She paused, then added, "However, my other two senior siblings aren't here at the academy. They are of the higher Rank VI, Grade A noble level. Just as I explained before, Eran, higher ranks don't stay within the walls of the academy. They duel outside. Their standards alone stand as a pillar to the hierarchy with every intel and implementation they carry out."

Upon hearing the truth behind the powerful name, Eran quiet curiosity deepened "So, most likely, the name Velmeirion revolves entirely around your bloodlines. I'm surprised. Now I understand the trace of that name, all the way back from your lineage till now... it's foundation. Every Grade B noble under this hierarchy is somehow connected to your family's roots… that explains the deference."

Miyu's lips curved into a faint smirk, her voice lowering into a teasing whisper. "Good thing you grasped it quickly, Eran. Most wouldn't understand even after a dozen explanations."

But the teasing vanished just as quickly as it came. Her eyes dimmed slightly, tracing the floor. "In my case," she admitted softly, "I was the only one who couldn't evolve as early as the others. While my siblings reached Grade C and above before their fifteenth year, I was still struggling to find my balance. My mana control was… unstable, to say the least."

She drew in a slow breath, her voice quieter now. "Because of that, I was placed in Grade D. The council said I needed to relearn balance and formation from scratch. It wasn't punishment — more like an attempt to 'rebuild' my core."

Her gaze flicked upward, locking with Eran's again, something fiery and vulnerable behind her pride. "It's why I train harder than most. Why I can't afford to fail, even for a moment. My bloodline already defines me, but I want to surpass it, not just live under its shadow."

Eran studied her in silence for a while... her pride, her resolve, and that quiet ember burning beneath her words. Then, with a faint smile playing at the edge of his lips, he replied, "You already have, Miyu. You just haven't realized it yet."

Eran's voice softened, his tone low and steady. "From what I've seen during the duel... even without the Nexus core—your power still radiates, Miyu. The blood of your lineage runs through you, and perhaps the urge and desire never to give up still burns through you. That's why your spirit never quenches, even when you try to restrain it. With that alone, you've surpassed more than any other noble could imagine for your grade."

His words lingered, quiet but certain, and Miyu could only watch him in stillness. Surpassed? The thought brushed faintly through her mind. Eran leaned back slightly, eyes calm, reading her like he always did... beyond her pride, beneath her careful poise.

With a calm composure, Miyu exhaled softly. "What do you mean, Eran? I haven't realized yet?"

Tapping a hand lightly across her shoulder, Eran responded with a warm smile. "You do, Miyu. You just haven't seen it for yourself yet. Back there, during the duel... when you tried so hard to restrain yourself from harming me despite the hunger the stage awakened... you still went beyond what you imagined. I saw the conflict in you, the control, the precision. Perhaps i know you questioned your self back there in silence.

Eran shook his head slightly, nodding to both his thoughts and his words. " So that was enough to prove you right. You already surpass what most would think of."

He let out a teasing chuckle. "Haha, I guess now that's the main reason you came up with that conclusion to quit the match. You already know beyond your limits. Hm," he added, eyes narrowing playfully, "you still doubt yourself, Miyu?"

Caught between disbelief and surprise, Miyu blinked—her mouth parting in a quiet gasp. For a heartbeat, her expression softened. The morning light spilled through the tall windows, washing the room in gold, catching the faint shimmer in her eyes. The silence that followed was thick with something unspoken... a warmth neither pride nor embarrassment could hide.

For a long moment, neither spoke. Only the light breathed through the curtains, settling between them like the quiet pulse of dawn itself.

Miyu's thoughts stirred deeper, sinking into the truth of his words. Of course, that had been the reason she forfeited the match back there. Seeing the sudden state of Eran on the stage, the tension that wrapped around them like an invisible storm... the only choice that had came to her mind was to entirely quit the match between them. There were no other choices to feign that would both prevent her from hurting Eran and allow her to look like she was among the crowd eager to tear the commoner apart.

The full realization washed through her all at once, warm and overwhelming, like something she couldn't quite name... something that belonged only to him.

Lowering her gaze briefly, Her lips curved into a wide grin as laughter broke through, light but trembling. "Eran," she breathed, "I never noticed these things. I just… did them. Because I felt it was right. Because I wanted to keep my promise not to harm you during the duel."

Her voice softened, as her laughter slowly faded into something tender. ""From the beginning, since I've had you… my life changed. The decisions I never thought I could make suddenly flashed before me like they'd been waiting all along. My path with you is a bound Eran, I want to follow till the very end."

She lifted her hands slightly, gesturing toward Eran with the same wry grin, her violet eyes glimmering, suddenly glassy and wet as they locked on him.

"Listen," she whispered, raising one finger at a time. "You're my life… second, you're my gift… third, you're my path… fourth, you're my purpose…"

And then, with the last of her fingers raised, her voice trembled, steady yet burning, "And lastly... you're my king."

Before Eran could even breathe a word, she reached out—her arms wrapping around him in a tight, trembling hug. The warmth of her body pressed against him, deliberate and full of everything she could no longer hold back. The corner of her eyes shimmered, tears spilling freely as she buried herself against him.

Eran's breath caught. His eyes widened at the sudden closeness, at the way her tears soaked faintly into his shirt. For a brief moment, his mind flickered in confusion

'if the System had ignited this sudden depth of feeling, or if he himself had done so merely with his words.'

But the thought dissolved quickly. He could feel her heartbeat... steady, real, alive. The weight of her warmth, her sincerity.

With the profound weight of it all, Eran smiled deeply, reaching out and lightly brushing through her silver hair in a slow, comforting motion

"You all are my bound," he murmured softly, his voice like quiet thunder against her ear. "And my sovereigns. My queens."

He drew her closer, his tone deepening with promise. "Together, we'll make a legend and build our empire."

The air filled slowly with warmth, the morning light spilling gently across the room. The soft breeze carried the weight of unspoken words between them, wrapping Eran's thoughts in quiet depth.

He reflected on the hierarchy that ruled their world... a system forged by power, grades, and nobility, where pride and legacy dictated worth. Every noble fought for their house's honor, competing to uphold bloodlines etched in centuries of prestige. The rules and chains of this world weren't merely laws; they were the scaffolds upon which generations of nobles built their names—proof of true nobility not in words, but in deeds.

For commoners, however, the belief was cruel and ancient: that they were not born into privilege, that no divine thread of mana blessed their veins. Unlike the noble-born, who trained from childhood in the arts of magic, the commoners were seen as incapable... cast aside, overlooked, and denied even the chance to rise. Each grade symbolized growth, power, and the measure of one's bloodline, a mark of evolution reserved for nobles alone.

Yet, in Eran's mind, the foundation of that belief was already cracking. Through the bonds he'd built—with women who carried strength, grace, and purpose—he had begun to see another path. One where legacy wasn't defined by birth, but by will. One where a so-called commoner could carry the spirit of true nobility and forge an empire of his own making.

He drew Miyu closer, his arms tightening around her gently. A calm smile traced his lips as his thoughts settled. In that moment, amid the quiet morning glow, Eran realized something profound... that perhaps destiny didn't belong only to those of noble blood, but to those who dared to rewrite it.

He drew Miyu closer, his arms tightening around her gently. A calm smile traced his lips as his thoughts settled. In that moment, amid the quiet morning glow, Eran realized something profound... that perhaps destiny didn't belong only to those of noble blood, but to those who dared to rewrite it.