“It’s obvious they came up from their hometown bragging about getting accepted to the Elemental Palace in the Imperial Palace.”

“……”

Felix had never known the Association Chairman could get this angry.

And he was also somewhat touched that the Chairman had defended him.

The Chairman continued speaking with fierce eyes.

“Even a dog knows to recognize and repay its master. If you dare criticize the Palace Lord who breathed new life into our dying field of elementalism… I won’t let it slide.”

“We’ll keep that in mind.”

“We’ll keep it deeply in mind!”

The suddenly disciplined elementalists responded loudly.

The Chairman looked at the sky through the window and spoke to Felix.

“Then let’s restart the meeting. We elementalists must surely be of help to this country.”

***

“This idea seems good? Having water and wind elementalists collaborate to create waterways.”

Visiting the Elemental Palace, I flipped through papers while listening to Felix’s report.

“The land we’ve surveyed so far is all previously used farmland… According to this opinion, unused parcels of land might still have some fertility left. If we create waterways for cultivation there, even though the yield would be low, we could grow varieties that consume less soil nutrients.”

“I think it’s a good idea too.”

“Then I’ll report this to His Majesty. And we’ll form teams to provide support, right?”

“That’s a good idea, Palace Lord.”

Felix nodded and agreed with my words.

Fortunately, it seems we can prove the Elemental Palace’s usefulness right after its reconstruction.

“Um, but……”

Felix suddenly looked at me with a dark expression, trailing off.

“Yes?”

I wonder if he’s been stressed about something at the Elemental Palace lately – his face looks more haggard compared to when it was first reconstructed.

“Is something troubling you?”

“About… the elementalists… Perhaps we should replace them again……”

“Fire!!”

“Huh?”

Before Felix could finish speaking, a loud shout came from somewhere.

I jumped up from my chair, and Felix quickly opened the door to assess the situation.

“What’s happening?”

“A high-ranked elementalist was experimenting with using fire sparks to fill soil nutrients in the laboratory when a fire broke out. The problem is the door won’t open… Everyone’s heading there now.”

“Damn it!”

“There are five elementalists trapped inside. I’ll go request equipment from the Military Department.”

“Right. And, Palace Lord.”

Felix spoke to me after receiving the urgent report.

“Please evacuate since there’s a fire. Even though I’m a fire Elementalist, elemental fire is more dangerous than regular fire.”

He tried to grab my wrist to head outside.

But I shook my head and slowly removed his hand from mine.

Because I remembered something – how I had once tested my power in the mansion’s bathtub without much thought.

I said to Felix.

“Let’s go to the laboratory.”

***

“Damn it, why won’t the fire go out even with two water elementalists working on it!”

“The fire elemental seems out of control. It’s an elemental rampage. This would be difficult even with ten water elementalists!”

“Ha. We’ll all die at this rate.”

“Cough! Cough, cough!”

I could see elementalists in chaos in front of the laboratory.

Elementalists with soot on their faces were pounding on the laboratory door where their colleagues were trapped.

Black smoke was pouring out from the gaps of the unopened door. It was clearly a dangerous situation.

“Everyone, step aside.”

At my words, everyone looked at me.

“This kid is…”

“This is the Palace Lord.”

At Felix’s words, the high-ranked elementalists’ faces contorted.

“……”

They must be seeing my face for the first time. Though I had seen their faces at least in their resumes.

“Damn it, we need to call high-ranked elementalists who can handle water elements. Let’s quickly request help from the association.”

The elementalists spoke to Felix while ignoring me as if I wasn’t there.

‘Since I look like a kid… They must think I can’t be of help.’

“Time is of the essence…”

“If you want your colleagues to live-“

I slowly stretched my arm toward the air.

Even though it barely reached the height of other Elementalists’ chins…

Anyway, showing my ability wasn’t in the plan, but I couldn’t let people die, so I had no choice but to show it.

As I closed my eyes and concentrated on my fingertips, powerful heat began gathering there.

In the still indoor air, people’s hair began to wave violently in the hot wind, and only then did everyone turn to look at me.

“Step aside.”

At my calm voice, people stepped back to make way.

Standing in front of the door, I forced the powerfully condensed wind in my hand through the split in the door. Then the door, which had stubbornly refused to open due to multiple locks, began to crumple with a crunch-.

