Just as Sikar said, Durion truly could only make sounds like ‘Uuuugh’.

Ah, poor Durion.

“Sikar! What are you doing, casting magic like that at Durion?!”

“I had to demonstrate the exact usage of this item.”

“I asked you to explain its usage, not to experiment on a person!”

“I wanted to show that even someone as strong and large as Durion ends up like this when struck directly by lightning. But if you miss, they might only faint briefly—so accuracy is always crucial, right?”

“Fine. But don’t do this again. Got it?”

Sikar scratched his nose somewhat sheepishly and nodded.

“I won’t.”

“Then move Durion to the sofa.”

“He’ll wake up soon enough…”

“Hurry up.”

When I shot him a sharp glance, Sikar hoisted Durion onto his back with a tired expression and laid him down on the comfortable sofa outside.

Durion’s legs stuck out entirely beyond the sofa due to his height, but it still looked better than leaving him on the cold floor.

Durion no longer seemed to be trembling; he looked somehow at peace.

“See? Durion’s like a bear—he just sleeps deeply. No need to worry.”

Indeed. Durion was sleeping soundly, even scratching his face—so peacefully that I felt embarrassed for having worried about him.

Kian had now grown strong enough to incinerate the spirit Vika had summoned.

Vika smoothed the ends of his own scorched hair because of Kian.

“Not bad, young master?”

“Please stay still, Master Vika.”

Kian immediately touched Vika’s hair and restored the strands that had burned and broken off.

Vika looked at his regrown hair, then stared blankly at Kian.

“Should I thank you?”

“I should be thanking you. I wouldn’t have grown this much without Master Reidox and Master Vika’s help.”

“How are Reidox’s lessons?”

Kian hopped up and sat beside Vika on the windowsill.

“They’re not bad, but something feels odd.”

“What is it?”

“I didn’t realize before, but listening closely… it feels like I’m being taught to be a monarch. Master says it’s leadership training… but believing that alone still feels strange.”

“Strange again?”

“I didn’t know back then, but my father told me my surname is the same as His Majesty the King’s. Isn’t that odd?”

Vika wasn’t the type to pretend ignorance when he actually knew something. So he turned his head away, avoiding Kian’s gaze.

“Well, I don’t know much about it. Would that foolish Duke know? Oh, by the way, Madam is currently learning how to use a magic wand—shall we go watch?”

Those words made Kian leap down from the windowsill.

“What?! A magic wand?! Isn’t that dangerous?!”

“Well, yes—it’s dangerous for someone like Madam, who has no supernatural abilities.”

Kian rushed out of the room, saying,

“Let’s go quickly! I’m worried Mother might get hurt!”

Watching Kian hurry away almost at a run, Vika walked slowly, as if finding him overly dramatic.

“The Duke will surely ensure Madam doesn’t get hurt. Honestly, these two are so fussy.”

“Where are you even swinging that?!”

Sikar hopped nimbly around, dodging the wand Yura swung.

Lightning bolts shot from the wand, landing exactly where Sikar’s footsteps had just been.

“It won’t obey me! It feels like I’m trying to catch a huge, flopping fish!”

Even without her willing it, the wand flew uncannily toward Sikar as if detecting and tracking a living target.

Sikar was dodging swiftly, but he had no time to plant his feet firmly.

“That’s what happens when you swing it wildly like that!”

“I told you, it just won’t listen to me!”

As the two argued, a lightning bolt from the wand flew straight toward Kian, who had just entered the room.

“Huh?! Kian!”

Startled, Yura instinctively turned the tip of the wand toward herself, and a surprised Sikar reached out to block the wand’s tip.

Electricity from the wand surged through Sikar’s hand.

Sikar trembled his hand briefly, but unlike Durion, he didn’t collapse onto the floor.

“Sikar, are you okay?!”

Vika, who had followed in, wore a pleased expression as if thoroughly enjoying the scene.

“Duke. That must hurt?”

But Sikar merely flexed his wrist a few times, as if it felt a bit stiff, and smiled.

“Sorry to disappoint you. I’m perfectly fine.”

No matter how strong Sikar was, blocking magic from a wand with just one hand should have been difficult.

The reason he managed it so easily was because of his cursed hand, filled with chilling cold.

Seeing Sikar’s hand, Vika let out a disappointed smirk.

“Of course, your hand is frozen again. Lucky you?”

‘Sikar’s hand froze again?’

Yura, holding Kian’s hand with a worried expression, examined Sikar’s hand.

‘As expected, it’s happening more frequently.’

“Kian, would you mind taking a look at the Duke’s hand, if you’re okay with it?”

“I will. But, Mother, are you alright?”

“Yes. The Duke blocked it for me, so I’m fine—please check on him.”

Kian was even more worried whether his mother had been frightened, but he couldn’t refuse her request.

Kian went over to Sikar, who was massaging his stiff hand, and examined it.

“I’ll melt it for you.”

Sikar didn’t refuse. He entrusted his hand to Kian.

While melting the ice on Sikar’s hand, Kian spoke softly.

“Why are you teaching Mother something so dangerous?”

“Your mother also needs to protect herself now.”

“I’ll protect Mother.”

