Alix's gaze remains steady.

"You're confused," he says.

It's not a question.

Tsia nods faintly.

"Yes, my lord."

"Confused why I'm doing this," he continues.

Another small nod.

Alix looks at the table, then back at her.

"That's normal," he says. "You've lived one way for too long. Change doesn't feel real at first."

He pauses for a moment.

"Eat first," he adds. "After you're done, I'll explain."

Tsia blinks slightly.

She didn't expect that.

"...Yes, my lord," she says quietly.

Beside her, Liri suddenly speaks up, her mouth still half full, completely unable to hold back what's on her mind.

"My lord!"

Tsia stiffens immediately.

"Liri—"

But it's too late.

Liri looks at Alix with bright, shining eyes, her earlier fear completely gone, replaced by something simple and sincere.

"Thank you for freeing all the monster slaves in this city," she says, her voice soft but full of emotion. "Everyone looks so happy now."

She grips her bread a little tighter.

Then adds, even more earnestly,

"I hope you can free all the monster slaves in the whole world."

The words are simple.

Childish, even.

But they carry a kind of honesty that fills the room.

The maids freeze for just a second, unsure how Alix will react.

Tsia's face pales.

"Liri… you can't just say things like—"

"It's fine," Alix says.

His voice cuts through gently.

Tsia stops.

Alix looks at Liri.

For a brief moment, his expression doesn't change.

Then something softens, just slightly.

"That's a big wish," he says.

Liri nods seriously.

"I know."

She hesitates, then asks in a smaller voice,

"…Is it impossible?"

The room feels quieter. Alix doesn't answer right away. He looks at her.

At her small hands.

At the way she holds her food like it might disappear.

Then he speaks.

"No," he says.

Liri's eyes widen.

"It's not impossible."

Tsia looks up, surprised.

Alix's gaze shifts slightly, distant for a moment, as if looking far beyond the walls of the city.

"But it won't be easy," he continues. "And it won't happen all at once."

Liri listens carefully, as if every word matters.

Then she nods again, satisfied.

"Okay."

And just like that, she goes back to eating.

Tsia watches her, then slowly lowers her gaze.

Her chest feels tight again.

But this time… it's different.

Not fear.

Something else she can't quite name.

Alix turns slightly.

"You should eat too," he says to her.

Tsia hesitates, then slowly reaches for the food.

Carefully.

Like she's testing reality itself.

And as she takes her first bite, something inside her begins to loosen, just a little.

---

After the meal, everything slows down.

Liri doesn't even make it halfway through the last plate before her energy fades. Her excitement, her laughter, the way her eyes kept shining at every dish, all of it drains at once like a candle burning out.

By the time they are led to a room, she is already half asleep.

Tsia helps her onto the bed, gently brushing her hair back as the little girl curls up without resistance, her breathing turning soft and steady within seconds.

"She always falls asleep like this after eating a lot," Tsia says quietly, almost out of habit.

Alix stands near the window, his gaze briefly shifting toward the sleeping child.

"She's exhausted," he says.

Tsia nods.

"She hasn't had a proper meal in a long time."

For a moment, neither of them speaks.

The room is quiet, peaceful in a way that feels unfamiliar.

Tsia slowly stands, turning to face Alix again, her posture straightening slightly as if she's preparing herself.

Alix looks at her.

Then speaks.

"I heard something happened before we come here," he says. "When a noble was about to buy you."

Tsia's expression tightens.

Her fingers curl slightly at her sides.

"...Yes," she answers after a brief pause. "The guards of that noble suddenly went mad. They started attacking him. They killed him right in front of everyone."

Her voice is steady, but there's a faint unease beneath it.

Alix watches her closely.

"Has anything like that happened before?"

That question makes her freeze.

Not physically.

But something in her eyes shifts.

"I…" she starts, then stops.

Her brows slowly draw together as she searches through her memory.

"There was one time," she says slowly. "When the humans attacked our village."