As the immovable door gradually opened under my power, shock spread across everyone’s faces.

Finally, the door opened, and black smoke poured out.

I quickly turned my head to look at the frozen elementalists.

The elementalists stepped back a few more steps with wide eyes.

“…hiccup.”

It’s somewhat uncomfortable since their gazes are similar to how people looked at Duke Guermont at the ball…

“……What is this power.”

How ironic that they’re surprised now after treating me like I was invisible.

‘You’ll regret underestimating me.’

Now that the door is open, it’s time to extinguish the fire.

I began creating water in the air by borrowing power from surrounding elementals, recalling the moment I extinguished the elemental fire in the bathtub.

A powerful sense of moisture gathered around my focused hand, and finally, streams of water began forming in the air.

When I opened my hand, a massive water stream, like a waterspout, began striking the fire-engulfed laboratory interior as if exploding.

Swoosh-

‘Somehow the intensity seems stronger than last time…?’

Even I, who was directly performing the elemental magic, could barely stand still against the wave-like aftermath.

As I stumbled around thinking this.

“Um, but why is that water dragon looking at me?”

I felt somehow uneasy.

“And why is it opening its mouth… Aaaaah!”

***

A tingling, pressing sensation in my chest.

And the feeling of breath entering.

That uncomfortable sensation repeated several times.

“Cough, cough.”

‘Ugh. Water keeps coming out of my mouth!’

After spitting out water several times, I finally regained consciousness and raised my upper body.

“Cough, cough.”

Then a gentle hand patted my small back.

Finding stability in that touch, I could finally breathe evenly after coughing several more times.

‘I thought I was going to die!’

And when I turned around to thank the person who had patted my back… I met eyes with a young boy.

Then I saw the boy’s face, looking somewhat frightened as if in panic.

……Briton?!

When I opened my eyes wide in surprise, Briton’s sapphire-like blue eyes wavered with a worried expression. Then he reached out and gently brushed back my wet hair.

“My lady, are you alright?”

Briton’s concerned voice reached me.

If this had been my first time seeing Briton, I would surely have thought I had died young and gone to heaven with beautiful angels.

“……Cough Yes.”

‘But how did I lose consciousness?’

Right. I got caught up in it myself while trying to extinguish the fire by explosively releasing water elemental power.

“I was worried.”

Briton looked at me with eyes that seemed ready to burst into tears, his eyebrows drooping pitifully.

“But did Your Highness…”

“Yes. I performed artificial respiration that I learned from Duke Guermont.”

“Ah…..”

So Briton… saved me.

By directly breathing into me.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“I’m truly relieved. That you’re alright.”

I could feel Briton’s sincerity in his genuinely relieved gaze.

“I……”

Seeing him like this made my heart flutter.

I had thought that perhaps Briton’s kindness toward me wasn’t necessarily of a serious nature.

You know, like temporary interest in the opposite s*x… the kind you might experience during puberty.

“When I thought something had happened to you, my lady and you weren’t breathing. I felt like I couldn’t breathe either, as if I were dying.”

However, seeing Briton’s disheveled appearance that I’d never seen before, I thought that maybe I had been wrong.

‘This child truly cherishes me.’

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

I slightly raised the corners of my mouth, continuing my unfinished words, as if to say I was really fine now.

Only then did Briton also smile faintly while looking into my eyes, seeming relieved.

“And… this must be fortunate for them as well.”

At those words, I glanced around at the people standing nearby.

For an instant, an unfamiliar and deep killing intent flashed through Briton’s blue eyes.

Was it my imagination? It was too brief to be certain, but…

“This place only has meaning because you’re here, my lady.”

Am I imagining that it sounds like he’s saying he’d destroy everything – Elemental Palace and all – if I died?

“……”

The soot-covered elementalists hunched their shoulders, seemingly frightened by those words.

‘Though Briton is still a boy, this is a class-based society, so it makes sense they’d be afraid of the Crown Prince.’

And Felix, who had been standing awkwardly among them, spoke to me.

“I’m truly relieved, Palace Lord.”

The grown man’s eyes were reddened. After a moment, Felix spoke to the elementalists behind him with a stern expression.

“What are you all doing?”