Lying on a bed, surrounded by people, was an extremely thin and bald woman. Blood was running from her nose, and her voice could barely be heard as she screamed. Everyone shouted, but she was powerless; her voice was faint and weak.
A maid said, "I can see the baby's head! Quickly, prepare the towels and dry him!"
A man drank a strange liquid from a transparent bottle. He looked extremely exhausted. After he finished drinking, a faint light began to appear on his hands.
Another man shouted, "We don't have much time! Keep offering your mana. If you fail, the king will kill us!"
When the child was born, a maid rushed to hold it. But when she looked at the baby, she became so frightened that she dropped it. Just before the baby could hit the ground, one of the men managed to catch it. He held the child to his chest. When he looked at it, he felt a powerful instinct to kill it on the spot, but he managed to restrain himself.
The child stayed calm in the man's arms, without crying or doing anything else, just staring at him.
Another man exclaimed, "Amazing! The king will be extremely happy when he finds out his child has such a large amount of mana!"
The man gently placed the baby in a small crib.
A maid slowly stood up from the floor, her face filled with terror. She looked at the woman on the bed and, seeing even more blood flowing from her nose, said, "Continue giving her mana and heal the queen!"
Everyone in the room turned their eyes toward the woman.
"Faster! We don't have time to rest. Her death will be our death sentence," one of the men said.
Suddenly, a stronger light began to shine from their bodies. After some time, and after a few people fainted, the woman's condition stabilized.
One man sighed in relief. "Finally, it's over."
The king entered the room. He looked around, then slowly walked toward the crib where the child lay.
All the people in the room—at least those who had not fainted—stood up and said, "Long live the king!"
One of the men closest to the crib said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty. It is a girl."
The king picked her up and looked into her eyes. He began to laugh and said, "Ha! As expected from my child. She has the calmness to rule the kingdom. From now on, your name will be Catherine Genevieve D'Avignon. Tomorrow evening we will hold a grand ball in honor of my daughter," the king announced.
Then he placed her back in her crib and left the room.
A few days after these events, unfortunately, the queen died.
Four years later
"Your Majesty, we have finally found two nobles talented enough so that their child may be worthy of becoming the princess's fiancé," said a man.
The king looked at him and asked, "And which families do they come from?"
"The girl comes from a ducal family. Her name is Wilhelmina von Hapsburg. The man comes from a viscount's family. His name is Sterling de Havilland."
The king narrowed his eyes. "And you believe they are talented enough to produce a child worthy of my daughter?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. They are considered the greatest geniuses of this generation. They have the highest grades at the academy. The girl has long black hair and violet eyes and is extremely beautiful. The man is tall, with a very strong build and a face so striking that even young ladies envy him."
"I do not care how they look," the king replied coldly. "I asked whether they are talented enough for their child to possess power worthy of my daughter."
The man's face turned pale. "Forgive me, my king. As I said, they are regarded as the greatest geniuses of the last five generations. And even if you do not consider them sufficient… the child could always be genetically modified, as you did with Your Majesty's daughter before she was born—while she was still in the queen's womb."
The king stared at him. A heavy silence filled the room. The butler who had delivered the news nearly fainted from the tension.
Finally, the king spoke. "Send two letters to their families."
"Yes, my king," said the butler.
In one estate, a man with a thick beard muttered, "It seems the king has sent a letter summoning my daughter to the palace… Hmm. Go and call her."
After a short time, the girl entered.
"You called for me, Father?"
"Yes. It seems the king has summoned you to the royal palace, though he did not mention the reason. Do you know what this might be about?"
"I'm sorry, Father, but I have no idea."
"Hm. I see. Unfortunately, the letter states that only you are invited. That means I cannot accompany you. Leave at once and arrive as quickly as possible. Do not anger the king."
"Yes, Father."
Elsewhere, in a forest, a soldier was riding at full speed.
"Young master! Mount your horse—your father is calling for you!"
"Understood. Thank you." The young man mounted his horse with a faint smile. I wonder why Father is calling me…
Upon arriving at the family head's office, he knocked on the door.
A deep, powerful voice responded from inside. "Enter."
He stepped inside. The room contained a massive wooden desk behind which sat a broad-shouldered man with a thick beard streaked with gray. There was a coffee table and a sofa with two armchairs beside it. The young man sat down on the sofa.
"Why did you call me, Father? Has something happened?" he asked.
"Not yet. But no one knows what may happen in the future."
"What do you mean?"
"The king has summoned you to his palace."
"That bastard called me to his palace? Why would he do that?"
"Watch your tongue, son," his father warned sharply. "Do you want the wrong person to hear you? Have you forgotten that 'that bastard' is the king of this kingdom? As for the reason… I do not know. The letter says nothing." He waved the letter in front of his son. "And how many times have I told you not to speak like that?"
"…I'm sorry, Father."
"There is nothing we can do about the king's orders. You must go. I will prepare a carriage to take you tomorrow. Until then, prepare yourself for whatever may await you there."
"Yes, Father."