As Luna and the maid walked through the massive hallway of golds and reds, she couldn't help but stare in awe at the beauty of the architecture around her. Massive pillars rose to brace the ceiling. Crystalline chandeliers hung from the top, reflecting the light around them in myriad colors.

As Luna explored her surroundings with her gaze, she occasionally noticed a maid or two and a butler here and there staring at her nervously. Sometimes they muttered, but none of them ever met her eyes before returning to work.

As the two continued walking down the hall, voices could be heard shouting behind two massive, intricate doors. One of the voices belonged to the red-haired girl Raiza, the other to a man Luna assumed was the Duke.

"...Telling you... She... me, Elder Sister!..."

"Doesn't... it... so..."

"Her... is pink!...

"Figure... this out...!"

Before the maid could knock on the door, interrupting the argument, Raiza blew the door open and stormed out. The girl paused for a moment to look at Luna before she huffed and continued storming off down the hall.

"You can come in now." A rough voice broke through the stiff atmosphere of the storming redhead.

Luna and the maid entered the large office. Like the rest of the mansion, the office was heavily detailed in gold and red. It had large open windows that let in bright beams of sunlight, causing the room to glitter elegantly.

"I apologize for my daughter's behavior earlier; please take a seat." The Duke rubbed his eyes and gestured at the chair in front of Luna with his other hand.

"Oh, that's right. My name is Wulfeas Solei.” The man's deep chasm of a voice reverberated throughout the room. "And what would be yours, young lady?"

"My name is Luna, no family name." Luna plopped in the chair, her legs dangling as she got comfortable.

The Duke stared holes into Luna before muttering, "Your hair really is pink..." The Duke then shifted his attention to the maid, "You washed her hair, correct?"

The maid bowed slightly before responding. "Yes, my Lord. Her hair has been confirmed as legitimate."

Ignoring that the maid washed her body while she was sleeping, Luna decided instead to ask the question that had been burning inside her mind.

"Why is it so important that my hair is pink?"

The Duke shifted, thinking his following words carefully. As he went, Luna couldn't help but notice that the Duke was a large man whose royal outfit could barely hide his muscular frame. He had a large red beard and long fiery hair tied back in a ponytail. It didn't take a genius to figure it out: This man was a warrior, through-in-through.

The Duke focused his words and answered carefully. "In our Empire, red hair is a trait that only flows through the veins of House Solei." The Duke pointed gently at Luna's hair.

"Your pink hair could be considered a shade of red, making you a member of my House."

The Duke then shrugged and let out a sigh. 

"Since you apparently called my daughter 'Elder Sister,' she's convinced you're my illegitimate child."

Luna thought, trying to recall the events leading up to this moment. "Elder Sister? I never called anyone that." Luna scooted in her chair for a bit before continuing. 

"I remember almost getting run over, and then Raiza suddenly holding me. 

Luna mimed being held by Raiza. "After that, nothing." 

Suddenly, the Duke's eyes went wide, "You.. didn't call her Elder Sister? Are you sure?"

Luna nodded.

The Duke then muttered, "Did Raiza just imagine it?"

The Duke rubbed his prominent bushy red eyebrows again in deep thought. I knew I had no other child. I figured this girl was at least a commoner using dye to trick us into the House's money.

The Duke could feel a drop of sweat drip down his neck. 

But even she flat-out refuses it...

So why is she here? Could this be just a misunderstanding? 

The Duke could feel it; something wasn't adding up.

Or could she be a house Lindir spy trying to play dumb?...

Suddenly, the Duke began staring at Luna. 

This girl's presence… The Duke thought.

I didn't notice it earlier because I was worked up, but she barely had anything to her.

The Duke could feel it now; Luna's presence was much smaller than most people. The mana around her was so weak an infant would have more.

The Duke couldn't help but notice it now, like a hole where an image should be.

Her soul is so weak it's unnatural. Could this be... a type of concealment magic?

Just as suddenly as he began staring, the Duke suddenly shot up. He rushed over to Luna, pressing his pointer and middle finger into Luna's forehead.

"Release!" The Duke yelled, and Luna felt a rush of energy blast through her.

