"Tell me—does House Crane consider itself above the royal family's laws? Or are you simply ignoring them entirely?"
Selphine's eyes narrowed as she watched the boy finish his speech, standing now beneath the open sky, the soft flicker of festival lanterns casting elongated shadows behind him.
"He… dismantled that entire situation in under two minutes," she muttered, more impressed than surprised.
Aurelian nodded slowly, his voice low. "And he did it without touching anyone. No mana strike, no spell, no weapon."
"But what really gets me," Selphine added, "is how cleanly he invoked the royal family. No hesitation."
Aurelian glanced sideways at her. "That's not something most people dare even whisper. Especially not in public. Not unless they've got the blood or the gall to back it up."
"And yet he did." She folded her arms, frowning slightly. "With perfect timing."
