more books to read. But White Lotus wouldn't let me be. They claimed I can't be alone and that I shouldn't be exposed to some books. They don't even have any idea of whom they are talking about… Except White Lotus. Does this mean she knows I'm trying to grow my powers back? Could it be that she wants to cripple my powers for now?' His brows furrowed.
'That explains it. That's why she is always monitoring my actions in the name of safeguarding me against assassins.'
He turned to Agnes. His eyes flickered with an unknown glint. He felt something tug at his chest, seeing how Agnes protectively cradled the baby in her arms.
"Forgive me, my lady. I spoke out of turn. It wasn't intentional." She bowed her head on the floor.
"I will spare you for today. If I hear such words again… I'll have you and your entire generation eliminated." Agnes' eyes flickered gold.
The maid trembled, her eyes wide with terror, at the thought of her bloodline exterminated from the face of the earth.