After finishing his meal, Caelum wandered around the ballroom, still remembering his strange encounter with the other boy who seemed obsessed with his Mckn legs.

The waiter had given him an entire plate after he insisted, and since he wanted to focus on food, he had simply stayed in place.

And he would have to say, the sauce had also been surprisingly delicious.

’There are definitely a lot of powerful people here,’ he thought.

Through his [Heaven Reading Eyes], Caelum could see frightening flows of mana and aura surrounding many of the guests.

Some were openly powerful, their energy radiating outward like blazing flames.

While others were far more terrifying.

Even though he knew they were powerful, they appeared completely ordinary, like normal humans without any visible power at all.

His Uncle Roger was among them.

Caelum had always known his uncle was strong, but seeing him through [Heaven Reading Eyes] made it clear that Roger was far from an ordinary count’s representative.

Caelum had also noticed several hidden presences quietly observing the entire ballroom.

This was precisely why he avoided walking toward a particular area earlier.

The balcony.

It was strange, the place caught everyone’s attention for a moment, but then people would simply ignore it and move elsewhere, as if avoiding it.

Yet Caelum walked there anyway.

When he stepped onto the balcony, the night air felt cool and refreshing.

Above him, the moon shone with a pale silver-blue glow.

But something else caught his attention, or rather someone.

A girl, approximately his age, standing at the railing.

Her light red hair, streaked with faint orange strands, flowed gracefully down her shoulders, and her appearance was breathtaking even under the moonlight.

Her eyes were a shade of red and they held something that didn’t belong on a child’s face.

Wisdom.

Caelum blinked.

For a brief moment, he felt as if red dinosaurs were dancing inside his vision.

Then his [Heaven Reading Eyes] registered something else entirely.

An energy clung to her – malicious, dense, attached like a leech, drawing something it had no right to touch.

And based on the complete absence of reaction from every other person at this gathering, he was fairly certain he was the only one who could see it.

’I don’t remember anyone with reddish hair like this... Is she from outside the empire?’ Caelum wondered as he approached her.

"Hello there, beautiful lady who looks even more dazzling than the moon," he said politely.

Two crimson eyes slowly turned toward him.

For a moment, they seemed... hungry.

"I’m Caelum," he continued with a cheerful smile.

"And since there’s no one else my age here, I thought it would be nice if we became friends. What’s your name?"

He delivered this with full childlike sincerity.

He was five years old and this was completely natural behavior.

He was not an old man luring someone with candy.

This was simply friendship among children!

’Does he not recognize me?’ the girl thought.

She studied Caelum for a few moments before finally answering.

"I am Anastasia."

Her voice was soft and calm, very different from the intensity of her striking appearance.

Caelum had expected someone with such red eyes and fiery hair to be far more extroverted.

Instead, she seemed almost quiet, though Caelum failed to notice how her eyes were becoming increasingly hungry with each passing moment.

"Uh!"

Anastasia suddenly clutched her head, her expression turning pale as a sharp headache struck her.

"Are you alright?" Caelum asked with concern.

He had finally managed to talk to someone his own age, only for her to start suffering from a headache.

At the same time, he saw the malicious energy around her tightening like a parasitic coil.

’Is her headache related to that thing?’ he wondered.

Meanwhile, Anastasia felt the pain intensify.

In her mind, Caelum’s figure began to distort, and for a moment she saw him as something to be consumed.

Yet an unknown power inside her resisted fiercely, pushing those destructive impulses back.

Still, the closer Caelum stood to her, the stronger the urge became.

’The reaction was never this strong before!’ she thought anxiously.

She wanted to call out her hidden guardian, but before she could, she noticed Caelum moving his hands around her head as if trying to pull something invisible away from her.

’Huh?’

Suddenly, the pain eased slightly.

"W-what are you doing?" Anastasia asked, flustered.

"You looked uncomfortable... so I guess I’m destroying your headache." Caelum replied seriously.

He focused his Qi and Aura, synchronizing them perfectly as a faint blue glow formed around his hands.

The energy lashed out toward the malicious presence clinging to her, which resisted fiercely.

"What kind of logic is..." Anastasia stopped herself.

Everyone else who had seen her condition before had recommended medicine or calling a priest.

But no one had ever tried physically fighting her headache.

She didn’t particularly want to admit it, but it was working!

After another minute of Caelum swinging his glowing hands around her while Anastasia watched him strangely, he finally stopped.

However, his expression did not look satisfied.

It was as if he could still see a dark stain in an otherwise bright sky.

"Why do you look like that?" Anastasia asked. She was genuinely grateful to him now and wouldn’t mind being friends with him.

"...There’s still one spot left," Caelum said honestly.

"Without removing it I think your headaches will come back."

"Can’t you remove it the same way you did earlier?" Anastasia asked.

If possible, she wanted the headache to be gone permanently.

"But it might be... uncomfortable for you," Caelum admitted hesitantly.

He really didn’t want to do that.

Suddenly, Anastasia grabbed his shoulders and spoke in a domineering tone.

"Do it! I’m a strong girl!"

"...Alright then, close your eyes."

Anastasia obeyed and shut her eyes tightly.

Caelum took a careful breath, focused himself, and considered the delicate precision this required.

SLAP!

His hand struck Anastasia’s cheek.

"...Huh?"

Anastasia opened her eyes slowly, tears forming at the corners as she stared at him in disbelief.

And the moment Caelum saw that expression.

A loud FAHH sound echoed in his mind.

’I am cooked.’