Her voice lowers.

"It was chaos. Everyone was running. Fighting. Dying."

Her breathing becomes slightly uneven.

"I remember feeling… angry," she continues. "So angry that my head started to hurt. Like something was pressing inside it."

She raises a hand slightly, touching her temple without realizing it.

"And then… everything went blank."

Alix doesn't interrupt.

Tsia's eyes grow distant.

"But before I lost consciousness…" she whispers, "I saw them."

"Who?"

"The humans," she says. "They started fighting each other. Killing each other. Just like what happened in the shop."

Silence fills the room.

"I didn't understand it then," she says. "I thought it was just… them fighting each other."

Alix nods once.

"It wasn't."

Tsia looks up at him.

Alix's gaze sharpens slightly.

"You have something called an innate ability," he says. "A rare one too."

Tsia blinks, confused.

"Innate… ability?"

Alix takes a step closer.

"It's not something you learned. You were born with it," he explains. "And yours is dangerous."

He pauses for a moment.

"It has something to do with the mind. Or more precisely… the soul."

Tsia's breath catches.

She looks down at her hands, as if expecting to see something different.

"I…" she whispers. "I don't understand."

"You don't need to fully understand it yet," Alix says. "But what you experienced wasn't coincidence. When your emotions spike, especially anger or fear, your ability activates."

He studies her reaction carefully.

"It influences others. Forces them. Breaks their control."

Tsia's hands begin to tremble slightly.

"So… I made them do that?" she asks, her voice barely audible.

Alix doesn't soften the truth.

"Yes."

The word lands heavily.

Tsia takes a small step back, her back nearly brushing the edge of the bed where Liri sleeps peacefully, unaware of everything being said.

"I didn't mean to…" she whispers.

"I know."

Alix's voice remains calm.

"But intention doesn't change what it can do."

Tsia falls silent.

Her thoughts are a mess. Fear, confusion, guilt. All tangled together.

Alix watches her for a moment longer.

Then speaks again.

"That's exactly why you shouldn't be left alone."

Tsia looks up.

"There are people who would kill for an ability like yours," he says. "And others who would try to control you."

He pauses.

"Or break you until you obey."

Tsia's expression tightens.

She doesn't doubt that.

She's seen enough of the world to believe it.

Alix's tone doesn't change.

"Come with me," he says.

Tsia blinks.

"Join me. Become my subordinate."

The words are simple, direct.

"I'll teach you how to control your ability," Alix continues. "How to use it without losing yourself."

He glances briefly at Liri.

"And I'll make sure that neither you nor your sister will ever go through what you've experienced again."

Her eyes shift to the bed.

To Liri.

Who's sleeping peacefully for the first time in what feels like forever.

Then back to Alix, the man who took this city.

Who freed slaves.

Who speaks of power like it's something he can simply give direction to.

Her chest tightens.

Not from fear this time.

But from the weight of the choice in front of her.

"...If I say yes," she asks slowly, "what happens to us?"

Alix meets her gaze.

"You live," he says simply. "And you grow stronger."

No grand speech. Tsia lowers her gaze again.

Her hands slowly stop trembling.

For the first time since they met him…

She doesn't feel like running.

"...Alright," she says quietly.

Then lifts her head.

"I'll join you."

Her voice is still soft.

But this time… There is something steady behind it.

----

After some time, the door opens quietly.

Alix steps out of the room, his expression calm, but there is a faint trace of satisfaction in his eyes.

The corridor is empty, the guards standing at a distance, giving him space.

He pauses for a moment, glancing back at the closed door.

A small smile forms. Because, another piece secured.

"Another future powerhouse secured," he mutters under his breath.

Then he turns and walks away, already moving on to the next matter.

----

The next day, the atmosphere inside the city lord's estate shifts again.

Inside a large war room, a long table sits at the center, covered in maps, markers, and scattered reports. The walls are lined with banners that no longer represent the old noble houses, but something new, something still taking shape.