“Don’t be too cocky.”

He cast a spell with his eyes blinking fast. I reacted as fast as I could to evade anything that came out of that spell. Unexpectedly, a mist poured from his magic cycle, enough to fill the whole room with cold mist. I felt like I was in frozen meat storage. As I tried to cast fire magic, he shot water at my hand, and I stopped casting it.

”I am sure you know what happened next. You have read the book I gave you.”

I then remembered the book's content. This mist will instantly freeze any person using magic and slow down 30% of non-Nortis's movement speed. He can freely control the mist and instantly make me become an ice statue.

He then walked slowly toward me, his black hair overshadowing his face from the torchlight. His shining deep blue eyes and cold mist around him made him look so menacing. I walked behind me, keeping a distance from him.

I then focus on feeling if there is any place in this room unfilled with his mist.

”I am a professional mage, and such a petty mistake will never happen.”

Does he have mind-reading skills? Or is he experienced enough to predict all my movements? How far will he keep me walking behind??

”If you are this smart, why did you not use any of your head as a father?” I mocked him, hoped he would stop moving to get mad, and ran away as fast as I could.

”You and Your Greydoll did not know anything about politics at all, doing anything impulsively without thinking of any consequences of action, only Clavis the only one with a working brain in your family.”

He is not mad; he even mocks us. Are his heart and mind as cold as his magic? Maybe if I agree with him, I can negotiate with him. He is talking to Alex. He mocked me when I said he did not use his brain as a father, which I mean he only spoils the first son. It's the usual cliche Northern Duke plot, yeah!

”So you are spoiling the first son so he can't handle any family business at all?” I said confidently.

”So you do have any logical thinking, impure like you should have at least a bit different from them.”

”What do you mean impure? Are my mother—”

”They did not tell you? do you really think your eyes are red because of your element? do you think a human kid like you is normal to have a mana pool larger than most trained magicians?”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Why does he sound so irritated? Wait, that's not the main problem here.

”So I am not human?”

”You are human, but I don't know what kind of blood they mixed into you to become a walking magic catalyst like you.”

Wait, so I am kind of an experiment result? From how they worried me, it feels like it's a genuine love for their child. If they develop a weapon, why would they give the weapon an emotion? Ouch!

My head hit the wall, and I walked to the side, hoping to find the room's mouth.

”So you are going to kill me because I am half-human?” I want to make sure what will he do to me before I start abusing authority

”No, I did not expect you to be here. I was waiting for the brownish-hair girl to come here.”

Oh, Maria? Is he stalking Alex?

”You planning to use her to treat Alex?”

”is that even a question?”

Why does his answer keep making my ego hurt?

”Then just use her as an incentive. It will feel less forced.”

”How dare you use a human as a reward! It still counted as slavery!”

He make an ice spike, i panicked because i surely will get hit by that of he shoot it.

”Wait, wait! If you are going to make him the Duke, each time he finishes a quest or task, anything in your favor, you can give him permission to write a letter to the brownish-hair girl that surely will give him motivation and purpose.”

”It will distract him from seriously doing the training.”

”Then, how about incentive tier? Not doing is punishment, slacking off is nothing, doing it normally is resting, and you think you really like what he is doing. You gave him permission to write a letter for her. Also, isn’t it good if he managed to deceive you? It means he is already better than you at a certain skills.”

He looked dumbfounded, ”Are you sure you are eight years old?” he said.

”You know when was I born, right?” I then found the cave branch.

”Are you still going to slowly walk to me and stab me with your staff?”

”You sure you can keep walking?”

”What?”

Suddenly, my body felt weak. I then remembered that my neck had a small cut from his magic. I collapsed as I saw the blood trail on the ground; the cold made me feel numb, and I was too focused to look at his hand.

”You are too careless. This is how most honest families crumble down. You may have talent in leadership, but as a noble, you are too hasty for your future. Stop being a noble. The king will be replaced near in the future, and civil war and faction wars will happen.”

”Why are you telling me that? You want me to live? Isn't Greydoll your enemy?”

”I can't believe they did not tell you.”

”What?”

”How many people do you see with black hair?”

”Mother, you, Alex…”

No fucking way, no way, don't tell me. If this world follows the classic shoujo stereotype, then..

” Your mother is my younger sister.”

”Damn it”