Invanne was running through the hallway at full speed, her wet hair still dripping slightly onto her maid uniform. Suddenly she skidded to a stop at a corner.
There—walking casually toward the exit with his hands in his pockets was the marquess.
She stared at his back while still catching her breath. Just as he reached the door and stepped outside, she dashed forward again, rushing straight into the main hall where the birthday party was still in full swing.
Music played, people laughed, and glasses clinked. Invanne moved quickly through the crowd, eyes scanning every corner as fast as she could.
"Who is it…" she whispered under her breath.
Then she felt it again—that same strange presence. Her head snapped upward. Azrean and Sumi were sitting together, still half-buried under piles of gifts, talking quietly to each other.
"It's weird... I cannot sense the presence anymore. Where was it coming from?"
Outside the mansion, the marquess stopped. He slowly looked back over his shoulder, a cold smirk spreading across his face.
"You'll pay for what you did to me... you stupid dukes."
He reached up and tore his own face off. The skin peeled away like a mask, revealing a much older man underneath—easily in his late sixties. Deep wrinkles carved his face, and a long, ugly scar ran from his left temple down across his cheek and mouth, pulling the corner of his lip into a permanent sneer. His real eyes were small, cold, and filled with pure malice. Thin white hair clung to his scalp in greasy strands.
He took out a small red ball from his pocket and smashed it between his fingers. Back inside the hall, the small gift box the marquess had given them sat beside Azrean. Suddenly it began to glow with a dangerous red light.
Invanne's eyes locked onto it instantly. In a flash she dashed forward, leaped over several guests, and kicked the gift box upward with terrifying force.
"I don't have time to open my pocket dimension."
She spun once in mid-air, then delivered a second, even harder kick. The box shot through the air like a bullet, smashing straight through a glass window and flying high into the night sky. A second later—a massive explosion lit up the darkness.
BOOM!
The entire mansion shook slightly. Windows rattled. People gasped and stumbled. Azrean and Sumi looked up at Invanne in shock. When the ground trembled beneath them, their eyes snapped downward.
Panic erupted throughout the hall. Some people started shouting and moving chaotically. Dean and Kumi immediately grabbed their sleeping wives holding them protectively while looking outside with sharp, confused eyes.
Outside, the scarred old man looked up at the fiery explosion blooming in the sky.
"Damn it!" He snapped his fingers.
A glowing magic circle appeared around his waist. In the next instant, he vanished from the spot without a trace.
Invanne didn't waste a second. She turned sharply and rushed outside to where the man had been standing. Her steps were quick and controlled as her eyes swept across the grounds. But she found nothing. The night air sat still, carrying only the fading echo of the explosion.
Back inside the hall, Sumi looked around, eyes wide, her voice unsteady.
"What just happened…? What was that?"
Azrean glanced at the others—the worried servants and the shaken guests—then back toward his parents.
"Is everyone okay?" He screamed.
Dean and Kumi were already moving toward them.
"Are you two alright?" Dean asked, his voice low but firm.
They both nodded.
"What was that?" Azrean asked, still trying to piece things together.
Kumi rubbed the back of his neck, his brows slightly furrowed. "Some kind of explosion."
Azrean's thoughts kept racing.
'I know that much... but how...?'
His mind replayed the moment. Invanne rushing forward. That box and the kick. The window shattering. His eyes widened slowly.
'That explosion... I think it was supposed to happen here...'
He turned his head toward the pile of gifts still scattered around the couch. And in that instant, everything clicked.
Heavy footsteps thundered through the hall. A group of armored knights rushed in, boots striking the marble floor in sharp echoes.
"My lords! Are you safe? There was a massive explosion in the sky!"
Dean raised his hand calmly, stopping them.
"Go investigate. Check the surroundings. See if there are any intruders."
"Yes, my lord!" They turned and rushed back out without hesitation.
Up on the rooftop, Jaek already stood with his sword drawn, his sharp eyes scanning the dark sky and the grounds below.
"What the hell was that…"
His gaze dropped slightly. He spotted Invanne below, moving rapidly across the grounds, searching. His eyes narrowed.
"That's the Thirteenth Star Magician... who is she looking for?"
Back inside, Dean and Kumi sat down near the children. Azrean spoke quickly, explaining everything about the marquess and the gift box.
Kumi's eyes shifted toward the pile of gifts, his expression turning cold.
"We don't know any marquess by that name..."
Dean exhaled slowly, his jaw tightening.
"How did he even get inside... This place is surrounded by high-level barriers."
At that moment, Invanne stepped back into the hall. Dean's gaze snapped to her immediately.
"Invanne. Did you find anyone?"
She shook her head once.
"No, Master. I sensed someone earlier… but they're gone now."
Kumi lifted his hand slightly. A thin beam of cold energy shot forward. In an instant, the entire pile of gifts froze solid—sealed in a block of thick ice.
Sumi sat quietly between Azrea and Memei, gently shaking them, trying to wake them from their deep sleep.
Dean stood there, his expression darkening, anger settling deep into his voice.
"Whoever did this...will pay."
Invanne stepped closer to Dean and Kumi, her voice low but clear.
"Master Dean, Master Kumi... I think someone is using a magical artifact across the entire area. It's disrupting the flow of magical energy here. That's why it's so hard for me to detect the presence clearly. If the explosion had gone off inside the mansion, the surrounding magical energy would have made it much stronger."
Dean and Kumi fell silent for a moment, thinking deeply.
Their eyes then drifted toward Azrea and Memei, who were just beginning to stir and wake up from their drunken sleep, still looking slightly dazed.
Kumi's face slowly broke into a small, knowing smile.
"I think I know someone who can track it."