NOVPUBKiaros usually called me “Miss Namia,” but it wasn’t strange for him to just say “you.” He had done it before, after all.
But suddenly, that way of addressing me felt weirdly awkward.
“Jaden is making the exact same expression I made when my special ability awakened back then.”
Kiaros’s slow, unhurried whisper tickled my ear.
He wasn’t muttering carelessly so that everyone could hear about a Dragonblood’s special ability.
He was being too calculating. From the beginning, he had planned to back me into a corner.
“Do you have anything to say to me about this?”
Meanwhile, the image of Cairo and his mother that the Empress and Jaden had finished forming glimmered in the air.
Through that radiant light, Kiaros’s quiet whisper continued.
“Namia.”
Even among blood relatives, the conditions for awakening a special ability weren’t shared. Most only realized them naturally, over time.
The core requirement for awakening—was trust in one’s parents.
If a Dragonblood child couldn’t find emotional stability due to lack of trust in their parents, their power could become harmful to others. That was the reason the first emperor had created the restriction.
There were even cases where one never awakened a special ability for their entire life. Not that it would be recorded anywhere.
‘That’s why Jaden only awakened his ability after becoming an adult. It was after discovering the Empress’s diary, interrogating the Education Minister—who had sided with the enemy—and finally learning the truth... That’s when he understood Her Majesty’s love and awakened, belatedly...’
In Kiaros’s case, he had no reason to distrust the mother who died giving birth to him, and the Emperor, his father, had poured affection on him without reservation. That was probably why he awakened his ability early. I still didn’t know exactly what his ability was.
‘I was sure Jaden would awaken his special ability through this event.’
That’s why I had planned all of this in the first place...
“Ah...”
I turned my head to look at the floating image of Cairo and his mother waving in midair. The event was drawing to a close.
The formation—much larger than the one they had practiced in the office—shone beautifully, then burst with a loud pop.
***
‘Now!’
The Education Minister exhaled and crouched down. That final scroll—the massive image of Cairo and his mother—was supposed to strike the chandelier and cause a huge explosion.
‘It’s going to explode!’
A beat later, the audience screamed.
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
“Kyaaaaah!”
The noise was deafening, enough to shake the entire hall.
‘I knew it!’
Just as the Education Minister tried to bolt and duck for cover—
‘...Huh?’
Something was off. No one else was trying to run. He was the only one turning back to flee. He instinctively opened his tightly shut eyes and looked toward the stage.
The final image had burst into a shower of dazzling fireworks, falling like stardust.
“Bravo! Absolutely amazing!”
“My goodness, I’ve never seen an opening ceremony like this!”
What he had mistaken for screams... were cheers.
“No way!”
The Education Minister clenched his fists and blurted out loud without thinking. A fellow minister next to him nodded vigorously and shouted,
“Exactly! An opening ceremony this magnificent—it’s unbelievable!”
Everyone laughed and clapped.
“Well, I suppose this is why the Magic Tower Master handpicked her.”
“Has anyone in history ever showcased scroll magic to this extent?”
The Education Minister gasped for breath, seething.
He still couldn’t accept what had just happened.
The event had ended with no accidents, flawlessly? That was just absurd.
‘The last firework was supposed to hit the chandelier and set the entire banquet hall on fire! That’s what was supposed to happen!’
The scroll had definitely been swapped.
But he had no idea why everything was perfectly intact.
‘Was there a mix-up mid-process? No, what the hell...’
The banquet hall was supposed to descend into chaos, there should have been casualties, and then Namia, as Scroll Minister, would’ve been removed from her post immediately.
‘This can’t be happening. This really can’t be happening...’
With bulging eyes, the Education Minister stared at Namia standing in the VIP section.
That vulgar Kiaros had publicly asked her to be his partner right there at the banquet and was now whispering into her ear nonstop.
It was insane. Absolutely insane. Just then— 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝑝𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
‘...Huh?’
Namia suddenly turned her head and locked eyes with him. Her gaze said it all—she knew. She knew everything.
***
It was a shocking, visually captivating event—enough to steal everyone’s attention.
Not only had the Scroll Department’s reputation skyrocketed, but this opening ceremony would be remembered for years to come.
Even after all the effort I had poured into preparing this day, that didn’t feel like the most important thing.
“The opening ceremony ended brilliantly.”
As fireworks sparkled in the background, a man whose face shone more beautifully than any of them smiled with gentle eyes.
“I’ve attended countless banquets, but tonight’s is one I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Truly exceptional in so many ways.”
His face, lit from behind by golden sparks, left the person beside him breathless.
“This was my first banquet with a partner, and you’ve given me a memory I’ll never forget. Thank you.”
Even though this was the same man who had just quietly pressed me for answers, I didn’t feel afraid—if anything, it felt like I was being enchanted by him.
Of course, I knew why he wasn’t pushing for more right now. He could demand answers from someone like me whenever he wanted.
“And thank you again—for everything involving Her Majesty and Jaden.”
That low, pleasant voice... those warm, sincere eyes. The clean scent I’d grown used to from being near him made my whole body tense up. I clutched my champagne glass and tried to calm my breath.
“Y-Yes...”
Trying to pull myself together, I looked around for Victor and Anastasia.
Far off, Anastasia—who had been leading the field operations—was hugging the other Scroll Department staff with a big smile. Her face was glowing with joy that the event had ended safely.
Nearby, Victor stood with the Finance Minister, joking with the nobles around him. “See? I told you. This isn’t the old Scroll Management Department anymore.” He looked happy too.
‘Haaah...’
I fought to suppress the complicated feelings bubbling up.
‘I’d expected there would be a mole from the start. It’s not like I wasn’t prepared.’
I had suspected that the Education Minister would try something against me. So I had used him—to set ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) a trap.
[Th-The banquet hall is nothing like the office... I-If we accidentally hit the chandelier or the lights, it could be a disaster...]
Office-use scrolls weren’t designed for live events. If one struck a chandelier, it could cause a major accident. The problem was, just by looking at them, you couldn’t tell the difference.
[All the office-use scrolls in the green box have been moved to storage, so there should be no confusion. But still, double-check the blue box marked for event use until the very end. If those get swapped, we’re in real trouble.]
I had deliberately placed the office scrolls in a storage room that anyone could access. I’d clearly marked the event scrolls in a blue box. If a swap happened, it couldn’t be called an accident—it would mean someone intended it.
And before the event, I called Victor and Anastasia to my office and told them this:
[I placed the office-use scroll box in Warehouse 113. If Her Majesty or His Highness asks, you can get them from there.]
Then after leaving the office, I told the other team members something else:
[I placed the office-use scroll box in Warehouse 241. If Her Majesty or His Highness asks, you can get them from there.]
