The grand hall of House Velcrest remained alive beneath warm chandelier light.
Music drifted softly through the elegant atmosphere while nobles continued speaking behind refined smiles and measured laughter.
Servants moved gracefully carrying silver trays filled with wine and delicacies while snow beyond the massive crystal windows continued falling silently across the northern night.
At the center of the gathering—
The young birthday heir stood completely absorbed in the enchanted bracelet wrapped around his wrist.
Excitement practically radiated from him.
He carefully infused small traces of aura into the artifact exactly as Kel instructed earlier.
The moment blue aura spread through the bracelet—
A translucent shield instantly expanded around the boy.
Several nearby younger nobles gasped softly.
The shield shimmered beautifully beneath golden chandelier light.
Stable.
Elegant.
Powerful.
The birthday boy immediately looked toward his father afterward.
"Father! Look!"
The Marquess smiled faintly watching his son's excitement.
But deep inside—
His thoughts remained elsewhere.
Because the gift itself already carried enormous meaning.
Not merely politically.
Personally.
And before the Marquess could fully process those emotions—
Kel calmly stepped slightly closer toward him afterward.
The movement itself remained subtle enough not to attract excessive attention from surrounding nobles.
Then—
Kel quietly reached inside his coat once more.
The Marquess instinctively straightened slightly.
This time—
Kel handed him a small silver device.
Compact.
Smoothly crafted.
Covered in faint engraving patterns.
The Marquess blinked once.
"…Young Master Kel?"
His expression showed genuine confusion now.
Because noble etiquette normally did not involve secondary private gifts during public ceremonies.
Especially not from ducal heirs.
The Marquess carefully accepted the small object afterward.
Then quietly asked:
"This is… for me?"
His tone carried hesitation.
Confusion.
And instinctive caution.
Because in noble society—
Nothing was ever truly free.
Especially gifts.
Especially from powerful families.
His first thought naturally became:
"What does House Rosenfeld want from me personally?"
The Marquess himself hated thinking that way.
Yet years of noble politics shaped such instincts deeply.
Meanwhile—
Kel calmly answered.
"Yes."
The Marquess looked toward the device again.
Then back toward Kel.
"I mean…"
A brief pause followed.
"…why?"
Kel's expression remained calm beneath chandelier light.
Then quietly—
He explained.
"This is a tracking device."
The Marquess visibly paused afterward.
Kel continued naturally.
"It connects directly to the bracelet."
Nearby—
Aria quietly turned her attention fully toward the conversation now.
Because this part—
She absolutely did not know about.
Meanwhile—
Kel calmly continued speaking.
"The bracelet originally only possessed the functions I described earlier."
Another pause.
"Aura storage. Defensive shielding. Aura blast capability."
The Marquess listened carefully.
Then—
Kel glanced briefly toward Aria beside him before continuing.
"But Aria became worried afterward."
Aria blinked slightly hearing her own name suddenly included.
Kel calmly continued without interruption.
"She wondered…"
His crimson eyes shifted toward the birthday boy briefly.
"…what would happen if a child possessing such an artifact attracted dangerous attention."
The Marquess slowly stiffened slightly.
Because immediately—
Old memories resurfaced.
Dark ones.
Meanwhile—
Kel's voice remained composed.
"So I asked one of our personal craftsmen to add an additional function."
He gestured slightly toward the device.
"Tracking synchronization."
The Marquess stared toward the silver object silently now.
Kel explained further.
"You can locate the bracelet wearer whenever necessary."
Another pause.
"And the tracking function remains active even if the bracelet completely exhausts its aura."
Silence followed.
Heavy silence.
The surrounding music suddenly felt distant to the Marquess.
Because the words themselves struck somewhere unexpectedly deep.
Kidnapping.
Fear.
Protection.
Control.
The emotions attached to those concepts instantly resurfaced within him.
Meanwhile—
Kel calmly added another sentence.
"I assumed…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"…that someone hosting such a celebration for his son naturally loves him deeply."
The Marquess's grip around the tracker tightened unconsciously.
Kel continued.
"And people who care deeply…"
A brief pause followed.
"…also fear deeply."
Now—
The Marquess genuinely froze.
Because those words pierced directly through years of hidden anxiety.
Meanwhile—
Inside his mind—
Old memories returned vividly.
His son disappearing years ago.
Panic spreading through the household.