“You’re talking like a child. You can’t always be beside your mother—you must always prepare for contingencies to protect her.”

“Then, teach her more gently.”

“…I’m already teaching her kindly.”

“They say praise can make even whales dance. Please give her praise while teaching her.”

‘This little brat is making another deal—melting the ice in exchange for praise.’

Sikar suppressed a sigh and said,

“Just tell me plainly what you want. Be specific, if possible.”

“Praise Mother for doing well.”

Kian spoke as if imitating an adult’s voice.

“Specifically, say, ‘Madam, there’s truly nothing you cannot do.’”

Sikar gave Kian a dumbfounded look.

“I guarantee if I act that sugary, your mother will run away.”

“T-Then, teach her while smiling.”

“I’m not scowling.”

“But you’re not smiling either—so smile while teaching her. Then I’ll melt your feet too.”

Sikar let out a long, involuntary sigh, walked over to Yura sitting beside Vika, glanced subtly at Kian’s expression, smiled, and said,

“Madam.”

Yura’s face, meeting Sikar’s smile, clearly said, ‘Is he insane? Why is he smiling?’

True to form, Yura frowned suspiciously.

“Are you sick or something?”

“Not sick, but I might become sick soon. Anyway, Madam, I shall teach you kindly.”

“Why are you talking like that now?”

“Kian said he likes it when we appear affectionate toward each other—so I’d appreciate your cooperation.”

“Kian?”

“Yes. Kian.”

‘Then I suppose I must cooperate.’

Yura didn’t particularly feel like it, but she gave Sikar a bright smile.

“R-Really? Then we should both smile.”

Watching Yura beam sweetly at him, Sikar felt utterly baffled by the situation.

Keen-eared Vika had overheard everything Sikar said—not just to Kian, but also to Yura.

‘Madam and the young master are so busy caring for each other.’

Vika yawned as if bored and said,

“I’ll take my leave now. I can’t stand this cringey scene any longer.”

Kian and Sikar were so busy teaching Yura how to use the wand that they didn’t even notice Vika turning to leave.

“You must concentrate well when using the wand, Madam.”

“I know. But I still don’t fully understand what ‘concentrate well’ means, Duke.”

“When throwing a ball, if you don’t know where to aim and just toss it wildly, you’ll struggle to hit the target. Right now, you’re not setting a target—you’re just swinging the wand wherever your hand goes, so the magic scatters everywhere.”

After saying this, Sikar’s eyes met Kian’s, who was glaring at him. Kian’s eyes reproachfully urged him to give praise too.

So Sikar sighed and added once more,

“Of course, Madam is doing very well—just a bit more effort would be appreciated.”

After finishing, Sikar gave Kian a chin-nod as if to say, ‘Good enough?’ Kian nodded back, satisfied.

Pleasing this little brat. Pleasing Yura.

Sikar automatically brought his hand to his temple like someone lost in deep contemplation.

Unaware of the signals exchanged between them, Yura nodded understandingly.

“That explanation helps. I think I understand now.”

“Then let’s try again, Madam.”

Yura gripped the wand again and aimed at a target as tall as herself and as wide as a baseball bat.

Focusing her gaze as Sikar had instructed—to hit that pole—she didn’t strike dead center, but she did manage to hit the pole.

“If you hit the center, you could split the target in two. But since the target you choose won’t stay perfectly still like this pole, practice focusing on hitting moving targets.”

The simulations he summoned were round, ball-like objects about the size of basketballs, darting around as if they had wings.

“If you hit these balls every day, your skill will grow enough to handle the wand freely.”

Yura gritted her teeth, feeling as if Sikar had summoned basketballs just to make things difficult for her.

“People aren’t as small as these balls, you know? Don’t you think this is too difficult?”

Sikar twirled the small ball in his hands and said,

“If someone summons a spirit or other magic, it’ll likely be much smaller than this ball—so later, you’ll need to practice hitting even smaller targets, Madam.”

Yura, who had only been thinking of human-sized targets, remembered again that the King’s closest aides were spirit masters and mages, and sighed deeply.

“Fine. I’ll do my best—if you teach me properly.”

Yura spoke with a smile, but behind that smile lay an unspoken threat: ‘If you don’t teach me properly, you’ll regret it.’

Sikar, catching the threatening tone in Yura’s voice, playfully summoned another small simulation ball, bounced it in his hand, and said,

“You asked to be taught well—so let’s raise the difficulty a bit. Want to try hitting this one too, Madam?”

Still struggling to hit even basketball-sized targets, Yura gritted her teeth and gripped the wand as she watched Sikar pull out a baseball-sized one.

Then Kian approached Yura with a bright smile.

“I’ll help you, Mother.”

“Hm?”

Kian took Yura’s hand as if to show her, swung the wand—and the magic fired from it struck precisely the ball Sikar was holding.

But what flew from Kian’s hand wasn’t just the wand’s magic. The fire spirit he summoned came along too.

The fire spirit singed the top of Sikar’s head slightly before vanishing.

It was payback for teasing his mother. Kian widened his eyes as if surprised.

“Oh, Duke! I’m so sorry—the fire just now was my mistake.”

But Kian’s smirking expression as he said ‘mistake’ was clearly a lie to anyone watching.