Luna blinked twice in confusion. "Um, Mr. Duke?"

The Duke snorted and began tugging at his beard. "My apologies Miss Luna, I had the wrong idea."

So, it's not concealment magic... Her hair is actually pink, so she's not a house Lindir spy, she's not my child, and she's not my brother's child.

The Duke began walking back to his desk as he thought to himself.

So how... Is she a foreigner? Unless that idiot brother of mine is the one, who's been fooling around?

Luna shifted a bit, beginning to feel a little awkward. "Um…" 

The Duke stopped tugging at his beard, "Young lady, how old are you?"

"Five or six years old. I think. Honestly, I can't remember anything other than my name." Luna shuffled in her seat uncomfortably.

"Is that so?" The Duke mumbled before turning to the maid again. "Do you think she's old enough to have a Blade yet?"

"It's a little too early for that, my Lord, but it is possible. Although, the process could be dangerous."

Luna cocked her head sideways. "Blade? What's that?"

The Duke suddenly burst into a fit of laughter, "A Blade! You don't know? You really must've lost all your memories, young lady."

"Ahem." The Duke calmed himself. "Let me explain."

The Duke held out his hand, "Ignite, Flammenlöwe!"

Suddenly, the whole office felt like an oven. The air crackled with embers and magical energy. Luna could feel the heat pour into her lungs as she breathed in the air around her. The flames that shot around the room condensed and settled into the shape of a large bastard sword, its edges shifted and licked like fire, but it never broke the overall body. The Duke grasped the fire sword and let out a full-hearted laugh.

"This! This is what is called a 'Blade.' All bloodlines of the royal Houses can produce a Blade by making a contract with a Greater Spirit."

Luna's eyes grew wide with excitement as she shot out of her chair. "That's so cool!" Luna hopped up and down in excitement. "Awesome," Luna beamed, practically drooling over the fire show in front of her.

Luna could hear the maid behind her sigh and mutter, "She might honestly be his child, those battle maniacs." But Luna ignored her and focused on the fire sword in front of her.

"The Duke let out a wide smile, "Haha! Do you like what you see?"

The towering Duke's clothes and hair fluttered in the rising heat as he spun the sword around him expertly. "House Solei gets fire Blades through the blessings of the Greater Fire Spirit, Pyroth." The Duke finally settled the sword in front of him, holding it sideways so that Luna could get a closer look.

"There are others, such as House Lindir, which uses ice Blades, and House Almini specializes in wind Blades."

The Duke's sword suddenly disappeared, and with it, the heat. 

"So, little lady. You want one for yourself?"

The stars in Luna's eyes only grew brighter, and she could no longer hold in her voice. "You mean I can do that too!?"

The Duke put his hands on his hips. "If that hair of yours is an indicator that you're a Solei, then yes, absolutely!"

The maid coughed gently to get their attention.

"I will contact Father Augustus of the local Alloran church to begin preparations for the Contract ceremony. Since it's your request, Father Augustus will certainly be here by tomorrow, my Lord." The maid bowed and opened the door.

The Duke thanked the maid and smiled at Luna, "It's getting late. It would probably be best to head off to your room and get some more sleep. You've got a big day ahead of you."

Luna squealed in excitement, "I don't know if I'll be able to, but I'll try." 

With that, Luna followed the maid outside the room and shut the door leaving the Duke to his thoughts.

The Duke let out an audible sigh and slumped into his chair. The Duke glanced over at the framed picture sitting on his desk. In the picture stood three figures smiling happily. The Duke, Raiza, when she was seven, smiling openly, proud of her missing tooth. The Duke picked up the picture and rubbed the place of the third figure. His late wife.

Her soft white hair flowed down past her shoulders. Her smile shined brightly, warming the hearts of everyone around her. The Duke remembered her gentle nature, yet when she became excited, she was a force to be reckoned with.

The Duke held back burning tears in his eyes.

"Oh, Milly. I miss you so much." The Duke's words broke in his throat.

Tears dripped onto the picture as he continued, "That Luna girl, she can't be your child."

He could feel his hands clench the picture so hard it threatened to snap, "So why?"

"Why does she remind me of you?"

Despite the Duke's desperate pleas, no answer came.