Searching endlessly across frozen northern roads.
Threat letters.
Negotiations.
Fear.
That suffocating helplessness lasted an entire week before they finally rescued the child alive.
Even now—
That incident still haunted him constantly.
Whenever his son traveled.
Whenever he disappeared from sight too long.
Whenever danger seemed possible.
And somehow—
This young heir standing before him understood that fear immediately.
Not politically.
Personally.
Meanwhile—
Kel calmly continued.
"I thought perhaps…"
His expression remained composed.
"…something like this might ease that burden slightly."
Aria quietly stared toward Kel now.
Because hearing him speak like this—
With such precise emotional understanding—
Still surprised her somehow.
Kel finally lowered his head slightly afterward.
"I hope I did not overstep."
The hall remained noisy around them.
Yet within this small space—
The atmosphere became strangely heavy.
Kel quietly added:
"It's my first time personally meeting someone so loyal to House Rosenfeld."
His crimson eyes calmly met the Marquess's gaze afterward.
"And I wanted our first interaction to carry something appropriate."
Another pause followed.
"Not merely because today is your son's birthday."
His voice softened slightly.
"But because loyalty deserves acknowledgment."
Silence.
Complete silence filled the Marquess's mind afterward.
Because every single word carried meaning.
Carefully chosen meaning.
Not manipulative flattery.
Not political pressure.
Recognition.
Respect.
Understanding.
Meanwhile—
The Marquess slowly looked toward his son again.
The boy still excitedly tested small aura pulses through the bracelet completely unaware of the deeper emotional conversation occurring nearby.
And suddenly—
The Marquess realized something important.
Kel did not overdo anything.
Not at all.
Because the tracker itself solved a fear the Marquess carried for years.
A fear no artifact of wealth or military power ever fully erased.
The fear of losing his child again.
And somehow—
This young heir noticed it immediately.
The Marquess's eyes quietly moistened afterward.
Not dramatically.
Just slightly.
But enough.
Then softly—
He spoke.
"No…"
His voice carried genuine emotion now.
"Young Master Kel…"
Another pause followed.
"…I am deeply honored."
His grip around the tracking device tightened carefully.
"Truly."
The Marquess slowly exhaled afterward.
"Thank you for understanding my burden."
Kel simply inclined his head slightly.
No arrogance.
No expectation of gratitude.
As though he merely completed something natural.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly sighed.
"You always understand people too well."
Kel internally answered calmly.
"People become predictable when you observe what they fear losing."
The spirit fell briefly silent afterward.
Because honestly—
That answer sounded colder than intended.
Meanwhile—
Several nearby nobles quietly observed the interaction from a distance.
And although they could not hear every word—
They clearly noticed the Marquess's emotional reaction.
That alone became enough.
Because in noble society—
Emotional sincerity rarely appeared publicly.
Especially among older nobles.
Meanwhile—
Kel stepped back smoothly afterward.
Giving the Marquess space to receive other guests arriving nearby.
No lingering pressure.
No forcing conversation.
Perfectly timed withdrawal.
Aria silently followed him away from the central reception area afterward.
The pair moved toward one of the quieter sections near the crystal windows overlooking snowy gardens outside.
For several moments—
Neither spoke.
Then finally—
Aria quietly asked:
"When did you add the tracking function?"
Kel calmly picked up a wine glass from a passing servant tray.
"When you were admiring the other noble carriages earlier."
Aria stopped walking briefly.
"…What?"
Kel casually sipped the wine afterward.
"The bracelet already had enough enchantment structure."
Another sip followed.
"Adding synchronized tracking only took a few minutes."
Aria stared toward him blankly.
Because she vividly remembered that moment earlier.
She had merely been observing noble house banners near the entrance.
Meanwhile—
Kel somehow silently modified a high-level artifact beside her without attracting attention.
Inside his mind—
Sairen laughed softly.
"She's questioning your existence again."
Kel internally replied:
"She asked."
The spirit immediately answered:
"That explanation never makes you less terrifying."
Aria quietly looked toward Kel again afterward.
The calm expression.
The black cloak.
The effortless precision.
And once more—
The same thought surfaced inside her mind.
Kel did not simply think ahead.
He thought about things people themselves failed to notice inside their own hearts.
And beneath the warm lights of House Velcrest—
The heir of House Rosenfeld unknowingly became unforgettable to everyone watching him